CHAPTER VII. MY LADY DUCHESS'S OPINION OF THE UTILITY OF MASTER WARNER'SINVENTION, AND HER ESTEEM FOR ITS--EXPLOSION.
Adam, utterly unheeding, or rather deaf to, the discussion that hadtaken place, and his narrow escape from cord and gibbet, lifted hishead peevishly from his bosom, as the duchess rested her hand almostcaressingly on his shoulder, and thus addressed him,--
"Most puissant Sir, think not that I am one of those who, in theirignorance and folly, slight the mysteries of which thou art clearly sogreat a master. When I heard thee speak of subjecting Nature to Man, Iat once comprehended thee, and blushed for the dulness of my kindred."
"Ah, lady, thou hast studied, then, the mathematics. Alack! this is agrievous blow; but it is no inherent fault in the device. I am clearlyof mind that it can be remedied. But oh! what time, what thought, whatsleepless nights, what gold will be needed!"
"Give me thy sleepless nights and thy grand thoughts, and thou shalt notwant gold."
"Lady," cried Adam, starting to his feet, "do I hear aright? Art thou,in truth, the patron I have so long dreamed of? Hast thou the brain andthe heart to aid the pursuits of science?"
"Ay! and the power to protect the students! Sage, I am the Duchess ofBedford, whom men accuse of witchcraft,--as thee of wizardy. From thewife of a private gentleman, I have become the mother of a queen. Istand amidst a court full of foes; I desire gold to corrupt, and wisdomto guard against, and means to destroy them. And I seek all these in menlike thee!"
Adam turned on her his bewildered eyes, and made no answer.
"They tell me," said the duchess, "that Henry of Windsor employedlearned men to transmute the baser metals into gold. Wert thou one ofthem?"
"No."
"Thou knowest that art?"
"I studied it in my youth, but the ingredients of the crucible were toocostly."
"Thou shalt not lack them with me. Thou knowest the lore of the stars,and canst foretell the designs of enemies,--the hour whether to act orto forbear?"
"Astrology I have studied, but that also was in youth; for theredwelleth in the pure mathematics that have led me to this invention--"
"Truce with that invention, whatever it be; think of it no more,--ithas served its end in the explosion, which proved thy power of mischief.High objects are now before thee. Wilt thou be of my household, one ofmy alchemists and astrologers? Thou shalt have leisure, honour, and allthe moneys thou canst need."
"Moneys!" said Adam, eagerly, and casting his eyes upon the mangledmodel. "Well, I agree; what you will,--alchemist, astrologist,wizard,--what you will. This shall all be repaired,--all; I begin tosee now, all! I begin to see; yes, if a pipe by which the too-excessivevapour could--ay, ay!--right, right," and he rubbed his hands.
Jacquetta was struck with his enthusiasm. "But surely, Master Warner,this has some virtue you have not vouchsafed to explain; confide in me,can it change iron to gold?"
"No; but--"
"Can it predict the future?"
"No; but--"
"Can it prolong life?"
"No; but--"
"Then, in God's name let us waste no more time about it!" said theduchess, impatiently,--"your art is mine now. Ho, there!--I will sendmy page to conduct thee to thy apartments, and thou shalt lodge nextto Friar Bungey, a man of wondrous lere, Master Warner, and a worthyconfrere in thy researches. Hast thou any one of kith and kin at home towhom thou wilt announce thy advancement?"
"Ah, lady! Heaven forgive me, I have a daughter,--an only child,--mySibyll; I cannot leave her alone, and--"
"Well, nothing should distract thy cares from thine art,--she shall besent for. I will rank her amongst my maidens. Fare-thee-well, MasterWarner! At night I will send for thee, and appoint the tasks I wouldhave thee accomplish."
So saying, the duchess quitted the room, and left Adam alone, bendingover his model in deep revery.
From this absorption it was the poor man's fate to be again aroused.
The peculiar character of the boy-prince of Gloucester was that of onewho, having once seized upon an object, never willingly relinquished it.First, he crept and slid and coiled round it as the snake. But if craftfailed, his passion, roused by resistance, sprang at his prey witha lion's leap: and whoever examines the career of this extraordinarypersonage, will perceive, that whatever might be his habitual hypocrisy,he seemed to lose sight of it wholly when once resolved upon force. Thenthe naked ferocity with which the destructive propensity swept awaythe objects in his path becomes fearfully and startlingly apparent, andoffers a strange contrast to the wily duplicity with which, in calmermoments, he seems to have sought to coax the victim into his folds.Firmly convinced that Adam's engine had been made the medium ofdangerous and treasonable correspondence with the royal prisoner, and ofthat suspicious, restless, feverish temperament which never slept whena fear was wakened, a doubt conceived, he had broke from his brother,whose more open valour and less unquiet intellect were ever willing toleave the crown defended but by the gibbet for the detected traitor,the sword for the declared foe; and obtaining Edward's permission "toinquire further into these strange matters," he sent at once for theporter who had conveyed the model to the Tower; but that suspiciousaccomplice was gone. The sound of the explosion of the engine had noless startled the guard below than the spectators above. Releasingtheir hold of their prisoner, they had some taken fairly to their heels,others rushed into the palace to learn what mischief had ensued; andHugh, with the quick discretion of his north country, had not lost sofavourable an opportunity for escape. There stood the dozing mule at thedoor below, but the guide was vanished. More confirmed in his suspicionsby this disappearance of Adam's companion, Richard, giving somepreparatory orders to Catesby, turned at once to the room which stillheld the philosopher and his device. He closed the door on entering, andhis brow was dark and sinister as he approached the musing inmate. Buthere we must return to Sibyll.