Chapter VI: Watched!
"I am glad thou hast so resolved, my husband; but hast thouconsidered what it may mean to thee?"
Lady Chadgrove spoke gently, laying her hand upon her husband's armwith a gesture unwontedly tender; for neither was demonstrative ofthe deep affection which existed between them, and he knew thatonly strong emotion evoked such action from her.
"I know that if I refuse to give up Brother Emmanuel I may drawdown upon myself stern admonition, and perchance something worse,but I mean not that it come to open defiance of any injunction fromthe Church. Brother Emmanuel must leave Chad secretly, and be faraway ere the week of grace expires. We are but twenty miles fromthe coast. This very day I shall ride thither and see what smalltrading vessels are in the bay about to fare forth to foreignshores. I shall negotiate with some skipper making for some Dutchport to carry thither the person whom I shall describe to him, andwho will show him this ring"--and Sir Oliver displayed an emeraldupon his own finger--"in token that he is the person to be takenaboard. Those trading skippers are used to such jobs, and if theybe paid they know how to hold their peace and ask no questions. InHolland the brother will be safer than in any other land. The spiteof the Prior of Chadwater is not like to pursue him there. But herehis life is not safe from hour to hour."
"And how if it comes to be known that thou hast planned thisescape?" asked the lady, a little anxiously.
"I have thought of that too, dame," replied the knight, smiling."Let but the good brother be safely out of the country, and whilstthe hue and cry is still going on here after him I will to the kingand tell him all the story. Our pious Dean Colet, who knows BrotherEmmanuel, and knows, too, that it is meet the corrupt practicesthat have crept within the pale of Holy Church should be madeknown, that they may be swept away and reformed, will stand myfriend, and together we can so persuade his Majesty that even ifthe prior and Mortimer both combine to accuse me before him he willnot allow their spite to touch me. The king knows right well thatthere is need of amendment within the Church herself. We have heardwords spoken in the Cathedral of London which would be accountedrank heresy here. There is light abroad which must one day reach tothe ends of the earth, and truly it sometimes seemeth to me that ifthe priests, the abbots, and the monks set their faces steadfastlyagainst this light, they will fall into some terrible pitfall, butthey will never quench the light with their united strength."
The lady gave one quick glance round, as though afraid that eventhe walls might have ears, and such sentiments were not those thatit was safe to blazon abroad. But Sir Oliver, strong in theconsciousness of his own deep and abiding love for the Church andfor all the doctrines which she upheld, was bold to speak his mindin private when the subject broached was the one of corruptions andabuses which some of the sturdiest and noblest sons of the Churchwere now engaged in examining and denouncing, none dreaming ofcharging them with heresy on that account.
But the mother had noted the presence of Edred, who had come inquietly whilst the discussion was going on, and was now standinglistening to his father's words with kindling eyes; and she made asign to her husband which caused him to turn round, and then theboy spoke.
"The horses are ready at the door, father, and Bertram prays thathe may accompany thee. He is donning his riding dress already."
"With all my heart," answered the knight readily, "an he can ridethe forty miles betwixt this and tomorrow at the same hour; for Ido not purpose to be long absent."
"Bertram would ride all day and all night and feel it not,"answered Edred with a proud smile; "and he loves the sight and thesmell of the salt sea, and would be loath to miss the chance ofseeing it. Father, art thou going to aid Brother Emmanuel to fly?Is there peril for him abroad?"
The knight bent a quick, keen glance upon his son.
"I fear so, my boy; and Brother Emmanuel himself thinks that ill ismeant him. And it is better to seek safety in flight at the firsthint of danger than to dally and delay, and perhaps find at lastthat it is too late to fly. Thou, my son, wilt for this one day andnight be left in charge of thy mother and thy home and all withinit; for I must needs take with me Warbel and a score of ourstoutest fellows, for the lonely road to the coast is none too safefor travellers of the better sort. Be thou watchful and vigilant,and keep thine eyes and thine ears alike open. Heed well that thegates be closed early, and that all be made safe, and let notBrother Emmanuel adventure himself without the walls. Use alldiscretion and heed, and fare thee well. I shall reach the coasttonight, and do my business with all speed, and be in the saddleagain with the light of dawn, so thou mayest look to see us againbefore noon."
And with a tender farewell to his wife, the knight mounted and rodeaway with his gallant little train; and the lady looked after himfrom the window, and said to Edred, who quickly came to her tolearn more, if he could, of the words he had recently heard:
"Now may the blessed saints and our Lord Himself be with him! forno braver and truer gentleman lives in the length and breadth ofthis land. There be few, indeed, who would imperil their own safetyrather than yield up one who is after all little more than astranger. Heaven send that he repent not this deed! May God be withhim in all his ways!"
"My mother," said Edred cautiously, "is it that Brother Emmanuel isin sore peril? He is so devout and faithful a son of the Churchthat it is hard to credit it."
"In sooth, my son, these be matters hard to be understood; but thyfather truly holds that he were safer out of this country and outof reach of the Prior of Chadwater and the Lord of Mortimer. Men'swords can be turned and twisted till the best may be accused ofheresy; and again, if a monk has fallen beneath the wrath of hissuperior, no man may tell what would befall were he to return tothe power of his spiritual father. Sure those holy men who foundedthe orders of godly recluses little dreamed what those places mightbecome in time, and with the ever-increasing love of ease andwealth which seems implanted in the heart of man.
"Heaven pardon me if I speak or think amiss! but it is strange tohear and see what passes in the world. But one must use all cautioneven in thought, and I would not have thee speak aught of this savein a whisper in thy brother's ear, that he too may use all cautionand discretion till we can find occasion to send Brother Emmanuelforth in safety.
"We have a week before us ere he will be summoned hence. Strivethat none shall suspect aught of difference or coming change. Keepwell the hours of study. Give none occasion for remark. For all weknow, a spy may be in our midst; and at least any servant of oursmight well be questioned by any of the monks of Chadwater, to whomhe might go to confess, as to what was passing in the house, andsee no hurt in answering questions. Wherefore be very wise anddiscreet, and give none occasion for remark.
"Thou dost understand me, my son? I may trust thee? Remember thatthine own father's welfare may be imperilled by the veriest trifleshould men suspect him of striving to outwit the prior."
Edred's eyes expressed a great comprehension and sympathy. He tookhis mother's hand and kissed it, slightly bending the knee.
"Thou mayest trust me, sweet mother," he answered. "Methinks I knowwell all thou wouldst say. I will be cautious, and I will teachcaution to Julian. No harm shall come to any beneath this roof fromword or deed of ours."
And then the lady went to her delayed household duties, whilstEdred went in search of his brother, to take him to the room wheretheir studies were usually prosecuted, that the household wheelsmight revolve after the accustomed manner.
But Julian was nowhere to be seen. Edred sought him and called himlustily, till at length the old seneschal at the gate heard him,and informed him that his brother had gone a short distance on footwith the travellers, but that he would doubtless be back ere long.
Julian was light and fleet of foot as a deer, and often ran formany miles beside his father's charger, the nature of the woodedcountry round Chad giving him many advantages. Edred wandered fortha little way to meet him on his return, and was presently aware ofa cowled figure standing close against
a great beech tree, and somotionless and rigid was the attitude that the boy had to looksomewhat closely to be certain that it was not a part of the treetrunk itself.
He paused and examined the figure with an intense curiosity notunmixed with suspicion. His own light footfall did not appear tohave been heard, and the motionless figure, partly concealed behindthe tree, remained in the same rigid attitude, as though intentlywatching some approaching object.
For a moment a superstitious thrill ran through the boy's frame. Hehad heard stories of ghostly visitants to these woods, some ofwhich wore the garb of the monks of the neighbouring priory; but hehad never seen any such apparition, and would not have thought ofit now had it not been for the peculiar and unnatural quietude ofthis figure. As it was, he paused, gazing intently at it, wonderingif indeed it were a being of flesh and blood.
He was just summoning up courage to go forward and salute it, whenit moved forward in a gliding and cautious fashion. Edred feltashamed of his momentary thrill of fear, for he recognized at oncethe awkward gait and rolling step of Brother Fabian, and knew thathis preceptor's bitterest foe was lingering in the precincts of hishome.
Resolved not to be seen himself, the boy sprang up a neighbouringtree as lightly as a squirrel, and from that vantage ground he sawthat his brother Julian was approaching, and that the monk hadstepped out to greet the lad. He heard the sound of the nasaltones, so different from the refined accents of Brother Emmanuel.
"Peace be with thee, my son."
Julian stopped short, and slightly bent the knee. He looked up intoBrother Fabian's face with a look which Edred well knew, and whichimplied no love for his interlocutor. A stranger, however, would beprobably pleased at the frank directness of the gaze, not notingthe underlying hardihood and defiance.
"Alone, my son?" questioned the brother. "Methought I saw thee notlong since with thy father and brother and the servants. How comesit thou art now alone?"
"I saw thee not," answered Julian, without attempting to reply tothe question.
"Belike no. I was telling my beads out here in the forest. Thoudidst pass me by all unknowing; but I was nigh thy path the whilenevertheless. Whither--"
"That is something strange," remarked the boy, affecting not tohear the commencement of another question; "for I could be swornthat not a squirrel or field mouse crosses my path but that I markhim down. But I may not linger thus; the hour of our studies isalready here. I wish you good e'en; I must away home."
The boy would have been gone with a bound the next instant had notthe monk laid a detaining hand upon his arm. Edred saw by thereluctance of his brother's mien that he resented being thusstayed.
"One moment, good my son," said Brother Fabian. "Tell me whitherthy father and brother have gone. It is something too late in theday for a hunting party; yet I knew not that the good knightpurposed any journey."
Edred saw the sudden flash that came into Julian's eyes. He was inan agony lest the boy should betray his father's destination, whichto the astute mind of the monk might betray much more than hisbrother himself knew; but as he heard Julian's words he drew hisbreath more freely.
"Marry, hast thou not heard that my Lord of Beaumaris and Rochefortgoes a-hunting tomorrow with great muster? My father has gone tojoin the goodly company assembling there. Wilt thou not go thithertoo, Master Monk, and join the revelry that will make the hall ringtonight? I trow there is welcome for all who come. I would myfather had taken me."
"Go to, saucy boy, go to!" replied the brother, half piqued, halfamused by the lad's boldness in thus implying that his place was ata riotous revel such as generally took place when some great baroninvited his friends for a day's sport in the forest.
It was like enough that this hunting party had been arranged forthe morrow, and this road certainly led to Beaumaris and Rochefort.The reply seemed to satisfy the monk, and he relaxed his grasp ofthe boy's arm.
"I must not keep thee from thy studies longer," he said. "Say, whatdoes Brother Emmanuel teach you?"
"The Latin tongue and the use of the pen. Edred is a fine scribealready. And he hath taught us our letters in Greek likewise; formen are saying, he tells us, that it is shame that that languagehas been neglected so long, since the Holy Scriptures were writtenin it first."
"And he doubtless teaches you from the Holy Scriptures--"
"Ay; and from the writings of the fathers, and the mass book,"added the boy. "We can all read Latin right well now. But I must begoing, an it please thee-"
"Yea, verily thou wilt make a fine scholar one of these days. I amglad thou hast so good an instructor. And that reminds me--I wouldhave speech with Brother Emmanuel some day soon. I have a missalthat I think he would greatly like sight of. I misdoubt me if theprior would like it carried forth from the library; but if he wouldmeet me one day here in the forest, I will strive to secrete it andlet him have sight of it. It hath wonderful pictures and letteringsuch as he loves. Wilt tell him of it, boy, and ask if he will havesight of it?"
"I will tell him," answered Julian. "But I trow he will have naughtto do with it an it has been filched away from the library withoutthe reverend prior's permission. Brother Emmanuel teaches us moreof the doctrine of obedience than of any other. I trow he will notbudge an inch!"
A scowling look passed over the features of the monk, which hadhitherto been smiling and bland. He took Julian by the arm again,and said in a low voice:
"I have something of import to speak to Brother Emmanuel. He willdo well to heed me, and to hear what I have to say. Bid him be atthis spot two days hence just as the sun goes down. Tell him if hecome not he may live to repent it bitterly."
"Wilt thou not come back with me?" asked the boy, with a quick,distrustful look into the bloated face beneath the cowl. "Thoucanst speak at ease with him at home. It were better than out herein the forest. I will lead thee to him straight, and thou canst sayall that is in thine heart."
But the monk dropped his arm and turned quickly away; his voicebespoke ill-concealed irritation.
"I may not linger longer here. The vesper bell will be ringing bynow. Give Brother Emmanuel my message. I would see him here in theforest. And now farewell, boy; go home as fast as thou wilt, andput a bridle on thy forward tongue, lest haply it lead thee one dayinto trouble."
The monk strode away in the direction of the priory. Julian tookthe path towards Chad, with many backward glances at the retreatingfigure, and hardly was it lost in the thick underwood of the forestthan he found his brother standing at his side.
"Thou here, Edred? Whence camest thou?"
Edred pointed to his leafy hiding place, and laid a finger on hislips in token of caution. Julian pursued his way awhile in silence,and only when they had increased the distance betwixt themselvesand the monk by many hundred yards, the elder brother said, in lowtones and very cautiously:
"Have a care, Julian; methinks he is not going home. He is here asa spy, I do not doubt. I saw him watching and spying like averitable messenger sent for such a purpose.
"O Julian, I was right glad at the answer thou gavest him about ourfather. I trembled lest thou shouldst say he was bound for thecoast."
Both brothers had been too well trained in the creed which allowsand encourages the practice of speaking falsehood and even doingevil in a good cause, to feel that any kind of shame attached to afalsehood spoken to conceal from a crafty enemy a thing it would beperilous to others for him to know. And indeed diplomatic falsehoodhas never been eradicated from the world even since purer light hasshone in upon it. It is very hard to meet craft, falsehood, andtreachery by absolute frankness and truthful honesty. In the longrun it does sometimes prove to be the strongest weapon a man canwield; but the temptation to meet craft by craft, deceit by deceit,is strong in human nature, and until a much later date was openlyadvocated as the only policy sane men could adopt when they dealtwith foes always eager to outwit them. And certainly these ladswould have felt themselves justified in going to far greaterlengths to save their father from susp
icion, or their preceptor andfriend from peril.
"Then thou heardest all? I scarce know why I spoke as I did, forour father has always been the friend of the brethren of Chadwater.But the look in the man's eye made me cautious, and I minded a fewparting words spoken by Bertram. Tell me, Edred, what it is that isstirring; I would know more."
"Verily it is that Brother Emmanuel stands in some peril from thoseof his own community. He has written something they mislike, andthey mean to have him back to answer for it. Both he and our fatherthink that if once he enters Chadwater again he will never comeforth alive. Wherefore our father will not give him up to hisenemies, but will contrive for him to escape. That is what he hasgone to the coast for today; and when he knows that a vessel isready and about to sail, Brother Emmanuel must be spirited away inthe dead of the night; and when the prior comes to search forhim--as doubtless he will do when we can find him not--it willpuzzle him to lay hands upon him, for he will be away on the highseas."
"Good!" cried Julian, delighted. "Edred, I mislike those cruel,crafty monks. Methinks they are little like the saintly men of oldwho fled to the cloister to rid themselves of the trammels of theworld. I--"
But Edred laid a hand upon his brother's arm and checked himsuddenly, pointing to another stationary figure a short distanceaway amongst the trees--a figure wearing the dress of a lay brotherof the priory, and engaged in keeping a close and careful watchupon the main entrance to the house.
"Hist!" whispered Edred; "we must not let him hear such words.Julian, mark my word, this house is watched. The prior has set hisspies upon it. He fears lest Brother Emmanuel shall escape; or elsethe watch is set so that any going forth of his may be known, andhe will be set upon and swiftly bound, and carried away to thepriory, whence, I fear me, no man will ever see him re-issue."
Both the boys had stopped short, and now they looked into eachother's faces with dismay.
Their light footfalls had not been heard, nor even the sound oftheir voices; for a strong breeze had sprung up, and was rustlingthe leaves overhead, and several birds were singing lustily. Thebrothers had time to take in the situation without being seenthemselves, and they then drew hack into a leafy covert and spokein whispers.
"Edred, do thou go back to the house instantly and openly, and warnBrother Emmanuel that he go not forth. Belike he might come out insearch of us, since the hour is long past when we should have beenwith him. That must not be. Go and tell him all we have seen;whilst I will creep like a wildcat round the house, and see ifthere be other spies keeping watch like those we have seen."
"Ay, do so," replied Edred earnestly. "I fear me we shall find thatevery door is watched. But if thou art seen, go forward boldly. Letnone guess that you suspect aught. Doubtless each watcher is wellprimed with some excellent reason for being found there. Speak themfriendly, and do not show distrust."
"I will be as wise as a serpent," answered the boy, with one of hiskeen looks which bespoke him older in mind than in years.
Edred felt that his junior was better fitted to cope with a spythan he himself; and gladly taking the other office upon himself,he walked gaily forward, whistling a roundelay as he moved, andaffecting not to see the dark figure by the oak, which pressedcloser and closer out of sight as the lad strode by.
"Verily he means to remain unseen," thought Edred to himself. "Ifhe had not been a spy he would have greeted me as I passed. He isafter no good. Thank Heaven we have seen and heard what we have! Wecan so manage now that Brother Emmanuel set not foot beyond thecourtyard for long enough to come--not till he may sally forth tomake his way to the coast."
And then a sudden fear smote the boy that per chance this nightjourney to the coast might not be so easy to accomplish as had beenhoped. If the cunning prior had set a watch upon Chad with the veryobject of preventing the escape of his intended victim, might itnot well be that his father's forethought would be of no avail?
But it would not do to lose heart--time might show a way of escape;and Edred hurried within, and found Brother Emmanuel awaiting histardy pupils, the great Bible open before him, the sunset lightilluminating his face till, to the boy's ardent imagination, itseemed to be encircled by a nimbus.
His story was soon excitedly told, and as Brother Emmanuel heard ofSir Oliver's sudden journey, a look almost as of pain crossed hisface.
"I have told thy father that I cannot and will not suffer harm tobefall him and his through his kindness to me. Boy, boy, these beevil days in which to offend the powers that be; and it werebetter, far better, I should give myself up to death than that hurtshould fall upon those I love and those who have befriended me withsuch generosity and love."
But Edred passionately disclaimed and explained.
"Brother, holy father, speak not so! thou wilt break our hearts! Welove thee! thou knowest that we love thee! And we think, we areassured, that we can yet save thee, and ourselves too. Do not breakour hearts by giving thyself up ere we have tried our utmost. Itmay be--nay, I am assured of it--that our blessed Saviour has agreat work for thee to do for Him somewhere. Has He not Himselfcharged His servants if they be persecuted in one city to flee toanother? He has not bid them give themselves up to their foes, tobe hindered from doing the work He has put it into their hearts todo.
"Pardon my forwardness if I seem to teach my preceptor. I do butrepeat words thou hast taught me. Stay with us--stay at Chad. Therebe ways and means both for hiding and for flight of which few knowor dream. Let us have this alms to do for our Lord, that we hideand save one of His servants. Thou canst little know what grief andsorrow thou wouldst cause to us, or thou couldst not talk of givingthyself up."
The boy's earnestness was so deep that it could not but produce animpression. Although full of heroic courage and capabilities ofself sacrifice, it was against human nature that Brother Emmanuelshould desire to cast away his life, and that not by raising aprotest for any point of conscience, but simply to be quietly putout of the way, that he might no longer expose the luxury and viceprevailing in the monastic retreat of which he was a member.
He had seen a row of underground niches, some of which had beenwalled up; and tradition asserted that living monks had been thusburied alive for being untrue to their vows. He quite believed theprior capable of accusing him of the same sin and ordering him to alike fate. In the eyes of the haughty ecclesiastic such a betrayalof cloister secrets would be looked upon as treachery to his vows,whilst in reality it was his very love for his vows, and his horrorat their violation, which had inspired the pen that had pouredforth burning words of denunciation and scorn. To die openly forthe cause would have been one thing--a martyr has ofttimes spokenmore eloquently by his death than by his life--but to be thusburied in a living grave would benefit none; and who would notshrink from such a fate?
The pause which succeeded Edred's impassioned appeal was broken bythe entrance of Julian, flushed and heated.
"It is as we thought. The house is watched. There be six or sevenspies posted around it--most of them lay brothers, but some monksthemselves. Every entrance is watched closely. None can go in orout unmarked by one or another. Doubtless they have some signalwhich may at any time bring all of them together to one spot.
"Brother Emmanuel, thou must not adventure thyself beyond thecourtyard till this watch ceases. Were they spies of my Lord ofMortimer's, we might go forth and drive them hence. But none maylay a finger on a monk. They are all ready with a story that theyare on the watch for some heretic in hiding in the woods. I spoketo one to see what he would say, and he began about the hunchbackof the fair, whom they have not caught yet, and professed to bewatching for him. Doubtless they would all say the same did anyquestion them; but they strive to keep out of sight as far as maybe, and some have found hollow trees where they might pass days andnights and none be the wiser."
There could be no study for the boys that day; they were too deeplymoved and excited. Moreover, Edred had his father's charge to keep,and as sundown was nigh at hand, the two brothers visited everygat
e and portal and saw the house made fast within and without.
An air of excitement and mystery seemed to permeate the place. Theservants had caught some of the infection, and whispers of loyaltyand affection were murmured many times in the boys' ears as theypursued their round. At last, all being safely ordered, they wentby common consent to their own room, and stood looking at thesecret door which led to the hiding place none knew of butthemselves and Warbel.
"I trow we shall need it now," said Edred. "But all is in readinessfor the fugitive; all has been done save to bring in the victuals.Brother, shall we do that this very night? I would there were asupply there for a month, and a couple of gallon jars of good meadand some bottles of wine. We must put water there, too, but nottill the last minute. They say men must have water, else they die;but sure they could live for long on good mead and ale. HathBertram any plan for getting water to the chamber save what we cancarry ourselves? He said he would not rest till we had donesomewhat; but--"
A light sparkled in Julian's eyes.
"Come, and thou shalt see, thou brother of books," he said. "Whilstthou hast been doing thy penance for what sin we know not, and beenreading amain with Brother Emmanuel, we have not been idle. Come,and I will show thee what we have contrived. I trow none needperish of thirst in the secret chamber now who knows aught of ourcontrivance."
With eager steps Julian led the way, and Edred no less eagerlyfollowed. It was very dark in the secret chamber; but the means ofkindling a light were now there, and soon a small dim lantern waslighted.
"Come hither," said Julian, taking the light and leading the wayinto a corner that lay beneath the leads of the house; and whenthere Edred saw a metal trough or receiver, rudely made buteffectual for the purpose of holding any liquid, something similarto what the animals in the yard were fed and watered from. Abovethis trough was a piece of iron pipe with a bung at the end.
"That trough and pipe Bertram and I fashioned in the blacksmith'sforge with our own hands," said the boy proudly, "and I trow bothare good enow and strong. Dost know what does the other end of thepipe? Why, we have inserted it into the great rainwater tank yonderabove our heads, which our grandsire contrived, and which is fedfrom the roofs and battlements of all the towers. Thou hast heardour father tell how he read of such things in days of old, when menbuilt wondrous palaces, and had hanging gardens, and I know notwhat beside. He set the tank up there, and, as thou knowest, it isnot now greatly used, albeit there is always water there, and attimes men draw it forth. It may not be the best or purest, but itwill serve for washing, and for drinking too were a man in a greatstrait. It is all pure and sweet now; for in the thunderstorm threenights since Bertram got up and let off all the stagnant water bythe pipe which can be opened below, and the rain soon filled itagain, it poured down with such goodwill. We need not fear that anycaptive will die of thirst. He has but to draw this bung and waterwill pour forth into this trough till he stops it again. He canpour away the surplus down the pipe with the dust and such like.
"I trow whoever lives up here awhile will have no such bad housing.And if we but get the place victualled this night, it will be readyfor Brother Emmanuel whensoever he may need it."