CHAPTER XXXI.
Ah, me! in sooth he was a shameless wight, Sore given to revel and ungodly glee: Few earthly things found favour in his sight, Save concubines and carnal companie, And flaunting wassailers of high and low degree.
BYRON.
With the next morning the humour of the Duke of Rothsay was changed.He complained, indeed, of pain and fever, but they rather seemed tostimulate than to overwhelm him. He was familiar with Ramorny, andthough he said nothing on the subject of the preceding night, it wasplain he remembered what he desired to obliterate from the memory of hisfollowers--the ill humour he had then displayed. He was civil to everyone, and jested with Ramorny on the subject of Catharine's arrival.
"How surprised will the pretty prude be at seeing herself in a familyof men, when she expects to be admitted amongst the hoods and pinnersof Dame Marjory's waiting women! Thou hast not many of the tender sex inthy household, I take it, Ramorny?"
"Faith, none except the minstrel wench, but a household drudge or twowhom we may not dispense with. By the way, she is anxiously inquiringafter the mistress your Highness promised to prefer her to. Shall Idismiss her, to hunt for her new mistress at leisure?"
"By no means, she will serve to amuse Catharine. And, hark you, were itnot well to receive that coy jillet with something of a mumming?"
"How mean you, my lord?"
"Thou art dull, man. We will not disappoint her, since she expectsto find the Duchess of Rothsay: I will be Duke and Duchess in my ownperson."
"Still I do not comprehend."
"No one so dull as a wit," said the Prince, "when he does not hit offthe scent at once. My Duchess, as they call her, has been in as great ahurry to run away from Falkland as I to come hither. We have both leftour apparel behind. There is as much female trumpery in the wardrobeadjoining to my sleeping room as would equip a whole carnival. Look you,I will play Dame Marjory, disposed on this day bed here with a mourningveil and a wreath of willow, to show my forsaken plight; thou, John,wilt look starch and stiff enough for her Galwegian maid of honour,the Countess Hermigild; and Dwining shall present the old Hecate, hernurse--only she hath more beard on her upper lip than Dwining on hiswhole face, and skull to boot. He should have the commodity of a beardto set her forth conformably. Get thy kitchen drudges, and what passablepages thou hast with thee, to make my women of the bedroom. Hearestthou? about it instantly."
Ramorny hasted into the anteroom, and told Dwining the Prince's device.
"Do thou look to humour the fool," he said; "I care not how little I seehim, knowing what is to be done."
"Trust all to me," said the physician, shrugging his shoulders. "Whatsort of a butcher is he that can cut the lamb's throat, yet is afraid tohear it bleat?"
"Tush, fear not my constancy: I cannot forget that he would have castme into the cloister with as little regard as if he threw away thetruncheon of a broken lance. Begone--yet stay; ere you go to arrangethis silly pageant, something must be settled to impose on the thickwitted Charteris. He is like enough, should he be left in the beliefthat the Duchess of Rothsay is still here, and Catharine Glover inattendance on her, to come down with offers of service, and the like,when, as I need scarce tell thee, his presence would be inconvenient.Indeed, this is the more likely, that some folks have given a warmername to the iron headed knight's great and tender patronage of thisdamsel."
"With that hint, let me alone to deal with him. I will send him such aletter, that for this month he shall hold himself as ready for a journeyto hell as to Falkland. Can you tell me the name of the Duchess'sconfessor?"
"Waltheof, a grey friar."
"Enough--then here I start."
In a few minutes, for he was a clerk of rare celerity, Dwining finisheda letter, which he placed in Ramorny's hand.
"This is admirable, and would have made thy fortune with Rothsay. Ithink I should have been too jealous to trust thee in his household,save that his day is closed."
"Read it aloud," said Dwining, "that we may judge if it goes trippinglyoff."
And Ramorny read as follows: "By command of our high and mighty PrincessMarjory, Duchess of Rothsay, and so forth, we Waltheof, unworthy brotherof the order of St. Francis, do thee, Sir Patrick Charteris, knight ofKinfauns, to know, that her Highness marvels much at the temerity withwhich you have sent to her presence a woman of whose fame she can judgebut lightly, seeing she hath made her abode, without any necessity,for more than a week in thine own castle, without company of any otherfemale, saving menials; of which foul cohabitation the savour is goneup through Fife, Angus, and Perthshire. Nevertheless, her Highness,considering the ease as one of human frailty, hath not caused thiswanton one to be scourged with nettles, or otherwise to dree penance;but, as two good brethren of the convent of Lindores, the FathersThickskull and Dundermore, have been summoned up to the Highlands uponan especial call, her Highness hath committed to their care this maidenCatharine, with charge to convey her to her father, whom she statesto be residing beside Loch Tay, under whose protection she will finda situation more fitting her qualities and habits than the Castle ofFalkland, while her Highness the Duchess of Rothsay abides there. Shehath charged the said reverend brothers so to deal with the young womanas may give her a sense of the sin of incontinence, and she commendeththee to confession and penitence.--Signed, Waltheof, by command of anhigh and mighty Princess"; and so forth.
When he had finished, "Excellent--excellent!" Ramorny exclaimed. "Thisunexpected rebuff will drive Charteris mad! He hath been long makinga sort of homage to this lady, and to find himself suspected ofincontinence, when he was expecting the full credit of a charitableaction, will altogether confound him; and, as thou say'st, it will belong enough ere he come hither to look after the damsel or do honourto the dame. But away to thy pageant, while I prepare that which shallclose the pageant for ever."
It was an hour before noon, when Catharine, escorted by old Henshaw anda groom of the Knight of Kinfauns, arrived before the lordly tower ofFalkland. The broad banner which was displayed from it bore the armsof Rothsay, the servants who appeared wore the colours of the Prince'shousehold, all confirming the general belief that the Duchess stillresided there. Catharine's heart throbbed, for she had heard thatthe Duchess had the pride as well as the high courage of the houseof Douglas, and felt uncertain touching the reception she was toexperience. On entering the castle, she observed that the train wassmaller than she had expected, but, as the Duchess lived in closeretirement, she was little surprised at this. In a species of anteroomshe was met by a little old woman, who seemed bent double with age, andsupported herself upon an ebony staff.
"Truly thou art welcome, fair daughter," said she, saluting Catharine,"and, as I may say, to an afflicted house; and I trust (once moresaluting her) thou wilt be a consolation to my precious and right royaldaughter the Duchess. Sit thee down, my child, till I see whether mylady be at leisure to receive thee. Ah, my child, thou art very lovelyindeed, if Our Lady hath given to thee a soul to match with so fair abody."
With that the counterfeit old woman crept into the next apartment,where she found Rothsay in the masquerading habit he had prepared, andRamorny, who had evaded taking part in the pageant, in his ordinaryattire.
"Thou art a precious rascal, sir doctor," said the Prince; "by myhonour, I think thou couldst find in thy heart to play out the wholeplay thyself, lover's part and all."
"If it were to save your Highness trouble," said the leech, with hisusual subdued laugh.
"No--no," said Rothsay, "I never need thy help, man; and tell me now,how look I, thus disposed on the couch--languishing and ladylike, ha?"
"Something too fine complexioned and soft featured for the Lady Marjoryof Douglas, if I may presume to say so," said the leech.
"Away, villain, and marshal in this fair frost piece--fear not she willcomplain of my effeminacy; and thou, Ramorny, away also."
As the knight left the apartment by one door, the fictitious old womanushered in Catharine Glo
ver by another. The room had been carefullydarkened to twilight, so that Catharine saw the apparently female figurestretched on the couch without the least suspicion.
"Is that the maiden?" asked Rothsay, in a voice naturally sweet, and nowcarefully modulated to a whispering tone. "Let her approach, Griselda,and kiss our hand."
The supposed nurse led the trembling maiden forward to the side of thecouch, and signed to her to kneel. Catharine did so, and kissed withmuch devotion and simplicity the gloved hand which the counterfeitduchess extended to her.
"Be not afraid," said the same musical voice; "in me you only see amelancholy example of the vanity of human greatness; happy those, mychild, whose rank places them beneath the storms of state."
While he spoke, he put his arms around her neck and drew her towardshim, as if to salute her in token of welcome. But the kiss was bestowedwith an earnestness which so much overacted the part of the fairpatroness, that Catharine, concluding the Duchess had lost her senses,screamed aloud.
"Peace, fool! it is I--David of Rothsay."
Catharine looked around her; the nurse was gone, and the Duke tearingoff his veil, she saw herself in the power of a daring young libertine.
"Now be present with me, Heaven!" she said; "and Thou wilt, if I forsakenot myself."
As this resolution darted through her mind, she repressed herdisposition to scream, and, as far as she might, strove to conceal herfear.
"The jest hath been played," she said, with as much firmness as shecould assume; "may I entreat that your Highness will now unhand me?" forhe still kept hold of her arm.
"Nay, my pretty captive, struggle not--why should you fear?"
"I do not struggle, my lord. As you are pleased to detain me, I willnot, by striving, provoke you to use me ill, and give pain to yourself,when you have time to think."
"Why, thou traitress, thou hast held me captive for months," said thePrince, "and wilt thou not let me hold thee for a moment?"
"This were gallantry, my lord, were it in the streets of Perth, where Imight listen or escape as I listed; it is tyranny here."
"And if I did let thee go, whither wouldst thou fly?" said Rothsay."The bridges are up, the portcullis down, and the men who follow me arestrangely deaf to a peevish maiden's squalls. Be kind, therefore, andyou shall know what it is to oblige a prince."
"Unloose me, then, my lord, and hear me appeal from thyself to thyself,from Rothsay to the Prince of Scotland. I am the daughter of an humblebut honest citizen. I am, I may well nigh say, the spouse of a brave andhonest man. If I have given your Highness any encouragement for what youhave done, it has been unintentional. Thus forewarned, I entreat you toforego your power over me, and suffer me to depart. Your Highness canobtain nothing from me, save by means equally unworthy of knighthood ormanhood."
"You are bold, Catharine," said the Prince, "but neither as a knightnor a man can I avoid accepting a defiance. I must teach you the risk ofsuch challenges."
While he spoke, he attempted to throw his arms again around her; but sheeluded his grasp, and proceeded in the same tone of firm decision.
"My strength, my lord, is as great to defend myself in an honourablestrife as yours can be to assail me with a most dishonourable purpose.Do not shame yourself and me by putting it to the combat. You may stunme with blows, or you may call aid to overpower me; but otherwise youwill fail of your purpose."
"What a brute you would make me!" said the Prince. "The force I woulduse is no more than excuses women in yielding to their own weakness."
He sat down in some emotion.
"Then keep it," said Catharine, "for those women who desire such anexcuse. My resistance is that of the most determined mind which loveof honour and fear of shame ever inspired. Alas! my lord, could yousucceed, you would but break every bond between me and life, betweenyourself and honour. I have been trained fraudulently here, by whatdecoys I know not; but were I to go dishonoured hence, it would be todenounce the destroyer of my happiness to every quarter of Europe.I would take the palmer's staff in my hand, and wherever chivalry ishonoured, or the word Scotland has been heard, I would proclaim the heirof a hundred kings, the son of the godly Robert Stuart, the heir ofthe heroic Bruce, a truthless, faithless man, unworthy of the crown heexpects and of the spurs he wears. Every lady in wide Europe would holdyour name too foul for her lips; every worthy knight would hold youa baffled, forsworn caitiff, false to the first vow of arms, theprotection of woman and the defence of the feeble."
Rothsay resumed his seat, and looked at her with a countenance in whichresentment was mingled with admiration. "You forget to whom you speak,maiden. Know, the distinction I have offered you is one for whichhundreds whose trains you are born to bear would feel gratitude."
"Once more, my lord," resumed Catharine, "keep these favours for thoseby whom they are prized; or rather reserve your time and your healthfor other and nobler pursuits--for the defence of your country andthe happiness of your subjects. Alas, my lord, how willingly would anexulting people receive you for their chief! How gladly would they closearound you, did you show desire to head them against the oppression ofthe mighty, the violence of the lawless, the seduction of the vicious,and the tyranny of the hypocrite!"
The Duke of Rothsay, whose virtuous feelings were as easily excitedas they were evanescent, was affected by the enthusiasm with which shespoke. "Forgive me if I have alarmed you, maiden," he said "thou arttoo noble minded to be the toy of passing pleasure, for which my mistakedestined thee; and I, even were thy birth worthy of thy noble spirit andtranscendent beauty, have no heart to give thee; for by the homage ofthe heart only should such as thou be wooed. But my hopes have beenblighted, Catharine: the only woman I ever loved has been torn from mein the very wantonness of policy, and a wife imposed on me whom I mustever detest, even had she the loveliness and softness which alone canrender a woman amiable in my eyes. My health is fading even in earlyyouth; and all that is left for me is to snatch such flowers as theshort passage from life to the grave will now present. Look at my hecticcheek; feel, if you will, my intermitting pulse; and pity me and excuseme if I, whose rights as a prince and as a man have been trampled uponand usurped, feel occasional indifference towards the rights of others,and indulge a selfish desire to gratify the wish of the passing moment."
"Oh, my lord!" exclaimed Catharine, with the enthusiasm which belongedto her character--"I will call you my dear lord, for dear must the heirof Bruce be to every child of Scotland--let me not, I pray, hear youspeak thus! Your glorious ancestor endured exile, persecution, the nightof famine, and the day of unequal combat, to free his country; do youpractise the like self denial to free yourself. Tear yourself from thosewho find their own way to greatness smoothed by feeding your follies.Distrust yon dark Ramorny! You know it not, I am sure--you could notknow; but the wretch who could urge the daughter to courses of shame bythreatening the life of the aged father is capable of all that is vile,all that is treacherous!"
"Did Ramorny do this?" said the Prince.
"He did indeed, my lord, and he dares not deny it."
"It shall be looked to," answered the Duke of Rothsay. "I have ceasedto love him; but he has suffered much for my sake, and I must see hisservices honourably requited."
"His services! Oh, my lord, if chronicles speak true, such servicesbrought Troy to ruins and gave the infidels possession of Spain."
"Hush, maiden--speak within compass, I pray you," said the Prince,rising up; "our conference ends here."
"Yet one word, my Lord Duke of Rothsay," said Catharine, with animation,while her beautiful countenance resembled that of an admonitory angel."I cannot tell what impels me to speak thus boldly; but the fire burnswithin me, and will break out. Leave this castle without an hour'sdelay; the air is unwholesome for you. Dismiss this Ramorny before theday is ten minutes older; his company is most dangerous."
"What reason have you for saying this?"
"None in especial," answered Catharine, abashed at her owneagerness--"none, perhaps, ex
cepting my fears for your safety."
"To vague fears the heir of Bruce must not listen. What, ho! who waitswithout?"
Ramorny entered, and bowed low to the Duke and to the maiden, whom,perhaps, he considered as likely to be preferred to the post offavourite sultana, and therefore entitled to a courteous obeisance.
"Ramorny," said the Prince, "is there in the household any female ofreputation who is fit to wait on this young woman till we can send herwhere she may desire to go?"
"I fear," replied Ramorny, "if it displease not your Highness to hearthe truth, your household is indifferently provided in that way; andthat, to speak the very verity, the glee maiden is the most decorousamongst us."
"Let her wait upon this young person, then, since better may not be. Andtake patience, maiden, for a few hours."
Catharine retired.
"So, my lord, part you so soon from the Fair Maid of Perth? This is,indeed, the very wantonness of victory."
"There is neither victory nor defeat in the case," returned the Prince,drily. "The girl loves me not; nor do I love her well enough to tormentmyself concerning her scruples."
"The chaste Malcolm the Maiden revived in one of his descendants!" saidRamorny.
"Favour me, sir, by a truce to your wit, or by choosing a differentsubject for its career. It is noon, I believe, and you will oblige me bycommanding them to serve up dinner."
Ramorny left the room; but Rothsay thought he discovered a smile uponhis countenance, and to be the subject of this man's satire gave him noordinary degree of pain. He summoned, however, the knight to his table,and even admitted Dwining to the same honour. The conversation was ofa lively and dissolute cast, a tone encouraged by the Prince, as ifdesigning to counterbalance the gravity of his morals in the morning,which Ramorny, who was read in old chronicles, had the boldness to likento the continence of Scipio.
The banquet, nothwithstanding the Duke's indifferent health, wasprotracted in idle wantonness far beyond the rules of temperance; and,whether owing simply to the strength of the wine which he drank, or theweakness of his constitution, or, as it is probable, because the lastwine which he quaffed had been adulterated by Dwining, it so happenedthat the Prince, towards the end of the repast, fell into a lethargicsleep, from which it seemed impossible to rouse him. Sir John Ramornyand Dwining carried him to his chamber, accepting no other assistancethan that of another person, whom we will afterwards give name to.
Next morning, it was announced that the Prince was taken ill ofan infectious disorder; and, to prevent its spreading through thehousehold, no one was admitted to wait on him save his late master ofhorse, the physician Dwining, and the domestic already mentioned; one ofwhom seemed always to remain in the apartment, while the others observeda degree of precaution respecting their intercourse with the rest of thefamily, so strict as to maintain the belief that he was dangerously illof an infectious disorder.