CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT.
A MESSENGER DESPATCHED.
The girls had gone upstairs, their maid, Gwenthian, attending upon themto dress for dinner, of which something had been said to the Prince whenparting with him at the door.
Once inside the dressing-room, however, Sabrina, instead of proceedingto change her attire, made direct for an _escritoire_, the flap of whichshe pulled open. Then seating herself before it, she drew a sheet ofpaper from its drawer, and commenced writing with nervous haste.
A letter it was of no very great length, and in a few seconds finished.But before folding it up she turned to the maid saying,--
"Gwenth! Go down to the back door, and stay about there till you seecadger Jack's sister. I expect her to come up to the house; and ifnothing has hindered, she should be here very soon now. When shearrives bring her to me, without losing a moment. Do it all quietly."
Gwenth signified her comprehension of the orders, and was about startingto execute them, when her mistress said, "Stay!" Then, after reflectinga moment, added,--
"Go into the kitchen, and tell the cook dinner is not to be servedbefore Winny goes away--that is, if she come. In any case, it's not tobe put on the table till she has further directions about it."
"But must we really dine along with him?" asked Vaga, as the maid passedout of the room. She had commenced making her toilette, and,inattentive to what her sister had been doing, only overheard what shesaid about the dinner.
"Either that or give offence. I had to speak of dinner--could not helpit--and the Prince will expect us to sit at the table."
"I'd rather sit down with Beelzebub. Oh, Sab! you can't conceive what avile, vulgar man--Prince though he be."
"Yes I can; know it. Richard has told me all about him. But we mustbear, and dissemble; do our best to entertain both him and his officers.I think we needn't fear any special rudeness just yet; and if we cankeep them to their good behaviour for twelve hours I ask no more."
"Why do you say twelve hours?"
"Read that."
It was the note she had just written; and, soon as the other had run hereyes over it, she added,--
"Now you understand?"
"I do. But how is it to be taken there?"
"By Winny. It's just for that I gave Rees orders to send her up."
"Couldn't Rees have taken it himself? On horseback he would go muchfaster."
"True, he might, if permitted to start. But he wouldn't be--not theleast likelihood of it. If he return to the house--which I hope hewon't--they'll not let him leave it again. But Win will do better everyway. We can trust her, and for speed she'll get to her journey's endquick as any courier on horseback. She knows all the short cuts andby-ways through the Forest. That will be in her favour to save time--besides safety otherwise. The fear I have is her not being at home.What a pity we didn't know of their coming, when she was with us in themorning!"
"Perhaps not so much," rejoined Vaga, whose subtle ear had caught thesound of footsteps ascending the stairs; two sets of them, as told bythe lighter and heavier tread. "That's Win now coming up with Gwenth.I'm almost sure of it."
In a few seconds after both were sure of it, as the opened doordiscovered their maid outside on the landing with the cadgeress closebehind.
"Oh, Win! we're so glad!" exclaimed the sisters in a breath, as she wasushered into the room.
"Glad o' what, my ladies?" asked the woman, with a puzzled look. Shedid not understand how they could be joyful under the circumstances.
"At your being here," answered Sabrina. "We were afraid you might notbe at home, or unable to come to us."
"Well, mistress, I wor at home, an' comed soon's I got your message.But my comin' wor nigh all bein' for nothin'."
"How so?"
"The Cavaliere sodgers warn't for lettin' me in o' the house, nor yetthrough the back gate. They ha' got sentries all roun'. Besides, theyard be full o' them wi' their horses, an' their imperence too."
"They were impudent to you?"
"'Deed, yes, my ladies. Swored at me, an' said I mauna set foot insidethe gate."
"You see what courteous guests we've got, sister?" said Vaga. "Theattendants of a Prince! I thought it would end so."
"Me tried to get past they," continued the cadgeress, "by tellin' a bitfib. I sayed us wor the washwoman come for the clothes."
"How clever!" exclaimed Vaga, admiringly.
"Not much o' that, mistress. Anyways it warn't no use. Them wouldn'tallow me in after all; if't hadn't been for a young officer, who chancedbe near, an' ordered they let me pass. He spoke me kindly too, whichwor the strangest thing o' all."
"Why strange?" asked Sabrina.
"On account o' who him wor, my lady."
"Who?"
"Captain Trevor, the one's used to come to Hollymead fores the war."
She had no need to particularise which. The sisters knew, and exchangedglances; that of the elder showing a peculiar intelligence.
"Odd o' he bein' civil to me," pursued the woman. "Him must 'a knowedwe well enough, an' had remembrance o' what happened on the Cat's Hilltwo years ago. I tolt you about it, my ladies."
"You did," said Sabrina. "And it does seem a little strange of CaptainTrevor not being, spiteful if he recognised you, as he must have done.But," she added, becoming impatient, "_no_ matter for that now. Time ispressing, and we want you to do us a service, Win. You will?"
"Why needs thee ask if us will?"
"Because there's some danger in it."
"That be no reason; and don't speak o' the danger. Please to say what'sweeshed done, Mistress Sabrina; an' 't shall be did if in the power o'we to do't."
"This then, dear Winny. We want it taken to Gloucester."
She held out what appeared a spill for lighting pipe or candle. It wasthe note she had just written, folded and doubled-folded till no longerrecognisable as a sheet of paper, much less a letter. For all thecadgeress knew it to be such; and not the first of its kind she hadreceived from the same hands, for surreptitious conveyance.
"It shall be tookt theer," she said, in a determined way, "if theCavalieres don't take't from me on the way. Them won't find it withoutsome searchin', though."
Saying which, she made further reduction in the dimensions of the sheetby double knotting it; then thrust it under the coils of her luxurianthair, and by a dexterous play of fingers so fixed it that, only undoingthe plaits, could it be discovered.
The letter bore no address, nor was name signed to it. Neither inquiredthe cadgeress to whom it was to be delivered. Enough that MistressSabrina had given it to her, and it was for Gloucester. She knew therewas a man there it must be meant for; she herself, for a special reason,being always well posted up as to the whereabouts of Sir Richard Walwynand his Foresters.
"Thee weesh me to start immediate I suppose, my lady?"
"At once--soon as you can get off. How long will it take you to get toGloucester?"
"Well, for usual me an' Jack be's 'bout four hours fra Ruardean. But Ionce't did the journey myself in a bit less'n three, an' can go t' sameagain."
"It's now a little after six--only ten minutes," said Sabrina,consulting her three-cornered watch. "Do you think you could get thereby nine?"
"Sure o' that; an afores, if us be alive, an' nothin' happen to stop weon the way."
"Oh! I hope there won't, dear Winny. Time is of such importance; somuch depending upon it. Ay, it may be lives."
She leant forward, and whispered some words into the woman's ear; eithera last pressing injunction, or, it might be, promise of reward for theservice to be performed. Whatever it was, on the face of the ForestAmazon there was an expression of ready assent; then a humorous smile,as she made haste to be gone, saying,--
"Now, Gwenthy! gie us the clothes for the wash!"
The maid, as her mistress, looked a little puzzled. But quicklycomprehending, all three set to collecting such _lingerie_ as they couldlay hands on, soon m
aking up a bundle big enough to represent a week'sconsignment for the laundry.
Which the pretended washerwoman having hoisted on her head, starteddownstairs with it; Gwenthian, by direction, going along to see her outof doors, assist her in cajoling the sentries, and bring back reportwhether these had been safely passed.