CHAPTER VII
Come down! Come up!
The music died away among the old oaks in the park. Before its finalnotes were lost on the air, however, hasty steps and a chatter ofwomen's voices came from the house. The door leading to the terrace wasthrown quickly open, and Nell appeared. Her eyes had the bewildered lookof one who has been suddenly awakened from a sleep gilded with adelightful dream.
She had, indeed, been dreaming--dreaming of the King and of his coming.As she lay upon her couch, where she had thrown herself after theevening meal, she had seemed to hear his serenade.
Then the music ceased and she started up and rubbed her eyes. It wasonly to see the moonlight falling through the latticed windows on to thefloor of her dainty chamber. She was alone and she bethought herselfsadly that dreams go by contraries.
Once again, however, the hunters' song had arisen on her startledear--and had died away in sweet cadences in the distance. It was not adream!
As she rushed out upon the terrace, she called Moll reprovingly; and, inan instant, Moll was at her side. The faithful girl had already seen thehunters and had started a search for Nell; but the revellers had gonebefore she could find her.
"What is it, dear Nell?" asked her companion, well out of breath.
"Why did you not call me, cruel girl?" answered Nell, impatiently. "Tomiss seeing so many handsome cavaliers! Where is my kerchief?"
Nell leaned over the balustrade and waved wildly to the departinghunters. A pretty picture she was too, in her white flowing gown,silvered by the moonlight.
"See, see," she exclaimed to Moll, with wild enthusiasm, "some one wavesback. It may be he, sweet mouse. Heigh-ho! Why don't you wave, Moll?"
Before Moll could answer, a rich bugle-horn rang out across the park.
"The hunters' horn!" cried Nell, gleefully. "Oh, I wish I were aman--except when one is with me"; and she threw both arms about Moll,for the want of one better to embrace. She was in her varying mood,which was one 'twixt the laughter of the lip and the tear in the eye.
"I have lost my brother!" ejaculated some one; but she heard him not.
This laconic speech came from none other than the King, who in abantering mood had returned.
"I went one side a tree and pious James t'other; and here I am byNelly's terrace once again," he muttered. "Oh, ho! wench!" His eyes hadcaught sight of Nell upon the terrace.
He stepped back quickly into the shadow and watched her playfully.
Nell looked longingly out into the night, and sighed heavily. She was ather wit's end. The evening was waning, and the King, as she thought, hadnot come.
"Why do you sigh?" asked Moll, consolingly.
"I was only looking down the path, dear heart," replied Nell, sadly.
"He will come," hopefully suggested Moll, whose little heart sympathizeddeeply with her benefactress.
"Nay, sweet," said Nell, and she shook her curls while the moonbeamsdanced among them, "he is as false as yonder moon--as changeable offace."
She withdrew her eyes from the path and they fell upon the King. HisMajesty's curiosity had quite over-mastered him, and he hadinadvertently stepped well into the light. The novelty of hearinghimself derided by such pretty lips was a delicious experience, indeed.
"The King!" she cried, in joyous surprise.
Moll's diplomatic effort to escape at the sight of his Majesty was nothalf quick enough for Nell, who forthwith forced her companion into thehouse, and closed the door sharply behind her, much to the delight ofthe humour-loving King.
Nell then turned to the balustrade and, somewhat confused, looked downat his Majesty, who now stood below, calmly gazing up at her, an amusedexpression on his face.
"Pardon, your Majesty," she explained, falteringly, "I did not see you."
"You overlooked me merely," slyly suggested Charles, swinging his stickin the direction of the departed hunters.
"I'faith, I thought it was you waved answer, Sire," quickly repliedNell, whose confusion was gone and who was now mistress of the situationand of herself.
"No, Nell; I hunt alone for my hart."
"You hunt the right park, Sire."
"Yea, a good preserve, truly," observed the King. "I find my game, as Iexpected, flirting, waving kerchiefs, making eyes and throwing kisses tothe latest passer-by."
"I was encouraging the soldiers, my liege. That is every woman's duty toher country."
"And her country_men_," said he, smiling. "You are very loyal,Nell. Come down!" It was irritating, indeed, to be kept so at arm'slength.
She gazed down at him with impish sweetness--down at the King ofEngland!
"Come up!" she said, leaning over the balustrade.
"Nay; come down if you love me," pleaded the King.
"Nay; come up if you love me," said Nell, enticingly.
"Egad! I am too old to climb," exclaimed the Merry Monarch.
"Egad! I am too young yet for the downward path, your Majesty," retortedNell.
The King shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
"You will fall if we give you time," he said.
"To the King's level?" she asked, slyly, then answered herself:"Mayhap."
Thus they stood like knights after the first tilt. Charles looked up atNell, and Nell looked down at Charles. There was a moment's silence.Nell broke it.
"I am surprised you happen this way, Sire."
"With such eyes to lure me?" asked the King, and he asked earnestly too.
"Tush," answered Nell, coyly, "your tongue will lead you to perdition,Sire."
"No fear!" replied he, dryly. "I knelt in church with brother James butyesterday."
"In sooth, quite true!" said Nell, approvingly, as she leaned backagainst the door and raised her eyes innocently toward the moon. "I satin the next pew, Sire, afraid to move for fear I might awake yourMajesty."
The King chuckled softly to himself. Nell picked one of the flowers thatgrew upon the balustrade.
"Ah, you come a long-forgotten path to-night," she said abruptly.
The King was alert in an instant. He felt that he had placed himself ina false light. He loved the witch above despite himself.
"I saw thee twa evenings ago, lass," he hastily asserted, in good Scotchaccents, somewhat impatiently.
"And is not that a long time, Sire," questioned Nell, "or did Portsmouthmake it fly?"
"Portsmouth!" exclaimed Charles. He turned his face away. "Can it be myconscience pricks me?" he thought. "You know more of her than I, sweetNell," he then asserted, with open manner.
"Marry, I know her not at all and never saw her," said Nell. "I shallfeel better when I do," she thought.
"It were well for England's peace you have not met," laughed Charles.
"Faith and troth," said Nell, "I am happy to know our King has lost hisheart."
"Odso! And why?" asked Charles; and he gazed at Nell in his curiousuncertain way, as he thought it was never possible to tell quite whatshe meant or what she next would think or say or do.
"We feared he had not one to lose," she slyly suggested. "It gives ushope."
"To have it in another's hand as you allege?" asked Charles.
"Marry, truly!" answered Nell, decisively. "The Duchess may find it morethan she can hold and toss it over."
"How now, wench!" exclaimed the King, with assumption of woundeddignity. "My heart a ball for women to bat about!"
"Sire, two women often play at rackets even with a king's heart," softlysuggested Nell.
"Odsfish," cried the King, with hands and eyes raised in mocksupplication. "Heaven help me then."
Again the hunters' horn rang clearly on the night.
"The horn! The horn!" said Nell, with forced indifference. "They callyou, Sire."
There was a triumphantly bewitching look in her eyes, however, as sherealized the discomfiture of the King. He was annoyed, indeed. Hismanner plainly betokened his desire to stay and his irritation at theinterruption.
"'Tis so!" h
e said at last, resignedly. "The King is lost."
The horn sounded clearer. The hunters were returning.
"Again--nearer!" exclaimed Charles, fretfully. His mind reverted to hispious brother; and he laughed as he continued: "Poor brother James andhis ostriches!"
He could almost touch Nell's finger-tips.
"Farewell, sweet," he said; "I must help them find his Majesty or theywill swarm here like bees. Yet I must see my Nell again to-night. Youhave bewitched me, wench. Sup with me within the hour--at--Ye Blue BoarInn. Can you find the place?"
There was mischief in Nell's voice as she leaned upon the balustrade.She dropped a flower; he caught it.
"Sire, I can always find a rendezvous," she answered.
"You're the biggest rogue in England," laughed Charles.
"Of a _subject_, perhaps, Sire," replied Nell, pointedly.
"That is treason, sly wench," rejoined the King; but his voice grewtender as he added: "but treason of the tongue and not the heart. Adieu!Let that seal thy lips, until we meet."
He threw a kiss to the waiting lips upon the balcony.
"Alack-a-day," sighed Nell, sadly, as she caught the kiss. "Some one maybreak the seal, my liege; who knows?"
"How now?" questioned Charles, jealously.
Nell hugged herself as she saw his fitful mood; for beneath mockjealousy she thought she saw the germ of true jealousy. She laughedwistfully as she explained: "It were better to come up and seal themtighter, Sire."
"Minx!" he chuckled, and tossed another kiss.
The horn again echoed through the woods. He started.
"Now we'll despatch the affairs of England, brother; then we'll sup withpretty Nelly. Poor brother James! Heaven bless him and his ostriches."
He turned and strode quickly through the trees and down the path; but,as he went, ever and anon he called: "Ye Blue Boar Inn, within thehour!"
Each time from the balcony in Nell's sweet voice came back--"Ye BlueBoar Inn, within the hour! I will not fail you, Sire!"
Then she too disappeared. There was again a slamming of doors and muchconfusion within the house. There were calls and sounds of running feet.
The door below the terrace opened suddenly, and Nell appeared breathlessupon the lawn--at her heels the constant Moll. Nell ran some steps downthe path, peering vainly through the woods after the departing King. Herbosom rose and fell in agitation.
"Oh, Moll, Moll, Moll!" she exclaimed, fearfully. "He has been atPortsmouth's since high noon. I could see it in his eyes." Her own eyessnapped as she thought of the hated French rival, whom she had not yetseen, but whose relation to the royal household, as she thought, gaveher the King's ear almost at will.
She walked nervously back and forth, then turned quickly upon hercompanion, asking her, who knew nothing, a hundred questions, all in onelittle breath. "What is she? How looks she? What is her charm, herfascination, the magic of her art? Is she short, tall, fat, lean, joyousor sombre? I must know."
"Oh, Nell, what will you do?" cried Moll in fearful accents as shewatched her beautiful mistress standing passion-swayed before her like aqueen in the moonlight, the little toe of her slipper nervously beatingthe sward as she general-like marshalled her wits for the battle.
"See her, see her,--from top to toe!" Nell at length exclaimed. "Oh,there will be sport, sweet mouse. France again against England--thestake, a King!"
She glanced in the direction of the house and cried joyously as she sawStrings hobbling toward her.
"Heaven ever gave me a man in waiting," she said, gleefully. "Poorfellow, he limps from youthful, war-met wounds. Comrade, are you stillstrong enough for service?"
"To the death for you, Mistress Nell!" he faithfully replied.
"You know the Duchess of Portsmouth, and where she lives?" artfullyinquired Nell.
"Portsmouth!" he repeated, excitedly. "She was here but now, peeping atyour windows."
Nell stood aghast. Her face grew pale, and her lips trembled.
"Here, here!" she exclaimed, incredulously. "The imported hussy!"
She turned hotly upon Strings, as she had upon poor Moll, with an arrayof questions which almost paralyzed the old fiddler's wits. "How looksshe? What colour eyes? Does her lip arch? How many inches span herwaist?"
Strings looked cautiously about, then whispered in Nell's ear. He mightas well have talked to all London; for Nell, in her excitement, repeatedhis words at the top of her voice.
"You overheard? Great Heavens! Drug the King and win the rights ofEngland while he is in his cups? Bouillon--the army--Louis--the Dutch! Aconspiracy!"
"Oh, dear; oh, dear," came from Moll's trembling lips.
Nell's wits were like lightning playing with the clouds. Her plans wereformed at once.
"Fly, fly, comrade," she commanded Strings. "Overtake her chair. Tellthe Duchess that her beloved Charles--she will understand--entreats herto sup at Ye Blue Boar Inn, within the hour. Nay, she will be gladenough to come. Say he awaits her alone. Run, run, good Strings, and youshall have a hospital to nurse these wounds, as big as Noah's ark; andthe King shall build it for the message."
Strings hastened down the path, fired by Nell's inspiration, with almostthe eagerness of a boy.
"Run, run!" cried Nell, in ecstasy, as she looked after him and dweltgleefully upon the outcome of her plans.
He disappeared through the trees.
"Heigh-ho!" she said, with a light-hearted step. "Now, Moll, we'll getour first sight of the enemy."
She darted into the house, dragging poor Moll after her.