number of baskets slungabout his horse. He had a bow at his back and a trusty sword by hisside, with which he might, if necessary, defend his young mistress.These ideas passed through Herbert's mind the moment the scene appearedbefore him. The serving-man had drawn his sword, and was endeavouringto keep the robbers at bay. The robbers, however, seemed to be laughingat his efforts, and while one of them was keeping him in play, the othertwo had run round on either side, and were on the point of seizing thereins of the damsel's pony, when Herbert appeared. He dashed forward,and, with the impetuosity of youth, without asking any questions, cutdown one of the robbers, and was about to treat the other in the sameway when he made his escape between the trees. The serving-man had inthe meantime given a good account of the robber who had attacked him,who lay wounded and, to all appearance, dying on the ground. He had,however, first contrived to give honest Rolfe a severe cut on the armand another on the side, which would probably have compelled him toyield to the attacks of the other ruffians had not young Herbert deBeauville come to his assistance. The damsel had wonderfully maintainedher self-possession during the events which have been described; butwhen Herbert reached her, and, taking her hand, assured her that alldanger was past, her pale cheeks and quivering lips told him that shecould not longer contain her feelings. He helped her to dismount, andplacing her on the trunk of a fallen tree, endeavoured to calm herspirits, while Rolfe limped off to fill a bowl, which he had justpurchased in the market, with water from a neighbouring brook. Thisrevived the damsel, and, as soon as she was able to speak, afterthanking Herbert for the service he had rendered her, she told him thather name was Gertrude Alwyn, and that she lived with her father, stoutJohn Alwyn, a yeoman, on his farm nearly a league off.
"Then I must offer my services to escort you to your home, sweetMistress Gertrude," said Herbert, in as courteous a tone as he wouldhave used towards a princess. "I can take no denial, as it isunbefitting that you should continue your journey alone. Mayhap someother robbers may meet you, or you may be beset by some other danger."
Whatever might have been the fears of the damsel, she was not unwillingthat so handsome and courteous a young man should escort her homewards.Not till honest Rolfe had come up to hold her reins while she againmounted, did she and Herbert discover how badly he had been hurt by therobber who had attacked him. He made light of his wounds to save hisyoung mistress pain, but she refused to proceed till they were bound up,and some further time was lost in this operation. Herbert rode by theside of Gertrude, conversing with her as he went. He thought that hehad never seen so fair a damsel, so gentle and so lovable, while she wascertain that she had never met so kind and courteous and noble a youth.It was late when they reached Donington Farm. Master Alwyn, the owner,did not seem much surprised to see his daughter escorted by so gay acavalier as young Herbert de Beauville. Having thanked him warmly forthe protection he had afforded to his daughter, and her deliverance fromthe danger which had overtaken her, with much courtesy he invited him toremain to supper, which meal was even then being placed on the table.
Young Herbert was not unwilling to accept the invitation, seeing thatalready his heart, or fancy, or whatever organ or sense by which youngmen are moved, had already been captivated by the bright eyes and sweetface of the fair Gertrude. There was a bright moon about to shine, andhe had no tender mother or loving sisters who would be anxious at hisnon-appearance at the usual hour. Gertrude did not omit to tell hermother of the hurts Rolfe had received. On hearing this, the dame, withalacrity, examined them, dressing them with much skill, of thepossession of which she was not a little proud.
After this, three demure damsels and seven stout labouring men came intothe hall, and took their seats at the table. They then ate in silencethe messes which Mrs Alwyn served out to them. Master Alwyn, meantime,kept up a very pleasant conversation with his guest. He was evidentlyfar superior in attainments to men generally of his position in life,for he could both read and write, and knew something of what was goingforward in the world. In appearance he was not, however, superior toother yeomen or well-to-do farmers; and his dame, though evidently anotable thrifty housewife, was not above her class in manners or ininformation. As Herbert looked from one to the other, and thenexchanged a few sentences with their daughter, he wondered how so fair acreature could have sprung from so rough a stock. He sat on, unwillingto leave the society of so charming a being, till at length he had noexcuse for lingering longer.
As he rode homeward, with his hawk sleeping on his shoulder, and hishounds by his side, his thoughts were so completely occupied with thefair Gertrude, that he reached the castle gates almost before he wasaware of it. Good Roger was away on the errand which has been spokenof, and Father Mathew had never been wont to chide his pupil veryseverely. Now that he had come to man's estate, he wisely abstainedaltogether from doing so. Herbert was therefore accustomed frankly totell him all that occurred. He accordingly described how he had met thedamsel and her servant, and saved them from robbers.
"You have acted bravely, my son, and you deem the damsel fair to lookon?" said Father Mathew.
The last words were uttered quite in an indifferent tone, as if thematter were of very little consequence.
"Oh yes; the damsel is perfectly beautiful," exclaimed the youth,enthusiastically. "I have never seen one I could so devotedly love andadore."
The priest gave way to a low laugh, and remarked:
"Perchance the next time you see her she may not appear so charming, andstill less so the following. Methinks, too, that she is not such a oneas the young lord of Beauville ought to wed."
"I have heard of noble knights wedding with maidens of low degree, whosebeauty and rare excellence made them fit to take their place among thehighest in the land. Such is the damsel of whom I speak. It would be agrievous pity to let so charming a rose bloom unseen, or to allow her tomate with some rough thistle or thorn unworthy of her."
The priest laughed outright.
"Certes, the charms of the damsel have made you poetical, my esteemedpupil," he remarked. "I must go forth to see this rare piece ofperfection. I wonder whether I shall esteem her as you do."
Now, although Herbert had a great regard for his reverend tutor, he didnot altogether desire to have him become acquainted with the damsel, andhe at once, therefore, began to repent that he had praised her in suchglowing terms. He scorned, however, to retract anything that he hadsaid, yet he determined to try and prevent Father Mathew from visitingDonington Farm till he had secured, as he hoped to do, the affections ofits fair inmate. It was not till late at night that the priest and hispupil retired to their beds. At an early hour the next morning theyoung lord of Beauville was on his way to Donington to inquire ifMistress Gertrude had recovered from the effects of the fright to whichshe had been subjected. He also persuaded himself that he was anxiousto learn how it fared with sturdy Rolfe.
He went well armed in case he should meet any of the band of robberswhose comrades he had so roughly handled. On reaching Donington, he sawFather Mathew's grey mare at the gate. The father must have left thecastle by break of day, and have ridden pretty fast to get there beforehim. Herbert met him coming out.
"Ah, my son, you said not that you were coming here to-day," he remarkedquietly. "However, I am not surprised. The damsel is truly fair tolook on, and calculated to win a young man's heart. But beware, I say--beware. Now go in and pay your visit and inquire after her health, andsay all the foolish things you proposed saying, and then come out again.I will wait for you, and we will ride back to Beauville together."
This was not at all according to Herbert's intentions, yet he could nothelp himself without positively refusing to comply with the father'swishes. He found the dame and her fair daughter within. There was someconstraint in their manner at first, but the latter was evidentlypleased to see him. He thought her not less lovely than on the previousevening. The visit, however, was not such as he had anticipated. Invain he tried to learn what Father Ma
thew had been saying about him. Atlast he was obliged to take his leave and join the latter, who had beenwalking his horse up and down, waiting for him. The young man hadlearned wisdom.
"I will be even with him," he thought to himself. "I will let himsuppose that he is right, and that on a second visit I have not foundthe damsel as charming as I at first described her."
He carried out his plan, but whether or not Father Mathew was deceivedhe could not tell; for the wary priest made no reply to his remarks bywhich he could judge what was passing in his mind. When Roger returned,Herbert took good care to say nothing to him about fair MistressGertrude, and, somewhat to his surprise, Father Mathew was equallyreserved on the subject.
It was curious, however, that from that time forward his hounds or hishawks always led him in the direction of Donington, and, though hebrought home less