The House of Walderne

  Chapter 4: In the Greenwood.

  While they were in sight of the other boys Martin's pride kept himfrom displaying any emotion, but when they were alone in therecesses of the woods, and Hubert, putting his hand on the other'sshoulder bade him "not mind them," his bosom commenced to heave,and he had great difficulty in repressing his tears. It was notmere grief, it was the sense of desolation; he felt that he was notin his own sphere, and but for the thought of the chaplain wouldwillingly have returned to the outlaws in the greenwood. No boy ata strange school feels as out of place as he, and the worst was, hedid not get acclimatised in the least.

  He had not found his vocation. Then again, he had been sweetlylectured upon his temper by Father Edmund, and had promised tocontrol it. Still, was he to be switched by Drogo? He knew he nevercould bear it, and didn't quite feel that he ought to do so.

  "Hubert," he said at last, "I don't think I can stay here."

  "Why, it is a very pleasant place. I love it more every day, andthey are not such bad fellows."

  "You are like them in your tastes, and I am not."

  "But tell me, Martin, how were you brought up; were you always withthe outlaws? You almost let out the secret today."

  "Yes, I was born in the woods."

  "Then you are not of gentle blood?"

  "That depends upon what you mean by gentle blood. I am not ofNorman blood by my father's side, although my mother may be, fromwhom I get my dark features: my father was descended from the oldEnglish lords of Michelham, who lived on the island for ages beforethe Conquest; my mother's family is unknown to me."

  "Indeed! what became of your English forbears?"

  "Robert de Mortain contrived their ruin, but dearly did his racepay for it in the justice of God. His ghost, or that of his son,still haunts Pevensey: but all that is past and gone. Earl Simonsometimes says (you heard him perhaps the other day) that theEnglish are of as good blood as the Normans, and that he should beproud to call himself an Englishman.

  "He is worthy of the name," said Martin, and Hubert smiled; 'but itis not that--I want to be a scholar, and by and by a priest."

  "The very thing they wanted to make me, and I wouldn't for theworld; what a pity we could not change places. Ah! what is that?"

  A crushing of brambles and parting of bushes was heard, and lo! adeer, with a little fawn by its side, came across the glade,looking very frightened. The mother was restraining her own speedfor the sake of the little one, but every moment got ahead,involuntarily, then stopped, and strove by piteous cries to urgethe fawn to do its best.

  What did it mean? The mystery was soon explained, the deep bay of ahound was heard close behind.

  Martin's deep sympathies with the animal creation were aroused atonce, and he stood in the opening the deer had made, his shorthunting spear in hand.

  "Take care--what are you about!" cried Hubert.

  The next instant the deerhound came in sight, and in a few leapswould have attained his prey had not Martin been in the way; butthe boy knelt on one knee, presenting his spear full at the dog,who, springing down a bank through the opening, literally impaleditself upon it.

  "Good heavens!" said Hubert, "to kill a hound, a good hound likethis."

  "Didn't you see the poor fawn and its mother? I wasn't going to letthe brute touch them. I would have died first."

  Just then the voices of men came from the wood.

  "See, they follow upon the track of the deer; let us run, we are infor it else."

  "I am not ashamed of my deed," said Martin, and would sooner faceit out; if they are good men they will not blame me."

  "They will hang thee, that's all--fly."

  "Too late; you go, leave me to pay the penalty of my own deed, ifpenalty there be."

  "What, forsake a comrade in distress? Nay, I would die first, thatis a thing I would die for, but for a brute--never."

  A tall hunter, a man of most commanding appearance and stature,stood upon the scene. Two attendants followed behind.

  "THE EARL OF WARWICK," whispered Hubert, awe struck.

  The earl looked astonished as he saw the dog.

  "Who has done this?" he said, in a voice of thunder.

  But Martin did not tremble as he replied:

  "I, my lord."

  "And why? did the hound attack thee?"

  "It was to save the poor doe and her fawn; the mother would notleave her little one, and both would have been killed together."

  The indignation of the two woodsmen was almost indecorous, but theydid not speak before their dread master.

  "And didst thou have aught to do with it?" said the earl,addressing Hubert.

  "Nay, my lord, I did it all with this spear; he tried to stop me,"said Martin.

  "Then thou shalt hang for it.

  "Here, Ralph, Gilbert, have you a rope between you?"

  Ralph, the gamekeeper, unwound one from his waist. It was too oftenneeded, and had our Martin been a peasant lad, he would havespeedily swung from a branch of the oak above, but--Hubert camebravely forward.

  "My Lord of Warwick, we knew not we were on your ground; we arepages from Kenilworth."

  The men who had seized Martin stood motionless at this, still,however, holding him, and awaiting further orders.

  "Can this be true?" growled the Lord of the Bear and Ragged Staff.

  "Yes, my lord, you see the crest of the Montforts on our caps."

  In his fury the earl had ignored the fact.

  "Your names?"

  "Martin."

  "Hubert."

  "'Martin,' 'Hubert,' of what? have you no 'de,' no second names?"

  "We are not permitted to bear them."

  "Doubtless for good reason. And now, what shall prevent me fromhanging such nobodies, and burying you both beneath this oak,without anybody being the wiser?"

  "The fact that you are a gentleman," said Hubert boldly.

  The earl seemed struck by the answer.

  "Boy," said he, "thou bast answered well, and second name or not,thou hast the right blood in thee; nor is the other lad wanting incourage. But you must both answer for this. Tomorrow I visitKenilworth, and will see your lord.

  "Release them, my men.

  "Fare ye well till tomorrow.

  "My poor Bruno!"

  And the lads hastened home.

  They told no one of their adventure, save Father Edmund, who notonly did not chide them, but promised to plead for them ifcomplaint were made to Earl Simon.

  And very shortly, even the next day, the Earl of Warwick with anattendant squire rode up the approach to the barbican gate, and wasadmitted. The boys had not long to wait in suspense: they were soonsummoned from their tasks into the presence of their dread yet kindlord, and his visitor.

  As they were ushered along the passage of that mighty castle, bothfelt a sinking of heart, Hubert more than Martin, for the latterhad far more moral courage than his lithesome companion.

  "Martin, we are in bad case."

  "I am not afraid."

  "Do own you were wrong."

  "I cannot, for I do not think I was."

  "Say so at all events. What is the harm?"

  "My tongue was given me to express my thoughts, not to concealthem."

  "Then you will be beaten."

  "And bear it; it was all my doing."

  At that moment the heavy doors swung open, and they stood in thepresence of the two mightiest earls of the Midlands. They stood astwo culprits, Hubert very sheepish, with his head cast down, Martinwith a comical mixture of resignation and apprehension.

  "How is this?" said the Earl Simon. "I hear that you two killed thegood deerhound of my brother of Warwick."

  "It was I, my lord, not Hubert."

  "They were both together," whispered the Earl of Warwick. "I sawnot who did the deed."

  "We may believe Martin."

  "So thou dost take all the blame upon thyself, Martin."

  "All the blame, if blame there was, my lord."

  "If blame
there was! Surely thou art mad, boy! and thy back willverify the force of Solomon's proverb, a rod for the fool's back,unless thou change thy tone and ask pardon of my good brother."

  "My Lord of Warwick, I am very sorry that I was forced to kill yourgood hound, and hope you will forgive me."

  "Forced to kill!"

  "If I had not, he would have killed the poor doe and her fawntogether, and I could not have seen that, if I had to hang for it,as the noble earl threatened I should."

  "Tell me the whole story," said the Earl of Leicester.

  "Pardon me, my good brother, I want to hear how he defendshimself."

  And Martin began:

  "We were in the woods, when we heard a great rustling, and saw adoe crossing the path, very frightened, but for all that she keptstopping and looking back, and we saw a little fawn by her side,who couldn't keep up; then we heard the hound baying behind, andthe poor mother trembled and started, but wouldn't leave her littleone, but bleated piteously to the wee thing to make haste. I neversaw an animal in such distress before, and I could not bear it, soI stood in the track to stop the dog, and he rushed upon my spear.I was very sorry for the good hound, but I was more sorry for thedoe and her fawn."

  "And thou wouldst do the same thing again, I suppose?" said theEarl of Leicester.

  "I couldn't help it."

  "And what didst thou do, Hubert?"

  "I tried to stop him, but I couldn't."

  "Thou didst not feel the same pity, then, for the deer?"

  "No, my lord, because I thought dogs were made to hunt deer, anddeer to be hunted."

  "Thou art quite right, my lad," said he of Warwick, "and the otherlad is a simpleton--I was going to say a chicken-hearted simpleton,but he was brave enough when his own neck seemed in danger, nordoes he fear much for his back now--

  "What dost thou say, boy?"

  "My lord, if I have offended you, I refuse not to pay with myback."

  "Get ready for the scourge, then," said the earl his lord, halfsmiling, and evidently trying his courage, "unless thou wilt saythou art sorry for thy deed."

  "I am ready, my lord. I would say anything I could say withoutlying, rather than offend thee, but what am I to do? Let me bearwhat I have to bear."

  "Nay," said the earl, "it may not be. My brother of Warwick, canstthou not forgive him? I will send thee two good hounds in the placeof poor Bruno. Dost thou not see the lad has sat in the school ofSaint Francis, who pitied and loved everything, great and small, asAdam de Maresco, my good friend at Oxford, tells me, and so allGod's creatures loved him, and came at his call--the birds, nay,the fishes?"

  "Dost thou believe all this, my boy?" said he of Warwick.

  "Yes, it is all true, is it not? It is in the Flores SanctiFrancisci."

  The earl smiled.

  "Come, my boy, I forgive thee.

  "My good brother of Leicester, the lad is made for a Franciscan;don't spoil a good friar by making him a warrior."

  "And Franciscan he shall be.

  "Say, my boy, wouldst thou like to go to Oxford and study under myworthy friend, Adam de Maresco?"

  Martin's eyes sparkled with delight.

  "Oh yes, my lord.

  "Thank you, my Lord of Warwick."

  "Thy punishment shall then be exile from the castle; thou may'stcease from the sports of the tilt yard, which thou hast neverloved, and Father Edmund shall take thee seriously in hand."

  "Oh, thanks, my lord, O felix dies."

  "See how he takes to Latin, like a duck to the water.

  "Hubert, thou must go with him."

  Hubert's countenance fell.

  "Oh no, no, my lord, I want to be a soldier like my father; pleasedon't send me away.

  "Oh, Martin, what a fool thou art!"

  "Fool! fie! for shame! thou forgettest in whose company thou art.Each to his own liking; thou to make food for the sword, Martinperhaps to suffer martyrdom on a gridiron, like Saint Lawrence,amongst the heathen."

  "He is the stuff they make martyrs from," muttered he of Warwick.

  "No, Hubert, you may stay and work out your own destiny, and Martinshall go to Oxford."

  "Oh, Martin, I am so sorry."

  But Martin was rapturous with joy.

  And so, more soberly, was another person joyful--even the chaplain,for he saw the making of a valiant friar of Saint Francis inMartin. That wondrous saint, Francis of Assisi {10}, whosemission it was to restore to the depraved Christianity of the dayan element it seemed losing altogether, that of brotherly love, wasan embodiment of the sentiment of a later poet:

  He prayeth best who loveth best,All things both great and small,For the dear God, who loveth us,He made and loveth all.

  And wondrous was his power over the rudest men and the most savageanimals in consequence. All things loved Francis--the most timidanimals, the most shy birds, all alike flocked around him when heappeared.

  The brotherhood he had founded was unlike the monastic orders; itsmembers were not to retire from the world, but to live in it, anddevote themselves entirely to the good of mankind; they were torenounce all worldly wealth, and embrace chastity, poverty, andobedience--theirs was not to be the joy of family life, theirs nosettled abode. Wandering from place to place they were to livesolely on the alms of those to whom they preached the gospel ofpeace.

  Established only at the beginning of the century of our tale, ithad already extended its energies throughout Europe. They came toEngland in 1224, only four clergy and five laymen. Already theynumbered more than twelve hundred brethren in England alone; andthey were found where they were most needed, in the back slums ofthe undrained and crowded towns, amongst the hovels of the serfswhere plague was raging, where leprosy lingered--there were theFranciscans in this the heroic age of their order, before they hadfallen from their first love, and verified the proverb--Corruptiooptimi est pessima. Under their teaching a new school of theologyhad arisen at Oxford; the great Bishop of Lincoln, RobertGrosseteste, was its first lecturer, the most enlightened prelateof the day; and now Adam de Maresco, a warm friend of Earl Simon,was at its head. To his care the earl determined to commend youngMartin.