CHAPTER THE TWELFTH.
Great was the astonishment of the young Knight of Valence and thereverend Father Jerome, when, upon breaking into the cell, theydiscovered the youthful pilgrim's absence; and, from the garments whichwere left, saw every reason to think that the one-eyed novice, sisterUrsula, had accompanied him in his escape from custody. A thousandthoughts thronged upon Sir Aymer, how shamefully he had sufferedhimself to be outwitted by the artifices of a boy and of a novice. Hisreverend companion in error felt no less contrition for havingrecommended to the knight a mild exercise of his authority. FatherJerome had obtained his preferment as abbot upon the faith of his zealfor the cause of the English monarch, with the affected interest inwhich he was at a loss to reconcile his proceedings of the last night.A hurried enquiry took place, from which little could be learned, savethat the young pilgrim had most certainly gone off with the LadyMargaret de Hautlieu, an incident at which the females of the conventexpressed surprise, mingled with a great deal of horror; while that ofthe males, whom the news soon reached, was qualified with a degree ofwonder, which seemed to be founded upon the very different personalappearance of the two fugitives.
"Sacred Virgin," said a nun, "who could have conceived the hopefulvotaress, sister Ursula, so lately drowned in tears for her father'suntimely fate, capable of eloping with a boy scarce fourteen years old!"
"And, holy Saint Bride!" said the Abbot Jerome, "what could have madeso handsome a young man lend his arm to assist such a nightmare assister Ursula, in the commission of so great an enormity? Certainly hecan neither plead temptation nor seduction, but must have gone, as theworldly phrase is,--to the devil with a dish-clout."
"I must disperse the soldiers to pursue the fugitives," said DeValence, "unless this letter, which the pilgrim must have left behindhim, shall contain some explanations respecting our mysteriousprisoner."
After viewing the contents with some surprise, he read aloud,--"Theundersigned, late residing in the house of Saint Bride, do you, fatherJerome, the abbot of said house, to know, that finding you weredisposed to treat me as a prisoner and a spy, in the sanctuary to whichyou had received me as a distressed person, I have resolved to use mynatural liberty, with which you have no right to interfere, andtherefore have withdrawn myself from your abbacy. Moreover, findingthat the novice called in your convent sister Ursula (who hath, bymonastic rule and discipline, a fair title to return to the worldunless she is pleased, after a year's novitiate, to profess herselfsister of your order) is determined to use such privilege, I joyfullytake the opportunity of her company in this her lawful resolution, asbeing what is in conformity to the law of God, and the precepts ofSaint Bride, which gave you no authority to detain any person in yourconvent by force, who hath not taken upon her irrevocably the vows ofthe order.
"To you, Sir John de Walton, and Sir Aymer de Valence, knights ofEngland, commanding the garrison of Douglas Dale, I have only to say,that you have acted and are acting against me under a mystery, thesolution of which is comprehended in a secret known only to my faithfulminstrel, Bertram of the many Lays, as whose son I have found itconvenient to pass myself. But as I cannot at this time prevail uponmyself personally to discover a secret which cannot well be unfoldedwithout feelings of shame, I not only give permission to the saidBertram the minstrel, but I charge and command him that he tell to youthe purpose with which I came originally to the Castle of Douglas. Whenthis is discovered, it will only remain to express my feelings towardsthe two knights, in return for the pain and agony of mind which theirviolence and threats of further severities have occasioned me.
"And first respecting Sir Aymer de Valence, I freely and willinglyforgive him for having been involved in a mistake to which I myself ledthe way, and I shall at all times be happy to meet with him as anacquaintance, and never to think farther of his part in these few days'history, saving as matter of mirth and ridicule.
"But respecting Sir John de Walton, I must request of him to considerwhether his conduct towards me, standing as we at present do towardseach, other, is such as he himself ought to forget or I ought toforgive; and I trust he will understand me when I tell him, that allformer connexions must henceforth be at an end between him and thesupposed "AUGUSTINE."
"This is madness," said the abbot, when he had read the letter,--"verymidsummer madness; not unfrequently an accompaniment of thispestilential disease, and I should do well in requiring of thosesoldiers who shall first apprehend this youth Augustine, that theyreduce his victuals immediately to water and bread, taking care thatthe diet do not exceed in measure what is necessary to sustain nature;nay, I should be warranted by the learned, did I recommend a sufficientintermixture of flagellation with belts, stirrup-leathers, orsurcingles, and failing those, with riding-whips, switches, and thelike."
"Hush! my reverend father," said De Valence, "a light begins to breakin upon me. John de Walton, if my suspicions be true, would soonerexpose his own flesh to be hewn from his bones, than have thisAugustine's finger stung by a gnat. Instead of treating this youth as amadman, I for my own part, will be contented to avow that I myself havebeen bewitched and fascinated; and by my honour, if I send out myattendants in quest of the fugitives, it shall be with the strictcharge, that, when apprehended, they treat them with all respect, andprotect them, if they object to return to this house, to any honourableplace of refuge which they may desire."
"I hope," said the abbot, looking strangely confused, "I shall be firstheard in behalf of the Church concerning this affair of an abductednun? You see yourself, Sir Knight, that this scapegrace of a minstrelavouches neither repentance nor contrition at his share in a matter soflagitious."
"You shall be secured an opportunity of being fully heard," replied theknight, "if you shall find at last that you really desire one.Meantime, I must back, without a moment's delay, to inform Sir John deWalton of the turn which affairs have taken. Farewell, reverend father.By my honour we may wish each other joy that we have escaped from atroublesome charge, which brought as much terror with it as thephantoms of a fearful dream, and is yet found capable of beingdispelled by a cure as simple as that of awakening the sleeper. But, bySaint Bride! both churchmen and laymen are bound to sympathise with theunfortunate Sir John de Walton. I tell thee, father, that if thisletter"--touching the missive with his finger--"is to be construedliterally, as far as respects him, he is the man most to be pitiedbetwixt the brink of Solway and the place where we now stand. Suspendthy curiosity, most worthy churchman, lest there should be more in thismatter than I myself see; so that, while thinking that I have lightedon the true explanation, I may not have to acknowledge that I have beenagain leading you into error. Sound to horse there! Ho?" he called outfrom the window of the apartment; "and let the party I brought hitherprepare to scour the woods on their return."
"By my faith!" said Father Jerome, "I am right glad that this youngnut-cracker is going to leave me to my own meditation. I hate when ayoung person pretends to understand whatever passes, while his bettersare obliged to confess that it is all a mystery to them. Such anassumption is like that of the conceited fool, sister Ursula, whopretended to read with a single eye a manuscript which I myself couldnot find intelligible with the assistance of my spectacles."
This might not have quite pleased the young knight, nor was it one ofthose truths which the abbot would have chosen to deliver in hishearing. But the knight had shaken him by the hand, said adieu, and wasalready at Hazelside, issuing particular orders to little troops of thearchers and others, and occasionally chiding Thomas Dickson, who, witha degree of curiosity which the English knight was not very willing toexcuse, had been endeavouring to get some account of the occurrences ofthe night.
"Peace, fellow!" he said, "and mind thine own business, being wellassured that the hour will come in which it will require all theattention thou canst give, leaving others to take care of their ownaffairs."
"If I am suspected of any thing," answered Dickson, in a tone ratherdogged and surly than otherwise, "methinks
it were but fair to let meknow what accusation is brought against me. I need not tell you thatchivalry prescribes that a knight should not attack an enemy undefied."
"When you are a knight," answered Sir Aymer de Valence, "it will betime enough for me to reckon with you upon the points of form due toyou by the laws of chivalry. Meanwhile, you had best let me know whatshare you have had in playing off the martial phantom which sounded therebellious slogan of Douglas in the town of that name?"
"I know nothing of what you speak," answered the goodman of Hazelside.
"See then," said the knight, "that you do not engage yourself in theaffairs of other people, even if your conscience warrants that you arein no danger from your own."
So saying, he rode off, not waiting any answer. The ideas which filledhis head were to the following purpose.
"I know not how it is, but one mist seems no sooner to clear away than.we find ourselves engaged in another. I take it for granted that thedisguised damsel is no other than the goddess of Walton's privateidolatry, who has cost him and me so much trouble, and some certain,degree of misunderstanding during these last weeks. By my honour! thisfair lady is right lavish in the pardon which she has so franklybestowed upon me, and if she is willing to be less complaisant to SirJohn de Walton, why then--And what then?--It surely does not infer thatshe would receive me into that place in her affections, from which shehas just expelled De Walton? Nor, if she did, could I avail myself of achange in favour of myself, at the expense of my friend and companionin arms. It were a folly even to dream of a thing so improbable. Butwith respect to the other business, it is worth serious consideration.Yon sexton seems to have kept company with dead bodies, until he isunfit for the society of the living; and as to that Dickson ofHazelside, as they call him, there is no attempt against the Englishduring these endless wars, in which that man has not been concerned;had my life depended upon it, I could not have prevented myself fromintimating my suspicions of him, let him take it as he lists." Sosaying, the knight spurred his horse, and arriving at Douglas Castlewithout farther adventure, demanded in a tone of greater cordialitythan he had of late used, whether he could be admitted to Sir John deWalton, having something of consequence to report to him. He wasimmediately ushered into an apartment, in which the governor was seatedat his solitary breakfast. Considering the terms upon which they hadlately stood, the governor of Douglas Dale was somewhat surprised atthe easy familiarity with which De Valence now approached him.
"Some uncommon news," said Sir John, rather gravely, "have brought methe honour of Sir Aymer de Valence's company."
"It is," answered Sir Aymer, "what seems of high importance to yourinterest, Sir John de Walton, and therefore I were to blame if I lost amoment in communicating it."
"I shall be proud to profit by your intelligence," said Sir John deWalton.
"And I too," said the young knight, "am both to lose the credit ofhaving penetrated a mystery which blinded Sir John de Walton. At thesame time, I do not wish to be thought capable of jesting with you,which might be the case were I, from misapprehension, to give a falsekey to this matter. With your permission, then, we will proceed thus:We go together to the place of Bertram the minstrel's confinement. Ihave in my possession a scroll from the young person who was intrustedto the care of the Abbot Jerome; it is written in a delicate femalehand, and gives authority to the minstrel to declare the purpose whichbrought them to this vale of Douglas."
"It must be as you say," said Sir John de Walton, "although can scarcesee occasion for adding so much form to a mystery which can beexpressed in such small compass."
Accordingly the two knights, the warder leading the way, proceeded tothe dungeon to which the minstrel had been removed.