Heralds of Empire

  CHAPTER XXVI

  AT OXFORD

  Rioting through London streets or playing second in M. Radisson's gamesof empire, it was possible to forget her, but not in Oxford with thecourt retinue all about and the hedgerows abloom and spring-time in theair. M. Radisson had gone to present his reports to the king. With avague belief that chance might work some miracle, I accompanied M.Radisson till we encountered the first belaced fellow of the King'sGuard. 'Twas outside the porter's lodge of the grand house where theking had been pleased to breakfast that morning.

  "And what might this young man want?" demanded the fellow, with lordlybelligerence, letting M. Radisson pass without question.

  Your colonial hero will face the desperate chance of death; but not thesmug arrogance of a beliveried flunkey.

  "Wait here," says M. Radisson to me, forgetful of Hortense now that hisown end was won.

  And I struck through the copse-wood, telling myself that chance makesgrim sport. Ah, well, the toughening of the wilderness is not to beundone by fickle fingers, however dainty, nor a strong life blown outby a girl's caprice! Riders went clanking past. I did not turn. Letthose that honoured dishonour doff hats to that company of loose womenand dissolute men! Hortense was welcome to the womanish men and themannish women, to her dandified lieutenant and foreign adventuressesand grand ambassadors, who bought English honour with the smiles ofevil women. Coming to a high stone wall, I saw two riders gallopingacross the open field for the copse wood.

  "A very good place to break foolish necks," thought I; for the riderswere coming straight towards me, and a deep ditch ran along the otherside of the wall.

  To clear the wall and then the ditch would be easy enough; but to clearthe ditch and then the wall required as pretty a piece of foolhardyhorsemanship as hunters could find. Out of sheer curiosity to see theend I slackened my walk. A woman in green was leading the pace. Theman behind was shouting "Don't try it! Don't try it! Ride round theend! Wait! Wait!" But the woman came on as if her horse had the bit.Then all my mighty, cool stoicism began thumping like a smith's forge.The woman was Hortense, with that daring look on her face I had seencome to it in the north land; and her escort, young Lieutenant Blood,with terror as plainly writ on his fan-shaped elbows and pounding gaitas if his horse were galloping to perdition.

  "Don't jump! Head about, Mistress Hillary!" cried the lieutenant.

  But Hortense's lips tightened, the rein tightened, there was thatlifting bound into air when horse and rider are one--the quickpaying-out of the rein--the long, stretching leap--the backwardbrace--and the wall had been cleared. But Blood's horse balked thejump, nigh sending him head over into the moat, and seizing the bit,carried its cursing rider down the slope of the field. In vain thelieutenant beat it about the head and dug the spurs deep. The beastsidled off each time he headed it up, or plunged at the water's edgetill Mistress Hortense cried out: "Oh--please! I cannot see you riskyourself on that beast! Oh--please won't you ride farther down where Ican get back!"

  "Ho--away, then," calls Blood, mighty glad of that way out of hispredicament, "but don't try the wall here again, Mistress Hillary! Iprotest 'tis not safe for you! Ho--away, then! I race you to the endof the wall!"

  And off he gallops, never looking back, keen to clear the wall and meetmy lady half-way up. Hortense sat erect, reining her horse and smilingat me.

  "And so you would go away without seeing me," she said, "and I mustneeds ride you down at the risk of the lieutenant's neck."

  "'Tis the way of the proud with the humble," I laughed back; but thelaugh had no mirth.

  Her face went grave. She sat gazing at me with that straight, honestlook of the wilderness which neither lies nor seeks a lie.

  "Your horse is champing to be off, Hortense!"

  "Yes--and if you looked you might see that I am keeping him from goingoff."

  I smiled at the poor jest as a court conceit.

  "Or perhaps, if you tried, you might help me to hold him," saysHortense, never taking her search from my face.

  "And defraud the lieutenant," said I.

  "Ah!" says Hortense, looking away. "Are you jealous of anything sosmall?"

  I took hold of the bit and quieted the horse. Hortense laughed.

  "Were you so mighty proud the other night that you could not come tosee a humble ward of the court?" she asked.

  "I am only a poor trader now!"

  "Ah," says Hortense, questioning my face again, "I had thought you wereonly a poor trader before! Was that the only reason?"

  "To be sure, Hortense, the lieutenant would not have welcomed me--hemight have told his fellow to turn me out and made confusion."

  And I related M. Radisson's morning encounter with Lieutenant Blood,whereat Mistress Hortense uttered such merry peals of laughter I hadthought the chapel-bells were chiming.

  "Ramsay!" she cried impetuously, "I hate this life--why did you allsend me to it?"

  "Hate it! Why----?"

  "Why?" reiterated Hortense. "Why, when a king, who is too busy to signdeath-reprieves, may spend the night hunting a single moth from room toroom of the palace? Why, when ladies of the court dress in men'sclothes to run the streets with the Scowerers? Why, when a duchessmust take me every morning to a milliner's shop, where she meets herlover, who is a rope-walker? Why, when our sailors starve unpaid andgold enough lies on the basset-table of a Sunday night to feed thearmy? Ah, yes!" says Hortense, "why do I hate this life? Why must youand Madame Radisson and Lady Kirke all push me here?"

  "Hortense," I broke in, "you were a ward of the crown! What else wasthere for us to do?"

  "Ah, yes!" says Hortense, "what else? You kept your promise, and award of the crown must marry whom the king names--"

  "Marry?"

  "Or--or go to a nunnery abroad."

  "A nunnery?"

  "Ah, yes!" mocks Hortense, "what else is there to do?"

  And at that comes Blood crashing through the brush.

  "Here, fellow, hands off that bridle!"

  "The horse became restless. This gentleman held him for me till youcame."

  "Gad's life!" cries the lieutenant, dismounting. "Let's see?" And heexamines the girths with a great show of concern. "A nasty tumble,"says he, as if Hortense had been rolled on. "All sound, MistressHillary! Egad! You must not ride such a wild beast! I protest, suchrisks are too desperate!" And he casts up the whites of his eyes atMistress Hortense, laying his hand on his heart. "When did you feelhim getting away from you?"

  "At the wall," says Hortense.

  The lieutenant vaulted to his saddle.

  "Here, fellow!"

  He had tossed me a gold-piece. They were off. I lifted the coin,balanced it on my thumb, and flipped it ringing against the wall. WhenI looked up, Hortense was laughing back over her shoulder.

  On May 17th we sailed from Gravesend in the Happy Return, two shipsaccompanying us for Hudson Bay, and a convoy of the Royal Marine comingas far as the north of Scotland to stand off Dutch highwaymen andSpanish pirates.

  But I made the news of Jack Battle's marriage the occasion of a letterto one of the queen's maids of honour.