VII
At that heavy beating of iron upon the stair the Lady Margaret and SirBertram of Lyonesse looked into each other's eyes, crossing glances ofapprehension in the one case and of terror in the other. For the LadyMargaret was divided between joy and love and the sad and sorrowful gazethat three times the Bride of Christ had cast upon her in her dreams.Sir Bertram, for his part, was filled with dread of sorceries, fearingfor his soul. For, if in matters of statecraft and the affairs of thisworld he was a very cool man, yet--as is often the case with those whoare half men of law, half men of state, new and rising men not veryscrupulous of means but solidly set upon matters of their day--this SirBertram quailed like a dog before thoughts of death, sorcery, the omensof superstition and hell fire. So he crossed himself again and again.For, though much of his talk with those ladies had been wary andcautious, he had very sincerely believed when he said that this ParisLovell had been carried off by a white witch or a magic courtesan. Suchthings he believed in as he believed in treachery, guile, want of faithin men and the deceit that lies in women, coming from Adam's snake-wife,called Lilith.
Only the old Princess leaned forward in her throne-chair, watching thedark stone doorway with pleasant eyes, for she believed neither in thesorceries nor the prowess of her grandson, but made sure of finding himan arrant fool.
So a figure in very shining steel stood in that little painted arch. Atsight of it, at the very first, the Lady Margaret cried out. For sheknew very well every detail of the silken dresses and accoutrements ofher lord and love. And there he stood in his armour of state, fluted,with long steel shoes and a round helmet without a plume, like the headof a bull-dog. This suit of armour she had last seen upon the Decies,and it seemed to her like a sort of sorcery that he should wear itthere. For she never thought it was the Decies that stood before her;she had known too well the young lord's voice upon the stairs.
How he had come by that suit was no sorcery but a very simple matter.
At Castle Lovell, since they could by no means come at the late lord'sgold in the White Tower, they were much in need of money; for they couldgather no rents and no fines and no tolls. The people would not paythem. Therefore, in those months past, without remorse they had soldall such furnishings of the Castle as they could find buyers for. Forthe jewels of the Lady Rohtraut they could not do it very easily, sincethe goldsmiths of Newcastle set their heads together and would have noneof them, fearing the reprisals of the Dacres and suits at law and thelike. But certain hangings and furniture they sold for a good price toa German of Sunderland, who shipped them beyond the seas. And certainarms that they had, more than they had men for, they sold for whatlittle these would fetch to certain armourers of the town of Morpeth.Amongst these had been this suit of state. For this suit was too smallfor the Decies; it had galled him very uncomfortably beneath thearm-pits and between the thighs, when he had played the part of hishalf-brother, and he had been heartily glad to be out of it. It hadbeen too large for the Knights of Cullerford and Haltwhistle, so thatthey rattled inside it like walnuts in their shells in June. As forHenry Vesey of Wall Houses, the evil knight, he said he would be hangedif he wore the Young Lovell's armour, for it would bring him ill-luck.So they sold it for forty shillings to a Morpeth armourer called SimonArmstrong, who thought he had a bargain. But he found that neitherknight nor esquire of that countryside would take it of him, for thereasons given by Henry Vesey. So there it was in his store.
Now two days before, very early in the morning, the monk Francis, YoungLovell and ten men-at-arms, well found, had set out from the monasteryof Belford, the monk upon a trotting mule, the Young Lovell, in lightarmour, upon Hamewarts, and the men-at-arms upon little galloways, smallhorses such as the Scots use when they came raiding over the borders.But at the monastery gate they found nine men of the old Lovellmen-at-arms waiting to come into Young Lovell's service. There was noroom for them to be harboured in the monastery, so they must come alongwith the Young Lovell. And, ever as he rode along--and he went slowlyfor that purpose--came men-at-arms and bowmen hastening out of thehay-fields, where they had taken service, to come under the banner ofthe Young Lovell, until he had forty men and more. And at a cross inthe hill-paths, ten miles below Belford, there were awaiting themCressingham and La Rougerie, esquires that had been in service at CastleLovell. They were well armed, upon little Scots horses, and came out ofthe hills where there was a deserted tower. They had with themseventeen men, and four women that had served in Castle Lovell, and allwere well fed and found, so what they had done in the meantime it wasbetter not to inquire, though they swore that all they had came from theScots' side of the border. The Young Lovell was well heartened by thesight of all these men, and they rode onward, to the number ofsixty-five men and two esquires; twenty-two men having no horses andholding by the stirrups of them that had.
They made a circuit round Alnwick, for the monk Francis doubted thefriendship of the Earl of Northumberland. So they went from the highground by Hagdon to Eglingham and so, holding always to the hills andmoors, above Broom Park and Overthwarts and across the North Forest,going south and to the east of Rothbury. There they deemed themselvessafe of the Percy, and they could take to the lower grounds and suchroads as there were. There being a good road from Eshot Hill to Morpeth,they made for that, and hit upon it towards two in the afternoon, havingcome nearly forty miles since four of that morning because of theroundabout path they had followed.
There, because they were near his mother's lands, it came into the YoungLovell's head, and seemed good to him to visit these places and takepossession of them in her name. Therefore they made what haste theycould and so came to the Castle at Cramlin by six of the evening. ThisCastle of his wife's the late Lord Lovell had very much neglected,having stripped it of all its furnishings and even of much of the leadupon the roofs. And, where there were slates or stone roofing, therains and snows had penetrated to the upper floors. Nevertheless thelower rooms were sound enough. So the Young Lovell said that that nighthe would sleep there. Mattresses and bedding were brought from thebondsmen of that place for the Young Lovell, the monk and the twoesquires; the men slept very well upon straw in the stables. Also theYoung Lovell sent the esquire Cressingham with the men to his mother'shouse at Killingworth, and the esquire La Rougerie with the men to herother house at Plessey, which stood in a pleasant place. So then themonk Francis went to his prayers and the Young Lovell round thebattlements of that smallish Castle. He noted carefully what stoneswere sound and which tottered, and so he came to the conclusion that,with a little mason's work well expended, his men might hold it verywell for a space.
Then came back those two esquires, having left five men each in thehouses at Plessey and Killingworth. The houses they reported to be in assad a plight as that Castle, or worse, so that it seemed that they mustfall into utter ruin. At a bondsman's house the esquire Cressingham hadcome upon a fellow calling himself the receiver for the Knights ofCullerford and Haltwhistle. This man the esquire had brought with himand he proved of much use. For, in the first place, he had taken somemoney which he had about him and, in the second, he had a great book ofaccounts which showed what was due to the Lady Rohtraut from eachholding. So they kept that fellow in a stable, taking from him themoney and the book. Both these esquires said that all the men of thesevillages and hamlets welcomed the coming of their lord and were ready todo him suit and service. In those parts the Lady Rohtraut had ninethousand acres of serviceable land and twenty of heathery andindifferent. So they slept very well that night.
On the morrow they had much to do. Thus the monk went with the esquireCressingham and men bravely armed from farm to farm, warning the menthere that those were the lands of the Lord Lovell and his mother. Theyhad that false bailiff well trussed upon a little horse to show them theway; but long before noon he had begged to be allowed to take up theservice of the Lord Lovell, and so they were the quicker done and had nohindrances, all
the peasants vowing to do their services very willingly.
One other thing was good, and that was that the esquire La Rougerie wasthe son of a Frenchman, very skilled in matters of fortifying andbuilding in stone. This Frenchman the old Lord Lovell had brought fromFrance to see to the building of the White Tower, which he wished tomake a citadel, as it were, of Castle Lovell. And this esquire hadlearned much of his father; the Young Lovell could trust him very well.So the Young Lovell sent that La Rougerie into the countryside to findmasons and stone workers, and he found some, though not many, for mostmen of that class worked in the fisheries in summertime, coming back tobuilding only when the storms drove them off the seas. The Young Lovellwas minded to have that Castle put first into a state to withstand anassault and later to have it roofed and rendered fair, with the lowerpart of one of the round towers turned into a wheat-pit and another madeinto a great pit of brine, in which they could cure whole carcases ofoxen, swine and sheep, to the number of five hundred or more. So, whenhe had showed La Rougerie the weak places he had discovered the nightbefore, he took thirty of his men for the greater safety and rode untothe town of Morpeth, Here he sent for the bailiff of that town to cometo the market place and told him that his errand was very peaceable.For he desired to buy arms and bows for twenty of his men, withtwenty-five pikes and two hundred barrels of arrows and severalpack-horses, and a saker or two for the defence of Castle Cramlin andten or more pack-horses to carry all these things. So the bailiff ofthat town answered him very civilly saying that he was glad of thatlord's visit because he was akin to the Dacres and the Ogles and theBertrams and other lords that had been friends to the good town ofMorpeth. And he did what he could amongst the armourers and citizensthat had arms to sell. So, in a short time, the Young Lovell had a goodpart of what he sought. This would not have been the case so easily butfor the arms that those of Castle Lovell had sold to these veryarmourers. As it was, many of the Young Lovell's men got back arms thatthey had borne in that Castle before. Then came the armourer calledArmstrong to the Young Lovell and begged him to be his good lord andpardon him. This the Young Lovell said he would do if his crime was notvery great. So that armourer revealed to the Young Lovell that he hadthat lord's armour of state which he had bought for forty shillings, butno knight of that part would buy it of him. And he said that if theLord Lovell was his very good lord he would pay him again that fortyshillings, but, if not, he might take it and welcome. Then the YoungLovell was glad of that armourer, and said that if Armstrong would putnew straps to all places where straps should go he would pay him fiftyshillings for his honesty. So the armourer was very glad.
It was four of the afternoon before the Young Lovell came back toCramlin Castle, having nearly all that he needed of harness, pikes,bows, pack-horses and the rest, but only one hundred and twenty barrelsof arrows, three sakers and a little gunpowder, for the town of Morpethcould not supply more at that time. Still it was well enough, and therehe found that La Rougerie had brought masons and carpenters enough to dohis work roughly in a week's time, and afterwards to amend it fairly andin permanence. And, towards six, came back the monk Francis and theothers with good news of the bondsmen's submission. They drove beforethem three young oxen and over thirty sheep and lambs, and these thingswere offerings from the various hamlets of the Lady Rohtraut, togetherwith eleven hogsheads of beer and other things eatable that should comeafter. And these bondsmen promised that for six months they wouldsupply all that should be needed for the support of such men as the LordLovell should see fit to leave in that Castle, the price being left inaccount between that lord and them, and the men-at-arms to be ready todefend them against raiders if any should come.
So the Young Lovell began to be of better spirits for, with all thesepreparations for warfare, he had thought less of the lady of the doves.And the monk Francis encouraged him in this, though once or twice hesighed. But when the Young Lovell asked him why this was, he said itwas because of his cousin that he had slain. One thing that had givenheart to the Young Lovell was this, that amongst the arms that had comefrom Castle Lovell unto the hands of the Morpeth armourers was a fairlance and rolled round it a small fine banner of silk with the arms ofLovell upon it. Now, the Lord Lovell, because of his estate in thoseparts, had the right to ride across the lands of the Bishop of Durhamwith his banner displayed, and he would have ridden to that city veryunwillingly without it.
So, after taking counsel together, they decided that they would lie downand sleep at six and, rising at twelve, should ride to Durham so as tocome there at the dawn. The Young Lovell would take with him twentyspears and the esquire Cressingham to bear the banner, who was a fineman of thirty with good armour of his own. And the twenty spears shouldbe all fine men on the best horses that they had. So they should make afair show when they rode into the city of Durham; and, the more to thatend, the Young Lovell took with him his armour of state upon a packhorse, that he might put it on when he was a mile or so away from thebridge.
The remaining five and forty men with the esquire La Rougerie, who was aman to be trusted, should remain to hold Castle Cramlin for the YoungLovell and to aid in the buildings that should go forward there. Inthat way the Young Lovell rode out from a Castle of his own.
And, in that way too, he came before the Lady Margaret and hisgrandmother, the Princess Rohtraut, as well as Sir Bertram of Lyonesse,in his armour of state. He seemed to survey them for a space throughthe opening of his helmet. This he had kept closed in riding throughthe city for fear any friend of the Knights of Cullerford andHaltwhistle should by chance be in those streets and aim an arrow at himfrom a window or from behind a buttress. Then he pushed up the visor.
Stern he always looked when his face was framed in iron, but so stern ashe looked that day the Lady Margaret considered that she had never seenhim. He had broad, level eyebrows of brown, a pointed nose, firm lipsand a determined chin. The Lady Margaret knew that he had a pleasantsmile but he showed none of it then, and he paid no attention either toher or to the Cornish knight. His grandmother regarded him with a keen,hostile glance, and with his eyes set upon hers he advanced grimlytowards her. His short dagger was girt around him, but he had no sword.So, in that shining harness, he knelt before that old lady on the secondstep. He lifted up his hands and said:
"Madam, Princess and my Granddam, to whom I owe great honour...."
"That is a good beginning, by Our Lady," the Princess said.
"I would not so soon have come to you," he continued in firm tones, "butthat you sent me your commands."
"Well, this grows better and better," the old woman said.
"It is neither out of lack of duty, nor of due awe and naturalaffection, that I had not the sooner come," the Young Lovell said.
"That passes me!" the Princess cried out. "By Our Lady, I do notunderstand that speech."
The Young Lovell who towered on high when he stood, and was tall enoughthough he knelt, appeared like a great hound, attacked by this fiercelittle woman as by a savage lap-dog.
"Madam and gentle Princess," he said slowly, "I cannot easily say what Iwould say, for no man would say it easily."
"Then you are on a fool's errand," the Princess said, "for a wise mancan say most things." She considered him for a moment and then saidjeeringly: "If you had business in the town, stiff grandson of mine, sayyou had business: if you were gone after wenches, lie about it. But Icare very little. I sent for you to have your news; so leave thecomplimenting and give me that."
"Madam and gentle Princess," he began again, though the old lady gruntedand mumbled. "I did not come before because I sought assoilment."
"What is assoilment?" she asked.
He answered briefly:
"Pardon for sin, witting and unwitting."
"Well, get on," she said impatiently.
"Lacking that assoilment," he said, "I did not know if I were a fitknight to come into your presence."
"Why, I am an old horse," she said, "and not to be frig
htened by a dabof pitch. If you never showed yourself but after confession you mightlive in a cave, or so it was in my time."
"Then," said he, "know this. I came to my Castle and they shot upon me.So I have gathered together certain of my men and have taken my mother'sCastle of Cramlin and hold it. So that is my news. And when I have thepardon of the Bishop and have paid forfeit, or what it is, I will getmore of my men. For my standard is set up in Castle Cramlin and my mencome to it from here and there. So in a fortnight or less I will retakemy Castle; and I shall hang my brothers-in-law, send my half-brotheracross the sea, and put my sisters into nunneries. These are myprojects."
"Body of God!" the old lady said. "By the Body of God!"
Then the Cornish knight moved round and stood beside the Princess andspoke to the Young Lovell.
"Ah, gentle lord," he said, "may I ask you a fair question?"
"By God's wounds," the Young Lovell said, "you shall ask me none. Whobe you?"
"A poor knight," Sir Bertram answered, "but the commissioner of the mostdread King Henry!"
"Then you are a friend of the false Percy," the Young Lovell said. "Getyou gone. You are no friend to me."
And at that the old Princess cried out:
"Body of God! You have taken Castle Cramlin? Then without doubt youhave taken Plessey House and Killingworth?"
"Madam and gentle Princess," the Young Lovell said, "I have taken andhold them for my mother. And so I will do for all my mother's landswhether round Morpeth or elsewhere."
"Then I have no more to say," the old Princess said. "Get you gone."The Young Lovell remained nevertheless kneeling for a space.
"Madam," he said, "it comes to me now that ye have a lawsuit with mymother for certain of those lands."
"Aye, and I will have them," she said. "It is not you nor any stiffpopinjay shall hold them from me." She leaned out from her chair andcried these words into his face, her own being purple and her eyesbloodshot. So he crossed himself with his hand of bright steel.
"Madam," he said, "I cannot talk of lawsuits. They have done me too muchwrong."
"But I will talk of lawsuits," she said. "By God, I will take a scoreof my fellows and drive your rats from my Castle of Cramlin!"
"Madam and gentle Princess," he answered, "you could not do it with tenscore nor yet twenty. For I have there forty of the best fighting menof this North country; and in two days I think I shall have six score.How the rights of this lawsuit may be I do not know. But my mother'snecessity is great. She has languished for a quarter year in prisonduring which time you have done nothing for her. When the lands fall tome upon my mother's death you and the Dacres may have them again. Thatis all that I know. And so I pray our gentle Saviour to have you in Hiskeeping; and so I get me gone."
All this while the Lady Margaret had sat motionless, gazing upon hertrue love's face that never cast a glance aside at her. For it was notmanners that she should speak before that old lady. But when he was onhis feet and near the door, she ran down from that throne-step, and herrich robes and her great veil ran out behind her. The Cornish knightwas already in the stairway, and the Lady Margaret came to it before theYoung Lovell, for he walked slowly on account of the weight of hisarmour. So in the stairway she came before him and held up her hands tohis steel chest:
"Ah, gentle lord," she said, "will you speak no word with me?" And, inhaving said so much, because she had spoken before he had, she had saidtoo much for manners, and she hung her head and trembled, for she was avery proud woman.
He looked at her with stern and affrighting eyes.
"Ah, gentle lady," he said, "you are plighted to my false brother."
"No! No!" she said, "not with my will. Would you believe I am in atale against you, with your false sisters?"
He raised his voice till it was like the harsh bark of the male seal;his eyes glowed with hatred.
"Gentle lady," he cried out, "ye should have known!"
The sight of this lady had been to him a sudden weariness, like thesound of a story heard over and over again. And hot anger and hatredhad risen violently in his heart when she spoke.
But then he perceived her anguished face, the corners of the proud lipsdrawn down and the features pale like alabaster. And he remembered thatall things, to pursue a fair course, must go on as they before wouldhave gone--even all things to the end. So that, although his heart wasweary for the lady of the doves and sparrows, he said:
"Ah, gentle lady, I believe you. I remember me. My false brother wasinside these pot-lids. You could do no otherwise. All these thingsshall be set in order. We will sue to the Pope. So it shall be." Hecould not easily find words; that was very difficult speaking for him;for still this lady was wearisome beyond endurance to him, because ofthe lady of the doves and sparrows. But he would not let her see this,for he knew she was a loyal and dutiful friend to him, and he must takeher to wife when he had his Castle again and the dispensation of ourFather that is in Rome. And indeed she fell upon her knees before himthere in the stairway:
"Gentle lord, my master and my love," she said, "I smote your falsebrother on the mouth in that day. And all my lands are yours and mytowers of Glororem and on Wearside; and all my red gold and all myjewels of price. And all my men-at-arms are yours, to the number ofeight score, and two esquires; and all my bondsmen that can bear bows,and my rough pikemen...."
He stepped back stiffly in his arms, so that he was nearly within hisgrandmother's chamber again. And this he did that he might avoid hertouch. And he said "No! No!" That he said because it seemed horribleto him to have her aid in the retaking of his Castle. But, before shewas done speaking with her deep and full voice, he knew that thesethings too must be.
Therefore he advanced upon her courteously, and stretched out his handsin steel and raised her up.
"Ah, gentle lady," he said, "all these things shall be, and I thank you.And peaceful times shall, God willing, repay these troublous ones."
She looked upon him a little strangely; but she held her cheek to him.
"Ah, gentle lady," he said, "I may not kiss you. For, as I stand beforeyou, I am a man under a ban, so I think I may not do it until my lordthe Prince Bishop shall have assoiled me and taken cognisance of my pleato Rome against my false brother."
She wished to have said: "Ah, what reck I of that!" and so to have takenhim in her arms, steel and all. But that she might not do for fear ofher manners. For she had been well schooled, and, whereas, she mightwell, if she would, give him her towers and lands and men and bondsmen,still she could not go against the ban of the Church; for the ladies ofher house of Eure were very proud ladies. Neither, for pride, though thetears were wet upon her cheeks, would she ask him what ban it was thathe lay under.
So, seeing those her tears, he said as gently as he could--for when thehead of the axe is thrown the helve may as well go with it:
"Ah, gentle lady, be of very good cheer! For I am assured of assoilmentby such a very good churchman that I know no better. And, that oncehad, shall we not make merry as in the old time? Aye, surely, for if youwill, I will well. And so, that it may be the sooner done, I will go tothat good prince." Yet, as he said these words, he sighed. Then headded: "In a little while, gentle lady and my true love, I will comeback to you."
So she stood back in the stairway to let him pass; but it was piteouslythat she looked after him. For she had never seen him so earnest and sosober. He seemed the older by twenty years, and never had his foot beenso heavy on the stairs; it was like the beating of a heart of lead.
Now when the Young Lovell came to the stair-foot where there was asquare space, there there was standing the Knight Bertram of Lyonesse.And so he stood before the Young Lovell that that lord could not passhim or get to the street. And hot rage was already in that lording'sheart, for never had he talked so painfully as he had done to that LadyMargaret, and it seemed as if his breast must burst its armour. Up tohim stepped that Cornish knight and spoke in gentle tones,
bending hisparticoloured leg courteously, in the then fashion of London town.
"Gentle lording," he said, "you called me even now the friend of HenryPercy, Earl of Northumberland. Let me say presently that by my office Istand above that lord, though far below him in my person. So I am nofriend of his, though not his foe."
The Young Lovell held his brows down and gazed upon this man beneaththem, breathing heavily in his chest.
"Go on," he said.
"Then I will tell you this," the Cornish knight went on. "I have heardyou twice say ye were beneath a ban. Now that may well be and I thinkit is along of a White Lady."
The Young Lovell loosened his dagger within its sheath.
"My silken knight," he said, "ye were never so near your death."
"Gentle lording," that knight answered, "if I die another will take myplace and no one will lament me. But it is my function and devoir totalk and so I take it." He paused for a moment, and then he went on:"God forbid that I should say word against Holy Church; I am not onethat does it. Yet I will say this: If Holy Church will not raise theban from you, yet I, Sir Bertram of Lyonesse, who have some skill atinquiries, will so put this matter to the King and dread lord that,without more words said, that judgment of the Warden's Court against youshall be revised, and if those false Knights shall withhold your Castlefrom you you shall have instant licence to take it again and do justiceupon them as you will. And the fines due of you under that judgmentshall be remitted to you. For I acknowledge that therein the Percy hathoverstepped himself; for firstly he can give no judgment and foul nobill upon a suit of sorcery. And secondly, I am convinced that here wasno sorcery. For, touching that White Lady...."
"Sir Knight," the Young Lovell said, "I bid you stand aside from thatdoor and see a thing...." Then Sir Bertram stepped down into theroadway.
The Young Lovell took out his dagger and raised it above his shoulder.It was of the length of his forearm. The door that stood against thewall, being open, was of thick oak, studded with large bosses of iron.The Young Lovell brought forward that dagger over his head and it sankinto that door up to the hilt, and sank in and passed through the door,and so into the mortar between two stories and the door was nailedthere.
"Sir," the Young Lovell said, "seek to withdraw that dagger."
"Nay, that I cannot do," Sir Bertram said.
"Neither can I nor any man," the Young Lovell said. "And I am glad ofit. For if you had spoken more upon that theme, that dagger should havegone through your throat. And this I tell you: there is no knight inall the North parts that could have done that, and I think none in allChristendom. How it may be in Heathenesse I do not know, for I hearthat the Soldan has some very good knights. And that I did to show youthat I am no braggart if you will hear me further."
"Very willingly will I hear you further, ah, gentle lording," theCornish knight answered, and again he bent his knee where he stood inthe street.
"Then," the Young Lovell said, "it is because I can do such deeds asthat you have seen that all the men of the North parts will willinglyfollow me upon any journey. So it would be well if the Percy let me be.For--an he will not I will come to Alnwick and to Warkworth with twicefour thousand men for this Percy is little beloved. And so, withscaling hooks and hurdles and faggots and the rest I will smoke him outof Northumberland and hang him upon the first tree in this CountyPalatine. And that you may tell your King."
"Ah, gentle lording," Sir Bertram said, "I tell you that judgment isalready reversed."
"Of that I know nothing," the Young Lovell said. "But so it is as I havetold you. If your King will dwell at peace with us of the North partshe may for me, and I ask nothing better. And so much more I will say,that he has good servants; for no man ever went nearer his death thanyou when you spoke to me now. And I think you know it well, yet yougave no ground and spoke on. I do not like your kind, for I have seensome of them about the courts of princes, here and elsewhere and you arethe caterpillars upon the silken tree of chivalry that shall yet destroyit. Yet that was as brave a feat as ever I saw, and your King is happyif he have more such as you."