himself. Mistress Prothasy was sincerely desirous topleasure her husband, but she loved not boys, classing them all asuntidy and unmannerly. It had been by her wish that Elyas had hithertoabstained from taking more than two apprentices, and, as she was proudof her influence over him, she had made it a matter of boasting whentalking to gossips whose husbands were more wilful. She hated having toput up with what she now took to be their pitying smiles, and, withoutmeaning to be unjust, her feelings towards Hugh were not friendly. Itprovoked her, moreover, to have the monkey, which she both feared anddisliked, in the house, and she was constantly urging Elyas to send itaway.
But what Hugh felt sharply was Franklyn's treatment of him as of one whomust be taught the very beginning of his craft. He had learned muchfrom his father, and had been made to use his tools when he was scarcesix years old, so that in point of fact he was advanced already beyondWat, who had gone through three years' apprenticeship. But of all this,and in spite of the master's hints, Franklyn was doggedly unheeding. Heallowed the boy nothing but the roughest and simplest work. Heexplained with provoking carefulness each morning how this was to becarried out, and if, as frequently happened, the boy was inattentive, herated him sharply. The discipline might have been good, but injusticeis never wholesome, and feeling himself to be unfairly treated, Hugh setup his back more and more, took no pains to please, and moped insolitary corners.
Elyas saw that things were moving wrongly, and was vexed, but he neverwillingly interfered with Franklyn's rule, and having an easy-goinggenial nature was disposed to believe that with time and patience thingswould right themselves. He had ever a kindly word for Hugh, though notrealising how the boy clung to him as to a link with that past whichalready seemed so far away and so happy.
The weeks passed and November was well advanced. There was no lack ofholidays and feastings, which Hugh in his present mood found almost moreirksome than work. Agrippa was his chief companion, and yet hisgreatest care, as the monkey, if he took it with him, was ever likely tocall a crowd together, and perhaps get pelted, until one day Elyas,coming upon him in one of these frays, advised him to have a basket andcarry him thus, by which means he was able to take him to the cathedralitself.
Wat was not unfriendly. He was awkward and ungainly, and ever fallinginto disgrace himself, but this afflicted him scarcely at all. He had ahuge appetite, and stores of apples, nuts, and cakes, which he was readyenough to share, and could not understand that anything more was wantedfor happiness. Hugh, caring little for these joys, despised Wat'sadvances, and would not be beguiled into friendship. He was verymiserable, poor boy, and inclined to wish that he had stayed with theFranciscans in London, as Friar Luke counselled, or to long--oh, howearnestly!--that his father had suffered him to accept Sir Thomas deTrafford's offer and be brought up in the good knight's household. Asfor learning his craft, that, he said bitterly to himself, was hopeless;he was more like to forget what his father had taught, and to sink intosuch coarse work as Wat's. In fact he made up his mind to the worst,and would scarce have been contented with easier measure.
Towards the end of November a new personage came into the family, smallin size but of immense importance, Mistress Joan Gervase, aged five, whohad been for some time staying with her grandmother, and had remained solong, owing to an attack of measles, or some such childish complaint.Great preparations were made for her home coming; Mistress Prothasy hadthe rooms furbished, and made all manner of spice-cakes, and Elyas rodeoff one day in high spirits, to sleep at his mothers and to bring backhis little daughter on the morrow.
It was a bad day for Hugh. He was sick of his work, and, instead ofsetting himself to do it as well as he could, all went the other way;careless chippings brought down Franklyn's wrath upon him; he would takeno pains, idled and played with Agrippa, and was altogetherunsatisfactory. Franklyn had good reason for anger, though rather tooready to jump at it, and he was rating the boy loudly when MistressProthasy came into the yard to deliver some message with which she wascharged from her husband.
It was an expressed wish of his that she should never interfere with theconduct of the prentices at their work. Indoors she might say what sheliked, and nothing displeased him more than a sign of disrespect ontheir part, but in the yard it was understood that she was silent.Nevertheless, on this occasion she asked Franklyn what Hugh had done,and hearing that Agrippa was in the matter burst out with her owngrievances.
"The hateful little beast, I would he were strangled! I am frighted outof my life to think of what he may do to Joan! But I will not bear it.Hark ye, Hugh, thou wilt have to dispose of him. I have threatened itbefore, and now I mean it, and I shall tell thy master that it makesthee idle over thy work. He or I go out of the house!"
She swept away, leaving Hugh in a whirlwind of grief, bewilderment, andanger. Part with Agrippa, his one friend? Never! And yet--he knewfrom experience, and the men often spoke of it--Master Gervase nevergainsaid his wife. He dashed down his tools, caught Agrippa in hisarms, and faced Franklyn in a fury.
"You have done nothing but spite me, and I hate you!" he cried. "Youmay kill me if you like, but I will never part with my monkey!"
In his heart of hearts Franklyn was sorry that things had gone so far,but such rebellion could not be overlooked, and he fetched Hugh a soundbuffet which made him tingle all over, told him the master should hearof it, and that he should have no supper but bread and water. Hughsullenly picked up his chisel and went on with his work, paying no heedto Wat's uncouth attempts at comfort. Work was to be put away somehours earlier than usual, and a feast provided for supper in honour ofMistress Joan's return; but Hugh would go no farther than the balconywhich ran outside the prentices' room, supported by wooden posts, andhere he crouched in a corner, hugging Agrippa, weeping hot tears of rageand turning over in his mind possible means of escape.
He had heard tales of prentices running away from harsh masters,although he had an idea that dreadful penalties were due for such anoffence; but he thought he might manage to avoid being re-taken, andcared not what risks he ran. Where should he go? If he could get toDartmouth someone might keep him till Andrew the shipman came again andtook him back to London, and the boundless hope of childhood made thewild plan seem possible as soon as it came into his mind. He had theking's gold noble sewn into his clothes, and though he never intended tospend it, the feeling that it was about him gave him a sensation ofriches. He had received his first month's pay, as apprentice; thisamounted, it is true, to no more than threepence, but Elyas had givenhim two groats from his father's store, and he hoped that people wouldbe willing to pay something when he had got far enough to let the monkeydisplay his tricks without fear of detection.
All these plans he made hastily, for the more he thought over the matterthe more determined he was to run away at once. He must slip out of thegates before sunset, and while Elyas was absent; there would be so muchexcitement in the house with Joan's return that he would not be misseduntil it was too late to follow him. Wat had gone off to see some menin the pillory; Hugh hastily rolled his father's things in a bundle,slipped Agrippa into his basket, and was out of the house withoutmeeting a soul.
He could not help pausing at Broad Gate to look through it once more atthe Cathedral, but something in the beautiful building, some memories ofhis father's hopes, brought such a choking lump into his throat that heturned hastily away, hurrying down the Western Street and out at theWest Gate, and flattering himself that he had passed unnoticed by thekeeper of the gate.
From one cause or another he had not gone that way since the eveningthey entered a month ago. Here was the new stone bridge; there in itsmidst stood the fair chapel where lay the good citizen who had given thebridge to the town, a little light burning ever before the altar. Howwell Hugh remembered touching his father's arm to show it to him, andhow he got no sign in return, and was frightened. And then but a minuteor two later Master Gervase had come to their help like a goodSamaritan, and he no longer felt so lonely.
br /> It was an inconvenient recollection, because he could not help recallingwith a rush how thankful his father had seemed when he came to himself,and knew in whose house they were. Also with what earnestness he hadprayed Master Gervase to take Hugh, telling him that he was a good boyand would be a credit to him.
"But father never knew!" cried Hugh, stifling uneasy thoughts; "he neverthought I should be set to fool's work, and flouted at, and Agrippataken away."
He pushed on with the thought. He fancied that he remembered a housesome five or six miles away, where the woman had been kind, and wouldhave had them come in and rest. This was the place where he meant tospend the night.
But travelling in November was harder work than a month earlier. Theroad soon became a quagmire, lain began to fall, darkness set in, andthere was no moon. He trudged on as bravely as he could, but he