could speak he would say there werenobler things than fame."
Was not that really what he had said, and was it not strange that sheshould repeat it? But then Joan ever had strange thoughts for her age,and Hugh's better nature came to his aid.
"In good sooth, thou art right, Joan," he said after a pause. "Whateverit cost me, I will remember that I might not be working in the Cathedralat all were it not for the master. I will put aside thought of my ownfancies, and carry his out with my might."
There was something solemn about this promise, and both felt it so, Joanlooking up admiringly into Hugh's face, and more certain than everthat--her father always excepted--there was no one like him in theworld.
Gervase gave better signs of mending after the bishop's visit, and hisspeech began slowly to clear itself, but they soon found that he wasanxious for Hugh to begin work, and that the latter might now leave himto the care of Prothasy and Joan. He made Hugh bring his design to hisside, and evidently wished him to go through it there and to show thathe fully understood it. It was a conventional design, mixed withfoliage, long, slender, and sharply cut, not unlike the lower leaves ofthe shepherd's purse greatly magnified, and depending for its beautyupon certain strongly marked curves. It had never seemed to Hugh quiteequal to the master's other designs.
There was much wonder and some jealousy of Hugh when Gervase's choicebecame known; but also general satisfaction, there being muchcompetition in the matter, and no one being willing to give up his ownchance of distinguishing himself by producing and carrying out a designwhich should surpass all the others. No one, that is to say, but Wat.He had the lowest opinion of his own powers, and thought it sheer follyto have been chosen for such a task, and he would very gladly have madeover his pillar to Hugh, and faithfully carried out the master'sdrawings. As, however, this was impossible, he set himself toperpetuate Spot, and at the same time to keep a watchful eye upon Roger.
Roger was the best pleased of all, for, since Hugh could no longer usehis own design, it was pretty sure that no one would interfere with him.He was a first-rate workman, only wanting in imagination and invention;he had no fear but that now he had provided himself with the design, hiscorbel would hold its own with, perhaps surpass, all others. He evenmanaged to smooth certain ruffles in his conscience by assuring it thatsince Hugh could not have undertaken any independent labour, no harm wasdone to him; ivy had always been in his mind, and he had but assistedhis fancy by a means which had fallen in his way.
Nevertheless, it was remarkable that he took the utmost pains to preventWat from getting a sight of his work. The carvings were always coveredwhen left for the night, and there was a sort of tacit understandingthat no one need openly display his work, although often one calledanother to give advice upon some doubtful point. But Roger used unusualprecautions to arrange his materials and himself as he worked, so ascompletely to hide the carving from view. Wat pondered long upon this,and at last, coming home with Hugh one evening, he asked--
"The design which Roger filched, is it yet in thy head?"
"Ay," briefly answered Hugh.
"Draw it out then again."
"Where is the use? I shall never have the chance of using it, and if Ihad, I could not now when that false loon has had all this time to pushon with his."
"Still--do as I bid thee," returned Wat obstinately.
Nor would he rest until he had the design safely in his keeping. Thenhe carried it to Prothasy.
"Prithee, goodwife, hast thou any place where thou canst bestow thissafely?"
"What for?"
"It is Hugh's design for the corbel which he was to have carved: one hedid before, and has never seen since the day the master was taken ill."
"There are places in the yard without lumbering the house."
"Ay, mistress, but I would have thee keep it where none of us, not evenHugh himself, should ever see it. He hath marked the day of the monthupon it--see."
She looked questioningly at him, then took the board without a word, andcarried it away with her, while Wat rubbed his hands and pushed back thelathes of the window to whistle to Spot, who, as usual, was baskinglazily in the sun on the opposite side of the street.
Hugh worked with all his might. His chief difficulty consisted in theextreme anxiety of bishop and chapter, who were really terror-struck atthe idea of so young a workman having so great a responsibility thrustupon him, particularly without the master being there to oversee.Constantly one or another was coming, desiring to speak with him, andurging him if he were in any doubt to seek counsel from the older men.When he answered modestly enough that he would do so if he felt heneeded help, but that at present he found no difficulty, they looked themore anxious and uncomfortable, shook their heads, and said it wasimpossible that he could have the necessary experience. All this wassufficiently depressing, but Hugh found comfort in Gervase's evidentfaith in him. He was so far recovered that his speech had come back,and a certain amount of power in the disabled arm; he could get aboutthe house and even listen to Franklyn's account of the work done; buthis supreme pleasure lay in hearing Hugh's report of his work at whatElyas ever called _his_ corbel, and his chief longing was for the timewhen he should get down and see it with his own eyes, though that daythey feared was far away.
He laughed over Hugh's description of the fears of the canons, andmanaged to see the bishop and to assure him so confidently of hisprentice's power to carry through the task entrusted to him, that BishopBitton, who had hitherto doubted whether it had not been the fancy of asick man, was completely reassured, and tried Hugh no more with adviceto seek counsel. The chaunter or precentor, however, was not to bepersuaded. He was a sour little man, who liked to be in opposition, andone day came bustling up to the foot of the ladder on which Hugh was atwork, intimating that he wished to speak to him. Hugh accordingly camedown, though not with the best grace in the world, for he knew very wellwhat he was likely to hear.
"Young lad," said the precentor, pursing his mouth and throwing out hischest, "it appears to me that this task is beyond thy years."
Hugh was silent, standing gazing down at the precentor. His face wasmuch the same as it had been when he was a child, fair and ruddy, withlight hair and honest grey eyes, which looked full in the face of thosewho talked with him. He was tall and very powerfully made; with promiseindeed, in a few years' time, of unusual strength and size.
"As it has been rashly, over-rashly to my thinking, committed to thee, Isay nothing," the precentor continued; "we must bear the risk. But thatshould not prevent precaution. I desire, therefore, that thou wilt callupon the older men to counsel thee, and correct thy mistakes. From whatI learn, thou hast done naught of this; thou art too self-satisfied, toopresumptuous, and we, forsooth, must suffer for thine overweeningconfidence. See that thou act as I desire."
Hugh did not immediately answer, perhaps finding some difficulty inkeeping back hasty words. When he did speak it was to ask a question.
"Reverend sir," he said, "who of all our guild would know best what Ican or cannot do?"
The precentor hesitated.
"Thy master--in health," he added, with emphasis on the last word.
"Before aught ailed him, he was set upon my carving a corbel."
"Ay, but not a forward one, such as this, and not without his being hereto overlook thee. This is another matter."
"It may be so, reverend sir. In good sooth, I found it hard to give upmy own work and take his, but since it pleasured him, and since he cantrust it in my hands, I must work, if I work at all, without such let orhindrance as you would put on me. You say truly that it is a greattask. I cannot carry it out fettered and cramped. If the Lord Bishopand his chapter hold that I have forfeited the trust they committed tome, I would humbly pray to be allowed to resign it. If it is left in myhands, then I must be as the other men, free to work undisturbed."
Hugh spoke with great modesty, yet so firmly as to amaze the littleprecentor, who had thought he might meet with a boy'
s petulance, whichhe was determined to put down. He would have liked to take Hugh at hisword and dismiss him, but this he could not venture to do, since thebishop, though he had had his fears, thought highly of the lad's genius,and would have strongly resented any such high-handed act. He foundhimself in a position for which he was quite unprepared, obliged towithdraw his commands, but he was not the man to do this frankly orfully.
"Thou art a malapert springald to bandy words with me," he said angrily."Thou, a mere prentice, to put thyself on a level with other men! Thiscomes of being cockered and made much of, out of thy fit place. But Ishall speak with the bishop, and I wot we shall see whether thineinsolence is to go unchastised."
He spoke loud enough for some of the other men to hear, and marched off,leaving Hugh very