CHAPTER XVI.
_BACK AT OXFORD._
The narrow streets of Oxford, the crowds of clerks and scholars, thegrey old walls and the frowning Castle--all looked wonderfully unchangedas Leofric, after hard upon a year's absence, returned to his _AlmaMater_.
He had seen something of the world during this time of absence. He hadhad a glimpse of warfare under the auspices of the young De Montfortsand Prince Edward in Wales. His ideas upon the political situation hadconsiderably enlarged. He had also earned a very fair sum of money,sufficient to enable him to cover all expenses of tuition for aconsiderable time to come. The breviary he had transcribed for theDemoiselle had brought him a liberal reward; he had also receivedremuneration for his readings with the Countess and her daughter.
Leofric had spent the greater part of the winter at Kenilworth Castle,after having been into Wales with the Prince. The King's son had taken astrong liking to Leofric after the incident of the boar-hunt, and theyoung student had been glad to accompany him into Wales, to gain newexperience in that strange, semi-barbarous land. Amalric had been one ofthe party, as well as his brother Guy; and having been wounded in afray, he was put in charge of Leofric and sent back to Kenilworth, wherethe two had remained together during the winter months.
It had been a very happy season for those within the walls of the greatfortress. The Earl and his sons were away in France again; but theCountess and her daughter remained in England as usual, and Alys deKynaston had been persuaded to remain and be the companion of theDemoiselle, who had formed so strong an attachment for her.
In addition to this, at the instance of the imperious little lady,Edmund had made by slow stages the journey to Kenilworth, and had beenone of the party. The change had been beneficial to him, and upon thereturn journey he had been able to ride the whole way without trouble orpain. They had journeyed by easy stages, and reached Oxford safely andwithout adventure.
It was a very different arrival from that which Leofric could wellrecall when as a poor lad, with his way in life to make, he had enteredthe city, scarce knowing where he could find shelter or how he couldmaintain himself.
Now he had many friends, some of them the highest in the land; he hadwon a certain modest renown by his scholarship, and had small fear offailing to attract pupils to his lectures when he should commence them.The Master under whom he had studied rhetoric and logic had invited himto teach in his school; and as he would still have his own lectures andstudies to prosecute with diligence, if he were to go on to the degreeof Master, upon which his mind was set, he would have his time andthoughts pretty well filled, and require more than ever some quiet placeof study.
His thoughts turned lovingly towards that little spot where he and JackDugdale had made a home so long. Would Jack be there still? What had hedone with himself all these months? Naturally he had heard nothing fromhis friend during his absence; but he hastened his steps eagerly as heapproached the Smith Gate, and was rewarded by hearing a regular whoopof joy as Jack suddenly dashed out to meet him and fell on his neck in arapture of greeting.
"I have been on the watch for thee all day, good comrade. It was told tome that Edmund of the Castle and Mistress Alys had returned, andmethought it like that thou hadst come with them, since they said therewere others in the company. How good it is to see thy face again! Butthou hast come to be so great a man now thou wilt never deign to dwellagain in our humble little chamber with poor Jack."
"Nay, but I have been longing to see again thy face, good Jack, and thelittle turret chamber where so many happy hours have been passed. I haveno wish to lodge in any other place. Let us go thither, and talk of allthat has chanced since we parted. Art thou a bachelor thyself by thistime? Thou shouldest have determined this late-past Lent!"
Jack made a wry face. Study was pleasant to him up to a certain point,but he lacked the courage to present himself for the ordeal ofResponsions and Determinations. He was ready enough to learn, but shrankfrom the thought of becoming in any sort a teacher; and, moreover, inthe absence of Leofric he had been taking something of a holidayhimself, and the woods and streams had of late seen more of him than theschools and lecture-rooms.
"I could not travel away like thee, Leofric," he said, apologetically,"but methought a holiday would be no such bad thing. What says the wiseold adage? All work and no play makes Jack a dullard."
Leofric had no mind to chide his friend and comrade, albeit he thoughtit would have been wiser had Jack postponed his holiday till he hadpassed the ordeal of Determinations.
"Now that thou art back, I will study might and main, and next year willdispute with thee, good friend, so that men shall flock to hear us;" andJack laughed aloud in the happiness of his heart, knowing that many longmonths had to pass by ere he would be called upon to stand up andmaintain a thesis or proposition in the teeth of his opponent'sarguments, and in the hearing of all who chose to come and listen. Hehad listened with admiration and delight to Leofric when he had won hisacademic spurs (if the term can be permitted), and so delighted was heat his friend's prowess in argument, that he had many times dashed outinto the streets to invite the passers-by to come in and hear thecandidate for bachelorhood holding his own so gallantly and brilliantly.
Jack's loving admiration was very sweet to Leofric, who felt he had inhim a true brother. This fraternal welcome was further displayed in thesimple preparations made for his return--the fresh rushes upon thefloor, the brightening up of the familiar chamber, the simple luxuriesset out upon the little table, and the flowers filling the empty hearth.
Leofric looked round with brightening eyes, delighted to find himselfonce more in this home-like place. Tiny indeed did it appear after thespacious apartments of Kenilworth; and yet it had the charm of being hisown--here he was no guest, no hireling, but a joint-owner of theprimitive abode. Here he could keep his few precious books, study inquietness, and be secure from interruption.
"Ah, it is good to be at home once more; I want no better home thanthis!" he cried. "And now, whilst we set to upon this excellent dinner,tell me all that has betided in Oxford since I left. How goes it withall our friends--and foes? Has aught been heard of Tito Balzani or Rogerde Horn? And has Hugh been molested in any wise by them? But, indeed,that was a matter almost forgotten before I left the place."
"Yes; I trow the fugitives might now return, and nothing would be doneto them. Men quickly forget such matters, new stirs and quarrels evercropping up that require adjusting. But I have seen naught of the men,and Hugh has likewise been away for a time with his father. But he isback now, and is studying hard, for he would become a Master in Arts erehe quits Oxford, and he thinks his father desires his presence at homeere long."
"And Gilbert?"
"Oh, Gilbert is a bachelor, and he is betrothed to Joanna, the Seatonmaid. His father came to see the damsel, and was pleased at his son'schoice. Master Seaton will give her a dowry, and they will be wed anon,and go and live in the seaport of Southampton, where Merchant Barbeck'sbusiness lies. He thinks his son has now wellnigh scholarship enow, andthat he had better soon begin to learn the secrets of the merchant'strade. So we shall lose one of our comrades."
Before the pair had finished telling and hearing the news of the place,there was the sound of a hasty footfall on the stair, the door was burstopen, and Hugh le Barbier strode in, grasping Leofric by the hands, andembracing him with all the delight of a brother.
"I heard at the Castle that thou hadst returned!" he cried, "andmethought I should find thee here, back in the old place. And so thouhast been the friend of nobles and princes, and the guest of thegreatest man in this kingdom! Well, thou dost merit all the good thatcomes thy way; for thou art a good and godly youth, and right glad shallwe all be to welcome thee back."
Hugh looked a very fine specimen of youthful manhood. He had been movingabout with his father from time to time during the past years, and hisstudies had been somewhat interrupted. Still he had made excellentprogress even in these, and was regarded as a very promi
sing youth, whocould wield sword and pen alike with dexterity and force.
"Let us upon the river," he cried, when the first greetings and exchangeof news had died down; "I have much that I would say, and what betterplace for talk than the silent reaches of the upper river?--Bring thyrod and net, good Jack, and thou shalt fill thy creel with fish forsupper. I have seen wondrous fine trout in the stream above. Come, and Iwill show thee the best of pools."
Jack was known as a skilful and ardent fisherman, and was alwaysperfectly happy when engaged in his favourite pastime. The light boatwhich he and Leofric had fashioned long ago was often in demand by theircomrades and friends. Hugh had of late borrowed it oft for many hours,and he had lately contrived a small sail by means of which he could flythrough the water at a greatly increased speed.
To-day, after they had left Jack, abundantly happy amid the sedges whichlined a most promising-looking pool, Hugh hoisted sail, and soon thelittle boat was slipping rapidly along against the sluggish current ofthe river, the low-lying banks on either side gliding past them, and thewild fowl rising at their approach, and skimming away with short, harshcries.
"Leofric," said Hugh, after they had navigated several reed-grownreaches, and were now in more open water, "hast thou ever visited thePriory and little hamlet of Eynsham?"
"No," answered Leofric; "the way is something long for oars--a matter ofseven good miles at least. Sometimes we have gone forth with the resolveto push there, but some tempting reach or shallow has always caughtJack's eye, and we have halted. Why dost thou ask?"
"Because that is our destination to-day. Leofric, dost thou rememberLinda Balzani?"
"Ay, verily I do," answered Leofric quickly; "but methought thou hadstlearned to forget her."
"I tried to do so," answered Hugh, a flush mantling his bronzed cheek."After that terrible time of which I scarce cared to think for many along month, I told myself that it were better, both for her and for me,that we should see each other no more. She had suffered nothing buttrouble and pain from my love; and now that she had found a safe asylumin some peaceful spot, I vowed that I would leave her alone, and let herforget. They said that the memory of that time seemed to be blotted fromher mind; and if that were so, it were better she should forget."
"Perchance so," answered Leofric thoughtfully: "she is scarce thineequal, for thou wilt surely rise to be a gallant knight ere many yearshave passed, and she is but a city burgher's daughter, albeit a veryfair maiden."
The flush in Hugh's face deepened a little; he spoke in a strange voice.
"Is an angel from the heavens the equal of any sinful son of thisearth? If I am to wait till I can claim equality with Linda, I shall goto my grave unwed."
Leofric looked at him with surprise.
"Then thou hast seen her again?"
"Yes, truly I have. I have avoided the house of the Balzanis for many ayear, thinking it better not to revive associations which must bepainful. But I have heard men speak of Lotta--the beautiful, daringLotta. Many there be who would serve for her, even as Jacob for Rachel;but it seems that she will none of them. Hearing always of Lotta andnever of Linda made me question within myself whether that maid haddied. I asked, and found that she had never returned to Oxford, butremained with her aunt at Eynsham, having grown to be as a daughter toher. I scarce know what it was that first awakened within me the desireto look upon her face once more, but once awakened the wish would notsleep, and at last I accomplished my purpose."
"Thou hast seen her again?"
"Yes, verily; not once, but many times. Leofric, I am taking thee withme to-day, that thou mayest see her too; for if ever the foot of angeltrod the paths of men, that angel being is the lovely Linda of myboyhood's and manhood's love."
Leofric was greatly surprised, having believed, with all the rest of hiscomrades, that the youthful infatuation of Hugh le Barbier for LindaBalzani had quite passed away.
Her name had not crossed his lips, so far as any knew, since theexcitement following upon his rescue from the Magician's Tower had dieddown. The whole episode seemed to have come utterly to an end, and thosewho knew Hugh's circumstances thought it well, as he was of the stuffwhich might cause him to rise in the world.
The boat was riding at a fair rate of speed through the water, and thePriory walls of Eynsham gradually loomed in sight. It was a quaint,lonely, old-world spot, this little community lying hidden in thewinding valley, far away from any other abode of man. There was a charmin the low-lying meadows, in the grand old trees, in the herds of deerthat came down from the forest to drink at the river. Fish and wild fowlabounded in these solitudes, and the appearance of a white-sailed boatwrought astonishment and commotion amongst them. It was a place wherelife might well be dreamed away in pious meditation and contemplation.It was an ideal spot for a monastery; but Leofric had come to feel oflate that more was desired of man than mere contemplation andmeditation--more even than mere study and the acquiring or propagatingknowledge. The life of the cloister had never greatly attracted him; nowhe felt that it would be nothing better than death in life.
A little winding backwater opened before them at this point, and Hugh,furling the sail, took up the oars and rowed quietly into the dim,narrow place. As he did this he uttered a low, sweet whistling call, notunlike that of some bird; and very soon Leofric became aware of afluttering of white drapery, and a low, soft voice spoke out of thefringe of alder bushes,--
"Beloved, is that thou?"
The next minute Hugh had driven his boat up against a fallen willow thatlay athwart the stream, barring further progress, and leaving it toLeofric, had sprung ashore, and had taken in his arms the slim form inthe white robe that had come to the margin of the stream to meet him.
Leofric busied himself with the boat for a few moments, and only turnedhis head when his name was spoken.
Then indeed he saw before him the remembered face of Linda Balzani, butso etherealized and beautified that he could not wonder at the way inwhich Hugh had spoken of her. The deep, dark eyes shone like stars, thedusky hair waved round the small and well-shaped head like the aureoleround the head of painted saint; and so pure was the expression upon thelovely chiselled features, so sweet the lines of the exquisite mouth, sograceful and sylph-like the slim figure, that Leofric gazed with wonderand admiration. It was Linda who spoke first.
"Thou art Leofric; I remember thee right well. I have heard from Hugh ofthy prowess and success. Thou art welcome, as any friend of his must be;but thou art doubly welcome as being beloved by him."
She would have led them to her aunt's house and refreshed them; for Hughwas courting in no clandestine fashion, but had won the esteem andaffection of Bridget Marlow and her husband. Linda was now their childby adoption, and they were responsible for her future. If Hugh were notashamed to wed with a simple burgher maiden, they would not say him nay.They were simple-minded folks, and Hugh made light of his ownprospects. So far he was nothing but the son of an esquire, and ascholar and bachelor of Oxford. Linda was his one and only love, andthat she was his in heart and in soul all who saw them together couldnot fail to recognize fully.
But to-day Hugh would not come in. They had not much time, and he spentthe precious moments with Linda beside the rippling water, Leofricremaining in the boat and idly observing the objects about him. His eyewas caught by the grey habit of a monk, who was seated amid the alderswith a rod in his hand. Leofric observed that he seemed little engrossedby his fishing, and certainly caught nothing. Perhaps he was engaged inmeditation or the telling of his beads. At any rate he sat wonderfullystill and quiet; indeed he never moved at all until Hugh and Lindawandered away a little farther from his secluded nook, whereupon, to thesurprise of Leofric, the cowled figure rose up and crept stealthilyafter them.
True, it might be the way back to the Priory, and surely a cloisteredmonk could have no interest in the lovers' raptures of a youth and maid;but Leofric noted and rather wondered at the action, though he forgot itagain when Hugh returned, and they set to wo
rk to row down stream withlong, sweeping strokes.
It was indeed several days later before he thought of the matter again,and then the incident was recalled by a remark made by Hugh as they werepacing the familiar streets together after morning lecture.
"Leofric, I have a curious and perhaps foolish fancy that I am watchedand followed. It must be the merest fantasy, and yet I cannot rid myselfof it."
"Has it been long so with thee?" asked Leofric quickly.
"Not very long--so far as my suspicion goes. But how or when itcommenced I cannot tell; nor would I say with certainty that the thingis not now the fruit of a disordered fancy. But I cannot rid myself ofit."
"What form does the following take?"
"I have a fancy that a certain grey-cowled monk is often near at handwatching where I go and what I do. There be so many of these monks andfriars in the streets of Oxford, that I sometimes laugh at myself forthe thought; and yet methinks there is one--tall, and slim, andactive--who is more often in the same street with me than chance canquite answer for. Thou dost start, Leofric; what means that?"
"Only this, that as thou didst wander with Linda by the backwater atEynsham that day when I was with thee, a grey-cowled monk was sittingbeside the stream; and when ye twain moved a little off, he also movedand seemed to follow, though I lost sight of him in the bushes almost atonce."
Hugh looked rather perplexed.
"And there is another whom I seem always to be meeting--a powerfulfellow in the habit of a clerk, but with a bearded face, and a scaracross his cheek which perhaps gives to him an evil aspect. Often when Iturn suddenly round in the street I see him behind me, but whetherthere be anything beyond and behind I cannot tell. At first I heeded itlittle, but there are moments when I grow uneasy. Last time that I andLinda exchanged vows of love, some evil power threatened us, and seemedlike to separate us altogether. Is it that, thinkest thou, that makes mefear, and puts fancies in my head for which there is no warrant?"
"I know not," answered Leofric; "but I would have thee be watchful andprudent. It is ill work stirring up strife and jealousy. If Roger deHorn were in the city, I should fear for thee. He was always thy bitterfoe, and they say that he was very greatly bent on having Linda for hiswife."
"Roger de Horn," spoke Hugh thoughtfully; "could it by chance be he?Methought once there was something familiar in the gleam of the eyes ofthat bearded fellow, but the scar has changed him if indeed it be so. Idid not recognize him. He seldom meets me face to face. Perchance thatis the reason;" and then Hugh's face became clouded with anxiety, and hesaid between his teeth,--
"If indeed that wild hawk has flown back thither, it behoves me to warnand watch over my tender dove. If hurt should come again to her throughme, I should never forgive myself."
Leofric's suspicions were aroused, and he kept his eyes and ears open.He took counsel with his kind friend the Franciscan friar BrotherAngelus, who had a warm welcome for him on his return; and he madeinquiries amongst the other brothers, and amongst those whom he visitedand tended. But none had heard a word of Roger de Horn since hisdisappearance after the discovery of Hugh's imprisonment in theMagician's Tower. Men were of opinion that he would hardly venture backinto the city, in case he should be called upon to answer for hismisdeeds there. Brother Angelus was of opinion that Hugh had betterexercise prudence and discretion, and keep his eyes open. It wascertainly a strange coincidence that this thing should be just when heand Linda had renewed their vows of love; and yet if any other suitorhad desired the maiden's hand, why had he not come forward during theyears when Hugh had been seeking to forget his love?
That was a question which Leofric could not answer, and just now he hadmany other matters to think of which drove Hugh's affairs into thebackground of his thoughts. He took up the academic life with renewedzest and energy, and in his studies and pleasant intercourse withkindred spirits passed many happy weeks. Hugh went about free andunhurt, and gradually the fear for his friend which had assailed himonce died down into oblivion.