men of iron-第13章

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I　face　three　strong　men　than　one　young　damsel。〃

Whereupon　Gascoyne　burst　out　laughing。　〃Marry！〃　quoth　he；　〃they　be　no　such　terrible　things；　but　gentle　and　pleasant　spoken；　and　soft　and　smooth　as　any　cat。〃

〃No　matter　for　that；〃　said　Myles；　〃I　would　not　face　one　such　for　worlds。〃

It　was　during　the　short　time　when；　so　to　speak；　the　two　owned　the　solitude　of　the　Brutus　Tower；　that　Myles　told　his　friend　of　his　father's　outlawry　and　of　the　peril　in　which　the　family　stood。　And　thus　it　was。

〃I　do　marvel；〃　said　Gascoyne　one　day；　as　the　two　lay　stretched　in　the　Eyry；　looking　down　into　the　castle　court…yard　below〃I　do　marvel；　now　that　thou　art　'stablished　here　this　month　and　more；　that　my　Lord　doth　never　have　thee　called　to　service　upon　household　duty。　Canst　thou　riddle　me　why　it　is　so；　Myles？〃

The　subject　was　a　very　sore　one　with　Myles。　Until　Sir　James　had　told　him　of　the　matter　in　his　office　that　day　he　had　never　known　that　his　father　was　attainted　and　outlawed。　He　had　accepted　the　change　from　their　earlier　state　and　the　bald　poverty　of　their　life　at　Crosbey…Holt　with　the　easy　carelessness　of　boyhood；　and　Sir　James's　words　were　the　first　to　awaken　him　to　a　realization　of　the　misfortunes　of　the　house　of　Falworth。　His　was　a　brooding　nature；　and　in　the　three　or　four　weeks　that　passed　he　had　meditated　so　much　over　what　had　been　told　him；　that　by…and…by　it　almost　seemed　as　if　a　shadow　of　shame　rested　upon　his　father's　fair　fame；　even　though　the　attaint　set　upon　him　was　unrighteous　and　unjust；　as　Myles　knew　it　must　be。　He　had　felt　angry　and　resentful　at　the　Earl's　neglect；　and　as　days　passed　and　he　was　not　noticed　in　any　way；　his　heart　was　at　times　very　bitter。

So　now　Gascoyne's　innocent　question　touched　a　sore　spot；　and　Myles　spoke　with　a　sharp；　angry　pain　in　his　voice　that　made　the　other　look　quickly　up。　〃Sooner　would　my　Lord　have　yonder　swineherd　serve　him　in　the　household　than　me；〃　said　he。

〃Why　may　that　be；　Myles？〃　said　Gascoyne。

〃Because；〃　answered　Myles；　with　the　same　angry　bitterness　in　his　voice；　〃either　the　Earl　is　a　coward　that　feareth　to　befriend　me；　or　else　he　is　a　caitiff；　ashamed　of　his　own　flesh　and　blood；　and　of　me；　the　son　of　his　one…time　comrade。〃

Gascoyne　raised　himself　upon　his　elbow；　and　opened　his　eyes　wide　in　wonder。　〃Afeard　of　thee；　Myles！〃　quoth　he。　〃Why　should　he　be　afeared　to　befriend　thee？　Who　art　thou　that　the　Earl　should　fear　thee？〃

Myles　hesitated　for　a　moment　or　two；　wisdom　bade　him　remain　silent　upon　the　dangerous　topic；　but　his　heart　yearned　for　sympathy　and　companionship　in　his　trouble。　〃I　will　tell　thee；〃　said　he；　suddenly；　and　therewith　poured　out　all　of　the　story；　so　far　as　he　knew　it；　to　his　listening；　wondering　friend；　and　his　heart　felt　lighter　to　be　thus　eased　of　its　burden。　〃And　now；〃　said　he；　as　he　concluded；　〃is　not　this　Earl　a　mean…hearted　caitiff　to　leave　me；　the　son　of　his　one…time　friend　and　kinsman；　thus　to　stand　or　to　fall　alone　among　strangers　and　in　a　strange　place　without　once　stretching　me　a　helping　hand？〃　He　waited；　and　Gascoyne　knew　that　he　expected　an　answer。

〃I　know　not　that　he　is　a　mean…hearted　caitiff；　Myles；〃　said　he　at　last；　hesitatingly。　〃The　Earl　hath　many　enemies；　and　I　have　heard　that　he　hath　stood　more　than　once　in　peril；　having　been　accused　of　dealings　with　the　King's　foes。　He　was　cousin　to　the　Earl　of　Kent；　and　I　do　remember　hearing　that　he　had　a　narrow　escape　at　that　time　from　ruin。　There　be　more　reasons　than　thou　wottest　of　why　he　should　not　have　dealings　with　thy　father。〃

〃I　had　not　thought；〃　said　Myles；　bitterly；　after　a　little　pause；　〃that　thou　wouldst　stand　up　for　him　and　against　me　in　this　quarrel；　Gascoyne。　Him　will　I　never　forgive　so　long　as　I　may　live；　and　I　had　thought　that　thou　wouldst　have　stood　by　me。〃

〃So　I　do；〃　said　Gascoyne；　hastily；　〃and　do　love　thee　more　than　any　one　in　all　the　world；　Myles；　but　I　had　thought　that　it　would　make　thee　feel　more　easy；　to　think　that　the　Earl　was　not　against　thee。　And；　indeed；　from　all　thou　has　told　me；　I　do　soothly　think　that　he　and　Sir　James　mean　to　befriend　thee　and　hold　thee　privily　in　kind　regard。〃

〃Then　why　doth　he　not　stand　forth　like　a　man　and　befriend　me　and　my　father　openly；　even　if　it　be　to　his　own　peril？〃　said　Myles；　reverting　stubbornly　to　what　he　had　first　spoken。

Gascoyne　did　not　answer；　but　lay　for　a　long　while　in　silence。　〃Knowest　thou；〃　he　suddenly　asked；　after　a　while；　〃who　is　this　great　enemy　of　whom　Sir　James　speaketh；　and　who　seeketh　so　to　drive　thy　father　to　ruin？〃

〃Nay；〃　said　Myles；　〃I　know　not；　for　my　father　hath　never　spoken　of　these　things；　and　Sir　James　would　not　tell　me。　But　this　I　know；〃　said　he；　suddenly；　grinding　his　teeth　together；　〃an　I　do　not　hunt　him　out　some　day　and　slay　him　like　a　dog〃　He　stopped　abruptly；　and　Gascoyne；　looking　askance　at　him；　saw　that　his　eyes　were　full　of　tears；　whereupon　he　turned　his　looks　away　again　quickly；　and　fell　to　shooting　pebbles　out　through　the　open　window　with　his　finger　and　thumb。

〃Thou　wilt　tell　no　one　of　these　things　that　I　have　said？〃　said　Myles；　after　a　while。

〃Not　I；〃　said　Gascoyne。　〃Thinkest　thou　I　could　do　such　a　thing？〃

〃Nay；〃　said　Myles；　briefly。

Perhaps　this　talk　more　than　anything　else　that　had　ever　passed　between　them　knit　the　two　friends　the　closer　together；　for；　as　I　have　said；　Myles　felt　easier　now　that　he　had　poured　out　his　bitter　thoughts　and　words；　and　as　for　Gascoyne；　I　think　that　there　is　nothing　so　flattering　to　one's　soul　as　to　be　made　the　confidant　of　a　stronger　nature。


But　the　old　tower　served　another　purpose　than　that　of　a　spot　in　which　to　pass　away　a　few　idle　hours；　or　in　which　to　indulge　the　confidences　of　friendship；　for　it　was　there　that　Myles　gathered　a　backing　of　strength　for　resistance　against　the　tyranny　of　the　bachelors；　and　it　is　for　that　more　than　for　any　other　reason　that　it　has　been　told　how　they　found　the　place　and　of　what　they　did　there；　feeling　secure　against　interruption。

Myles　Falworth　was　not　of　a　kind　that　forgets　or　neglects　a　thing　upon　which　the　mind　has　once　been　set。　Perhaps　his　chief　objective　since　the　talk　with　Sir　James　following　his　fight　in　the　dormitory　had　been　successful　resistance　to　the　exactions　of　the　head　of　the　body　of　squires。　He　was　now　（more　than　a　month　had　passed）　looked　upon　by　nearly　if　not　all　of　the　younger　lads　as　an　acknowledged　leader　in　his　own　class。　So　one　day　he　broached　a　matter　to　Gascoyne　that　had　for　some　time　been　digesting　in　his　mind。　It　was　the　formation　of　a　secret　order；　calling　themselves　the　〃Knights　of　the　Rose；〃　their　meeting…place　to　be　the　chapel　of　the　Brutus　Tower；　and　their　object　to　be　the　righting　of　wrongs；　〃as　they；〃　said　Myles；　of　Arthur　his　Round…table　did　right　wrongs。〃

〃But；　prithee；　what　wrongs　are　there　to　right　in　this　place？〃　quoth　Gascoyne；　after　listening　intently　to　the　plan　which　Myles　set　forth。

〃Why；　first　of　all；　this；〃　said　Myles；　clinching　his　fists；　as　he　had　a　habit　of　doing　when　anything　stirred　him　deeply；　〃that　we　set　those　vile　bachelors　to　their　right　place；　and　that　is；　that　they　be　no　longer　our　masters；　but　our　fellows。〃

Gascoyne　shook　his　head。　He　hated　clashing　and　conflict　above　all　things；　and　was　for　peace。　Why　should　they　thus　rush　to　thrust　themselves　into　trouble？　Let　matters　abide　as　they　were　a　little　longer；　surely　life　was　pleasant　enough　without　turning　it　all　topsy…turvy。　Then；　with　a　sort　of　indignation；　why　should　Myles；　who　had　only　come　among　them　a　month；　take　such　service　more　to　heart　than　they　who　had　endured　it　for　years？　And；　finally；　with　the　hopefulness　of　so　many　of　the　rest　of　us；　he　advised　Myles　to　let　matters　alone；　and　they　would　right　themselves　in　time。

But　Myles's　mind　was　determined；　his　active　spirit　could　not　brook　resting　passively　under　a　wrong；　he　would　endure　no　longer；　and　now　or　never　they　must　make　their　stand。

〃But　look　thee；　Myles　Falworth；〃　said　Gascoyne；　〃all　this　is　not　to　be　done　withouten　fighting　shrewdly。　Wilt　thou　take　that　fighting　upon　thine　own　self？　As　for　me；　I　tell　thee　I　love　it　not。〃

〃Why；　aye；〃　said　Myles；　〃I　ask　no　man　to　do　what　I　will　not　do　myself。〃

Gascoyne　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃So　be　it；〃　said　he。　〃An　thou　hast　appetite　to　run　thy　head　against　hard　knocks；　do　it　i'　mercy's　nam