the caged lion-第12章

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ted　John。　　'Nor　do　I　like　dames　with　two　husbands　besides。'

'One　would　have　cancelled　the　other；　as　grammarians　tell　us；'　said　Harry；　'if　thy　charms；　John；　had　cancelled　thine　hook　nose！　　I　would　they　had；　ere　her　first　marriage。　　Humfrey　will　burn　his　fingers　there；　and　we　must　hasten　back　to　look　after　that　among　other　things。My　Lord　Marmion；'　he　added；　starting　hastily　up；　and　calling　to　him　as　he　stood　at　some　distance　conversing　with　the　Scottish　Nigel；　'so　please　you；　let　us　have　the　horses；'　and　as　the　gentleman　hastened　to　give　the　summons；　he　said；　'We　shall　make　good　way　now。　We　shall　come　on　Watling　Street。　　Ha；　Jamie；　when　shall　we　prove　ourselves　better　men　than　a　pack　of　Pagan　Romans；　by　having　a　set　of　roads　fit　for　man　or　beast；　of　our　own　making　instead　of　theirs　half　decayed？　　Look　where　I　will；　in　England　or　France；　their　roads　are　the　same　in　buildfirm　as　the　world　itself；　straight　as　arrows。　　An　army　is　off　one's　mind　when　once　one　gets　on　a　Roman　way。　　I'll　learn　the　trick；　and　have　them　from　Edinburgh　to　Bordeaux　ere　ten　years　are　out；　and　then；　what　with　traffic　and　converse　with　the　world；　and　ready　justice；　neither　Highland　men　minor　Gascons　will　have　leisure　or　taste　for　robbery。'

'Perhaps　Gascons　and　Scots　will　have　a　voice　in　the　matter；'　said　James；　a　little　stiffly；　and　the　horses　being　by　this　time　brought；　Sir　Harry　mounted；　and　keeping　his　horse　near　that　of　young　Malcolm；　to　whom　he　had　evidently　taken　a　fancy；　he　began　to　talk　to　him　in　so　friendly　and　winning　a　manner；　that　he　easily　drew　from　the　youth　the　whole　history　of　his　acquaintance　with　Sir　James　Stewart；　of　the　rescue　of　his　sister；　and　the　promise　to　conduct　him　to　the　captive　King　of　Scots；　as　the　only　means　of　saving　him　from　his　rapacious　kindred。

'Poor　lad！'　said　Harry；　gravely。

'Do　you　know　King　James；　Sir？'　asked　Malcolm；　timidly。

'Know　him？'　said　Harry；　turning　round　to　scan　the　boy　with　his　merry　blue　eye。　　'I　know　himyes；　that　as　far　as　a　poor　Welsh　knight　can　know　his　Grace　of　Scotland。'

'And；　Sir；　will　he　be　good　lord　to　me？'

'Eh！　that's　as　you　may　take　him。　　I　would　not　be　one　of　yonder　Scots　under　his　hands！'

'Has　he　learned　to　hate　his　own　countrymen？'　asked　Malcolm；　in　an　awe…stricken　voice。

'Hate？　　I　trow　he　has　little　to　love　them　for。　　He　is　a　good　fellow　enough；　my　young　lord；　when　left　to　himself；　but　best　beware。　　Lions　in　a　cage　have　strange　tempers。'

A　courier　rode　up　at　the　moment；　and　presented　some　letters；　which　Sir　Harry　at　once　opened　and　read；　beckoning　his　brother　and　Sir　James　to　his　side；　while　Malcolm　rode　on　in　their　wake；　in　a　state　of　dismay　and　bewilderment。　　Nigel　and　Lord　Marmion　were　together　at　so　great　an　interval　that　he　could　not　fall　back　on　them；　nor　learn　from　them　who　these　brothers　were。　　And　there　was　something　in　the　ironical　suppressed　pity　with　which　Harry　had　spoken　of　his　prospects　with　the　King　of　Scots；　that　terrified　him　all　the　more；　because　he　knew　that　Sir　James　and　Nigel　would　both　hold　it　unworthy　of　him　to　have　spoken　freely　of　his　own　sovereign　with　an　Englishman。　　Would　James　be　another　Walter？　and；　if　so；　would　Sir　James　Stewart　protect　him？　　He　had　acquired　much　affection　for；　and　strong　reliance　on；　the　knight；　but　there　was　something　unexplained；　and　his　heart　sank。

The　smooth　line　of　Watling　Street　at　length　opened　into　the　old　town　of　Thirsk；　and　here　bells　were　ringing；　flags　flying　from　the　steeple；　music　sounded；　a　mayor　and　his　corporation　in　their　robes　rode　slowly　forth；　crowds　lined　the　road…side；　caps　were　flung　up；　and　a　tremendous　shout　arose；　'God　save　King　Harry！'

Malcolm　gazed　about　more　utterly　discomfited。　　There　was　'Harry；'　upright　on　his　horse；　listening　with　a　gracious　smile；　while　the　mayor　rehearsed　a　speech　about　welcome　and　victories；　and　the　hopeful　queen；　and；　what　was　still　more　to　the　purpose；　tendered　a　huge　pair　of　gauntlets；　each　filled　to　the　brim；　one　with　gold；　and　the　other　with　silver　pieces。

'Eh！　　Thanks；　Master　Mayor；　but　these　gloves　must　be　cleared；　ere　there　is　room　for　me　to　use　them　in　battle！'

And　handing　the　gold　glove　to　his　brother；　he　scattered　the　contents　of　the　silver　one　far　and　wide　among　the　populace；　who　shouted　their　blessings　louder　than　ever；　and　thus　he　reached　the　market…place。　There　all　was　set　forth　as　for　the　lists；　a　horseman　in　armour　on　either　side。

'Heigh　now；　Sirs；'　said　Harry；　'have　we　not　wars　enough　toward　without　these　mummings　of　vanity？'

'This　is　no　show；　my　Lord　King；'　returned　the　mayor；　abashed。　　'This　is　deadly　earnest。　　These　are　two　honourable　gentlemen　of　Yorkshire；　who　are　come　hither　to　fight　out　their　quarrel　before　your　Grace。'

'Two　honourable　foolsheads！'　muttered　Harry；　then；　raising　his　voice；　'Come　hither；　gentlemen；　let　us　hear　your　quarrel。'

The　two　gentlemen　were　big　Yorkshiremen；　heavy…browed；　and　their　native　shrewdness　packed　far　away　behind　a　bumpkin　stolidity　and　surliness　that　barely　allowed　them　to　show　respect　to　the　King。

'So　please　you；　Sir；'　growled　the　first　in　his　throat；　'here　stands　Christopher　Kitson　of　Barrowbridge；　ready　to　avouch　himself　a　true　man；　and　prove　in　yonder　fellow's　teeth　that　it　was　not　a　broken…　kneed　beast　that　I　sent　up　for　a　heriard　to　my　Lord　Archbishop　when　my　father　died；　but　that　he　of　Easingwold　is　a　black　slanderer　and　backbiter。'

'And　here；'　shouted　the　other；　'stands　honest　William　Trenton　of　Easingwold；　ready　to　thrust　his　lies　down　his　throat；　and　prove　on　his　body　that　the　heriard　he　sent　to　my　Lord　Archbishop　was　a　sorry　jade。'

'That　were　best　proved　by　the　beast's　body；'　interposed　time　King。

'And；'　proceeded　the　doughty　Kitson；　as　though　repeating　a　lesson；　'having　vainly　pleaded　the　matter　these　nine　years；　we　are　come　to　demand　licence　to　fight　it　out；　with　lance；　sword；　and　dagger；　in　your　royal　presence；　to　set　the　matter　at　rest　for　ever。'

'Breaking　a　man's　head　to　prove　the　soundness　of　a　horse！'　ejaculated　Harry。

'Your　licence　is　given；　Sir　King？'　demanded　Kitson。

'My　licence　is　given　for　a　combat　a　l'outrance；'　said　Henry；　but；　as　they　were　about　to　flounder　back　on　their　big　farm…horses；　he　raised　his　voice　to　a　thundering　sound：　　'Solely　on　this　condition；　that　he　who　slays　his　neighbour；　be　he　Trenton　or　Kitson；　shall　hang　for　the　murder　ere　I　leave　Thirsk。'

There　was　a　recoil；　and　the　mayor　himself　ventured　to　observe　something　about　the　judgment　of　God；　and　'never　so　seen。'

'And　I　say；'　thundered　Henry；　and　his　blue　eyes　seemed　to　flame　with　vehement　indignation；　'I　say　that　the　ordeal　of　battle　is　shamefully　abused；　and　that　it　is　a　taking　of　God's　nameay；　and　man's　lifein　vain；　to　appeal　thereto　on　every　coxcomb's　quarrel；　risking　the　life　that　was　given　him　to　serve　God's　ends；　not　his　own　sullen　fancy。　　I　will　have　an　end　of　such　things！And　you；　gentlemen；　since　the　heriard　is　dead；　or　too　old　to　settle　the　question；　shake　hands；　and　if　you　must　let　blood；　come　to　France　with　me　next　month；　and　flesh　your　knives　on　French　and　Scots。'

'So　please　you；　Sir；'　grumbled　Kitson；　'there's　Mistress　Agnes　of　Mineshull；　she's　been　in　doubt　between　the　two　of　us　these　five　years；　and　she'd　promised　to　wed　whichever　of　us　got　the　better。'

'I'll　settle　her　mind　for　her！　　Whichever　I　find　foremost　among　the　French；　I'll　send　home　to　her　a　knight；　and　with　better　sense　to　boot　than　to　squabble　for　nine　years　as　to　an　old　horse。'

He　then　dismounted；　and　was　conducted　into　the　town…hall；　where　a　banquet　was　prepared；　taking　by　the　hand　Sir　James　Stewart；　and　followed　by　his　brother　John；　and　by　Malcolm；　who　felt　as　though　his　brain　were　turning；　partly　with　amazement；　partly　with　confusion　at　his　own　dulness；　as　he　perceived　that　not　only　was　the　free…spoken　Hal；　Henry　of　Monmouth；　King　of　England；　but　that　his　wandering　benefactor；　the　captive　knight；　whose　claim　of　kindred　he　had　almost　spurned；　was　his　native　sovereign；　James　the　First　of　Scotland。



CHAPTER　IV：　　THE　TIDINGS　OF　BEAUGE



Malcolm　understood　it　at　last。　　In　the　great　chamber　where　he　was　bidden　to　wait　within　'Nigel'　till　'Sir　James'　came　from　a　private　conference　with　'Harry；'　he　had　all　explained　to　him；　but　within　a　curtness　and　brevity　that　must　not　be　imitate