the caged lion-第19章

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about　him；　they　maddened　him　with　wine　and　beer；　they　excited　him　to　show　that　he　feared　her　not；　he　struck　her；　and　more　than　once　almost　put　her　in　danger　of　her　life。　　Then；　too；　his　mother　married　the　Bishop　of　Liege；　her　enemy　…

'The　Bishop！'

'He　had　never　been　consecrated；　and　had　a　dispensation。　　That　marriage　deprived　my　poor　lady　of　even　her　mother's　help。　　All　were　against　her　then；　and　for　me　too　it　went　ill；　for　the　Duke　of　Burgundy　insisted　on　my　being　given　to　a　half…brother　of　his；　one　they　call　Sir　Boemond　of　Burgundya　hard　man　of　blood　and　revelry。　The　Duke　of　Brabant　was　all　for　him；　and　so　was　the　Duchess…mother；　and　though　my　uncles　would　not　have　chosen　him；　yet　they　durst　not　withstand　the　Duke　of　Burgundy。　　I　tried　to　appeal　to　the　Emperor　Sigismund；　the　head　of　our　house；　but　I　know　not　if　he　ever　heard　of　my　petition。　　I　was　in　an　exceeding　strait；　and　had　only　one　trust；　namely；　that　Father　Thomas　had　told　me　that　the　more　I　threw　myself　upon　God；　the　more　He　would　save　me　from　man。　　But　oh！　they　seemed　all　closing　in　on　me；　and　I　knew　that　Sir　Boemond　had　sworn　that　I　should　pay　heavily　for　my　resistance。　　Then　one　night　my　Countess　came　to　me。　　She　showed　me　the　bruises　her　lord　had　left　on　her　arms；　and　told　me　that　he　was　about　to　banish　all　of　us；　her　ladies；　into　Holland；　and　to　keep　her　alone　to　bear　his　fury；　and　she　was　resolved　to　escape；　and　would　I　come　with　her？　　It　seemed　to　me　the　message　of　deliverance。　　Her　nurse　brought　us　peasant　dresses；　high　stiff　caps；　black　boddices；　petticoats　of　many　colours；　and　therein　we　dressed　ourselves；　and　stole　out；　ere　dawn；　to　a　church；　where　we　knelt　till　the　Sieur　d'Escaillonthe　gentleman　who　attends　Madame　stilldrove　up　in　a　farmer's　garb；　with　a　market　cart；　and　so　forth　from　Bruges　we　drove。　　We　cause　to　Valenciennes；　to　her　mother；　but　we　found　that　she；　by　persuasion　of　the　Duke；　would　give　us　both　up；　so　the　Sieur　d'Escaillon　got　together　sixty　lances；　and　therewith　we　rode　to　Calais；　where　never　were　weary　travellers　more　courteously　received　than　we　by　Lord　Northumberland；　the　captain　of　Calais。'

'Oh；　I　am　glad　you　came　to　us　English！'　cried　Alice。　　'Only　I　would　it　had　been　my　father　who　welcomed　you。　　And　now？'

'Now　I　remain　with　my　lady；　as　the　only　demoiselle　she　has　from　her　country；　and；　moreover；　I　am　waiting　in　the　trust　that　my　kinsmen　will　give　up　their　purpose　of　bestowing　me　in　marriage；　now　that　I　am　beyond　their　reach；　and　in　time　I　hope　to　obtain　sufficient　of　my　own　goods　for　a　dowry　for　whatever　convent　I　may　enter。'

'Oh；　let　it　be　an　English　one！'　cried　Alice。

'I　have　learnt　to　breathe　freer　since　I　have　been　on　English　soil；'　said　Esclairmonde；　smiling；　'but　where　I　may　rest　at　last；　Heaven　only　knows！'

'This　is　a　strange　country；'　said　Malcolm。　　'No　one　seems　afraid　of　violence　and　wrong　here。'

'Is　that　so　strange？'　asked　Alice；　amazed。　　'Why；　men　would　be　hanged　if　they　did　violence！'

'I　would　we　were　as　sure　of　justice　at　my　home；'　sighed　Esclairmonde。　'King　Henry　will　bring　about　a　better　rule。'

'Never　doubt；'　cried　Salisbury's　daughter。　　'When　France　is　once　subdued；　there　will　be　no　more　trouble；　he　will　make　your　kinsmen　do　you　right；　dear　demoiselle；　and　oh！　will　you　not　found　a　beauteous　convent？'

'King　Henry　has　not　conquered　France　yet；'　was　all　Esclairmonde　said。

'Ha！'　cried　the　buxom　Countess　Jaqueline；　as　the　ladies　dismounted；　'never　speak　to　me　more；　our　solemn　sister。　　When　have　I　done　worse　than　lure　a　young　cavalier；　and　chain　him　all　day　with　my　tongue？'

'He　is　a　gentle　boy！'　said　Esclairmonde；　smiling。

'Truly　he　looked　like　a　calf　turned　loose　among　strange　cattle！　　How　gat　he　into　the　hall？'

'He　is　of　royal　Scottish　blood；'　said　Esclairmonde　'cousin…german　to　King　James。'

'And　our　grave　nun　has　a　fancy　to　tame　the　wild　Scots；　like　a　second　St。　Margaret！　　A　king's　grandson！　fie；　fie！　what；　become　ambitious；　Clairette？　　Eh？　you　were　so　occupied；　that　I　should　have　been　left　to　no　one　but　Monseigneur　of　Gloucester；　but　that　I　was　discreet；　and　rode　with　my　Lord　Bishop　of　Winchester。　　How　he　chafed！　but　I　know　better　than　to　have　tete…a…tetes　with　young　sprigs　of　the　blood　royal！'

Esclairmonde　laughed　good…humouredly；　partly　in　courtesy　to　her　hoyden　mistress；　but　partly　at　the　burning；　blushing　indignation　she　beheld　in　the　artless　face　of　Alice　Montagu。

The　girl　was　as　shy　as　a　fawn；　frightened　at　every　word　from　knight　or　lady；　and　much　in　awe　of　her　future　mother…in…law；　a　stiff　and　stately　dame；　with　all　the　Beaufort　haughtiness；　so　that　Lady　Westmoreland　gladly　and　graciously　consented　to　the　offer　of　the　Demoiselle　de　Luxemburg　to　attend　to　the　little　maiden；　and　let　her　share　her　chamber　and　her　bed。　　And　indeed　Alice　Montagu；　bred　up　in　strictness　and　in　both　piety　and　learning；　as　was　sometimes　the　case　with　the　daughters　of　the　nobility；　had　in　all　her　simplicity　and　bashfulness　a　purity　and　depth　that　made　her　a　congenial　spirit　with　the　grave　votaress；　whom　she　regarded　on　her　side　with　a　young　girl's　enthusiastic　admiration　for　a　grown　woman；　although　in　point　of　fact　the　years　between　them　were　few。

The　other　ladies　of　the　Court　were　a　little　in　awe　of　the　Demoiselle　de　Luxemburg；　and　did　not　seek　her　when　they　wished　to　indulge　in　the　gossip　whose　malice　and　coarseness　she　kept　in　check；　but　if　they　were　anxious；　or　in　trouble；　they　always　came　to　her　as　their　natural　consoler；　and　the　Countess　Jaqueline；　bold　and　hoydenish　as　she　was；　kept　the　license　of　her　tongue　and　manners　under　some　shadow　of　restraint　before　her；　and　though　sometimes　bantering　her；　often　neglecting　her　counsel；　evidently　felt　her　attendance　a　sort　of　safeguard　and　protection。

The　gentlemen　were　mostly　of　the　opinion　of　the　Duke　of　Gloucester；　who　said　that　the　Lady　Esclairmonde　was　so　like　Deborah；　come　out　of　a　Mystery；　that　it　seemed　to　be　always　Passion…tide　where　she　was；　and　she；　moreover；　was　always　guarded　in　her　manner　towards　them；　keeping　her　vocation　in　the　recollection　of　all　by　her　gravely　and　coldly　courteous　demeanour；　and　the　sober　hues　and　fashion　of　her　dress；　but　being　aware　of　Malcolm's　destination；　perceiving　his　loneliness；　and　really　attracted　by　his　pensive　gentleness；　she　admitted　him　to　far　more　friendly　intercourse　than　any　other　young　noble；　while　he　revered　and　clung　to　her　much　as　Lady　Alice　did；　as　protector　and　friend。

King　James　was　indeed　so　much　absorbed　in　his　own　lady…love　as　to　have　little　attention　to　bestow　on　his　young　cousin；　and　he　knew；　moreover；　that　to　be　left　to　such　womanly　training　as　ladies　were　bound　to　bestow　on　young　squires　and　pages　was　the　best　treatment　for　the　youth；　who　was　really　thriving　and　growing　happier　every　day；　as　he　lost　his　awkwardness　and　acquired　a　freedom　and　self…confidence　such　as　he　could　never　have　imagined　possible　in　his　original　brow…　beaten　state；　though　without　losing　the　gentle　modesty　and　refinement　that　gave　him　such　a　charm。

A　great　sorrow　awaited　him；　however；　at　Leicester；　where　Easter　was　to　be　spent。　　A　messenger　came　from　Durham；　bringing　letters　from　Coldingham　to　announce　the　death　of　good　Sir　David　Drummond；　which　had　taken　place　two　days　after　Malcolm　had　left　him；　all　but　the　youth　himself　having　well　known　that　his　state　was　hopeless。

In　his　grief；　Malcolm　found　his　chief　comforter　in　Esclairmonde；　who　kindly　listened　when　he　talked　of　the　happy　old　times　at　Glenuskie；　and　of　the　kindness　and　piety　of　his　guardian；　while　she　lifted　his　mind　to　dwell　on　the　company　of　the　saints；　and　when　he　knew　that　her　thoughts　went；　like　his；　to　his　fatherly　friend　in　the　solemn　services　connected　with　the　departed；　he　was　no　longer　desolate；　and　there　was　almost　a　sweetness　in　the　grief　of　which　his　fair　saint　had　taken　up　a　part。　　She　showed　him　likewise　some　vellum　pages　on　which　her　ghostly　father；　the　Canon　of　St。　Agnes；　had　written　certain　dialogues　between　the　Divine　Master　and　His　disciple；　which　seemed　indeed　to　have　been　whispered　by　heavenly　inspiration；　and　which　soothed　and　hallowed　his　mourning　for　the　guide　and　protector　of　his　youth。　　He　loved　to　dwell　on　her　very　name；　Esclairmonde'light　of　the　world。'　　The　taste　of　the　day　hung　many　a　pun　and　conceit　upon