the caged lion-第42章

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th。'

'Yes；'　interrupted　Marguerite；　'my　lord　brother　swears　that　this　king　will　not　live　a　year；　and　if　Catherine　have　no　better　luck　with　her　child　than　poor　Michelle；　then　there　will　be　another　good　Queen　Anne　in　England。'

'If　so；'　said　Esclairmonde；　looking　at　her　friend　with　swimming　eyes；　'she　will　have　the　best　of　husbandsas　good　as　even　she　deserves！'

Anne　held　her　hand　fast；　and　would　have　said　many　tender　words　on　Esclairmonde's　own　troubles；　but　the　other　ladies　were　arrayed；　and　Esclairmonde　would　not　for　worlds　have　been　left　behind　in　the　Hotel　de　Bourgogne。

Privacy　was　not　an　attainable　luxury；　and　Esclairmonde　could　not　commune　with　her　throbbing　heart；　or　find　peace　for　her　aching　head；　till　night。　　This　must　be　a　matter　unconfided　to　any；　even　Alice　Montagu。　　And　while　the　maiden　lay　smiling　in　her　quiet　sleep；　after　having　fondly　told　her　friend　that　Sir　Richard　Nevil　had　really　noticed　her　new　silken　kirtle；　she　knelt　on　beneath　the　crucifix；　mechanically　reciting　her　prayers；　and；　as　the　beads　dropped　from　her　fingers；　fighting　out　the　fight　with　her　own　heart。

Her　mind　was　made　up；　but　her　sense　of　the　loss；　her　craving　for　the　worthy　affection　which　lay　within　her　graspthese　dismayed　her。　　The　life　she　had　sighed　for　had　become　a　blank；　and　she　passionately　detested　the　obligation　that　held　her　back　from　affection；　usefulness；　joy；　and　excellencenot　ambition；　for　the　greatest　help　to　her　lay　in　Bedford's　position；　his　exalted　rank；　and　nearness　to　the　crown。　　Indeed；　she　really　dreaded　and　loathed　worldly　pomp　so　much　that　the　temptation　would　have　been　greater　had　he　not　been　a　prince。

It　was　this　sense　of　renunciation　that　came　to　her　aid。　　She　had　at　least　a　REAL　sacrifice　to　offer；　till　now；　as　she　became　aware；　she　had　made　none。　　She　folded　her　hands；　and　laid　her　offering　to　be　hallowed　by　the　One　all…sufficient　Sacrifice。　　She　offered　all　those　capacities　for　love　that　had　been　newly　revealed　to　her；　she　offered　up　the　bliss；　whose　golden　dawn　she　had　seen；　she　tried　to　tear　out　the　earthliness　of　her　heart　and　affections　by　the　roots；　and　lay　them　on　the　altar；　entreating　that；　come　what　might；　her　spirit　might　never　stray　from　the　Heavenly　Spouse　of　her　betrothal。

Therewith　came　a　sense　of　His　perfect　sufficiencyof　rest；　peace；　support；　ineffable　love；　that　kept　her　kneeling　in　a　calm；　almost　ecstatic　state；　in　which　common　hopes；　fears；　and　affections　had　melted　away。



CHAPTER　XI：　　THE　TWO　PROMISES



After　all；　Alice　Montagu　was　married　almost　privately；　and　without　any　preparation。　　Tidings　came　that　the　Duke　of　Alencon　was　besieging　Cosne；　a　city　belonging　to　the　Duke　of　Burgundy；　and　that　instant　relief　was　needed。　　The　Duke　was　urgent　with　Henry　to　save　the　place　for　him；　and　set　off　at　once　to　collect　his　brilliant　chivalry；　while　Henry；　rousing　at　the　trumpet…call；　declared　that　nothing　ailed　him　but　pageants；　sent　orders　to　all　his　troops　to　collect　from　different　quarters；　and　prepared　to　take　the　command　in　person；　while　reports　daily　came　in　of　the　great　muster　the　Armagnacs　were　making；　as　though　determined　to　offer　battle。

Salisbury　was　determined　not　to　abide　the　chances　of　the　battle　without　first　giving　a　protector　to　his　little　daughter；　and　therefore；　as　quietly　as　if　she　had　been　merely　going　to　mass；　the　Lady　Alice　was　wedded　to　her　Sir　Richard　Nevil；　who　treated　the　affair　as　the　simplest　matter　of　course；　and　troubled　himself　with　very　slight　demonstrations　of　affection。　　The　wedding　took　place　at　Senlis；　whither　the　female　part　of　the　Court　had　accompanied　the　King；　upon　the　very　day　of　the　parting。　　No　one　was　present；　except　one　of　Sir　Richard's　brothers　（the　whole　family　numbered　twenty…two）；　his　esquire；　and　on　Alice's　side；　her　father；　Esclairmonde；　and　a　few　other　ladies。

At　the　last　moment；　however；　the　King　himself　came　up；　leaning　on　Warwick's　arm；　looking　thin；　ill；　and　flushed；　but　resolved　to　do　honour　to　his　faithful　Salisbury；　at　whose　request　he　had　permitted　the　barony　of　Montagu　to　be　at　once　transferred　to　Nevil；　who　would　thenceforth　be　called　by　that　title。

After　the　ceremony；　King　Henry　kissed　the　gentle　bride；　placed　a　costly　ring　upon　her　finger；　and　gave　his　best　and　warmest　wishes　to　the　newly…married　pair。　　Little　guessed　any　there　present　what　the　sound　of　Warwick　and　Salisbury　would　be　in　forty　years'　time　to　the　babe　cradled　at　Windsor。

As　the　King　passed　Esclairmonde；　he　paused；　and　said；　in　an　undertone；　'Dear　lady；　deem　not　that　I　have　forgotten　your　holy　purpose；　but　you　understand　that　there　are　some　who　are　jealous　of　any　benefit　conferred　on　Paris　save　from　themselves；　and　whose　alliance　I　may　not　risk。　　But　if　God　be　pleased　to　grant　me　this　battle　also；　then；　with　His　good　pleasure；　I　shall　not　be　forced　to　have　such　respect　to　persons；　and　when　I　return；　lady；　whether　the　endowment　come　from　your　bounty　or　no；　God　helping　us；　you　shall　begin　the　holy　work　of　St。　Katharine's　bedeswomen　among　the　poor　of　Paris。'

But　while　Henry　V。；　with　all　his　grave　sweetness；　spoke　these　words　to　Esclairmonde　de　Luxemburg；　this　was　the　farewell　of　Countess　Jaqueline　of　Hainault　to　Malcolm　Stewart：

'Look　here；　my　languishing　swain；　never　mind　her　scorn；　but　win　your　spurs　in　the　battle　that　is　to　be；　and　then　make　some　excuse　to　get　back　again　to　us　before　the　two　Kings；　with　all　their　scruples。　　Then　beshrew　me　but　she　shall　be　yours！　　If　Monseigneur　de　Therouenne　and　I　cannot　manage　one　proud　girl；　I　am　not　Countess　of　Hainault！'

This　promise　sent　him　away；　planning　the　enjoyment　of　conquering　Esclairmonde's　long　resistance；　and　teaching　her　where　to　find　happiness。　　Should　he　punish　her；　by　being　stern　and　tyrannical　at　first？　or　should　his　kindness　teach　her　to　repent？　　When　he　was　a　knight；　he　would　be　in　a　condition　to　assert　his　authority；　he　thought；　and　of　knighthood　both　he　and　Ralf　Percy　felt　almost　certain；　in　that　wholesale　dubbing　of　knights　that　was　wont　to　be　the　preliminary　of　a　battle。　　To　be　sure；　they　had　indulged　in　a　good　many　unlicensed　pleasures　at　ParisRalf　from　sheer　reckless　love　of　sport；　Malcolm　in　his　endeavour　to　forget　himself；　and　to　be　manly；　but　they　had　escaped　detection；　and　they　knew　plenty　of　young　Englishmen；　and　many　more　Burgundians　and　Gascons；　who　had　plunged　far　deeper　into　mischief；　and　thought　it　no　disgrace；　but　rather　held　that　there　was　some　special　dispensation　for　the　benefit　of　warriors。

Malcolm　and　Ralf　were　riding　with　a　party　of　these　young　men。　　King　Henry　had　consented　to　make　his　first　day's　journey　as　far　as　Corbeil　in　a　litter；　since　only　there　he　was　to　meet　the　larger　number　of　his　troops；　whom　Bedford　and　Warwick　were　assembling。　　James　was　riding　close　beside　him；　with　his　immediate　attendants；　and　the　two　youths；　not　being　needed；　had　joined　their　comrades　with　the　advanced　guard　of　the　escort。

It　was　always　a　fiction　maintained　by　Henry；　that　he　was　marching　in　a　friendly　country；　plunder　was　strictly　forbidden；　and　everything　was　to　be　paid　for；　but　unfortunately；　the　peasantry　on　his　way　never　realized　this；　and　the　soldiery　often　took　care　they　should　not。　Therefore；　when　the　advanced　guard　came　to　the　village　that　had　been　marked　out　for　their　halt；　instead　of　finding　provisions　and　forage　to　be　purchased；　they　met　with　only　bare　walls；　and　a　few　stray　cats；　and　while　storming　and　raving　between　hunger　and　disappointment；　a　report　came　from　somewhere　that　the　inhabitants　had　fled；　and　driven　off　their　cattle　to　another　village　some　four　miles　off；　in　the　woods；　on　the　heights　above。　　Of　course；　they　must　be　taught　reason。　It　was　true　that　the　men…at…arms；　who　were　under　the　command　of　Sir　Christopher　Kitson　and　Sir　William　Trenton；　were　obliged　to　abide　where　they　were；　much　as　Kitson　growled　at　being　unable　to　procure　a　draught　of　wine　for　Trenton；　whom　he　had　been　nursing　for　weeks　under　intermitting　fever；　caught　at　Meaux；　but　the　young　gentlemen　were　well　pleased　to　show　themselves　under　no　Yorkshireman's　orders；　and　galloped　off　en　masse　to　procure　refreshment　for　their　horses　and　themselves；　further　stimulated　by　the　report　that　the　Armagnacs　had　left　a　sick　man　behind　them　there；　who　might　be　a　valuable　prisoner。

By　and　by