red eve-第27章

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as　any　statue；　awaited　the　answer　that　was　more　to　her　than　life。

〃Nay；　daughter。　Down　on　your　knees　and　give　thanks。　God；　by　the　skill
I　gained　in　Eastern　lands；　has　stayed　the　flow　of　his　life's　blood；
and　I　say　that　he　will　live。〃

Then　he　showed　her　how　her　father's　sword　had　glanced　from　the　short
hood　of　chain…mail　which　he　had　given　Hugh；　stunning　him；　but　leaving
the　skull　unbroken。　Biting　into　the　neck　below；　it　had　severed　the
outer　vein　only。　This　he　had　tied　with　a　thread　of　silk　and　burned
with　a　hot　iron；　leaving　a　scar　that　Hugh　bore　to　his　death；　but
staunching　the　flow　of　blood。

〃How　know　you　that　he　will　live？〃　asked　Eve　again；　〃seeing　that　he
lies　like　one　that　is　sped。〃

〃I　know　it；　daughter。　Question　me　no　more。　As　for　his　stillness；　it　is
that　which　follows　a　heavy　blow。　Perhaps　it　may　hold　him　fast　many
days；　since　certainly　he　will　be　sick　for　long。　Yet　fear　nothing；　he
will　live。〃

Now　Eve　uttered　a　great　sigh。　Her　breast　heaved　and　colour　returned　to
her　lips。　She　knelt　down　and　gave　thanks　as　the　old　priest…knight　had
bidden　her。　Then　she　rose；　took　his　hand　and　kissed　it。

〃Yet　one　more　question；　Father；〃　she　said。　〃It　is　of　myself。　That
knave　drugged　me。　I　drank　milk；　and；　save　some　dreams；　remember　no
more　till　I　heard　Hugh's　voice　calling。　Now　they　tell　me　that　I　have
stood　at　the　altar　with　de　Noyon；　and　that　his　priest　read　the　mass　of
marriage　over　us；　andlook！　Oh！　I　never　noted　it　till　nowthere　is　a
ring　upon　my　hand；〃　and　she　cast　it　on　the　floor。　〃Tell　me；　Father；
according　to　the　Church's　law　is　that　man　mymy　husband？〃

Sir　Andrew's　eloquent　dark　eyes；　that　ever　shadowed　forth　the　thoughts
which　passed　within　him；　grew　very　troubled。

〃I　cannot　tell　you；〃　he　answered　awkwardly　after　thinking　a　while。
〃This　priest；　Nicholas；　though　I　hold　him　a　foul　villain；　is　doubtless
still　a　priest；　clothed　with　all　the　authority　of　our　Lord　Himself；
since　the　unworthiness　of　the　minister　does　not　invalidate　the
sacrament。　Were　it　otherwise；　indeed；　few　would　be　well　baptized　or
wed　or　shriven。　Moreover；　although　I　suspect　that　himself　he　mixed　the
draught；　yet　he　may　not　have　known　that　you　were　drugged；　and　you
stood　silent；　and；　it　would　appear；　consenting。　The　ceremony；　alas！
was　completed；　I　myself　heard　him　give　the　benediction。　Your　father
assisted　thereat　and　gave　you　to　the　groom　in　the　presence　of　a
congregation。　The　drugging　is　a　matter　of　surmise　and　evidence　which
may　not　be　forthcoming；　since　you　are　the　only　witness；　and　where　is
the　proof？　I　fear　me；　daughter；　that　according　to　the　Church's　law　you
are　de　Noyon's　lawful　wife〃

〃The　Church's　law；〃　she　broke　in；　〃how　about　God's　law？　There　lies　the
only　man　to　whom　I　owe　a　bond；　and　I'll　die　a　hundred　deaths　before
any　other　shall　even　touch　my　hand。　Ay；　if　need　be；　I'll　kill　myself
and　reason　out　the　case　with　St。　Peter　in　the　Gates。〃

〃Hush！　hush！　speak　not　so　madly。　The　knot　that　the　Church　ties　it　can
unloose。　This　matter　must　to　his　Holiness　the　Pope；　it　shall　be　my
business　to　lay　it　before　him；　yea；　letters　shall　go　to　Avignon　by　the
first　safe　hand。　Moreover；　it　well　may　happen　that　God　Himself　will
free　you；　by　the　sword　of　His　servant　Death。　This　lord　of　yours；　if
indeed　he　be　your　lord；　is　a　foul　traitor。　The　King　of　England　seeks
his　life；　and　there　is　another　who　will　seek　it　also　ere　very　long；〃
and　he　glanced　at　the　senseless　form　of　Hugh。　〃Fret　not　yourself
overmuch；　daughter。　Be　grateful　rather　that　matters　are　no　worse；　and
that　you　remain　as　you　always　were。　Another　hour　and　you　might　have
been　snatched　away　beyond　our　finding。　What　is　not　ended　can　still　be
mended。　Now　go；　seek　the　rest　you　need；　for　I　would　not　have　two　sick
folk　on　my　hands。　Oh；　seek　it　with　a　thankful　heart；　and　forget　not　to
pray　for　the　soul　of　your　erring　father；　for；　after　all　he　loved　you
and　strove　for　your　welfare　according　to　his　lights。〃

〃It　may　be　so；〃　answered　Eve；　〃and　I'll　pray　for　him；　as　is　my　duty。
I'll　pray　also　that　I　may　never　find　such　another　friend　as　my　father
showed　himself　to　me。〃



Then　she　bent　for　a　moment　over　Hugh；　stretching　out　her　hands　above
him　as　though　in　blessing；　and　departed　as　silently　as　she　had　come。

Three　days　went　by　before　Hugh　found　his　mind　again；　and　after　that
for　two　weeks　he　was　so　feeble　that　he　must　lie　quite　still　and
scarcely　talk　at　all。　Sir　Andrew；　who　nursed　him　continually　with　the
help　of　Grey　Dick；　who　brought　his　master　possets；　bow　on　back　and　axe
at　side　but　never　opened　his　grim　mouth；　told　his　patient　that　Eve　was
safe　and　sound；　but　that　he　must　not　see　her　until　he　grew　strong
again。

So　Hugh　strove　to　grow　strong；　and；　nature　helping　him；　not　in　vain。
At　length　there　came　a　day　when　he　might　rise　from　his　bed；　and　sit　on
a　bench　in　the　pleasant　spring　sunshine　by　the　open　window。　Walk　he
could　not；　however；　not　only　on　account　of　his　weakness；　but　because
of　another　hurt；　now　discovered　for　the　first　time；　which　in　the　end
gave　him　more　trouble　than　did　the　dreadful　and　dangerous　blow　of
Clavering's　sword。　It　seemed　that　when　he　had　fallen　suddenly　beneath
that　murderous　stroke　all　his　muscles　relaxed　as　though　he　were　dead；
and　his　left　ankle　bent　up　under　him；　wrenching　its　sinews　in　such　a
fashion　that　for　the　rest　of　his　life　he　walked　a　little　lame。
Especially　was　this　so　in　the　spring　season；　though　whether　because　he
had　received　his　hurt　at　that　time　or　owing　to　the　quality　of　the　air
none　could　ever　tell　him。

Yet　on　that　happy　day　he　thought　little　of　these　harms；　who　felt　the
life…blood　running　once　more　strongly　through　his　veins　and　who
awaited　Eve's　long…promised　advent。　At　length　she　came；　stately；　kind
and　beautiful；　for　now　her　grief　and　terror　had　passed　by；　leaving　her
as　she　was　before　her　woes　fell　upon　her。　She　came；　and　in　Sir
Andrew's　presence；　for　he　would　not　leave　them；　the　tale　was　told。

Hugh　learned　for　the　first　time　all　the　truth　of　her　imprisonment　and
of　her　shameful　drugging。　He　learned　of　the　burying　of　Sir　John
Clavering　and　of　her　naming　as　sole　heiress　to　his　great　estates。　To
these；　however；　Acour　had　not　been　ashamed　to　submit　some　shadowy
claim；　made　〃in　right　of　his　lawful　wife；　Dame　Eve　Acour；　Countess　de
Noyon；〃　which　claim　had　been　sent　by　him　from　France　addressed　to　〃all
whom　it　might　concern。〃　He　learned　of　the　King's　wrath　at　the　escape
of　this　same　Acour；　and　of　his　Grace's　seizure　of　that　false　knight's
lands　in　Suffolk；　which；　however；　proved　to　be　so　heavily　mortgaged
that　no　one　would　grow　rich　upon　them。

Lastly　he　learned　that　King　Edward；　in　a　letter　written　by　one　of　his
secretaries　to　Sir　Andrew　Arnold　and　received　only　that　morning；　said
that　he　held　him；　Hugh　de　Cressi；　not　to　blame　for　Acour's　escape。　It
commanded　also　that　if　he　recovered　from　his　wound；　for　the　giving　of
which　Sir　John　Clavering　should　have　paid　sharply　if　he　had　lived；　he
and　the　archer；　his　servant；　should　join　him　either　in　England　or　in
France；　whither　he　purposed　shortly　to　proceed　with　all　his　host。　But
the　Mayor　and　men　of　Dunwich　he　did　not　hold　free　of　blame。

The　letter　added；　moreover；　that　the　King　was　advised　that　Edmund
Acour　on　reaching　Normandy　had　openly　thrown　off　his　allegiance　to　the
crown　of　England　and　there　was　engaged　in　raising　forces　to　make　war
upon　him。　Further；　that　this　Acour　alleged　himself　to　be　the　lawfully
married　husband　of　Eve　Clavering；　the　heiress　of　Sir　John　Clavering；　a
point　upon　which　his　Grace　demanded　information；　since　if　this　were
true　he　purposed　to　escheat　the　Clavering　lands。　With　this　brief　and
stern　announcement　the　letter　ended。

〃By　God's　mercy；　Eve；　tell　me；　are　you　this　fellow's　wife？〃　exclaimed
Hugh。

〃Not　so；〃　she　answered。　〃Can　a　woman　who　is　Dunwich　born　be　wed
without　consent？　And　can　a　woman　whose　will　is　foully　drugged　out　of
her　give　consent　to　that　which　she　hates？　Why；　if　so　there　is　no
justice　in　the　world。〃

〃'Tis　a　rare　jewel　in　these　evil　days；　daughter；〃　said　Sir　Andrew　with
a　sigh。　〃Still　fret　not　yourself　son　Hugh。　A　full　statement　of　the
case；　drawn　by　skilled　clerks　and　testified　to　by　many　witnesses；　has
gone　forward　already　to　his　H