Part 20 (1/2)

Quickly ascending the steps once more, she shut all the doors behind her, and again made the round of all the apartments, to make sure that all was still and silent. Then, being satisfied on this score, she possessed herself of a very large crimson cus.h.i.+on from the chapel, carefully unripped a seam, and took out a considerable quant.i.ty of the stuffing which she burnt upon her fire in the stove. This, to be sure, made an unpleasant smell, but Helen was glad of it, for should any of the girls awake or the guards of the castle come to inquire what was being burnt she could point to the wool and hair in the stove, and tell some story of how she was burning up some old oddments of the Queen's.

Then with her velvet cus.h.i.+on in her arms she stole down to the vault once more.

There lay the sacred crown that Helen had seen once upon the brow of the late King Albert! Pan Vilga and his servant were carefully removing all trace of their work, replacing filed chains and bars and broken padlocks by new ones brought for the purpose, and renewing all the seals with the Queen's own signet.

As for Helen, she rushed at the crown and fairly clasped it in her arms, crying out in her heart: ”Ah, my Mistress, my dear, dear Mistress--you are safe for a time from the menaced peril!” Then, whilst the men completed their task, and set the vault in order, completely obliterating the traces of their work, Helen carefully placed the crown within the ample cus.h.i.+on, arranging the stuffing so as to keep it from injury, and finally sewing up the ripped seam.

What a journey that was upon the next day; when Helen with her precious cus.h.i.+on in the sledge behind her travelled back to her Royal Mistress at the castle of Komorn! A thousand times her heart was in her mouth; for every time the cus.h.i.+on was touched or moved she could scarce refrain from crying out; once crown and lady, knight and all were in deadly danger of peris.h.i.+ng in the deep and treacherous Danube, which they had to cross upon the ice. For the spring was at hand, and the frost was yielding; and the ice cracked so ominously beneath their horses' feet, that the terrified driver lashed them into a gallop, and they saw a chasm yawning behind them as they fled.

But there was commotion and joy in the castle of Kormorn when Helen entered, carrying with her a big cus.h.i.+on that she declined to entrust to any servant. For a little son had been born that very day to the Queen; and she had said that when the Lady Helen returned she was to come instantly to see her.

Cus.h.i.+on in hand, brave Helen entered the Royal presence, and, going up to the bedside, saw the Queen with the tiny babe beside her. The light sprang into her eyes at the sight.

”I have brought my little King his crown,” she said; and, sinking on her knees beside the bed, she told the whole tale to the Queen.

When a few weeks later the little King Wladislas was solemnly anointed and crowned by the Archbishop of Gran, it was Helen who held the babe in her arms, whilst the sacred crown of St. Stephen was placed upon his brow.

MAID LILLYARD

”What!” she cried, the indignant blood leaping to her cheek, ”hast thou taken the Red Cross? Why, shame upon thee! Shame upon thee! Thou art not worthy the name thou dost bear!”

The young fellow stood before her twisting his bonnet between his hands in somewhat shamefaced fas.h.i.+on. From the likeness between them it was plain that they were brother and sister: but there was a courage and loftiness of purpose in the aspect of the girl which bespoke a higher nature than that of the stalwart lad, who looked half-afraid to face her.

”Others have done it before. They are all doing it,” he argued. ”They say 'tis the only way of safety now that the English King is so mighty in wrath, and will win by force what he cannot get by friends.h.i.+p. They say he will come himself, and carry away our young Queen to England, to wed her to his son; and that all who seek to withstand him will be slain.”

Lillyard's lip curled; her eyes shot forth fire.

”England's Kings have tried ere this to conquer Bonny Scotland. Let them come again, and see the welcome they will get!”

”It is all very fine for thee to talk!” grumbled the lad; ”thou art a woman. Thou dost sit at home at ease. It is us men who have to go forth and take all the hard blows. Thou knowest the fate that has befallen hundreds of us Border men at the hands of the English. Why should we suffer it? What care I who gets the best of this quarrel? We are well-nigh as much English as Scotch. What matters it on which side we fight? Thou needst not glower like that at me. Others say the same. It is better to take the Red Cross and serve with Sir Ralph Evers or Sir Brian Latoun, than to be slaughtered like sheep by their trained bands.”

The girl was looking away from him over the smiling landscape. The expression of her face was one her brother could scarcely read aright.

He cowered a little before it; and yet her voice was quiet enough when she spoke; quiet and almost dreamy.

”It is better to die a soldier's death on the field of battle, than to turn a traitor to one's home and country, and sell one's sword to an alien King!”

”Oh, ay, you talk--you talk!” answered Gregory in a tone of offence; ”women can always talk. But if it came to fighting, then they would sing to a very different tune!”

The girl's eyes flashed; she turned their light full upon her brother, who moved uneasily beneath the gaze.

”Then let the men don women's attire and take the distaff and spindle in their hands!” she cried; ”and let us women go forth and fight the foe! I trow we should make the better soldiers, if thou art a specimen of the lads of the Border!”

”Go to, for a sharp-tongued shrew!” cried Gregory angrily; ”I am none worse than others. Duncan has taken the Red Cross too. Small peace would there have been at home had I refused it. And have a care how thou dost talk to him, Lillyard. He will have thee to the cucking-stool for a scold, an' thou treat him to such words as thou hast treated me!”

Lillyard's hands dropped to her sides, and her eyes dilated. She had not perhaps a very exalted opinion of her half-brother, Duncan; but at least she gave him credit for personal courage.

”Duncan has taken the Red Cross!” she repeated at last. ”Art sure of that, Gregory?”