Part 4 (2/2)
”By'r Lady! Thou'rt a man, and shall be a Mountjoy, if guerdon can keep thee,” cried my father. ”But hold! Give thy mounts to the grooms, and come to the hall. 'Tis ill talking with an empty stomach and a dry throttle. And I'll warrant you're famished, both. There's a hot pasty and somewhat else to be found, I'll be bound. You shall tell me of this day's work by the board and the fire.”
In the hall we were greeted by my lady mother, who had heard somewhat of that which pa.s.sed in the courtyard. Cedric doffed his cap when I presented him to her ladys.h.i.+p, and bowed with a grace I looked not for.
And she did ask most eagerly if aught of harm had come to either of us.
Being a.s.sured that we were yet whole of skin save for the woodland boughs, she brought with her own hands a bench before the fire, and bade Cedric sit as she might have bidden any knight or courtier who visited the hall of Mountjoy. Then she hurried out and bade the maids bring meat and drink of the best for our refreshment.
My father and mother sat down by either side of us as we ate; and when our hunger had been something dulled, and the maid had been despatched for a jar of the Mountjoy honey which my mother so closely guards against the coming of n.o.ble guests, I began the tale of the fortunes of the day.
”Thou knowest, Father, that young Lionel of Carleton hath often sworn to have the lives of you and me for the check the Carletons had in their foray on Mountjoy in the spring and for the bolt which came from Marvin's bow which laid low his father, the Old Wolf of Carleton.”
”Full well I know it,” growled my father, ”an if he were aught but a beardless youth, I would long ago have challenged him to the combat.
When he hath won his spurs, if he be still of the same mind, I'll meet him with whatever weapons he chooses, and trust to put an end to his mouthings.”
”That thou'lt never do, Father,” I cried, ”for Cedric here hath come before thee. This day, but half a league from Teramore, young Lionel did meet me as I went my way alone through the forest; and did curse and revile me and all my house, saying that we of Mountjoy were a race of dogs. This being more than e'en a Mountjoy could bear, I did challenge him to mortal fight, and we did meet with swords, on foot there in the path. I quickly found that he wore, beneath his garment, a coat of linked mail which s.h.i.+elded him from all my thrusts. All his strokes I made s.h.i.+ft to parry, and at last, when he found he could not reach me with his sword, he rushed within my guard, seized me with a wrestling hold and flung me on my back. Then, kneeling on my chest, he placed a poniard at my throat and sought to make me swear allegiance to the Carleton, acknowledging him as lord and suzerain. This I would never do; and truly I thought my last hour had come, for he had drawn back his dagger for the thrust, when this brave youth, coming through the woods with cross-bow drawn, did see the Carleton's murderous aim, and let fly a bolt which struck him through the forehead.”
While I spoke my mother had grown pale as death and my father red, with blazing eyes and angry clinching hands. When I paused my mother cried:
”Oh, d.i.c.kon! And had'st thou no wound at all?”
”Not a nick,” I answered, ”though 'twas close enough, in faith. But we had more to do in no time at all, for no sooner had the Carleton breathed his last than there came a-riding towards us six stout men-at-arms of the Carleton livery. We took horse and rode for our lives, Cedric here on the Carleton's great war-horse. But my little Clothilde being no match for their long-limbed steeds, we should have been overhauled and slain had not Cedric twice turned on them with his cross-bow, each time landing a bolt that sent one of the robber hounds to earth. With that, and with hard riding through the woods where no paths were, we at last got safe away.”
”Ah!” cried my father, joyfully, rising and offering his hand again to Cedric, ”'twas sweetly done, i'faith. Three of the Carleton hounds in one brief day! Whose son art thou, my friend? And where did'st thou learn such deadly handling of thy weapon?”
”Elbert's son am I,” answered Cedric, steadily, ”he is forester to my lord of Pelham; and last year did carry away the prize for archery at the Shrewsbury tourney. Since I could carry bow, I have shot as he did teach me.”
”What years hast thou?”
”Sixteen, come Candlemas.”
”The very age of d.i.c.kon here,” cried my mother. ”Cedric, lad, does thy mother live?”
”Nay, my lady,” quoth he, sadly, ”two years agone we buried her.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: _WHILE I SPOKE MY MOTHER HAD GROWN PALE AS DEATH_]
”Then thou shalt come to live at Mountjoy,” she went on with bonny, flus.h.i.+ng cheeks and bright and eager eyes. ”Hast thou learned thy letters? Canst thou read prayer book or ballad?”
”Nay, my lady,” he said again, with a blush. ”We of the forest know little of letters.”
”Then I will teach thee. Thou'rt a mannered lad and well spoken for one who knows not court or town. Thou shalt be a clerk an thou wishest.”
”No clerk shall he be,” I cried. ”Saving thy pardon, good Mother, he shall be my squire-at-arms. A man that fights as he shall be no shaven-pate. He shall teach me his craft with the bow, and of him I will make a bonny swordsman. What say'st thou, Father? Have I not the right of it?”
My father did smile somewhat to see me so hot and eager in my plans. And truly, I bethought me then that this lad whom I was choosing for my comrade-in-arms was one whom but three hours gone I had never seen, and that now I knew naught of him save that he fought well and truly and with a wondrous skill of his weapon. Yet, looking at his clear, blue eyes and his way of holding up his head as a freeman of England, I repented me not of my words.
Cedric was gazing at Lord Mountjoy, and quietly awaiting his word, while my lady mother glanced quickly from one to another of us. When my father began to speak it was slowly and soberly enough.
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