Part 3 (1/2)
If I must take a thres.h.i.+ng, I'll have my good day's game out first.”
”But wilt thou truly go to Coventry, Nick?” asked Robin Getley, earnestly, for he liked Nick more than all the rest.
”Ay, truly, Robin--that I will”; and, turning, Nick walked swiftly away toward the market-place, never looking back.
CHAPTER IV
OFF FOR COVENTRY
At the Bridge street crossing Nick paused irresolute. Around the public pump a chattering throng of housewives were was.h.i.+ng out their towels and hanging them upon the market-cross to dry. Along the stalls in Middle Row the grumbling shopmen were casting up their sales from tallies chalked upon their window-ledges, or cuffing their tardy apprentices with no light hand.
John Gibson's cart was hauling gravel from the pits in Henley street to mend the causeway at the bridge, which had been badly washed by the late spring floods, and the fine sand dribbled from the cart-tail like the sand in an hour-gla.s.s.
Here and there loutish farm-hands waited for work; and at the corner two or three stout cudgel-men leaned upon their long staves, although the market was two days closed, and there was not a Coventry merchant in sight to be driven away from Stratford trade.
Goody Baker with her shovel and broom of twigs was sweeping up the market litter in the square. Nick wondered if his own mother's back would be so bent when she grew old.
”Whur be-est going, Nick?”
Roger Dawson sat astride a stick of timber in front of Master Geoffrey Thompson's new house, watching Tom Carpenter the carver cut fleur-de-lis and curling traceries upon the front wall beams. He was a tenant-farmer's son, this Roger, and a likely good-for-naught.
”To Coventry,” said Nick, curtly.
”Wilt take a fellow wi' thee?”
Poor company might be better than none.
”Come on.”
Roger lumbered to his feet and trotted after.
”No school to-day?” he asked.
”Not for me,” answered Nick, shortly, for he did not care to talk about it.
”Faither wull na have I go to school, since us ha' comed to town, an'
plough-land sold for grazings,” drawled Roger; ”Muster Pine o' Welford saith that I ha' learned as much as faither ever knowed, an' 'tis enow for I. Faither saith it maketh saucy rogues o' sons to know more than they's own dads.”
Nick wondered if it did. His own father could neither read nor write, while he could do both and had some Latin, too. At the thought of the Latin he made a wry face.
”Joe Carter be-eth in the stocks,” said Roger, peering through the jeering crowd about the pillory and post; ”a broke Tom Samson's pate wi'
's ale-can yestreen.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”'WHUR BE-EST GOING, NICK?' ASKED ROGER DAWSON.”]
But Nick pushed on. A few ruddy-faced farmers and drovers from the Bed Horse Vale still lingered at the Boar Inn door and by the tap-room of the Crown; and in the middle of the street a crowd of salters, butchers, and dealers in hides, with tallow-smeared doublets and doubtful hose, were squabbling loudly about the prices set upon their wares.