Part 73 (1/2)
”Mother, you were so hot against her. I waited till I could tell you without angering you worse.”
”Ay,” said Catherine, half sadly, half bitterly, ”like mother like daughter: cowardice it is our bane. The others I whiles buffet; or how would the house fare? but did you, Kate, ever have harsh word or look from your poor mother, that you----. Nay, I will not have ye cry, girl; ten to one ye had your reason; so rise up, brave heart, and tell me all, better late than ne'er; and first and foremost when ever, and how ever, wond you to Sevenbergen wi' your poor crutches, and I not know?”
”I never was there in my life; and, mammy dear, to say that I ne'er wished to see her that I will not, but I ne'er went, nor sought to see her.”
”There, now,” said Catherine, disputatively, ”said I not 'twas all unlike my girl to seek her unbeknown to me. Come now, for I'm all agog.”
”Then thus 'twas. It came to my ears, no matter how, and prithee, good mother, on my knees ne'er ask me how, that Gerard was a prisoner in the Stadthouse tower.”
”Ah!”
”By father's behest as 'twas pretended.”
Catherine uttered a sigh that was almost a moan. ”Blacker than I thought,” she muttered, faintly.
”Giles and I went out at night to bid him be of good cheer. And there at the tower foot was a brave la.s.s, quite strange to me I vow, on the same errand.”
”Lookee there now, Kate.”
”At first we did properly frighten one another, through the place his bad name, and our poor heads being so full o' divels, and we whitened a bit in moons.h.i.+ne. But next moment, quo' I 'You are Margaret:' 'And you are Kate,' quo' she. Think on't!”
”Did one ever?--'Twas Gerard! He will have been talking backwards and forrards of thee to her, and her to thee.”
In return for this, Kate bestowed on Catherine one of the prettiest presents in nature--the composite kiss: _i. e._, she imprinted on her cheek a single kiss, which said--
1. Quite correct.
2. Good, clever mother, for guessing so right and quick.
3. How sweet for us twain to be of one mind again after never having been otherwise.
4. Etc.
”Now then, speak thy mind, child, Gerard is not here. Alas, what am I saying? would to Heaven he were.”
”Well then, mother, she is comely, and wrongs her picture but little.”
”Eh, dear; hark to young folk! I am for good acts, not good looks. Loves she my boy as he did ought to be loved?”
”Sevenbergen is farther from the Stadthouse than we are,” said Kate, thoughtfully; ”yet she was there afore me.”
Catherine nodded intelligence.
”Nay, more, she had got him out ere I came. Ay, down from the captives'
tower.”
Catherine shook her head incredulously. ”The highest tower for miles! It is not feasible.”
”'Tis sooth though. She and an old man she brought found means and wit to send him up a rope. There 'twas dangling from his prison, and our Giles went up it. When first I saw it hang, I said, 'This is glamour.'
But when the frank la.s.s's arms came round me, and her bosom did beat on mine, and her cheeks wet, then said I, ”Tis not glamour: 'tis love.'