In Honour's Cause Part 31

"No," he said at last. "I am driven out of the country, and it would not be right to take you with me now."

"Robert!" cried Lady Gowan.

"Hus.h.!.+" he said appealingly. "I have much to bear now; don't add to my burden. At present I have no plans. I do not even know where I shall direct my steps. I am to be s.h.i.+pped off to Ostend. It would be madness to take you from here yet. The Princess is your friend, and I understand that the Prince is well-disposed toward me. You must stay here for the present."

"But I am sure that her Royal Highness will wish me to leave her service now."

"And I am not," said Sir Robert. "For the present I wish you to stay."

Lady Gowan bent down and kissed his hand in obedience to her husband's wishes.

"But you will take me with you, father?" cried Frank.

"You, my boy? No. You cannot leave your mother. She and I both look to you to fill my place till the happier days come, when I can return to England. You hear me, Frank?"

A protest was on the lad's lips; but there was a stern decision in Sir Robert's eyes and tones which silenced it, and with quivering lip he stood listening to his father's instructions, till there was a tap at the door, and an officer appeared to announce that the visitors must leave.

"Very well," said Sir Robert quietly, and the officer withdrew.

"Oh, father!" cried Frank, "let me go and ask for another hour."

"No, my boy," said Sir Robert, firmly. "It is better so. Why should we try to prolong pain? Good-bye, Frank, till we meet again. You must be a man now, young as you are. I leave your mother in your care."

His farewell to Lady Gowan was very brief, and then at his wish she tore herself away, and with her veil drawn-down to hide her emotion, she hurried out, resting on Frank's arm; while he, in spite of his father's recent words, was half choked as he felt how his mother was sobbing.

"Don't speak to me, dear," she whispered, as they reached her apartments. "I cannot bear it. I feel as if we were forsaking your father in the time of his greatest need."

It was painful to leave her suffering; but there was a feeling of desire urging the lad away, and he hurried out, finding Andrew faithfully waiting at the door, and ready to press his hand in sympathy.

"It's terribly hard, lad," he said. "Oh, dear; what a wicked world it is! But you are coming to see him go?"

Frank nodded--he could not trust himself to speak--and they started back for Sir Robert's quarters.

They were none too soon; for already a couple of coaches were at the door, and a military guard was drawn up, keeping back a little crowd, the wind of the approaching departure having got abroad.

The lads noticed that fully half were soldiers; but they had little time for making observations, for already Sir Robert was at the door, and the next minute he had stepped into the first coach, the second, standing back, being filled with guards, one being beside the coachman on the box, and two others standing behind. An officer and two soldiers followed Sir Robert. The door was banged to as Frank and Andrew dashed forward, and forced their way past the sentries who kept back the crowd.

It required little effort, for as soon as the Guards recognised them they gave place, and enabled them to run beside the coach for a little way, waving their hands to the banished man.

Sir Robert saw them, and leaned forward, and his face appeared at the window, when, as if influenced by one spirit, the soldiers uttered a tremendous cheer, the rest joined in, and the next minute the boys stood panting outside in front of the clock tower, with the carriages disappearing on their way east.

"Oh, Frank, Frank!" cried Andrew excitedly, "is this free England? If we had only known--if we had only known."

Frank's heart was too full for speech, and, hardly heeding his companion's words, he stood gazing after the two coaches, feeling lower in spirits than he ever had before in his life.

"We ought to have known that the soldiers and the people were all upon his side. A little brave effort, with some one to lead them, and we could have rescued him. The men would have carried everything before them."

"Rather curious expressions of opinion for one of the royal pages, young gentleman," said a stern voice.

"Captain Murray!" cried Andrew, who was thoroughly startled to find his words taken up so promptly by some one behind him.

"Yes, my lad, Captain Murray. I am glad, Gowan, that such words did not fall from you, though in your case they would have been more excusable."

"Perhaps, sir," cried Frank, in his loyalty to his friend, though truthfully enough, "it was because I could not speak. I wish I had helped to do it, though."

"Hah! Yes, brave and manly, but weak and foolish, my boy. Recollect what and where you are, and that whispers spoken in the precincts of the Palace often have echoes which magnify them and cause those who uttered them much harm."

"I'm not sorry I spoke," said Andrew hotly. "It has been horribly unjust to Sir Robert Gowan."

"Suppose we discuss that shut in between four walls which have no ears, my lad. But let me ask you this, my hot-blooded young friend--suppose you had roused the soldiers into rising and rescuing Sir Robert Gowan, what then?"

"It would have been a very gallant thing, sir," said Andrew haughtily.

"Of course, very brave and das.h.i.+ng, but a recklessly impulsive act.

What would have followed?"

Captain Murray turned from Andrew to Frank, and the latter saw by the dim lamplight that the words were addressed more particularly to him.

"We should have set him free."

"No. You might have rescued him from his guards; but he would have been no more free than he is now. He could not have stayed in England, but would have had to make for the coast, and escape to France or Holland in some smuggler's boat. You see he would have been just where he is now.

But it is more probable that you would not have secured him, for the guard would at the first attempt have been called upon to fire, and many lives would have been sacrificed for nothing."

"I thought you were Sir Robert Gowan's friend, sir," said Andrew bitterly.

"So I am, boy; but I am the King's servant, sworn to obey and defend him. His Majesty's commands were that Sir Robert should leave his service, and seek a home out of England. It is our duty to obey. And now listen to me, Mr Andrew Forbes, and you too, Frank Gowan; and if I speak sternly, remember it is from a desire to advise my old comrade's son and his companion for the best. A still tongue maketh a wise head.

But I am not going to preach at you; and it is better that you should take it to heart--you in particular, Andrew Forbes, for you occupy a peculiar position here. Your father is a proscribed rebel."

"You dare to say that of my father!" cried the lad, laying his hand upon his sword.

"Yes, you foolish lad. Let that hilt alone. Keep your sword for your enemies, not for your friends, even if they tell you unpleasant truths.

Your tongue, my lad, runs too freely, and will get you sooner or later into trouble. Men have been punished for much less than you have said, even to losing their lives."

"Is this what a King's officer should do?" cried Andrew, who was white with anger,--"play the part of a spy?"

"Silly, hot-headed boy," said Captain Murray. "I saw you both, and came up to speak to my old friend's son, when I could not help hearing what your enemies would call traitorous remarks. Frank, my lad, you are the younger in years, but you have the older head, and you must not be led away by this hot-blooded fellow. There, come both of you to my quarters."

"Frank, I'm going to my room," said Andrew, ignoring the captain's words.

"No, you are coming with us," said Captain Murray. "Frank, my lad, your father asked me to give an eye to you, and bade me tell you that if you were ever in any difficulty you were to come to me for help. Remember that please, for I will help Robert Gowan's son in every way I can."

The friendly feeling he had already had for his father's companion all came back on the instant, and Frank held out his hand.

"Hah, that's right, boy. You have your father's eye for a friend. Come along, and let's have a quiet chat. I want company to-night, for this business makes one low-spirited. Come along, Hotspur."

"Do you mean to continue insulting me, sir?" said Andrew sharply.

"I? No. There, you are put out because I spoke so plainly. Look here, Forbes, I should not like to see you arrested and dismissed from your service for uttering treasonable words, and you will be one of these days. It is being talked about in the Palace, but fortunately only by your friends. Come, it is only a few steps, and we may as well talk sitting down."