Mistress Penwick Part 14

"And thou wilt not have far to seek, my lord; my whey sits freshly made upon the cellaret in yonder closet adjoining; if thou wilt be so kind as to bring it hither, Janet will provide me with bread," and Katherine looked triumphant.

"I would first learn whom I follow. Who hath so cavalierly concocted it for thee at this late hour? Where is the person, my lady?"

"One who is in the habit of following thy orders; but at mine he hath made it; 'twas Tompkins." Her voice rung with so much of truth, his Lords.h.i.+p was satisfied and looked at her with a lighter heart; then, as she pointed toward the door--a mute command for him to bring the whey--he frowned and drew back and spoke,--

"Hiary will bring it thee, for 'tis said a hand put forth by an angry heart doth curdle that it toucheth and--I am of no mind to be either kind or courteous." At these words, the colour that had come into Katherine's face a moment before, left it.

As Hiary turned to do his lord's bidding, a door opened and Tompkins entered with a lighted candle and large basket. Seeing the unexpected, coughed to hide his confusion; indeed he knew not which way to turn, when his Lords.h.i.+p walked to his side and raised the cover of the basket and looked within.

"It appears that 'twas a feast thou wert preparing;--everything suitable for a full meal. Here is fowl and cheese and mutton tarsal and bread and ale,--Egad! we shall not want now, shall we, Mistress Penwick? Set the table, Tompkins!"

"Ah!" came in an asperate tone from the now trembling and frightened maid. His Lords.h.i.+p heard it and saw her turn white and tremble. Slowly he walked to the hearthstone, eyeing her askance, then he swept his brow where the cold perspiration lay in beads;--then turned to her again with a world of love for her in his eyes and a great crus.h.i.+ng self-pity; and the menials looked away from the abject misery they beheld in their lord's face; Tompkins fumbled nervously with his burden, daring not to look up; Janet leant forward, intent, pained, sorrowing, scanning the two countenances she loved best on earth. His Lords.h.i.+p stretched forth his arms and with a great sob that broke upon that one word "Kate," he took a step forward and essayed again to speak, but the words would not come. Then with a great effort he seemed to fling all tenderness from him and spoke most harshly,--

"Where hast thou hid thy lover, Mistress Penwick, tell me where he is!" She drew herself up quickly to her full height and smiled, for this was one thing and she had thought another, and the reality was better than her fancy. And she said, as she drew a long, relieved breath,--

"He is safe, my lord!"

"Nay, nay, by G.o.d! he is not nor ever will be again. He hath so dealt with me and my honour, even though I stand within mine own threshold 'twould be heinous to allow him to leave it with life in his accursed body. I tell thee now, there is nothing of h.e.l.l or heaven that can take thee from me. Dost hear--dost hear, maid?" He again wiped his brow and looked about him. "It does somewhat appear as if my brain were turning!--Janet--bring thy maid here to me! Janet made a step forward, but was checked by Katherine's warning look.

"Mistress Penwick, remove thyself from the table; Tompkins, set it, set it, set it quickly I say!" Tompkins put the basket upon the table and turned to a linen closet and brought therefrom a cloth and made as if to spread it upon a small table near him. His Lords.h.i.+p saw his move, and broke forth in angry tones,--"The table of honour, there, there Tompkins!" As he shook his fingers toward it, his hand fell back upon the hilt of his sword.

"Nay, I forbid him to do it," said Katherine.

"By all the foul fiends! raise the leaves or I smite thee down," said Lord Cedric to the frightened Tompkins. And he drew and leaned forward his body well nigh to the floor. His eyes were wild and bloodshot. As Tompkins raised the leaves Mistress Penwick threw herself between his Lords.h.i.+p and the table. With one bound Cedric swayed aside and like one frenzied, gazed beneath the table, and there looked out to him the white face of Christopher.

His Lords.h.i.+p broke forth into such a wild laugh, even the affrighted and condemned servant crept from his hiding and looked on amazed.

Finally, when his laughing had well-nigh ceased, his Lords.h.i.+p drew from his belt the dagger and threw it across the room at Hiary, saying,--"There; stick him as thou wouldst a wild boar--no probing, mind; but death!"

"Nay, nay, my lord! my lord!" broke from Mistress Pen wick, and Janet ran to her crying,--"My lord, not so harsh a deed before my lady's eyes!"

"Ah! ah! and she hath carved my heart to pieces! Commit thy office, Hiary!" The lithe lackey sprang upon Christopher and drove the knife, it appeared, to the hilt, and with a gurgling cry the lad fell.

Mistress Penwick looked on wild-eyed with terror. His Lords.h.i.+p came near and leant close to her ear and said,--

"Thou hast turned thy charms to ill account, thou stirrest me to evil deeds. Didst thy love help thee to this _rendezvous_, and was he satisfied to leave thee when he heard my sword flap upon the chair without to fight thy battles alone, or did he sate his desire on thy innocent face and fled aforetime to prepare for a greater sating? Now by G.o.d, none shall wrest thee from me again. Arouse the chaplain!

Come, Mistress, thou shalt have a husband who loves thee within the hour, and the morrow's sun will look in on a sweet young wife with a light heart."

He laid hold on her without violence, she drew from him even more frightened than heretofore.

"Come, we will wed straightway and before dawn thou wilt have forgotten my haste and stout urging," and he started forth drawing her with him by force. She struggled wildly and cried,--

"Nay, nay; I'll not marry with one who would strike down and kill the unfortunate; nay, nay!" and she screamed again and again.

From the doorway came a voice of thunder, its power seemed to crush out all other presence. 'Twas but one word, but it rung and vibrated and stirred each breast with its vehemence.

"Cedric!"

His Lords.h.i.+p let go the maid and turned and sprang to the open arms of him who called. The awful tension of his nerves relaxed and he uttered in rapid succession,--

"Julian, Julian, Julian!" and fell to sobbing, his form trembling with his emotion.

"Hath gore of _canaille_ sapped thy n.o.ble blood and impregnated in thy veins vile clots to turn thee purple with choler?" and he pushed Cedric from him. "What doeth this _couchant_ dog here?" He turned and stirred the prostrate form of Christopher. "'Tis ill to so fall upon the seething caldron of thy pa.s.sion, the noxious fumes of which penetrate yonder to our kinsman's couch of suffering--and at the same time thou dost pound to pomace the heart of yonder Junoesque figure."

"Julian, thy tongue hath an awful strength, it doth goad me to something like reason. I was indeed rough, but I was looking after mine own. The maiden there is plighted to me for espousal and I was taking her to the chaplain."

"It may be thou dost take her rightfully; but if 'twere me I would bring her to it by soft and gentle words, not by handling. It doth take away the sweetness."

"Indeed, Julian, I have used all things worth using to gain her. I have played all parts and have asked and sued and prayed, aye, begged.

I have honoured and loved and pampered her every whim; I have coerced and threatened,--all to no avail; indeed, I have gone mad for very effort to please."

"Hast thou tried cold indifference and haughtiness? It oft haps that a maid is won by a lofty and arrogant mien." Sir Julian Pomphrey glanced askance at Mistress Penwick, who lay with her face buried upon Janet's ample bosom. "Methinks 'twould be a good beginning, if thou wouldst renew thy suit by sending the maid to her chamber and let her espouse Morpheus and 'suage her grief upon a bosom thou needst not be jealous of." Janet arose and led forth Katherine. Lord Cedric stepped after them and held out his hands and sobbed,--

"Kate, Kate, forgive, forgive!" She deigned not a backward look.

As they pa.s.sed from sight, he fell upon his knees and shook with his great emotion and groaned aloud in his misery.

Sir Julian Pomphrey dressed as a gentleman of France in riding apparel; his overhanging top-boots displaying a leg of strength and fine proportions; the curls of his periwig sweeping his broad shoulders; his hands, half-hid by rare lace, gleaming white and be-jewelled; a mustachio so flattened with pomade it lay like a black line over his parted lips, through which shone strong white teeth, was veritably a man of n.o.ble character and distinction. He was the counterpart of Lord Cedric in all save visage and temperament.

Gracefully he strode across the room with the confidence of one who had already mastered the situation; planned for his Lords.h.i.+p a complete victory, and there was naught left to do but carry out the methodical arrangements thus quickly formulated. He placed his hand lightly upon Cedric's shoulder. His touch was like magic, for his Lords.h.i.+p started.

"Cedric, I have rid hard and would seek my bed. Come with me and calm thyself. Yonder maid thou shalt have, so sure as thou dost do my bidding; and she will sigh and draw quick breath and preen herself to gain from thee one amorous glance; and will do penance for her untowardness and offer hecatombs as high as zenith will allow."

"Dost think so, Julian? It gives me hope to hear thee thus speak."

"Indeed, I may say--'tis done--even though 'twere precipitately avowed;--but oft, 'tis the premature babe that doth become the most precocious child, and 'tis well to foster that 'tis fecund."

"But, Julian, she hath another lover,--and now that I think on't, didst thou meet a knave upon horse, perhaps, attended by a swaggering groom as thou cam'st through the village or thereabouts?"

"Thou hast said it. A half-league beyond Crandlemar there past me at furious speed a devil-upon-horse. I hallowed once and again to no avail, so I prodded the fellow with my sword to a.s.sist his respiratory organs, as he flew by. 'Twas a kindly act, for he immediately found his breath and--swore."

"And didst notice his livery?"

"Nay, for the trees were too ostentatious and flaunted their new, green finery impudently and hid Neptune's satellite or--'twas cloudy, I could not see. Come, come, I must and thou, too, have sleep if the G.o.d thereof doth not wantonly spend too much time with thy mistress;--but thou shalt soon offset him and I may have, for one night at least, his undivided attention."

"Ah, heaven, that thy words may prove true. 'Tis hard to bide the time. Come, let us begone from this foul nest that reeks of blood."

CHAPTER XI

JACQUES DEMPSY

To Katherine's untutored vision of social and religious matters, all appeared like a placid sea; but beneath, political dissension complicated by religious wrangling produced a vigorous under-current into which she was to be drawn.

The exegencies of poverty and exile through which King Charles had pa.s.sed made him resolve not to "go again upon his travels," and for this cause he tolerated the Episcopal religion, of which system the cavaliers were votaries; and they supported the royal prerogative.

Being an alien to honour, truth and virtue, he was not stirred to a wholesome interest of importunities, save when a voluptuously beautiful female solicited his attention. Now 'twas Lady Constance'

plan to forward Count Cantemir's suit with Mistress Penwick and hasten a marriage that could only be clandestine, owing to Lord Cedric's vigilance. If this scheme should prove abortive, it was her intention to bring the maid to the king's notice. Here were two lines of battle, each surrounded by skirmis.h.i.+ng detachments. She was subtle in the extreme, and arranged warily these side issues, which had more of death and utter destruction in them than an open onset.