William Shakespeare as he lived Part 16

"Say, rather, the arch traitor--the doubly dishonourable villain Neville, who goeth about to purchase benefit for himself by the blood of his party. An such a man be your informant? Credit me, the information is incorrect. I listen not therefore to it, it is naught."

Meantime, whilst Sir Thomas held converse thus with Grasp, he had at the same time, in the most quiet and business-like way, been encasing himself in one or two pieces of defensive armour which had hung at hand, behind the great chair on which he usually sat. Taking down a richly inlaid breast-plate, and which he had worn in his youth in the wars of the Low Countries, he fitted it on with care and precision, as one to whom the business of arming was a habit of easiness. He then indued a c.u.mbrous back-piece to match, buckled the shoulder-straps without a.s.sistance, and girded the whole tightly together with an embroidered belt round his waist. After which (laying aside the light rapier he usually wore), he adopted a stout, heavy-hilted, and somewhat ponderous blade, and thrusting a pair of enormous petronels and his dagger into his girdle, stept forth into the centre of the apartment completely equipped for the business on hand, and looking, what our readers of the present day would have termed, as perfect a specimen of Don Quixote de la Mancha as they could have wished to behold.

Those who looked upon his tall gaunt form and sinewy limbs, however, might see that, eccentric as was his appearance, he would be rather an awkward customer to engage with or offer an affront to; and so thought Grasp, when he beheld the knight's military toilette completed.

Nay, a sort of unpleasant feeling began to creep over him; a presentiment of hard knocks, bullets, and grievous wounds suddenly pervaded his mind, as he looked upon this military figure clattering about in his cuira.s.s, and coolly selecting his ponderous weapons for the nonce. For Grasp, it must be remembered, (albeit he lived in stirring times,) was a man of peace, and whose whole life nearly had been pa.s.sed in a small dark back office in the town of Warwick, where he had been brought up and initiated in all the tricks of his craft.

However, as he had been the exciting cause of Sir Thomas's taking the affair upon his hands, and as he knew the knight would be likely to make a clean business of it, he felt that now to hold back would be to lose all the advantage he had previously promised himself.

Could he but manage to be exceedingly prominent and useful in this capture, he felt certain that it would lead on to fortune.

"I have never yet fought," he said to himself, "except with my pen. Now I am going to wield a weapon which, if it be only half as deadly and destructive in my hands, I shall make unpleasant work withal. But, in good sooth, I feel as though I had rather _prepare_ the writ than _serve_ it in the present case."

So eager was Sir Thomas to pursue the adventure, and make capture of the conspirators with his own hand, that he tarried not for any of the customary formalities.

He resolved to take all responsibility upon himself, and "standing to no repairs," swoop upon the culprits. Accordingly, having mustered the serving-men he had warned for this service, and seen to their efficiency in regard to weapons with a military eye, the whole party wheeled out of the gate-house of Charlecote and took their way towards Stratford.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE ATTACK.

Many of our readers, who have searched with curious eye through the various localities and peculiar points of interest at Stratford, will doubtless recollect a small antiquated-looking inn, situated on the Avon's bank,--a building whose outward favour and stout-timbered walls, together with its ma.s.sive chimneys and general appearance, would proclaim it to have been a house of some mark in its day.

At the period of our story this building had degenerated from a goodly farm-house to a hostel called the Checquers, and was the house of entertainment generally used by the commoner sort of wayfarers. It was a house altogether of no very good repute, in which the brawl and the night-shriek might be occasionally heard by the more respectable dwellers in the town,--a house often visited too by the watch, and carefully looked after by the authorities.

It was a dwelling also often changing owners, and had been lately taken by a stranger, a dark, taciturn, evil-looking host, whose appearance n.o.body liked, consequently he was but ill supported.

In short, since the present landlord had been its occupant, save and except an occasional guest who appeared to have arrived from foreign parts, and departed as quickly and silently as he had come, the Checquers was almost without guests. So that, albeit its former dissolute repute might be said to have departed from it, the inn had now a.s.sumed a mysterious sort of note, and was as celebrated for closed doors and quietude, as it had before been for riot and open debauchery.

Some said the landlord was a Jesuit; others, that he was an emissary of the Spaniard; whilst others again affirmed he was both the one and the other, and all agreed that he was an ill-favoured, unneighbourly, and exceedingly disagreeable person.

It was at this hostel, Master Neville and his a.s.sociates had previously taken up their quarters, and here they had been frequently visited during the dark hours by certain cavaliers who hitherto had seldom remained till dawn.

Master Muddlework, the head constable of the town, had considered it consistent with his duty twice to visit the Checquers, in order to observe these suspicious-looking strangers, but each time he had done so he had failed in finding anything to fasten his suspicions upon; so that whether a good look-out was kept, and the major portion of the strangers had concealed themselves, or that they were really absent at the moment of his visit, the functionary had, as we have said, quite failed in observing anything unusual or particular; except it was the mysterious quietude and closed-up doors and shutters of the sometime rollicking hostel.

In short, nothing could exceed the degree of interest with which this inn and its occupants were at this moment regarded,--an interest which had become general throughout the town, all on a sudden apparently, and it was towards this hostel, as our readers doubtless are aware, that Sir Thomas Lucy and his party were now advancing.

To the suggestion of Grasp, that it would be better, he thought, to wait till the shadows of evening had descended before they approached the town, Sir Thomas gave a decided negative. All dark doings, he said, were foreign to his nature. He had proceeded by the shortest and most expeditious route towards his design, as in duty bound, the moment he heard of this vile a.s.semblage, and, Heaven willing, he would proceed as straight to the capture of the caitiffs.

With military precision and precaution, however, he gave directions so as to ensure the more sure success of his undertaking, and halting for a few moments in the road, he divided his party in twain, sending one portion full trot forwards, with orders to make a slight detour, and enter the town on the further side, whilst he so timed his own movements as to come within hail of the suspicious hostel at the precise moment his other party approached it.

This done, according to previous concert, the two portions extending from the right and left, in a moment completed a very pretty cordon around the hostel; so that not a mouse could shew its nose outside the walls without being seen. Quickly as this movement had been executed, it had been as quickly seen by the inmates apparently; for the door in the rear, which had been open the moment before, was immediately closed and secured.

This proceeding convinced Sir Thomas in a moment that the inmates of the hostel kept a good look-out, and at the same time led him to suspect what he indeed quickly found, namely, a desperate resistance. Such indeed might reasonably be expected, for the vigilance of the Queen's council was at this time so keen, and the various plots of the day so continually being discovered by one chance or other, that there was small hope of success, unless the utmost secresy was maintained.

Ordering his party instantly to dismount, (whilst the horses were put in charge of a small reserve,) Sir Thomas drew back and desired Grasp to advance to the fore door of the Checquers, and demand admittance in form.

"An it so please your wors.h.i.+p," said Grasp, "I had rather not take upon myself so much of the responsibility of the action as that would amount to. Your honour is a justice of the peace, and may therefore reasonably take the lead. I will follow and bear witness to the lawfulness of whatsoever it may please your valour to perform; but I had rather not strike the first blow."

"Or receive it either, I believe," said Sir Thomas, _sotto voce_. "'Tis well," he added aloud, and immediately setting spurs to his palfrey, he was, the next moment, beside the strong iron-studded front-door of the hostel, which he struck forcibly with the b.u.t.t-end of his riding-whip.

As he expected, the door was fastened, and to his repeated summons no answer was returned. At length he uplifted his voice, and in a loud tone, demanded instant admittance in the Queen's name. Upon this the lattice-window was thrown open, and a man's head appeared at it,--a pale, cadaverous-looking wretch, with long lank hair, and gla.s.sy and excited eye.

"What seek you here?" he said. "There is death in the house, and the doors are closed against visitors to-day."

"Let them open to those who come in the Queen's name," said Sir Thomas.

"I come to seize the persons of all within this house. Dead or alive, it matters not, I will arrest the bodies of all here consorting and a.s.sembling."

"Ah," said the man, "and who then art thou, thus commissioned, and from, whom hast thou such authority?"

"I am Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote," returned the knight, "and if I mistake not, thou art Ralph Somerville, of Warwick."

"And how if we refuse you admittance?" said Somerville. "How then, Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote?"

"Then I will make forcible entry," said Sir Thomas, "and those who oppose me must be content with the mishaps that attend such procedure."

"Of what are we accused, that we are thus molested in our retirement?"

said Somerville.

"Of high treason, in conspiring to take the life of our blessed and gracious Queen Elizabeth," said Sir Thomas.

"Then receive the wages of your service, heretic," said Somerville, at the same moment discharging the contents of a petronel full in Sir Thomas's visage.

The weapon was thrust so near to the face of the knight that the powder blackened his features, but the ball, luckily, just missed his head, and pa.s.sing downwards on his cuira.s.s, glanced off harmless.

"'Tis well," he said, with his usual coolness, as Somerville immediately closed the window. "Forwards, men, and force the doors instantly."

The house had, apparently, been prepared in antic.i.p.ation of such an a.s.sault; for, as the party advanced to the attack, several calivers were discharged from loop-holes, which had been made in the walls at the upper part, and two of Sir Thomas's men were shot dead ere they could reach the doors.

As the remainder, however, did so, they found the entrance so strongly barricaded that their efforts to get in were fruitless; whilst at the same time they were exposed to the bullets of those within during the attempt. Sir Thomas saw this in a moment, as he rode about superintending the affair, and indeed drawing several discharges from the besieged upon his own person.

With military quickness and decision he immediately dismounted, and rallying some half-a-dozen of his men who were bearing back from the hot fire of the besieged, he seized upon a ladder which he espied lying near a sort of outhouse in the rear. This he ordered his people to man on either side, and leading them on, sword in hand, they rushed with terrible force against the back door of the hostel, giving it such a shock, that door and lintels together were nearly uns.h.i.+pped.

"Another rush," cried Sir Thomas; "one more, and we have them!"

Accordingly on dashed the men with this novel battering-ram, and again and again they a.s.sailed the door. Any one who could have observed Grasp at this moment, would have doubtless considered that he had suddenly gone mad, since what between his anxiety to be amongst the first, and near Sir Thomas Lucy, and his mortal fear of the whistling b.a.l.l.s, he cut a most ridiculous figure. One moment he rushed forward, with the party who were using the ladder as a battering-ram; the next, as the sharp report of a well-loaded caliver jarred his ears, he fairly bolted off, turning again when he had gained a few paces to the rear, flouris.h.i.+ng his blue bag, and shouting at the a.s.sailants with all his might, to break in and take the rebels.

"Serve the warrant, take the body, seize the person!--Take them dead or alive!" he cried, as he jumped about. Meantime the ladder, being well and chivalrously managed, at about the fourth rush carried in the door, and Sir Thomas, with portentous strength, carried his body along with it into the kitchen of the inn, a petronel in one hand and his heavy rapier in the other, closely followed by his men. Contrary to his expectations, however, the apartment was empty; "Guard the entrance!" he cried, as he dashed into the next apartment. "The villains will escape us yet! Kill whoever attempts to get out!"

Rapidly, and followed by his men, Sir Thomas made search through the lower portion of the hostel, without, however, finding a soul, although it was evident they had but the moment before escaped, the rooms being filled with the smoke of their discharged fire-arms. Glancing round upon his followers, who were now for the most part within the hostel, he directed them instantly to search the upper flooring, whilst he kept guard below.

This was, however, more easily said than done. The staircase was found to be impracticable, being barricaded by a large quant.i.ty of f.a.ggots, which had been drawn up and jammed tightly together.

"Ah," said Grasp, whose ferret eyes were everywhere at once, "may I never draw an inference again, if I do not think the rogues have ascended by a ladder through yonder trap, and then drawn the ladder up after them."