In Doublet and Hose Part 30

"'Yet still he is mine enemy,'" mocked Mrs. Shelton. "Marry, girl! 'Tis marvelous hate that thou showest when thou dost call to him when he hath been brought into durance. 'Yet still he is mine enemy.'" She laughed.

"Make merry, an ye will, mistress," said Francis, "but still is it as I tell ye."

"There, child! I meant not to vex thee," appeased the woman who had grown fond of Francis, so long had she been in her keeping. "I must learn more of the lad."

"Do find why he hath been committed," cried the girl eagerly. "I can but wonder at it. Hath he too been engaged in treasonable enterprise----"

"Nay;" interrupted Mrs. Shelton, "for then he would have entered under the tower of St. Thomas through the Traitor's Gate."

In a few days she reported to Francis that the charge against him was a nominal one. He seemed to be committed only to be restrained of his liberty and was given the privilege of the Tower, wandering through the wards at pleasure save only that he could not pa.s.s the outer walls of the fortress.

And so it happened one day that when Francis, attended by Mrs. Shelton, was taking the air in the lieutenant's garden Edward Devereaux chanced to be walking there also. Seeing them he doffed his bonnet and approached, deferentially speaking to Mrs. Shelton:

"Gracious madam, may I be permitted to speak with your charge?"

"It is not the custom for one prisoner to hold converse with another, young sir," replied Mrs. Shelton. "But, as ye are enemies, I will indulge thy request, albeit ye speak that I may hear all."

"I thank you, madam, for your courtesy," replied the youth bowing.

"Mistress Francis, how fare you?"

"Well, Master Devereaux," answered Francis. "That is," she added, "as well as one may fare who rests under the displeasure of the queen."

"You say truly," sighed Devereaux. "Yet, me thinks that to be under the queen's displeasure brings not more ill than to stand high in her grace."

"What mean you, Master Devereaux?"

"Why, truly, you lie under her ill will, and so abide in this grim fortress; while I, who am her favorite page, do dwell in the same place."

"But wherefore?" asked Francis. "Of what crime hast thou been guilty?"

"None, Francis. Save and except that I wearied of the court and its vain pleasures. I would play a man's part as did Sir Phillip Sidney. There was a man, n.o.ble, chivalrous and brave! Ready to adventure all things, yet he was the flower of courtesy! He was my example. I wished, like him, to achieve renown, and so when the news came that the Armada was about to embark from Spain, I asked her leave to go with Drake, who was to set sail for Cadiz to obstruct the Spanish fleet's progress. She refused to let me go, and so I ran away to Plymouth, where was my Lord Howard in charge of our s.h.i.+ps there awaiting the coming of the enemy. But the queen held me in so much favor that she feared for my safety, and so sent after me, and had me conveyed hither to remain until the danger be over.

Gramercy!" he broke forth his lips curling with scorn, "am I to stay here mewed up like a girl when every son of England should be in arms against the Spaniard?"

"But are the Spaniards coming, in truth, Edward?"

"So rumor hath it, Francis. 'Twas said that they have set sail already, but I know not the truth of the matter."

"Thou art not much changed," said Francis presently.

"But thou art, Francis. Thou art taller, and thinner; yea, and paler,"

observed Devereaux with such a note of compa.s.sion in his voice that Francis flushed. The youth noted her annoyance and added quickly: "And still do you wear the dress of a page? Fie, Francis! art so enamored of male attire?"

"Nay; Master Devereaux," replied Francis. "I marvel that I tell thee why I do so, seeing that it concerns thee not, but I wish not to don my maiden dress until my father bids me. How long that will be, I trow not, since I have heard naught of him since I came to this place."

"Thy father dwells in France. He with some others of the conspirators succeeded in escaping to that country."

"And Lord Shrope? How is he? Fain would I know, for truly he hath been mine only friend in this dire time of need."

"Lord Shrope hath been in the Netherlands for nigh two years past, Francis."

"Marry, child!" exclaimed Mrs. Shelton. "Then it could not have been he who sent thee all those things."

"No; who, who could it have been? Methought in all England I had no friend but him. Would that I knew the donor's name that I might cherish it forever."

"'Twas thine enemy, Francis. Oh, stupid girl, where are thine eyes! See, his looks betray him," laughed Mrs. Shelton.

"Was it thou, Edward Devereaux?" demanded Francis.

"Well, what if it were thine enemy, Francis? What then? Wouldst still cherish his name?"

"Surely it was not thee, Edward Devereaux?"

"It was even I, Francis Stafford."

"But why, why?" asked she in bewilderment. "You are mine enemy and the son of my father's enemy. Why then shouldst thou show such favor to me?"

"I robbed thee of that deer, Francis. 'Twas fitting that I should amend the theft if possible." A merry twinkle crept into Edward's eye. "And thou hast still to forgive me the blow I struck thee in our encounter."

"I should thank thee, Master Devereaux," said Francis constrainedly. "I do thank thee from my heart, though I see no cause yet for thy action. At another season perchance I may be able to thank thee in manner more befitting the courtesy. I thought it from a friend, and it grieves me that I find it otherwise. Pray you pardon me that I can do no more than say, I thank you."

"'Tis enough," answered Edward. "At another season perchance thou mayst find it in thy heart to say, 'Ned, I forgive thee the deer; I forgive thee the blow that thou gavest me, and I forgive thee that thou art mine enemy.'"

"It may be," said the girl coldly. "Come, good mistress, 'tis time that we did go in. And so fare you well, Master Devereaux."

"Fare you well, mistress," answered Devereaux courteously.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE ESCAPE

Frequently after this Francis saw Edward Devereaux in the garden, but she preserved such a distant demeanor toward him that the youth did not dare to address her.

"Fie upon thee, lady bird," chided Mrs. Shelton. "Is it thus that thou dost requite such favor? Thou dost not deserve to be remembered."

"But I thought that the gifts came from Lord Shrope," said Francis. "And they are from mine enemy."

"But they served the self-same purpose, chuck, as if they were in truth from him. Did they not rouse thee from thy depression? I tell thee that I have been long in these grim walls, and I have seen men of high degree forgotten and forsaken by friends. They have remained here years without one token from without. Thou hast been favored to no small extent, and now thou dost repine and will not touch thy guitar because, forsooth, 'twas sent thee by 'thine enemy.' Marry! Pray Heaven send me such enemies!"

"It may be that I have been somewhat ungracious," said Francis penitently. "If thou wilt permit, good mistress, I will tell the lad so.

But I wish it had been my Lord Shrope."

"Out upon thee for such a wish, child! Marry! to desire to be remembered by an old man rather than by a young, handsome----" she laughed and added slyly, "enemy. Were he not in the queen's favor thou couldst not have liberty to speak with him, and thou art foolish to let slip such opportunity for converse. The queen may repent her of his imprisonment at any time, and then thou mayst never see another to hold communion with."

"Am I always to stay here, Mrs. Shelton?" asked Francis wistfully.