With Ring of Shield Part 9

I did not think it well to tell her the conversation I had overheard the night of the great ball; for it could have done no good, and should but have alarmed her.

"And dost thou then think that the Duke of Gloucester is not honest?"

asked Hazel. "Why, he seems to be most honourable and just, so far as I have seen."

"So far as thou hast seen," I replied. "That distance is not great.

My father--rest his soul--saw this same Richard stab to the heart, without provocation, and in the coldest blood, young Edward, son of Henry. I've heard my father, with tears upon his cheeks, tell the tale of that foul deed.

"The young Prince, after Tewkesbury, was brought before King Edward and his brothers.

"'What meanest thou, so to rebel against the laws of England and her Sovereign, by thus taking up arms to disturb the peace of this thy native land?' asked our now dead King.

"'Proud and rebellious York,' replied the youth; 'by what right dost thou question us, thy true and lawful Sovereign? Hadst thou the loyalty equal to thine impertinence, thou wouldst now be at our feet, craving our pardon for this show of force before us, England's only King.'

"My father said 'twas grand to see the young Prince, as he did finish this speech, so full of dignity and power. His face was flushed with excitement, and with pride; and as he raised his hand to Heaven, as though asking of the powers there to bear him out, he looked as though he were inspired.

"Then Richard of Gloucester, now our _pro tem._ ruler, unable to look upon this righteous indignation, with his steel gauntlet, struck young Edward on that tender cheek. This proud bud of the n.o.ble flower of Lancaster could ill brook this insult; especially from one of a rival house. His hand flew to his dagger. Gloucester, who knew full well that this was but an impulse, pounced on the Prince, as doth the tiger on its tender prey, buried his weapon in that n.o.ble flesh, and, as the body fell upon the ground, he spurned it with his armoured foot.

This," I continued, "doth show the tenderness of Richard, and the treatment that they may expect, which do not please his Highness, the Protector. His words and his actions are of but distant kin."

"Then dost thou not think he will be bound by his oath, made to the King before his Majesty deceased?" asked Hazel.

"Indeed who can tell?" I replied. "Mayhap a year will show, mayhap two. He may be honest, and he may be not. Which course he doth find to be most profitable, it is mine opinion, he will follow."

Thus we spent most of the morning, discussing the policy of the new Protector; and methinks the surmises we made that morning in the park turned out to be as true as the great majority of the prophecies which are, even now, so prevalent in this glorious and enlightened reign of his most gracious Majesty, King Henry, of that name the eighth, which, despite his faults--and we all must have our own--is a most n.o.ble master.

CHAPTER X

I AM SENT TO LUDLOW

So the King was buried, with a great show of pomp, and much mourning, in the splendid chapel of Windsor Castle, by those which had followed him through his career of alternate suns.h.i.+ne and shadow. Many of these friends, who had basked in the rays of the sun of York, when the sky was clear, but who, when a cloud had come across its brilliant disk, found more congenial weather elsewhere, were now the loudest in their lamentations, as they followed the n.o.ble Edward's body to its last resting place.

The Queen scarce ate or slept for many days or nights; but walked her rooms, and wept and prayed. 'Twas a sad sight, as Hazel told me, to see her wander from one room to another, and gaze upon the articles which Edward so had loved. But when the King's body had been buried she seemed to cast off her sorrow as she would a garment. It was now her duty to protect the interests of her son. He must be brought from Ludlow Castle, whither he had been sent by his father, that his presence there might awe the Welsh, and keep them from revolting; for this was a habit that they had always had, and one which seemed hard for them to forget.

"Would that I had a faithful messenger to carry a letter to my brother.

I cannot tell who may be trusted. My son, Dorset, might be sent; but yet I need him here to counsel me."

"I know of one whom you may trust," said Hazel, who was present when the Queen had thus spoken to herself.

"Thou hast ever been a true girl, Hazel, and I love thee well. Tell me who this champion is, for well would I like to see a true man about this court."

"Sir Walter Bradley, may it please your Majesty. He it was which brought the news of the taking of Berwick, and who was rewarded by the late King, your husband."

"Ah, yes! I do remember me," said the Queen. "He should be a swift messenger. I will send for him at once."

So I was sent for, and found, and brought into the Queen's apartments.

"Sir Walter, thou hast been recommended to me as one of my only too few faithful friends." As I glanced hastily in Hazel's direction, her Majesty smiled as though she had read my heart. "I wish thee to be the bearer of a letter unto my brother, Lord Rivers, which now resides at Ludlow Castle. This business concerns my son, your King, and is therefore of great importance. I shall have the packet ready to-morrow morning; so thou wilt not have much time for thine adieux." And again she glanced at Hazel, and then at me, smiling the while, with that sweet smile which could have sent me through fire and water to serve this most excellent, and yet unfortunate, Queen.

"I shall be ready and waiting for thine instructions, Madam," I replied, as I bowed myself from the room.

Hazel followed me into the next apartment, with an anxious look upon her dear face. "Is thine arm yet healed enough for thee to make this journey, Walter dear?" she asked. "I had forgot thy wound, until I saw thee try to open the door, just now. I was so proud to have thee chosen as the Queen's messenger, when there are so many upon whom she hath conferred favours, and yet which she doth not trust, that I thought not of thy wound. Had I not better tell the Queen, and have her choose another?"

"Not for the world, my dear. It is too great an honour to fling to one side on account of a scratch, when one is chosen from so many which are more worthy of her trust. Besides, my wound is almost well." This latter was not in strict conformity with the scripture, which commands us to speak the truth; but it was necessary for me to keep her from saying anything to the Queen that might put a stop to my going.

I hastened to my rooms and instructed my servant to have everything in readiness for my journey in the morning. Then I went in search of Sir Frederick. I found him in his room, seated near the window, and poring over a volume of Virgil.

"Well, well!" cried I, "a pretty occupation for a soldier. For the love of Heaven leave such matters to the priests. I had too much of that ere I did buckle on the sword."

"My dear Bradley," he replied, "one can never have too much of such material.

"Do but listen:--

"'_Jamaque ibat dicto pareus et dona Cupido Regia portabat Tyrus, duce laetus Achate!_'"

"Stop, stop! if thou dost have any love or respect for me!" I cried.

"If thou goest on with that I shall surely die. The only Latin line that I do consider worth remembering was writ by one of those great pagans, and goeth somewhat in this manner:--'_Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori_.' That," I continued, "is a line for every soldier to remember.

"But come, leave the myth of a masquerading ancient for another time; for now, my friend, I must talk of other things, which are more real."

Then I told him of the Queen's commission.

"Dost thou not desire to have a companion on this journey?" he asked.

"Though, if I do go, this time thou must promise to not ride so fast as we did on our trip from Scotland."

"No, Frederick," I replied, "methinks it best that thou shouldst remain here. Your company, as thou knowest, would be greatly appreciated by me; yet do I think that thou couldst serve her Majesty better wert thou to stay at Windsor. All the n.o.bles are now flocking unto Gloucester's side, and she thinks that they do aim at lessening her influence over the King. If it be possible for thee to serve her I know that thou wilt do so. Heaven knows she doth need all the a.s.sistance she can get, if she has to cope with Gloucester."

"And of what use can I be against men of such power?" he asked.

"Perhaps none; yet thou mayst in some way serve her."

The next morning, after I had said farewell to Hazel, the Queen, Mary and Harleston, I set out on my journey, accompanied by three picked men of my command. Two of these fellows were men which had served under me ever since I had been at court, and had proven to be, both, most excellent swordsmen and trusty servants; that is so far as most of these men are trusty--the which is not an over strong recommendation.

The third was a mighty Irishman, by the name of Michael O'Brien, which had come to Windsor shortly after our return from Scotland. I knew nothing of him; but he had a face of exceeding honesty, and besides, his giant strength was equal to that of four soldiers of the general kind.

My trip was quite uneventful and monotonous.

In order that I may let you know the length of time that it doth take for news to travel in the country I will tell ye a little incident, by way of ill.u.s.tration.

When we reached Tewkesbury, near which Edward had won his battle, and where Henry's son was murdered, it was the time of day when we must needs rest and refresh ourselves. When I had entered an inn--which seemed the best afforded by the town--and was seated at table a sedate looking old gentleman came and sat himself down on the side opposite to me.

"I crave thy pardon, young sir, for my freedom in thus addressing thee, who are, to me, a stranger; but I perceive, from the trappings of thy horse, that thou dost come from court. Indeed at one time I did know the names of most all of the grand court ladies; for I have not always lived in these G.o.d forsaken parts," added the old man, with some show of pride. "But all this is beside the mark," he continued. "When I espied thee I came over to thee that I might enquire concerning the health of his Majesty."

"He hath not yet been brought to Windsor, or Westminster, and, as he now resides at Ludlow, of his health I cannot speak."

"But when went he unto Ludlow?" asked the inquisitive old man.

"Now that I do not remember," I replied; "but, as I think, it was some months before his father died."