The Knight Of The Golden Melice, John Turvill Adams [the reading list TXT] 📗

Ill-Will Of

Malignant Spirits Among Us, Who, Through The Pequot, Have Been

Disappointed In Expectations Of Trade."

 

  

There Was No Difference Of Opinion Between The Two, And It Was

Understood That They Should Be Silent On The Subject.

  

 

"Master Spikeman," Said The Knight, Addressing The Assistant Who Now

Met Them, "It Is A Pity We Had Not The Benefit Of Thy Prudent Counsels

In A Matter That Hath Just Happened; Yet Do I Trust That Our Conduct

Will Be Approved By Thy Better Judgment."

  

 

"Sir Christopher Gardiner Stands In No Need Of The Sanction Of My Poor

Opinion For Anything It May Please Him To Do," Answered Spikeman. "But

Resolve Me Your Riddle."

  

 

"Know You Not That The Ambassadors Have Left In Anger?"

  

 

"I Know It, And The Knowledge Fills Me With Foreboding Sorrow."

  

 

"Whether We Should Have Detained Or Allowed Them To Depart In Their

Present Frame Of Mind, Is The Question Which I Would Submit To Thy

Decision?"

 

  

"I Presume Not To Arraign Any Conclusion, Whereunto Either The

Worshipful Deputy Or Sir Christopher Gardiner May Arrive. Doubtless,

They Acted After Grave Consideration." 

 

 

"Yet, Being Asked, Tell Me, With Thy Usual Candor, Master Spikeman,

What You Yourself Would Have Done In Like Circumstances?" 

 

 

The Assistant Saw The Snare, And Determined That The Knight Should

Derive No Advantage From The Question. He Perceived That The Object

Was To Estop, By His Admissions, Any Objections To The Course Pursued

In Permitting The Taranteens To Leave, Which He Might Afterwards Be

Disposed To Make. He, Therefore, Replied:

 

  

"Never Be It Said That I Officiously Obtruded An Opinion; But, Sir

Christopher, Thus Urged, I Confess That It Had Better Pleased Me Had

The Savages Been Detained. Opportunity Might Then Have Been Afforded

To Disabuse Their Ignorance And Convince Them Of Our Innocence."

 

  

"I Will Not Say Thou Art In The Wrong, But If The Excellent Dudley

Erred, It Is A Strange Departure From His Ordinary Admirable

Judgment."

  

 

"I Pray Thee To Understand That I Impugn Not The Action Of The

Judicious Deputy Governor; But Wherefore Gave You Not--You Who Are So

Well Acquainted With The Nature Of These Heathens--Advice To Stop Them

For The Present?"

  

 

"And How Know You I Gave It Not? But Truly, Master Spikeman, I Did

Not. I Trust I Am Not Forward To Speak Before Princes. For What Saith

Holy Scripture: 'Even A Fool, When He Holdeth His Peace, Is Counted

Wise; And He That Shutteth His Lips Is Esteemed A Man Of

Understanding.' Yet Had I Seen Any Imminent Danger From Allowing The

Departure Of The Savages, Believe Me I Had Spoken, Even At The Risk Of

Incurring The Dishonor To See My Counsel Rejected."

  

 

"It Is Evident, Sir Christopher, That You Have Grave Doubts On The

Subject. Now, Methinks, It Had Been Well To Remember (Casting Aside,

As An Inconvenient Garment, These Scruples) What The Wise King Of

Israel Also Said, In Another Place: 'Where No Counsel Is, The People

Fall; But In The Multitude Of Counsellors There Is Safety.'"

  

 

"It Pains Me," Answered The Knight, Whose Courtesy Increased With The

Other's Coldness, "Not To Obtain Thine Approval. But, Master Spikeman,

Now That We Are Alone, (For Arundel, At The Very Beginning Of The

Conversation, Without Greeting, Or In Any Wise Noticing, The

Assistant, Had Passed On And Was Out Of Sight), I Avail Myself Of The

Good Chance To Avow My Anxious Desire To Secure Thy Friendship."

  

 

"If Such Truly Be The Wish Of Sir Christopher Gardiner," Returned The

Assistant, "It Is A Thing Easy To Be Compassed."

 

  

The Countenance Of The Knight Lighted Up, As He Replied, "I Rejoice

Greatly At Thy Words." 

 

 

"But," Continued Spikeman, "I Am A Man Of Deeds And Not Of Words. I

Will Be Plain With You, Sir Christopher, And Show You That It Is No

Fault Of Mine That I Have Been Unable (However Much Desiring It) To

Look Upon You As A Well Wisher Of Mine, But Your Own. Have You Not

Interfered In Favor Of, And Harbored, That Philip Joy, Convicted Of

Contumelious Language Against The Magistrates And Elders, And Whom, I

Have Reason To Believe, Is Specially Evil-Disposed Toward Myself; And

Are You Not Now In Open Familiarity With, And A Supporter Of This

Young Man, Who But Just Now Parted From You; Who Deigned Not, Even By

A Look, To Notice Me; And Whose Business Here Seems To Be To Scatter

Reports Intended To Work Detriment To My Character? It Is Conduct Like

This Which Hath Separated Us One From The Other."

 

  

"Master Spikeman," Said The Knight, Deprecatingly, "The Relation

Wherein I Stand To Philip Is Of Public Notoriety, And, Therefore,

Cannot Be Unknown To You; And, Meseems, Is Sufficient To Excuse The

Slight Favor I Show Him. Yet, Herein Will I Approve Myself Loyal Unto

My Regard For Thee. I Believe Thou Errest In Ascribing An Evil Intent

On The Part Of Philip, But If He Cherish Any Such, I Will Take Order

With Him, Which Shall Redound To Thy Satisfaction. As For This Master

Arundel, Thou Layest More Stress Upon A Casual Acquaintance With Him

Than It Deserves. I Countenance Him Not. I Attach No More Consequence

To What He May Say Than Belongs To The Prattle Of A Beardless Boy.

Wouldst Have Me Rude To One Who Enlivens My Solitude, Being Fresh With

News From The Old World, And Who Visits Me Only Through A Like Love

With Myself Of Sylvan Sports?"

  

 

"I Presume Not To Dictate To Sir Christopher Gardiner," Said Spikeman,

Coldly, "Who Shall Be His Associates, Or What Course In Any Respect He

Shall Pursue. You Will Remember That Your Exculpation (Such As It Is)

Was Volunteered By Yourself."

  

 

The Eyes Of The Knight Fell To The Ground At This Ungracious Reply, So

That His Resentment, If He Felt Any, Was Hid Under Their Drooping

Lids. A Faint Suffusion Passed Over His Face, But After The Pause Of A

Moment, He Extended His Hand With A Smile, While He Said:

  

 

"I Will Find Means To Dissipate This Delusive Cloud That Interposes

Itself Betwixt Us. Meanwhile, Accept My Hand, In Token That, However

Changed Thyself, I Remain The Same."

  

 

It Was Impossible To Refuse To Take The Hand So Offered, But It Was

With No Cordial Grasp The Assistant Received It: And The Two Parted

With Feelings Of Aversion To One Another, Strengthened By The

Interview.

 

 

Chapter XVI (And, Douglass, More I Tell Thee Here, Even In Thy Pitch Of Pride,-- Here, In Thy Hold, Thy Vassals Near, * * * * I Tell Thee Thou'rt Defied.)

 Marmion.

 

 

Three Weeks Followed After The Events Recorded, Without The Occurrence

Of Anything Deserving Special Mention. The Life Of The Colonists Went

On As Usual, In Erecting New Tenements, In Cultivating Their Farms,

And In Such Other Occupations As Their Situation Made Necessary. But

Little Was Seen Of The Knight In The Settlement, It Being Understood

That He Was Amusing Himself As Usual In The Sports Of The Forest. He

Did Occasionally, However, Make His Appearance In The Village, In The

Prosperity Of Which He Manifested An Interest. Notwithstanding The

Slighting Manner In Which He Had Spoken Of Arundel, And The

Displeasure Of Spikeman At The Favor Which He Showed The Young Man,

His Conduct Toward Him Remained Unchanged. As Before, Arundel Was

Frequently At Sir Christopher's Place, And Often Accompanied Him On

Short Expeditions, Though Never On Distant Excursions, Which Required

Several Days.

 

  

The Interest Of The Young Man In The Knight Increased Daily. Sir

Christopher's Manners Were So Gracious, His Temper So Sweet And

Equable, And The Sentiments He Expressed So Noble, That It Was

Impossible An Ingenuous Youth Should Escape Their Fascination. Yet Did

Arundei Fancy That The Attachment Which He Felt Was Hardly Returned.

It Might Be A Mere Fancy Springing From A Jealous Sensitiveness, Which

Is Disappointed If It Be Not Paid In The Full Measure Of Its Own Coin.

Perhaps The Inexperienced Youth Was Unreasonable In Expecting From His

Senior, Schooled To Greater Caution By Intercourse With The World, The

Demonstrativeness Which Characterized His Own Conduct. Be It As It

May, Upon More Acquaintance, The Knight Seemed To His Young Friend To

Resemble Nothing So Much As A Polished Rapier, Which, While It Shines

To The Eye, Is Cold To The Touch. Of The Pale Lady Geraldine He Saw

Little. He Had Noticed Accidentally A Circumstance In Reference To

Her, For Which He Was Unable To Account. Having Arrived Late One

Afternoon At The Residence Of The Knight, He Found, Upon Inquiring

After Him, That He Had Been Absent Several Days, And Was Not Expected

To Return For Two Or Three More. Arundel Then Asked To See The Lady,

But Was Answered That She Was Confined Sick To Her Room And Unable To

Receive Any One. Late As It Was, For The Sun Was Setting, He Was

Preparing To Return To The Settlement, When He Heard Sounding From The

Edge Of The Forest The Knight's Hunting Horn. He Stepped To The Outer

Door, And Beheld Sir Christopher Advancing With The Lady.

  

 

The Former Was Habited In His Usual Hunting Gear, While The Dress Of

The Lady Geraldine Consisted Of An Over-Coat Of Dark Cloth, Falling

Just Below The Knee, Fitting Tightly About The Chest, And Rising High

Into The Neck. On Her Feet Were Moccasins, Of The Natural Russet Shade

Of The Leather, Laced Up The Calf Of The Leg, So That They Nearly

Reached The Skirt, And On Her Head She Wore A Black Leather Cap,

Ornamented With An Ostrich's Feather, Beneath The Protection Of Which

Her Hair Fell Down In Plaits Upon Her Back. The Dress Was A Mixture Of

The Civilized And Of The Savage, And As She Approached, With A Little

Color In Her Cheeks, Occasioned By The Exercise, Arundel Thought That

She Looked Even Beautiful. Her Manner Appeared To Him To Betray

Confusion, But There Was No Embarrassment On The Part Of The Knight.

He Welcomed His Visitor With His Customary Politeness, Merely

Inquiring How Long It Was Since He Had Arrived, Adding, That His

Cousin Had Been Persuaded To Accompany Him On A Hunting Expedition,

For The Sake Of Her Health, Which Would Account For The Disorder Of

His House. The Two Were Accompanied By Several Natives, Among Whom Was

The Little Girl; But Their Hunt It Would Seem Had Been Unsuccessful,

For They Had Not Much Game. A Falsehood Had Been Told By The Domestic,

Evidently To Conceal The Absence Of The Lady, Which Arundel Could

Explain Only On The Supposition That It Was Designed To Mislead Others

And Not Himself, And Was Said To Him Only Because The Servant Was

Unable To Discriminate.

  

 

In Spite Of The Vigilance Of Spikeman, Arundel, Aided By The Cunning

Of Prudence, And The Connivance Of The Assistant's Wife, Had Two Or

Three Times Seen Eveline; And The Lovers, With Protestations Of

Eternal Fidelity, Encouraged Each Other To Look Forward To Happier

Days. Philip Joy Too, Though In Disobedience To The Orders Of The

Knight, Who Had Strictly Commanded Him Not To Put Foot Upon The Soil

Under The Jurisdiction Of Winthrop, Continued To Keep Up A

Communication With His Mistress. Pretty Prudence, Like A Beleaguered

City Hard Bested, Kept The Enemy Spikeman At Bay; Nor Did He, With All

His Parallels And Circumvallations, Make Any Progress. Not So,

However, Thought The Assistant, (For What Man Cannot The Cunning Of A

Coquette Deceive?) Who Every Once In A While Fancied The Fortress Was

About To Capitulate. Whenever He Began To Despair, A Few Sweet Smiles,

Or A Word Of Encouragement, Were Sufficient To Re-Kindle Hope; For

Though The Girl Hated Him, She Yet Took A Mischievous Pleasure In

Practising Her Caprices On Him, And Keeping Him Dangling At Her Apron

Strings.

  

 

Such Was The State Of Things, When One Morning A Canoe Was Seen

Entering The Harbor Of Boston, Containing A Couple Of Indians. They

Paddled Directly Up To The Wharf, Where Several Persons Were Standing,

Looking On, While Others Were Engaged In Various Employments Connected

With Commerce, And Sedately Stepping On Shore, One Of Them Hauled