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

Them. I Cannot Ask A

Plain Question, Without Being Answered In Riddles That Would Have

Crazed The Brain Of Oedipus."

  

 

The Person Addressed, A Grave Man, Of Middle Age, And The Same Who Had

Had The Words With Endicott About The Cutting Out Of The Cross, Took

The Questioner Aside, And, As Soon As They Were Out Of Hearing,

Answered:

 

  

"Truly Am I Afraid That I Shall Also Be Involved In Thy Condemnation

Of Those Who Return Answers After The Manner Of The Sphynx; But, To Be

Short, There Have Two Ships Lately Arrived From England, Bringing, It

Is Said, Unpleasant Tidings Touching Sir Christopher Gardiner."

 

  

"What Be These Tidings?" Inquired Arundel, Noticing That The Speaker

Hesitated.

 

 

"I Neither Am, Nor Desire To Be, In The Confidence Of The Government,"

Answered Colonel Mcmahon, Haughtily, The Wounds Inflicted On Whose

Loyalty By The Mutilation Of The Standard, Were Not Yet Healed; "And

The Information I Have Is Derived From A Private Source And Uncertain

Rumor. For The Former, The Knight Is Pointed At As An Agent Of Sir

Ferdinando Gorges; For The Latter, It Becomes Me Not To Heed The Idle

Chatter Of The Vulgar."

  

 

"Comports It With Your Sense Of Propriety To Reveal More?" Asked

Arundel.

 

 

 "Were I Never So Desirous," Said The Colonel, Courteously, "I Should

Be Unable. In Fact, What I Have Told Is The Sum Of My Knowledge. I

Could, Indeed, Indulge In Surmises Based On Rumor, But That Were Too

Much Like The Gossiping Of Old Women, And Both Unbecoming In Me To

Speak And In You To Hear, More Especially As That Rumor Attaints In

Other Respects The Fair Fame Of Your Friend. It Is Different With The

Base-Born Scullions Around Us, Who Are Licensed To Utter Whatever

Their Unruly Imaginations May Conceive; But A Gentleman Will Not Allow

Epithets Upon His Tongue To The Disparagement Of Another, Which, After

All, May Be False."

 

  

Having Thus Spoken, The Colonel Raised His Steeple-Crowned Hat In A

Formal Manner, Slightly Bending His Body, And Walked Up To The

Landlord, To Whom He Paid His Score, And Then Left The Apartment.

 

 

"I Will Endure This No Longer," Said Arundel To Himself, Putting On

His Own Hat. "I Will Seek The Governor Immediately, And Demand From

Him Its Explanation."

 

 

 Upon Arriving At The House Of Winthrop, He Learned, With A Feeling Of

Disappointment, That The Governor Was Absent On A Visit At Plymouth,

And He Turned Reluctantly Away, In Order To Communicate To The Rough

Dudley, Instead Of The Polished Chief Magistrate, The Result Of The

Mission, And To Obtain That Information Which Would Enable Him To Give

Shape To The Chaotic Rumors.

 

 

 e Was Received With Neither Cordiality Nor Incivility By The Deputy

Governor, To Whom The Young Man Communicated The Success Of The

Conciliatory Efforts Of Sir Christopher With The Taranteens, And At

The Same Time Delivered The Knight's Message. His Auditor Listened In

Grim Silence, Interrupting Him By No Inquiry, Nor Did He, When The

Communication Was Finished, Vouchsafe A Word Of Thanks For The Service

Rendered. Dudley Had Been A Soldier In His Youth, Having Received A

Captain's Commission From Queen Elizabeth, And Commanded A Company Of

Volunteers Under The Chivalrous Henry Fourth Of France, At The Siege

Of Amiens, In 1597; And, If He Had Not The Quality Of Frankness By

Nature, Had Acquired An Appearance Of It In The Camp, Together With A

Military Decision And Roughness Of Manner. It Was Not His Wont To

Disguise His Feelings, And On The Present Occasion They Were Obvious,

Even Before He Opened His Lips To Speak. When Arundel Had Concluded,

He Waited For The Comments Of The Deputy, Nor Had He To Wait Long.

First, However, Dudley Inquired,

 

  

"Is There Nothing More Thou Wouldst Communicate?"

 

  

"If There Be Any Thing Of Importance Or Of Public Concern Omitted, It

Is Done Unwittingly," Said Arundel.

  

 

"Then Is Thy News Most Jejune And Unsatisfactory, Seeing That Our

Condition Is Neither War Nor Peace, But Of Sort Of Armed Truce, Liable

To Be Broken At Any Moment By These Treacherous Savages. I Am Not To

Be Deceived By The Promise, That, For The Present, We Need Fear No

Hostilities. I Know Their Craft. If They Refuse Formally To Make

Peace, They Are Preparing For War. Well, They May Try Their Hand. But

I Am Disappointed In The Opinion I Had Of The Extent Of The Influence,

By Some Means Acquired, Over The Indians By This Sir Christopher

Gardiner, If He Indeed Have Authority To Bear The Title."

 

  

"Who Dares To Say," Exclaimed Arundel, Whose Irritation This Fresh

Taunt Increased, "That Sir Christopher Assumes A Title Which Belongs

Not To Him, Or To Asperse In Any Respect His Character?"

 

  

"It Will Come To Light," Said Dudley, "In Its Own Time; But Tell Me

Now, Wherefore Made Not The Knight, As You Choose To Call Him, His

Appearance Himself? Methinks Such Proceeding Were More Respectful To

The Authority Which Commissioned Him."

 

  

The Brow Of The Young Man Flushed At The Rude Speech, And It Was With

Difficulty That He Restrained His Feelings; But He Succeeded So Far As

To Reply With An Appearance Of Tolerable Calmness, That It Was Only

That Morning They Had Returned, And That The Knight Purposed To

Present Himself On The Morrow, Being Detained For The Present By

Reasons Which Doubtless Ought To Be Satisfactory.

 

  

"It Were Strange," Said The Surly Dudley, "If His Private Affairs

Should Be Of More Importance Than The Interests Of Our Commonwealth;

And Yet It Seems That The Former Do, In His Estimation, Outweigh The

Latter."

 

  

"I Pray Of Your Goodness To Pardon The Fault," Said Arundel, Who Was

Determined That Nothing Should Provoke His Anger Again That Day. "Sure

Am I That, Had The Knight Of The Golden Melice Known The Importance

Attached To His Presence, He Had Come Forthwith, Without Stopping For

Rest, Or To Change His Soiled Garments, Instead Of Sending Me, His

Unfortunate And Most Unworthy Substitute." 

 

 

"I Like Not This Fantastic Title," Said Dudley, Whose Ill-Humor Seemed

Not At All Soothed By The Gentle Language Of The Young Man, But Rather

To Increase. "I Like It Not, Whether It Be An Idle Appendage Stuck On

By The Humorous Learning Of Winthrop, As I Have Heard, Or A Quaint

Conceit Springing Out Of The Man's Own Vanity. I Deny Not Honor And

Dignity, Where They Rightfully Belong, But What Is To Become Of The

Realities, If The Shams Receive An Equal Consideration?"

 

  

"I Wander Like A Man In A Mist, Who Sees Not A Foot Before Him," Said

Arundel. "I Have Entreated Your Worship To Deal More Plainly With Me,

But It Has Been Your Pleasure To Seem As If You Heard Me Not; And, For

The Report Which, In The Discharge Of My Duty, I Have Made, I Have

Received Only Innuendos Against The Fair Fame Of My Friend, And Which

Do, In Some Sense, Alight Upon Myself. From Whatever Quarter They May

Proceed, I Scorn And Defy Them, And Brand Them As False; And, I Doubt

Not, The Appearance Of Sir Christopher Will Force His Detractors To

Disappear, Even Like So Many Whipped Curs."

 

  

Arundel Spoke With A Feeling Of Anger, Notwithstanding His Resolution

To Keep Command Over Himself, And Rose To Take His Leave. The Spirit

Which He Had Shown In His Last Speech, So Far From Displeasing The

Deputy, Had A Contrary Effect; For, Rising Himself, Dudley Grasped His

Visitor's Hand, And Dismissed Him With Less Frigidity Than He Had

Received Him. Something Also He Said, As If In Excuse Of His Conduct,

About The Necessity Of Caution, Amounting Sometimes To Unreasonable

Suspicions On The Part Of The Rulers Of A Weak Colony, Depending More

Upon The Wisdom Of Its Counsels Than Upon Force For Its Existence,

Intimating At The Same Time, That If Any Suspicions Were Attached To

The Young Man, It Was Doubtless More In Consequence Of His Accidental

Connection With Sir Christopher, Than Because He Deserved Them.

 

 

 t Is Natural That Arundel, After His Long Absence, And The Unpleasant

Events Of The Day, Should Desire To Derive Some Consolation From The

Society Of His Mistress. We Are Not Surprised, Therefore, To Find Him

Taking His Way Toward The House Of The Assistant Spikeman, In The Hope

Of Receiving Some Signal Which Would Permit Him To Enter. Nor Was He

Disappointed--Prudence, With A Light Kerchief Thrown Over Her Head,

Being Just Stepping Out Of The Door On An Errand To Some Neighbor As

He Came Up. The Girl Gave A Pretty Start As She Beheld Arundel, Partly

Natural And Partly Affected, And Then Beckoned To Him To Enter.

 

 

 "O! How You Frighted Me!" She Said, After She Had Carefully Closed The

Door. "You Have Sent All The Blood Into My Heart; And It Flutters So!"

  

 

"I Will Bring It Back Again Into Thy Cheeks, Where It Shows So

Prettily," Replied Arundel, Saluting Her.

 

 

 "Fie! Master Miles," Exclaimed Prudence, But Not Looking At All

Displeased. "It Is Well Master Prout Sees Thee Not. Well, What Do You

Want? I Suppose You Came To See Me?"

 

  

"I Have Seen Thee, Pretty Prudence, And Am So Unreasonable As To

Desire Also To Be Shown To Thy Mistress. She Is Well?"

 

 

 

"I Humbly Thank Your Worship," Said The Girl, Curtseying Awkwardly,

And Snuffling Through Her Nose In A Manner Intended To Ridicule The

Grave Puritans, "Worthy Dame Spikeman Is Well In Body, Albeit Ill In

Spirit, Being Afflicted With A Grievous Visitation Called A Husband."

 

  

"Come, Come, You Mad-Cap Girl," Said The Young Man, Laughing At The

Caricature, "Pervert Not My Meaning, But Show Me The Way To Mistress

Eveline. If Thou Wilt, I Promise Thee A Husband For Thyself In Good

Time."

  

 

"From Plague, Pestilence, Famine, And Husbands, (I Did Ever Think The

Litany Deficient,) Good Lord Deliver Us," Exclaimed Prudence, Holding

Up Her Hands. "Do I Look, Forsooth, Like One In Need Of A Husband, Or

Likely To Assist My Young Mistress Therewith? She Deserves Better At

My Hands. I See, Besides, Master Miles, That You Are Ignorant Of The

Law In This Blessed Country, Which Forbids Young Men To Woo Maidens. I

Know All About It, For I Had It From The Lips Of A Venerable

Assistant. Shall I Rehearse It To You?"

 

  

"Why, What Has Got Into The Girl?" Said Arundel, Tired Of This

Foolery. "I Prithee No More, Sweet Prudence, But Conduct Me At Once To

Eveline. Consider How Long It Is Since I Saw Her."

 

  

"Nay, An' You Come To Calling Me Sweet, There Is No Resisting You. I

Do Love Sweet Things, And It Is Pleasant To Be Called Sweet By Some

Persons. I Will Delay You No Longer," She Added, Resuming Her Natural

Manner, "Since Mistress Eveline Must By This Time Have Made Up Her

Toilette. So, Please You, Follow Me."

 

 

 

So Saying, She Tripped Forward, And Ushered Arundel Into A Room, Where

We Have Already Seen Him, And Retired. Almost Instantly, The Beautiful

Eveline Came In With A Smile Upon Her Lips And A Blush On Her Cheeks,

For From Her Room, The Door Of Which Was Open In That Warm Season, She

Had Overheard The Whole Conversation, As Indeed Prudence Had Intended

She Should.

 

 

"A Strange Way, Miles," She Said, Biting Her Red Lips To Restrain A

Laugh, "To Show The Devotedness Of Your Affection To The Mistress By

Kissing The Maid. Is It A Fashion Taught Thee By The Savages?"

 

  

Arundel, Notwithstanding The Words Of Eveline, Could Not Discover Much

Severity Either In The Tones Of Her Voice Or The Glances Of Her Eyes,

For Those Were Days When Scarcely So Great A Delicacy Of Manners

Prevailed As In The Present; And, Catching Her To His Bosom, He Found

Little Difficulty In Obtaining Pardon For His Fault.

 

 

 "Ah, You Know, Miles," Said Eveline, Withdrawing Herself From His

Embrace, "That A Maiden Who Scolds Her Lover Has More Than Half

Forgiven Him Already."

 

 

 It Is Unnecessary To Dwell Upon The Particulars Of A Meeting, Which,

Even Without Experience Of Like Scenes, The Imagination Will Suggest,

And Which, Lacking The Spice Of Personal Interest, Might Appear Tame,

Even To Those Whose Recollection Of Early Emotions Still Has Power To

Send The Blood With A Livelier Glow Through The Heart. From His

Conversation With Eveline, The Apprehensions In Regard To Sir

Christopher, Which Began To Invade The Mind Of Arundel, Were

Increased, Although His Fears Were Of An Indefinite Character. Without

Being Able To Determine Exactly What Were The Accusations Against The

Knight, Of One Thing At Least He Became Certain--That They Were

Commonly Considered Of Too Serious A Nature To Be Passed By In

Silence; That Any Services Would Hardly Screen Him From Censure Or

Punishment Of Some Sort, If They Were Proved; And That Spikeman Was

Exerting His Malignity Against Him To An Extraordinary Degree.

 

 

 Upon Leaving Eveline, Arundel Meditated On The Conduct He Ought To

Adopt, Whether To Remain And Await The Arrival Of Sir Christopher On

The Next Day, As He Originally Intended, Or To Return And Inform Him

Of What He Had Learned. That Some Calamity Threatened His Friend, Was

Plain. What It