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

Was, Was Not So Evident. The Only Cause Of Complaint

Against Him He Could Discern, Was A Supposed Connection With Sir

Ferdinando Gorges. On This Point He Knew That Winthrop And His Council

Were Extremely Sensitive, Warmly Resenting The Claim Which That

Gentleman Made, And Was Trying To Prosecute In England, Adverse To

Their Patent, Which He Declared Was Void, And Determined To Punish

Whoever Should Assert The Title Of Sir Ferdinando As Superior To Their

Own, Or Should In Any Respect Countenance Or Abet Him In His Schemes.

As For Other Intimations, Arundel Considered Them As Only Additions,

Which Stories, Like Rolling Snowballs, Naturally Receive In Their

Progress, And Which, In The Present Instance, Deserved Even Less

Credit Than Usual, On Account Of Their Vagueness And Improbability.

What Motive Could There Be, For Example, To Induce Sir Christopher To

Arrogate A Title Which Did Not Belong To Him, When There Was Every

Chance Of Detection, And No Important Advantage To Be Gained? He Had

Never Noticed In The Knight Any Assumption Of Superiority, But, On The

Contrary, Rather A Careless Cordiality, Amounting Almost To

_Bonhommie_. Everything Which He Had Seen About His Friend Forbade The

Supposition. From The Baselessness Of This, He Inferred The Falsity Of

All Other Charges, Whatever They Might Be; And Yet, Notwithstanding

His Conviction Of The Innocence Of His Friend, It Appeared To Him That

Information Of The Disposition Of Dudley Ought To Be Made Known To Sir

Christopher, In Order To Enable Him To Decide For Himself Upon The

Steps Necessary To Be Taken, Before He Should Be Assailed Unawares.

Having Arrived At This Conclusion, Arundel Lost No Time In Hurrying

Off To The Residence Of The Knight.

 

Chapter XXVI ("Ah! Home Let Him Speed, For The Spoiler Is Nigh! Why Flames The Far Summit? Why Shoot To The Blast Those Embers, Like Stars From The Firmament Cast?")

 

 

Campbell's "_Lochiel_."

 

   

As Arundel Left The Hostelry, Whither He Had Returned After His

Snap-Chance, He Observed The Figure Of A Man, Whom He Had Seen Several

Times During The Day, Standing At A Distance In The Street. Unless His

Suspicions Had Been Excited, He Would Probably Have Paid No Attention

To The Circumstance; But, In The Present Condition Of His Mind, He

Could Not Avoid Connecting The Man's Frequent Appearance With Himself.

It Seemed, Indeed, As If His Motions Were Watched, Though Why, He Knew

Not. In Order To Satisfy Himself Whether It Were So, He Stopped When

He Reached The Edge Of The Forest, And, Concealing Himself, Waited For

The Purpose Of Ascertaining Whether He Were Followed; But, After

Remaining Some Time Without Seeing Any Person, He Concluded That He

Must Be Mistaken, And More Leisurely Resumed His Walk.

   

 

The Day Had Been One Of Exceeding Warmth, Which Circumstance, In

Connection With The Excitement He Had Passed Through, Produced An

Exhaustion That Indisposed The Young Man To Exertion. In Consequence

Of This, It Was At A Slow Pace He Proceeded, Imagining Any Haste

Unnecessary, And Esteeming It A Matter Of Indifference At What Hour He

Reached His Destination. Hence It Happened That The Evening Was

Considerably Advanced Before He Had Passed Over Half The Distance

Which He Had To Go. He Had Advanced As Far As The Spot Where He

Encountered The Panther, And Was Thinking Of His Peril Then, And Of

Sassacus, When He Suddenly Found Himself Surrounded By A Number Of

Armed Men, One Of Whom Demanded His Piece. Arundel Instantly

Recognised In The Man Who Spoke, And Appeared To Be The Leader, The

Assistant Spikeman; And, Suspecting Mischief Wherever He Was

Concerned, And Indignant At Being Stopped, Refused To Deliver Up The

Gun. The Refusal Was Useless, For It Was Forthwith Wrested Violently

From His Hands, After A Struggle, In Which He Gave And Received Some

Unimportant Hurts.

 

  

"What Means This Outrage, Master Spikeman," Demanded Arundel, "On One

In The King's Peace, And Quietly About His Own Business?"

 

 

"We Desire Your Company," Replied Spikeman. "It Is Out Of Our Abundant

Affection Therefor That We Have Been So Bold, And In Consideration Of

The Motive, We Pray You To Pardon The Offence."

 

 

 

"This Is Insulting One Who Is Unable To Defend Himself," Answered The

Young Man; "But Be Sure, Master Spikeman, That For This, And Other

Like Favors, A Day Of Bitter Reckoning Will Come."

 

  

"Spare Thy Threats, Beardless Boy," Said The Assistant, "And Know That

What I Do Is Not Without Warrant. Thy Wisdom Consists In Submission,

For Thou Seest We Have A Force Thou Art Unable To Resist. But I May

Not Waste Further Words. Place The Prisoner In The Middle; Watch Him

Closely; Treat Him Well, If Submissive; But Should He Attempt Escape,

Shoot Him Down. Forward!"

  

 

After These Orders, The Men Started On, Taking Arundel With Them, Who

Entertained No Purpose Of Flight, Even Though A Favorable Opportunity

Should Present Itself.

 

  

If He Had Doubted At First Whither The Party Were Directing Their

Steps, The Doubt Was Soon Dissipated, And He Became Sure That It Was

To The Habitation Of Sir Christopher. Meanwhile, He Had Been Turning

Over In His Mind His Observations Through The Day, And Became

Satisfied That He Had Been Watched, And That The Band By Which He Had

Been Captured Was Sent After Him, And, By Taking A Course Somewhat

Different From His Own, And Hastening Their Speed, Had Succeeded In

Throwing Themselves In Front, So As To Cut Him Off From The Knight's

House, Whither They Rightly Judged He Was Going. The Determination Was

Obvious, He Thought, That, For The Present, There Should Be No

Communication Between Sir Christopher And Himself.

 

  

Rapidly And In Silence The Party Pushed On, Until They Came To The

Small Clearing Surrounding The Knight's House. Here They Halted, And

Spikeman Placed His Men Around The Open Space So As Completely To

Surround It, With Orders For Half Or Their Number To Advance

Simultaneously Toward The Centre, While The Others Remained In The

Shadow Of The Wood. The Manoeuvre Was So Skilfully Executed, That It

Was Impossible For Any One Within The House To Escape--The Men

Composing The Circle, Meeting At The Same Moment At The Centre.

 

 

 The Deep Silence Of The Night Was First Interrupted By The Noise The

Assistant Made On The Door With The Handle Of His Dagger.

 

  

"Who Is There?" Inquired The Drowsy Voice Of One As If Just Awakened.

 

  

"A Person Demanding Admission," Answered Spikeman.

 

  

"I Know That, Else Would You Not Be Knocking. Very Well; Abide A

Moment Till I Don Some Clothing And I Will Open, When We Will Become

Better Acquainted."

 

 

 

Accordingly, In A Few Moments The Door Was Opened, And Spikeman, With

Half A Dozen Men, Rushed Into The House, Leaving The Others To Guard

The Exterior. Philip Joy (For It Was He) Was Instantly Seized, And

Ordered To Tell Where The Knight Was To Be Found.

 

  

"It Is Easier To Ask Questions Than To Get Answers," Said Philip. "For

Me, I Never Could Speak Plain Till I Had Been Awake A Half Hour Or

So."

  

 

"Sirrah!" Cried Spikeman, Sternly; "Trifle Not, Or I Will Have Thee

Scourged Within Sight Of The Gates Of Death. Answer--Where Is Sir

Christopher Gardiner?"

 

 

 

"An' I Knew I Would Not Tell Thee," Replied Philip. "Make No Ugly

Faces At Me, Master Spikeman, For It Is Of No Use. Look For Yourself,

An' You Like."

 

 

"He Cannot Avoid Us, If He Be In The House," Said Spikeman, Turning

Away. "Here, Ephraim," He Added, Addressing One Of The Men; "Come Thou

With Me. We Will Waste No More Words With This Fellow, But See Whither

This Door Leads."

  

 

"Stop!" Exclaimed Philip; "It Is The Passage To The Chamber Of The

Lady Geraldine."

  

 

"Forward! Ephraim," Cried Spikeman; "We Cannot Be Delayed In This Way.

Heed Not His Clamor."

  

 

By The Light Of The Tallow Candles, Which They Had Brought With Them,

The Two Proceeded, In Spite Of The Remonstrances Of The Soldier. The

Door Admitting Into The Larger Apartment Of The Lady, And Into Which

We Were Introduced At Our First Acquaintance With Her, Was Open, But

The Inner Door To Her Own Private Chamber Was Barred. A Slight

Rustling Was Heard Within, As They Listened, As Of One Putting On

Clothing.

 

  

"We Have Tracked The Fox To His Den," Whispered Spikeman. "Open

Instantly," He Added, Aloud, "Or We Will Burst In The Door."

 

 

 

"Who Are Ye," Inquired A Woman's Voice, "Who, In The Dead Of Night,

Assail The Rest Of Innocent Folk?"

 

 

 

"Open At Once," Cried Spikeman, Impatiently, "Or We Will Tear Down The

House."

 

 

 "I Will Not Open," Said The Voice. "That Were To Assist You In Your

Lawless Proceedings. I May Be Murdered, But Will Lend No Aid To My

Murderers."

 

  

"Silly Woman," Said The Assistant, Who Felt Unwilling To Resort To

Violence With A Woman, Believing That His Prey Was Perfectly Secure

Within--"Silly Woman, We Are No Murderers. I Require Thee, By

Authority Of The Commonwealth, To Unbar The Door."

 

  

"Ye Cannot Be Officers Of The State," Answered The Woman, "Else Would

Ye Not Proceed Thus Rudely. Ye Are Robbers And Assassins."

 

 

 "We Must Not Stand Here Trifling," Said Spikeman. "Throw Thyself

Against The Door, Ephraim, And Burst It In, Since We Are Resisted."

 

 

 

His Companion, Accordingly, Endeavored, By Flinging The Whole Weight

Of His Person Against The Barrier, Wherein He Was Assisted By His

Superior, To Break It Down; But In Vain, The Stout Planks Defeating

All Their Efforts.

 

  

"Bring An Axe, Quickly!" Cried Spikeman. "We Will Try The Virtue Of

Steel Blows."

  

 

Under The Repeated Strokes Of The Axe, Wielded By Brawny Arms, The

Strong Door Presently Fell With A Crash Into The Room, And Stepping

Over Its Fragments, The Assailants Stood In The Presence Of The

Occupants. By A Taper, Which Was Burning On A Small Table, The

Apartment Was Sufficiently Lighted To Make All Objects Visible, Though

Indistinctly.

 

  

The Dimensions Of The Room Could Not Exceed A Square Of Twelve Feet.

The Sides, Which Rose To A Height Of Perhaps Eight Feet, Were Hung All

Around With A Black Cloth, And Overhead The Same Covering Was

Extended. The Furniture Consisted Of Only A Chair Or Two, And Of The

Table Above Mentioned. In The Centre Stood The Tall Form Of Sister

Celestina, Clothed In Garments As Black As The Drapery Which

Surrounded Her, And Holding By The Hand, The Little Indian Girl

Neebin. Without Stopping To Notice Them, Spikeman And Ephraim

Immediately Commenced Searching, With Drawn Rapiers, Behind The

Hangings. The Cloth, On Being Withdrawn, Exposed To View Nothing But

Unhewn Logs, And A Recess Of A Few Feet, Containing A Rude Couch.

During The Search, Which Was Soon Completed, The Lady Remained

Standing, With The Little Girl By Her Side, Viewing The Proceedings In

Silence, And With An Air Of Offended Dignity.

 

 

 "What Seek Ye?" She Demanded, When, With Looks Of Disappointment, The

Men Desisted. "Tell Me, That I May Render You That Assistance Whereof

Ye Seem To Stand In Need."

 

 

 

"Madam," Answered Spikeman, "Where Is Sir Christopher Gardiner? It Is

Him We Seek."

 

 

 

"And Is It In My Sleeping Apartment, Audacious Wretch, That You Expect

To Find Him?" Exclaimed The Lady. "Your Question Is A Greater Insult

Than Your Violence."

 

 

"Madam," Replied The Assistant, "It Behooves You To Be Careful Of Your

Language. Ephraim," He Added, Turning To His Companion, "Do Thou

Inquire Without, Whether The Knight Be Taken. He May Have Leaped From

The Window."

 

 

 Upon Ephraim's Departure, Spikeman Again Addressed The Lady.

  

 

"Madam," He Said, "I Know That The Work Wherein I Am Engaged Is

Ungracious. Sad Is The Necessity Which Compels Me To Invade The

Retirement Of A Lady Whom I Hold In All Honor And Respect, And Who Has

It In Her Power To Make Our Whole Commonwealth Her Grateful Debtors."

 

  

"Speak Quickly, Sir," Said The Lady, "That I May The Sooner Be Rid Of

Your Intrusive Presence."

 

  

"You Know Me Not, Madam, Nor My Kind Intentions, Else Would You Not

Indulge This Scorn."

 

  

"If To Break Open The House Of A Defenceless Woman At Midnight, To

Batter Down The Door Of Her Chamber, To Intrude Therein, And To Insult

Her, Besides, With Base Suspicions, Be Your Kindness, What Must Be

Your Cruelty?"

  

 

"Necessity, Madam--Necessity Must Be Our Excuse. We Will Have Sir

Christopher Gardiner, Dead Or Alive. Judge By The Importance Which We

Attach To His Capture, How Great Will Be Our