第24章 Anne Boleyn (23)

"Hist!" said the jester; "hear what the Fair Geraldine has to say.""We must meet no more thus, Surrey," she murmured:

"I feel I was wrong in granting the interview, but I could not help it.If, when a few more years have flown over your head, your heart remains unchanged"It will never change!" interrupted Surrey."I here solemnly pledge my troth to you.""And I return the pledge," replied the Fair Geraldine earnestly."I vow to be yours, and yours only.""Would that Richmond could hear your vow!" said Surrey; "it would extinguish his hopes.""He has heard it! "cried the duke, advancing."But his hopes are not yet extinguished."The Fair Geraldine uttered a slight scream, and disengaged herself from the earl.

"Richmond, you have acted unworthily in thus playing the spy," said Surrey angrily.

"None but a spy can surprise interviews like these," rejoined Richmond bitterly."The Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald had better have kept her chamber, than come here to plight her troth with a boy, who will change his mind before his beard is grown.""Your grace shall find the boy man enough to avenge an insult,"rejoined Surrey sternly.

"I am glad to hear it," returned the duke."Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Imust pray you to return to your lodgings.The king's jester will attend you.This way, my lord."Too much exasperated to hesitate, Surrey followed the duke down the passage, and the next moment the clashing of swords was heard.The Fair Geraldine screamed loudly, and Will Sommers began to think the jest had been carried too far.

"What is to be done?" he cried."If the king hears of this quarrel, he will assuredly place the Earl of Surrey in arrest.I now repent having brought the duke here."You acted most maliciously," cried the Fair Geraldine; "but fly, and prevent further mischief."Thus urged, the jester ran towards the lower ward, and finding an officer of the guard and a couple of halberdiers near the entrance of St.

George's Chapel, told them what was taking place, and they immediately hastened with him to the scene of the conflict.

"My lords!" cried the officer to the combatants, "I command you to lay down your weapons."But finding no respect paid to his injunctions, he rushed between them, and with the aid of the halberdiers, forcibly separated them.

"My lord of Surrey," said the officer, "you are my prisoner.I demand your sword."On what plea, sir? "rejoined the other.

"You have drawn it against the king's son--and the act is treason,"replied the officer."I shall take you to the guard house until the king's pleasure is known.""But I provoked the earl to the conflict," said Richmond: "I was the aggressor.""Your grace will represent the matter as you see fit to your royal father," rejoined the officer."I shall fulfil my duty.My lord, to the guard-house!"

"I will procure your instant liberation, Surrey," said Richmond.

The earl was then led away, and conveyed to a chamber in the lower part of Henry the Eighth's gate, now used as a place of military punishment, and denominated the "black hole."VIII.Of Tristram Lyndwood, the old Forester, and his Grand-daughter Mabel--Of the Peril in which the Lady Anne Boleyn was placed during the chase--And by whom she was rescued.

In consequence of the announcement that a grand hunting party would be held in the forest, all the verderers, rangers, and keepers assembled at an early hour on the fourth day after the king's arrival at Windsor in an open space on the west side of the great avenue, where a wooden stand was erected, canopied over with green boughs and festooned with garlands of flowers, for the accommodation of the Lady Anne Boleyn and her dames, who, it was understood, would be present at the chase.

At a little distance from the stand an extensive covert was fenced round with stout poles, to which nets were attached so as to form a haye or preserve, where the game intended for the royal sport was confined; and though many of the animals thus brought together were of hostile natures, they were all so terrified, and seemingly so conscious of the danger impending over them, that they did not molest each other.The foxes and martins, of which there were abundance, slunk into the brushwood with the hares and rabbits, but left their prey untouched.The harts made violent efforts to break forth, and, entangling their horns in the nets, were with difficulty extricated and driven back; while the timid does, not daring to follow them, stood warily watching the result of the struggle.

Amongst the antlered captives was a fine buck, which, having been once before hunted by the king, was styled a "hart royal," and this noble animal would certainly have effected his escape if he had not been attacked and driven back by Morgan Fenwolf, who throughout the morning's proceedings displayed great energy and skill.The compliments bestowed on Fenwolf for his address by the chief verderer excited the jealousy of some of his comrades, and more than one asserted that he had been assisted in his task by some evil being, and that Bawsey herself was no better than a familiar spirit in the form of a hound.

Morgan Fenwolf scouted these remarks; and he was supported by some others among the keepers, who declared that it required no supernatural aid to accomplish what he had done--that he was nothing more than a good huntsman, who could ride fast and boldly--that he was skilled in all the exercises of the chase, and possessed a stanch and well-trained hound.

The party then sat down to breakfast beneath the trees, and the talk fell upon Herne the Hunter, and his frequent appearance of late in the forest (for most of the keepers had heard of or encountered the spectral huntsman); and while they were discussing this topic, and a plentiful allowance of cold meat, bread, ale, and mead at the same time, two persons were seen approaching along a vista on the right, who specially attracted their attention and caused Morgan Fenwolf to drop the hunting-knife with which he was carving his viands, and start to his feet.