the caged lion-第23节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



James　therefore　told　Malcolm　so　much　as　that　he　had　spoken　to　his　lady…love　for　him；　and　that　she　had　avowed　that　it　was　not　himself；　but　her　own　vows；　that　was　the　obstacle。

Malcolm　crimsoned　with　joy　as　well　as　confusion；　and　the　King　proceeded：　　'For　the　vows'he　shrugged　his　shoulders'we　knew　there　is　a　remedy！　　Meantime；　Malcolm；　be　you　a　man；　win　your　spurs；　and　show　yourself　worth　overcoming　something　for！'

Malcolm　smiled　and　brightened；　holding　his　head　high　and　joyously；　and　handling　his　sword。　　Then　came　the　misgiving'But　Lilias；　Sir；　and　Patrick　Drummond。'

'We　will　provide　for　them；　boy。　　You　know　Drummond　is　bent　on　carving　his　own　fortune　rather　than　taking　yours；　and　that　your　sister　only　longs　to　see　you　a　gallant　knight。'

It　was　true；　but　Malcolm　sighed。

'You　have　not　spoken　to　the　lady　yourself？'　asked　the　King。

'No；　Sir。　　Oh；　how　can　I？'　faltered　Malcolm；　shamefaced　and　frightened。

James　laughed。　　'Let　that　be　as　the　mood　takes　you；　or　occasion　serves；'　he　said；　wondering　whether　the　lad's　almost　abject　awkwardness　and　shame　would　be　likely　to　create　the　pity　akin　to　love　or　to　contempt；　and　deciding　that　it　must　be　left　to　chance。

Nor　did　Malcolm　find　boldness　enough　to　do　more　than　haunt　Esclairmonde's　steps；　trembling　if　she　glanced　towards　him；　and　almost　shrinking　from　her　gaze。　　He　had　now　no　doubts　about　going　on　the　campaign；　and　was　in　full　course　of　being　prepared　with　equipments；　horses；　armour；　and　attendants；　as　became　a　young　prince　attending　on　his　sovereign　as　an　adventurer　in　the　camp。　　It　was　not　even　worth　while　to　name　such　scruples　to　the　English　friar　who　shrived　him　on　the　last　day　before　the　departure；　and　who　knew　nothing　of　his　past　history。　　He　knew　all　priests　would　say　the　same　things；　and　as　he　had　never　made　a　binding　vow；　he　saw　no　need　of　consulting　any　one　on　the　subject；　it　would　only　vex　him　again；　and　fill　him　with　doubts。　　The　suspicion　that　Dr。　Bennet　was　aware　of　his　previous　intention　made　him　shrink　from　him。　　So　the　last　day　had　come；　and　all　was　farewell。　　King　Henry　had　persuaded　the　Queen　to　seclude　herself　for　one　evening　from　Madame　of　Hainault；　for　his　sake。　　King　James　was　pacing　the　gardens　on　the　Thames　banks；　with　Joan　Beaufort's　hand　for　once　allowed　to　repose　in　his；　many　a　noble　gentleman　was　exchanging　last　words　with　his　wifemany　a　young　squire　whispering　what　he　had　never　ventured　to　say　beforemany　a　silver　mark　was　clovenmany　a　bright　tress　was　exchanged。　　Even　Ralf　Percy　was　in　the　midst　of　something　very　like　a　romp　with　the　handsome　Bessie　Nevil　for　a　knot　of　ribbon　to　carry　to　the　wars。

Malcolm　felt　a　certain　exaltation　in　being　enough　like　other　people　to　have　a　lady…love；　but　there　was　not　much　comfort　otherwise；　indeed；　he　could　so　little　have　addressed　Esclairmonde　that　it　was　almost　a　satisfaction　that　she　was　the　centre　of　a　group　of　maidens　whose　lovers　or　brothers　either　had　been　sent　off　beforehand；　or　who　saw　their　attentions　paid　elsewhere；　and　who　all　alike　gravitated　towards　the　Demoiselle　de　Luxemburg　for　sympathy。　　He　could　but　hover　on　the　outskirts；　conscious　that　he　must　cut　a　ridiculous　figure；　but　unable　to　detach　himself　from　the　neighbourhood　of　the　magnet。　　As　he　looked　back　on　the　happy　weeks　of　unconstrained　intercourse；　when　he　came　to　her　as　freely　as　did　these　young　girls　with　all　his　troubles；　he　felt　as　if　the　King　had　destroyed　all　his　joy　and　peace；　and　yet　that　these　flutterings　of　heart　and　agonies　of　shame　and　fits　of　despair　were　worth　all　that　childish　calm。

He　durst　say　nothing；　only　now　and　then　to　gaze　on　her　with　his　great　brown　wistful　eyes；　which　he　dropped　whenever　she　looked　towards　him；　until　at　last；　when　the　summer　evening　was　closing　in；　and　the　last　signal　was　given　for　the　break…up　of　the　party；　Malcolm　ventured　on　one　faltering　murmur；　'Lady；　lady；　you　are　not　offended　with　me？'

'Nay；'　said　Esclairmonde；　kindly；　'nothing　has　passed　between　us　that　should　offend　me。'

His　eye　lighted。　　'May　I　still　be　remembered　in　your　prayers；　lady？'

'As　I　shall　remember　all　who　have　been　my　friends　here；'　she　said。

'And　oh；　lady；　if　I　shouldshould　win　honour；　may　I　lay　it　at　your　feet？'

'Whatever　you　achieve　as　a　good　man　and　true　will　gladden　me；'　said　Esclairmonde；　'as　it　will　all　others　that　wish　you　well。　　Both　you　and　your　sister　in　her　loneliness　shall　have　my　best　prayers。　Farewell；　Lord　Malcolm；　may　the　Saints　bless　and　guard　you；　whether　in　the　world　or　the　Church。'

Malcolm　knew　why　she　spoke　of　his　sister；　and　felt　as　if　there　were　no　hope　for　him。　　Esclairmonde's　grave　kindness　was　a　far　worse　sign　than　would　have　been　any　attempt　to　evade　him；　but　at　any　rate　she　had　spoken　with　him；　and　his　heart　could　not　but　be　cheered。　　What　might　he　not　do　in　the　glorious　future？　　As　the　foremost　champion　of　a　crusading　king；　bearing　St。　Andrew's　cross　through　the　very　gates　of　Jerusalem；　what　maiden；　however　saintly；　could　refuse　him　his　guerdon？

And　he　knew　that；　for　the　present；　Esclairmonde　was　safe　from　retiring　into　any　convent；　since　her　high　birth　and　great　possessions　would　make　any　such　establishment　expect　a　large　dower　with　her　as　a　right；　and　few　abbesses　would　have　ventured　to　receive　a　runaway　foreigner；　especially　as　one　of　her　guardians　was　the　Bishop　of　Therouenne。



CHAPTER　VII：　　THE　SIEGE　OF　MEAUX



Wintry　winds　and　rains　were　sweeping　over　the　English　tents　on　the　banks　of　the　Marne；　where　Henry　V。　was　besieging　Meaux；　then　the　stronghold　of　one　of　those　terrible　freebooters　who　were　always　the　offspring　of　a　lengthened　war。　　Jean　de　Gast；　usually　known　as　the　Bastard　de　Vaurus；　nominally　was　of　the　Armagnac　or　patriotic　party；　but；　in　fact；　pillaged　indiscriminately；　especially　capturing　travellers　on　their　way　to　Paris；　and　setting　on　their　heads　a　heavy　price；　failing　which　he　hung　them　upon　the　great　elm…tree　in　the　market…place。　　The　very　suburbs　of　Paris　were　infested　by　the　forays　of　this　desperate　routier；　as　such　highway　robbers　were　called；　the　supplies　of　previsions　were　cut　off；　and　the　citizens　had　petitioned　King　Henry　that　he　would　relieve　them　from　so　intolerable　an　enemy。

The　King　intended　to　spend　the　winter　months　with　his　queen　in　England；　and　at　once　attacked　the　place　in　October；　hoping　to　carry　it　by　a　coup　de　main。　　He　took　the　lower　city；　containing　the　market…　place　and　several　large　convents；　with　no　great　difficulty；　but　the　upper　city；　on　a　rising　ground　above　the　river；　was　strongly　fortified；　well　victualled；　and　bravely　defended；　and　he　found　himself　forced　to　invest　it；　and　make　a　regular　siege；　though　at　the　expense　of　severe　toil　and　much　sickness　and　suffering。　　Both　his　own　prestige　in　France　and　the　welfare　of　the　capital　depended　on　his　success；　and　he　had　therefore　fixed　himself　before　Meaux　to　take　it　at　whatever　cost。

The　greater　part　of　the　army　were　here　encamped；　together　with　the　chief　nobles；　March；　Somerset；　Salisbury；　Warwick；　and　likewise　the　King　of　Scots。　　James　had　for　a　time　had　the　command　of　the　army　which　besieged　and　took　Dreux　while　Henry　was　elsewhere　engaged；　but　in　general　he　acted　as　a　sort　of　volunteer　aide…de…camp　to　his　brother　king；　and　Malcolm　Stewart　of　Glenuskie　was　always　with　him　as　his　squire。　　A　great　change　had　come　over　Malcolm　in　these　last　few　months。　　His　feeble；　sickly　boyhood　seemed　to　have　been　entirely　cast　off；　and　the　warm　genial　summer　sun　of　France　to　have　strengthened　his　frame　and　developed　his　powers。　　He　had　shot　up　suddenly　to　a　fair　height；　had　almost　lost　his　lameness；　and　gained　much　more　appearance　of　health　and　power　of　enduring　fatigue。　　His　nerves　had　become　less　painfully　sensitive；　and　when　after　his　first　skirmish；　during　which　he　had　kept　close　to　King　James；　far　too　much　terrified　to　stir　an　inch　from　him；　he　had　not　only　found　himself　perfectly　safe；　but　had　been　much　praised　for　his　valour；　he　had　been　so　much　pleased　with　himself　that　he　quite　wished　for　another　occasion　of　displaying　his　bravery；　and；　what　with　use；　and　what　with　the　increasing　spirit　of　pugnacity；　he　was　as　sincere　as　Ralf　Percy　in　abusing　the　French　for　never　coming　to　a　pitched　battle。　　Perhaps；　indeed；　Malcolm　spoke　even　more　eagerly　than　Ralf；　in　his　own　surprise　and　gratification　at　finding　himself　no　coward；　and　his　fear　lest　Percy　should　detect　that　he　ever　had　been　supposed　to　be　such。

So　far　the　King　of　Scots　had　succeeded　in　awakening　martial　fire　in　the　boy；　but　he　found　him　less　the　companion　in　other　matters　than　he　had　intended。　　When　at　Paris；　James　would　have　taken　him　to　explore　the　learned　hoards　of　the　already　venerable　University　of　Paris；　where　young　James　Kennedyson　to　Sir　James　Kennedy　of　Dunure；　and　to　Mary；　an　elder　sister　of　the　Kingwas　studying　with　exceeding　zeal。　Both　James　and　Dr。　Bennet　were　greatly　interested　in　this　famous　abode　of　hearingthe　King；　indeed；　was　already　sketching　out　designs　in　his　own　mind　for　a　similar　institution　in　Scotland；　designs　that　were　destined　to　be　carried　out　after　his　death　by　Kennedy；　and　Malcolm　perforce　heard　many　inquiries　and　replies；　but　he　held　aloof　from　friendship　with　his　clerkly　cousin　Kennedy；　and　closed　his　ears　as　much　as　might　be；　hanging　back　as　if　afraid　of　returning　to　his　books。