the caged lion-第29节

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is　rule？　　I　should　do　so　myself；　were　Salisbury　or　March　in　command。'

'Then；　Sir；'　said　Malcolm；　much　hurt　that　the　King　did　not　take　his　part；　'I　shall　carry　my　service　elsewhere。'

'So；'　said　James；　much　vexed；　'this　is　the　meek　lad　that　wanted　to　hide　in　a　convent　from　an　ill　world；　flying　off　from　his　king　and　kinsman　that　he　may　break　down　honest　men's　doors　at　his　will。'

'That　I　may　be　free　from　insult；　Sir。'

'You　think　John　of　Buchan　like　to　cosset　you！　　You　found　the　Black　Douglas　so　courtly　to　me　the　other　day　as　to　expect　him　to　be　tender　to　this　nicety　of　yours！　　Malcolm；　as　your　prince　and　guardian；　I　forbid　this　folly；　and　command　you　to　lay　aside　this　fit　of　malice　and　do　your　devoir。　　What！　sobbing；　silly　ladwhere's　your　manhood？'

'Sir；　Sir；　what　will　they　think　of　methe　Lady　Esclairmonde　and　all…　…if　they　hear　I　have　sat　down　tamely　with　a　blow？'

'She　will　never　think　about　you　at　all　but　as　a　sullen　malapert　ne'er…do…weel；　if　you　go　off　to　that　camp　of　routiers；　trying　to　prop　a　bad　cause　because　you　cannot　take　correction；　nor　observe　discipline。'

A　sudden　suspicion　came　over　Malcolm　that　the　King　would　not　thus　make　light　of　the　offence；　if　it　had　really　been　the　inexpiable　insult　he　had　supposed　it；　and　the　thought　was　an　absolute　relief；　for　in　effect　the　parting　from　James；　and　joining　the　party　opposed　to　Esclairmonde's　friends；　would　have　been　so　tremendous　a　step；　that　he　could　hardly　have　contemplated　it　in　his　sober　senses；　and　he　murmured；　'My　honour；　Sir；'　in　a　tone　that　James　understood。

'Oh；　for　your　honouryou　need　not　fear　for　that！　　Any　knight　in　the　army　could　have　done　as　much　without　prejudice　to　your　honour。　　Why；　you　silly　loon；　d'ye　think　I　would　not　have　been　as　angered　as　yourself；　if　your　honour　had　been　injured？'

Malcolm's　heart　felt　easier；　but　he　still　growled。　　'Then；　Sir；　if　you　assure　me　that　I　can　do　so　without　detriment　to　my　honour；　I　will　not　quit　you。'

James　laughed。　　'It　might　have　been　more　graciously　spoken；　my　good　cousin；　but　I　am　beholden　to　you。'

Malcolm；　ashamed　and　vexed　at　the　sarcastic　tone；　held　his　tongue　for　a　little　while；　but　presently　exclaimed；　'Will　the　Bishop　of　Therouenne　hear　of　it？'

James　laughed。　　'Belike　not；　or；　if　he　should；　it　would　only　seem　to　him　the　reasonable　training　of　a　young　squire。'

The　King　did　not　say　what　crossed　his　own　mind；　that　the　Bishop　of　Therouenne　was　more　likely　to　think　Henry　over…strict　in　discipline；　and　absurdly　rigorous。

The　prelate；　Charles　de　Luxemburg；　brother　to　the　Count　de　St。　Pol；　had　made　several　visits　to　the　English　camp。　　He　was　one　of　these　princely　younger　sons；　who；　like　Beaufort　at　home；　took　ecclesiastical　preferments　as　their　natural　provision；　and　as　a　footing　whence　they　might　become　statesmen。　　He　was　a　great　admirer　of　Henry's　genius；　and；　as　the　chief　French　prelate　who　was　heartily　on　the　English　side；　enjoyed　a　much　greater　prominence　than　he　could　have　done　at　either　the　French　or　Burgundian　Court。　　He　and　his　brother　of　St。　Pol　were　Esclairmonde's　nearest　kinsmen'oncles　a　la　mode　de　Bretagne；'　as　they　call　the　relationship　which　is　here　sometimes　termed　Welsh　uncle；　or　first　cousins　once　removedand　from　him　James　had　obtained　much　more　complete　information　about　Esclairmonde　than　he　could　ever　get　from　the　flighty　Duchess。

Her　mother；　a　beautiful　Walloon；　had　been　heiress　to　wide　domains　in　Hainault；　her　father　to　great　estates　in　Flanders；　all　which　were　at　present　managed　by　the　politic　Bishop。　　Like　most　of　the　statesman…　secular…clergy；　the　Bishop　hated　nothing　so　much　as　the　monastic　orders；　and　had　made　no　small　haste　to　remove　his　fair　niece　from　the　convent　at　Dijon；　where　she　had　been　educated；　lest　the　Cistercians　should　become　possessed　of　her　lands。　　He　had　one　scheme　for　her　marriage；　but　his　brother；　the　Count；　had　wished　to　give　her　to　his　own　second　son；　who　was　almost　an　infant；　and　the　Duke　of　Burgundy　had　designs　on　her　for　his　half…brother　Boemond；　and　among　these　various　disputants；　Esclairmonde　had　never　failed　to　find　support　against　whichever　proposal　was　forced　upon　her；　until　the　coalition　between　the　Dukes　of　Burgundy　and　Brabant　becoming　too　strong；　she　had　availed　herself　of　Countess　Jaqueline's　discontent　to　evade　them　both。

The　family　had；　of　course；　been　much　angered；　and　had　fully　expected　that　her　estates　would　go　to　some　great　English　abbey；　or　to　some　English　lord　whose　haughty　reserve　and　insularity　would　be　insupportable。　　It　was　therefore　a　relief　to　Monseigneur　de　Therouenne　to　hear　James's　designs；　and　when　the　King　further　added；　that　he　would　be　willing　to　let　the　claims　on　the　Hainault　part　of　her　estates　be　purchased　by　the　Count　de　St。　Pol；　and　those　in　Flanders　by　the　Duke　of　Burgundy；　the　Bishop　was　delighted；　and　declared　that；　rather　than　such　a　negotiation　should　fail；　he　would　himself　advance　the　sum　to　his　brother；　but　that　the　Duke　of　Burgundy's　consent　was　more　doubtful；　only　could　they　not　do　without　it？

And　he　honoured　Malcolm　with　a　few　words　of　passing　notice　from　time　to　time；　as　if　he　almost　regarded　him　as　a　relation。　　No　doubt　it　would　have　been　absurd　to　fly　from　such　chances　as　these　to　Patrick　Drummond　and　the　opposite　camp；　and　yet　there　were　times　when　Malcolm　felt　as　if　he　should　get　rid　of　a　load　on　his　heart　if　he　were　to　break　with　all　his　present　life；　hurry　to　Patrick；　confess　the　whole　to　him；　and　thenhide　his　head　in　some　hermitage；　leaving　his　pledge　unforfeited！

That；　however；　could　not　be。　　He　was　bound　to　the　King；　and　might　not　desert　him；　and　it　was　not　unpleasant　to　brood　over　the　sacrifice　of　his　own　displeasure。

'See；'　said　Henry；　in　the　evening；　as　he　came　into　the　refectory　and　walked　up　to　James；　'I　have　found　my　signet。　　It　was　left　in　the　finger　of　my　Spanish　glove；　which　I　had　not　worn　since　the　beginning　of　winter。　　Thanks　to　all　who　took　vain　pains　to　look　for　it。'

But　Malcolm　did　not　respond　with　his　pleased　look　to　the　thanks。　　He　was　not　in　charity　with　Henry；　and　crept　out　of　hearing　of　him；　while　James　was　saying；　'You　had　best　destroy　one　or　the　other；　or　they　will　make　mischief。　　Here；　I'll　crush　it　with　the　pommel　of　my　sword。'

'Ay；'　said　Henry；　laughing；　'you'd　like　to　shew　off　one　of　your　sledge…hammer　blowsSir　Bras　de　Fer！　　But；　Master　Scot；　you　shall　not　smash　the　English　shield　so　easily。　　This　one　hangs　too　loose　to　be　safe；　I　shall　keep　it　to　serve　me　when　we　have　fattened　up　at　Paris；　after　the　leanness　of　our　siege。'

'Hal；'　said　James；　seeing　his　gay　temper　restored；　'you　have　grievously　hurt　that　springald　of　mine。　　His　northern　blood　cannot　away　with　the　taste　he　got　of　your　fist。'

'Pretty　well　for　your　godly　young　monk；　to　expect　to　rob　unchecked！'　laughed　Henry。

'He　will　do　well　at　last；'　said　James。　　'Manhood　has　come　on　him　with　a　rush；　and　borne　him　off　his　feet；　nor　would　I　have　him　over…tame。'

'There　spake　the　Scot！'　said　Henry。　　'By　my　faith；　Jamie；　we　should　have　had　you　the　worst　robber　of　all　had　we　not　caught　you　young！　Well；　what　am　I　do　for　this　sprig　of　royalty？　　Say　I　struck　unawares？　Nay；　had　I　known　him；　I'd　have　struck　with　as　much　of　a　will　as　his　slight　bones　would　bear。'

'An　you　love　me；　Hal；　do　something　to　cool　his　ill　blood；　and　remove　the　sense　of　shame　that　sinks　a　lad　in　his　own　eyes。'

'Methought；'　said　Henry；　'there　was　more　shame　in　the　deed　than　in　the　buffet。'

Nevertheless　the　good…natured　King　took　an　occasion　of　saying：　　'My　Lord　of　Glenuskie；　I　smote　without　knowing　you。　　It　was　no　place　for　a　princenay；　for　any　honest　man；　otherwise　no　hand　should　have　been　laid　on　my　guest　or　my　brother's　near　kinsman。　　And　whereas　I　hear　that　both　you　and　my　fiery　hot　Percy　verily　credited　the　cry　that　prisoners　were　hid　in　that　house；　let　me　warn　you　that　never　was　place　yielded　on　composition　but　some　villain　got　up　the　shout；　and　hundreds　of　fools　followed　it；　till　they　learnt　villainy　in　their　turn。　　Therefore　I　ever　chastise　transgression　of　my　command　to　touch　neither　dwelling　nor　inhabitant。　　You　have　both　learnt　your　lesson；　and　the　lion　rampant　and　he　of　the　straight　tail　will　both　be　reined　up　better　another　time。'

Malcolm　had　no　choice　but　to　bend　his　head；　mutter　something；　and　let　the　King　grasp　his　hand；　though　to　him　the　apology　seemed　none　at　all；　but　rather　to　increase　the　offence；　since　the　blame　was　by　no　means　taken　back　again；　while　the　condescension　was　such　as　could　not　be　rejected；　and　thus　speciously　took　away　his　excuse　for　brooding　over　his　wrath。　　His　hand　lay　so　unwillingly　in　that　strong　hearty　clasp　that　the　King　dropped　it；　frowned；　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　muttered　to　himself；　'Sullen　young　dog！　　No　Scot　can　let　bygones　be　bygones！'　and　then　he　turned　away　and　cast　the　trifle　from　his　memory。

James　was　amazed　not　to　see　the　moody　face　clear　up；　and　asked　of　Malcolm　whether　he　were　not　gratified　with　this　ample　satisfaction。

'I　trow　I　must　be；　Sir；'　said　Malcolm。

'I　tell　thee；　boy；'　said　James；　'not　one　kingnay；　not　one　manin　a　thousand　would　have　offered　thee　the　frank　amends　King　Harry　hath　done　this　day：　　nay；　I　doubt　whether　even　he　could　so　have　done；　were　it　not　that　the　hope　of　his　wife's　coming　hath　made　him　overflow　with　joy　and　charity　to