Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times
speed you, sir--we shall meet again soon."
In a moment or two after, the little cavalcade was moving along through
the glades of the forest, Tangel riding on before, in somewhat sullen
mood, followed at the distance of about twenty yards by Lucy and her
lover, with a discreet space between them and the maids who followed.
The pace at which they proceeded was not quick, for those were hours
which two at least of the party would willingly have spun out slowly--a
fine golden thread, which they feared would end only too soon.
But why should I pause upon their happiness? Why should I relate what
each said to the other? The stream of human pleasure, except when it
falls in the fierce cataract of passion, is so calm and smooth that
there is little to describe. Let each one bring such a moment home to
his own breast; let him fancy himself riding by the side of her whom he
loves best through scenes as fair, with hopes as bright, and his own
heart will present him a better picture than any which my hand could
draw. They soon emerged from the deeper part of the wood, and wound
slowly on through the mingled savannahs and copses which occupied a
considerable part of the forest ground, till they came upon a high
road running from Nottingham to some of the Yorkshire towns, with a
finger-post--which is a much older invention than is generally
supposed--marking the various paths towards Mansfield, Southwell, and
other small places within the meres of the forest.
To say the truth, Hugh de Monthermer, with a true lover's
forgetfulness, had never remembered to give their dwarfish guide any
orders as to the direction he should take, and the first thing that
called the necessity to his mind was the question which that
finger-post mutely put to the traveller.
"I fear, dear Lucy," he said, "that Lindwell is not far off, and
thither I suppose I must conduct you direct, although it is sad to
bring such happy moments as these to an end."
"I fear it must be so," answered Lucy, with a sigh; "my father will be
anxious, you know, till he sees me again, and I must think of him
before myself, Hugh."
"But if it be on his account you would go to Lindwell," replied her
lover, "you will be disappointed, dear Lucy, for he is not there.
Judging hastily that you must have been carried off by some emissary of
the King's party, in order to detach him from the English cause, he and
your brother have, I find, gone on in the direction of Gloucester
likewise."
"Oh, then I will not stay at Lindwell all alone," cried Lucy,
gaily--"I should be as melancholy as one of the rooks that haunt the
old trees round it; and besides," she added, perhaps not ill-pleased at
having a good excuse to go on under her lover's protection--"and
besides, who can tell what might happen. The foreign party are strong
in Nottingham and all the neighbouring places, and I might have to put
on armour and defend Lindwell against an army. No, no, Hugh, if you are
a good knight and true, you will guide me on to seek my father till we
have found him. By my sooth, I would rather have remained with the
blithe foresters than be confined to Lindwell, with all the chances of
these evil times."
The reader may easily suppose that Hugh de Monthermer was not at all
dissatisfied with Lucy's decision, and as he was one whose heart was no
way faint, he doubted not that he should be able to guide her safely
and well to her father's side, although he could not conceal from
himself, and would not conceal from her, that there were difficulties
and dangers in the way.
"You put a hard task upon me, Lucy," he said, laughing.
"What mean you, uncourteous knight!" she asked, in the same
tone;--"This is the first time that I ever met a gentleman unwilling to
guide and protect me whithersoever I went.--A mighty hard task, truly!"
"No, by those bright eyes," replied Hugh, "that is not the task I speak
of; but it is to persuade you not to do that which I most wish you
would. I mean, dear Lucy, that I must dissuade you from going on,
though to ride beside you thus, for two or three days more, were worth
a whole year of any other part of life. But I cannot let you choose
without telling you that there is many a peril to be encountered
between this and Gloucester. Gilbert de Clare, whose faith has long
been doubtful it is now ascertained, is ready to take arms against De
Montfort. Indeed, he may already have done so; and one thing is
certain, that in the forest of Dean, armed men are gathering thick,
without any known object, so that the way is dangerous."
"I have no fear, Hugh," replied Lucy, "so that you be beside me; and
moreover we can get some men from Lindwell. I would not stay there
alone to be Queen of Cyprus, so that my only choice is to go with you,
or to put myself at the head of the best troop I can gather, and then,
like an errant lady, seek my way without you."
"Nay, then, if such be your will," answered her lover, "there is no
choice for either of us, though perhaps your brother may frown, and
even your father look cold. There is still, however, a chance that we
may overtake my uncle at Torwel, and if we do so, his grave company and
stout men at arms will save us from all danger, and all reproaches. At
all events, he will leave some four or five archers behind him, trusty
soldiers at one's need; and if we can get as many from Lindwell, I
would undertake, with care and forethought and good precautions, to
guard you uninjured hence to Palestine."
"Oh, how pleasant!" cried Lucy--"Let us go, Hugh--why should we not go?
I think every woman should make a pilgrimage to Palestine before she
marries."
Hugh de Monthermer, however, thought it would be better to reverse the
proceeding, and, marrying first, make the pilgrimage afterwards--if
they liked it. So he told Lucy; nor did she say no; and putting their
horses into a quicker pace, he directed their dwarfish guide to lead on
towards Torwel. Passing by Arnold, and skirting the edges of Thorney
Wood, they crossed the Lind not far from Basfort, at which little
village they paused for a moment or two, to water their horses, towards
nine in the morning. At Torwel, however, they found that the Earl had
gone on, leaving six archers behind him to await his nephew's coming.
Here a longer repose was necessary, for though Lucy, trained to hardier
habits than ladies affect in the present day, was capable of enduring
much more fatigue; she was still a woman, and might well feel somewhat
weary with a four-hours' ride.
The time they passed at Torwel flew quick away, and they were speedily
retreading, in some degree, their steps towards her father's castle.
Great were the rejoicings at Lindwell to see her safe returned, and
every man would have gladly accompanied her to guard her by the way.
The defence of the place itself, however, was not to be neglected, and
as Lucy was resolved to proceed that night, six stout men-at-arms were
chosen from the rest, and being quickly mounted and accoutred, the
party once more set out with four hours clear daylight before them,
taking their way towards the frontiers of Derbyshire.
Onward they rode with light, gay hearts; the spirit of adventure and
enterprise itself adding something to all the manifold enjoyments which
had crowded into that day.
The boy Tangel had by this time dropped into the rear, being no longer
necessary as a guide, and to say truth, although Hugh had spoken to him
once or twice as they proceeded, absorbed in his own feelings towards
Lucy, he had taken but little notice of his absence from the front.
When they had left Lindwell, however, some seven miles behind them, the
boy urged his horse up at a quick pace, saying, "On your guard--on your
guard! there are men coming up fast behind;" and turning round, Hugh de
Monthermer perceived some six or seven persons galloping down from a
hill at the distance of about half a mile.
Lucy paused to gaze likewise, and as the pursuers came nearer, she
exclaimed, with a look, it must be owned, of no great pleasure--"It is
my brother, Hugh; I am sure that is Alured on the black horse."
"I think so too," replied Hugh de Monthermer, drawing in his rein; "but
even if it be not, we have nothing to fear."
The little party of horsemen who were following, came on at full speed,
and certainly not with the most peaceful appearance; but every stretch
of the horses showed more and more clearly the form of Alured de Ashby,
and at length, after slackening his pace a good deal, as if to examine
the group which was now waiting his approach, he rode up, with a
countenance expressive of less pleasure than might have been expected
at seeing his sister in safety.
"How now!" he exclaimed--"What is all this? Why have you turned your
back upon Lindwell, my good lord? and whither are you having the great
kindness to conduct my sister?"
"To overtake Lord Ashby, my lord," replied Hugh, "who has gone on
towards Gloucester, we find."
"Methinks, sir," answered Alured de Ashby, "that Lindwell castle were
the properest place for you to conduct her to, after having so
dexterously found her when no one else knew where she was."
"But suppose, Alured," said Lucy, ere Hugh de Monthermer could
utter the somewhat sharp rejoinder which was springing to his
lips--"suppose, Alured, that your sister did not choose to be so
conducted. Suppose, after visiting Lindwell, she thought fit to ask
this noble gentleman to guard and protect her by the way, till she
overtook her father?"
"Doubtless he was very willing," answered Lord Alured, with a sneer.
"Beyond all question," replied Hugh de Monthermer, in as cool a tone as
he could command; "and not more willing to do so than justified in
doing it. But you were pleased just now to make use of a word which
must be explained. You said, sir, that I had found your sister when no
one else knew where she was. Do you mean to imply that I did know?"
"Good faith," replied the hot young nobleman, "it is not for me to say
whether you did or not. It is mighty strange, however, that you could
discover her in the twinkling of an eye, as soon as her relations were
gone."
"Not half so strange," said Lucy, interposing once more in terror for
the result, "as that you should show yourself so ungrateful, Alured,
for his having found me. Instead of giving him deep thanks, which are
his due both from you and me, you seem as angry as if you had wished me
to remain and perish in the forest."
"Well, well," said Alured de Ashby, a little ashamed perhaps of his
irritable heat--"this is all waste of words!--Where were you? What was
the cause of your being taken away? What has happened to you?"
"Three questions in a breath," exclaimed Lucy, "each of which would
take an hour to answer fully, even if I could answer them all. As to
the first, then, I have been in the forest; as to the last, I reply, a
good deal has happened to me, of which I will tell you at leisure. As
to the middle one, Why they took me away? my answer must be very
short,--I do not know."
"Perhaps you do, sir?" said her brother, turning to Hugh. The young
nobleman looked him straightforwardly and somewhat sternly in the face,
answering, "I do."
"Then pray explain," said Alured.
"You will excuse me," replied Hugh, "I shall first explain the whole to
your father, as he is the person who must act in the business, and as I
bear a message to him of which he alone can judge."
"Mighty mysterious, my good lord," cried Alured--"But as I am now
present here, and am going with all speed to overtake the Earl of
Ashby, my sister will no longer need your kind protection."
"But as we take the same road," said Hugh de Monthermer, "it will be
safer for all, if we travel it together."
"Fie! Alured; in common courtesy----" exclaimed Lucy.