Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times
that I know of. But this news is all over the country; and as I came by
Southwell this morning, I heard proclamation made upon the Green
concerning this sad murder."
"This is most strange," said Hugh; "such things will make us infidels:
while fools and villains reach to honours and renown, honest men are
driven to herd in Sherwood with the beasts of the forest, and good men
murdered at their own castle-gate. Who can have done this, Robin?--Do
you know?"
"I know right well," replied Robin Hood. "'Tis Richard de Ashby has
done it; and now the base beast--part wolf, part fox, part
serpent--contrives to put the bloody deed upon another. But he shall
find himself mistaken, if my advice is followed--I will see to it, I
will see to it; for I am somewhat in fault in this matter. I was warned
of the purpose, and might have stopped it; but in the hurry of other
things, I forgot, and was too late."
"Yes," said Hugh de Monthermer, "it could be none other--the base
villain! But can you bring him to punishment, Robin?"
"That must be your affair," replied Robin Hood, "I will prove his
guilt; but you must punish him."
"That will I, right willingly," cried Hugh de Monthermer, "I will
accuse him of the deed, and dare him to show his innocence in arms."
"Nay, that is not needful," answered Robin Hood; "'tis he accuses you."
"Me? me?" asked Hugh de Monthermer.
"What! my nephew," exclaimed the old Earl--"a prisoner or a fugitive?"
"Even so," replied the Outlaw, "ay, and with fair and specious showing,
makes his case good; forges a letter, as I hear, and doubtless has
hired witnesses, too. I have not been able to gather much of how this
new plot has been framed; but, as I was going to tell you, my good
lords: on Southwell Green this morning, as I passed, I saw a king's
pursuivant with sundry men-at-arms, and stopping amongst the crowd, who
laughed to see bold Robin Hood, the outlaw, the robber, the murderer,
of much venison, stay and front the royal officers, I heard them make
proclamation, saying, 'Know all men that Hugh Monthermer, Lord of
Amesbury and Lenton, is accused, on strong suspicion, of traitorously
and feloniously doing to death William Earl of Ashby, and that he is
hereby summoned to appear before the King at Nottingham, to purge
himself of the said charge by trial, oath, ordeal, or wager of battle,
at his choice, according to the laws of the realm and chivalry.'--Those
are the very words."
"And strange ones, too," said the old Earl. "The form is somewhat
varied from the usual course, and the name of the accuser left
unmentioned."
"All is out of course now," answered Robin Hood, "and this not more
than the rest. But it matters not--'twill come to the same in the end."
Hugh de Monthermer, while this was passing, stood buried in thought,
with his arms folded on his chest.
"The villain!" he repeated, at length--"the villain! But he shall rue
the day.--I will away at once, Robin, and face him ere the world be a
day older. If my right hand fail me against Richard de Ashby, my
conscience must be worse than I believe it. I will away at once; I must
not lie beneath such a charge an hour longer than needful."
"Nay, nay, my good lord," cried Robin Hood, "sit down and be ruled by
me!--haste may spoil all. I have the clue fully in my hands; and
although I do hope and trust to see your lance an arm's length through
the traitor, or your good sword in his false throat, yet I promise,
that you shall, moreover, have the means in your hand of proving to all
men's conviction, not only that you are innocent, but that he himself
is the doer of the deed. In the first place, then, you must not go to
the court of England without a safe-conduct. Methinks you should know
better than that."
"Oh, but Prince Edward!" cried Hugh de Monthermer.
"Prince Edward may be away again," interrupted the Outlaw; "you must
have a safe-conduct, and the time spent will not be lost. Sit you
down--sit you down, my lord, and take a cup of wine.--This news has
shaken you.--I will arrange it all. The third day hence, you shall be
at the English court; but even then you must contrive to delay the
combat for a week. Then, ere you go to the lists, you shall put the
proofs which I will give you in the hand of the Prince, to be opened
when the fight is over. Come, sit you down, and let us talk of it; I'll
show you reasons for so doing. Here, one of your own men shall ride to
the Prince, and ask for a safe-conduct.--He may be back by to-morrow
night."
Hugh sat down beside him again, the old Lord leaned upon the grass, his
faithful followers and those of the bold forester made a circle at a
little distance, passing the wine-cup round; and--as with the
general world, in which mirth and gaiety and every-day idleness have
their common course, while many a tragedy is acting in the houses
near--while, in the one group the jest, and the laugh, and the song
went on; in the other, was grave and deep thought, regret, and
indignation, and that feeling of awe with which great crimes naturally
inspire the mind of man. The golden sun went down, and a cold, clear,
autumnal night succeeded. A fire was lighted of dry branches, serving
the purpose of a torch likewise, and still those three sat discussing
the subject which was uppermost in their thoughts with long and earnest
debate.
About an hour after nightfall a letter was written with materials which
one or other of the forest party was seldom without; and, as soon as it
was ready, it was dispatched to Nottingham by an attendant of the old
Earl, who promised to return with all speed. Still, however, the Earl,
his Nephew, and the Outlaw continued their conversation, while the
stars came out bright and clear, and everything around was lost to the
eye but the dim outlines of the trees. The wind whispered through the
branches with a long, sighing sound, and every now and then, in the
manifold long pauses that broke the conference, the rustling noise was
heard of a withered leaf dropping upon its dead companions that once
flourished green upon the same bough, but had fallen before it to the
earth. It was as an image of the passing away of mortal life; and such,
probably, as the rustle of that leaf, is the only sound that rises up
to superior beings as, one by one, we drop into the tomb which has
received before us the bright and beautiful we have known; an existence
is extinguished, a state of being is over, and other things are ready
to spring up from the mouldering remnants of our decay.
At length, however, the quick ear of the Outlaw caught something more:
a creeping, quiet, but rapid noise--and exclaiming "Hark!" he looked
around, adding in a loud voice, "Who goes there?"
There was no answer, but the instant after, with a bound from the top
of the bank, came down the dwarf Tangel into the party below.
"Ha! Robin--ha!" he exclaimed--"I never yet could discover whether thou
art ass or hare."
"How now, sirrah?" cried Robin Hood, striking him a light blow with his
hand; "I pr'ythee find more savoury comparisons."
"Why one or the other thou must be," said Tangel, "by thy long ears. Do
what I will, I cannot catch thee napping. But I think thou art most
like a hare, which we see sitting with one long ear resting, while the
other stands upright, like a sentinel upon the top of a mound. But I
have come far, Robin, to bring a lady's errand to a truant knight.
Here, runaway--here is a billet for thee!--It was sent for Robin Hood
or any of his people--the messenger took me for a people, and so gave
it to me, though, Heaven knows, they might as well have taken me for a
steeple, as far as the difference of size is concerned."
As he spoke, he handed a small billet or note, to the Outlaw, who
stirred the fire into a blaze, and was opening it to read, when he
remarked some words written on the outside, which ran--"To the Lord
Hugh of Monthermer, with speed, if he may be found--If not, for Robin
Hood of Sherwood."
"'Tis for you, my lord," said Robin, handing it to Hugh, who instantly
tore it open, and ran his eye eagerly over the contents.
When he had done so, he turned back again and read aloud, omitting one
sentence at the beginning.
"Your accuser is Richard de Ashby,"--so ran the letter; "and I tremble
when I tell you my suspicion lest it should be unjust. But I have
marked it on his face,--I have seen it in his changing colour,--I have
heard it in the very tone of his voice. There is an impression upon me
which nothing can efface that this deed was his. I know not how to
counsel or advise, but it is fitting that you should know this; your
own wisdom must do the rest. I fear for you; I fear for my brother
Alured, too. There is but one between that man and the wealth and rank
which he has long envied; he has gone too far to pause at any human
means; and my apprehensions are very great for him who stands in the
way."
"Thus it is," said the old Earl--"thus it is with the wicked; they very
often contrive to cloak their acts from the wise and prudent of this
world, but to innocence and simplicity seems to be given light from
Heaven to detect them under any disguise."
"Give me a woman for finding out man's heart," cried Robin Hood; "that
is, if she loves him not; for then all are fools.--But, come, my
lord--let us seek a better place of shelter for the night; my blood is
not very chilly, but still I feel it cold.--Make much of Tangel, merry
men, and give him a leg of the bustard and a cup of wine; but look to
the flask, look to the flask, with him. Remember last Christmas eve,
Tangel, when you mistook a stag-hound for a damsel in distress, and
sagely wondered in your drunkenness how she came by such a beard."
CHAPTER XXXVI.
In a dark small room, high up in the back part of one of the houses in
the lower town of Nottingham, with the wall covered on one side by
rough oak planking, and having on the other the sharp slope of the
roof; on a wretched truckle bed, with a small table and a lamp beside
it, lay the tall and powerful form of a wounded man, with languor in
his eyes, and burning fever in his cheek.
On a stool at the other side sat Richard de Ashby, looking down upon
him with a countenance which did not express much compassion, but on
the contrary bore an angry and displeased look; and, while he gazed,
his hand rested upon his dagger, with the fingers clutching, every now
and then, at the hilt, as if with a strong inclination to terminate his
companion's sufferings in the most speedy manner possible.
"It was madness and folly," he said--"I repeat, it was madness and
folly to bring you here into the very midst of dangers, when I showed
you clearly how to shape your course."
"We saw a party of horse upon the bridge, I tell you," replied Dighton,
for he it was who lay there, with the punishment of one of his evil
deeds upon him, "and could not find a ford. But, in the name of the
fiend, do not stand here talking about what is done and over; let me
have 'tendance of some kind. Send for a leech, or fetch one."
"A leech!" cried Richard de Ashby, "the man's mad! There is none but
the one at the court to be found here. Would you have the whole story
get abroad, and be put to death for the murder?"
"As well that, as lie and die here," answered Dighton. "Why I tell
thee, Dickon, I feel as if there were a hot iron burning through me
from my breast to my shoulder, and every throb of my heart seems to
beat against it, and add to the fire. I must have some help, man!--If
thou art not a devil, give we some water to drink. I am parched to
death."
Richard de Ashby walked thoughtfully across the room, and brought him a
cup of water, pausing once as he did so, to gaze upon the floor and
meditate.