Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times
across the court to one of the towers, which stood as an independent
building, only connected with the rest of the castle by the walls.
"This, sir," said the servant, entering with him, "is the hall for your
people, who will be supplied by the King's purveyors with all they
need. Here are two sleeping chambers behind, and here a chamber for
this gallant knight. Now, up these steps, my lord--Here is a vacant
room for you to range your arms, and see that all be well prepared for
man and horse; here is a pinion for your hood and chapel-de-fer, here
are stays for your lances, and nowhere will you find better wood than
in Nottingham; a hook for your shield, and a block for the hauberk and
other harness. This way is the ante-room, my lord, with truckle-beds
for a yeoman and a page. That door leads direct through the wall to the
apartments of the Prince, and this to your bed-room."
Hugh gave him some money; and, saying, "Largesse, my lord, largesse,"
the man withdrew, promising to send in the young nobleman's followers,
and to show them where to stable their horses.
"Take heart, my lord--take heart," said Sir John Hardy, after the royal
attendant was gone; "this is a bitter change of adversaries, it is
true; but now 'tis done, it cannot be helped, and you must do your
devoir against this Earl, who will bring his fate upon his own head."
"I thought him two hundred miles away," replied Hugh; "but, as you say,
I must do my devoir. See to all things necessary, Hardy; for I have no
heart to think of anything but one. A good plain harness is all I want:
the horse that brought me hither will do as well as another."
"Nay, my lord, you must not be rash," answered the old. Knight, "lest
some misfortune happen."
"The worst misfortune that life has in store for me is sure to befal,"
replied Hugh de Monthermer: "it is, to slay the brother of Lucy de
Ashby, Hardy; for he fights with a desperate man, one to whom all
things on earth are indifferent--who must live, though life be hateful
to him--who cannot die, as he would fain do, lest ignominy should
cleave unto his name. I will trust all to you, Hardy--I will trust all
to you; but I cannot think or talk of anything at present, so I betake
me to my chamber. If any one should come, tell them I am busy--busy
enough, indeed, with dark and bitter fancies."
Thus saying, he retreated to the bed-room which had been assigned him,
and casting himself down on a settle, he spread his arms upon the
table, and buried his eyes in them.
It were vain to attempt by any words of ours to depict the state of
Hugh de Monthermer's heart, as he sat there, given up entirely to sad
memories and gloomy expectations. Oh, how his thoughts warred with one
another--how the idea of flying from the task he had undertaken was met
by the repugnance of an honourable spirit to disgrace and shame--how
the image of Lucy de Ashby's brother dying beneath his blows, rose up
before his sight, followed by the cold, averted look with which she
would meet him ever after, the chilling tone of her voice, the
shrinking horror of her demeanour, when she should see the destroyer of
her nearest kinsman. Then came the thought of what if he were to avoid
the combat?--What would be the consequences then? Would he not be
considered recreant and coward?
The time allowed was so short, too--but three brief days--that there
was no hope of gaining proof of his own innocence, and of the guilt of
another, before the period appointed. A week, a fortnight--often more,
was allotted for the preparation; but in this instance the time had
been curtailed as there were evil tidings from the Isle of Axholme,
which were likely to call Prince Edward speedily from Nottingham.
He could send, indeed, to the forest; he could even make inquiries in
person, if he liked--for his safe-conduct specified that he was free to
come and go as he thought fit; but he had been especially warned, that
the proofs against Richard de Ashby could not be produced for at least
a week, and his own eagerness to meet the charge had led him to the
court much sooner than the judgment of his forest friends warranted.
Thus, on every side he seemed shut in by difficulties, and nought was
left him but to defend his innocence, to the utter extinction of all
happiness for life.
"Would she could see me," he thought; "would that she could see the
agony which distracts my heart, at the very idea of raising my hand
against her brother!--However that may be," he continued, "that villain
shall not escape. Although I cannot dare him to the field, now that I
underlie the challenge of another, yet I will publicly accuse him
before I enter the lists; and, either by my lance or the hand of the
executioner, he shall die the death he has deserved."
He raised his head quickly and fiercely as he thus thought; the door
opposite to him was slowly opening when he did so, and the face of
Prince Edward appeared in the aperture.
"I knocked," said the Prince, "but you did not answer."
"Forgive me, my gracious lord," replied Hugh, rising, "but my thoughts
have been so sadly busy, that it would seem they close the doors of the
ear lest they should be interrupted. I heard no one approach; but, God
knows, your presence is the only thing that could give me comfort."
"This is a sad business, indeed," said Edward, seating himself. "Come,
sit, Monthermer, and tell me how all this has happened."
"Good my lord, I know not," replied Hugh. "You must have more
information than I have; for here, in this neighbourhood, has the
plot been concerted. Here, in your father's court, where they contrived
to have me doomed to death some time since, untried, unheard,
undefended--here have they, when frustrated in that, devised a new
scheme for my destruction."
"Nay," said Edward, "it was not that I meant. I asked how it is you
proposed this rash appeal to arms, when I expected that you would
demand fair trial and judgment according to law?"
"I have been deceived, my lord," replied Hugh--"terribly deceived! Even
Lucy herself supposed that Richard de Ashby was my accuser, and I never
knew that Alured had returned; otherwise, well aware of his quick and
fiery spirit, I should have judged that he would make the quarrel his
own, whether he believed the charge or not."
"That Richard is the real accuser, there can be no doubt," said the
Prince. "His cousin is but a screen for his malice; but yet you were
rash, Monthermer, and I know not now what can be done to help you.--Who
is there that can prove where you were, and how employed, upon the day
that this dark deed was done?"
"Outlaws and banished men--none else, my lord," replied Hugh de
Monthermer; "witnesses whose testimony cannot be given or received. But
I will beseech you to let me know in what arises the suspicion that I
had any share in this? I do not believe that there is a single act in
all my life which could bring upon me even the doubt of such a crime."
"The scheme has been well arranged," answered Edward; "the proofs are
plausible and various--but you shall hear the whole;" and he proceeded
to tell him all that the reader already knows concerning the accusation
brought against him.
For a moment, Hugh remained silent, confounded, and surprised; but
gradually his own clear mind, though for an instant bewildered by the
case made out against him, seized on the clue of the dark labyrinth
with which they had surrounded him.
"Well arranged, indeed, my lord," he replied, "but too complicated even
for its own purpose. Villany never can arrive at the simplicity of
truth. Was there no one, sir, who, even out of such grounds as these,
could find matter to defend me?"
"Yes," answered Edward, "there was, and she was one you love. She stood
forward to do you right--she swept away half of these suspicions from
the minds even of your enemies--she showed that one half of the tale
was false, the other more than doubtful."
"Dear, dear girl!" cried Hugh de Monthermer; and, gazing earnestly in
Edward's face, he asked, "and shall my hand spill her brother's blood?"
"Nay, more," continued the Prince, without replying to what the young
Lord said, "she declared her belief that the real murderer had brought
suspicion upon you to screen himself."
"The scheme, my lord, is deeper still," answered Hugh de
Monthermer--"the scheme is deeper still, or I am very blind. Did this
dear lady point at any one whom she believed the culprit?"
"She would not say," replied Edward, "she would not even hint, before
the whole court, who was the object of her suspicions; but since, in
private, the Princess has drawn from her the secret of her doubts. We
entertain the same.--Have you, too, any cause to fix upon the
murderer?"
"Cause, my lord!" cried Hugh, "I know him as I know myself. _I_ have no
doubts. Mine are not suspicions. With me 'tis certainty, and full
assurance.--Were it not a fine and well-digested scheme, my
lord--supposing that between you and high fortune and the hand of the
loveliest lady in the land, there stood a father and a brother and a
lover--to slay the old man secretly, and instigate his son to charge
the daughter's promised husband with the deed--to make them meet in
arms, in the good hope that the lover's well-known lance would remove
from your path the sole remaining obstacle, by drowning out, in her
brother's blood, the last hope of his marriage with the lady? Thus,
father, brother, lover would be all disposed of, the lands and lordship
yours, and the lady almost at your mercy likewise. Do you understand
me, my lord?"
"Well!" answered the Prince, "But who is the man?"
"Richard de Ashby, my lord; and, if the day named for this sad combat
had not been so soon, I was promised evidence, within a week, which
would have proved upon the traitor's head his cunning villany."
Edward mused, and turned in his mind the possibility of postponing the
event. But--though it may seem strange to the reader that such a state
of things should ever have existed--a judicial combat of that day was a
matter with which even so great and high-minded a prince as Edward I.
dared not meddle as he would. We know how far such interference, at an
after-period, contributed to lose his crown to Richard II.; and Edward
saw no possibility of changing the day, or even hour, appointed for the
trial by battle, unless some accidental circumstance were to occur
which might afford a substantial motive for the alteration. Otherwise,
he knew that he would have the whole chivalry of Europe crying out upon
the deed; and that was a voice which even he durst not resist.
"'Tis unfortunate, indeed," he said, "most unfortunate; but my father
having fixed it early, and at my request, too, it cannot be changed.
But do you feel sure, quite sure, that within one week you could bring
forward proofs to exculpate yourself, and to show the guilt of this
wretched man?"
"As surely as I live," replied Hugh de Monthermer. "I have the word of
one who never failed me yet--of one who speaks not lightly, my good
lord."
"And who is he?" demanded Edward.
A faint smile came upon Hugh de Monthermer's countenance: "He is one of
the King's outlaws," he answered; "but yet his word may be depended
on."
The Prince mused for a moment or two without reply, and then
rejoined--"It is probable these forest outlaws in our neighbourhood may
know something of the matter. Think you they had any share in it?"
"What! in the murder?" cried Hugh de Monthermer. "Oh, no, my lord,
Would to God you had as honest men in Nottingham Castle as under the
boughs of Sherwood!"
"You are bitter, Hugh," replied the Prince, and then added--"I fear the
day cannot be changed; and all that remains to be done is, to send to
these friends of yours as speedily as may be, bidding them give you,