Chapter 81
Captain Murray sighed, and rose from his seat.
"Frank," he said gravely, "I never had a brother, but for years now your father seemed to fill a brother's place with me, and I tell you as a man that there is nothing I would not do to save his life. I am a simple soldier; I know my duties well, and if the need arose I could go and face death with the rest, feeling that it was the right thing to do; but I am not clever, I am no statesman--not one of those who can argue and fence--unless," he said bitterly, "it is with my sword. I looked upon you as a mere boy, but over this you are more the man than I. You master me. I cannot do more than defend myself. Still, I think I am advising you rightly when I beg and pray of you to do nothing rash.
Don't take any step, I say once more, that will embitter the Prince against you. I will go now. Stay here for a while till you grow calmer, and then come to my quarters. I feel that I only irritate you, and must seem weak and cowardly to you. You will be better alone. I, too, shall be better alone. I want to try and think, and it is hard work this morning, for I am in terrible pain. One of my ribs was broken last night in that crowd, and at times I am sick and faint."
Frank heard his words, but did not seem to grasp them, and sat back in his seat with his chin resting upon his breast as the captain walked slowly away. Had he looked after him, he would have seen that twice over he stopped to lean for a few minutes against a tree.
But the boy neither looked up nor stirred. He sat for some time as if completely stunned, till he heard steps approaching, and then, with an impatient movement, he turned a little in his seat, so as to hide his face from whoever it was coming by.
The next moment a familiar voice said distinctly behind him:
"Don't look up--don't move or speak. Be at your father's house at four this afternoon, holding the door ajar till I slip in."
"Drew!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Frank, in a sharp whisper, as he obeyed the order, thrilling the while as if with new life infused through his veins; and his eyes followed the tall, slight figure of a jaunty-looking young man, dressed in the height of fas.h.i.+on, walking along as if proud of his bearing and the gold-headed, clouded cane he flourished as he promenaded the Park.
Drew Forbes, whose life would probably be forfeit in those wild times if he were recognised by either of the spies who haunted the Palace precincts--Drew, wearing no disguise, though changed in aspect by his hair being so closely cropped behind! What his appearance might be face to face Frank could not tell.
CHAPTER FORTY THREE.
A MEETING BETWEEN FRIENDS.
"'Be at your father's house at four this afternoon, holding the door ajar till I slip in,'" said Frank, repeating his old companion's words, trembling with excitement the while, as he watched till the figure had disappeared, when a feeling of resentment sent the hot blood to his temples. "No. I will not go. It only means more trouble. Oh, how much of it all is due to him!"
"No," he said a few minutes later. "That is unjust. He must have been with the people who attempted the rescue last night. I will go. He is brave and true, after all. Yes, it is to help again to save my father, and I will be there."
It was like a fillip to him, and a few minutes after he rose, and went back to the Palace, pa.s.sing several officials whom he knew, all saluting him in a kindly way, as if full of sympathy, but not attempting to speak.
His goal was his
"Frank dear," she said gently, "I feel as if it is almost heartless of me to seem so, but I am better. I will not despair, my own boy, for I feel so restful. It is as if something told me that our prayers would be heard."
"And with him lying in irons in that dreadful gaol," thought Frank, with a momentary feeling of resentment--momentary, for it pa.s.sed away, and he sat with her, telling her, at her urgent prayer, of all the proceedings of the past night, as well as of his ill-success that morning.
He had prayed of her not to press him, but she insisted, and it was to find that, in place of sending her into a fit of despondent weeping, she spoke afterwards quite calmly.
"Yes," she said gently, as she raised his hand to her cheek and held it there; "all these things are the plans of men, kings, and princes, with their armies. But how insignificant it all seems compared with the greatness of the Power which rules all. Frank dearest, we cannot--we must not despair."
He looked at her wonderingly, and with his heart very sore; but somehow she seemed to influence him, the future did not look quite so solidly black as it had that morning, and he felt ready to tell her of his encounter with Drew. But fearing to raise her hopes unduly on so slender a basis he refrained, and stayed with her till the time was approaching for his visit to the house across the Park. Then he left her wondering at the feeling of lightness that came over him, and not attributing it to the fact that he had something to do--something which called his faculties into action to scheme and contrive the meeting without being baffled by those who dogged the steps of every one about the place.
Hope was inspiring him too again, and he refrained from going near Captain Murray, setting quite at nought all thought of his duties at the Palace, and waiting in his room watching the clock till he felt that it was time to go.
He sat for a few moments longer, trying to come to a conclusion which would be the better plan--to go carefully to the house after taking every precaution against being seen, or to go boldly without once looking back.
The latter was the plan he determined to adopt; but to throw dust in the eyes of any watcher, he placed a couple of books under one arm, and determined to bring three or four different ones back, so as to make it appear that he had been to change some works in his father's library.
Whether any spy was upon his track or no he could not tell, for, following out his plan, he went straight away to the house, thundered loudly at the door, and dragged at the bell.
The old housekeeper admitted him with her old precautions, and eagerly asked after her ladys.h.i.+p's health. Her next question, whether he had heard from Sir Robert, convinced the lad that, living her quiet, secluded life, she was in perfect ignorance of the stirring events of the past two or three weeks, and he refrained from enlightening her.
"Now, Berry," he said, "go down and stay there till I call you up again."
"Oh, my dear young master!" said the old woman, beginning to sob.
"Why, what's the matter, Berry?" he cried.
"Oh, my dear, my dear!" she sobbed, with her ap.r.o.n to her eyes; "it's glad I am to see you when you come, but I do wish you'd stay away."
"Stay away! Why?"
"Because it only means fresh trouble whenever you come over here. I don't care for myself a bit, my dear; but as soon as I see your bonny face, I begin to quake, for I know it means spies and soldiers coming after you and I expect to see you marched off to the Tower, and brought back with your head chopped off and put up along with the traitors.
Don't do it, my dear; don't do it."
"Don't do what?" cried Frank impatiently.
"Don't go running dreadful risks, my dear, and meddling with such matters. Let 'em have which king they like, and quarrel and fight about it; but don't you have anything to do with it at all."
"And don't you try to interfere with matters you can't understand, you dear old Berry," cried the lad, kissing her affectionately.
"Ah! that's like the dear little curly-headed boy who used to come and kiss me, and ask me to melt lumps of sugar in the wax candle to make him candy drops. I often think now, Master Frank, that you have forgotten your poor old nurse. Ah! I remember when you had the measles so badly, and your poor dear little face was red and dreadful--"
"Yes, yes, Berry; but I am so busy now. I expect some one to come."
"Not the soldiers, my dear?"
"No, no, no!"
"Nor those dreadful spies?"
"I hope not, Berry. You go down, please, at once, and wait till I call you up."
"Yes, my dear, yes," said the woman sadly. "You're master now poor dear Sir Robert is away. I'll go; but pray, pray be careful. It would kill me, my dear."
"Kill you?" cried Frank. "What would?"
"I should--yes, I would do that!--I should crawl somehow as far as the city to have one look at your poor dear head sticking on a spike, and then I should creep down a side street, and lay my head on a doorstep, and die."
"No, you shan't!" cried Frank, laughing in spite of his excitement, as he hurried the weeping old woman to the top of the bas.e.m.e.nt stairs.
"I'll come here properly, with my head upon my shoulders. There, there; go down and wait. I don't think anything will happen to-day to frighten you. Never mind; if any one comes I'll open the door."
"Oh, my dear, I can't let you do that," remonstrated the old woman.
"What would my lady say?"
"That old Berry was a dear, good, obedient housekeeper, who always did what she was told."
"Ah!" sighed the old lady, with a piteous smile; "you always did coax and get the better of me, Master Frank; and many's the time I've made you ill by indulging you with pudding and cakes that you begged for.
Yes, I'll go down, my dear; but I'll come the moment you call or ring."
Frank stood watching her till she reached the foot of the stairs, and then started and ran across the hall in his excitement, for a clock was striking, and he had hardly let down the chain and unfastened the door to hold it ajar, when there was a step outside, it was pushed open, and Drew Forbes glided in, and thrust it to.