De Shaunde"s face went red again and his voice trembled and was very soft. "His Grace of Buckingham will be my voucher, though it will misdemean him much as against one who has a tymbestere for mistress and is a coward, as well."
De Lacy glanced quickly around the room:
"She is no longer here to feel your insults," he said, "but it is her due that I refute them. I never saw the maid until I saved her from your foul caress. As for my cowardice, good sir, I but protect my knighthood against a caitiff whose very touch is dark pollution."
"I shall proclaim your refusal to accept my defiance before King and Court and let them judge of the quarrel."
"So be it--you will find me known there," Aymer replied curtly; and sauntering back to his table he called for another bottle of wine.
De Shaunde, however, stayed only long enough to give some order to the landlord, who received it with rather scant courtesy; then with showy indifference, slapping his gauntlets against his leg as he walked, he left the room by the street door just as Giles Dauvrey entered. The squire stood aside to let him pa.s.s, then crossed to his master.
"Did you recognize that fellow?" De Lacy queried.
"No, my lord."
"He styles himself "Sir Philebert de Shaunde.""
Dauvrey scratched his head. "I am sure I never saw him before."
"Well, it is small matter, but as we may see more of him hereafter it will be wise to keep him in mind"--and he told of the encounter.
"What became of the damsel?" the squire asked.
"She disappeared during the scuffle; but doubtless the landlord can advise you where to find her," De Lacy said good-naturedly.
"A most extraordinary tymbestere who refuses a Knight"s caress,"
Dauvrey explained.
"But would not, you think, refuse a squire"s?"
"Nay, my lord, what I think is that she might bear investigation. She is in disguise, I will stake my head."
"How does that concern us?"
"Only as every mystery concerns us now. To solve one sometimes solves another."
"It is a queer notion, Giles, but it will do no harm to question the host. Meanwhile, I will await you without."
Night had fallen and it was very dark save when, at intervals, the narrow crescent of the new moon cut through the clouds that were crowding one another in heavy ranks across the sky. Before the inn the street was illumined feebly by the reflection of the torches and candles from within, and at wide intervals along the roadway light shone from the houses. But all this only made more dense and visible the blackness that lay around.
From far up the street came the sound of singing and laughter; and De Lacy, recognizing the voices of some of his own men, envied them their light hearts and freedom from care and sorrow. They lived for the day; the morrow was sufficient when it came.
Presently the squire appeared.
"It is as I suspected," he said. "The girl has never before been seen about the inn or even in the town. He says he knows all the tymbesteres for miles around, but this one is not of them."
"It is a pity we had none to watch her when she left the room," De Lacy replied. "However, I hear our men making merry out yonder, and after going with me to see that they are up to no serious mischief you are at liberty to devote the entire time until the morning in searching for this mysterious maid--though it will be good sleep wasted, I have no doubt."
The two started down the road, keeping well in the centre where the walking was likely to be easiest. There were no side paths and the way was rough and full of holes. Stumbling along in the dark they came, after a little, to a house from the upper story of which a bright light was shining. De Lacy glanced indifferently at the window--then halted short and seizing Dauvrey"s arm pointed upward.
Just inside the open cas.e.m.e.nt, and standing so that every line of his face and shoulders was distinctly visible, was the man De Lacy and all the royal commanders of England had been seeking for the last three weeks.
His thick red hair was bare of casquetel and there could be no mistaking that great, flat nose, even if there had not been the bright scar blazed across the face by Sir John de Bury"s sword, and the short, thick-set figure to complete the identification.
De Lacy"s heart gave a great leap. Was this, then, the end of his chase? Was Beatrix in yonder house? Would he soon hold her in his arms--or was he about to learn that she was lost to him for ever? In the tumultuous rush of feeling his power of quick decision left him for the moment; but Dauvrey"s m.u.f.fled exclamation broke the spell.
"It is he--Flat-Nose!"
"Aye!" De Lacy whispered, drawing the squire aside into the shadow.
"He must be seized at once. Summon the men and surround the house. I will remain on guard. Hasten, Giles! In G.o.d"s name, hasten!"
Dauvrey plunged away into the darkness and Aymer, choosing a position from which he could best watch the window, but at the same time be himself hidden, settled back to his anxious wait.
Flat-Nose was not alone; presently he began to speak to some one behind him, and hoping to overhear the conversation, Aymer worked his way with great care across the road to the house. There were no lights on the lower floor, and the upper story, projecting a foot or more over the street, made him secure from observation.
But the new position was very little better than the other one; and try as he might he could not catch anything but an occasional word which, in itself, had no significance. He began to grow impatient--it seemed most unduly long since Dauvrey had gone.
Then a chair was shoved back in the room above and some one began to move about. Suddenly a head was thrust out and Flat-Nose peered into the darkness.
"G.o.d in Heaven! what blackness!" he exclaimed. "The Devil"s own night for a ride. . . No danger," he went on, answering some remark from within. "I know every path in Yorkshire."
It was evident he was preparing to depart and De Lacy drew his sword and stood close beside the door. He wished only to disable the fellow; but he would kill him rather than suffer him to escape. Just then, a number of forms came slowly out of the darkness and at a motion from the one in front flitted off toward the rear of the house. It was Dauvrey and the men, at last, and the Knight gave a sigh of relief.
To avoid crossing the zone of light in regaining the place where he had left his master, the squire drew close to the house and so chanced upon him.
"Just in time," De Lacy whispered, "Flat-Nose is going."
An inside door was opened and a heavy step came down the stairs. There was a fumbling with the fastenings of the street door; then it swung back and a man stepped out and shut it behind him.
The next instant two pairs of strong arms closed around him, De Lacy"s hand fastened on his throat, he was borne to the ground, and before he could struggle his legs were bound above the knees with Dauvrey"s belt.
His arms were then quickly secured and a piece of cloth thrust into his mouth as a gag. A low hiss brought the nearest soldier to guard him and De Lacy and the squire cautiously entered the house.
It was darker there even than outside and they listened for a s.p.a.ce; but all was quiet. Then working carefully along the wall, they found a door which stood ajar. De Lacy whispered to make a light, and the squire, with as little noise as possible, struck the flint and ignited the bit of candle he always carried in his pouch. As it flamed timidly up they peered about them. The place was empty, save for a table and a few chairs, but on each side was a door and in the rear the stairway to the upper floor. An examination of the remaining two rooms was barren of results; one was the kitchen and the other a sleeping chamber, but the bed had not been disturbed. If the Countess of Clare were in the house she was on the next floor; and, at least, the man who had been with Flat-Nose must be there, so it would be two prisoners instead of one if he were unable to give a good account of himself.
The stairs were old and shaky and creaked and groaned as they cautiously ascended. And the noise was heard; for suddenly the door at the head of the landing swung back--and Flat-Nose himself stood in the opening.
"What is amiss, my lord?" he began--then stopped. "De Lacy!" he cried and springing back hurled the door shut.
The appearance here of the man they thought was lying bound and helpless in the road held both De Lacy and Dauvrey for an instant.
Then with sudden fury they flung themselves up the last few steps and against the door. It yielded easily and they rushed into the room--just as Flat-Nose leaped from the window ledge. And the fortune that had befriended him so long still stood true, and a mocking laugh came back, as the darkness wrapped itself about him.
De Lacy put his hand on the cas.e.m.e.nt to follow when Dauvrey seized him from behind.
"To the front, men, and after him!" he shouted through the window. . .
"Your pardon, my dear lord," he said with deep respect, "but you could ill afford to take such risk now. Hark, sir, they are already in pursuit."
Sir Aymer nodded. "You are right, Giles. It would have gained naught but perchance a broken bone. He has escaped this time--on such a night an army would be lost. . . But who, in the Fiend"s name, is the fellow we have below?"
Seizing the burning candle from the table, they hurried out, and bending over De Lacy flashed the light across the prisoner"s face--and started back in vast amaze.