The aerial chase was now at an end, but not the combat. Unequal as this was, the heron still lived; and, when the three should come to earth, might impale either or both its adversaries on that long lance-like beak it but unskilfully wields in the air. To prevent this, the falconer hurried off for the spot towards which they were descending. Slowly they came down, upheld by the united fluttering of their wings, but reached the ground at length, luckily not far off. And when the falconer got up he gave out a loud "whoop," signal of the quarry killed.
For he saw that the heron was dead, and the peregrines had already commenced depluming it.
Other voices joined in the _paean_ of triumph; one of sweet, silver tones, accompanied by the clapping of a pair of pretty hands. They were the same voice and hands that on the top of Ruardean Hill had hounded on the dog Hector in his half-playful demonstration against the donkey.
"I knew my pair of "Pers" would do it in good style!" cried Vaga in exultation, for she was the owner of the peregrines. "Did any of you ever see a kill quicker than that?"
The interrogatory was put to a trio of individuals beside her, on horseback as herself--one of them her sister, the other two Sir Richard Walwyn and Eustace Trevor. There was an _entourage_ of attendants, the falconer with his helps, mounted grooms, and dogs quartering the sedge-- in short, a complete hawking party from Hollymead House. For, notwithstanding his gentle inclinings, Ambrose Powell was no foe to field sports--rather favoured them when not unnecessarily cruel; and, though rarely indulging in them himself, put no restraint on his daughters" doing so. The younger was pa.s.sionately fond of hawking, and the elder also relished it in a more sober way--it being then regarded as a proper pastime for ladies.
The hawking party, whose incidents we are chronicling, came off some ten days after the arrival of Sir Richard Walwyn and Eustace at Hollymead; the scene being a strip of marsh with a stream filtering through it, here and there a pool where the moor-hen coquettishly flirted her tail-- a favourite haunt of the heron, as of teals, widgeons, and wild ducks.
That the knight was still sojourning at Hollymead House need be no matter of surprise; but why the son of Sir William Trevor had not long ere this reported himself under the parental roof, by Abergavenny, may seem a very puzzle. Its explanation must await the record of after events; though; an incident occurring there and then, with speech that accompanied, may throw some light upon it.
Vaga"s question was rather in the way of an exclamation, to which she did not expect reply. Neither waited for it; but giving the whip to her palfrey trotted off to where the falconer was engaged in releasing the dead heron from the pounces of the hawks. She went not alone, however; Eustace Trevor having p.r.i.c.ked his animal with the spur, and started after, soon overtaking her. The other pair stayed behind as they were.
A hundred yards or so round the edge of the marsh, and the two who had ridden off came to a halt. For, by this, the falconer having rehooded the hawks, and retrieved the quarry, met them, heron in hand, holding it out to his mistress; as would one, first up at the death of a fox, present Reynard"s brush to some dashing Diana of the field.
A splendid bird it was; the white heron or great egret, a rare species, even then, though not so rate as now.
"Give it to the pers, Van Dorn!" she directed, after a short survey of it; despite its rarity, showing less interest in it than under other circ.u.mstances she might have done. "Unhood again, and let them have it.
We forgot to bring the doves for them, and they deserve reward for the way they both _bound_ it--so cleverly."
Van Dorn, a Hollander from Falconswaerd--whence in those days all falconers came--bowing, proceeded to execute the command, by removing their hoods from the hawks.
"Before he surrenders it to their tender mercies, may I ask a favour?"
It was Eustace Trevor who interrogated, addressing himself to the young lady.
"Of course you may. What is it, sir?"
"Leave to appropriate a few of the heron"s feathers."
"Why, certainly! The falconer will pluck them for you. Van Dorn, pull out some of its feathers, and hand them to this gentleman. I suppose you mean those over the train, Mr Trevor?"
"Yes, they."
"You hear, Van Dorn."
Without that the man knew what was wanted; the loose tail coverts so much prized for plumes; and, drawing them out one by one, he bound them into a bunch with a piece of cord whipped round their shanks; then handed them up to the cavalier. After which he went off to attend upon his hawks.
There was a short interregnum of silence as the falconer turned his back on them, and till he was out of earshot. Then the young lady asked, with apparent artlessness,--
"But, Mr Trevor, what do you intend doing with the heron"s feathers?"
"Pluming my hat with them."
"Why, it"s plumed already! and by far showier ones!"
"Showier they may be; but not prettier, nor so becoming. And certainly not to be esteemed as these; which I shall wear as souvenir of a pleasant time--the pleasantest of my life."
There was a pleased expression in her eyes as she listened to what he said; still more when she saw what he did. This, to whip the hat from his head, pluck the _panache_ of ostrich feathers from its _aigrette_ and insert those of the heron in their place. Something he did further seemed also to give her gratification, though she artfully concealed it.
Reproach on her lips, but delight in her heart, as she saw him tear the displaced plume into shreds, and toss them to the ground at his horse"s feet.
"How wasteful you are, Mr Trevor?" she exclaimed, reprovingly. "Those foreign feathers must have cost a great deal of money. What"s worse, you"ve spoiled the look of your hat! Besides, you forget that those now on it came from a conquered bird?"
"All the more appropriate for a plume to be worn by me."
"Why so, sir?"
"Because of my being vanquished, too."
"_You_ vanquished, Mr Trevor! When? where? By whom?" she asked, at the same time mentally interrogating herself. Could he be alluding to that combat in which he received the wound brought with him to Hollymead, the story of which had leaked out, though not told by either combatant. Or, was he hinting at conquest of another kind?
There was an indescribable expression on her countenance as she sat awaiting his answer--keen anxiety, ill-concealed under an air of pretended artlessness.
"Vaga!"
It was not he who p.r.o.nounced her name; though "Vaga," with "Powell"
adjoined, were the words nearest to his lips. She would have given the world to hear him speak them. But it could not be then. Her sister had called to her, at that moment approaching with Sir Richard. Most ill-timed approach, for it interrupted a dialogue which, allowed to continue, might, and likely would, have ended in declarations of love-- confessions full and mutual.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
"DEAR LITTLE MER."
"Turn and turn, sister," said Sabrina, as she rode up. "You"ve had sport enough with your great eagles. Suppose we go up to the hill, and give my dear little Mer a cast-off?"
"Dear little Mer" was a merlin, that sate perched on her left wrist, in size to the peregrines as a bantam c.o.c.k to the biggest of chanticleers.
Withal a true falcon, and game as the gamest of them.
Why its mistress proposed changing the scene of their sport was that no larks nor buntings--the merlin"s special quarry--were to be met with by the marsh. Their habitat was higher up on the ridge, where there was a tract bare of trees--part pasture, part fallow.
To her sister"s very reasonable request Vaga did not give the readiest a.s.sent. The petted young lady looked, and likely felt, some little vexed at her _tete-a-tete_ with Eustace Trevor having been so abruptly brought to an end. It had promised to make that spot--amid reeds and rushes though it was--hallowed to her, as another on the summit of a certain hill, among hazels and hollies, had been made to her sister.
Whatever her thoughts, she showed reluctance to leave the low ground, saying in rejoinder,--
"Oh! certainly, Sab. But won"t you wait till the dogs have finished beating the sedge?"
"If you wish it, of course. But you don"t expect them to find another heron?"
"No; but there may be a widgeon or wild duck. After such an easy victory, I"m sure my pers would like to have another flight. See how they chafe at their hoods and pull upon the jesses! Ah, my beauties!
you want to hear the _hooha-ha-ha-ha_ again--that do you."
"Oh! let them, then," said the more compliant Sabrina, "if the dogs put up anything worth flying them at; which I doubt their doing. We"ve made too much noise for that."
The conjecture of the sage sister proved correct. For the marsh, quartered to its remotest corners, yielded neither widgeons nor wild ducks; only moor-hens and water-rails--quarry too contemptible to fly the great falcons at.
"Now," said Sabrina, "I suppose you"ll consent to the climbing?"
Her motto might have been _Excelsior_; she seemed always urging an uphill movement.