She struggled out of his arms. "I am enc.u.mbered with wild beasts at each step," cried she, all rosy and breathless. "One would kill me for blind rage, the other for love. Oh, I do not know which to fear the most.
There, you may kiss my hand, Will, and I will take you for my man, since it seems that I am to be married whether I will or no. But _you_ must carry the tidings to my Saxon in York, and, beshrew me, I hope he will not take it too hardly, for your sake."
"And yours also." Scarlett was holding her again.
"I like you well enough to be sorry if he should hurt you," said this teasing little Princess. She looked up at him, and then dropped her lashes. "Do you _truly_ love me, Will? For truly do I love you."
And so the Princess of Aragon elected to marry Geoffrey of Montfichet, notwithstanding the politic choice of husband made for her by the wise old men in London town.
They walked on together towards Nottingham, quietly, and in deep content with the world.
They encountered a stately little cavalcade near by the gates of the city, and knew themselves observed ere they could hope to avoid them.
Putting a bold face on it, the lovers stood on one side, to permit this company to pa.s.s them.
An old man, richly dressed, came first, followed at a respectful distance by six hors.e.m.e.n.
The Princess watched them in happy indifference. Her frank glance roved from one to the other of the would-be steadfast faces before her. She turned her head to gaze again at the absorbed old man who led the company.
Then she checked herself in a little exclamation; and hastily averted her face. It was too late, the old fellow had been roused from his apathy. He reined in his grey horse, and asked over his shoulder: "Who are these, Jacquelaine?"
The esquire so addressed at once rode forward, but before he could speak his master had discovered an answer for himself. He had fixed fierce eyes upon Master Scarlett, and made a scornful gesture. "So "tis you, Geoffrey, daring death now for the sake of some country wench? Ay, but you will end upon the gallows, for sure."
"I shall not ask you to pray at my bedside," retorted Scarlett, bitterly.
The Princess suddenly whipped round. "Who are you, Sir Churl, to talk of gallows and the like to us? Hast come from a hanging thyself? There is one a foot in Nottingham, I mind me."
It was now the turn of the old knight to exclaim. "Princess, _you_?"
gasped he, in sheer amaze. He tumbled from his horse to the ground, and with old-fashioned courtesy knelt before her. She put out her hand for him to kiss.
"Rise, Master Montfichet, I pray you, "tis not your place to kneel to me," she said, with her little Court smile.
The other hors.e.m.e.n had dismounted and now stood apart from the trio. The Princess was the first to speak, so soon as the old Squire had risen.
"Master Montfichet and Will Scarlett, pray let me make you known to each other," she said, prettily. "This is Squire George of Gamewell, a good friend and honest adviser to me, although I do not always listen to him as I should," she laughed, easily. "_This_ is Master Will Scarlett, whom I have known both in France and now again in England. He hath but now saved me from a dreadful death."
She paused; then added quickly and a little nervously: "My life is his, in short, Master Montfichet, and so--and so I have given it to him. We are to be married, and live in the greenwood. Therefore, you are not to speak slightingly of Master Scarlett in my presence."
Consternation, astonishment and gratification struggled together mightily in the Squire"s breast. "Geoffrey, you!" he said again. "But this is beyond belief."
"Therefore believe it," spoke the Princess, lightly; "for _that_ will show you to be no common man."
"Sir," said Geoffrey, kneeling before his father, "I pray you forgive both my rash words just now and all my seeming ingrat.i.tude. I am very fain to be friends again with you, and I do swear to be more dutiful in the years to come. Will you take my hand?"
"Ay, freely as it is offered. G.o.d save us; but who am I to be stubborn of will, in the face of these miracles?"
"Do the miracles work happiness for you, Master Montfichet?" enquired the maid, archly.
"Ay, marry. But the King will never consent to this business, be sure of it. _You_ marrying my son--a commoner!"
"Your son?" It was now the Princess"s turn to be amazed. But soon the matter was explained to her. "So, Will, you have begun by deceiving me; a bad beginning."
"I was trying to tell you, dear heart, when we made this encounter. Was I not saying that my father lived near by here? Did I not tell you that he was a Norman----"
"There, there, do not fret your dear self. I will marry you, whether you be Will Scarlett or Geoffrey of Montfichet. It is yourself I need, after all."
"Take my steed and ride with us to Gamewell. There, at least, I must keep thee, Princess, until the King hath given his sanction to this marriage. _You_ to rule over Gamewell? In sooth I will be a joyful man upon that day."
"And I," murmured Master Scarlett.
So they turned back towards Gamewell, and only when they were in sight of it did Scarlett remember poor Little John. Then he stopped short, reining in the horse which one of the knights had lent to him. The Princess had accepted loan of the esquire Jacquelaine"s palfrey.
Will soon had told them this errand which he had come so near to forgetting altogether. "If this be the man they call John Little Nailor," said the Princess, sorrowfully, "why, he is in perilous plight.
You have but just ridden through Nottingham, I take it, Master Montfichet, and have some of its news?"
"They do not seem yet to know of your adventurings, Princess."
"No, surely; for what is a woman, missing or to hand, when there is red murder abroad? This poor fellow, whom I do believe to be innocent, was accused of theft by a rascally cook, and was pursued. "Twas the night of our return. They chased him from pillar to post, and presently caught him close to the castle. He had two bags with him."
""Tis Little John, then," cried Scarlett; "I saw him go out with the sacks across his back."
"In one of them they found many things that other folk had strangely lost," said the Princess, with a little grimace. "In the other there was the dead, dishonored body of a good citizen foully done to death."
Her listeners stared in their amazement. "It is a Master Fitzwalter who hath been so cruelly murdered," continued the Princess, her color coming and going. "This Little John swears that the cook did kill his master; and whilst he, Little John, was resting in Fitzwalter"s house this rascal fellow must have changed the sacks."
"Fitzwalter, the warden of the gates? I knew him well. Why, he left us but three weeks since to travel to Nottingham. It seems that he had sent a messenger to his girl there that she was to follow him, but either his letter miscarried or the maid would not. So poor Fitzwalter, busy as he was, must needs return to meet his death."
"Who is this cook?" asked Scarlett.
"An evil character, he hath altogether. Once he was of an outlaw robber band, headed here in these very woods under one Will of Cloudesley."
"Tell me, is he called Roger de Burgh?" asked Will.
"That is his name," answered the Princess, surprised; "do you know aught of him?"
"I know much evil of him," replied her lover; and then he told them how this very Roger had planned to take his (Will"s) life, and how Robin had saved him.
The Squire nodded. "I remember," said he, slowly.
"Ay, Robin was always a good lad. This news of yours will stagger him, for he is betrothed to Mistress Fitzwalter, daughter of him who hath so dreadfully met his end."
"The two of them were arraigned, I must tell you," went on the Princess, "and both were to be racked. But they did not put it too hardly upon Master Roger, as I have reason to know, wherefore he was able to maintain his innocence; whilst the other, in his bitter anguish, made confession of a crime which he did never commit."
"And they are hanging him whilst I stand idly here," cried Scarlett, turning to horse. "I must leave you, sweet; forgive me. Here is a man"s life in the balance."
"What would you, Will?" she asked, fearfully. "The hanging is fixed for the Thursday in next week."
"Before then he shall be free," said Will Scarlett, firmly. "Farewell, dear heart. Wait for me here at Gamewell; my father will be good host to you, I know."
"The maid Fitzwalter was lodging with us when I was called to London,"
the Squire began.