"Who, by the way, has maltreated a whole company of my guards."
"-Permit me, as his guardian, to ransom him. He has large estates."
"You forget, sir," exclaimed the King haughtily, "that I am punishing him. Do you entertain the idea of bribing me?"
"I forget nothing, sire. I even remember that this is England, and not Holland."
"My lord," said William, turning to the Earl of Marlborough, "I pray you dispose of the recruit as you think fit. Have him removed, and have the highroad cleared of these rebels; for I see my escort down the road."
And touching the sorrel with his heel, his Majesty cantered back to meet the approaching cavalcade.
CHAPTER VI.
THE EARL OF MARLBOROUGH SEEKS RECRUITS.
Night had fallen. It was past eight o"clock, and Captain John and Captain Jemmy sat facing each other, one on each side of the empty fireplace, in Captain John"s library. They were in complete darkness-for the red glow of tobacco in the pipe which Captain Jemmy puffed dejectedly could hardly be called a light. For half an hour no word had been spoken, when somebody tapped at the door.
"What is it?" asked Captain Barker.
"A gentleman to see you," answered the voice of Mr. Swiggs.
"What"s his name?"
"He won"t say."
"Tell him I am busy to-night."
Narcissus withdrew, and knocked again a minute later.
"He says he must see you."
"Have you turned him out?"
"I told him you were busy with Captain Jemmy. "Who"s Captain Jemmy?" he asks. "Captain Jemmy Runacles," I answers. "All the better," says he."
"Excuse me," said a voice at the door; "but my business concerns both of you gentlemen. Also it concerns Tristram Salt."
"Narcissus, bring a couple of candles."
While Mr. Swiggs was executing this order an oppressive silence filled the room. The stranger"s dark shadow rested motionless by the doorway. Above the breathing of the three men could only be heard the far-off sound of Harwich bells still ringing their welcome to King William.
When the candles were brought in and Narcissus had retired again after closing the shutters, the stranger removed the broad-brimmed hat and heavy cloak which he had worn till that moment, and tossed them negligently on the table before him.
It was the scarlet-coated cavalier who had ridden beside the King that afternoon.
"The Earl of Marlborough!"
"The same, sirs; and your servant."
"Be kind enough, my lord, to state the message you bring from your master, and to leave this house as soon as it is delivered."
To Captain Barker"s astonishment, the Earl showed no sign of resenting this speech.
"You are wrong," he answered quietly; "William of Orange is not my master. If I mistake not, you and I, gentlemen, acknowledge but one sovereign ruler, King James."
At these bold words, uttered in the calmest voice, the two captains caught their breath and stared at each other. Captain Runacles was the first to recover. He laughed incredulously.
"Your lordship appears to have forgotten Salisbury."
Any other man would have winced at this taunt. But the Earl of Marlborough met it with the face of a statue.
"Captain Runacles, I have neither forgotten it nor am likely to. The remembrance of that affair has followed me night and day. I cannot-even now that I am pardoned-rid myself of its horror. I cannot eat; I cannot sleep. I see my crime in its true light, and am appalled by its enormity. And yet-G.o.d help me!-I thought at the time I was saving my country. Gentlemen, you, who have faced no such responsibility as then confronted me, will be apt to judge me without mercy. I know not if I can persuade you that my remorse is honest. But consider-Here am I at William"s right hand, already rich and powerful, and possessing limitless prospects of increased power and riches. Yet am I ready to sacrifice everything, to brave everything, to bring utter ruin on my fortune, if only I can rid myself of this nightmare of shame. Is this the att.i.tude of insincerity?"
"Upon my word, my lord, I"d give something to know why the devil you tell all this to us."
"I hardly know myself," answered the Earl, sighing deeply, but still without a grain of expression on his handsome face. "A man haunted as I am can hardly account for all his utterances. I have come to do you a service, and, having done it, might have withdrawn without a word. But the sight of you recalled the honest words you spoke to the usurper this afternoon. Sirs, I envied you then; and just now an insane longing took hold of me to set myself right with two such inflexible friends of King James."
"Would it not be more to the point if you first obtained pardon from King James himself?"
"I have done so."
"Well, my lord, I cannot yet see what your affairs have to do with us. But if it will give you any pleasure that we should believe these remarkable statements-"
"I have a.s.sured you that it will."
"Then perhaps you will produce some proof of them in black and white."
The Earl drew a folded paper from his breast and spread it upon the table before them. It was an affectionate letter of pardon, dated a month back from the Court of Saint Germains, written throughout and signed by the hand of King James himself.
"Thank you, my lord. When his Majesty writes thus, it is not for his subjects to bear rancour. Will you kindly state your immediate business?"
"It concerns the young man Tristram Salt. You desire that he should be restored to you?"
"My lord," said Captain Barker, "that young man is more to me than many sons."
"You are indignant at the recollection of this afternoon?"
"What has that to do with it?"
"Much. But let me continue. Your adopted son, Captain Barker, is at this moment lying in the hold of his Majesty"s frigate the Good Intent. He is in irons."
"In irons!"
"Yes, sir. He has undoubtedly imbibed your opinions with regard to the Dutch, for he began his military career by blacking the eyes of a gentleman of that nation, who, as ill-luck will have it, is his superior officer."