"Yea; but methinks thou mightest take away a portion, without injury to the goodly fabric.--Behold!" and the Reverend Jonas lifted, with the cook"s long knife (which he s.n.a.t.c.hed in unbecoming haste from the girdle), the paste of the edge of the gigantic pie, and stole a weighty slice of the venison from beneath.
"Ah, ah!" grinned Solomon, evidently pleased at the distinction bestowed upon his compost. "Is it not pa.s.sing good? But you taste not of the gravy--the gravy!"
"It is unseemly to dispose one"s heart towards such luxuries; though the saints stand in need of food no less than the young ravens--only it should be in moderation."
The preacher gulped down a ladleful of the pottage, and gasped for another, unmindful of his own precept, while the gravy lingered on his lips.
"Such as that would soon make you another man," said Solomon, glancing at Fleetword"s slender and spindle shanks; "there"s nourishment in it."
"We all stand in need of regeneration, Solomon, and should desire improvement, even as the hart panteth for the water-brooks; be it improvement of body, or improvement of mind. There was a wise King of Israel of thy name."
"What! Grundy, sir? the Grundys were of Lancashire," said the gratified compounder of kitchen-stuff.
"Not Grundy; heard ye ever in Scripture of a name like that?" retorted the preacher. "It was Solomon the wise."
"I remember him now; he had a many wives. But you can call to mind, sir, when I only wanted to put away old Joan, and marry Phoebe Graceful, you, sir, wouldn"t let me. But them old Christians had a deal more liberty."
"Peace, fool!" exclaimed Fleetword, somewhat in anger. "Solomon was a Jew."
"A Jew!" repeated the cook--"I wonder at your holy reverence to think of such wickedness; surely your reverence does not want me to be like a Jew?"
"Solomon, thou art a fool--in bone, in flesh, in marrow, and in spirit.
Have I not told thee of the unG.o.dliness of these thoughts?" replied the preacher, as he finished his last morsel. "But, unless I answer thee according to thine own foolishness, I cannot make thee understand. Get me a flagon of double-dub."
"With a toast in it?" demanded Grundy, slily peering out at the corner of his eye.
"Thou canst comprehend _that_," replied Fleetword: "truly--truly, the creature comforts have absorbed thy whole stock of ideas. Thou art like a sponge, Solomon--a mere fungus. Thou may"st put in the toast. And hark ye! if ye see Barbara, tell her I would speak with her; not here--not here--that would be unseemly--but in the oak parlour, or the library, I care not which."
"Now do I wish for Robin Hays," muttered the shrewd yet ignorant cook; "for he would expoundiate, which signifies, make clear--why a parson must not meet a maid in the b.u.t.tery.--But he is not a parson--Then he is a man--But not only a man, he must be something else, methinks. But why not Barbara go to the b.u.t.tery? Just in time, here comes Robin; so I"ll e"en ask him.--Give you good day, my Kentish man; it was a pity you were not here last night, as you so love a fray. The handsome youth, who had been staying on a visit, was cooped up, because he and Sir Willmott fought about my Lady Constance. And then the Major--he has been here two or three times, and they call him Wellmore--although worthy Jabez Tippet, the boatman, swears--no, not swears--declares, that no such person ever crosses the ferry:--yet is he dumb as a tortoise as to who does. Well, the Major and the young gentleman went off in a flash of lightning, or something of the sort; for Sir Willmott and my master could not find him. And I asked Barbara about it! but marry, she knows nothing, and therefore says nothing----"
"Which proves her different from the other s.e.x; for they sometimes know next to nothing, yet say a great deal," retorted Robin, sarcastically.
"Humph!" replied Grundy; "you look chuffish this morning, Master Robin: have you got any thing ready for the bridal?"
"Don"t worry me," exclaimed Robin; "what care I for bridals, or bridles either, unless I could fix one in your mouth? Where"s Barbara?"
"The very thing I want to know; for that holy man, the preacher Fleetword, having communed with the pasty, would fain commune with the maid--not in the b.u.t.tery though. And now, methinks, I had a question to put to you--Why is it unseemly for a man to----" The cook held up his hand in his usual oratorical style, so that it stood out like a substantial fan before his face, and touching the second finger of his left with the forefinger of his right, was proceeding with his inquiry, when he perceived that Robin had vanished! "Robin! Robin Hays! oh! thou heedless, and most faithless person! thou Jacky Lantern!" he exclaimed, and then followed, as he thought, the pa.s.sage that Robin had taken. It happened, however, to be the opposite one, so that he received not the required information.
Robin sought Barbara in every place where it was likely she might be found, but without success; being unable to enter the more private apartments of the dwelling, he applied to one of the damsels of Lady Frances" suite.
"Oh, you seek Mistress Barbara, do you, young man?" and she cast her eyes over Robin"s mis-shapen figure with an expression of contempt that could not be mistaken; then pa.s.sed her finger along the braid of hair that bounded the border of a plain cap, made of the richest lace; pulled down her stomacher, and apparently waited for the Ranger"s reply. Robin reddened to the eyes, for he could but impatiently brook such personal scrutiny; and his annoyance increased when he saw that his embarra.s.sment was noticed by his courtly companion.
"We do not call her mistress here," he said at length; "but I pray you tell me where she is--I mean the Lady Constantia"s attendant, little Barbara Iverk."
"I know who you mean perfectly well," replied the pert woman in authority; "we of the court are not thick-headed, as you of the country may be, so I will explain fully to your----" she t.i.ttered rudely and loudly; but Robin"s pride was nettled, and he heeded it not; "to your----but I wouldn"t laugh, if I could help it. Barbara wished to know how the attendants were dressed when my Lady Mary was married so very lately to my Lord Fauconberg; and, as we of the court always carry our wardrobes with us, and the simple girl being my size--she hath a marvellously fine person for one country-bred--I dressed her as was fitting in my robes: a white striped silk petticoat, and a white body made of foreign taffeta, the sleeves looped up with white pearls, no cap upon her head, but a satin hood just edged with Paris lace. "Od"s Gemini! young man, if you had but seen her. Then all of a sudden her lady wanted her to get some flowers, and she had only time to throw on her cardinal and run for them."
"Then she is in the garden?"
"By the Fairy Ring, I take it; for there the best flowers grow."
Robin did not tarry to thank the court damsel for her information, but bounded right away to the garden, cursing the rude laugh that again insulted him.
As he drew near the Ring, he heard a faint shriek. His quick ear knew at once that it came from the lips of Barbara; and bursting through the trees, he was in an instant by her side.
It will take many words to describe what had pa.s.sed in a single moment.
Barbara, dressed as Lady Frances" woman had described, was on her knees before a slight, sallow youth, who held an unsheathed dagger in one hand, and spoke in a language that was a mixture of some foreign tongue and most imperfect English. Barbara, pale and trembling, evidently did not understand a word the other said, yet knelt with hands and face upturned, while the boy brandished the weapon, as if in the act of striking. As his dark eye flashed upon his victim, it caught sight of the Ranger, who rushed from the thicket to her side. With a piercing cry, the boy sprang away into an almost impenetrable underwood, that skirted the portion of the Fairy Ring most distant from the house.
Barbara no sooner saw Robin than she attempted to rise; but she was unequal to any further exertion, and sank fainting on the gra.s.s.
When she recovered, she found herself in the same spot, with her head on Robin"s shoulder. Her spirits were relieved by a burst of tears; and, withdrawing her head, she wept plentifully in her hands, heedless of the drops that crept through her small fingers, and fell abundantly on the white silk petticoat the waiting-maid so highly prized. Robin had always thought her beautiful, but he had never avowed it to himself so decidedly as now. Her long, luxuriant hair, no longer twisted and flattened under her Puritan cap, flowed over the simple, but, to Robin"s eyes, superb dress in which she was arrayed; the drapery rather added to, than lessened, the pure and holy look which is the soul and essence of virgin loveliness; and he never felt his own worthlessness so much, as while thus contemplating Barbara at the very moment when she was a thousand times dearer to him than ever.
She was the first to speak, as pa.s.sing her hand over her eyes, then looking up between their long silken lashes, smiling as a young child at the danger that was past, and retaining only the remembrance of it, because it brought to her gentle and affectionate mind another proof of Robin"s attachment and protecting care, she stretched out her hand, all gemmed as it was, and sobbed, even while smiling,--
"Dear, good Robin! he would have killed me. Are you quite sure he is gone? Come near me, Robin; he will not come back while you are here. I am sure he mistook me for some one else, for--" she spoke in a low tone, "I saw him once before, Robin Hays," still lower, "at the Gull"s Nest Crag, only last night."
"I knew the little rascal was after no good; and to pretend dumbness too!"
"Dumbness!" repeated Barbara. "Did he pretend to be dumb?--and do you know him?"
"I do know that he, in some degree, stole his pa.s.sage over in---- But no matter; I"ll clip his wings, and blunt his dagger, I warrant me; he shall play no more such pranks. To frighten _you_, my Barbara!--what could be the motive? serious injury he could not intend."
"Ah, Robin!" said Barbara, shuddering, "you did not see his eyes as I did, or you would not say so; such eyes! Ah, I should have been bitterly frightened had I not prayed this morning. Dear Robin, why do you not pray?"
Robin looked at her and sighed--"Could you understand nothing of what he said?" inquired he.
"I heard him repeat the name of Burrell, and that of my dear lady, two or three times; but what he meant I cannot fathom. Oh, but he had a wild and terrible look! Why should he seek to harm me?"
"Why, indeed!" echoed Robin; "it must be seen into, and that immediately. I"ll speak anon of it to Dalton."
"To Dalton!" in her turn echoed the girl--"Oh! that fearful man----"
"There is no one under the sun who has more love for you than he has--than Hugh Dalton."
"I am sure he knew my father."
"He did, indeed: but question me no farther now, sweet Barbara; make your mind quite easy, the outrage shall not be repeated. Perhaps the boy is crazed. Let"s think no more of it, my gentle girl. I must bid you farewell."
"Farewell, Robin! Why--wherefore? Tell me, where are you going? When do you return? How long do you stay?"
"Now, if I were a king, and one that woman could look upon and love, I would give the half, the whole of my kingdom, to be sure she feels as earnestly as she speaks," thought Robin. She perceived the coldness of his look, and continued, though with a changed expression,--
"What ails you? Have I angered you? Will you be thus wayward with your poor Barbara?"
"My Barbara!" he repeated bitterly, and he touched the Frenchified hood that hung over her shoulders: "my Barbara! would these trappings become any one that belonged to such a thing as me? Rare contrasts we should be! Methinks such bravery does ill adorn a simple Puritan; one professing such principles should don a plainer robe. Gems, too, upon your sleeves!--is not a bright, but modest eye, a far more precious jewel? If it can be outshone by any other ornament, it is worth nothing."
He turned from her as he spoke, and tears again gathered in her eyes.
"Robin," she said in a broken voice, "it was Mistress Alice put them on, to show me the proper tiring for a bower-maiden at a great festival--such as my lady"s ought to be.--But I will take them off--all off, if you like them not."