CHAPTER XXXIII.

The grey twilight hung over the world when Richard de Ashby re-entered

the outer court of the castle at Lindwell; but still he could perceive

horses saddled and dusty, attendants running hither and thither, armed

men standing in knots, as if resting themselves for a moment after a

journey, and every indication of the arrival of some party having taken

place during his absence. His first thought was, that the corpse must

have been found and brought back by some of the small bodies of Prince

Edward's troops, which were moving about in all directions; but he soon

saw that such an event was impossible, as he himself, or some of those

about him, must have met any party which had passed near the scene of

the murder. The next instant, in going by one of the little groups of

soldiers we have mentioned, he recognised the face of some of the

retainers of the house of Ashby, and exclaimed, "What! has the Lord

Alured returned?"

"Not half an hour ago, Sir Richard," replied a soldier; and Richard de

Ashby hurried like lightning into the hall. There was a coldness at his

heart, indeed, as he thought of meeting the man whose father's blood

was upon his hand, and against whose own life he was devising schemes

as dark as those which had just been executed. But he was most anxious

nevertheless to meet his cousin, ere he had conversed long with Lucy,

and to give those impressions regarding the causes of the bloody deed

which best suited his purposes.

Alured de Ashby was not in the great hall, but Richard, without a

moment's delay, mounted the great staircase to the upper chamber, where

Hugh de Monthermer's last happy hour had been passed with Lucy. There

were voices speaking within, but the kinsman paused not a moment; and

opening the door, he found the sister weeping in the arms of her

brother. They had been sometime together; the first burst of sorrow, in

speaking of their father's death, had passed away; an accidental word

had caused them to converse of other things connected therewith,

indeed, but not absolutely relating to that subject, and the first

words that met Richard de Ashby's ear were spoken by the Lord Alured.

"Never, Lucy," he was saying--"never! Fear not, dear girl! I will never

force your inclination. I will try to make you happy in your own way.

As my poor father promised, so I promise too."

Their dark kinsman saw at once that the proud and stubborn heart of his

hasty cousin was softened by the touch of grief, and that he had made a

promise which no other circumstances would have drawn from him, but

which--however much he might regret it at an after period--would never

be retracted.

Lucy started on her cousin's entrance; and, why she knew not, but a

shudder passed over her as she beheld him. He advanced towards them,

however, with an assumption of frank and kindly sympathy, holding out a

hand to each. But Lucy avoided taking it, though not markedly, and

saying in a low voice to her brother, "I cannot speak with any one,

Alured," she glided away through the door which led to her own

apartments, leaving Richard de Ashby with all the bitter purposes of

his heart only strengthened by what he had seen and heard. Alured took

his cousin's hand at once, asking, "Have you brought in the body? Where

have you laid him?"

In a rapid but clear manner, Richard explained that the search had been

ineffectual, and told all that had been done in vain for the discovery

of the corpse. After some time spent in conjectures as to what could

have become of the body, the peasant who had first discovered it was

called in, and questioned strictly as to what he had seen, and his

knowledge of the old Lord's person. His replies, however, left no doubt

in regard to the facts of the murder; and when he was dismissed, Alured

turned, with a frowning brow and a bewildered eye, to his cousin,

asking, "Who can have done this?"

Richard de Ashby looked down in silence for a moment, as if almost

unwilling to reply, and then answered, "I know of but one man whom he

has offended."

"Who, who," demanded Alured, sharply. "I know of none."

"None, but Hugh de Monthermer," said Richard de Ashby.

"Hugh de Monthermer!" cried the young Earl.--"Offended him! Why he has

loaded him with favour. 'Twas his letter, telling me that he intended

to give our Lucy's hand to one of our old enemies, that brought me back

with such speed. Offended him! He is the last man that had cause of

complaint."

"You know not, Alured--you know not all," cried his false cousin. "Far

be it from me to accuse Hugh de Monthermer behind his back. I have ever

said what I have had to say of him boldly, and to his face; and all I

wish to imply is, without making any accusation whatsoever, that I know

of not one man on earth whom your poor father has offended but Hugh de

Monthermer."

"And how offended him?" asked the young Earl.

"By withdrawing his promise of your sister's hand," answered his

cousin. "'Tis but yesterday, upon some quarrel--I know not what--that

he who is now dead retracted every rash engagement of the kind, and

told him he should never have her. Lucy will tell you the same."

"Ha!" cried Alured, knitting his brows thoughtfully--"Ha! But--no, no,

no! To do him justice, Monthermer is too noble ever, to draw his sword

upon an old man like that. His name was never stained with any lowly

act. He might be a proud enemy, but never a base one."

"I dare say it is so;" answered Richard; "though I have seen some mean

things, too. Did he not avoid meeting you in arms, on quarrel

concerning my poor little paramour? But all this matters not; I bring

no charge against him--'tis but suspicion, at the most. Only when I

recollect that yesterday your father crossed all his hopes, and that

Guy de Margan, Geary, and the rest who were with this poor Earl, told

me that there was a violent quarrel, with high and fierce words on both

sides, I may well say that he was offended--and, as far as I know, he

was the only one offended--by the good old man. Lucy will tell you

more, perhaps."

"Stay!" cried Alured, "I will go and ask her."

"Nay," rejoined his cousin, "I must away with all speed to Nottingham,

to learn if aught has been heard of the body there. I will ask Guy de

Margan and the others, what really passed when they were here

yesterday, and let you know early to-morrow."

"Bring them with you--bring them with you said Alured.

"I will," replied Richard; "but in the meantime, by your good leave, my

lord. I will take some of your men with me, for I came alone, and am

not well loved, as you know, of these Monthermers."

"Take what men you will," said the young Earl; "but yet I cannot think

they have had a hand in this. Good night, Richard--good night!"

So prone is the mind of man to suspicion, so intimately are we

convinced in our own hearts of the fallibility of human nature at every

point, that accusation often repeated will ever leave a doubt in the

most candid mind. "Be thou as cold as ice, as chaste as snow, thou

shalt not 'scape calumny," cried Shakspeare, addressing woman; and he

might have said to the whole race of man--"Armour thyself in the whole

panoply of virtue, cover thee from head to foot in the triple steel of

honour, honesty, and a pure heart, still the poisoned dart of malice

shall pierce through and wound thee, if it do not destroy."

In the heart of Alured de Ashby, there had never been a doubt that Hugh

de Monthermer was, in every thought and in every deed, as high, as

noble, and as true, as ever was man on earth; and yet--alas, that it

should be so!--the words of a false, base man, whom he himself knew to

be full of faults and detected in falsehoods, left a suspicion on his

mind, in favour of which, his jealous hatred of the race of Monthermer

rose up with an angry and clamorous voice.

It was with such feelings that he now strode away to his sister's

chamber; but ere he knocked at the door he paused thoughtfully,

remembering that she was already grieved and shaken by the sad events

of that evening. He called to mind that he was her only protector, her

only near relation, now; and a feeling of greater tenderness than he

had ever before suffered to take possession of his heart rose out of

their relative position to each other, and caused him to soften his

tone and manner as far as possible.

He knocked at the door, then, and went in, finding Lucy with her maids;

the latter following mechanically the embroidery--on which one half a

woman's life was then spent,--the former sitting in the window, far

from the lamp, with her cheek resting on her hand, and a handkerchief

beside her to wipe away the tears that ever and anon broke from the

dark shady well of her long-fringed eyes.

As gently as was in his nature to do, Alured sat down beside her, and

questioned her as to what had passed on the preceding day. She answered

very briefly; for his inquiries mingled one dark and terrible stream of

thought with another scarcely less dreadful. She knew little, she said,

as she had not been present. She was not aware why her father had so

acted; but she acknowledged that he had withdrawn his consent to her

union with the man she loved, and had spoken words concerning him which

had wrung and pained her heart to hear.

So far, the tale of Richard de Ashby was confirmed; and Alured left

her, with a moody and uncertain mind, hesitating between new-born

suspicions and the confidence which the experience of years had forced

upon him. He paced the hall that night for many an hour, ever and anon

sending for various members of the household, and questioning them

concerning the transactions of the day. But he gained no farther

tidings; and in gloom and sadness the minutes slipped away--the gay

merriment, the light jest, the tranquil enjoyment, all crushed out and

extinct, and every part of the castle filled with an air of sorrow and

anxiety; all feeling that a terrible deed had been done, and all

inquiring--"What is to come next?"

The last words of the young Earl, ere he retired to rest, were, "Let

horses be prepared by nine in the morning. I will to Nottingham myself.

This must be sifted to the bottom."

Ere he set out, however, Richard de Ashby, accompanied by several

gentlemen of the court, had reached Lindwell, and were met by Alured in

the hall, booted and spurred for his departure.

"Ha! give you good day, sirs," he exclaimed, in his quick and impetuous

manner, "I was about to seek you, if you had not come to me."

"This is a sad affair, my lord the Earl!" said Sir Guy de Margan.

"Little did I think, when I rode over hither the day before yesterday

with your noble father, that it was the last time I should see him

living!"

"Sad, indeed, sir--sad, indeed!" replied the young Earl. "But the

question now is, 'Who did this deed?'"

"Who shalt say that?" said Sir Guy de Margan.

Alured de Ashby paused, and crushed his glove in his hand, wishing any

one to touch upon the subject of the suspicions which had been

instilled into his mind, before he spoke upon them himself; but finding

that Guy de Margan stopped short, he said, at length, "May I ask you,

Sir Guy, to tell me the circumstances which took place here during your

stay with my father yesterday? Any act of his is of importance to throw

light upon this dark affair."

"I can tell you very little, my noble lord," replied Sir Guy. "When we

arrived, we were told that the Lord Hugh de Monthermer was in the upper

hall with your fair sister, the Lady Lucy. We all went thither

together; but, as we came to the Lord Hugh with a somewhat unpleasant

summons to the presence of the King, your noble father, wishing to

spare his feelings, desired us to wait without at the head of the

stairs, while he went in to break the tidings. We soon, however, heard

high words and very angry language on the part of the young lord. Then

there was much spoken in a lower tone; and then Monthermer came nearer

to the door, where he stopped, and said aloud, 'You will not fail, my

lord?' Your father answered, in a stern tone, 'I will meet you at the

hour you named. Fear not, I will not fail!'"

Alured de Ashby turned his eyes upon his cousin with a meaning look,

and Richard de Ashby raised his to heaven, and then let them sink to

the earth again.

"I heard those words myself," said Sir William Geary, "and thought it

strange Monthermer should appoint a meeting when he was aware he was

going to a prison. It seems, however, that he well knew what he was

about."

"God send he met him not too surely!" burst forth Alured de Ashby, with

his eyes flashing.

"After all, we may be quite mistaken," observed Richard, who knew that

now, having sown the suspicions,--ay, and watered them, too,--it was

his task to affect candour, and seem to repress them; as a man lops off

branches from a tree to make it grow the stronger. "Hugh de Monthermer

was always noble and true, and of a generous nature, as you well said

last night, Alured."

"But you forget," said Guy de Margan, "he was at this very time under a

strong suspicion of a base treason, and had been seen speaking secretly

in the forest with three masked men unknown!"

"Ha!" cried Alured de Ashby, seizing the speaker by the arm, and gazing

into his face, as if he would have read his soul. "Ha! three masked

men?"

"It is true, upon my life!" replied Guy de Margan.

"Be calm--be calm, my dear cousin," exclaimed Richard de Ashby.

"Calm!" shouted the young Earl--"Calm! with my father's blood crying

for vengeance from the earth, and my sword yet undrawn!"

"But listen," said Richard. "I have thought, as we came along, of a

fact which may give us some insight into this affair. Yesterday

evening, on my arrival here, ere any of us knew aught of your father's

death, the old hall porter told me, on my inquiring for him, that the

Earl had gone forth alone, having received a letter brought by some

peasant boy. He mentioned the boy's name, for he seemed to know him,

and therefore I ventured, as we passed the gates just now, to bid the

warder speak with the old man, and have the boy sent for with all

speed. 'Tis but right that we should know who that note came from."

"Let the porter be sent for," cried Alured--"let the porter be sent

for."

"I will call him," said Richard, and left the ball.

In a moment after, he returned with the old man, followed by a young

clown of some thirteen years of age. The boy stayed near the door, but

Richard de Ashby advanced with the porter, the latter bowing low to his

lord as he came up.

"Who brought the letter given to my father just before he went out

yesterday?" demanded the young Earl, in a stern tone.

"Dickon, the son of Ugtred, the swine-driver, my lord," replied the

porter; "he lives hard by, and there he stands."

"Did he say aught when he delivered it?" asked Richard de Ashby.

"Nothing, Sir Richard," answered the porter, "but to give it to my lord

directly."

"Come hither, boy," cried Alured. "Now speak truly; who gave you that

letter?"

"There were four of them, my lord," replied the boy; "but I never saw

any one of them before."

"Were they masked?" demanded Richard de Ashby.

The boy replied in the negative; but his wily questioner, having put

suspicion upon the track, was satisfied, so far, and Alured proceeded.

"What did they say to you?" he asked.

"They bade me take it to the castle," replied the boy, "and tell the

people to give it to my noble lord the Earl, as fast as possible."

"Did they say nothing more?" demanded Alured de Ashby. The boy looked

round and began to whimper.

"Speak the truth, knave," cried the young Earl, "speak the truth, and

no harm shall happen to you; but hesitate a moment, and I'll hang you

over the gate."

"They told me," answered the boy, still crying, "that if I saw the

Earl, I might say it came from the Lord Hugh de Monthermer, but not to

say so to any one else."

The whole party looked round in each other's faces, except Richard de

Ashby, who gazed down upon the ground, as if distressed, though to say

truth, his heart swelled with triumph, for the words the men had used

had been suggested by him at the last moment before he left them. He

would not look up, however, lest his satisfaction should appear; and

Alured set his teeth hard, saying, "This is enough!"

"But one more question, my good lord," cried Sir William Geary, "Do you

know the Lord Hugh de Monthermer, boy?"

"Yes, sir, very well," replied the boy; "I have seen him many a time

with my lord and my lady."

"And was he amongst them?" asked Sir William Geary.

"Oh, no," cried the boy, his face brightening up at once. "There was

one of them as tall, and, mayhap, as strong, but then he was black

about the mazzard; and the other who was well-nigh as tall, had a wrong

looking eye."

"This serves no farther purpose," said the young Earl. "I must to

Nottingham at once. You, gentlemen, will forgive a son who has his

father's death to avenge; but you must not quit my castle unrefreshed.

Richard will play the host's part while I am absent; so fare you well,

with many thanks for your coming.--Ho! are my horses ready, there?"