第 30 页

looked much younger. The quiet seclusion in which she had lived in the

convent had kept her from approaching that maturity which as an earl's

daughter, brought up in the stir and bustle of a castle, she would

doubtless have attained.

"This is indeed Sir Cuthbert," the abbess said, "your old playfellow, and

the husband destined for you by your father and by the will of the king."

Struck with a new timidity, the girl advanced, and, according to the

custom of the times, held up her cheek to be kissed. Cuthbert was almost

as timid as herself.

"I feel, Lady Margaret," he said, "a deep sense of my own unworthiness of

the kindness and honour which the dear lord your father bestowed upon me;

and were it not that many dangers threaten, and that it were difficult

under the circumstances to find one more worthy of you, I would gladly

resign you into the hands of such a one were it for your happiness. But

believe me that the recollection of your face has animated me in many of

the scenes of danger in which I have been placed; and although even in

fancy my thoughts scarcely ventured to rise so high, yet I felt as a true

knight might feel for the lady of his love."

"I always liked you, Sir Cuthbert," the girl said frankly, "better than

any one else next to my father, and gladly submit myself to his will. My

own inclinations indeed, so far as is maidenly, go with his. These are

troubled times," she said anxiously, "and our holy mother tells me that

you fear some danger is overhanging me."

"I trust that the danger may not be imminent," Cuthbert answered. "But

knowing the unscrupulous nature of the false Earl of Evesham, I fear that

the news that King Richard is found will bestir him to early action. But

you can rely, dear lady, on a careful watch being kept over you night and

day; and should any attempt be made to carry you away, or to put force

upon you, be assured that assistance will be at hand. Even should any

attempt succeed, do not lose heart, for rescue will certainly be

attempted; and I must be dead, and my faithful followers crushed, before

you can become the bride of Sir Rudolph."

Then turning to other subjects, he talked to her of the life he had led

since he last saw her. He told her of the last moments of her father, and

of the gallant deeds he had done in the Holy Land.

After waiting for two hours, the abbess judged that the time for

separation had arrived; and Cuthbert, taking a respectful adieu of his

young mistress, and receiving the benediction of the abbess, departed.

He found Cnut on guard at the point where he had left him.

"Have you seen aught to give rise to suspicion?" Cuthbert asked.

"Yes," Cnut said, "the place is undoubtedly watched. Just after you had

entered, a man came from that house yonder and went up to the gate, as if

he would fain learn by staring at its iron adornments the nature of him

who had passed in. Then he re-entered his house, and if I mistake not is

still on the watch at that casement. If we stand here for a minute or

two, perchance he may come out to see what delays you in this dark

corner, in which case I may well give him a clout with my axe which will

settle his prying."

"Better not," Cuthbert said. "We can retire round this corner and so

avoid his observation; and were his body found slain here, suspicion

would be at once excited in the mind of his employer. At present he can

have no ground for any report which may make the knight uneasy, for he

can but know that a gentleman has entered, and remained for two hours at

the convent, and he will in no way connect my visit with the Lady

Margaret."

They had just turned the corner which Cuthbert indicated, when a man came

up rapidly behind them and almost brushed them as he passed, half-turning

round and trying to gaze into their faces. Cnut at once assumed the

aspect of an intoxicated person, and stretching forth his foot, with a

dexterous shove pushed the stranger into the gutter. The latter rose with

a fierce cry of anger; but Cnut with a blow of his heavy fist again

stretched him on the ground, this time to remain quiet until they had

walked on and passed out of sight.

"A meddling fool," Cnut grumbled. "He will not, methinks, have much to

report to Sir Rudolph this time. Had I thought that he had seen your

face, I would have cleft his skull with no more hesitation than I send

an arrow into the brain of a stag in the forest."

As they journeyed along, Cuthbert informed Cnut of what the abbess had

told him; and the latter agreed that a watch must be placed on the

convent, and that a force must be kept as near as possible at hand so as

to defeat any attempt which might be made.

The next day one of the forest men who had been a peaceable citizen, but

who had been charged with using false weights and had been condemned to

lose his ears, repaired to Worcester. His person was unknown there, as he

had before lived at Gloucester. He hired a house in the square in which

the convent was situated, giving out that he desired to open a house of

business for the sale of silks, and for articles from the Low Countries.

As he paid down earnest-money for the rent, no suspicion whatever was

excited. He at once took up his abode there, having with him two stout

serving-men, and a 'prentice boy; and from that time two sets of watchers

observed without ceasing what passed at the Convent of St. Anne.

At a distance of half a mile from the road leading between Worcester and

Evesham, stood a grange, which had for some time been disused, the ground

belonging to it having been sequestrated and given to the lord of an

adjoining estate, who did not care to have the grange occupied. In this,

ten men, headed by Cnut, took up their residence, blocking up the window

of the hall with hangings, so that the light of the fire kindled within

would not be observed.

Two months passed on without any incident of importance. The feeling

between the outlaws in the forest and the retainers of the false Earl of

Evesham was becoming much embittered. Several times the foresters of the

latter, attempting pursuit of men charged with breaking the game laws,

were roughly handled. These on making their report were sent back again,

supported by a force of footmen; but these, too, were driven back, and

the authority of Sir Rudolph was openly defied.

Gradually it came to his ears that the outlaws were commanded by a man

who had been their leader in times gone by, but who had been pardoned,

and had, with a large number of his band, taken service in the army of

the crusaders; also, that there was present a stranger, whose manner and

the deference paid to him by Cnut proclaimed him to be of gentle blood.

This news awakened grave uneasiness on the part of Sir Rudolph. The

knight caused inquiries to be made, and ascertained that Cnut had been

especially attached to the young Cuthbert, and that he had fought under

the Earl of Evesham's banner. It seemed possible then that with him had

returned the claimant for the earldom; and in that case Sir Rudolph felt

that danger menaced him, for the bravery of the Earl of Evesham's

adopted son had been widely spoken of by those who had returned from the

Holy Land.

Sir Rudolph was a man of forty, tall and dark, with Norman features. He

held the Saxons in utter contempt, and treated them as beings solely

created to till the land for the benefit of their Norman lords. He was

brave and fearless, and altogether free from the superstition of the

times. Even the threats of the pope, which although Prince John defied

them yet terrified him at heart, were derided by his follower, who feared

no one thing in the world, save, perhaps, the return of King Richard from

captivity.

No sooner had the suspicion that his rival was in the neighbourhood

possessed him, than he determined that one of two things must be carried

out: either Sir Cuthbert must be killed, or the Lady Margaret must be

carried off and forced to accept him as her husband. First he endeavoured

to force Sir Cuthbert to declare himself, and to trust to his own arm to

put an end to his rival. To that end he caused a proclamation to be

written, and to be affixed to the door of the village church at the fair

of Evesham.

Cnut and several of his followers were there, all quietly dressed as

yeomen. Seeing a crowd round the door of the church, he pressed forward.

Being himself unable to read writing, he asked one of the burgesses what

was written upon the paper which caused such excitement.

"It is," the burgess said, "in the nature of a cartel or challenge from

our present lord, Sir Rudolf. He says that it having come to his ears

that a Saxon serf, calling himself Sir Cuthbert, Earl of Evesham, is

lurking in the woods and consorting with outlaws and robbers, he

challenges him to appear, saying that he will himself, grievously

although he would demean himself by so doing, yet condescend to meet him

in the lists with sword and battle-axe, and to prove upon his body the

falseness of his averments. Men marvel much," the burgess continued, "at

this condescension on the earl's part. We have heard indeed that King

Richard, before he sailed for England, did, at the death of the late good

earl, bestow his rank and the domains of Evesham upon Sir Cuthbert, the

son of the Dame Editha. Whether it be true or not, we cannot say; but it

seems strange that such honour should have been bestowed upon one so

young. In birth indeed he might aspire to the rank, since his father, Sir

Walter, was a brave knight, and the mother, Dame Editha, was of good

Saxon blood, and descended from those who held Evesham before the arrival

of the Normans."

Cnut's first impulse was to stride forward and to tear down the

proclamation. But the remembrance of his solemn determination not in

future to act rashly, came across him, and he decided to take no

steps until he had reported the facts to his master, and taken his

counsel thereon.

Cuthbert received the news with much indignation.

"There is nought that I should like better," he said, "than to try my

strength against that of this false traitor. But although I have proved

my arm against the Saracens, I think not that it is yet strong enough to

cope against a man who, whatsoever be his faults, is said to be a valiant

knight. But that would not deter me from attempting the task. It is

craftily done on the part of Sir Rudolph. He reckons that if I appear he

will kill me; that if I do not appear, I shall be branded as a coward,

and my claims brought into disrepute. It may be, too, that it is a mere

ruse to discover if I be in the neighbourhood. Some rumours thereof may

have reached him, and he has taken this course to determine upon their

truth. He has gone too far, and honest men will see in the cartel itself

a sign that he misdoubts him that my claims are just; for were I, as he

says, a Saxon serf, be sure that he would not condescend to meet me in

the lists as he proposes. I trust that the time will come when I may do

so. But, at present, I will submit to his insult rather than imperil the

success of our plans, and, what is of far greater importance, the safety

and happiness of the Lady Margaret, who, did aught befall me, would

assuredly fall into his hands."

After some thought, however, Cuthbert drew up an answer to the knight's

proclamation. He did not in this speak in his own name, but wrote as if

the document were the work of Cnut. It was worded as follows: "I, Cnut, a

free Saxon and a leader of bowmen under King Richard in the Holy Land, do

hereby pronounce and declare the statements of Sir Rudolph, miscalled

the Earl of Evesham, to be false and calumnious. The earldom was, as

Rudolph well knows, and as can be proved by many nobles and gentlemen of

repute who were present with King Richard, granted to Sir Cuthbert, King

Richard's true and faithful follower. When the time shall come, Sir

Cuthbert will doubtless be ready to prove his rights. But at present

right has no force in England, and until the coming of our good King

Richard must remain in abeyance. Until then, I support the title of Sir

Cuthbert, and do hereby declare Sir Rudolph a false and perjured knight;

and warn him that if he falls into my hands it will fare but badly with

him, as I know it will fare but badly with me should I come into his."

At nightfall the cartel of Sir Rudolph was torn down from the church and

that of Cnut affixed in its place. The reading thereof caused great

astonishment in Evesham, and the rage of Sir Rudolph, when the news came

to his ears, was very great. Cuthbert was sure that this affair would

quicken the intentions of Sir Rudolph with regard to the Lady Margaret,

and he received confirmation of this in a letter which the abbess sent

him, saying that she had received another missive from Sir Rudolph,

authoritatively demanding in the king's name the instant surrender of

Lady Margaret to him. That night forty archers stole, one by one, quietly

into Worcester, entering the town before the gates were shut, and so

mingling with the citizens that they were unobserved. When it was quite

dark they quietly took their way, one by one, to the square in which

stood the convent, and were admitted into the shop of Master Nicholas,

the silk mercer.

The house was a large one, with its floors overhanging each the one

beneath it, as was the custom of the time, and with large casements

running the whole width of the house.

The mercer had laid by a goodly store of provisions, and for three days

the troop, large as it was, was accommodated there. Cuthbert himself

was with them, Cnut remaining at the grange with the ten men originally

sent there.

On the third day Sir Rudolph, with a number of knights and men-at-arms,

arrived in the town, giving out that he was passing northwards, but he

would abide that night at the hostelry. A great many of his men-at-arms

did, as those on the watch observed, enter one by one into the town.