Edward put the pony to a trot, and in two hours was on the other side of
the New Forest. The directions given to him by Jacob were not
forgotten, and before it was noon he found himself at the gate of the
keeper's house. Dismounting, and hanging the bridle of the pony over
the rail he walked through a small garden, neatly kept but, so early in
the year, not over gay, except that the crocus and snow drops were
peeping. He rapped at the door with his knuckles, and a girl of about
fourteen, very neatly dressed, answered the summons.
"Is Oswald Partridge at home, maiden?" said Edward.
"No, young man, he is not. He is in the forest."
"When will he return?"
"Towards the evening is his time, unless he is more than usually
successful."
"I have come some distance to find him," replied Edward; "and it would
vex me to return without seeing him. Has he a wife, or any one that I
could speak to?"
"He has no wife; but I am willing to deliver a message."
"I am come about some dogs which he promised to Jacob Armitage, my
relation; but the old man is too unwell, and has been for some time, to
come himself for them, and he has sent me."
"There are dogs, young and old, large and small, in the kennels; so far
do I know, and no more."
"I fear then I must wait till his return," replied Edward.
"I will speak to my father," replied the young girl, "if you will wait
one moment."
In a minute or two the girl returned, saying that her father begged that
he would walk in, and he would speak with him. Edward bowed, and
followed the young girl, who led the way to a room, in which was seated
a man dressed after the fashion of the Roundheads of the day. His
steeple-crowned hat lay on the chair, with his sword beneath it. He was
sitting at a table covered with papers.
"Here is the youth, father," said the girl; and having said this, she
crossed the room and took a seat by the side of the fire. The man, or
we should rather say gentleman--for he had the appearance of one,
notwithstanding the sombre and peculiar dress he wore, continued to read
a letter which he had just opened; and Edward, who feared himself the
prisoner of a Roundhead when he only expected to meet a keeper, was
further irritated by the neglect shown towards him by the party.
Forgetting that he was, by his own assertion, not Edward Beverley, but
the relative of one Jacob Armitage, he coloured up with anger as he
stood at the door. Fortunately the time that it took the other party to
read through the letter gave Edward also time for recollecting the
disguise under which he appeared; the colour subsided from his cheeks,
and he remained in silence, occasionally meeting the look of the little
girl, who, when their eyes met, immediately withdrew her glance.
"What is your business, young man?" at last said the gentleman at the
table.
"I came, sir, on private business with the keeper, Oswald Partridge, to
obtain two young hounds, which he promised to my grandfather, Jacob
Armitage."
"Armitage!" said the other party, referring to a list on the table;
"Armitage--Jacob--yes--I see he is one of the verderers. Why has he not
been here to call upon me?"
"For what reason should he call upon you, sir?" replied Edward.
"Simply, young man, because the New Forest is, by the Parliament,
committed to my charge. Notice has been given for all those who were
employed to come here, that they might be permitted to remain, or he
discharged, as I may deem most advisable."
"Jacob Armitage has heard nothing of this, sir," replied Edward. "He
was a keeper, appointed under the king; for two or three years his
allowances have never been paid, and he has lived in his own cottage,
which was left to him by his father, being his own property."
"And pray, may I ask, young man, do you live with Jacob Armitage?"
"I have done so for more than a year."
"And as your relation has received no pay and allowances, as you state,
pray, by what means has he maintained himself?"
"How have the other keepers maintained themselves?" replied Edward.
"Do not put questions to me, sir," replied the gentleman; "but be
pleased to reply to mine. What has been the means of subsistence of
Jacob Armitage?"
"If you think he has no means of subsistence, sir, you are mistaken,"
replied Edward. "We have land of our own, which we cultivate; we have
our pony and our cart; we have our pigs and our cows."
"And they have been sufficient?"
"Had the patriarchs more?" replied Edward.
"You are pithy at reply, young man; but I know something of Jacob
Armitage, and we know," continued he, putting his finger close to some
writing opposite the name on the list, "with whom he has been
associated, and with whom he has served. Now allow me to put one
question. You have come, you say, for two young hounds. Are their
services required for your pigs and cows, and to what use are they to be
put?"
"We have as good a dog as there is in the forest," replied Edward, "but
we wish to have others, in case we should lose him."
"As good a dog as in the forest--good for what?"
"For hunting."
"Then you acknowledge that you do hunt?"
"I acknowledge nothing for Jacob Armitage, he may answer for himself,"
replied Edward; "but allow me to assure you that if he has killed
venison no one can blame him."
"Perhaps you will explain why?"
"Nothing is more easy. Jacob Armitage served King Charles, who employed
him as a verderer in the forest, and paid him his wages. Those who
should not have done so rebelled against the king, took his authority
from him, and the means of paying those he employed. They were still
servants of the king, for they were not dismissed; and, having no other
means of support, they considered that their good master would be but
too happy that they should support themselves by killing, for their
subsistence, that venison which they could no longer preserve for him
without eating some themselves."
"Then you admit that Jacob Armitage has killed the deer in the forest?"
"I admit nothing for Jacob Armitage."
"You admit that you have killed it yourself."
"I shall not answer that question, sir; in the first place, I am not
here to criminate myself; and, in the next, I must know by what
authority you have the right to inquire."
"Young man," replied the other in a severe tone, "if you wish to know my
authority, malapert as you are (at this remark Edward started, yet,
recollecting himself he compressed his lips and stood still), this is my
commission, appointing me the agent of Parliament to take charge and
superintend the New Forest, with power to appoint and dismiss those whom
I please. I presume you must take my word for it, as you cannot read
and write."
Edward stepped up to the table, and very quietly took up the paper and
read it. "You have stated what is correct, sir," said he, laying it
down; "and the date of it is, I perceive, on the 20th of the last month
of December. It is, therefore, but eighteen days old."
"And what inference would you draw from that, young man?" replied the
gentleman, looking up to him with some astonishment.
"Simply this, sir--that Jacob Armitage has been laid up with the
rheumatism for three months, during which time he certainly has not
killed any venison. Now, sir, until the Parliament took the forest into
their hands, it undoubtedly belonged to his majesty, if it does not now;
therefore Jacob Armitage, for whatever slaughter he may have committed,
is, up to the present, only answerable to his sovereign, King Charles."
"It is easy to perceive the school in which you have been brought up,
young man, even if there was not evidence on this paper that your
forefather served under the Cavalier Colonel Beverley, and has brought
you up to his way of thinking."
"Sir, it is a base dog that bites the hand that feeds him," replied
Edward with warmth. "Jacob Armitage, and his father before him, were
retainers in the family of Colonel Beverley; they were indebted to him
for the situation they now hold in the forest; indebted to him for
everything; they revere his name, they uphold the cause for which he
fell, as I _do_."
"Young man, if you do not speak advisedly, at all events you speak
gratefully; neither have I a word of disrespect to offer to the memory
of Colonel Beverley, who was a gallant man, and true to the cause which
he espoused, although it was not a holy one; but in my position, I
cannot, in justice to those whom I serve, give places and emolument to
those who have been, and still are, as I may judge by your expressions,
adverse to the present government."
"Sir," replied Edward, "your language, with respect to Colonel Beverley,
has made me feel respect for you, which I confess I did not at first;
what you say is very just; not that I think you harm Jacob Armitage; as,
in the first place, I know that he would not serve under you; and, in
the next, that he is too old and infirm to hold the situation; neither
has he occasion for it, as his cottage and land are his own, and you
cannot remove him."
"He has the title, I presume?" replied the gentleman.
"He has the title given to his grandfather, long before King Charles was
born, and I presume the Parliament do not intend to invalidate the acts
of former kings."
"May I inquire what relation you are to Jacob Armitage?"
"I believe, I have before said, his grandson."
"You live with him?"
"I do."
"And if the old man dies, will inherit his property?" Edward smiled,
and looking at the young girl, said, "Now, I ask you, maiden, if your
father does not presume upon his office?"