The girls had gone upstairs, their maid, Gwenthian, attending upon them
to dress for dinner, of which something had been said to the Prince when
parting with him at the door.
Once inside the dressing-room, however, Sabrina, instead of proceeding
to change her attire, made direct for an _escritoire_, the flap of which
she pulled open. Then seating herself before it, she drew a sheet of
paper from its drawer, and commenced writing with nervous haste.
A letter it was of no very great length, and in a few seconds finished.
But before folding it up she turned to the maid saying,--
"Gwenth! Go down to the back door, and stay about there till you see
cadger Jack's sister. I expect her to come up to the house; and if
nothing has hindered, she should be here very soon now. When she
arrives bring her to me, without losing a moment. Do it all quietly."
Gwenth signified her comprehension of the orders, and was about starting
to execute them, when her mistress said, "Stay!" Then, after reflecting
a moment, added,--
"Go into the kitchen, and tell the cook dinner is not to be served
before Winny goes away--that is, if she come. In any case, it's not to
be put on the table till she has further directions about it."
"But must we really dine along with him?" asked Vaga, as the maid passed
out of the room. She had commenced making her toilette, and,
inattentive to what her sister had been doing, only overheard what she
said about the dinner.
"Either that or give offence. I had to speak of dinner--could not help
it--and the Prince will expect us to sit at the table."
"I'd rather sit down with Beelzebub. Oh, Sab! you can't conceive what a
vile, vulgar man--Prince though he be."
"Yes I can; know it. Richard has told me all about him. But we must
bear, and dissemble; do our best to entertain both him and his officers.
I think we needn't fear any special rudeness just yet; and if we can
keep them to their good behaviour for twelve hours I ask no more."
"Why do you say twelve hours?"
"Read that."
It was the note she had just written; and, soon as the other had run her
eyes over it, she added,--
"Now you understand?"
"I do. But how is it to be taken there?"
"By Winny. It's just for that I gave Rees orders to send her up."
"Couldn't Rees have taken it himself? On horseback he would go much
faster."
"True, he might, if permitted to start. But he wouldn't be--not the
least likelihood of it. If he return to the house--which I hope he
won't--they'll not let him leave it again. But Win will do better every
way. We can trust her, and for speed she'll get to her journey's end
quick as any courier on horseback. She knows all the short cuts and
by-ways through the Forest. That will be in her favour to save time--
besides safety otherwise. The fear I have is her not being at home.
What a pity we didn't know of their coming, when she was with us in the
morning!"
"Perhaps not so much," rejoined Vaga, whose subtle ear had caught the
sound of footsteps ascending the stairs; two sets of them, as told by
the lighter and heavier tread. "That's Win now coming up with Gwenth.
I'm almost sure of it."
In a few seconds after both were sure of it, as the opened door
discovered their maid outside on the landing with the cadgeress close
behind.
"Oh, Win! we're so glad!" exclaimed the sisters in a breath, as she was
ushered into the room.
"Glad o' what, my ladies?" asked the woman, with a puzzled look. She
did not understand how they could be joyful under the circumstances.
"At your being here," answered Sabrina. "We were afraid you might not
be at home, or unable to come to us."
"Well, mistress, I wor at home, an' comed soon's I got your message.
But my comin' wor nigh all bein' for nothin'."
"How so?"
"The Cavaliere sodgers warn't for lettin' me in o' the house, nor yet
through the back gate. They ha' got sentries all roun'. Besides, the
yard be full o' them wi' their horses, an' their imperence too."
"They were impudent to you?"
"'Deed, yes, my ladies. Swored at me, an' said I mauna set foot inside
the gate."
"You see what courteous guests we've got, sister?" said Vaga. "The
attendants of a Prince! I thought it would end so."
"Me tried to get past they," continued the cadgeress, "by tellin' a bit
fib. I sayed us wor the washwoman come for the clothes."
"How clever!" exclaimed Vaga, admiringly.
"Not much o' that, mistress. Anyways it warn't no use. Them wouldn't
allow me in after all; if't hadn't been for a young officer, who chanced
be near, an' ordered they let me pass. He spoke me kindly too, which
wor the strangest thing o' all."
"Why strange?" asked Sabrina.
"On account o' who him wor, my lady."
"Who?"
"Captain Trevor, the one's used to come to Hollymead fores the war."
She had no need to particularise which. The sisters knew, and exchanged
glances; that of the elder showing a peculiar intelligence.
"Odd o' he bein' civil to me," pursued the woman. "Him must 'a knowed
we well enough, an' had remembrance o' what happened on the Cat's Hill
two years ago. I tolt you about it, my ladies."
"You did," said Sabrina. "And it does seem a little strange of Captain
Trevor not being, spiteful if he recognised you, as he must have done.
But," she added, becoming impatient, "_no_ matter for that now. Time is
pressing, and we want you to do us a service, Win. You will?"
"Why needs thee ask if us will?"
"Because there's some danger in it."
"That be no reason; and don't speak o' the danger. Please to say what's
weeshed done, Mistress Sabrina; an' 't shall be did if in the power o'
we to do't."
"This then, dear Winny. We want it taken to Gloucester."
She held out what appeared a spill for lighting pipe or candle. It was
the note she had just written, folded and doubled-folded till no longer
recognisable as a sheet of paper, much less a letter. For all the
cadgeress knew it to be such; and not the first of its kind she had
received from the same hands, for surreptitious conveyance.
"It shall be tookt theer," she said, in a determined way, "if the
Cavalieres don't take't from me on the way. Them won't find it without
some searchin', though."
Saying which, she made further reduction in the dimensions of the sheet
by double knotting it; then thrust it under the coils of her luxuriant
hair, and by a dexterous play of fingers so fixed it that, only undoing
the plaits, could it be discovered.
The letter bore no address, nor was name signed to it. Neither inquired
the cadgeress to whom it was to be delivered. Enough that Mistress
Sabrina had given it to her, and it was for Gloucester. She knew there
was a man there it must be meant for; she herself, for a special reason,
being always well posted up as to the whereabouts of Sir Richard Walwyn
and his Foresters.
"Thee weesh me to start immediate I suppose, my lady?"
"At once--soon as you can get off. How long will it take you to get to
Gloucester?"
"Well, for usual me an' Jack be's 'bout four hours fra Ruardean. But I
once't did the journey myself in a bit less'n three, an' can go t' same
again."
"It's now a little after six--only ten minutes," said Sabrina,
consulting her three-cornered watch. "Do you think you could get there
by nine?"
"Sure o' that; an afores, if us be alive, an' nothin' happen to stop we
on the way."
"Oh! I hope there won't, dear Winny. Time is of such importance; so
much depending upon it. Ay, it may be lives."
She leant forward, and whispered some words into the woman's ear; either
a last pressing injunction, or, it might be, promise of reward for the
service to be performed. Whatever it was, on the face of the Forest
Amazon there was an expression of ready assent; then a humorous smile,
as she made haste to be gone, saying,--
"Now, Gwenthy! gie us the clothes for the wash!"
The maid, as her mistress, looked a little puzzled. But quickly
comprehending, all three set to collecting such _lingerie_ as they could
lay hands on, soon making up a bundle big enough to represent a week's
consignment for the laundry.
Which the pretended washerwoman having hoisted on her head, started
downstairs with it; Gwenthian, by direction, going along to see her out
of doors, assist her in cajoling the sentries, and bring back report
whether these had been safely passed.