Better Happenings
In all the vicissitudes of my lot the memory of that first walk with
Sir Hubert Blair through the Sussex lanes was ever one of unalloyed
sweetness.
The stars came out one by one in the heavens, glimmering down upon
us, and a young moon arose, whilst a soft night wind stirred the
hedgerows, making the slumbering violets breathe forth their
sweetness. I could scarcely help leaning on my companion, for I had
been much shaken that day, and far from resenting it, as Jack and Hal
would have done most heartily, he begged me to lean more heavily,
declaring that he was very strong and not at all fatigued, as he
sought tenderly to conduct me over the smoothest places.
Very soon, however, we reached the high road and had scarcely begun
to walk upon it when, to our joy and satisfaction, we heard the
tramping of horses and were presently overtaken by my horse-litter,
conducted by my men, Timothy, John and Joseph. Betsy was seated
inside, and they all cried for joy when they discovered me with Sir
Hubert Blair, entirely unhurt and in the best of spirits.
We had a great deal to say to each other; but scarcely had we begun
to explain how we came there, and to relate our experiences, before
Sir Hubert Blair interrupted by bidding us defer the talk until we
had reached a place of safety.
'I strongly advise you, Mistress Margaret,' he said, 'to press
forward at once, lest those ruffians who attacked you should again
come in your way.'
'And you?' I said, as he put me into the litter, 'will you not come
with us, too?'
'I wish that I could,' he answered. 'But it is not for me to ride at
my ease by a lady's litter. I have other work to do.'
'But--but,' faltered I, for at the idea of losing him a feeling of
despair came over me, 'you are a true knight, Sir Hubert, and as such
will not desert a lady in her need----'
'Certainly not in her need,' returned he. 'But, madam, you have your
own trusty servants back again and your litter, and the villains who
molested you have gone.'
'Still, I fear,' I said, 'I fear much that Sir Claudius, with his
odious followers, may again find us. His father and my father are at
enmity, and he may carry on the feud against me.'
'There is no knowing what such a cur may do,' rejoined Sir Hubert
Blair. 'He will lose his knighthood if he goes on as he is doing.
But are you really afraid, Mistress Margaret?' And then he added, 'I
thought you were so brave.'
Thereupon I did a very foolish thing, but one which was perhaps
natural considering my youth and the rough experiences I had just
passed through--I began to cry, as if my heart would break, hiding my
face against Betsy's shoulder and giving way completely.
'Oh! Do not! Do not weep!' cried Sir Hubert, his resolution
vanquished by my tears. 'I will escort you to your destination,
indeed I will, if only you will not weep.'
'Hearken, mistress, hearken. The noble gentleman will accompany us,'
said Betsy in my ear.
And still I wept, for having given way I gave way utterly and could
not stop my tears.
'Poor child! Poor child!' I heard Sir Hubert say. And then he
turned to Timothy, and began some talk about the horses.
When I felt a little better I heard Timothy telling the knight that
his men had captured his horse and were seeking him in all directions.
When he heard this Sir Hubert whistled three times, and then waited,
listening intently.
In the distance we heard a faint sound as of whistling in answer.
Then Sir Hubert came to my coach door and spoke to me.
'Mistress Margaret Brown,' he said, 'I am pleased to find that I can
escort you as an outrider, as far as you are going. When my men come
up with my horse, which they have recovered, we will ride by your
coach. Then I think, even if that scoundrel, Sir Claudius, and his
men encounter us again, we shall be equal to them.'
I was overjoyed at that, and I don't know what I answered, but he
seemed quite satisfied, and presently his men came up with Sultan,
whom they had captured, and he and they rode before and alongside our
coach, to my extreme content and satisfaction.
Betsy chattered on about the escape she and the men had been able to
make, whilst the rabble fought with Sir Hubert's men. She could not
fight, having no weapon, and therefore, when they were brought to a
standstill in the field and the fighting commenced, she slid off the
horse on which she had been placed and ran away as fast as her feet
could carry her; upon which John, who was her cousin, could not
refrain from following, and Timothy and Joseph being dropped by the
men who had taken them up and feeling too ill to fight, crept away
into the shelter of a hedge, where the other two found them after all
the combatants had gone. They could not discover me, and therefore
returned to the high road, where presently they came upon the litter
and horses, the latter feeding on the grass by the wayside. Then
they drove up and down, hoping that I should find my way back to the
road, and that the enemy would not again appear.
I fell into a doze at last, lulled by the sound of Betsy's untiring
voice and the steady trampling of the horses' feet, and when I awoke
again the moon was shining brightly down upon Sir Hubert riding by
the litter, making the small gold cross he wore upon his breast gleam
in its light.
He seemed to know in a moment when I awoke.
'Are you better, Mistress Margaret?' he asked, with such tender,
chivalrous feeling in his voice as made my heart bound with delight.
'Yes,' I answered shyly, and meant to have thanked him, but could say
no more, for thinking of the tears he had seen me shed and that I was
too small a person and too babyish to be lifted up so high as he was
lifting me above himself.
'I am glad of that,' he said. 'I want to tell you something. We are
coming to a castle, where a friend of mine dwells. He will give us
lodging for the night, and indeed I think we had better stay a day or
two for you to rest.'
'Will you stay, too?' I asked, as simply as a little child.
He bent his head over his horse and appeared to be busy examining the
bridle. I could not see his face and began to fear that I might have
said something wrong. But he did not blame me when he spoke again.
'Sir William Wood,' he said, 'who lives at this castle we are
approaching, is a great friend of mine, and indeed it was to stay
with him that I came into this neighbourhood--we had certain business
of importance to discuss----' he broke off, and began again, 'He was
in Spain with us, when I went there with some friends on an embassy,
and he and I were knighted at the same time. He has a fair young
wife, Lady Caroline, who will be good to you.'
'I should like to go to them for the night,' said I, 'for I am
weary.' And I could not prevent a sob from escaping from my breast.
'Poor child! I _know_ you are,' he answered, with infinite
compassion.
Betsy began to vociferate that my father had bidden them to conduct
me straight to Sion House, London, with no lingering on the way, but
Sir Hubert silenced her.
'Some lingerings are needful,' he said. 'Your young mistress is worn
out, and unless she rest upon the way she may never reach her
destination.'
'I wish we could let my father know,' I said; 'but it would take a
couple of days to reach him,[1] and a couple for his answer to return
to me, even if I sent one of the men, and by that time I should have
stayed the full time for which I craved his leave.'
[1] How slow were all modes of sending messages in those days may be
gathered by the fact, recorded in history, that when Queen Mary died,
the news was not known in York, until four days after her death in
London,--EDITOR.]
Sir Hubert smiled.
'We shall have to do without it,' he said. Then he added more
seriously, 'You will act upon my advice, will you not, and rest
awhile with these friends?'
'Certainly I will,' said I, for I felt sure Sir Hubert was one of the
wisest and best of men.
We seemed a long while getting to the castle after that, for the way
led up a steep hill, and I was again overpowered by sleep; but I have
a dim recollection of waking up to find myself being welcomed by a
fair and gracious lady, whilst a big young man shook Sir Hubert by
the hand as if he would never let him go, and many servants moved
silently about, and Betsy was too overawed to speak and did nothing
but what they bade her.
Soon I was lying on a huge bed, the posts of which were reaching up
to the ceiling of my room, and then I fell asleep and knew no more.