There seemed to be a good deal of excitement about the court one day;
people were whispering together, and twice over, as Frank was
approaching, he noted that they either ceased talking or turned their
backs upon him and walked away. But he took no further notice of it
then, for his mind was very full of his father, of whom he had not heard
for some time.
His mother had seemed terribly troubled and anxious when he had met her,
but he shrank from asking her the cause, feeling that his father's long
silence was telling upon her; and in the hope of getting news he went
again and again to the house in Queen Anne Street, ascended to the
drawing-room, and opened the picture-panelled closet door.
But it was for nothing. The housekeeper had told him that Sir Robert
had not been; but thinking that his father could have let himself in
unknown to the old servant, Frank clung to the hope that he might have
been, deposited a letter, and gone again, possibly in the night. In
every visit, though, he was disappointed, but contented himself by
thinking that his father had acted wisely, and felt that it was not safe
to come for fear that he might be watched.
It was nearly a week since he had been to the house, and he was longing
for an opportunity to go again, but opportunity had not served, and he
came to the conclusion that he would slip off that very afternoon, after
exacting a promise from Andrew Forbes that he would keep in the anteroom
ready to attend to any little duty which might require the presence of
one of the pages.
To his surprise, though, Andrew was nowhere to be seen. To have
inquired after him would only have served to draw attention to his
absence, so he contented himself with waiting patiently, but minute by
minute he grew more anxious, feeling convinced that something must have
occurred.
"Whatever has happened?" he said to himself at last, as he saw officers
begin to arrive and be ushered into the Prince's room; but why, there
was no chance for him to know, as there was no one to whom he could
apply for information, and at last he sat alone in the great blank
saloon, fidgeting as if he were upon thorns, and inventing all manner of
absurd reasons to account for his companion's absence.
"I know," he said to himself at last; "he has noticed that there is
something on the way, and gone out to try and pick up news. He'll be
here directly."
But he was wrong. Andrew did not come, and several little things
occurred to show him that there was undue excitement about the place.
At last his suspense came to an end, as he sat alone, for Andrew
appeared looking flushed and excited, glanced sharply round as soon as
he was inside the door, caught sight of his friend, and half ran to join
him.
"Oh, here you are, then, at last!" cried Frank.
"At last," said the lad.
"Yes; where have you been--news-hunting?"
"Yes," he whispered excitedly; "news-hunting, and I ran it down."
"What is it? There are three officers with the Prince, and I heard some
one say that a messenger was to be despatched to bring the King back to
town."
"Did you hear that?" cried Andrew excitedly.
"Yes."
"Ah!" ejaculated Andrew.
"What is it? A riot?"
"Yes, a very big riot, lad; a very, very big one. Now we shall see."
"It doesn't seem likely for it to be _we_," said Frank sarcastically.
"Why don't you out with it, and tell me what's the matter?"
"Oh, two things; but haven't you heard?"
"Of course not, or I shouldn't be begging and praying of you to speak."
"I found a letter from the dad, that's one thing, and he told me what I
find the place is ringing with."
"Something about bells?" said Frank, laughing.
"Yes, if you like," said Andrew wildly. "The tocsin. War, my lad,
war!"
"What! with France?"
"No; England. At last. The King has landed."
"I say, are you going mad?"
"Yes, with excitement. Frank, the game has begun, and we must throw up
everything now, and join hands with the good men and true who are going
to save our country."
"Bah! You've got one of your fits on again," cried Frank
contemptuously; "what a gunpowder fizgig you are!"
"Look here!" said Andrew, in an angry whisper; "this is no time for
boyish folly. We must be men. The crisis has come, and this miserable
sham reign is pretty well at an end."
"The Prince is in yonder," said Frank warningly.
"Prince!" said Drew contemptuously; "I know no Prince but James Francis
Stuart. Now, listen; there must be no shilly-shallying on your part; we
want every true patriot to draw the sword for his country."
"Ah well, I'm not what you call a true patriot, and so I shan't draw
mine."
"Bah!" ejaculated Drew.
"And bah!" cried Frank. "Don't you play the fool,--unless you want some
one to hear you," he continued, in a warning whisper.
"What do I care? I have had great news from my father, and the time has
at last come when we must strike for freedom."
"Are you mad? Do you know where you are?" cried Frank, catching him by
the arm.
"Not mad, and I know perfectly where I am. Look here, Frank; there must
be no more nonsense. I tell you the time has come to strike. Our
friends have landed, or are about to land. There is going to be a
complete revolution, and before many hours the House of Hanover will be
a thing of the past, and the rightful monarch of the House of Stuart
will be on the throne."
"Then you are mad," said Frank, with another uneasy glance at the
curtained door beyond where they stood, "or you would never talk like
this."
"I shall talk how I please now," cried the lad excitedly. "Let them do
their worst. I feel ready to wait till the Prince comes out, and then
draw my sword and shout, `God save King James the Third!'"
"No, you are not. You would not so insult one who has always behaved
well to you."
"Bah! I am nobody. I don't count. How have he and his behaved to my
poor father and to yours? Frank, I know I'm wildly excited, and feel
intoxicated by the joyful news; but I know what I am talking about, and
I will not have you behave in this miserable, cold-blooded way, when our
fathers are just about to receive their freedom and come back to their
rights."
"It's no use to argue with you when you're in this state," said Frank
coldly; "but I won't sit here and have you say things which may lead to
your being punished. I should be a poor sort of friend if I did."
"Pah! Have you no warm blood in you, that you sit there as cool as a
frog when I bring you such glorious news?"
"It isn't glorious," said Frank. "It means horrible bloodshed, ruin,
and disaster to hundreds or thousands of misguided men."
"Misguided! Do you know what you are talking about?"
"Yes, perfectly."
"Have you no feeling for your father and mother's sufferings?"
"Leave my father and mother out of the question, please."
"I can't. I know you're not a coward, Frank; but you're like a stupid,
stubborn blood-horse that wants the whip or spur to make him go. When
he does begin, there's no holding him."
"Then don't you begin to use whip or spur, Drew, in case."
"But I will. I must now. It is for your good. I'm not going to stand
by and see you and your mother crushed in the toppling-down ruins of
this falling house. Do you hear me? The time has come, and we want
every one of our friends, young and old, to strike a good bold blow for
liberty."
"Let your friends be as mad as they like," said Frank angrily. "I'm not
going to stand by either and see Drew Forbes go to destruction."
"Bah!--to victory. There, no more arguing. You are one of us, and you
must come out of your shell now, and take your place."
"I'm not one of you," said Frank sturdily, and too warm now to think of
the danger of speaking aloud; "I was tricked into saying something or
joining in while others said it, and I am not a Jacobite, and I never
will be!"
"I tell you that you are one."
"Have it so if you like; but it's in name only, and I'll show you that I
am not in deed. You talked about crying before the Prince, `God save
King James!' God save King George! There!"
He spoke out loudly now, but repented the next moment, for fear that he
should have dared his companion to execute his threat.
"Coward!" cried Andrew. "The miserable German usurper who has banished
your father!"
"You said that you knew I was not a coward."
"Then I retract it. You are if you try to hang back now."
"Call me what you like, I'll have nothing to do with it. They don't
want boys."
"They do--every one; and you must come and fight."
"Indeed!"
"Yes, or be punished as a traitor."
"Let them come and punish me, then," said Frank hotly. "I wear a sword,
and I know how to use it."
"Then come and use it like a man. Come, Frank. Don't pretend that you
are going to show the white feather."
"I don't."
"It is monstrous!" panted the lad, who was wildly excited by his
enthusiasm. "I want you--my friend--to stand by me now at a critical
time, and you treat me like this. I can't understand it when you know
that your father is a staunch supporter of the royal cause."
"Of course I do. What's that got to do with it? Do you think because
he has been sent away that he would forget his oath to the King?"
"I said the royal cause, not the usurper's."
"It is false. My father is still in the King's service, waiting for his
recall."
"Your father is my father's friend, as I am yours, and he is now holding
a high command in King James's army."
"It's not true, Drew; it's one of your tricks to get me to go with you,
and do what I faithfully promised I never would do. You know it's
false. High in command in King James's army! Why, he has no army, so
it can't be true."
"I tell you, it is true. My father and yours are both generals."
"Look here," said Frank, turning and speaking now in an angry whisper,
"you're going too far, Drew. I don't want to quarrel--I hate to
quarrel. Perhaps I am like a stubborn horse; but I did warn you not to
use the whip or spur, and you will keep on doing it. Please let it
drop. You're making me feel hot, and when I feel like that my head goes
queer, and I hit out and keep on hitting, and feel sorry for it
afterwards. I always did at school, and I should feel ten times as
sorry if I hit you. Now you sit down, and hold your tongue before
you're heard and get into a terrible scrape."
"Sit down! At a time like this!" cried the lad. "Oh, will nothing stir
you? Are you such a cowardly cur that you are going to hide yourself
among the German petticoats about the Palace? I tell you, it is true:
General Sir Robert Gowan throws up his hat for the King."
"Cowardly cur yourself!" cried Frank, whose rage had been bubbling up to
boiling-point for the last ten minutes and now burst forth.
"Miserable traitor! I thought better of you!" cried Andrew bitterly.
"Pah! Friends! You are not worth the notice of a gentleman. Out of
the way, you wretched cur!"
He struck Frank sharply across the face with his glove, as he stepped
forward to pass, and quick as lightning the boy replied with a blow full
in the cheek, which sent him staggering back, so that he would have
fallen had it not been for the wall.
In an instant court rules and regulations were forgotten. The boys knew
that they wore swords, and these flashed from their scabbards, ornaments
no longer, and the next moment they crossed, the blades gritted
together, thrust and parry followed, and each showed that the
instructions he had received were not in vain.
What would have been the result cannot be told, save that it would have
been bitter repentance for the one who had sent his blade home; but
before any mischief had been done in the furious encounter, the doors at
either end of the anteroom were opened, and the Prince and the officers
from the audience chamber with the guards from the staircase landing
rushed in, the former narrowly escaping a thrust from Andrew's sword, as
with his own weapon he beat down the boys'.
"How dare you!" he cried.
"Now!" cried Andrew defiantly to Frank, as he stood quivering with
rage--"now is your time. Speak out; tell the whole truth."
"Yes, the whole truth," said the Prince sternly. "What does this brawl
mean?"
Frank did not hesitate for a moment.
"It was my fault, your Royal Highness," he cried, panting. "We
quarrelled; I lost my temper and struck him."
"Who dared to draw?" thundered the Prince.
"We both drew together, your Royal Highness," cried Frank hurriedly, for
fear that Andrew should be beforehand with him; "but I think I was
almost the first."
"You insolent young dogs!" cried the Prince; "how dare you brawl and
fight here!--Take away their swords; such boys are not fit to be trusted
with weapons. As for you, sir," he said, turning fiercely on Frank,
"like father like son, as you English people say. And you, sir--you are
older," he cried to Andrew. "There, take them away, and keep them till
I have decided how they shall be punished.--Come back to my room,
gentlemen. Such an interruption is a disgrace to the court."
He turned and walked toward the door, followed by the three officers,
one of whom on entering looked back at the lads and smiled, as if he did
not think that much harm had been done.
But neither of the lads saw, for Andrew was whispering maliciously to
Frank:
"You dared not speak. You knew how I should be avenged."
"Yes, I dared; but I wasn't going to be such a coward," cried Frank
sharply.
"Ah, stop that!" cried the officer who held the boys' swords, and had
just given orders to his men to take their places in front and rear of
his prisoners. "Do you want to begin again? Hang it all! wait till you
get to the guardroom, if you must fight."
"Don't speak to me like that!" cried Andrew fiercely. "It is not the
custom to insult prisoners, I believe."
"Forward! march!" said the officer; and then, to Frank's annoyance, as
well as that of Andrew, he saw that the officer was laughing at them,
and that the men were having hard work to keep their countenances.
Five minutes later they had been marched down the staircase, across the
courtyard, to the entrance of the guardroom, where, to Frank's great
mortification, the first person he saw was Captain Murray.
"Hallo! what's this?" he cried. "Prisoners? What have you lads been
about?"
"Fighting," said Frank sullenly, Andrew compressing his lips and staring
haughtily before him, as if he felt proud, of his position.
"Fighting! With fists?" cried Captain Murray.
"Oh no," said the officer of the guard; "quite correctly. Here are
their skewers."
"But surely not anywhere here?"
"Oh yes," said the officer mirthfully; "up in the anteroom, right under
the Prince's nose."
"Tut--tut--tut!" ejaculated Captain Murray, half angry, half amused.
"The Prince came between them, and the tall cock nearly sent his spur
through him," continued the officer. "I s'pose this means the Tower and
the block, doesn't it, Murray? or shall we have the job to shoot 'em
before breakfast to-morrow morning?"
"If I were only free," cried Andrew, turning fiercely on the officer,
"you would not dare to insult me then."
"Then I'm very glad you are not. I say, why in the name of wonder are
you not in the service, my young fire-eater? You are not in your right
place as a page."
"Because--because--"
"Stop! that will do, young man," said Captain Murray sternly. "Let him
be," he continued to his brother-officer. "The lad is beside himself
with passion."
"Oh, I've done; but are they to be put together? They'll be at each
other's throats again."
"No, they will not," said Captain Murray. "Frank, give me your word as
your father's son that this quarrel is quite at an end."
"Oh yes, I've done," said the boy quickly.
"And you, Mr Forbes?"
"No," cried Andrew fiercely. "I shall make no promises. And as for
you, Frank Gowan, I repeat what I said to you: every word is true."
"You think it is," said Frank quietly, "or you wouldn't have said it.
But it isn't true. It couldn't be."
"That will do, young gentlemen," said Captain Murray sternly. "I should
have thought you could have cooled down now. Now, Mr Forbes, will you
give me your word that you will behave to your fellow-prisoner like a
gentleman, and save me the unpleasant duty of placing you in the cell."
"Yes. Come, Drew," said Frank appealingly. "We were both wrong. I'll
answer for him, Captain Murray."
"Well, one can't quarrel if the other will not. You can both have my
room while you are under arrest. Place a sentry at their door," and
turning to his brother-officer, and, giving Frank a nod, as he looked at
him sadly and sternly, Captain Murray walked away.
A few minutes later the key of the door was turned upon them, and they
heard one of the guard placed on sentry duty outside.