THE DUEL
When I reached my room I sat down for a moment and thought. Then I
arose and walked about the room, and thought, of nothing but my great
happiness, and my good fortune in having at last accomplished that
which I had for so long desired.
Was it not delightful to be certain that some day my darling Hazel was
to be the mistress of Bradley House, which had stood without a mistress
for so long a time.
I pictured to myself how I would have the place altered and brightened,
that it might be in better keeping with its fair inmate. I could even
hear her light-hearted song, as she fluttered about the house, and
played among the flowers, like a gayly-colored butterfly. I saw us
strolling through our park. Her fair hand was resting on my shoulder,
and mine arm did encircle her fairy waist. The sun was pouring through
the trees like streams of fine gold. The birds were singing all around
us, and all nature seemed trying to keep in harmony with our love and
add unto our happiness. Now and then would I stoop and pick a flower
and place it in her beauteous, dark brown hair. Then did I see my
father's faithful old servant, Dickon, come shuffling across the lawn
to tell us that it was time for dinner.
And so my dream goeth on, till it is interrupted by Harleston, who
enters my room. He was dressed in a long flowing robe, and there was
nothing about his appearance that would tell us he had been to a ball
that night.
"Well upon my soul, Bradley, art thou still sitting up? Why, methought
that I was the only late bird about the Castle. And your clothes still
on. Come, come, Walter, thou must be careful and do not let this flood
of happiness drown thy reason."
"Fear not for that," I replied; "for the said flood is so thick that my
reason doth float upon the surface."
"Indeed thou dost put it well. But come now, I must to that which
brought me here at this unseemly hour. When you did take me into that
small room, this evening, thou saidst that thou hadst two
communications of importance to make. So far you have made but one: it
was my desire to hear the other that brought me here to-night."
"Ah, yes, I had forgot," I replied. "Now the second is this, and I
will not so hesitate in the telling of it as I did with the first."
Then I told him all I had overheard, and how I came to be the unwilling
listener.
When I had finished he said:--"Thou mayst thank Heaven that thou didst
overhear that same conversation; for it doth give us the key unto the
puzzle which Richard will present to England, in case the King doth not
recover. The Queen should be warned," he continued.
"And yet it might avail nothing. In case we warned the Queen, and the
King recovered, we might find our heads upon the block for having
interfered. It is a dangerous matter to play with royalty; for," I
continued, "his Majesty King Edward is a good and kind master, but he
is also one which doth not like his family matters pried into. When he
is roused he is the very devil in human form. We have the Duke of
Clarence for an example. We had better think of his grave of malmsey,
and so profit by the picture, and hold our peace." Methought it better
to warn him; for I began to fear that my dear friend's honesty might
lead off his better judgment, and so he might fall into disfavor with
the King, should his Majesty recover, and this was ever but the first
step in the ladder leading up the scaffold.
"Perhaps thou art right," he said. "I shall at least keep mine own
counsel so long as the King doth live; for I have no desire to have my
head decorate the walls of the Tower."
"And now, my friend," said I; "there is another matter that I wish to
speak with thee about." Then I told him of my tilt of the tongue with
Catesby, and asked him to arrange matters so that we might have a
meeting at his earliest convenience.
"I do not like to see thee fight him," said Sir Frederick, when I had
finished the asking of my request; "for he is a friend of my Lord
Hastings, and though I detest the fellow, yet do I treat him with
civility on the Chancellor's account. However, Walter, after what has
passed, there is nothing left but the swords; at which game methinks
that thou hast little to fear from any man in England."
"Thou art wrong there, my friend, for this Catesby is the pupil of a
great French swordsman, and there are few in England which dare to
stand before him. However," I continued, with some pride, "it shall
never be said of a Bradley that he quietly did rest with an insult
still hanging to his cheek, and never burning it."
"Well, thou shalt have fair play at least," said my friend, "and though
he may have studied the art of swordsmanship with a score of Frenchmen,
yet have I no doubt as to the result. I have seen thee use the foils
enough to feel satisfied that Catesby shall have no advantage over
thee; and besides, he hath not more than half thy strength."
"Yea, that is true."
"But no matter how thou mayst feel towards him be sure and do not kill
him; for he stands in great favour with Gloucester, whom we cannot now
afford to offend. Run him through the arm or shoulder and thine honour
will be satisfied."
I knew my friend was talking thus in order that he might lend mine arm
more confidence. But this was not necessary; for even though Catesby
were a skilled swordsman, yet did I account myself his match at the
game, and besides it was true what Harleston said, I had more strength,
which is not the least thing to be taken into account in these affairs.
Early the next day Sir Frederick saw Catesby and gave him my challenge.
"And so," said the lawyer, "your friend grows tired of this life and
desires to join the saints?"
"Indeed, sir," my friend replied, "the chances of your going to another
world are equally good; though whether thy companions there will be
saints or no, I cannot tell."
To this retort Catesby made no reply.
The place and time of our meeting were settled. At sundown that
evening we were to meet near the far end of the Little Park, where a
large oak doth stand alone. This time and place were decided on in
order to make certain that we should not be interrupted; for this spot
was never frequented at that hour.
That evening, at about the half of an hour before the appointed time I,
accompanied by Harleston, set out by a round about way, so that when
Catesby and his second should go to the meeting place no one Would
suspect our object. They, however, having taken the more direct and
therefore shorter path, had reached the spot and were waiting when we
arrived.
Sir Richard Ratcliffe was to act as Catesby's second.
The spot chosen was one which seemed made by nature purposely for such
contests. For the distance of about a score of feet all around the
great oak--which arose in the centre like an ever watchful sentinel
guarding that portion of the park--the ground was clear and level as a
round green table. As I looked up at that fine old veteran which had
braved the storms of centuries, and still showed no other signs of its
contests than his battle scarred old features, methought of the many
engagements he had watched, and the tales of bloodshed he might tell if
he but could.
The sun was no longer shining where we stood, but the top of the great
tree still caught his last gleams as he sank below the horizon. As the
last of these rays left the old oak our time was up, so we began to
strip for the encounter. We took off our cloaks, belts and doublets,
and gave them unto our seconds, who laid them in two heaps, one on each
side of the open space. I rolled up my right sleeve to the shoulder,
and Harleston handed unto me my naked sword. My friend and Ratcliffe
spoke together in whispers, for a moment, and then the latter, standing
with his back to the tree, said in a loud clear voice:--
"Gentlemen:--Sir Frederick Harleston and I have agreed, in your behalf,
in case either of you should be disarmed, or placed in a position where
it should be impossible for you to defend yourself, the fight shall be
stopped until such time as ye shall again be upon an equal footing.
Both Sir Frederick and I do insist that this rule shall be observed,
otherwise we do refuse to act. Should either of you take advantage of
your opponent's being unarmed or placed _hors de combat_, and so take
his life, the one so breaking this rule shall be proclaimed a coward
throughout the length and breadth of England. This shall be his
punishment for his unknightly conduct. Have I made all perfectly
clear?"
We both replied in the affirmative, and agreed to be bound by this
rule, which was a very humane and fair one.
Ratcliffe then took his place behind Catesby, and Harleston behind me.
The signal was then given, and we approached each other cautiously,
each looking for an opening. Then our swords came together with a
sharp click, and slid along each other like two icicles being rubbed
together. The moment I felt his sword against mine I knew that I had
not been misinformed when I heard that Catesby was a pupil of one of
the greatest swordsmen in Europe. His wrist was like steel, and his
point began to play on either side of mine with such rapidity as warned
me to stand on the defensive until I got more used to his ways.
Suddenly he lunged with murderous and savage swiftness, his point aimed
at my heart. I met him with a quick and firm guard, and for the next
few moments we did content ourselves with sounding each other with an
occasional lunge. Then he changed his tactics, in the twinkling of an
eye, and flew at me like lightning. His sword seemed everywhere at
once. I felt a sharp sting in my sword arm, as his weapon scratched
it. Then I felt it higher up and near unto my shoulder. I slowly
began to give ground, as it had been the part of a fool to stand still
in an attack of this kind, which I knew could be of no long duration.
In this I was right; for seeing that he could not reach my chest, and
that he was soon wearing himself out with this furious pace, he slowed
his attack somewhat and made more careful lunges. I now saw that I
could, in a short time, wear down his strength, by keeping a cool head
and a wary eye. Soon I touched him lightly on the shoulder, and had
the satisfaction of seeing his shirt stained with his blood. This,
however, seemed to refresh him; for he made another of his fierce
attacks, which again compelled me to give ground. In this I did not
divine his object, which was to force me back against the tree. As I
stepped back to avoid a lunge more savage than the others, I felt my
heel strike the tree. This put me something off my guard. He seized
the opportunity, and drove his sword at my chest with all the remaining
strength in his villainous body. I stepped aside, and gave him my
straight point in the right shoulder, near the neck. However, I had
not been quick enough; for I felt a sharp twinge in the fleshy part of
my left arm, as he nailed it to the oak. His sword snapped off short,
and I was left pinned to the tree, as I have seen boys do with
butterflies. Catesby fell, bathed in blood; but methinks it were more
from exhaustion than from his wound that he did fall; for the latter
was but little more serious than mine own. Sir Frederick pulled at the
blade with his handkerchief wound around his hand, and at length set me
free. Catesby soon regained consciousness, and we were bandaged
carefully with cloths that had been brought for the purpose.
[Illustration: "The signal was then given."]
As I saw him walk off, leaning on the arm of Ratcliffe, I regretted
that I had not given him my point lower down.
But there came a time when I would have given ten years of my life for
the same opportunity of ridding the world of this accursed villain.
But ye, my children, shall judge of that later on in this story.