At the dinner-hour Halfman came for Evander, where he sat in the
library, and told him that Lady Brilliana awaited him. The meal was
served in the banqueting-hall, a splendid, panelled room with
deep-embrasured windows, from which the defences had now been removed
and through which the inmates could have noble views of the lawns and
gardens beyond the moat. The little company of three seemed, as it
were, lost in the vastness of the chamber as they sat at meat
together at the oak table by the hearth at one end of the room,
Brilliana at the head, with Halfman at her right and Evander at her
left as the guest and stranger. It proved a vastly pleasant meal to
Evander, for the talk was brisk and entertaining, and there was no
allusion made to those civil and religious differences which in
distracting the country had their curious effect, so unimportant to
the country, so important to themselves, of bringing that oddly
assorted trio together. Brilliana gave a gracious equality of
attention to her companions; showed no keener interest in her new
visitor than she had found in the conversation of her old
acquaintance, and thus made both men very happily at their ease.
Indeed, Halfman was at his best that afternoon, playing the genial,
ripe, mellow man of the world to perfection, so that Evander found
him a most entertaining board-fellow.
They were at the fruit, and Halfman showing them tricks of carving
faces in October apples, when Tiffany skipped into the room a-twitter
with excitement.
"My lady," she cried, "here is come Master Paul and two of our people
bearing a great box. And I can spy Master Peter and his party with
another at the turn of the road."
Halfman laughed loudly; Brilliana laughed softly; Evander wondered
what there was to laugh at.
"Lodge them apart and bring them in by turn," Brilliana gave order.
"Master Paul first and then Master Peter. This is rare. Bring them
in, bring them in."
Tiffany fluttered out and Evander rose from his chair.
"Shall I leave you, lady?" he asked, thinking that she would be
private. But Brilliana would not hear of this and motioned to him to
keep his seat.
"Nay, sir, stay," she said, "if you would see some sport."
Even as she spoke Tiffany returned, ushering in Master Hungerford,
followed by two men in Brilliana's livery, bearing with pains a chest
which they set down with a deep breath of relief. Tiffany, who was
now in the secret, pretended to be busy at a sideboard so as to stay
in the room. Master Paul rubbed his lean fingers together and scraped
to the company.
"You have been swift, Master Hungerford," Brilliana said,
approvingly. Master Hungerford smiled furtively.
"Who would not use despatch in the King's cause and yours. 'Tis as I
said: the pestilent Roundhead had a chest full of broad-pieces
stuffed under his bed. And here it now is at your feet." And he
pointed victoriously at the spoils of war. Brilliana applauded as if
she had been at the play.
"You have done well," she said, with the tears in her eyes for
laughter. Halfman kept a grave face and Evander wondered.
"Call me your knight," Master Paul pleaded, with a languishing look.
"You have done well, my knight," Brilliana repeated; then, turning
to Tiffany, she bade her see that the chest was set in a place of
safety. The two men took up their burden again and followed Tiffany
out of the room. But in a jiffy the maid was back again and
whispering in her mistress's ear.
Brilliana turned her amused gaze upon Master Paul.
"Master Hungerford," she entreated, "will you be so good as to wait
awhile in the next chamber. I have some immediate business to deal
with, but I would be loath to part company with you so soon if you
have the leisure to wait."
Master Hungerford, protesting his readiness to attend upon her
pleasure, was promptly ushered by Halfman into an adjoining room,
where he left him, and having closely shut the door, came back
shaking with suppressed laughter to Brilliana. Evander, looking from
the mirthful man to the mirthful maid, felt constrained to question.
"Why are you so merry?"
"You will know ere the sun is much older," Brilliana answered,
composing her countenance, "for here comes the other."
As she spoke Tiffany returned, ushering in Master Peter Rainham and a
fresh brace of Brilliana's servants, staggering, like their
predecessors, under the weight of a great chest. The certainty that
some astonishing jest was towards set Evander on the alert as he
scrutinized the forbidding form and features of the new-comer.
"Welcome, thrice welcome, Master Peter Rainham," cried Brilliana.
"You have made good speed."
Master Peter proffered her an uncouth salutation and pointed to the
chest on the floor significantly.
"Lady," he said, "I have done the King a good turn. There are gold
plates there, gold dishes, gold ewers, that will change in the
melting-pot to many a troop of horse for the King's cause."
"I thank you with all my heart," Brilliana said, quietly.
Master Peter leered cunningly at her, and earned the cordial dislike
of Evander.
"Do you give me your heart with your thanks?" he asked, with what he
believed to be gallantry.
Brilliana made a little fanning motion at him with her hand.
"You are too hot," she said. Then ordered Tiffany, "See these
treasures despatched to the King under guard."
As before, the serving-men took up the chest, which seemed even
heavier than the former box, and were convoyed by Tiffany out of the
room. Then Brilliana turned to Master Peter, who stood apart biting
his nails awkwardly.
"Master Rainham," she said, "you have shown rare discretion and made
brave despatch. I would thank you at greater length were it not that
I have company. There is one in the next room who waits to see me.
Entreat the gentleman to enter, Captain Halfman."
Halfman went to the nigh door, and, opening it, summoned with
beckoning finger its tenant to come forth. Master Hungerford emerged
radiant. For a moment neither squire saw the other. Then Master
Rainham, looking away from Brilliana, saw Master Hungerford; and
Master Hungerford, looking away from Halfman, saw Master Rainham.
To those who watched the comedy the silence was intense, and
throbbing with possibilities as summer air throbs with heat.
Brilliana heard Master Rainham say, "What a devil, Master
Hungerford," and Halfman, for his part, averred later that Master
Hungerford, too, greeted his neighbor's presence with an oath. The
spectators wondered what would happen: it was plain as noon that each
squire for an instant believed that the other had discovered larceny
and had posted to avenge it. But while each man knew of his own guilt
neither could guess or did guess at the other's theft, and neither
reading anger in the other's visage, each concluded that the meeting
was a piece of chance, and each resolved to make the best of it,
laughing heartily in his sleeve at the other's catastrophe. So
"Good-morrow, neighbor," nodded Master Paul, and "Good-day,
good-day," responded Master Peter, and Brilliana thought her bodice
would burst with her effort to keep her appreciation a prisoner.
"Why, sirs," she cried, "this is a good seeing, a pair of neighbors
under my roof."
"What does this fellow here?" Master Paul asked behind his hand of
Halfman, who answered, very coolly,
"He comes to pay court to our lady."
At the same moment, beneath his breath, Master Peter was questioning
Brilliana, "Why is that disloyal rogue here?" Brilliana answered,
with a pretty toss of the head:
"Would you ever believe it? He came to assure me of his devotion to
me and his zeal for his Majesty."
Master Peter, in wrath, looked more porcine than ever.
"The lying knave," he grunted. "What are his words to my deeds?"
"What, indeed," answered Brilliana, demurely. "I pray you persuade
him hence."
"So that I may return alone?"
Thus Master Peter interpreted Brilliana, and the minx gave him a
glance which might well be taken as justifying his interpretation. At
this moment Master Paul broke in upon their colloquy.
"A word with you, I pray you," he said, sourly, "if my good neighbor
will give me good leave."
Master Rainham withdrew a little way his self-satisfaction and
himself, while Master Paul whispered to Brilliana:
"You know me now: I am proved your friend. Prithee get rid of that
mean huckster."
Brilliana desired nothing better. She gave him the same advice that
she had given his neighbor, and was mischievously delighted to find
that he interpreted it after the same fashion. It did her heart good
to see how the two squires approached each other with many formal
expressions of good-will, each persuading the other to depart, and
each warmly proffering companionship on the homeward road. In the end
they went off together arm in arm, each endeavoring to convey to
Brilliana by nods and winks that he proposed to return alone very
shortly.
As soon as they were fairly gone Brilliana and Halfman allowed
themselves to laugh like school-boy and school-girl, and then
Brilliana commanded Halfman to take order that neither gentleman was
to be admitted again. When he had gone on this business she turned to
Evander.
"Well," she said, "have you found the key to the riddle?"
"You have made these two neighbors plunder each other?" he hazarded.
Brilliana nodded gleefully, and then, guessing at disapproval in his
gravity, she asserted, defiantly:
"It was for the King's cause. Everything is right for the King's
cause."
At this flagrant enunciation of Cavalier policy Evander could not but
smile.
"How will it end?" he asked. He was to learn that very soon, but
first he was to learn other things of greater import to himself.