Lindley was first at the tryst in London, but Johan soon slipped from
the shadow of Master Timothy Ogilvie's gateway.
"I can stop but a moment," he whispered, nervously. "I must not be
seen here. My--my master must not know that I--I am abroad in London."
"And Mistress Judith?" questioned Lindley. "Have you seen her? Is she
still here? Is she well?"
"I have seen Mistress Judith for a moment only," answered the lad.
"She is well enough, but she is worn out with the care of her cousin,
Lady Barbara, and she is sadly dispirited, too."
"'Tis a pity Lady Barbara cannot die," muttered Lindley, "after the
confusion she's gotten Lord Farquhart into. A sorry mess she's made of
things."
"The poor girl----" Johan shuddered. "Mistress Judith says the poor
girl is in desperate straits, does naught but cry and sob, and vows
she loves Lord Farquhart better than her life."
"Ay, she may well be in desperate straits," shrugged Lindley. "And
she'll be in worse ones when she finds she's played a goodly part in
hanging an innocent man!"
"Hanging!" Johan's exclamation was little more than a shrill, sharp
cry.
"Ay, hanging, I said," answered Lindley. "What other fate does she
think is in store for Lord Farquhart?"
"But--but this Lord Farquhart is a friend of yours, too, is he not,
Master Lindley?" The boy's question was slow and came after a long
silence.
"Yes, a good friend and an honest man, if ever there was one,"
answered Lindley.
"An--an honest man!" Johan shuddered again. "That's it, an honest man
he is, isn't he?"
"As honest as you or I!" Lindley's thoughts were so preoccupied that
he hardly noticed his companion's agitation.
"But there must be some way of escape," Johan whispered, after another
silence. "Some way to save him! If nothing else, some way to effect
his escape!"
"Nay, I see no way," gloomed Lindley.
In the darkness Johan crept closer to Lindley.
"Is it only grief for Lord Farquhart that fills your heart," he asked,
"or is it your wound that still hurts? Or--or has Mistress Judith some
place in your thoughts? You seem so somber, so depressed, my master!"
"Ah, lad!" Lindley's sigh was deep and long. "Even Mistress Judith
herself might fail to comprehend. She still fills all of me that a
woman can fill, but a man's friend has a firm grip on his life. If
harm comes to Lord Farquhart, the world will never again be so bright
a place as it has been!"
"But harm cannot come to Lord Farquhart!" Johan's voice was suddenly
soft and full. "He _must_ be helped. There are a hundred ways that
have not been tried. There is one way--oh, there is one way, in all
those hundred ways--I mean, that must succeed. Think, Master Lindley.
Cannot I help? Cannot I help in some way--to--to save your friend?"
Lindley was touched by the earnestness of the boy's tone, and laid a
kindly hand on his shoulder.
"I'll think, my lad, but to what purpose I cannot promise you. This is
no place for swordplay, however brilliant it may be."
Johan had drawn roughly away from Lindley's side. Now he leaned
against the gate, dejection in every line of his drooping figure.
"There is one way," he muttered, slowly. "There is always one way,
but----"
"You need not take it so to heart, boy," Lindley urged. "You're sadly
worn and tired now. I saw last night that you were quite spiritless
and lacking in heart! To-night, I see it even plainer."
"Oh, 'tis naught but the work I have to do," Johan answered, wearily.
"The work?" questioned Lindley. "Is it a new part you have to play?"
"Ay, that's it," sighed Johan; "a new part, a man's part and a woman's
part all in one! It's a most difficult part, indeed." He was muttering
the words to himself, and, under his cloak, Lindley could see his
hands twisting nervously.
"Forgive me, lad!" Lindley's tone was conscience-stricken. "I'd not
forgotten the debt I owed you, though I seem to have forgot the
promised payment. There's been over much on my mind these last few
days. But I'll buy your freedom now, to-night, from this master player
of yours. Where lies he? Let us go to him at once. Then you can give
up this part and take the rest you need."
"Oh, no, no, I must play this part," answered the player's boy,
hurriedly. "I--I----Let me win to success before I speak to him of
leaving him. I must, _must_ succeed now. Then, perhaps, we can talk of
freedom, not before."
"Well, as you like!" Lindley's voice had grown careless once again. He
was again absorbed in his own affairs. "Think you I might see Mistress
Judith to-morrow, if I had a message from Lord Farquhart for the Lady
Barbara?"
"But have you access to Lord Farquhart?" The boy spoke quickly, so
quickly that Lindley failed to notice the change in voice and manner.
"Why, I suppose I can gain access to him," answered Lindley.
"But then surely I--surely we can rescue him," cried Johan. "I'd not
supposed that we could see Lord Farquhart, that we could gain speech
with him. Now I know that I can help you free him. Think, think from
now until to-morrow night at this time of some feasible plan, some way
of taking Johan, the player's boy, into Lord Farquhart's presence. But
wait! Why could you not take me to him disguised as the Lady Barbara?
Mistress Judith would provide me with Lady Barbara's cloak and veil
and petticoats. She could coach me in her looks and manners. Have you
forgotten how well I can impersonate a woman? And then, if I could
pass the jailer as the Lady Barbara, what would hinder Farquhart from
passing out as the Lady Barbara? I--I could personate Lord Farquhart,
at a pinch, until rescue came to me. Or if it came to a last
extremity, why I could still go to the gallows as Lord Farquhart! But
that extremity would not come. There would be no difficulty in saving
a worthless player's lad, and they say that 'tis only Mr. Ashley's
work that is telling against the prisoner; that he is using this
public means to wreak a private vengeance. Oh, if I can but see Lord
Farquhart! If I can but speak to him! Much might be done, even if he
refused the disguise of hood and cloak. Be here to-morrow night, with
permits for yourself and Lady Barbara to see Lord Farquhart. Leave all
the rest to me!" Johan's impetuous voice had grown stronger, more
positive, as his thoughts had formed themselves. His last words
savored of a command. They were uttered in the tone that expects
obedience, but Lindley ignored this.
"'Twould be but a waste of time," he answered, gloomily.
"Well, what of that?" demanded Johan. "Perhaps it would be but a waste
of one night. But of what value is your time or my time when there is
even a chance of safety for Lord Farquhart?"
"I suppose you're right in that," agreed Lindley. "I'll be here with
the permits, as you say, to-morrow night. But what think you of my
ruse to speak to Mistress Judith in the morning? If I were to present
myself here at the house with a message from Lord Farquhart to the
Lady Barbara, would not Judith speak with me? Remember, boy, that
twenty-five crowns are yours the day I speak with Mistress Judith!"
"Oh, Mistress Judith, Mistress Judith!" cried the lad, impatiently.
"Your thoughts are all for Mistress Judith. She will see no one, she
will speak to no one, so she said to-day, until the Lady Barbara is
recovered, until Lord Farquhart is free. It will be all that I can do
to gain access to her to make my demand for the Lady Barbara's
clothes. And she is--she says that she is sick of the whole world. Her
cousin's plight, Lord Farquhart's danger, have sickened her of the
whole world. It's for her sake that I would free Lord Farquhart. Until
Lord Farquhart is released, Judith Ogilvie's mind cannot rest for a
single second. So for her sake you must work to free him, for Judith's
sake, for the sake of the woman you love!"
Without further word Lindley was left standing alone in the empty
street, and his entire mind was absorbed in amazement at the
impetuosity of the lad's voice and manner.