THE HOUSE ON THE DUNES
The woman in the crimson cloak waited for Joan to be assisted from the
boat, and then, without a word of greeting, led the way up a little
sanded path to a gate which opened in a high stone wall. Through this
she admitted her guests, whereupon they found themselves in an enclosure
with towers and battlements rising dimly all round. It was planted with
fragrant bushes and fruit trees whose leaves brushed pleasantly against
their faces as they walked in single file following their guide.
Then came a long grey building, another door, small and creaking heavily
on unaccustomed hinges, a sudden burst of light, and lo! the wanderers
found themselves within a lighted hall, wherein were many stands of arms
and armour, mingled with skins of wild animals, wide-spreading
many-tined antlers, and other records of the chase.
The woman who had been their guide now set down her lantern and allowed
the hood of her cloak to slide from her head. Werner and his two male
companions the captains of Plassenburg, fell back a little at the
apparition. They had expected to see some hag or crone, fit companion of
their wordless guide.
Instead, a woman stood before them, not girlish certainly, nor yet in
the first bloom of her youth, but glorious even among fair women by
reason of the very ripeness of her beauty. Her hair shone full auburn
with shadows of heavy burnt-gold upon its coils. It clustered about the
broad low brow in a few simple locks, then, sweeping back round her head
in loose natural waves, it was caught in a broad flat coil at the back,
giving a certain statuesque and classic dignity to her head.
The mother of that young paladin, their Sparhawk? It seemed impossible.
This woman was too youthful, too fair, too bountiful in her gracious
beauty to be the mother of such a tense young yew-bow as Maurice von
Lynar.
Yet she had said it, and women do not lie (affirmatively) about such a
matter. So, indeed, at heart thought Werner von Orseln.
"My lady Joan," she said, in the same thrilling voice, "my son has sent
me word that till a certain great danger is overpast you are to abide
with me here on the Isle Rugen. I live alone, save for this one man,
dumb Max Ulrich, long since cruelly maimed at the hands of his enemies.
I can offer you no suite of attendants beyond those you bring with you.
Our safety depends on the secrecy of our abode, as for many years my own
life has done. I ask you, therefore, to respect our privacy, as also to
impose the same upon your soldiers."
The Duchess Joan bowed slightly.
"As you doubtless know, I have not come hither of my own free will," she
answered haughtily; "but I thank you, madam, for your hospitality. Rest
assured that the amenity of your dwelling shall not be endangered by
me!"
The two looked at each other with that unyielding "at-arm's-length"
eyeshot which signifies instinctive antipathy between women of strong
wills.
Then with a large gesture the elder indicated the way up the broad
staircase, and throwing her own cloak completely off she caught it
across her arm as it dropped, and so followed Joan out of sight.
Werner von Orseln stood looking after them a little bewildered. But the
more experienced Boris and Jorian exchanged significant glances with
each other.
Then Boris shook his head at Jorian, and Jorian shook his head at Boris.
And for once they did not designate the outlook by their favourite
adjective.
* * * * *
Nevertheless, instinct was so strong that, as soon as the women had
withdrawn themselves upstairs, the three captains seized the lantern and
started towards the door to make the round of the defences. The Wordless
Man accompanied them unasked. The square enclosure in which they found
themselves seemed liker an old fortified farmhouse or grange than a
regular castle, though the walls were thick as those of any fortress,
being loopholed for musketry, and (in those days of bombards few and
heavy) capable of standing a siege in good earnest against a small army.
The doors were of thick oak crossed in all directions with strengthening
iron. The three captains examined every barred window with keen
professional curiosity, and, coming to another staircase in a distant
part of the house, Von Orseln intimated to the dumb man that they wished
to examine it. In rapid pantomime he indicated to them that there was an
ascending flight of steps leading round and round a tower till a
platform was reached, from which (gazing out under his hand and making
with his finger the shape of battlements) he gave them to understand
that an extensive prospect was to be enjoyed.
With an inward resolve to ascend that stair and look upon that prospect
at an early hour on the morrow, the three captains returned through the
hall into a long dining-room vaulted above with beams of solid oak.
Curtains were drawn close all about the walls. In the recesses were many
stands of arms of good and recent construction, and opening a cupboard
with the freedom of a man-at-arms, Boris saw ramrods, powder and shot
horns arranged in order, as neatly as though he had done it himself,
than which no better could be said.
In a little while the sound of footsteps descending the nearer staircase
was heard. The Wordless Man moved to the door and held it open as Joan
came in with a proud high look on her face. She was still pale, partly
with travel and partly from the seething indignant angers of her heart.
Von Lynar's mother entered immediately after her guest, and it needed
nothing more subtle than Werner von Orseln's masculine acumen to discern
that no word had been spoken between them while they were alone.
With a queenly gesture the hostess motioned her guest to the place of
honour at her right hand, and indicated that the three soldiers were to
take their places at the other side of the table. Werner von Orseln
moved automatically to obey, but Jorian and Boris were already at the
sideboard, dusting platters and making them ready to serve the meal.
"I thank you, madam," said Jorian. "Were we here as envoys of our
master, Prince Hugo of Plassenburg, we would gladly and proudly sit at
meat with you. But we are volunteers, and have all our lives been
men-at-arms. We will therefore assist this good gentleman to serve, an
it please you to permit us!"
The lady bowed slightly and for the first time smiled.
"You have, then, accompanied the Lady Duchess hither for pleasure,
gentlemen? I fear Isle Rugen is a poor place for that!" she said,
looking across at them.
"Aye and no!" said Jorian; "Kernsberg is, indeed, no fit dwelling-place
for great ladies just now. The Duchess Joan will indeed be safer here
than elsewhere till the Muscovites have gone home, and the hill-folk of
Hohenstein have only the Courtlanders to deal with. All the same, we
could have wished to have been permitted to speak with the Muscovite in
the gate!"
"My son remains in Castle Kernsberg?" she asked, with an upward
inflection, an indescribable softness at the same time overspreading her
face, and a warmth coming into the grey eyes which showed what this
woman might be to those whom she really loved.
"He keeps the Castle, indeed--in his mistress's absence and mine," said
Werner. "He will make a good soldier. Our lady has already made him
Count von Löen, that he may be the equal of those who care for such
titles."
A strange flash as of remembrance and emotion passed over the face of
their hostess.
"And your own title, my lord?" she asked after a little pause.
"I am plain Werner von Orseln, free ritter and faithful servant of my
mistress the Duchess Joan, as I was also of her father, Henry the Lion
of Hohenstein!"
He bowed as he spoke and continued, "I do not love titles, and, indeed,
they would be wasted on an ancient grizzle-pate like me. But your son is
young, and deserves this fortune, madam. He will doubtless do great
honour to my lady's favour."
The eyes of the elder lady turned inquiringly to those of Joan.
"I have now no faithful servants," said the young Duchess at last,
breaking her cold silence; "I have only traitors and jailers about me."
With that she became once more silent. A painful restraint fell upon the
three who sat at table, and though their hostess and Werner von Orseln
partook of the fish and brawn and fruit which their three servitors set
before them in silver platters, it was but sparingly and without
appetite.
All were glad when the meal was over and they could rise from the table.
As soon as possible Boris and Jorian got outside into the long passage
which led to the kitchen.
"Ha!" cried Boris, "I declare I would have burst if I had stayed in
there another quarter hour! It was solemn as serving Karl the Great and
his longbeards in their cellar under the Hartz. I wonder if they are
going to keep it up all the time after this fashion!"
"And this is pleasure," rejoined Jorian gloomily; "not even a good
rousing fight on the way. And then--why, prayers for the dead are
cheerful as dance-gardens in July to that festal board. Good Lord! give
me the Lady Ysolinde and the gnomes we fought so long ago at Erdberg.
This stiff sword-handed Joan of theirs freezes a man's internals like
Baltic ice."
"Jorian," said Boris, solemnly lowering his voice to a whisper, "if that
Courtland fellow had known what we know, he would have been none so
eager to get her home to bed and board!"
"Ice will melt--even Baltic ice!" said Jorian sententiously.
"Yes, but greybeard Louis of Courtland is not the man to do the
melting!" retorted Boris.
"But I know who could!" said Jorian, nodding his head with an air of
immense sagacity.
Boris went on cutting brawn upon a wooden platter with a swift and
careful hand. The old servitor moved noiselessly about behind them, with
feet that made no more noise than those of a cat walking on velvet.
"Who?" said Boris, shortly.
The door of the kitchen opened slightly and the tall woman stood a
moment with the latch in her hand, ready to enter.
"Our Sparhawk could melt the Baltic ice!" said Jorian, and winked at
Boris with his left eye in a sly manner.
Whereupon Boris dropped his knife and, seizing Jorian by the shoulders,
he thrust him down upon a broad stool.
Then he dragged the platter of brawn before him and dumped the mustard
pot beside it upon the deal table with a resounding clap.
"There!" he cried, "fill your silly mouth with that, Fatsides! 'Tis all
you are good for. I have stood a deal of fine larded ignorance from you
in my time, but nothing like this. You will be saying next that my Lady
Duchess is taking a fancy to you!"
"She might do worse!" said Jorian philosophically, as he stirred the
mustard with his knife and looked about for the ale tankard.