Clare Avery Part 14

"He," responded Ba.s.set, a little mischievously, "that cometh in a right line from the Kings of France, and (through women) from the Emperors of Constantinople."

"What kin art thou to him?" demanded Jack, surveying his old playmate from head to foot, with a sensation of respect which he had never felt for him before.

"My father's mother and his mother were sisters, I take it," said Arthur.

"Arthur Tremayne, how cometh it I never heard this afore?"

"I cannot tell, Jack: thou didst never set me on recounting of my pedigree, as I remember."

"But wherefore not tell the same?"

"What matter?" quietly responded Arthur.

"'What matter'--whether I looked on thee as a mere parson's son, with nought in thine head better than Greek and Latin, or as near kinsman of one with very purple blood in him,--one that should be well-nigh Premier Earl of England, but for an attainder?"

Arthur pa.s.sed by the slight offered alike to his father's profession and to the cla.s.sics, merely replying with a smile,--"I am glad if it give thee pleasure to know it."

"But tell me, prithee, with such alliance, what on earth caused Master Tremayne to take to parsonry?"

The contempt in which the clergy were held, for more than a hundred years after this date, was due in all probability to two causes. The first was the natural reaction from the overweening reverence anciently felt for the sacerdotal order: when the _sacerdos_ was found to be but a presbyter, his charm was gone. But the second was the disgrace which had been brought upon their profession at large, by the evil lives of the old priests.

"I believe," said Arthur, gravely, "it was because he accounted the household service of G.o.d higher preferment than the n.o.bility of men."

"Yet surely he knew how men would account of him?"

"I mis...o...b.. if he cared for that, any more than I do, Jack Enville."

"Nor is thy mother any more than a parson's daughter."

"My father, and my mother's father," said Arthur, his eyes flashing, "were all but martyrs; for it was only the death of Queen Mary that saved either from the martyr's stake. That is my lineage, Jack Enville,--higher than Courtenay of Powderham."

"Thou must be clean wood, Arthur!" said Jack, laughing. "Why, there were poor chapmen and sely [simple] serving-maids among them that were burnt in Queen Mary's days; weavers, bricklayers, and all manner of common folk. There were rare few of any sort." [Of any consequence.]

"They be kings now, whatso they were," answered Arthur.

"There was a bishop or twain, Jack, if I mistake not," put in Ba.s.set, yawning; "and a Primate of all England, without I dreamed it."

"Go to, Jack!" pursued Arthur. "I can tell thee of divers craftsmen that were very common folk--one Peter, a fisherman, and one Paul, a tent-maker, and an handful belike--whose names shall ring down all the ages, long after men have forgotten that there ever were Courtenays or Envilles. I set the matter on thine own ground to say this."

"Stand and deliver, Jack Enville! That last word hath worsted thee,"

said Ba.s.set.

"I am not an orator," returned Jack, loftily. "I am a gentleman."

"Well, so am I, as I suppose, but I make not such ado thereof as thou,"

answered Ba.s.set.

The last word had only just escaped his lips, when Arthur Tremayne stepped suddenly to the side of the vessel.

"The Don ahead?" inquired Ba.s.set, with sleepy sarcasm.

"I cannot tell what is ahead yet," said Arthur, concentrating his gaze in an easterly direction. "But there is somewhat approaching us."

"A sea-gull," was the suggestion of Ba.s.set, with shut eyes.

"Scantly," said Arthur good-humouredly.

Half idly, half curiously, jack brought his powers to bear on the approaching object. Ba.s.set was not sufficiently interested to move.

The object ere long revealed itself as a small vessel, rowing in all haste, and evidently anxious to reach the fleet without losing an hour.

The "Revenge" stood out furthest of all the ships to eastward, and was therefore likely to receive the little vessel's news before any other.

Almost before she came within speaking distance, at Arthur's request, Jack hailed her--that young gentleman being in possession of more stentorian lungs than his friend.

The captain, who replied, was gifted with vocal powers of an equally amazing order. He announced his vessel as the "Falcon," [Note 3]

himself as Thomas Fleming; and his news--enough to make every ear in the fleet tingle--that "the Spaniard" had been sighted that morning off the Lizard. Arthur darted away that instant in search of Drake: Jack and Ba.s.set (both wide awake now) stayed to hear the details,--the latter excited, the former sceptical.

"'Tis all but deceiving!" sneered the incredulous Jack. "Thomas Fleming! why, who wist not that Thomas Fleming is more pirate than sea-captain, and that the 'Falcon' is well enough known for no honest craft?"

"'Fair and soft go far in a day,'" returned Ba.s.set. "What if he be a pirate? He is an Englishman. Even a known liar may speak truth."

"As if the like of him should sight the Spaniard!" retorted Jack magnificently, "when the whole fleet have scoured the seas in vain!"

"The whole fleet were not scouring the seas at three of the clock this morrow!" cried Ba.s.set, impatiently. "Hold thine idle tongue, and leave us hear the news." And he shouted with all the power of his lungs,--"What strength is he of?"

"The strength of the very devil!" Fleming roared back. "Great wooden castles, the Lord wot how many, and coming as fast as a bird flieth."

"Pish!" said Jack.

Ba.s.set was on the point of shouting another question, when Sir Francis Drake's voice came, clear and sonorous, from no great distance.

"What time shall the Don be hither?"

"By to-morrow breaketh, as like as not," was Fleming's answer.

"Now, my lads, we have work afore us," said Sir Francis, addressing his young friends. "Lieutenant Enville, see that all hands know at once,-- every man to his post! Tremayne, you shall have the honour to bear the news to the Lord Admiral: and Ba.s.set, you shall fight by my side. I would fain promote you all, an' I have the chance; allgates, I give you the means to win honour, an' you wot how to use them."

All the young men expressed their acknowledgment--Jack rather fulsomely, Ba.s.set and Tremayne in a few quiet words. It was a decided advantage to Jack and Arthur to have the chance of distinguishing themselves by "a fair field and no favour." But was it any special preferment for the great-grandson of Edward the Fourth? What glory would be added to his name by "honourable mention" in Lord Howard's despatches, or maybe an additional grade in naval rank?

Did Robert Ba.s.set fail to see that?

By no means. But he was biding his time. The chivalrous generosity, which was one of the legacies of his Plantagenet forefathers, imposed silence on him for a season.

Elizabeth Tudor had shown much kindness to her kinsman, Sir Arthur Ba.s.set, and while Elizabeth lived, no Ba.s.set of Umberleigh would lift a hand against her. But no such halo surrounded her successor--whoever that yet doubtful individual might prove to be. So Robert Ba.s.set waited, and bore his humiliation calmly--all the more calmly for the very pride of blood that was in him: for no slight, no oppression, no lack of recognition, could make him other than the heir of the Plantagenets. He would be ready when the hour struck. But meanwhile he was waiting.

Fleming's news had taken everybody by surprise except one person. But that one was the Lord High Admiral.

Lord Howard quickly gathered his fleet together, and inquired into its condition. Many of the ships were poorly victualled; munition ran very short; not a vessel was to be compared for size with the "great wooden castles" which Fleming had described. The wind was south-west, and blowing hard; the very wind most favourable to the invaders.