The Dragon of Wantley Part 9

When all the guests had departed and the door was shut safe behind them, the Father and his holy companions broke into loud mirth. "The Malvoisie is drunk up," said they; "to-night we'll pay his lordship's cellars another visit."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER VII

Shows what curious Things you may see, if you don't go to Bed when you are sent

[Ill.u.s.tration: GEOFFREY]

To have steered a sudden course among dangerous rocks and rapids and come safe through, puts in the breast of the helmsman a calm content with himself, for which no man will blame him. What in this world is there so lifts one into complacency as the doing of a bold and cool-headed thing? Let the helmsman sleep sound when he has got to land! But if his content overtake him still on the water, so that he grows blind to the treacherous currents that eddy where all looks placid to the careless eye, let him beware!

Sir Francis came in front of the cage where sat young Geoffrey inside, on the floor. The knight had put his head down between his knees, and seemed doleful enough.

"Aha!" thought Sir Francis, giving the motionless figure a dark look, "my hawk is moulting. We need scarcely put a hood on such a tersel."

Next he looked at the shut door of the closet, and a shaft of alarm shot through him to see the keys hanging for anybody to make use of them that pleased. He thought of Elaine, and her leaving the table without his seeing her go. What if she had paid this room a visit?

"Perhaps that bird with head under wing in there," he mused, looking once more at Geoffrey, "is not the simple-witted nestling he looks. My son!" he called.

But the youth did not care to talk, and so showed no sign.

"My son, peace be with you!" repeated Father Anselm, coming to the bars and wearing a benevolent mien.

Geoffrey remained quite still.

"If repentance for thy presumption hath visited thee----" went on the Father.

"Hypocrite!" was the word that jumped to the youth's lips; but fortunately he stopped in time, and only moved his legs with some impatience.

"I perceive with pain, my son," said Father Anselm, "that repentance hath not yet visited thee. Well, 'twill come. And that's a blessing too," he added, sighing very piously.

"He plays a part pretty well," thought Geoffrey as he listened. "So will I." Then he raised his head.

"How long am I to stay in this place?" he inquired, taking a tone of sullen humour, such as he thought would fit a prisoner.

"Certainly until thy present unbridled state of sin is purged out of thee," replied the Father.

"Under such a dose as thou art," Geoffrey remarked, "that will be soon."

"This is vain talk, my son," said the Abbot. "Were I of the children of this world, my righteous indignation----"

"Pooh!" said Geoffrey.

"----would light on thee heavily. But we who have renounced the world and its rottenness" (here his voice fell into a manner of chanting) "make a holiday of forgiving injuries, and find a pleasure even in pain."

"Open this door then," Geoffrey answered, "and I'll provide thee with a whole week of joy."

"Nay," said Father Anselm, "I had never gathered from thy face that thou wert such a knave."

"At least in the matter of countenances I have the advantage of thee,"

the youth observed.

"I perceive," continued the Father, "that I must instruct thy spirit in many things,--submission, among others. Therefore thou shalt bide with us for a month or two."

"That I'll not!" shouted Geoffrey, forgetting his role of prisoner.

"She cannot unlock thee," Father Anselm said, with much art slipping Elaine into the discourse.

Geoffrey glared at the Abbot, who now hoped to lay a trap for him by means of his temper. So he went further in the same direction. "Her words are vainer than most women's," he said; "though a lover would trust in them, of course."

The knight swelled in his rage, and might have made I know not what unsafe rejoinder; but the cords that Elaine had wound about him naturally tightened as he puffed out, and seemed by their pressure to check his speech and bid him be wary. So he changed his note, and said haughtily, "Because thy cowl and thy gown shield thee, presume not to speak of one whose cause I took up in thy presence, and who is as high above thee in truth as she is in every other quality and virtue."

"This callow talk, my son," said the Abbot quietly, "wearies me much.

Lay thee down and sleep thy sulks off, if thou art able." Upon this, he turned away to the closet where hung the bra.s.s keys, and opened the door a-crack. He saw the hide of the crocodile leaning against it, and the overturned cups. "Just as that boy Hubert packed them," he thought to himself in satisfaction; "no one has been prying here. I flatter myself upon a skilful morning's work. I have knocked the legend out of the Baron's head. He'll see to it the girl keeps away. And as for yon impudent witling in the cage, we shall transport him beyond the seas, if convenient; if not, a knife in his gullet will make him forget the Dragon of Wantley. Truly, I am master of the situation!" And as his self-esteem grew, the Grand Marshal rubbed his hands, and went out of the hall, too much pleased with himself to notice certain little drops of wine dotted here and there close by the closet, and not yet quite dry, which, had his eye fallen upon them, might have set him a-thinking.

So Geoffrey was left in his prison to whatever comfort meditation might bring him; and the monks of Oyster-le-Main took off their gowns, and made themselves ready for another visit to the wine-cellars of Wantley Manor.

The day before Christmas came bleakly to its end over dingle and fen, and the last gray light died away. Yet still you could hear the hissing snow beat down through the bramble-thorn and the dry leaves.

After evening was altogether set in, Hubert brought the knight a supper that was not a meal a hungry man might be over joyful at seeing; yet had Hubert (in a sort of fellowship towards one who seemed scarcely longer seasoned in manhood than himself, and whom he had seen blacken eyes in a very valiant manner) secretly prepared much better food than had been directed by his worship the Abbot.

The prisoner feigned sleep, and started up at the rattle which the plate made as it was set down under his bars.

"Is it morning?" he asked.

"Morning, forsooth!" Hubert answered. "Three more hours, and we reach only midnight." And both young men (for different reasons) wished in their hearts it were later.

"Thou speakest somewhat curtly for a friar," said Geoffrey.

"Alas, I am but a novice, brother," whined the minstrel, "and fall easily back into my ancient and G.o.dless syntax. There is food. Pax vobisc.u.m, son of the flesh." Then Hubert went over to the closet, and very quietly unlocking the door removed the crocodile and the various other implements that were necessary in bringing into being the dread Dragon of Wantley. He carried them away to a remote quarter of the Monastery, where the Guild began preparations that should terrify any superst.i.tious witness of their journey to get the Baron's wine.

Geoffrey, solitary and watchful in his chilly cage, knew what work must be going on, and waited his time in patience.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Elaine cometh into the Cellar]

At supper over at Wantley there was but slight inclination to polite banter. Only the family Chaplain, mindful that this was Christmas Eve, attempted to make a little small talk with Sir G.o.dfrey.

"Christmas," he observed to the Baron, "is undoubtedly coming."

As the Baron did not appear to have any rejoinder to this, the young divine continued, pleasantly.

"Though indeed," he said, "we might make this a.s.sertion upon any day of the three hundred and sixty-five, and (I think) remain accurate."

"The celery," growled the Baron, looking into his plate.