The Lady of Loyalty House Part 16

Brilliana turned to Tiffany, whose cheeks were very red.

"Hang your head, child," she cried; "for you are outvoted in a parliament of praise. Beat a retreat, maid Tiffany."

The crimson Tiffany fled from the pleasaunce.

"Where is your prisoner?" Brilliana asked.

"I have envoyed him over park and garden," Halfman answered, "and brought him to port in the library."

"Alas! I pity him," sighed Brilliana; "it holds few books of divinity. But come, recruiting-sergeant, what of our volunteers?"

"So pleases you, my lady," Halfman said, "our troop is swelling fast, and the sooner we clap them into colored coats the better."

Brilliana's curls danced in denial.

"Alas! friend, I have sad news for you. Of cloth for coats I can indeed command a great plenty"--she paused doubtfully.

"Why this is glad news, not sad news," Halfman said. "So may you serve it out with all despatch."

Brilliana dropped her hands to her sides and her lids over her eyes, a pretty picture of despair; but, "Alas! 'tis all white," she confessed--"wool white, snow white, ermine white. You must needs have patience, good recruiting-sergeant, till I can have it dyed the royal red."

Halfman pushed patience from him with outspread palms.

"Shall the King lack hands for lack of madder?" he questioned, with humorous indignation. "Not so, I pray you; let us cut our coats from your white cloth. I promise you we will dye it ourselves red enough in the blood of the enemy." Brilliana sprang to her feet rejoicing.

"Bravely said; so shall it be bravely done. I will give orders at once for the cutting and sewing. I will back our white coats against Master Hampden's green coats, or Ess.e.x's swarm in orange-tawny. Have you conveyed my message to my two miserly neighbors?"

"I sent Clupp to Master Hungerford," Halfman answered, "and Garlinge to Master Rainham, bidding them to your presence peremptory. But I warn you, my lady, from all I hear, that if you hope to raise coin for the King's cause from either of the skinflints you will be sadly at a loss."

"At least I must try," Brilliana declared. "Am I not the King's viceroy in Oxfordshire, and are not the two money-bags my proclaimed adorers? It will go hard with me but I compel them to swell the King's exchequer."

"You have done marvels," Halfman admitted. "Can you work miracles?

With all due reverence, I doubt. But we shall soon see, for here comes Tiffany tiptoe through the trees. I'll wager it is to herald one of the vultures."

As he spoke, Tiffany tripped in pink and grinning.

"My lady," said she, "Master Paul Hungerford has ridden in and seeks audience."

Brilliana clapped her hands.

"Go, bring him in, Tiffany; and, Tiffany child, if Master Peter Rainham comes, as I shrewdly expect, keep him apart, on your life, till I know of his coming."

Tiffany vanished. Brilliana turned to Halfman.

"Stay with me, captain, and aid me to trap these badgers."

Halfman smiled delight. "I will help you extempore," he promised. "I will eke out my part with impromptus."

He stood a little apart, grim mirth in his eyes, as Tiffany ushered into the circle a lean, shabby country-gentleman, whose habit would have shamed a scarecrow. Tiffany disappeared and the new-comer made Brilliana an awkward bow. "Sweet lady, you sent for me and I come, love, quickly."

XVII

SET A KNAVE TO CATCH A KNAVE

Brilliana had much ado to keep from laughing in the face of the uncouth genuflector, but she kept a grave face and uttered grave complaint.

"Master Hungerford! Master Hungerford! They tell me sad tales of you.

Though you are as wealthy as wealthy you will not mend the King's exchequer."

Master Paul gave vent to such a wail as a dog makes when one treads unaware upon his tail, and clapped his hands about piteously.

"I wealthy! Forgive you, lady, for listening to such tales. I am not so graced. I am little bigger than a beggar."

Brilliana wagged her curls.

"Why, now, Master Hungerford, you have a great estate."

Master Hungerford's whine rose higher, and he paddled at the air as if he sought to come to some surface and breathe free.

"Great land, lady--great land, if you will, but little cash. My land holds every penny I get together. Why, 'tis well known in the country that I buy land for a thousand pound every year, wherefore I can never boast more than a guinea in ready money."

Brilliana frowned on the floundering squire.

"This is a sad business, Master Hungerford, for the King is in need and will oblige hereafter those that oblige him now. His Majesty has made me a kind of viceroy here in Oxford. I begin to think that you incline to the Parliament, Master Paul. If I thought that, I would hold you a traitor and make perquisitions at your place."

Master Hungerford groaned dismally:

"Lordamercy!" he moaned. "I am the loyalest knight in England. Nay, now, if you talk of perquisitions there is my neighbor Peter Rainham.

I know him for a skinflint who will deny the King. Yet I know of a chest of his that is stuffed with gold pieces. Were he a true man he would shift his treasure into the King's sack, as I would if I had such a store."

A fantastic possibility danced into Brilliana's brain. She glanced to where Halfman stood moodily ruminating on the method he would employ to loosen Master Hungerford's purse-strings if he had him at his mercy in a taken town. Brilliana could not read his thoughts, which was as well, but she gave him a glance which stirred him to alertness as she resumed her interrogatory of her n.i.g.g.ardly neighbor.

"Why, then, Master Hungerford, if he be as you say, he is little better, if better at all, than a Parliament man, and, therefore, our common enemy."

Master Paul rubbed his lean hands in delight.

"It is indeed as you say," he affirmed, with a sour smile that sat very vilely on his yellow face. Brilliana leaned forward, and, governing his shifty eyes, spoke very impressively.

"Now meseems you might win great credit in the King's eyes, at no cost to yourself, if you were to lay hands on this treasure in the King's name."

Master Paul's alarm a.s.serted itself in a shriek.

"Lordamercy, lady, what of the law of the land? Would you have me turn footpad, house-breaker?"