The White Lady of Hazelwood Part 14

Lady Foljambe's gesture intimated that this was too much for her purse.

"Hast any gold cloths of tissue, not over three pound the piece?"

"That have I, Dame," answered the mercer, displaying a pretty pale green, a dark red, and one of the favourite yellowish-brown shade known as tawny.

Lady Foljambe looked discontented; the beautiful baldekins first seen had eclipsed the modest attractions of their less showy a.s.sociates.

"Nay, I pa.s.s not [do not care] for those," said she. "Show me velvet."

The mercer answered by dexterously draping an unoccupied form, first with a piece of rich purple, then one of tawny, then one of deep crimson, and lastly a bright blue.

"And what price be they?"

He touched each as he recounted the prices, beginning with the purple.

"Fifteen shillings the ell, Dame; a mark [13 shillings 4 pence]; fourteen shillings; half a mark. I have also a fair green at half a mark, a peach blossom at fourteen shillings, a grey at seven-and-sixpence, and a murrey [mulberry colour] at a mark."

Lady Foljambe slightly shrugged her shoulders.

"Say a n.o.ble [6 shillings 8 pence] for the grey, and set it aside," she said.

"Dame, I could not," replied the mercer, firmly though respectfully.

"My goods be honest matter; they be such as they are set forth, and they have paid the King's dues."

Like many other people, Lady Foljambe would have preferred smuggled goods, if they were cheaper than the honest article. Her conscience was very elastic about taxes. It was no great wonder that this spirit prevailed in days when the Crown could ruthlessly squeeze its subjects whenever it wanted extra money, as Henry the Third had done a hundred years before; and though his successors had not imitated his example, the memory of it remained as a horror and a suspicion. Dishonest people, whether they are kings or coal-heavers, always make a place more difficult to fill for those who come after them.

"Well! then set aside the blue," said Lady Foljambe, with a slight pout.

"Margaret, what lackest thou?"

Mrs Margaret looked wistfully at the fourteen-shilling crimson, and then manfully chose the six-and-eightpenny green.

"Now let us see thy samitelles," said her Ladyship.

Samitelle, as its name implies, was doubtless a commoner quality of the rich and precious samite, which ranked in costliness and beauty with baldekin and cloth of gold, and above satin and velvet. Samite was a silk material, of which no more is known than that it was very expensive, and had a glossy sheen, like satin. Some antiquaries have supposed it to be an old name for satin; but as several Wardrobe Rolls contain entries relating to both in immediate sequence, this supposition is untenable.

The mercer exhibited three pieces of samitelle.

"Perse, Dame, four marks the piece," said he, holding up a very pale blue; "ash-colour, thirty shillings; apple-bloom, forty shillings."

"No," said Lady Foljambe; "I would have white."

"Forty-five shillings the piece, Dame."

"Hast no cheaper?"

"Not in white, Dame."

"Well! lay it aside; likewise three ells of the red. I would have moreover a cendall of bean-flower colour, and a piece or twain of say-- murrey or sop-in-wine."

Cendall was a very fine, thin silk fit for summer wear, resembling what is now called foulard; say was the coa.r.s.est and cheapest sort of silk, and was used for upholstery as well as clothing.

"I have a full fair bean-flower cendall, Dame, one shilling the ell; and a good sop-in-wine say at twopence."

The mercer, as he spoke, held up the piece of say, of a nondescript colour, not unlike what is now termed crushed strawberry.

"That shall serve for the chamberers," said Lady Foljambe; "but the cendall is for myself; I would have it good."

"Dame, it is princ.i.p.al; you shall not see better."

"Good. Measure me off six ells of the cendall, and nine of the say.

Then lay by each piece skeins of thread of silk, an ounce to the piece, each to his colour; two ounces of violet, and two of gold twist. Enough for this morrow."

The mercer bowed, with deft quickness executed the order, and proceeded to pack up the remainder of his goods. When the forms were denuded of their rich coverings, he retired into the corner, and the jeweller came forward.

The little jeweller was less dignified, but more lively and loquacious, than his companion the mercer. He unstrapped his pack, laid it open at the feet of Lady Foljambe, and executed a prolonged flourish of two plump brown hands.

"What may I lay before your Ladyship? b.u.t.tons and b.u.t.toners of de best, paternosters of de finest, gold and silver collars, chains, crucifixes garnished of stones and pearls; crespines, girdles of every fashion, ouches, rings, tablets [tablets were of two sorts, reliquaries and memorandum-books], charms, gipsers, and forcers [satchels to hang from the waist, and small boxes], combs, spoons, caskets, collars for de leetle dogs, bells, points [tagged laces, then much used], alners [alms-bags, larger than purses], purses, knives, scissors, cups--what asks your Ladyship? Behold dem all."

"Dost call thyself a jeweller?" asked Lady Foljambe, with a laugh.

"Why, thou art jeweller, silversmith, girdler, forcer-maker, and cutler."

"Dame, I am all men to please my customers," answered the little jeweller, obsequiously. "Will your Ladyship look? Ah, de beautiful tings!"

"Art thou Englishman?"

"Ah! no, Madame, I am a Breton. I come from Hennebon."

A sudden flash of suspicious uneasiness lighted up the eyes of the Countess of Montfort's gaoler. Yet had the man meant mischief, he would scarcely have been so communicative. However that might be, Lady Foljambe determined to get him out of the house as quickly as possible.

"I lack but little of thy sort," she said. "Howbeit, thou mayest show us thine alners and thy b.u.t.tons."

"I would fain have a gipser," said Mrs Margaret.

While Mrs Margaret was selecting from the stock of gipsers a pretty red velvet one with a silver clasp, price half-a-crown, Perrote came quietly into the hall, and stood beside Amphillis, a little behind Lady Foljambe, who had not heard her entrance.

"Here are de alners, Madame," said the lively little Breton. "Blue, green, black, white, red, tawny, violet. Will your Ladyship choose?

T'ree shillings to free marks--beautiful, beautiful! Den here are--_Bon saints, que vois-je_? Surely, surely it is Mademoiselle de Carhaix!"

"It is," said Perrote; "and thou art Ivo filz Jehan?"

"I am Ivo filz Jehan, dat man calls Ivo le Breton. I go from Cornwall, where dwell my countrymen, right up to de Scottish border. And how comes it, den, if a poor man may ask, dat I find here, in de heart of England, a Breton damsel of family?"

Lady Foljambe was in an agony. She would have given her best gold chain for the little Breton jeweller to have kept away from Hazelwood. If he had any sort of penetration, another minute might reveal the secret hitherto so jealously guarded, that his Sovereign's missing mother was a prisoner there. Her misery was the greater because she could not feel at all sure of Perrote, whom she strongly suspected of more loyalty to her mistress than to King Edward in her heart, though she had not shown it by any outward action. Perrote knew the direction of Lady Foljambe's thoughts as well as if she had spoken them. She answered very calmly, and with a smile.

"May Breton damsels not tarry in strange lands, as well as Breton pedlars? I have divers friends in England."

"Surely, surely!" said the pedlar, hastily, perceiving that he had transgressed against Lady Foljambe's pleasure. "Only, if so poor man may say it, it is full pleasant to see face dat man know in strange land. Madame, would it please your Ladyship to regard de alners?"

Lady Foljambe was only too glad to turn Ivo's attention back to the alners. She bought six for presents--they were a favourite form of gift; and picked out twenty b.u.t.tons of silver-gilt, stamped with an eagle. Mrs Margaret also selected a rosary, of coral set in silver, to help her in saying her prayers, for which article, in her eyes of the first necessity, she gave 33 shillings 4 pence, and for a minute enamelled image of the Virgin and Child, in a little tabernacle or case of silver filagree, of Italian work, she paid five pounds. This was to be set before her on the table and prayed to. Mrs Margaret would not have put it quite in that plain form of words, for no idolater will ever admit that he addresses the piece of wood or stone; but it was what she really did without admitting it. Alas for the worshipper whose G.o.d has to be carried about, and requires dusting like any other ornament!

"They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."