Sir Quixote of the Moors, Page 6

  CHAPTER IV.

  OF MY COMING TO LINDEAN.

  When I came to myself I was lying in a pleasant room with a great flood ofsunlight drifting through the window. My brain was so confused that it wasmany minutes ere I could guess in which part of the earth I was laid. Myfirst thought was that I was back in France, and I rejoiced with a greatgladness; but as my wits cleared the past came back by degrees, till I hadit plain before me, from my setting-out to my fainting at the door.Clearly I was in the house where I had arrived on the even of yesterday.

  I stirred, and found my weakness gone, and my health, save for somegiddiness in the head, quite recovered. This was ever the way of ourfamily, who may be in the last desperation one day and all alive and activethe next. Our frames are like the old grape tendrils, slim, but tough aswhipcord.

  At my first movement someone arose from another part of the room and cameforward. I looked with curiosity, and found that it was a girl, who broughtme some strengthening food-stuff in a bowl. The sunlight smote her full inthe face and set her hair all aglow, as if she were the Madonna. I couldnot see her well, but, as she bent over me, she seemed tall and lithe andpretty to look upon.

  "How feel you?" she asked, in a strange, soft accent, speaking the pureEnglish, but with a curious turn in her voice. "I trust you are better ofyour ailment."

  "Yes, that I am," I said briskly, for I was ashamed to be lying there ingood health, "and I would thank you, mademoiselle, for your courtesy to astranger."

  "Nay, nay," she cried, "'twas but common humanity. You were sore spentlast night, both man and horse. Had you traveled far? But no," she addedhastily, seeing me about to plunge into a narrative; "your tale will keep.I cannot have you making yourself ill again. You had better bide still alittle longer." And with a deft hand she arranged the pillows and was gone.

  For some time I lay in a pleasing inaction. 'Twas plain I had fallen amonggentlefolk, and I blessed the good fortune which had led me to the place.Here I might find one to hear my tale and help me in my ill-luck. At anyrate for the present I was in a good place, and when one has been living ina nightmare, the present has the major part in his thoughts. With this Ifell asleep again, for I was still somewhat wearied in body.

  When I awoke 'twas late afternoon. The evil weather seemed to have gone,for the sun was bright and the sky clear with the mellowness of approachingeven. The girl came again and asked me how I fared. "For," said she,"perhaps you wish to rise, if you are stronger. Your clothes were sadly wetand torn when we got you to bed last night, so my father has bade me askyou to accept of another suit till your own may be in better order. See, Ihave laid them out for you, if you will put them on." And again, ere Icould thank her, she was gone.

  I was surprised and somewhat affected by this crowning kindness, and at thesight of so much care for a stranger whose very name was unknown. I longedto meet at once with the men of the house, so I sprung up and drew theclothes toward me. They were of rough gray cloth, very strong and warm, andfitting a man a little above the ordinary height, of such stature as mineis. It did not take me many minutes to dress, and when once more I foundmyself arrayed in wholesome garments I felt my spirit returning, and withit came hope, and a kindlier outlook on the world.

  No one appeared, so I opened my chamber door and found myself at the headof a staircase, which turned steeply down almost from the threshold. Agreat window illumined it, and many black-framed pictures hung on the wallsadown it. At the foot there was a hall, broad and low in the roof, whencesome two or three doors opened. Sounds of men in conversation came fromone, so I judged it wise to turn there. With much curiosity I lifted thelatch and entered unbidden.

  'Twas a little room, well furnished, and stocked to the very ceiling withbooks. A fire burned on the hearth, by which sat two men talking. They roseto their feet as I entered, and I marked them well. One was an elderly manof maybe sixty years, with a bend in his back as if from study. His facewas narrow and kindly; blue eyes, like a Northman, a thin, twitching lip,and hair well turned to silver. His companion was scarce less notable--abig, comely man, dressed half in the fashion of a soldier, yet with the airof one little versed in cities. I love to be guessing a man's station fromhis looks, and ere I had glanced him over, I had set him down in my mind asa country _laird_, as these folk call it. Both greeted me courteously, andthen, as I advanced, were silent, as if waiting for me to give some accountof myself.

  "I have come to thank you for your kindness," said I awkwardly, "and to letyou know something of myself, for 'tis ill to be harboring folk withoutnames or dwelling."

  "Tush!" said the younger; "'twere a barbarity to leave anyone without, sotravel-worn as you. The Levite in the Scriptures did no worse. But how feelyou now? I trust your fatigue is gone."

  "I thank you a thousand times for your kindness. Would I knew how to repayit!"

  "Nay, young man," said the elder, "give thanks not to us, but to the Lordwho led you to this place. The moors are hard bedding, and right glad I amthat you fell in with us here. 'Tis seldom we have a stranger with us,since my brother at Drumlanrig died in the spring o' last year. But I trustyou are better, and that Anne has looked after you well. A maid is ablessing to sick folk, if a weariness to the hale."

  "You speak truly," I said, "a maid is a blessing to the sick. 'Tis sweet tobe well tended when you have fared hardly for days. Your kindness has setme at peace with the world again. Yesterday all was black before me, andnow, I bethink me, I see a little ray of light."

  "'Twas a good work," said the old man, "to give you hope and set you rightwith yourself, if so chance we have done it. What saith the wise man, 'Hethat hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken downand without walls'? But whence have you come? We would hear your story."

  So I told them the whole tale of my wanderings, from my coming to Kennedyto my fainting fit at their own threshold. At the story of my quarrel theylistened eagerly, and I could mark their eyes flashing, and as I spake ofmy sufferings in the desert I could see sympathy in their faces. When Iconcluded, neither spake for a little, till the elder man broke silencewith:

  "May God bless and protect you in all your goings! Well I see that you areof the upright in heart. It makes me blithe to have you in my house."

  The younger said nothing but rose and came to me.

  "M. de Rohaine," he said, speaking my name badly, "give me your hand. Ihonor you for a gentleman and a man of feeling."

  "And I am glad to give it you," said I, and we clasped hands and lookedinto each other's eyes. Then we stepped back well satisfied. For myself Ilove to meet a man, and in the great-limbed young fellow before me I foundone to my liking.

  "And now I must tell you of ourselves," said the old man, "for 'tis fittingthat a guest should know his entertainers. This is the manse of Lindean,and I am the unworthy man, Ephraim Lambert, whom God hath appointed towatch over his flock in this place. Sore, sore are we troubled by evil men,such as you have known; and my folk, from dwelling in decent cots, have tohide in peat-hags and the caves of the hills. The Lord's hand is heavyupon this country; 'tis a time of trial, a passing through the furnace. Godgrant we be not found faithless! This home is still left to us, andthankful we should be for it; and I demand that you dwell with us till youhave settled on your course. This man," he went on, laying his hand on theshoulder of the younger, "is Master Henry Semple of Clachlands, a fineinheritance, all ridden and rieved by these devils on earth, CaptainKeith's dragoons. Henry is of our belief, and a man of such mettle that thePrivy Council was fain to send down a quartering of soldiers to bide inhis house and devour his substance. 'Twas a thing no decent man couldthole, so off he comes here to keep us company till the wind blows by. Ifyou look out of the window over by the side of yon rig of hill, ye'll get aglimmer of Clachlands chimneys, reeking with the smoke of their evilpreparations. Ay, ay, lads, burn you your peats and fill up the fire withlogs till the vent's choked, but you'll burn brawly yourselves some fineday, when your master gives you your wages."r />
  He looked out as he spoke, and into his kindly eyes came a gleam of suchanger and decision as quite transfigured his face and made it seem morelike that of a troop captain than a peaceful minister.

  And now Master Semple spoke up: "God send, sir, they suffer for no worse acrime than burning my peats and firewood. I should count myself a sorryfellow if I made any complaint about a little visitation, when the hand ofthe Lord is smiting so sorely among my fellows. I could take shame tomyself every time I eat good food or sleep in a decent bed, to think ofbetter men creeping aneath the lang heather like etherts, or shivering onthe cauld hill-side. There'll be no such doings in your land, M. deRohaine? I've heard tell of folk there like us, dwelling in the hills toescape the abominations of Rome. But perhaps," and he hesitated, "you arenot of them?"

  "No," said I, "I am of your enemies by upbringing; but I dearly love abrave man, where-ever I meet him. 'Tis poor religion, say I, which wouldlead one to see no virtue in those of another belief. There is one Godabove all."

  "Ay, you speak truly," said the old man; "He has made of one blood all thenations of the earth. But I yearn to see you of a better way of thinking.Mayhap I may yet show you your errors?"

  "I thank you, but I hold by 'every man to his upbringing.' Each man to thecreed of his birth. 'Tis a poor thing to be changing on any pretext. For,look you, God, who appointed a man his place of birth, set him his religionwith it, and I hold if he but stick to it he is not far in error."

  I spoke warmly, but in truth I had thought all too little about suchthings. One who has to fight his way among men and live hardly, has, ofnecessity, little time for his devotions, and if he but live cleanly, hispart is well done. _Mon Dieu!_ Who will gainsay me?

  "I fear your logic is faulty," said Master Semple, "but it is mightyinhospitable to be arguing with a guest. See, here Anne comes with thelamp, and supper will soon be ready."

  The girl came in as he spake, bearing a great lamp, which she placed on ahigh shelf, and set about laying the table for supper. I had noticed herlittle at first sight, for I was never given to staring at maids; but now,as she moved about, I found myself ever watching her. The ruddy firelightstriving with the serene glow of the lamp met and flickered about her faceand hair. She was somewhat brown in skin, like a country maiden; but therewas no semblance of rusticity in her fair features and deep brown eyes. Herhair hung over her neck as brown as the soft fur of a squirrel, and thefire filled it with fantastic shadows. She was singularly graceful infigure, moving through the room and bending over the table with a gracewhich 'twas pretty to contemplate. 'Twas strange to note that when her facewas averted one might have guessed her to be some village girl or burgher'sdaughter; but as soon as she had turned her imperial eyes on you she lookedlike a queen in a play. Her face was a curious one, serious and dignifiedbeyond her years and sex, yet with odd sparkles of gayety dancing in hereyes and the corners of her rosy mouth.

  Master Semple had set about helping her, and a pretty sight it was to seeher reproving and circumventing his clumsiness. 'Twas not hard to see therelation between the two. The love-light shone in his eye whenever helooked toward her; and she, for her part, seemed to thrill at his chancetouch. One strange thing I noted, that, whereas in France two young folkscould not have gone about the business of setting a supper-table withoutmuch laughter and frolic, all was done here as if 'twere some solemnceremonial.

  To one who was still sick with the thought of the black uplands he hadtraversed, of the cold, driving rain and the deadly bogs, the fare in themanse was like the apple to Eve in the garden. 'Twas fine to be eatingcrisp oaten cakes, and butter fresh from the churn, to be drinking sweet,warm milk--for we lived on the plainest; and, above all, to watch kindlyfaces around you in place of marauders and low ruffians. The minister saida lengthy grace before and after the meal; and when the table was clearedthe servants were called in to evening prayer. Again the sight pleasedme--the two maids with their brown country faces seated decently by thedoor; Anne, half in shadow, sitting demurely with Master Semple not faroff, and at the table-head the white hairs of the old man bowed over theBible. He read I know not what, for I am not so familiar with theScriptures as I should be, and, moreover, Anne's grave face was a moreentrancing study. Then we knelt, and he prayed to God to watch over us inall our ways and bring us at last to his prepared kingdom. Truly, when Iarose from my knees, I felt more tempted to be devout than I have anyremembrance of before.

  Then we sat and talked of this and that, and I must tell over all mymisfortunes again for mademoiselle's entertainment. She listened with openwonder, and thanked me with her marvelous eyes. Then to bed with avile-smelling lamp, in a wide, low-ceilinged sleeping room, where thesheets were odorous of bog-myrtle and fresh as snow. Sleep is a goddesseasy of conquest when wooed in such a fashion.