The Rock of the Lion, Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  Without a word Archy entered the vast hall. He was even self-possessedenough to help in dragging the great doors back to their places andsecuring them with chains and bars. Then, coolly folding his arms, hiseyes travelled around the hall, gloomy but magnificent. Great giltchandeliers hung from a noble roof; antlers and hunting trophies adornedthe walls; rusty armor was plentiful, and close to him, looming up inthe darkness pierced by the candle's single ray, was a manikin in armor,mounted on horseback. With lance in rest, and ghostly caverns in thecasque where the eyes should be, he seemed to stand guard over thatancient place.

  After a moment the officer spoke.

  "Did your father never tell you of his half-uncle, near his ownage--Colonel Baskerville, of the Indian service?"

  Archy shook his head.

  "My father told me as little as possible of his family in England. I donot even know what his quarrel with them was--only I know he felt adeep resentment against them."

  "He had cause," responded Colonel Baskerville. "My half-brother, LordBellingham, objected violently and unreasonably to your father'smarriage, and it cannot be denied that he ill-treated your mother underthis very roof."

  Archy, whose temper was quick, and who knew how to make a promptresolve, and then to act upon it, stood still and silent for a moment;then, turning to the door, began to fumble at the intricate fastening ofthe chain, saying, quietly,

  "How do you get out of this place, sir?"

  "Highty-tighty," replied Colonel Baskerville, good-humoredly; "what areyou trying to do?"

  "To get away from here," said Archy. "I think, sir, that when a man hasill-treated my mother, I ought not to stay one moment in that man'shouse."

  "But wait. Lord Bellingham ill-treated every member of his family whodared to marry without consulting his lordship. His only daughtermarried Captain Langton, a gentleman of character and fortune; but LordBellingham, who wanted to marry her off to a duke in his dotage, neverforgave her."

  "That is another reason why I should not stay in the house of such anold curmudgeon," responded Archy, with spirit.

  "But you will, one day, be Lord Bellingham."

  "No, I won't--or, rather, I can't--for I am an American."

  Colonel Baskerville's first impulse was to say "Pooh." Luckily, herefrained--for if he had, Archy, whose hand was on the heavy door-knob,would have bolted out, and never, probably, would have set foot in thoseregions again. But Colonel Baskerville, seeing he had a hot-headed andimpetuous fellow to deal with, only said in response to this:

  "Listen. I have lately heard, from a safe quarter, that my brother isdeeply repentant of his treatment of his son and daughter, and would beglad to atone to their children for his injustice to their parents. Nohuman being has the right to refuse another human being the privilege ofredressing a wrong--if a wrong may ever be redressed. Therefore, Iinsist that you shall see your grandfather."

  Archy stood silent for a moment, while the idea took lodgment in hismind that generosity and forgiveness were not the mere indulgence of animpulse, but should be a fixed principle of action. He was intelligentenough to grasp Colonel Baskerville's meaning, and presently he said:

  "You are right, sir. However, I never can benefit by my grandfather'sestates, as I know that my father united in cutting the entail. As forthis old rookery, it must take a fortune to keep it up."

  "This old rookery, as you call it, is one of the finest specimens of thefeudal age left in England. But let that pass. You are young andnecessarily ignorant. No doubt my brother hopes that the family may becontinued through one of his two grandsons. The other is Midshipman HughLangton, of his Majesty's sea-service."

  "Trevor Langton!" cried Archy, breathlessly. "Of the _Seahorse_frigate?"

  "The same. He is a gallant lad, I hear."

  "Sir," said Archy, after a painful pause, "it was by a boat's crew ofthe _Seahorse_ that I was captured--and Langton and I became greatfriends. I never knew we were cousins--and the _Seahorse_ was lost offthe coast of Spain in January, the very day I left her--and I, myself,saw Langton's body--"

  Here he faltered; he could say no more.

  Colonel Baskerville's grim face paled, and, putting the candle downwith a shaking hand, he dropped upon the great oaken settee that wasplaced against the wall.

  "HE PUT THE CANDLE DOWN AND DROPPED UPON THE SETTEE"]

  "Poor lad! poor lad!" he said, brokenly, "and his poor mother--she wasthe sweetest creature. I had looked forward to seeing her again with sogreat happiness, and I already loved her boy."

  "He was worthy to be loved," answered Archy, feeling a great sob risingin his throat. "He was the manliest fellow--"

  Then there was a long silence. How strange it all was! Archy, who hadlived the quietest and most prosaic of boyhoods in an American clearingon the Chesapeake Bay, seemed, from the day of his father's death, tohave fallen into an odd, new world, and sometimes the strangeness of itall staggered him.

  The silence continued. Colonel Baskerville, leaning his head on hishands, seemed quite overcome by the terrible news that Archy had givenhim.

  "It will be a dreadful shock and grief to my brother," he said, after awhile.

  "If he had known dear Langton as I did, his grief would be greater. WhenI was first captured, it was not very comfortable for me in thegun-room of the _Seahorse_. You know, sir, the extreme prejudice of yournaval service to Commodore Paul Jones--and the fact that I had servedwith him was against me, although I protest I think it the greatesthonor in the world to serve under that great man. I did not let themidshipmen have it all their own way"--here the ghost of a smile came toArchy's face--"but Langton stood my friend, and I never loved anycompanion I ever had half so well. Perhaps, sir, after all, blood isthicker than water."

  "All that you tell me makes me grieve for him the more. Lord Bellingham,though, has a special disappointment in his death, for you, with youryouth and inexperience, can scarcely understand the overwhelming desirea man like Lord Bellingham feels to transmit his title and estates tohis descendants; and he has none, except you--and I foresee he wouldhave a hard task to make you adapt yourself to his views."

  "Poor old Lord Bellingham!"

  "Poor, indeed, he is, in spite of his rank and estates. I have drawn nonattering portrait of him--but, like other men, he has his good points.He is a bundle of contrariety. He is generous and cruel. He is profuseand parsimonious. He lives in two rooms in luxury, and shuts up therest of the castle. His unkindness drove his children away from him, andhe has spent thousands of pounds in trying to get information about themwhich one line from him would have brought. He is the finest gentlemanand the most overbearing social tyrant that ever lived. He is a courtierone minute, a ruffian the next. For my part, as a younger brother with apittance besides my pay, I early showed my independence of him--with theresult that he has always treated me with kindness, and I am here nowbecause an express met me when I landed from India, begging that I cometo him at once. He is very old and feeble. But we are talking too long.You want food, and fire--and, egad! so do I. There was once a bellhere--" Colonel Baskerville groped along the wall until he came to thehuge cavern of a fireplace, where there was a bell-handle, but thebell-rope was broken.

  "Humph! Well, I know the way to a little breakfast-parlor, where theservant who let me in told me something would be prepared in a fewminutes. So, come with me!"

  Colonel Baskerville made his way out of the great hall into a longcorridor, where, after innumerable windings and turnings and going upand down stairs, they came to a little, low room, where a servant inlivery opened the door. A bright fire blazed upon the hearth, and somecold meat and bread and cheese and ale were set out, with splendidplate, upon a table lighted with wax candles. Archy, who had a robustyoung appetite, would cheerfully have dispensed with the plate and thewax candles for more luxurious fare. Nevertheless, he made great playwith his knife and fork, and Colonel Baskerville was not far behind.Meanwhile, the elder man watched the younger one intently, a
nd everymoment he felt more and more the stirrings of affection in hisheart--the more so when he remembered that Langton being gone, this boywas all that remained to maintain the family name and repute. Nor was heless prepossessed in Archy's favor by observing a strong family likenessto the Baskervilles. Without being so regularly handsome as the oldlord, Archy was singularly like him, and Colonel Baskerville believedthat when the youth's angular face and form had developed, theresemblance would be still stronger. Many little personal movements, theair and manner of speaking and walking, recalled Lord Bellingham, butColonel Baskerville concluded it would be a rash man who would pointout to the old gentleman how like him was this young rebel.

  "And for such a fine fellow to belong to the American rebels--it is notto be thought of," reflected this Royalist gentleman. "We must win himback, but we must be careful, very careful--for he is nice on the pointof honor."

  After Archy had devoured everything on the table he stopped eating. Whensupper was over the servant who waited upon them--a quiet, well-trainedbutler--led them to an upper floor, where two great bedrooms, withcanopied beds, like catafalques, stood in the middle of each.

  "I prefer this one," said Colonel Baskerville, when the servant openedthe door of one, a little less vast and sepulchral than the other, buthe accompanied Archy to the door of the next one.

  "This, sir," began the servant, "is one of the finest bedrooms in thecastle. It was occupied by the Duke of Cumberland on his return from theNorth after the 'forty-five.' It was for him that my lord had thesepurple silk bed-curtains and plumes at the corners of the tester putup."

  "Did he?" said Archy, curiously eying the bed. "Well, my man, I think mylord behaved deuced unhandsome to the Duke of Cumberland in putting himin this old hearse, and I don't choose to be served the same way; soyou will please 'bout face and show me the way back to the room with thefire, where I will stick it out till morning. Now, march!"

  The man, open-mouthed but dumfounded, turned to lead the way back.

  "Good-night, uncle," cried Archy, gayly. "The Duke of Cumberland maysubmit to sleep in a hearse with feathers, but I'll be shot if anAmerican midshipman will. So, good rest to you, and we'll beard the lionin his den to-morrow morning." And off Archy walked.

  Colonel Baskerville, with a smile on his keen, intelligent face,continued looking after him.

  "Ah," he said, aloud, "had your father possessed a tithe of your spirit,he would not have lived and died a morose exile in a foreign land.You'll do, my lad; you'll do." And, still smiling, he turned to his roomand locked the door.

  Archy lay down before the fire in the little parlor, and, wrappinghimself in his fine cloak, began to think of all the strange things thathad lately befallen him. His mind turned to Langton--so brave, sochivalrous. He smiled, while the tears came unbidden to his eyes, whenhe remembered their first meeting in the cockpit of the _Seahorse_--eachstripped for a rough-and-tumble fight over the merits of the quarrelbetween King George and the American colonies. The fight had been adraw, but some way, without either knowing why, it had never beenrenewed. He and Langton had suddenly become friends, and within a weekthey were laughing over their scrimmage, and, in friendly bouts, testingLangton's greater weight and height against Archy's agility and abilityto stand hard knocks. And then came the farewell in the boat--andafterwards, Langton's white face as the boiling breakers dashed himtowards the rocks. With this thought in his mind Archy suddenly fellasleep, and did not awake until next morning when the sun was pouringbrightly into the little room.

  Breakfast was served in the same room to Colonel Baskerville andArchy--and a slim breakfast it was. Archy's face grew three-quarters ofa yard long when Diggory, the servant of the night before, with a greatflourish removed the silver covers to show a little toast and a fewrashers of bacon in the dishes. Colonel Baskerville burst out laughing.

  "Look, Diggory," he said, "you are not catering now for a gouty oldgentleman like his lordship, but for an old campaigner like myself anda midshipman like Mr. Baskerville; and go you and bring us some eggs,and whatever you can lay your fingers upon, and remember to stock thecommissary for dinner."

  Diggory went out, and presently reappeared with some additions, and theymade a tolerable breakfast; but Archy remarked that he was not surprisedat his father leaving Bellingham Castle, if that was the fare he was fedupon.

  "And now," said Colonel Baskerville, "I shall go to my brother, and hewill probably send for you shortly. And I--as I particularly wish you tomake a good impression on him--I advise you to send to the village foryour portmanteau and put on some other clothes, for my brother will besure to resent violently your wearing the American uniform."

  "He appears to have resented violently what all of his family did,without considering the clothes they wore; but, uncle, I tell you I willnot take off this uniform. I have my parole, which protects me; and if Iever give this uniform up, to anybody's threats or persuasions, I giveup my character as a prisoner of war--and that, seems to me, would be agreat blunder--so, if Lord Bellingham does not like my clothes--well, Ihave some money left, and I can get to France on my parole; and, inshort, uncle, I am, like you, independent of my grandfather."

  "You are a very rash and headstrong young man," was ColonelBaskerville's reply, "but you will learn to be less so if you have anybrains at all. You will not be sent for, I am sure, before noon, so youwill have time to examine the castle and park, if you like."

  Colonel Baskerville went out, and Archy, nothing loath, began hisexamination of the place. As he knew that he and Colonel Baskervillewould have to go to the village later in the day to give their evidenceof the attempt at highway-robbery, he chose rather to examine theinterior of the castle. He spent hours going over it--later on he was tospend days in the same employment--and every moment his respect for the"old rookery" increased. First he went to the great hall. Built in thereign of Henry VIII., it was a noble specimen of sixteenth-centuryarchitecture. The beauty of the groined roof was clearly visible by themorning light, that streamed in the long, narrow slits of windows. Onevery side hung dented armor and helmets that had evidently seenservice, and Archy felt a natural thrill of pride at remembering thatthese sturdy fighting men were his forefathers. Besides the armor,there were on the walls every conceivable variety of ancient weapon--thelong arquebuse of Elizabethan days, claymores taken from the Scottishknights and gentlemen who defended Mary Stuart at Langside, the hugeswords carried by Cromwell's Ironsides--and all, Archy felt, with astirring history attached to them. That motionless knight in armor, withhis iron-bound legs sticking stiffly out from the sides of his stuffedhorse, tremendous spurs fastened to his boots of Spanish leather, andhis lance in rest, seemed to stand watch and ward over this storehouseof dead and gone valor. Archy could scarcely tear himself away; but adoor in the distance, half open, gave him a glimpse of a long, lowpicture-gallery, its walls glowing with color, and he walked nimblytowards it. Yes, it was very, very beautiful. It was much less sombrethan the hall, and girandoles placed thickly along the wall showed thatit could be illuminated by night as well as day. If the arms andaccoutrements of these people pleased him, how much more did theircounterfeit presentments! The first portrait on which his eye fell was"Sir Archibald Baskerville, Baronet, 1620-1676, general in the army ofthe Commonwealth, concerned in battles of Edgehill and Marston Moor, andin the capture of Charles I. Voted in Parliament for the King's releaseon parole, and on the execution of the King retired to his seat,Bellingham Castle, where he was arrested by Cromwell's order andimprisoned for several years, but was finally released and his estaterestored to him by Charles II."

  Well, that Archibald Baskerville was a brave and successful rebel,thought Archy, and perhaps his descendant may have even better fortune.

  "Rather a hard-looking beggar, though--looks like the highwayman Iknocked down last night. I certainly have the advantage of him in havingthe air of an honest fellow and a gentleman," was Archy's inwardcomment. But there were scores of others besides Sir Archibald. Therewere grave judg
es and frowning admirals, and a bishop or two, besidesmany red-faced country gentlemen--and the first Lord Bellingham--a lacedand powdered dandy of the days of Queen Anne. And there were staid olddowagers, and round-faced matrons, and groups of quaint children, and myLady Bellingham in farthingale and hoop, and some fair young girls, now,alas! but dust and ashes. As in the hall, Archy would have lingered, butstill ahead of him he saw a pair of beautifully carved doors of blackoak, and examining them, and turning the wrought-iron handles, heentered a great square room, as large as the entrance-hall, and allbooks from top to bottom. Archy paused, actually awe-stricken, for,although he had lately given but little time to books, he loved andrespected them from the bottom of his heart, and he respected the peoplewho had spent such vast sums on learning.

  The room was low-ceiled, and the many windows were from the roof to thefloor; and over and above all was that air of quiet, of studiousretirement, which is the very aroma of the true library.

  As Archy's eyes travelled around this charming apartment, he noticedthere were some busts and a few pictures, and as he advanced into theroom he saw, just over the door by which he had entered, a picture withits face to the wall. It did not take Archy long to scramble up by thedoor and get a good look at the picture, and after a glimpse hedeliberately, and with some trouble, turned it face outward, wiped itoff carefully with his handkerchief, slipped down from his perch, and,advancing to the middle of the room, stood gazing at it with moist eyes,in which a gleam of anger shone, too, for it was his father's portrait.There was no mistaking it, although it represented a youth of aboutArchy's age; but the clear-cut, melancholy face, with the deep eyes andthin lips--it was life-like. Whatever the elder Archibald Baskerville'sfailings were--and they had been many, a violent and morose temper amongthem--his only child had loved and respected him. One determination haddwelt in Archy's heart ever since he could remember, and that was neverto let any one cast, even by implication, a slur upon his father withoutresenting it as far as he could. Perhaps a dim, instinctive knowledgethat his father was, in truth, a very faulty man was the mainspring ofthis feeling. But Archy was by nature loyal, and not afraid to show hisloyalty; and the same spirit which had made him, when a little lad, flyfuriously at other lads who dared, with childish cruelty, to taunt himwith his father's silence and moroseness and singularity, made him nowpromptly show that he thought his father's picture worthy of a place ofhonor.

  While Archy was looking at the portrait with earnest eyes he heard astep behind him, and there stood Major Baskerville.

  "What do you think of the old rookery now?" he asked.

  "I never dreamed of anything like it," was Archy's sincere reply.

  Colonel Baskerville smiled, and then said:

  "Lord Bellingham wishes to see you in his own room, and," he added, witha smile, "I wish he had asked me to be present at the meeting. It willbe rare sport."

  "Do you think so, sir?" answered Archy, airily, and flushed with hisachievement regarding the picture.

  "I know it. He has never been defied in his life. I did not defy him. Isimply went my own way as a younger half-brother with little to hope orfear from him. But you are his natural heir, and, although he can keepyou out of the property, he can't keep you out of the title if you wantit."

  "But I don't want it, and can't use it, sir; and as to his keeping meout of the property, some of that would be precious little use to me.What would I do with a castle? I am a sailor, sir, and I would ratherhave a seventy-four than all the castles in England. So here goes."

  And Archy marched off to meet Lord Bellingham, not wholly unpreparedwhat to say and do.