the caged lion-第35部分

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answered；　nor　was　there　meaning　in　his　eyes。　　And　James　perceived　that　he　was　bandaged　as　though　for　broken　ribs；　and　that　his　right　shoulder　was　dislocated；　and　no　doubt　had　been　a　second　time　pulled　out　when　Malcolm　had　grasped　him　by　the　arms。　　He　swooned　again　at　the　first　attempt　to　lift　him；　and　a　hay…cart　having　been　left　in　the　flight　of　the　marauders；　he　was　laid　in　it；　and　covered　with　the　King's　cloak；　to　be　conveyed　to　Corbeil；　where　James　trusted　to　secure　his　life　by　personal　intercession　with　Henry。　　He　groaned　heavily　several　times；　but　never　opened　his　eyes　or　spoke　articulately　the　whole　way；　and　James　and　Sir　Nigel　kept　on　either　side　of　the　cart；　ready　to　address　him　in　French　the　first　moment；　having　told　the　English　that　he　was　a　prisoner　of　quality；　who　must　be　carefully　conveyed　to　King　James's　tent　at　Corbeil。　　Malcolm　was　not　allowed　to　approach；　lest　he　should　be　recognized；　and　he　rode　along　in　an　agony　of　shame　and　suspense；　with　very　different　feelings　towards　Patrick　than　those　with　which　he　had　of　late　thought　of　him；　or　of　his　own　promises。　　If　Patrick　died　through　this　plundering　raid；　how　should　he　ever　face　Lily？

It　was　nearly　night　ere　they　reached　Corbeil；　where　the　tents　were　pitched　outside　the　little　town。　　James　committed　his　captive　to　the　prudent　care　of　old　Baird；　bidding　him　send　for　a　French　or　Burgundian　surgeon；　unable　to　detect　the　Scottish　tongue；　and　then；　taking　Malcolm　with　him；　he　crossed　the　square　in　the　centre　of　the　camp　to　the　royal　pavilion；　opposite　to　which　his　own　was　pitched。

It　was　a　sultry　night；　and　Henry　had　insisted　on　sleeping　in　his　tent；　declaring　himself　sick　of　stone　walls；　and　as　they　approached　his　voice　could　be　heard　in　brief　excited　sentences；　giving　orders；　and　asking　for　the　King　of　Scots。

'Here；　Sir；'　said　James；　stopping　in　where　the　curtain　was　looped　up；　and　showed　King　Henry　half　sitting；　half　lying；　on　a　couch　of　cushions　and　deer…skins；　his　eyes　full　of　fire；　his　thin　face　flushed　with　deep　colour；　Bedford；　March；　Warwick；　and　Salisbury　in　attendance。

'Ho！　you　are　late！'　said　Henry。　　'Did　you　come　up　with　the　caitiff　robbers？'

'They　made　off　as　we　rode　up。　　The　village　was　already　burnt。'

'Who　were　they？　　I　hope　you　hung　them　on　the　spot；　as　I　bade；'　continued　Henry；　coughing　between　his　sentences；　and　almost　in　spite　of　himself；　putting　his　hand　to　his　side。

'I　was　delayed。　　There　was　a　life　to　save：　　a　gentleman　who　lay　sick　and　stifled　in　a　burning　house。'

'And　what　was　it　to　you；'　cried　Henry；　angrily；　'if　a　dozen　rebel　Armagnacs　were　fried　alive；　when　I　sent　you　to　hinder　my　men　from　growing　mere　thieves？　　Gentleman；　forsooth！　　One　would　think　it　the　Dauphin　himself；　or　mayhap　Buchan。　　Ha！　it　is　a　Scot；　then！'

'Yes；　Sir；'　said　James；　'Sir　Patrick　Drummond；　a　good　knight；　hurt　and　helpless；　for　whom　I　entreat　your　grace。'

'You　disobeyed　me　to　spare　a　Scot！'　burst　forth　Henry。　　'You；　who　call　yourself　a　captain　of　mine；　and　who　know　my　will！　　He　hangs　instantly！'

'Harry；　bethink　yourself。　　This　is　no　captive　taken　in　battle。　　He　is　a　sick　man；　left　behind；　sorely　hurt。'

'Then　wherefore　must　you　be　meddling；　instead　of　letting　him　burn　as　he　deserved；　and　heeding　what　you　undertook　for　me？　　I　WILL　have　none　of　your　traitor　ruffians　here。　　Since　you　have　brought　him　in；　the　halter　for　him！Here；　Ralf　Percy；　tell　the　Provost…marshal'

He　was　interrupted；　for　James　unbuckled　his　sword；　and　tendered　it　to　him。

'King　Harry；'　he　said　gravely；　'this　morning　I　was　your　friend　and　brother…in…arms；　now　I　am　your　captive。　　Hang　Patrick　Drummond；　who　aided　me　at　Meaux　in　saving　my　honour　and　such　freedom　as　I　have；　and　I　return　to　any　prison　you　please；　and　never　strike　blow　for　you　again。'

'Take　back　your　sword；'　said　Henry。　　'What　folly　is　this？　　You　knew　that　I　count　not　your　rebel　subjects　as　prisoners　of　war。'

'I　did　not　know　that　I　was　saving　a　defenceless　man　from　the　flames　to　be　used　like　a　dog。　　I　never　offered　my　arm　to　serve　a　savage　tyrant。'

'Take　your　sword！'　reiterated　Henry；　his　passion　giving　way　before　James's　steady　calmness。　　'We　will　look　into　it　to…morrow：　　but　it　was　no　soldierly　act　to　take　advantage　of　my　weariness；　to　let　my　commands　be　broken　the　first　day　of　taking　the　field；　and　bring　the　caitiff　here。　　We　will　leave　him　for　the　night；　I　say。　　Take　up　your　sword。'

'Not　till　I　am　sure　of　my　liegeman's　life；'　said　James。

'No　threats；　Sir。　　I　will　make　no　promise；'　said　Henry；　haughtily；　but　the　words　died　away　in　a　racking　cough。

And　Bedford；　laying　his　hand　on　James's　arm；　said；　'He　is　fevered　and　weary。　　Fret　him　no　longer；　but　take　your　sword；　and　get　your　fellow　out　of　the　camp。'

James　was　too　much　hurt　to　make　a　compromise。　　'No；'　he　said；　'unless　your　brother　freely　spares　the　life　of　a　man　thus　taken；　I　must　be　his　prisonerbut　his　soldier　never！'

He　left　the　tent；　followed　by　Malcolm　in　an　agony　of　despair　and　self…reproach。

Henry's　morning　decisions　were　not　apt　to　vary　from　his　evening　ones。　There　was　a　terrible　implacability　about　him　at　times；　and　he　had　never　ceased　to　visit　his　brother　of　Clarence's　death　upon　the　Scots；　on　the　plea　that　they　were　in　arms　against　their　king。　　Even　Bedford　obviously　thought　that　the　prisoner　would　be　safest　out　of　his　reach；　and　this　could　hardly　be　accomplished；　since　Patrick　had　been　placed　in　James's　tent；　in　the　very　centre　of　the　camp；　near　the　King's　own。　And　though　Bedford　and　March　might　have　connived　at　his　being　taken　away；　yet　the　mass　of　the　soldiery　would；　if　they　detected　a　Scot　being　smuggled　away　into　the　town；　have　been　persuaded　that　King　James　was　acting　treacherously。

Besides；　the　captive　himself　proved　to　be　so　exhausted；　that　to　transport　him　any　further　in　his　present　state　would　have　been　almost　certainly　fatal。　　A　barber　surgeon　from　Corbeil　had　been　fetched；　and　was　dealing　with　the　injuries；　which　had　apparently　been　the　effect　of　a　fall　some　days　previously；　probably　when　on　his　way　to　join　the　French　army　at　Cosne；　and　the　first　fever　of　these　hurts　had　no　doubt　been　aggravated　by　the　adventures　of　the　day。　　At　any　rate　Patrick　lay　unconscious；　or　only　from　time　to　time　groaning　or　murmuring　a　few　words；　sometimes　French；　sometimes　Scotch。

Malcolm　would　have　fallen　on　his　knees　by　his　side；　and　striven　to　win　a　word　or　a　look；　but　James　forcibly　withheld　him。　　'If　you　roused　him　into　loud　ravings　in　our　own　tongue；　all　hope　of　saving　him　would　be　gone；'　he　said。

'Shall　we？　　Oh；　can　we？'　cried　Malcolm；　catching　at　the　mere　word　HOPE。

'I　only　know；'　said　the　King；　'that　unless　we　do　so　by　Harry's　good…　will；　I　will　never　serve　under　him　again。'

'And　if　he　persists　in　his　cruelty？'

'Then　must　some　means　be　found　of　carrying　Drummond　into　Corbeil。　　It　will　go　hard　with　me　but　he　shall　be　saved；　Malcolm。　　But　this　whole　army　is　against　a　Scot；　and　Harry's　eye　is　everywhere；　and　his　fierceness　unrelenting。　　Malcolm；　this　IS　bondage！　　May　God　and　St。　Andrew　aid　us！'

When　the　King　came　to　saying　that；　it　was　plain　he　deemed　the　case　past　all　other　aid。

Malcolm's　misery　was　great。　　The　very　sight　of　Patrick　had　made　a　mighty　revulsion　in　his　feelings。　　The　almost　forgotten　associations　of　Glenuskie　were　revived；　the　forms　of　his　guardian　and　of　Lily　came　before　him；　as　he　heard　familiar　names　and　phrases　in　the　dear　home　accent　fall　from　the　fevered　lips。　　Coldingham　rose　up　before　him；　and　St。　Abbs；　with　Lily　watching　on　the　rocks　for　tidings　of　her　knighther　knight；　to　whom　her　brother　had　once　promised　to　resign　all　his　lands　and　honours；　but　who　now　lay　captured　by　plunderers；　among　whom　that　brother　made　one；　and　in　peril　of　a　shameful　death。　Oh；　far　better　die　in　his　stead；　than　return　to　Lily　with　tidings　such　as　these！

Was　this　retribution　for　his　broken　purpose；　and　for　having　fallen　away；　not　merely　into　secular　life；　but　into　sins　that　stood　between　him　and　religious　rites？　　The　King　had　called　St。　Andrew　to　aid！　Must　a　proof　of　repentance　and　change　be　given；　ere　that　aid　would　come？　　Should　he　vow　himself　again　to　the　cloister；　yield　up　the　hope　of　Esclairmonde；　and　devote　himself　for　Patrick's　sake？　　Could　he　ever　be　happy　with　Patrick　dead；　and　Esclairmonde　driven　and　harassed　into　being　his　wife？　　Were　it　not　better　to　vow　at　once；　that　so　his　cousin　were　spared　he　would　return　to　his　old　purposes？

Almost　had　he　uttered　the　vow；　when；　tugging　hard　at　his　heart；　came　the　vision　of　Esclairmonde's　loveliness；　and　he　felt　it　beyond　his　strength　to　resign　her　voluntarily；　besides；　how　Madame　of　Hainault　and　Monseigneur　de　Therouenne　would　deride　his　uncertainties；　and　how　intolerable　it　would　be　to　leave　Esclairmonde　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　Boemond　of　Burgundy。

Such　a　renunciation　could　not　be　made；　he　did　not　even　know　that　Patrick's　safety　depended　on　it；　and　instead　of　that；　he　promised；　with　great　fervency　of　devotion；　that　if　St。　Andrew　would　save　Patrick　Drummond；　and　bring　about　the　two　marriages；　a　most　splendid　monastery　for　educational　purposes；　such　as　the　King　so　much　wished　to　found；　should　be　his　reward。　　It　should　be　in　honour　of　St。　Andrew；　and　should　be　endowed　with　Esclairmonde's　wealth；　which　would　be　quite　ample　enough；　both　for　this　and　for　a　noble　portion　for　Lily。　　Surely　St。　Andrew　must　accept　such　a　vow；　and　spare　Patrick！　So　Malcolm　tried　to　pacify　an　anguish　of　suspense　that　would　not　be　pacified。



CHAPTER　XII：　　THE　LAST　PILGRIMAGE



The　summer　morning　came；　the　reveille　sounded；　Mass　was　sung　in　the　chapel　tent；　without　which　Henry　never　moved；　and　Malcolm　tried　to　reassure　his　sinking　heart　by　there　pledging　his　vow　to　St。　Andrew。

The　English　king　was　not　present；　but　the　troops　were　drawing　up　in　complete　array；　that　he　might　inspect　them　before　the　march。　　And　a　glorious　array　they　were；　of　steel…clad　men…at…arms　on　horseback；　in　bands　around　their　leader's　banner；　and　of　ranks　of　sturdy　archers；　with　their　long…bows　in　leathern　cases；　the　orderly　multitude；　stretching　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　glittering　in　the　early　sun；　and　waiting　with　bold　and　glad　hearts　to　greet　the　much…loved　king；　who　had　always　led　them　to　victory。

The　only　unarmed　knight　was　James　of　Scotland。　　He　stood　in　the　space　beside　the　standa