The Dragon of Wantley: His Tale Page 9

  CHAPTER VI

  Miss Elaine loses her Heart & finds Something of the greatest Importance.

  Down stairs the Grace was said, and the company was soon seated andready for their mid-day meal.

  "Our fare," said Father Anselm pleasantly to Sir Godfrey, who sat onhis right, "is plain, but substantial."

  "Oh--ah, very likely," replied the Baron, as he received a woodenbasin of black-bean broth.

  "Our drink is----"

  The Baron lifted his eye hopefully.

  "----remarkably pure water," Father Anselm continued. "Clement!" hecalled to the monk whose turn it was that day to hand the dishes,"Clement, a goblet of our well-water for Sir Godfrey Disseisin. One ofthe large goblets, Clement. We are indeed favoured, Baron, in havingsuch a pure spring in the midst of our home."

  "Oh--ah!" observed the Baron again, and politely nerved himself for aswallow. But his thoughts were far away in his own cellar over atWantley, contemplating the casks whose precious gallons the Dragon hadconsumed. Could it be the strength of his imagination, or else why wasit that through the chilling, unwelcome liquid he was now drinking heseemed to detect a lurking flavour of the very wine those casks hadcontained, his favourite Malvoisie?

  Father Anselm noticed the same taste in his own cup, and did not setit down to imagination, but afterwards sentenced Brother Clement tobread and water during three days, for carelessness in not washing theMonastery table-service more thoroughly.

  "This simple food keeps you in beautiful health, Father," saidMistletoe, ogling the swarthy face of the Abbot with an affection thathe duly noted.

  "My daughter," he replied, gravely, "bodily infirmity is the reward ofthe glutton. I am well, thank you."

  Meanwhile, Elaine did not eat much. Her thoughts were busy, andhurrying over recent events. Perhaps you think she lost her heart inthe last Chapter, and cannot lose it in this one unless it is givenback to her. But I do not agree with you; and I am certain that, ifyou suggested such a notion to her, she would become quite angry, andtell you not to talk such foolish nonsense. People are so absurd abouthearts, and all that sort of thing! No: I do not really think she haslost her heart yet; but as she sits at table these are the things sheis feeling:

  1. Not at all hungry.

  2. Not at all thirsty.

  3. What a hateful person that Father Anselm is!

  4. Poor, poor young man!

  5. Not that she thinks of him in _that_ way, of course. The idea!Horrid Father Anselm!

  6. Any girl at all--no, not girl, _anybody_ at all--who had humanjustice would feel exactly as she did about the whole matter.

  7. He was very good-looking, too.

  8. Did he have--yes, they were blue. Very, very dark blue.

  9. And a moustache? Well, yes.

  Here she laughed, but no one noticed her idling with her spoon. Thenher eyes filled with tears, and she pretended to be absorbed with theblack-bean broth, though, as a matter of fact, she did not see it inthe least.

  10. Why had he come there at all?

  11. It was a perfect shame, treating him so.

  12. Perhaps they were not blue, after all. But, oh! what a beautifulsparkle was in them!

  After this, she hated Father Anselm worse than ever. And the more shehated him, the more some very restless delicious something made herdraw long breaths. She positively must go up-stairs and see what Hewas doing and what He really looked like. This curiosity seized holdof her and set her thinking of some way to slip away unseen. Thechance came through all present becoming deeply absorbed in what SirGodfrey was saying to Father Anselm.

  "Such a low, coarse, untaught brute as a dragon," he explained,"cannot possibly distinguish good wine from bad."

  "Of a surety, no!" responded the monk.

  "You agree with me upon that point?" said the Baron.

  "Most certainly. Proceed."

  "Well, I'm going to see that he gets nothing but the cider and smallbeer after this."

  "But how will you prevent him, if he visit your cellar again?" FatherAnselm inquired.

  "I shall change all the labels, in the first place," the Baronanswered.

  "Ha! vastly well conceived," said Father Anselm. "You will label yourBurgundy as if it were beer."

  "And next," continued Sir Godfrey, "I shall shift the presentpositions of the hogsheads. That I shall do to-day, after relabelling.In the northern corner of the first wine vault I shall----"

  Just as he reached this point, it was quite wonderful how strict anattention every monk paid to his words. They leaned forward,forgetting their dinner, and listened with all their might.

  One of them, who had evidently received an education, took notesunderneath the table. Thus it was that Elaine escaped observationwhen she left the refectory.

  The Baron setteth forth his Plan for circumuenting theDragon]

  As she came up-stairs into the hall where Geoffrey was caged, shestepped lightly and kept where she could not be seen by him. All wasquiet when she entered; but suddenly she heard the iron bars of thecage begin to rattle and shake, and at the same time Geoffrey's voicebroke out in rage.

  "I'll twist you loose," he said, "you--(rattle, shake)--you--(kick,bang)----" And here the shocking young man used words so violent andwicked that Elaine put her hands tight over her ears. "Why, he is justas dreadful as papa, just exactly!" she exclaimed to herself. "Whoeverwould have thought that that angelic face--but I suppose they are alllike that sometimes." And she took her hands away again.

  "Yes, I will twist you loose," he was growling hoarsely, while thekicks and wrenches grew fiercer than ever, "or twist myself stark,staring blind--and----"

  "Oh, sir!" she said, running out in front of the cage.

  He stopped at once, and stood looking at her. His breast-plate andgauntlets were down on the floor, so his muscles might have more easyplay in dealing with the bars. Elaine noticed that the youth's shirtwas of very costly Eastern silk.

  "I was thinking of getting out," he said at length, still standing andlooking at her.

  "I thought I might--that is--you might----" began Miss Elaine, andstopped. Upon which another silence followed.

  "Lady, who sent you here?" he inquired.

  "Oh, they don't know!" she replied, hastily; and then, seeing howbright his face became, and hearing her own words, she looked down,and the crimson went over her cheeks as he watched her.

  "Oh, if I could get out!" he said, desperately. "Lady, what is yourname, if I might be so bold."

  "My name, sir, is Elaine. Perhaps there is a key somewhere," she said.

  "And I am called Geoffrey," he said, in reply.

  "I think we might find a key," Elaine repeated.

  She turned towards the other side of the room, and there hung a greatbunch of brass keys dangling from the lock of a heavy door.

  Ah, Hubert! thou art more careless than Brother Clement, I think, tohave left those keys in such a place!

  Quickly did Elaine cross to that closed door, and laid her hand uponthe bunch. The door came open the next moment, and she gave a shriekto see the skin of a huge lizard-beast fall forward at her feet, andalso many cups and flagons, that rolled over the floor, dotting itwith little drops of wine.

  Hearing Elaine shriek, and not able to see from his prison what hadbefallen her, Geoffrey shouted out in terror to know if she had cometo any hurt.

  "No," she told him; and stood eyeing first the crocodile's hide andthen the cups, setting her lips together very firmly. "And they werenot even dry," she said after a while. For she began to guess a littleof the truth.

  "Not dry? Who?" inquired Geoffrey.

  "Oh, Geoffrey!" she burst out in deep anger, and then stopped,bewildered. But his heart leaped to hear her call his name.

  "Are there no keys?" he asked.

  "Keys? Yes!" she cried, and, running with them back to the bars, begantrying one after another in trembling haste till the lock clickedpleasantly, and out mar
ched young Geoffrey.

  Now what do you suppose this young man did when he found himself freeonce more, and standing close by the lovely young person to whom heowed his liberty? Did he place his heels together, and let his armshang gracefully, and so bow with respect and a manner at oncedignified and urbane, and say, "Miss Elaine, permit me to thank youfor being so kind as to let me out of prison?" That is what he oughtto have done, of course, if he had known how to conduct himself like awell-brought-up young man. But I am sorry to have to tell you thatGeoffrey did nothing of the sort, but, instead of that, behaved in amost outrageous manner. He did not thank her at all. He did not sayone single word to her. He simply put one arm round her waist and gaveher a kiss!

  "Geoffrey!" she murmured, "don't!"

  But Geoffrey did, with the most astonishing and complacentdisobedience.

  "Oh, Geoffrey!" she whispered, looking the other way, "how wrong ofyou! And of me!" she added a little more softly still, escaping fromhim suddenly, and facing about.

  "I don't see that," said Geoffrey. "I love you, Elaine. Elaine,darling, I----"

  "Oh, but you mustn't!" answered she, stepping back as he came nearer.

  Geoffrey tuggeth at the Bars]

  This was simply frightful! And so sudden. To think ofher--Elaine!--but she couldn't think at all. Happy? Why, how wicked!How had she ever----

  "No, you must not," she repeated, and backed away still farther.

  "But I will!" said this lover, quite loudly, and sprang so quickly towhere she stood that she was in his arms again, and this time withoutthe faintest chance of getting out of them until he should choose tofree her.

  It was no use to struggle now, and she was still, like some wild bird.But she knew that she was really his, and was glad of it. And shelooked up at him and said, very softly, "Geoffrey, we are wastingtime."

  "Oh, no, not at all," said Geoffrey.

  "But we are."

  "Say that you love me."

  "But haven't I--ah, Geoffrey, please don't begin again."

  "Say that you love me."

  She did.

  Then, taking his hand, she led him to the door she had opened. Hestared at the crocodile, at the wine-cups, and then he picked up asheet of iron and a metal torch.

  "I suppose it is their museum," he said; "don't you?"

  "Their museum! Geoffrey, think a little."

  "They seem to keep very good wine," he remarked, after smelling at thedemijohn.

  "Don't you see? Can't you understand?" she said.

  "No, not a bit. What's that thing, do you suppose?" he added, givingthe crocodile a kick.

  "Oh, me, but men are simple, men are simple!" said Elaine, in despair."Geoffrey, listen! That wine is my father's wine, from his own cellar.There is none like it in all England."

  "Then I don't see why he gave it to a parcel of monks," replied theyoung man.

  Elaine clasped her hands in hopelessness, gave him a kiss, and becamemistress of the situation.

  "Now, Geoffrey," she said, "I will tell you what you and I have reallyfound out." Then she quickly recalled all the recent events. How herfather's cellar had been broken into; how Mistletoe had been chainedto a rock for a week and no dragon had come near her. She bade himremember how just now Father Anselm had opposed every plan for meetingthe Dragon, and at last she pointed to the crocodile.

  "Ha!" said Geoffrey, after thinking for a space. "Then you mean----"

  "Of course I do," she interrupted. "The Dragon of Wantley is nowdown-stairs with papa eating dinner, and pretending he never drinksanything stronger than water. What do you say to that, sir?"

  "This is a foul thing!" cried the knight. "Here have I been damnablyduped. Here----" but speech deserted him. He glared at the crocodilewith a bursting countenance, then drove his toe against it with suchvigour that it sailed like a foot-ball to the farther end of the hall.

  "Papa has been duped, and everybody," said Elaine. "Papa's Frenchwine----"

  "They swore to me in Flanders I should find a real dragon here," hecontinued, raging up and down, and giving to the young lady no part ofhis attention. She began to fear he was not thinking of her.

  "Geoffrey----" she ventured.

  "They swore it. They had invited me to hunt a dragon with them inFlanders,--Count Faux Pas and his Walloons. We hunted day and night,and the quest was barren. They then directed me to this island ofBritain, in which they declared a dragon might be found by any man whoso desired. They lied in their throats. I have come leagues fornothing." Here he looked viciously at the distant hide of thecrocodile. "But I shall slay the monk," he added. "A masqueradingcaitiff! Lying varlets! And all for nothing! The monk shall die,however."

  "Have you come for nothing, Geoffrey?" murmured Elaine.

  "Three years have I been seeking dragons in all countries, chasingdeceit over land and sea. And now once more my dearest hope fallsempty and stale. Why, what's this?" A choking sound beside him stoppedthe flow of his complaints.

  "Oh, Geoffrey,--oh, miserable me!" The young lady was dissolved intears.

  "Elaine--dearest--don't."

  "You said you had come for n--nothing, and it was all st--stale."

  "Ha, I am a fool, indeed! But it was the Dragon, dearest. I had madeso sure of an honest one in this adventure."

  "Oh, oh!" went Miss Elaine, with her head against his shoulder.

  "There, there! You're sweeter than all the dragons in the world, mylittle girl," said he. And although this does not appear to be a greatcompliment, it comforted her wonderfully in the end; for he said it inher ear several times without taking his lips away. "Yes," hecontinued, "I was a fool. By your father's own word you're mine. Ihave caught the Dragon. Come, my girl! We'll down to the refectoryforthwith and denounce him."

  With this, he seized Elaine's hand and hastily made for the stairs.

  "But hold, Geoffrey, hold! Oh--I am driven to act not as maidensshould," sighed Elaine. "He it is who ought to do the thinking. But,dear me! he does not know how. Do you not see we should both be lost,were you to try any such wild plan?"

  "Not at all. Your father would give you to me."

  "Oh, no, no, Geoffrey; indeed, papa would not. His promise was about adragon. A live or a dead dragon must be brought to him. Even if hebelieved you now, even if that dreadful Father Anselm could not inventsome lie to put us in the wrong, you and I could never--that is--papawould not feel bound by his promise simply because you did that. Theremust be a dragon somehow."

  "How can there be a dragon if there is not a dragon?" asked Geoffrey.

  "Wait, wait, Geoffrey! Oh, how can I think of everything all atonce?" and Elaine pressed her hands to her temples.

  "Darling," said the knight, with his arms once more around her, "letus fly now."

  "Now? They would catch us at once."

  "Catch us! not they! with my sword----"

  "Now, Geoffrey, of course you are brave. But do be sensible. You areonly one. No! I won't even argue such nonsense. They must never knowabout what we have been doing up here; and you must go back into thatcage at once."

  "What, and be locked up, and perhaps murdered to-night, and never seeyour face again?"

  "But you shall see me again, and soon. That is what I am thinkingabout."

  "How can you come in here, Elaine?"

  "You must come to me. I have it! To-night, at half-past eleven, cometo the cellar-door at the Manor, and I will be there to let you in.Then we can talk over everything quietly. I have no time to thinknow."

  "The cellar! at the Manor! And how, pray, shall I get out of thatcage?"

  "Cannot you jump from the little window at the back?"

  Geoffrey ran in to see. "No," he said, returning; "it is many spansfrom the earth."

  Elaine had hurried into the closet, whence she returned with a dustycoil of rope. "Here, Geoffrey; quickly! put it about your waist. Windit so. But how clumsy you are!"

  He stood smiling down at her, and she very deftly wound the cord upand down, over and over his bo
dy, until its whole length laycomfortably upon him.

  "Now, your breast-plate, quick!"

  She helped him put his armour on again; and, as they were engaged atthat, singing voices came up the stairs from the distant dining-hall.

  "The Grace," she exclaimed; "they will be here in a moment."

  Geoffrey took a last kiss, and bolted into his cage. She, with thekeys, made great haste to push the crocodile and other objects oncemore into their hiding-place. Cups and flagons and all rattled backwithout regard to order, as they had already been flung not two hoursbefore. The closet-door shut, and Elaine hung the keys from the lockas she had found them.

  "Half-past eleven," she said to Geoffrey, as she ran by his cagetowards the stairs.

  "One more, darling,--please, one! through the bars!" he besought her,in a voice so tender, that for my part I do not see how she had theheart to refuse him. But she continued her way, and swiftly descendingthe stairs was found by the company, as they came from the hall,busily engaged in making passes with Sir Godfrey's sword, which he hadleft leaning near the door.

  "A warlike daughter, Sir Godfrey!" said Father Anselm.

  "Ah, if I were a man to go on a Crusade!" sighed Miss Elaine.

  "Hast thou, my daughter," said Father Anselm, "thought better of thyrash intentions concerning this Dragon?"

  "I am travelling towards better thoughts, Father," she answered.

  But Sir Francis did not wholly believe the young lady; and was not atrest until Sir Godfrey assured him her good conduct should be nomatter of her own choosing.

  "You see," insinuated the Abbot, "so sweet a maid as yours would be atreat for the unholy beast. A meal like that would incline him toremain in a neighbourhood where such dainties were to be found."

  "I'll have no legends and fool's tricks," exclaimed the Baron. "Sheshall be locked in her room to-night."

  "Not if she can help it," thought Miss Elaine. Her father hadimprudently spoken too loud.

  "'Twere a wise precaution," murmured Father Anselm. "What are all thevintages of this earth by the side of a loving daughter?"

  "Quite so, quite so!" Sir Godfrey assented. "Don't you think," headded, wistfully, "that another Crusade may come along soon?"

  "Ah, my son, who can say? Tribulation is our meted heritage. Were thythoughts more high, the going of thy liquors would not cause thee suchsorrow. Learn to enjoy the pure cold water."

  "Good-afternoon," said the Baron.

  When all the guests had departed and the door was shut safe behindthem, the Father and his holy companions broke into loud mirth. "TheMalvoisie is drunk up," said they; "to-night we'll pay his lordship'scellars another visit."