The Caged Lion

ad sent intelligence to England that the way was open for the safe arrival of his much-loved wife; and at length, o

ing of the royal pair; and never did a happier or more brilliant cavalcade tr

hite antelopes; the Garter was on his knee, the George on his neck. It was a kingly garb, and well became the tall slight person and fair noble features. During these tedious months he had looked wan, haggard, and careworn; but the lines of anxiety were all effaced, his lustrous blue eyes shone and danced like Easter suns, his complexion rivalled th

egroom-nay, more l

ne. 'Tis is your own fault, man; none can eve

arently dissimilar from his ordinary dress, being generally of dark rich crimson, blue, or russet, with the St. Andrew's cross in white silk o

No wonder Esclairmonde had despised the sickly, timid, monkish school-boy; and if she had then shown him any sort of grace or preference, what would she think of the princely young squire he could new show her, who had seen service, had proved his valour, and was only not a knig

nt; and Catherine had given no intimation as to who would be in her suite-so that, as Henry had merrily observed, he was the only one in th

nd the escort around the gate; and in a few seconds more he and his companions had hurried through the court, where the

ine eyes have been hung

llowed up in his hearty embrace; and the fervency of his great love so far warmed h

beauty as if he had eyes for no one else, even while with lip and hand, kiss, grasp, and word, he

ried he. 'Let me have him to hold u

id Catherine. 'You never

that you would keep him with you. Nay, verily it is not in

t you would clog yourself with a babe in the cradl

isappointed, and proceeding to eager inquiries as to the appearance and progress of his child; to which the

st shrouding white veil far away in the background behind the Countess of Hainault, when the Duke of Bedford came up with a frown of consternation on his always a

another time. But what means this?' and he signed

,' replied James; 'but now I see naught amiss; I had

hey almost met ever his arched nose, 'I tell you, his look brin

r memory, John! You were

em how sick to death she was. I mind me too, that when our grandame of Hereford made us motherless children over to our grandsire of Lancaster, it was with a warning that Harry had the tender lungs of the Bohuns, and neede

he has been for months, and a few weeks' quiet with his wife will restore him

t it became me not to meddle about her ladies, and I doubted what sland

! Good John, I

Nightingale hath a plume, you see, and saith, moreover, that her knight hath done his devoir passably, but that she yet looks to se

policy in a bright mist of romantic fancy; nor was he ashamed to bend his manly head in reverence to, and even press to his lips, his lady's first love-letter, in the

suite: our knights-yea, our very grooms are picked for their comeliness; to wit that great feather-pated oaf of a Welshman,

Luxemburg. Did not I

men forgive her gifts! There is that cough of Harry's again! He is the sha

atches and flooded camps, I hearken; but when your wits run wool

of his head. I have thought it over, and will not be led into oppressing my father's widow any more. I cannot spend this Penteco

inter spent with this unbeliever Jamie; and truly, I found the thought of unright to

s step-mother, Joan of Navarre, whom common rumour termed the Witch Queen, and whom he had certainly little reason to love, whether it were true or not that she had attempted to weave spells against h

ed Malcolm with her wonted kindness; adding, with a smile, that he was so much grown and embrowned t

y finish by faltering and blushing. There was a power of repression about Esclairmonde that annihilated all his designs, and drove him back into his bashful self whenever

thed whom she had never seen at all; and Lady Westmoreland had added to her awe by the lengthened admonition with which she took leave of her. And on this day, when Esclairmonde herself had arrayed the fair child in the daintiest of rose-pink boddices edged with swan's-down, the whitest of ki

e had, cruelly, as the maiden thought, kept her station behind the Countess, and never stirred for all those w

as his gauntlets, and leading him up to her friend, whil

s me that you have been good friend to her, and

e affection of a proud father in it, as the Earl of

he Lady Alice hath been my sweetest companio

o, I shall deem my little Alice grown a woman indeed, as it is time she

amask rose, and hid her

sclairmonde, when Salisbury had

te bull on his surcoat,' said A

ommonplace, hardy-looking soldier she saw was scarce what she would have ch

y, and a grand speculation for Sir Richard Nevil, that was all; but gentle Alice had no reluctance beyond mere maidenly shyness, and unwillingness to enter on an unknown

one, he can scarce

Able to take care of me. I would not have a yout

ut such disdain in thy voice, Alice? He used to be our playf

to my taste when he was meek, than now that he seems to say, "I wou

e, you are grow

tte, own verily-y

red his vocation, maybe the poor lad may rue it sorely, but methinks he will come to the rig

erer a robe wherein to appear, covered with flashes of lightning

emory; and save for very shame he would have entreated King James again to break the ice for him, since the lady evidently supposed that she had last year entirely quashed his suit. And in this mood Malcolm mou

ings, ermined dukes, steel-clad knights, gowned lawyers, square-capped priests, cowled monks, and friars of every degree-nay, the mechanic with his tools, the peasant with his spade, even the beggar within his dish; old men, and children of every age; and women too of all grades-the tower-crowned queen, the beplumed dame, the lofty abbess, the veiled nun, the bourgeoise, the peasant, the beggar;-all were there, moving in a strange shadowy wild dance, sometimes slow, sometimes swift and mad with gaiety, to the music of an unseen band of clashing kettle-drums, cymbals, and other instruments, that played fast and furiously; while above all a knell in the

narch yet more victorious than himself, and the mazes wound on, the performers being evidently no phantoms, but as substantial as those who beheld them; nay, the g

paralyzed with horror-his brain was giddy, his eyes stretched open; and when Death suddenly turned and darted in his direction, one horrible gush of thought-'Fallen, fallen! Lost, lost! No confession!'-came over him;

ed,' said a v

hought you were sped by Death in bodily shape; but 'twas all

ine to his lips. Ralf raised him that he might swallow it, and looking round, he saw that he was in a small wainscoted chamber, with an old

rning to those of sinful life, and this good woman tells me it has become th

arly given him a taste of my sword as it was, only some Gascon rogue caught my arm, and he was off ere I could get free. So I jumped off, that your poor corpse should not be trodde

ing himself up as if to fall at her feet, and his heart bou

r repressive manner. 'Drink some more wine, eat this bre

becoming aware that he was stiff and bruised from his fall. Almost at the same moment a new step and voice

ath had clutched you and borne you off to his charnel-

ghtly coloured a

t as the Sieur de Glenuskie is fast recovering, if you will pe

Oh, let us go together!'

fast! This gallant knight will permit you to remain. And the fair lady, she w

'I am the betrothed of Heaven. I only assisted because I

King, who was in truth quite as objectionable a companion, as far as appearances went, for a young solitary maiden, as was Malcolm himself. Esclairmonde felt that her benevolence might have led her into a scrape. When she had seen the fall, knowing that to the unprepared the ghastly pageant must seem reality, she had obeyed the impulse to hurry to the rescue, to console and aid in

'We in advance were slow to perceive what it was, and then

w it d

Parisians thus to greet her, but they were always senseless bêtes; and he, being relieved of care for her, looked with all his

one of the few men to whom the spectacle is a serm

rmonde had to dismount; and, after being handed through the hall by King James, to make her way to the ladies' apartments, and there find

ly. 'Ah, dear Clairette,

had only swoon

ince, and not have t

th you, you very w

ooked into his face as he said that, and liked it more than ever I thought to like any but yours, Clairette. I think my father was going to leave me to him and see whether the King needed some one to back him; but up came a French lord, and said 'twas all a me

?' said Esclairmonde, smiling. 'It i

all the fine speeches and compliments that

ruths in the

lins should eat out his heart ere they touched me!' she repeated to herself, as

ffianced pair to a better understanding th

lady, from Countess Jaqueline downwards, on the unmistakable evidence that her heart had spoken; and her grave dignity had less effect in silencing them than usual