Red Eve

om each side of the glowing hearth, whose red light illumined th

, whereby I was able to win safe back to England and to this hour to walk unharmed by many a pit. I read your heart, and in its book is

g through his mind. "Only-only the thing is very strange, and it happened so long ago

you and your Eve? Not because a chance made me your godsire and her my pupil. I say that from your infancy your faces haunted me. Ay, and when you had turned childhood's corner and once I met the pair of you walking hand in hand, then of a sudden I knew that it was you two and no others whom that god or devil had showed to me standing by the open grave upon the banks of Blythe. I knew it o

k to the things of earth, des

l the world is his garden, given to him by God, but doubtless that's only another face of my dream whereof we'll speak no more-at present. Now for your troubles, which are no dream. Lie you down to sleep on the skin of that striped beast. I killed it in Cathay-in my day of dreams, and now it shall serve for yours, from which may

ne through that day or even the old warrior-priest's marvellous tale, in which he and Eve played so wonderful a part, could keep his eyes from closi

unwich by daybreak and keep a whole skin. I have set a taper in my sleeping-closet yonder, and there you'll find water to wash with an

h would not leave him till he had plunged his head into a basin of icy water. This done, he knelt an

eapon that Sir Andrew had given him with the armour. Drawing it, he advanced boldly, for he thought that his enemies might have found him

is it not enough to have killed your cousin? Would you fall on your brothers

toward the speaker, a handsome, portly man, who wore a merch

w here will have told you the story; also tha

de Cressi, "and if you and that lean henchman

It was Eve, clothed in her own robe again,

dding him meet me in the Blythburgh Marsh. There we were set on, and there John Clavering, my brother, smo

that day I would have called him no son of mine. Yet, Red Eve, you and he and your love-makings have brought much trouble on me and my House. Look now what it

, "not on Hugh's hand. I warned him, and H

t's the bill I must discharge as best I may. Doubtless too soon there will be more to follow, whether they b

hter, not a merchant like your brethren," and he pointed to three young men who all this while had stood silently behind him looking upon their youngest brother with grave disapprov

rand of mine which I think will save his neck from that halter whereof you spoke

ses cannot be laid hands on in the dead of night, being stabled without

for what it is I may not tell you or any man. It has to do with great matters of State that are for the King's ear alone; and I charge you, every

hough of her he had sought no promise. When this was finished Sir Andrew as

risk as well as four of our best servants. My sons bide here with

were I their age-well, let that be. Now, son Hugh, bef

shed red with joy, and

who are stained with new-shed blood? 'Tis that you both may be absolved from the guilt of that blood and learn the penance which God decrees to you through the mouth of me, His unworthy minist

they were, though Eve whispered to Hugh tha

th, "but he is a merciful confessor and

r de Cressi and his sons, into the entrance ha

asked of Sir Andrew, "

r," answered the old priest.

fast. As for confession I have naught upon my s

Sir Andrew sternly: "and pray that a better

as well that one should wait to watch the door lest you s

ssive door which he unbolted, and, passing this door, entered the great building, whereof the silence and the icy cold struck them like blows. They had but two lanterns between them, one of which Master

those who watched in the nave of the splendid building-which, reared by the Knights Templar, was already following that great Order to decay and ruin-saw t

, this is the penance that I lay upon you by virtue of the authority in me vested as a priest of Christ: Because between you runs the blood of John Clavering, the cousin of one of you and the brother of the other, slain by you, Hugh de Cressi, in mortal combat but yester eve, I decree and enjoin that for a full year from this day you shall not be bound together as man and wife in the holy bonds of matrimony, nor converse

the priest celebrated a short mass, but two or three prayers and a bles

which no one ate very much except Grey Dick, who remarked aloud that as this might be his last brea

f arrows, because if not he would find four dozen of the best that could be made i

ne shall part from me. Perchance both will be wanted, since the Claverings will scarcely let us out of the sanctuary if they can help i

h safely, man, and though I like not your grim face and bloody ways you shall lose little by it. I promise you," he added in a whisper, "t

you this, that if he does not return safe, Dick the Archer never wil

knock upon the outer door

it will be the men with the horses. I'

rd. Also that they brought tidings that some of the Clavering party were now at the Mayor's house, rousing him from his sleep,

Hugh, "since soon they will be h

chard that they may be delivered into the King's hands at Westminster. Say that Sir Andrew Arnold sends you on business that has to do with his Grace'

rench lord who need pardon, not I," said

ctuary until the Frenchman is out of England, or

broke in Master de Cressi. "Come

well to his brothers, to his father, who kissed him on the brow, and to Sir Andrew, who stretched his hand above his head in blessing. Then he turned to Eve and was abo

th you, sw

e and woman must wait and watch, for that is the world's way. Whate'er befalls, remember that dead or living I'll be wife to no man

another minute the six of them were clattering over the stones of Middlegate Street, while the burgesses of Du

nely Westleton Heath, where for a while naught was to be heard save the scream of the curlew and the rush of the wings of the wild-duck passing lan

"Now, master, do you stand or run,

. Yet if he fled the pursuers would raise the country on them as they came, so th

est to stan

the way to a little hillock by the roa

m. Scarcely had they done so when the mist, lifting in the morning breeze, showed them their pursuers-seven of them, as Dick had said-headed by one

d enough of penance. Therefore shoot at the horses, not at the riders, who without the

t!" grunte

till the Claverings were nearer. Yet there was little of hazard when Grey Dick shot, save to that at which he aimed. Away rushed the arrow, rising high and, as it seemed, bearing somewhat to the left of the knight. Yet when it dr

Still, it is a shame to slay nags of such a

ered fifty paces, again the great bow twanged, and again a horse was seen to rear itself up, shaking the rider

This is fine work,

ceased to echo ano

oosed, and though some arrows went wide, the end of it was that ere they reached the little mound

"let us go and talk wit

that the first man of the Claverings who lifted a bow or drew a sword should die

egan to talk tog

ur weapons!" c

ow through the cap of one of them, lifting it from his head, and instantly

es, too, if it pl

hese f

ins and therewith bound the Claverings back to back. But the French knight, in acknowledgment of his rank, they trussed up b

grily. "Their weapons and harness are ours by right of war, bu

the knight's pouch again Hugh saluted him, begg

you named, si

s my name," replied the k

length you get back to Blythburgh Manor, however, or to Dunwich town, I trust it to your honour to declare that Hugh de Cressi has dealt well with you. For whereas he might have slain you every one, as you would ha

d toward Grey Dick-"since no one who is only man can have such hellish skill in archery as we saw yesterday, and now again this morning. Moreover," he went on, cont

ailed the breastplate to your own. Now take a message from me to your lord, Sir Edmund Acour, the traitor. Tell him that I shall return ere long, and that if he should dare to attempt ill toward the Lady Eve, who is my betrothed, or toward my father and brethren, o

Dick hid in an empty fox's earth where he knew he could find them again. Only he kept the French knig

ore dead than alive, to Dunwich in his wain. As he was travelling across Westleton Heath, with a load of corn to be ground at the Dunwich mill, it seemed that

la Roche, saying that the worst of young de Cressi's crimes against him was that he had left such cowardly hounds alive upon the earth. So he went on madly

that you will fare no better than the

h the times were rough and they met many evil-looking fellows, none ventured to lift hand against six men so well armed and sturdy. Guided by one of their number who had often been to London on Master de Cressi's business, they rode st

hat his Grace rode yesterday to his castle at Windsor to

r I must follow