Red Eve

ering and many of his folk, though with him were neither Sir Edmund Acour nor any of his French train. Sir John's temper had nev

ow for the loss of his only son, slain in a fight brought about by the daughter of one of the

ught, and this turbulent, hot-hearted Eve had fled into sanctuary. Her lover, too, the youngest son of a merchant, had ridden away to London, doubt

ad, Grey Dick, a spawn of Satan that all the country feared, and who, men said, was a de C

it was opened by Sir Andrew Arnold himself, who stood in the entrance, grey and g

ring, that you knock at this ho

t, who, they say, h

d here beneath the wings of St. Mary and

re those of farmyard geese," roared the furio

n your soul in the world to come. Man, this is sanctuary, and if you dare to set foot within it in violence, may your body perish and your soul scorch everlastingly in the fires of hell. And you," he added, raising his voice till it rang like a trumpet, addressing the followers

d, and, holding it in his left hand, stretch

ey had no stomach for the curse of the Church when it was thundered forth from the lips of such a monk as Sir Andrew Arnold, who, they knew well, had been

said the old priest; "will you

knight's rage and he

my daughter, whom I have affianced to a better and a nobler man. Now you give her sanctuary and threaten me with the curse of the Church be

willed to bring together? Why would you sell your child to a gilded knave whom she hates? Nay, stop me not. I'd call him that and more to his face and none have ever

ll his kin, and if this is true of yesterday, how much more true is it now that he has killed my son, and by the arrows of that wolf-man who dogs his heels, slain my guests and my grieve. Think not I'll rest till I have vengeanc

ment with his hand, then let it

lso that the tomb of the Claverings at Blythburgh will soon be opened. Mayhap the end of this world draws near to all men, as surely it draws near to you and me. I know not-yet truth was in your lips just now, and in mine as well, I think. Oh, man, man!" he went on after a pause, "appeal n

y face grew pale and for a little while h

though I do lose my breath at times when my mind is vexed with wrongs, and I'll square

sanctuary for so long

married her to this merchant f

ld know, because of your son's blood which runs between them I, after thought and prayer, speaking in the name of th

the year they shall not wed, since the one of them will be clay and the other the wife of the man whom I have chosen. Now, p

What Sir John saw in those eyes he never told, but it was something which scared him. At least that shortening of the breath of which he had spoken

hat day when Sir Andrew had loo

vering the younger might be added to their number. But search as they would upon seashore and river-bank, nothing of him was ever seen again. This funeral was celebrated in the darkness, since neither Sir John nor Acour desired that all men should see three bo

corpses lying on their biers by the edge of the yawning graves; the mourners in their mail; the low voice of the celebrating priest, a Frenchman, Father Nicholas, chaplain to Acour, who hurried through the Latin service as though he wished to be done with it; the deep shadows of the groined roof whereon the rai

eturned. Quickly they rose, thinking that these came back with tidings of accomplished vengeance, to find themselves

he sadness of the midnight burial or by the memory of Arnold's words, reproved him. Lastly, stung by the taunts that were heaped upon them, Sir Pierre de la Roche gave Hugh's message-that

h and Grey Dick; he cursed his daughter; he even cursed Acour and asked for the second time how

his hand upon his sword, "but this I know, that you or

and her son shall be called Clavering, that the old name may not die but be great in England, in France, and in Italy. You must bide to marry her, lest that cuckoo, Hugh de Cressi, that cuckoo with the sharp bill, should creep into my nest. I'll not be worsted by a stripling clad in merchant's cloth who slew my only son

icholas, who was a leech, bled him, and he came to himself

Nicholas took c

, as you know, Father, although I have great possessions, my costs are large and I have still greater debts. Lastly, shall de Noyon and his knights be worsted by a wool-merchant's younger son, a mere 'prentice lad, and his henchma

r Andrew Arnold, has reputation throughout Europe, and, though he seems so humble, because of his wisdom is in the counsel of many great men whose fathers or grandfathers were guided by him long ago. C

threaten me. Why has that Hugh twice called me traitor? Have any of my letters fallen

ich is more than Grey Dick does," he added with a chuckle. "These brute English hate us French, whom they know to b

. Therefore stay your tongue on that matter and tell me

and bowed, rubbing hi

does she stay in sanctuary who herself has committed no crime? Is it not, such is her madness, because she would be out of reach of you and yo

ht come out of sanctua

r, flutter, and peck, peck, peck, what could she do when you smoothed her plumage with your loving hand, an

all goes well you shall certainly be an a

go that if only he knew she was your wife, he would die happy. Oh, you have his warrant for anything you do to bring about this end. Still there is no need to tell him too much lest it should cause his good

hey would not return to Suffolk, but proposed when they had found justice or the promise of it, to take ship at Dover for France. Next morning, accordingly, they rode away from Blythburgh Manor and passed through Dunwich with much pomp, where the citizens of that town, who were friends of the de Cressi

e ground his teeth and sai

st I'll sack and burn Dunwich when our army comes, and give it

"and should your heart soften at the appointed

resently this Mayor, a timid, uncertain-looking man, came in his robes of office and asked

cause this letter to be delivered safely to the lady Eve Clavering, who lies in sanctuary at the Preceptory of St. Mary and St. John. It is one of farewell, since it seems that this lady who, by her own

f Sir Andrew Arnold here,"

s tone somewhat, "might take fright and think I wished to viola

e, "seeing that they are French spe

we meet again, Master Mayor," he added with a venomous glance of his dark ey

erved in the French wars, looked threatening, he and his following rode away through th

on the lonely heath, and, unseen by any, made their through the darkness to a certain empty house in the marshes not far from Beccles town. This house, called Frog Hall, was part of Ac

the sea. So lonely was it, also, that the Frenchmen swore that their comrades slain by Grey Dick haunted them at nights, bidding them prepare to join the number of the dead. Indeed, had not Acour vowed that he would ha

into the hands of Eve, brought to he

a

you will be, than to remember what you might have been. Meanwhile it is my duty as a Christian to tell you, in case you should desire to speak to him ere it be too late, that your father lies at the point of death from a sickness brought on by his grief at the slaying of his son and your cruel desertion of him, and calls for you in his ravings. May God forgive you, as I t

Noy

d Eve of Sir Andrew when

hom nations fought when the world

n, having but one life to live, must follow their own hearts. But this Helen has been dead a long while, so let her rest

the Frenchman has gone, and

o see the King and then sail for Dover. Also they said that no Frenchmen were left at Blythburgh save t

d of him. Though I had sooner that you stayed here, to-morrow, daughter, you shall ride to Blythburgh. Should your father die, as I think he will ere long, it migh