Читать книгу Preston Fight; or, The Insurrection of 1715 - William Harrison Ainsworth - Страница 7

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One morning, at this juncture, the young earl, mounted on his favourite dapple-grey steed, rode out from the castle, and took his way down the chestnut avenue, accompanied by his brother, Charles Radclyffe.

The two young equestrians made a very gallant appearance, being attired in scarlet riding-coats, edged with gold lace, feathered hats, long neckcloth, laced ruffles, and boots ascending above the knee. The grooms wore green riding-coats laced with gold, and green velvet caps.

The earl, who was riding to Corbridge, which was not very far off, proceeded at a leisurely pace, and occasionally halted to examine some object in the grounds, or listen to an appeal to his charity. In the latter case the applicant was sent on to the castle to state his case to Father Norham.

The morning was bright and clear, and the country looked so charming that the earl determined to extend his ride along the banks of the Tyne as soon as his business at Corbridge was finished; but he had not quitted the avenue when a horseman entered it, who was evidently proceeding to the castle.

This person might be a courier, for he rode a posthorse, and was followed by a post-boy, who carried his portmanteau; and there was nothing in his grey riding-dress to indicate rank. He had pistols in his girdle, and a hanger by his side. But he rode well, though provided only with a sorry hack, and had a military bearing. In age he could not be more than three-and-twenty, if so much. He was rather above the middle height, and slightly built, and his features were handsome and expressive.

On seeing the earl and his brother the stranger immediately slackened his pace, and rode slowly towards them.

Lord Derwentwater gazed at him in astonishment, and as if he could scarcely believe his eyes.

At length he turned to his brother and exclaimed:

“By Heaven, 'tis he!”

“He! who?” cried Charles Radclyffe.

“The Chevalier de Saint George,” replied the earl, under his breath.

“Impossible!” said the other. “He would never come here in this manner, and without giving us some notice of his design.”

“'Tis the prince, I repeat,” cried Derwentwater; “I cannot be mistaken. But the greatest caution must be observed, or the postboy's suspicions may be aroused.”

Next moment the stranger came up, and respectfully saluting the earl, told him he was the bearer of an important despatch, whereupon Lord Derwentwater invited him to the castle, and turning round, proceeded in that direction, keeping the supposed courier near him, while Charles Radclyffe, who had now recognised the stranger from his likeness to the portraits of the prince, rode at a little distance behind them.

The meeting was so cleverly managed that the grooms saw nothing extraordinary in it, and the post-boy was completely duped.

“I never had a harder task than to repress my delight at beholding your majesty,” said Lord Derwentwater. “You have indeed taken me by surprise.”

“Had it been possible I would have given you some intimation of my arrival and intended visit to you,” replied the prince, “but I only landed at Sunderland yesterday, and came on betimes this morning. Do not imagine I am come to summon you to arms, though my partisans in Scotland are ready to rise, and would at once join my standard were I to display it. No, cousin, my errand is pacific.”

“Pacific!” exclaimed the earl.

“My purpose is to obtain an interview with my sister, Queen Anne; and if I succeed, I believe no insurrection will be necessary, for I am persuaded she will agree to appoint me her successor. You must accompany me to London, cousin.”

“I will do whatever your majesty enjoins,” replied Lord Derwentwater, greatly astonished by what he heard. “But it is my duty to tell you that you will run great risk, while I very much fear you will not accomplish your object. Did you consult the queen, your mother, before setting out on this expedition?”

“I did, cousin, and must frankly own that she endeavoured to dissuade me from the attempt; for, as you are aware, her majesty deems Anne an unnatural daughter, and destitute of all feeling for the brother whose throne she has usurped. It may be so. Yet, cold as she is, Anne cannot be insensible to the king, our father's dying message, which I propose to deliver to her.”

“Nothing will move her, sire, depend upon it,” said the earl. “Queen Anne is so strongly opposed to the Roman Catholic religion, that unless your majesty will consent to change your faith she will turn a deaf ear to your entreaties.”

“We shall see,” replied the Chevalier de Saint George. “At all events, I shall have an answer from her own lips, and shall then know how to act. As I have just told you, the queen, my mother, strove to combat my determination; but, finding I was not to be shaken, she entreated me to take you with me. To this I readily agreed, as I knew I could rely on your devotion. I embarked at Dunquerque without a single attendant, and in this disguise, and landed yesterday at Sunderland.”

“And right glad I am to welcome your majesty to Dilston,” said the earl. “But let me implore you to change your plans, and instead of supplicating Queen Anne for the crown, that of right belongs to yourself, snatch it from her brow! Should you decide thus—and I believe it will be for the best—I will undertake, within a week, to raise a large force—while thousands will flock to your standard in Scotland. Your majesty will do well to weigh my proposal ere setting out on a hazardous expedition to London. Here you have a mansion you can call your own—servants you can command—friends at your disposal—and in a few days you will have an army. Be advised by me, my gracious liege, and abandon this wild scheme. Suffer me to get together your adherents. Let me send off messengers without delay to Lord Widdring-ton, Tom Errington, of Beaufront, John Shaftoe, Swinbourn, Charleton, Clavering, and others in the county, to collect all their retainers.”

“But they are unprepared,” remarked the prince.

“Pardon me, my liege. The friends I have named are always prepared, and the news that your majesty is here would rouse them all to come at once. I ought to have added to the list Jack Hall, of Otterburn, and Tom Forster, of Bamborough. They are High Church Tories, and will bring many others with them.”

“No doubt they would prove an important acquisition,” said the prince. “But I will not try to dethrone Anne till I have given her the chance of acting fairly towards me. I am very sanguine as to the result of my interview with her.”

“Heaven grant your majesty may not be disappointed!” rejoined Lord Derwentwater. “I will say no more. Whenever it shall please you to set out to London, I shall be ready to attend you.”

“I will remain here till to-morrow, cousin,” said the prince. “On some future occasion I hope to be your guest for a longer time; but though Dilston is a charming place, and I should like to see all its beauties, it must not detain me now.”

They were at the end of the avenue, but, before passing through the gateway, Lord Derwentwater said to the prince, “Your majesty had best dismount here, and get rid of the postboy.”

On this the prince sprang from his horse, while the gate-porter, by the earl's directions, paid the postboy, and took the portmanteau from him.

Having received a handsome gratuity for himself, the man then departed with his horses in tolerably good humour, though aware of the earl's hospitality he had hoped to be regaled in the servants' hall.

“Meanwhile, Lord Derwentwater and his brother having alighted, the party walked across the great quadrangular court—the prince pausing occasionally to look around, and express his admiration.

“By my faith! cousin, you have a splendid house,” he cried. “'Tis quite a palace.”

“Why not take possession of it, my liege?” replied Derwentwater.

“You tempt me greatly. But no! I must not be diverted from my purpose.”

They then ascended the magnificent flight of stone steps, and entered a spacious hall—the door being thrown open by a butler and several other servants in the earl's rich livery.

“Little did I dream, when I set forth an hour ago, whom I should bring back as my guest,” observed Lord Derwentwater.

“You have often told me at Saint Germains how rejoiced you would be to see me here,” rejoined the prince; “and now you perceive I have taken you at your word. But you are very remiss, cousin—pray present your brother to me!”

The presentation then took place, but without any ceremony, on account of the servants, and the prince shook hands very heartily with Charles Radclyffe.

Just then, an elderly personage, with silver locks that fell over his shoulders, and wearing a priestly garb, entered the hall. It was Father Norham, who had come to see who the earl had brought with him. The good priest had a kindly and benevolent expression of countenance, and fixed his keen grey eyes inquiringly on the stranger, with whose appearance he was greatly struck.

After a few moments' scrutiny he consulted Lord Derwentwater by a look, and his suspicions being confirmed, he most respectfully returned the reverence made to him by the prince.

Having given some orders to the butler, Lord Derwentwater conducted his guest to the library which opened from the hall, and they were followed by Charles Rad-clyffe and the priest.

Further disguise was now unnecessary, and no inquisitive observer being present, the prince was treated by all with the respect that was his due.

The impression of the priest and Charles Radclyffe was that he was come to prepare a rising, and when they learnt his real design they could scarcely conceal their disappointment. Neither of them, however, ventured to offer a remonstrance, till Father Norham, being urged by the prince to speak out, said:

“I fear your majesty will find the queen impracticable. Moreover, she has already named the Elector of Hanover her successor.”

“But she may change her mind, good father.”

“Her ministers will not allow her to do so, my liege. They are resolved upon a Protestant succession—and so is she. Renounce your religion, and you will succeed—not otherwise.”

“I have already said as much to his majesty,” observed Lord Derwentwater. “But he entertains a better opinion of the queen than I do.”

“I am unwilling to believe that she will disregard her father's dying injunctions,” said the prince. “Bear in mind that she has never seen me. When we meet, the voice of natural affection will make itself heard. She will then become sensible of the great wrong she has done me, and hasten to make atonement. She will feel that by her wicked and unnatural conduct she has incurred Heaven's displeasure. Her own children have been taken from her. Other severe chastisements may follow, if not averted. These are the arguments I shall employ.”

“And they will fail in effect, my liege, because her heart is hardened, and she is blind to her sinfulness,” said the priest. “She would rather sacrifice her brother than help to re-establish our religion.”

“Trust me, my liege, Father Norham has formed a just estimate of the queen's character,” said Lord Derwentwater. “'Tis vain to appeal to good feelings, where none exist.”

“But I do not believe she is so utterly devoid of natural affection as her conduct would seem to bespeak,” said the prince. “You shall judge from what I am about to tell you. I have solicited a private interview with her in Saint James's Palace, and she has granted my request.”

“Granted it!” exclaimed Lord Dervventwater in astonishment, that was shared by the others.

“Ay,” replied the prince. “My letter was conveyed by a faithful friend, and the answer to it was that her majesty would see me. Nothing more. But that was all I asked. She felt compunction for her ill doing, or she would have refused my request.”

“But how will you obtain admittance to her, my liege?” asked Lord Derwentwater.

“Easily,” replied the prince. “The Earl of Mar will usher me into her presence.”

“This certainly seems favourable, and alters my view of the matter,” said the earl. “Yet it may be a device of Harley to ensnare your majesty. Are you certain that your letter reached the queen?”

“My emissary would not deceive me,” replied the prince. “He is as loyal as yourself.”

“If I may speak plainly to your majesty,” remarked Charles Radclyffe, “I would say that I have still great doubts. The queen may delude you with false hopes to keep you quiet.”

“Nay, she will keep her promise if she makes it. Of that I am convinced,” said Father Norham.

At this juncture the butler entered to say that luncheon was served, upon which the earl conducted his guest to the dining-room, where a very substantial repast awaited them.

The Chevalier de Saint George had not breakfasted, and his early morning's ride having given him a good appetite, he did ample justice to the broiled trout from the Devil's Water, and the cutlets of Tyne salmon set before him.

As the servants were present during the repast, he was treated merely as an ordinary visitor, and the conversation between him and the earl was conducted entirely in French.

This circumstance excited the suspicion of Mr. Newbiggin, the butler, who from the first had been struck by the stranger's appearance and manner, and he soon became convinced that Mr. Johnson, as the prince was called, was a very important personage.

On quitting the dining-room, the butler found the earl's chief valet in the entrance-hall, and said to him:

“I can't make out this Mr. Johnson, Thirlwall. I should like to know what you think of him?”

“I'm puzzled, I own,” replied the other. “He seems to me like a Frenchman.”

“No more a Frenchman than his lordship is, Thirlwall. But I shouldn't wonder,” said the butler, knowingly, “if he has been brought up at a French court.”

“At the Court of Saint Germains?” cried Thirlwall.

“Precisely,” said the butler.

“Why, you seem to insinuate that it's the Chevalier de Saint George in person, Newbiggin.”

“I've my own idea on that point, Thirlwall,” said the butler. “If it should turn out as I suspect, we're on the eve of an insurrection. The prince wouldn't come here on a trifling errand. But keep quiet for the present—this is mere conjecture.”

The butler then returned to the dining-room, while Mr. Thirlwall hurried to the servants' hall, where he retailed all he had just heard, with some additions of his own.

In less than half-an-hour it was known among the whole household that his majesty, King James the Third, had arrived, in disguise, at the castle.