He proceeded to say, that, happening to be in the hostelry called the Griffin, near Baddow, while upon a journey in that country, he had met with the old nurse of the Lady Emma Darcy, who, being just expelled from Gay Bowers, was in the height of her grief and indignation, and made loud and public proclamation of Lady Emma's wrongs.From the description she gave of the beauty of her foster-child, as well as from the spirit of chivalry, Fitzosborne became interested in her fate.This interest was deeply enhanced, when, by a bribe to old Gaunt the Reve, he procured a view of the Lady Emma as she walked near the castle of Gay Bowers.The aged churl refused to give him access to the castle; yet dropped some hints, as if he thought the lady in danger, and wished she were well out of it.His master, he said, had heard she had a brother in life, and since that deprived him of all chance of gaining her domains by purchase, he ------ in short, Gaunt wished they were safely separated.``If any injury,''
quoth he, ``should happen to the damsel here, it were ill for us all.I tried, by an innocent stratagem, to frighten her from the castle, by introducing a figure through a trap-door, and warning her, as if by a voice from the dead, to retreat from thence; but the giglet is wilful, and is running upon her fate.''
Finding Gaunt, although covetous and communicative, too faithful a servant to his wicked master to take any active steps against his commands, Fitzosborne applied himself to old Ursely, whom he found more tractable.
Through her he learned the dreadful plot Gaston had laid to rid himself of his kinswoman, and resolved to effect her deliverance.But aware of the delicacy of Emma's situation, he charged Ursely to conceal from her the interest he took in her distress, resolving to watch over her in disguise until he saw her in a place of safety.Hence the appearance he made before her in various dresses during her journey, in the course of which he was never far distant; and he had always four stout yeomen within hearing of his bugle, had assistance been necessary.When she was placed in safety at the lodge, it was Fitzosborne's intention to have prevailed upon his sisters to visit, and take her under their protection; but he found them absent from Diggswell, having gone to attend an aged relation who lay dangerously ill in a distant county.They did not return until the day before the May-games;and the other events followed too rapidly to permit Fitzosborne to lay any plan for introducing them to Lady Emma Darcy.On the day of the chase he resolved to preserve his romantic disguise, and attend the Lady Emma as a forester, partly to have the pleasure of being near her, and partly to judge whether, according to an idle report in the country, she favoured his friend and comrade Fitzallen of Marden.This last motive, it may easily be believed, he did not declare to the company.After the skirmish with the ruffians, he waited till the Baron and the hunters arrived, and then, still doubting the farther designs of Gaston, hastened to his castle, to arm the band which had escorted them to Queenhoo-Hall.
Fitzosborne's story being finished, he received the thanks of all the company, particularly of St.Clere, who felt deeply the respectful delicacy with which he had conducted himself towards his sister.The lady was carefully informed of her obligations to him; and it is left to the well-judging reader, whether even the raillery of Lady Eleanor made her regret that Heaven had only employed natural means for her security, and that the guardian angel was converted into a handsome, gallant, and enamoured knight.
The joy of the company in the hall extended itself to the buttery, where Gregory the jester narrated such feats of arms done by himself in the fray of the morning as might have shamed Bevis and Guy of Warwick.He was, according to his narrative, singled out for destruction by the gigantic Baron himself, while he abandoned to meaner hands the destruction of St.
Clere and Fitzosborne.
``But certes,'' said he, ``the foul paynim met his match; for, ever as he foined at me with his brand, I parried his blows with my bauble, and closing with him upon the third veny, threw him to the ground, and made him cry recreant to an unarmed man.''
``Tush, man.'' said Drawslot, ``thou forgettest thy best auxiliaries, the good greyhounds, Help and Holdfast! I warrant thee, that when the humpbacked Baron caught thee by the cowl, which he hath almost torn of, thou hadst been in a fair plight had they not remembered an old friend, and come in to the rescue.Why, man, I found them fastened on him myself; and there was odd staying and suckling to make them `ware haunch!' Their mouths were full of the flex, for I pulled a piece of the garment from their jaws.I warrant thee, that when they brought him to the ground, thou fled'st like a frighted pricket.''
``And as for Gregory's gigantic paynim,'' said Fabian, ``why, he lies yonder in the guard-room, the very size, shape, and colour of a spider in a yew-hedge.''
``It is false,'' said Gregory; ``Colbrand the Dane was a dwarf to him.''
``It is as true,'' returned Fabian, ``as that the Tasker is to be married, on Tuesday, to Pretty Margery.Gregory, thy sheet hath brought them between a pair of blankets.''
``I care no more for such a gillflirt,'' said the Jester, ``than I do for thy leasings.Marry, thou hop-o'-my-thumb, happy wouldst thou be could thy head reach the captive Baron's girdle.''