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In Honour's Cause: A Tale of the Days of George the First, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 24. With Prince And Princess |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. WITH PRINCE AND PRINCESS Frank thought over his companion's proposals for spending such time as they could get away from duty, and soon after breakfast said what he thought. "Every one seems to know about it," he said mournfully. "It's wonderful what an excitement it has caused." "Not a bit. Every one knows Lady Gowan and her son, and how Sir Robert was sent out of the country on account of that duel in the Park; so of course they talk about it." "But wherever we go we shall be meeting people who will want to question me." "Yes," said Andrew quietly. "I've been thinking the same. It's a great nuisance, for I wanted to go soldiering to-day." "There's nothing to prevent you going." "Yes, there is--you. I'm not going without you go too." "But, Drew--" "There, don't say any more about it," said the lad warmly. "I know. It wouldn't be pleasant for you to go, so you stay in, and we'll read or talk." "But I don't like to force you to give up." "Not going to force me. I'm going to stay because I like it, and keep you company, and stop people from talking to you." Frank said little, but he thought a great deal, and the most about how, in spite of his old belief that he should never thoroughly care for his fellow-page, the tie of sympathy between them from the similarity of their positions was growing stronger every day. As it happened they did not lose much, for they found that they would have to be a good deal on duty, and the consequence was that much of the early part of the day was spent in the antechamber to help usher in quite a long string of gentlemen, who wished for an audience with the Prince. In the afternoon, just as Frank was longing for his freedom so that he might go and inquire how Lady Gowan was, he received a sharp nudge from Andrew, and turned quickly, to find that a knot of ladies had entered the room, and naturally his first glance was to see if his mother was with them. But he did not see her, his eyes lighting instead upon the Princess, who was on her way to join her husband. The blood rose to Frank's cheeks as he saw that her Royal Highness was looking at him intently, and his confusion increased as she smiled pleasantly at him in passing. Instead of hurrying forward to open the door for her as usual, he stood in his place as if frozen, and the duty fell to Andrew, who joined him as soon as the last lady had passed through the door and the curtain was let fall. "I say, Frank," said the lad merrily, "she didn't seem very cross with you. Lucky to be you, with your mother a favourite. You're all right, and I don't suppose you'll hear another word about the business. It's a good thing sometimes to be a boy." But Andrew proved to be wrong, and within the next hour or so; for the last of the audience--reckless officers praying for promotion and gentlemen asking the Prince's support as they sought for place--had gone, when a servant entered the anteroom, and took Frank's breath away by saying that the Prince wished to speak with him directly. "It's all over with you, Frank," whispered Andrew; "leave me a lock of your hair, and you may as well give me your sword for a keepsake. You'll never want it again." These bantering words did not quell the boy's alarm, but he had no time for thought; he had to go, and, drawing himself up and trying to put on a firm mien, he went to the door, drew aside the curtain, knocked, and entered. The Prince was busy at a table covered with papers, the Princess sat near him in the opening of one of the windows, and her ladies were at the other end of the room beyond earshot. The boy grasped all this as he moved toward the table, and then stood waiting respectfully for his Royal Highness to speak. But some minutes elapsed, during which the boy's heart beat heavily, and he stood watching the Prince, as he kept on dipping his pen in the ink and signed some of the papers by him, and drew the pen across others. Frank would have given anything for a look of encouragement from the Princess; but she sat with her face still turned away, reading. At last! The Prince looked up sharply, as if he had just become aware of the boy's presence, and said in rather imperfect English: "Well, my boy!" Frank, who had felt so manly the previous night and that morning, was the schoolboy again, completely taken aback, and for a few moments stood staring blankly at the inquiring eyes before him. Then, as the Prince raised his brows as if about to say, "Why don't you speak?" the boy said hurriedly: "Your Royal Highness sent for me." "Sent for you? No--oh yes, I remember. Well, sir, what excuse have you to make for yourself?" "None, your Highness," said the boy firmly. "Humph! Defiant and obstinate?" Frank shook his head. He could not trust himself to speak. "Hah! that's better," said the Prince. "Well, what have you to say in excuse for your conduct, before I order you to quit my service?" "Nothing, your Highness." "Humph! Very wise of you, sir. I hate lying excuses." Frank darted a quick glance in the direction of the Princess, in the hope that she would intercede for him, as he saw himself sent off in disgrace, separated from the mother whom his father had bidden him to watch over and protect. The idea was horrible, and with his hands turning moist in the palms, and the dew gathering in fine drops about his temples, he felt ready to promise anything to ensure his stay at the Palace. "I may tell you what I have heard from the officer in charge of the guard last night--everything which took place. What am I to think of one of my servants standing with his sword drawn to resist his Majesty's officer in the execution of his duty?" "It was to defend my mother, sir," said Frank firmly. "Oh! Well, that is what a son should do, and that is some excuse. A lady I respect, and whom the Princess esteems. But this is very serious at a time like this, when his Majesty is surrounded by enemies; and there must be no more such acts as this, Mr Gowan. If you were a man, I should not have spoken as I do; you would have been dealt with by others. But as you are a mere thoughtless boy, ready to act on the impulse of the moment, and as, for your mother's sake, the Princess has interceded for you, I am disposed to look over it." "Thank your Royal Highness," cried Frank, drawing a long, deep breath, full of relief. "Now you may go back to your duties, and remember this: you are very young, and have good prospects before you. You are my servant now you are a boy; I hope you will be my servant still when you grow up to be a man. I shall want men whom I can trust--men to whom I can say 'Protect me,' and who will do it." "Yes, your Highness, and I will," cried Frank eagerly, as he took a couple of steps forward. "So would my father, your Highness. He is a fine, brave, true soldier, and--" "He has a son who believes in him. Well?" "He was forced to fight, your Highness. You would not have believed in him as a soldier if he had refused, and it is so cruel and hard that he should have been sent away. Pray--pray ask the King to forgive him now." "Humph! You are a very plain-spoken young gentleman," said the Prince sternly. "You draw your sword to protect your mother, and now I suppose if your father is not pardoned you will turn rebel and draw it again to protect him." "Your Royal Highness has no right to think such a thing of me," said the boy, flushing warmly. "I was taught that I was to do my duty here." "And very good teaching too, sir; but boys are very ready to forget what they are taught; and princes and kings have a right to think and say what they please." "I beg your Royal Highness's pardon. You said you wanted faithful servants, and a truer and better man than my father never lived." "Here, how old are you, young fellow?" "Seventeen, your Highness." "And you are arguing like a man of seven-and-forty. Well, it is a fine thing for a boy to be able to speak like that of his father, and I will not quarrel with you for being so plain. But look here, my boy: I am not the King." "But your Royal Highness will be some day," said Frank excitedly, for he had the wild belief that he was going to carry the day. "Humph! Perhaps, boy; but that is a bad argument to use. There, I will be plain with you. It does not rest with me to pardon your father." "But his Majesty--" began the boy excitedly. "I cannot ask his Majesty, boy," said the Prince sternly. "I am very angry to find that one of my attendants was mixed up with last night's troubles; but, as I told you, at the intercession of the Princess, I am disposed to look over it, if you promise me that in future you will be more careful, and do your duty as my servant should." "I will, your Highness.--But my poor father?" "Must wait until his Majesty is disposed to pardon his offence. Go." The Prince waved his hand toward the door, and then for a moment or two he looked startled, for in a quick, impulsive way the boy darted forward and caught the raised hand. The sudden movement startled the Princess too, and she sprang from her chair; but the look of alarm passed from her eyes as she saw the boy bending down to kiss the Prince's hand, and as he let it fall she held out her own. Frank saw the movement, and the next instant he was down on one knee, kissing it, and rose to give the Princess a smile full of gratitude. At that moment he felt his shoulder heavily grasped by the Prince. "Good lad!" he said. "Go to your duties. I see I shall have in you a servant I can trust." Frank did not know how he got out of the room, for his head was in a whirl, and he did not thoroughly come to himself till he had been seated for some time by his mother's couch and had told her all that had passed. But somehow Lady Gowan did not look happy, and when she parted from her son there was a wistful look in her eyes which told of a greater trouble than that of which the boy was aware. "Of course," said Andrew Forbes, when he had drawn the full account of the boy's experiences from him; "but you need not be so precious enthusiastic over it. You had done nothing, though plenty of people get hung nowadays for that." "But he was very kind and nice to me." "Kind and nice!" said Andrew, with a sneer. "That was his artfulness. He wants to make all the friends he can against a rainy day--his rainy day. He's thinking of being king; but he won't be. I do know that." Frank gave him an angry look, and turned away; but his companion caught his arm. "Don't go, Frank; that was only one of my snarls. I'm not so generous and ready to believe in people as you are." Frank remembered his companion's position and his confidence about his father, and turned back. "I can't bear to hear you talk like that." "Slipped out," said Andrew hurriedly. "There, then, it's all right again for you. But there's no mistake about your having a good friend in the Princess." _ |
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