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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 32. A Big Wigging |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY TWO. A BIG WIGGING "I won't show that I mind," thought Frank; and in a matter-of-fact way he went into the bedroom, and made quite a spiteful use of the captain's dressing table and washstand, removing all traces of having passed the night in his clothes, and he had just ended and changed his shoes, which had been brought there, when the outer door was unlocked, and the captain's servant came in to tidy up the place. The servant was ready to talk; but Frank was in no talking humour, and went and stood looking out of the window till the man had gone, when the boy came away, and began to imitate Andrew Forbes's caged-animal-like walk up and down the room, in which health-giving exercise to a prisoner he was still occupied when there were more steps below--the tramp of soldiers, the guard was changed, and Frank felt a strong desire to look out of the window to see if another sentry was placed there; but he felt too proud. It would be weak and boyish, he thought; so he began walking up and down again, till once more the door was unlocked, and the captain's servant entered, bearing a breakfast tray, and left again. "Just as if I could eat breakfast after going through all this!" he said sadly. "I'm sure I can't eat a bit." But after a few minutes, when he tried, he found that he could, and became so absorbed in the meal and his thoughts that he blushed like a girl with shame to see what a clearance he had made. The tray was fetched away, and the morning passed slowly in the expectation that Lady Gowan would come; but midday had arrived without so much as a message, and Frank's heart was sinking again, when he once more heard steps, and upon the door being opened, Captain Murray appeared. "He has come to say he believes me," thought the boy, as his heart leapt; but it sank again upon his meeting his visitor's eyes, for the captain looked more stern and cold than ever, and his manner communicated itself to the boy. "You will come with me, Gowan," said the captain sternly. "Where to?" was upon the boy's lips; but he bit the words back, and swallowed them. He would not have spoken them and humbled himself then for anything, and rising and taking his hat, he walked out and across the courtyard, wondering where he was being taken, for he had half expected that it was to the guardroom to be imprisoned more closely. But a minute showed him that the growing resentment was unnecessary, for he was not apparently to submit to that indignity; and now the blood began to flush up into his temples, for he grasped without having had to ask where his destination was to be. In fact, the captain marched him to the foot of the great staircase, past the guard, and into the long anteroom, where he spoke to one of the attendants, who went straight to the door at the end leading into the Prince's audience chamber. And now for a few moments the captain's manner changed, and he bent his head down to whisper hastily: "The Prince has sent for you, boy, to question you himself. For Heaven's sake speak out frankly the simple truth. I cannot tell you how much depends upon it. Recollect this: your mother's future is at stake, and--" The attendant reappeared, came to him, and said respectfully: "His Royal Highness will see you at once." There was no time for the captain to say more--no opportunity offered for Frank to make any indignant retort concerning the truth. For the curtain was held back, the door opened, and Captain Murray led the way in, slowly followed by his prisoner, who advanced firmly enough toward where the Prince sat, his Royal Highness turning his eyes upon him at once with a most portentous frown. "Well, sir," he said at once, "so I find that I have fresh bad news of you. You are beginning early in life. Not content with what has passed, you have now turned traitor." The Prince's looks, if correctly read, seemed to intimate that he expected the boy to drop on his knees and piteously cry for pardon; but to the surprise of both present he cried indignantly: "It is not true, your Royal Highness." "Eh? What, sir? How dare you speak to me like this?" cried the Prince. "I have heard everything about this morning's and last night's business, and I find that I have been showing kindness to a young viper of a traitor, who is in direct communication with the enemy, and playing the spy on all my movements so as to send news." "It is not true, your Highness!" cried the boy warmly. "You have been deceived. Just as if I would do such a thing as that!" "Do you mean to pretend that this young Forbes, your friend and companion, is not in correspondence with the enemy?" "No, your Royal Highness," said the lad sadly. "You knew it?" "Yes." "Then, as my servant, why did you not inform me, sir?" "Because I was your servant, sir, and not a spy," said the boy proudly. "Very fine language, upon my honour!" cried the Prince. "But you are friends with him; and last night, after his first failure, you helped him to escape." "I did not, sir!" cried the boy passionately. "Words, words, sir," said the Prince; "even your friend here, Captain Murray, feels that you did." "And it is most unjust of him, sir!" cried the boy. "Don't speak so bluntly to me," said the Prince sternly. "Now attend. You say you did not help him?" "Yes, your Royal Highness." "Mind this. I know all the circumstances. Give me some proof that you knew nothing of his escape." "I can't, sir," cried the boy passionately. "I was asleep, and when I woke he was gone." "Weak, weak, sir. Now look here; you say you are my servant, and want me to believe in you. Be quite open with me; tell me all you know, and for your mother's sake I will deal leniently with you. What do you know about this rising and the enemy's plans?" "Nothing, your Highness." "What! and you were hand and glove with these people. That wretched boy must have escaped to go straight to his father and acquaint him with everything he knows. What reason have I to think you would not do the same?" "I!" cried the boy indignantly; "I could not do such a thing. Ah!" he cried, with a look of joy, making his white face flush and grow animated. "Your Royal Highness asked me for some proof;" and he lugged at something in his pocket, with which, as he let his hands fall, one had come in contact. "What have you there, sir?" "A book, your Highness," panted the boy; "but it won't come out. Hah! that's it. Look, look! I found that on the table when I woke this morning. See what he has written here." Frank was thinking nothing about royalty or court etiquette in his excitement. He dragged out the book, opened the cover, went close up to the Prince, and banged it down before him, pointing to the words, which the Prince took and read before turning his fierce gaze upon the lad's glowing face. "There!" cried the boy, "that proves it. You must see now, sir. He cheated me. I thought he was very bad. But you see he was well enough to go. That shows how he wanted me to join him, and I wouldn't. Oh, don't say you can't see!" "Yes, I can see," said the Prince, without taking his eyes off him. "Did you know of this, Captain Murray?" "I? No, your Royal Highness. It is fresh to me." "Read." Captain Murray took the book, read the scrap of writing, and, forgetting the Prince's presence, he held out his hands to his brother-officer's son. "Oh, Frank, my boy!" he cried, "forgive me for doubting your word." "Oh yes, I forgive you!" cried the lad, seizing and clinging to his hands. "I knew you'd find out the truth. I don't mind now." "Humph!" ejaculated the Prince, looking on gravely, but with his face softening a little. "The boy's honest enough, sir. But you occupy a very curious position, young gentleman, a very curious position, and everything naturally looked very black against you." "Did it, your Highness? Yes, I suppose so." "Then you had been quarrelling with that wretched young traitor about joining the--the enemy?" said the Prince. Frank winced at "wretched young traitor"; but he answered firmly: "Yes, sir; we were always quarrelling about it, but I hoped to get him to think right at last." "And failed, eh?" said the Prince, with a smile. "Yes, sir." "And pray, was it about this business that you fought out yonder?" "It had something to do with it, sir," said Frank, flushing up. "He said--" Frank stopped short, looking sadly confused, and grew more so as he found the questioner had fixed his eyes, full now of suspicion, upon him. "Well, what did he say, sir?" Frank was silent, and hung his head. "Do you hear me, sir?" "Must I speak, Captain Murray?" said the boy appealingly. "Yes, the simple truth." "He said, your Royal Highness, that my father had joined the enemy, and was a general in the rebel army, and I struck him for daring to utter such a lie--and then we fought." "Why?" said the Prince sternly, "for telling you the truth?" "The truth, sir!" cried the boy indignantly. "Don't say you believe that of my father, sir. There is not a more faithful officer in the King's service." "Your father is not in the King's service, but holds a high command with the rebels, boy." "No, sir, no!" cried the lad passionately; "it is not true." At that moment, when he had not heard the rustling of a dress, a soft hand was laid upon Frank's shoulder, and, turning sharply, he saw that it was the Princess who had approached and now looked pityingly in his face, and then turned to the Prince. "Don't be angry with him," she said gently; "it is very brave of him to speak like this, and terrible for him, poor boy, to know the truth." "No, no, your Highness, it is not true!" cried Frank wildly; and he caught and kissed, and then clung to the Princess's hand. "My poor boy!" she said tenderly. "No, no; don't you believe it, madam!" he cried. "It is not--it can't be true. Some enemy has told you this." "No," said the Princess gently, "no enemy, my boy. It was told me by one who knows too well. I had it from your mother's lips." Frank gazed at her blankly, and his eyes then grew full of reproach, as they seemed to say, "How can you, who are her friend, believe such a thing?" "There boy," said the Prince, interposing; "come here." Frank turned to him, and his eyes flashed. "Don't look like that," continued the Prince. "I am not angry with you now. I believe you, and I like your brave, honest way in defending your father. But you see how all this is true." "No!" cried the boy firmly. "Your Royal Highness and the Princess have been deceived. Some one has brought a lying report to my poor mother, who ought to have been the last to believe it. I cannot and will not think it is true." "Very well," said the Prince quietly. "You can go on believing that it is not. I wish, my boy, I could. There, you can go back to your duties. You will not go over to the enemy, I see." The boy looked at the speaker as if about to make some angry speech; but his emotions strangled him, and, forgetting all etiquette, he turned and hurried from the room. "Look after him, Captain Murray," said the Prince quietly; "true gold is too valuable to be lost." The captain bowed, and hurried into the antechamber; but Frank had gone, one of the gentlemen in attendance saying that he had rushed through the chamber as if he had been half mad, and leaped down the stairs three or four at a time. "Gone straight to his mother," thought the captain; and he went on down the staircase, frowning and sad, for he was sick at heart about the news he had that morning learned of his old friend. _ |
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