She saw a slender lad, dark-haired and dark-eyed, ruddy and embrowned by mountain sun and air; and the bow with which he bent before her had something of the rustic lout, and there was a certain shyness over him that hindered him from addressing her.
So, shepherd, she said, when wilt thou take me back to Greystone?
Father will fix that, interposed the housewife; meanwhile, ye had best eat your porridge. Here is Father, in good time with the cows milk.
The rugged broad-shouldered shepherd made his salutation duly to the young lady, and uttered the information that there was a black cloud, like snow, coming up over the fells to the south-west.
But I must fare back to Greystone! said the damsel. They will be in a mighty coil what has become of me.
They would be in a worse coil if they found your bones under a snow wreath.
Hal went to the door and spied out, as if the tidings were rather pleasant to him than otherwise. The goodwife shivered, and reached out to close the shutter, and there being no glass to the windows, all the light that came in was through the chinks.
It would serve them right for not minding me better, said the maiden composedly. Nay, it is as merry here as at Greystone, with Sister Margaret picking out ones broidery, and Father Cuthbert making one pore over his crabbed parchments.
Oh, does this Father teach Latin? exclaimed Hal with eager interest.
Of course he doth! The Mother at York promised I should learn whatever became a damsel of high degree, said the girl, drawing herself up.
I would he would teach me! sighed the boy.
Better break thy fast and mind thy sheep, said the old woman, as if she feared his getting on dangerous ground; and placing the bowl of porridge on the rough table, she added, Say the Benedicite, lad, and fall to. Then, as he uttered the blessing, she asked the guest whether she preferred ewes milk or cows milk, a luxury no one else was allowed, all eating their porridge contentedly with a pinch of salt, Hob showing scant courtesy, the less since his guests rank had been made known.
By the time they had finished, snowflakesan early autumn stormwere drifting against the shutter, and a black cloud was lowering over the hills. Hob foretold a heavy fall of snow, and called on Hal to help him and Piers fold the flock more securely, sleepy Watch and his old long-haired collie mother rising at the same call. Lady Anne sprang up at the same time, insisting that she must go and help to feed the poor sheep, but she was withheld, much against her will, by Mother Dolly, though she persisted that snow was nothing to her, and it was a fine jest to be out of the reach of the Sisters, who mewed her up in a cell, like a messan dog. However, she was much amused by watching, and thinking she assisted in, Mother Dollys preparations for ewe milk cheese-making; and by-and-by Hal came in, shaking the snow off the sheepskin he had worn over his leathern coat. Hob had sent him in, as the weather was too bad for him, and he and Anne crouched on opposite sides of the wide hearth as he dried and warmed himself, and cosseted the cat which Anne had tried to caress, but which showed a decided preference for the older friend.
Our Baudrons at Greystone loves me better than that, said Anne. She will come to me sooner than even to Sister Scholastica!
My Tib came with us when we came here. Ay, Tib! purr thy best! as he held his fingers over her, and she rubbed her smooth head against him.
Can she leap? Baudrons leaps like a horse in the tilt-yard.
Cannot she! There, my lady pussy, show what thou canst do to please the demoiselle, and he held his arms forward with clasped hands, so that the grey cat might spring over them, and Lady Anne cried out with delight.
Again and again the performance was repeated, and pussy was induced to dance after a string dangled before her, to roll over and play in apparent ecstasy with a flake of wool, as if it were a mouse, and Watch joined in the game in full amity. Mother Dolly, busy with her distaff, looked on, not displeased, except when she had to guard her spindle from the kittens pranks, but she was less happy when the children began to talk.
You have seen a tilt-yard?
Yea, indeed, he answered dreamily. The poor squire was hurtI did not like it! It is gruesome.
Oh, no! It is a noble sport! I loved our tilt-yard at Bletso. Two knights could gallop at one another in the lists, as if they were out hunting. Oh! to hear the lances ring against the shields made ones heart leap up! Where was yours?
Here Dolly interrupted hastily, Hal, lad, gang out to the shed and bring in some more sods of turf. The fire is getting low.
Heres a store, motherI need not go out, said Hal, passing to a pile in the corner. It is too dark for thee to see it.
But where was your castle? continued the girl. I am sure you have lived in a castle.
Insensibly the two children had in addressing one another changed the homely singular pronoun to the more polite, if less grammatical, second person plural. The boy laughed, nodded his head, and said, You are a little witch.
No great witchcraft to hear that you speak as we do at home in Bedfordshire, not like these northern boors, that might as well be Scots!
I am not from Bedfordshire, said the lad, looking much amused at her perplexity.
Who art thou then? she cried peremptorily.
I? I am Hal the shepherd boy, as I told thee before.
No shepherd boy are you! Come, tell me true.
Dolly thought it time to interfere. She heard an imaginary bleat, and ordered Hal out to see what was the matter, hindering the girl by force from running after him, for the snow was coming down in larger flakes than ever. Nevertheless, when her husband was heard outside she threw a cloak over her head and hurried out to speak with him. That maid will make our lad betray himself ere another hour is over their heads!
Doth she do it wittingly? asked the shepherd gravely.
Nay, tis no guile, but each child sees that the other is of gentle blood, and womens wits be sharp and prying, and the maid will never rest till she has wormed out who he is.
He promised me never to say, nor doth he know.
Thee! Much do the hests of an old hogherd weigh against the wiles of a young maid!
Lord Hal is a lad of his word. Peace with thy lords and ladies, woman, thoult have the archers after him at once.
She makes no secret of being of gentle blooda St. John of Bletso.
A pestilent White Rose lot! We shall have them on the scent ere many days are over our head! An unlucky chance this same snow, or I should have had the wench off to Greystone ere they could exchange a word.
Thou wouldst have been caught in the storm. Ill for the maid to have fallen into a drift!
Well for the lad if she never came out of it! muttered the gruff old shepherd. Then were her tongue stilled, and those of the clacking wenches at YorkYorkists every one of them.
Mother Dollys eyes grew round. Mind thee, Hob! she said; I ken thy bark is worse than thy bite, but I would have thee to know that if aught befall the maid between this and Greystone, I shall hold theeand so will my Ladyguilty of a foul deed.
No fouler than was done on the striplings father, muttered the shepherd. Get thee in, wife! Who knows what folly those two may be after while thou art away? Mind thee, if the maid gets an inkling of who the boy is, it will be the worse for her.
Oh! murmured the goodwife, I moaned once that our Piers there should be deaf and well-nigh dumb, but I thank God for it now! No fear of perilous word going out through him, or I durst not have kept my poor sisters son!
Oh! murmured the goodwife, I moaned once that our Piers there should be deaf and well-nigh dumb, but I thank God for it now! No fear of perilous word going out through him, or I durst not have kept my poor sisters son!
Mother Doll trusted that her husband would never have the heart to leave the pretty dark-haired girl in the snow, but she was relieved to find Hal marking down on the wide flat hearth-stone, with a bit of charcoal, all the stars he had observed. Hob calls that the Ploughthose seven! he said; I call it Charless Wain!
Methinks I have seen that! she said, winter and summer both.
Ay, he is a meuseful husbandman, that Charles! And see here! This middle mare of the team has a little foal running beside herhe made a small spot beside the mark that stood for the central star of what we call the Bears Tail.
I never saw that!
No, tis only to be seen on a clear bright night. I have seen it, but Hob mocks at it. He thinks the only use of the Wain is to find the North Star, up beyond there, pointing by the back of the Plough, and go by it when you are lost.
What good would finding the North Star do? It would not have helped me home if you had not found me!
Look here, Lady Anne! Which way does Greystone lie?
How should I tell?
Which way did the sun lie when you crossed the moor?
Anne could not remember at first, but by-and-by recollected that it dazzled her eyes just as she was looking for the runaway pony; and Hal declared that it proved that the convent must have been to the south of the spot of her fall; but his astronomy, though eagerly demonstrated, was not likely to have brought her back to Greystone. Still Doll was thankful for the safe subject, as he went on to mark out what he promised that she should see in the winterthe swarm of glow-worms, as he called the Pleiades; and Our Ladys Rock, namely, distaff, the northern name for Orion; and then he talked of the stars that so perplexed him, namely, the planets, that never stayed in their places.
By-and-by, when Mother Dollys work was over the kettle was on the fire, and she was able to take out her own spinning, she essayed to fill up the time by telling them lengthily the old stories and ballads handed down from minstrel to minstrel, from nurse to nurse, and they sat entranced, listening to the stories, more than even Hal knew she possessed, and holding one another by the hand as they listened.
Meantime the snow had ceasedit was but a scud of early autumn on the mountainsthe sun came out with bright slanting beams before his setting, there was a soft south wind; and Hob, when he came in, growled out that the thaw had set in, and he should be able to take the maid back in the morning. He sat scowling and silent during supper, and ordered Hal about with sharp sternness, sending him out to attend to the litter of the cattle, before all had finished, and manifestly treated him as the shepherds boy, the drudge of the house, and threatening him with a staff if he lingered, soon following himself. Mother Dolly insisted on putting the little lady to bed before they should return, and convent-bred Anne had sufficient respect for proprieties to see that it was becoming. She heard no more that night.
CHAPTER III. OVER THE MOOR
In humblest, simplest habit clad,
But these were all to me.
Hal! What is your name?
She stood at the door of the hovel, the rising sun lighting up her bright dark eyes, and smiling in the curly rings of her hair while Hal stood by, and Watch bounded round them.
You have heard, he said, half smiling, and half embarrassed.
Hal! Thats no name.
Harry, an it like you better.
Harry what? with a little stamp of her foot.
Harry Hogward, as you see, or Shepherd, so please you.
You are no Hogward, nor shepherd! These folk be no kin to you, I can see. Come, an you love me, tell me true! I told you true who I am, Red Rose though I see you be! Why not trust me the same?
Lady, I verily ken no name save Harry. I would trust you, verily I would, but I know not myself.
I guess! I guess! she cried, clapping her hands, but at the moment Dolly laid a hand on her shoulder.
Do not guess, maiden, she said. If thou wouldst not bring evil on the lad that found thee, and the roof that sheltered thee, guess not, yea, and utter not a word save that thou hast lain in a shepherds hut. Forget all, as though thou hadst slept in the castle on the hill that fades away with the day.
She ended hastily, for her husband was coming up with a rough ponys halter in his hand. He was in haste to be off, lest a search for the lost child might extend to his abode, and his gloomy displeasure and ill-masked uneasiness reduced every-one to silence in his presence.
Up and away, lady wench! he said. No time to lose if you are to be at Greystone ere night! Thou Hal, thou lazy lubber, go with Piers and the sheep
I shall go with you, replied Hal, in a grave tone of resolution. I will only go within view of the convent, but go with you I will.
He spoke with a decided tone of authority, and Hob Hogward muttered a little to himself, but yielded.
Hal assisted the young lady to mount, and they set off along the track of the moss, driving the cows, sheep, and goats before themnot a very considerable numbertill they came to another hut, much smaller and more rude than that where they had left Mother Doll.
Piers was a wild, shaggy-haired lad, with a sheepskin over his shoulders, and legs bare below the knee, and to him the charge of the flock was committed, with signs which he evidently understood and replied to with a gruff Ay, ay! The three went on the way, over the slope of a hill, partly clothed with heather, holly and birch trees, as it rose above the moss. Hob led the pony, and there was something in his grim air and manner that hindered any conversation between the two young people. Only Hal from time to time gathered a flower for the young lady, scabious and globe flowers, and once a very pink wild rose, mingled with white ones. Lady Anne took them with a meaning smile, and a merry gesture, as though she were going to brush Hals face with the petals. Hal laughed, and said, You will make them shed.
Well and good, so the disputes be shed, said Anne, with more meaning than perhaps Hal understood. And the white overcomes the red.
May be the red will have its way with spring
But there Hob looked round on them, and growled out, Have done with that folly! What has a herd boy like thee to do with roses and frippery? Come away from the ladys rein. Thou art over-held to thrust thyself upon her.
Nevertheless, as Hal fell back, the dark eyes shot a meaning glance at him, and the party went on in silence, except that now and then Hob launched at Hal an order that he endeavoured to render savagely contemptuous and harsh, so that Lady Anne interfered to say, Nay, the poor lad is doing no harm.
Scathe enough, answered Hob. He always will be doing ill if he can. Heed him not, lady, it only makes him the more malapert.
Malapert, repeated Anne, not able to resist a little teasing of the grim escort; thats scarce a word of the dales. Tis more like a man-at-arms.
This Hob would not hear, and if he did, it produced a rough imprecation on the pony, and a sharp cut with his switch.
They had crossed another burn, travelled through the moss, and mounted to the brow of another hill, when, far away against the sky, on the top of yet another height, were to be seen moving figures, not cattle, but Anne recognised them at once. Men-at-arms! archers! lances! A search party for me! The Prioress must have sent to the Wardens tower.