Delphi Complete Works of the Brontes Charlotte, Emily, Anne Brontë (Illustrated) (278 page)

“Shall I bid the attendants to remove your helmet,” asked lady Emily smiling, the unknown shook his head but made no reply.

“Well” returned she playfully “you are an uncourteous though a gallant archer, but not with standing your refusal to comply with my request I will acknowledge that I think you worthy of the bright garland which I thus twine amongst the Eagles feathers which form your crest. “

he rose & with a stately inclination of the head withdrew. All was now concluded. the first celebration of the African Olympic Games was past & amidst a loud & triumphant peal of warlike music the mighty assembly of a million souls broke up & with a crush & tumult that might have annihilated worlds left the amphitheatre. This dispersion I need not describe, no lives that I am aware of were lost, but hundreds of bags, pockets, fobs, & reticules yielded up their contents in the melee while thousands of sides were bruised almost to sinuweres? by an equal proportion of elbows.

Amongst the principal sufferers I am sorry to inform the reader our worthy friend Mr Gifford must be reckoned. At the first crush in spite of Ensign Bud’s supporting arm which was tenderly passed round the excellent antiquary’s waist he fell prone to the ground & in attempting to rise got entangled among the extented legs of half a score French messieurs who greatly to their own edification were pursuing their way through the huge press not on their heels like sensible people but on their heads. When these gentlemen felt the not very slight pressure of Mr Gifford’s falling carcase, they testified their sense of its inconvenience by that disagreeable agitation of the limbs called kicking.

with the utmost difficulty & with the loss of his best hat & wig the Lawyer was at length rescued, but he had hardly gone twelve paces when his shoes were trodden from his feet & five minutes after his Sunday coat a rich black plush was torn violently from his back & borne off by some audacious thief. Groaning & sighing he still with the assistance of Bud continued gradually & painfully to push his way & had almost cleared the thickest part of the crowd when a hand was unceremoniously introduced into his breeches pockets & all the contents most dexterously extracted. But I need not trouble the reader with more of the unhappy mans misfortunes, suffice it to say that he did at length get home & was put to bed with unbroken bones, hot gruel & brandy administered in large doses induced a comfortable night’s rest & next morning when he awoke he was able to curse all Games whether Greek Roman or African in unmeasured terms & to denounce instant vengeance on all who should hereafter propose attendance on their vanities to him.

CHAPTER THE THIRD

The Sun which had risen so brightly & cheerfully sank to repose with a magnificence worthy of its glorious advent, a short twilight followed^ the sea-billows for a time rolled in a dimly lustrous light to the fading shore, then came the moon. the evening stars began to look out singly from the soft pure sky, the night wind rose & before it a few pearly clouds which had been resting motionless on the horizon glided away beyond the skirting hills, at this tranquil hour the unknown archer emerging from a grove on the Niger’s shady banks where he had been walking since he left the arena, turned his back to Verdopolis & striking into a bye-path which led up the at that period wild valley in which our City lies (for there were then no gardens or palaces & but few cultivated fields to varigate its natural beauties) soon forgot in the calm evening hush which surrounded him all remembrance of the scene he had quitted an hour before.

Slowly he entred a little sequestered glen formed by the junction of two lofty hills whose summits were covered with wood but whose bases excepting here & there a tall spreading tree, exhibited a green slope of unincumbered pasture land. He stopped & leaning on the tall spear which as I have before mentioned he carried in one hand stood a few minutes gazing at the lovely moonlight landscape which surrounded him on every side, then drawing a bugle from his belt he blew a clear but not loud blast which awoke many faint echos in the wooded hills above, after a brief interval of expectation steps were heard approaching & a figure wrapped in a mantle entered from the opposite end of the valley.

“Andrew.” said the Archer “is that you my lad.”

“Yes” replied a voice whose shrill childish tones & the speaker’s diminutive size announced the tender age of the new comer.

“Come hither then & show me where you have hid the baggage. I am half dead with hunger, for it is full twelve hours since I have either eaten or drunk.”

Andrew immediately scampered off & in a few minutes returned with a large portmanteau on his shoulders, he now threw aside his mask & the bright moonshine revealed the person of a boy who might be about thirteen years of age though from his countenance he seemed upwards of twenty the sharp keen features lighted by a pair of little quick cunning eyes retaining no traces of that juvenile rotundity which is considered the principal characteristic of a child, his dress was as singular as that of his master, being a short plaided petticoat or kilt & a round cap of the same stuff & laced leather buskins. He speedily unlocked the trunk & took from it a kind of basket the contents of which when spread on the smooth sward under the shadow of a magnificent elm tree formed a supper which no hungry man would have passed by with contempt, there was a couple of cold fowls a loaf of white bread some cheese a bottle of palm wine a vessel of the purest water which Andrew had procured from a small rivulet which half hidden by wild flowers washed the roots of the ancient elm-tree as it wandered slowly through the valley. While the archer satisfied the cravings of his own appetite he did not forget his follower who sat at a little distance ravenously devouring one of the fowl & a large portion of bread & cheese, when their meal was concluded & the fragments were cleared away, Andrew produced from the trunk a large plaided cloak in which his master wrapped himself & lying down on the green dewy grass with a moss-grown stone for his pillow he as well as the boy who lay at his feet were soon lulled by the low wind rustling in their leafy canopy & drowsy murmurs of the monotonous stream to a deep & dreamless slumber.

An hour elapsed & they still continued in a state of the most profound repose.J the moon now high in heaven shone with a silvery clearness that almost transformed night into a fairer noon, in Arthur’s words or something like them “all felt the heavenly influence of moonlight’s milder day” when a human step suddenly broke the delicious calm reigning around & (unromantic incident) the apparition not of, “A lady fair and bright With a crown of flowers and a robe of light”‘

but of a smart footman in a blue coat with silver epaulettes appeared stealing down from the brow of one of the nearest hills, softly almost noiselessly he advanced to the unsuspecting Andrew & clapping a gag into his mouth which happened to be wide open bore him off kicking & struggling in his arms. Andrew’s abduction however did not last long. an hour had scarcely passed before he returned alone & without awakening his master to inform him of what had occurred he lay down in his former place & in a few minutes was as fast asleep as ever.

The bursting sunlight & singing birds aroused the Archer just as the first beams broke forth in summer splendour. Springing lightly from his hard couch he stirred with his foot the still slumbering page.

“Get up Andrew” said he & roll out the contents of that trunk on to the grass. I must change this outlandish gear before I venture again in to the city, so stir yourself boy & here help me first to unbuckle this belt, why” continued he as the lad rose up reluctantly rubbing his eyes & yawning like one overcome with sleep “what ails you child have you been disturbed by fairies to night that you are so sluggish & drowsy in the morning?”

“No not I” said Andrew laughing rather hollowly & fixing his keen eyes on his master’s face as if he would have penetrated to his inmost thoughts “No but I’ve been troubled with some ugly dreams.”

“Ugly dreams? you little idiot what were they about?”

“About selling my soul to the old gentleman”

“Well did you complete the bargainf?”

“yes & sealed it with a written oath”

“Come that was managing the affair in a business like way but now a truce to your nonsense sir & help me on with this strait waistcoat.”

In a few minutes the archer had stripped off his becoming though peculiar dress & assumed in its stead a fashionable suit of clothes consisting of a blue frock coat which had something of a military air & white waistcoat & pantaloons.

“Now” said he when he had completed his toilet “Do you stay here Andrew. I am going to the city & shall most probably be back before evening. Keep close in the wood till I return & speak to no mortal creature.”

Andrew loudly promised implicit obedience & his master took his departure, the Archer in his new costume displayed none of that awkwardness which people usually feel when attired in a novel garment for the first time.

on the contrary it was evident from the perfect ease & grace of his movements which all partook of a lofty & martial character that he was not unaccustomed to such a mode of dress. With a slow, melancholy step he retraced the winding, bye-path by which he had ascended the valley on the previous evening, the passengers he met were few & far between for in those days it was a road but little frequented, two or three milk maids singing on their way and a few illegal rare lads who were returning from poaching over-night among the hills, together with five or six straightish legged gentlemen “Wahking out befahr braukfast to get an auppetite to de Melons & brahd & bautter”‘ were the only persons with whom he exchanged a morning’s salutation & these did not make their appearance till the latter end of his walk.

At about eight o’clock he reached Verdopolis, entering at the north gate he proceeded through a series of streets, squares, Rows & alleys along which even at this early hour the living stream of population had begun to flow rapidly till he reached a quiet street leading from Monmouth Square formed by two rows of respectable looking houses whose white window curtains & green Venetian blinds, proclaimed the comfortable circumstances of those who inhabited them. Halting at the twelfth mansion he gave a rousing alarm by means of the well-scoured bright brass knocker. In about two minutes the door was opened by a clean looking elderly Dame who the moment she caught a glimpse of our hero’s person uttered a loud exclamation of surprise.

“Bless us Mr Leslie!” cried she “is that you? lord my poor eyes never thought to see your handsome face again”

“It is me indeed Alice, but how is your Master, is he at home?” “At home? yes indeed where else should he be I wonder, when you’re standing at his door? but come in & I’ll run to tell him the good news this minute.”

Here the good woman led the way forward & showing Mr Leslie into an appartment ran off to do her errand, the room into which she had ushered him was a middle-sized parlour comfortably & even elegantly furnished, a bright fire was burning in the polished steel bars of a handsome grate & all the paraphernalia of a good breakfast appeared spread on a snow-white damask cloth which covered a round table in the centre of the room, but what principally attracted the eye was a number of very beautiful oil-paintings principally portraits arranged with judgement on the walls; all betrayed the hand of a genuine master in the art & some were executed with surprising grace & delicacy, the visitor’s countenance expressed something like astonishment as he looked carefully round but his attention was soon attracted by the unclosing of the door, he started up & stepped eagerly forward as a young man rather above the middle size with a pale but interesting countenance & large intelligent black eyes entered.

“Well my dear Frederick” said he “I need not inquire how you are. your appearance & that of the house tells me & I suppose I have now only to congratulate you on Fortune’s altered disposition.”

“my Noble Benefactor” began Frederick De Lisle while a flush of joy suffused his colourless cheek. “How I rejoice to see you once againf! are you still Mr Leslie the Artist or may I now be permitted to address you as -”

“No, No” interrupted his guest, “let Leslie be my name for the present, but Frederick you must have made a good use of the small sum I gave you if it has entitled you to reside in such a comfortable house as this.”

“Yes” replied the young man “I think I may fairly claim the praise of having employed it to the best advantage yet it was not that alone which has obtained me the affluence I now enjoy. Your lordship must know that about three years since I fell in love (to use the common phrase) with a young & very lovely girl who soon appreciated the sincerity of my affection & returned it. Obstacles however apparently insurmountable opposed our union, her parents were rich & they disdained to unite their daughter to a man whose whole wealth lay in a brush & palett. for a long time Matilda wept & intreated in vain but at length her altered looks her pallid cheek & her attenuated form so far moved their compassion that they promised to sanction our marriage on condition that I should previously free myself from the pecuniary embarrassment in which I was then entangled, this however was impossible. I had scarcely sufficient employment to procure bread & as to laying by anything that was not to be thought of. At this wretched period your lordship condescended to become my pupil. the liberal salary which you paid me enabled me to discharge my debts in part & by the aid of your further munificent gift when you left Verdopolis I ultimately cleared the whole. My dear Matilda’s parents kept their word & about six months since I was made the happiest of men. Employment has since poured in rapidly upon me & I trust that Fame the meed for which I have striven so long & perseveringly under distresses & difficulties which might have daunted the spirit of a saint will at length reward my unwearied endeavours.”

here the door again opened and Mrs De Lisle entered, she was a young & elegant woman with a pretty face & very genteel manners. Her husband introduced our Hero to her as “Mr Leslie the Gentleman of whom you have often heard me speak”. She curtsied & replied with a significant smile “I have indeed & the pleasure of seeing him in my house is as great as it was unexpected.”

All three now sat down to a substantial breakfast of coffee eggs ham & bread & butter, the conversation during this meal was animated & interesting Mrs De Lisle joining in it with a propriety & good taste which did honour to Frederick’s choice of a wife. When it was over she left the room pleading as an excuse for her absence the necessity of attending to household concerns, the two gentlemen being thus left alone recommenced the conversation in which they had been engaged before breakfast. Presently however they were again interrupted by the arrival of a carriage & the entrance of Alice who announced Colonel Percy & lady Emily Charlesworth.

“Ah” said De Lisle, “this is fortunate, your lordship I think will recollect lady Emily. she used to come often when you painted at my house & would sit for hours conversing with you about the fine arts, but my lord what is the matter are you ill?”

“No Frederick” replied Leslie though the deadly paleness which overspread his countenance seemed to contradict the truth of what he said, “merely a sudden pain in the head to which I am subject, it will soon pass off but in the meantime I should not like to be seen by these strangersf. will they come into this appartment?”