Mistress of mistresses (26 page)

There
went with that word a shadow across the sunpath, and a coolness without wind
was on the air. And now it was suddenly as if trees and flowers and daisied
lawns, nay the very walls and solid ground here in Acrozayana, and the
stablished mountains seen beyond the parapet, far off across the lake, were
thinned to a tenuous immateriality, not wavering but steady in edge and
texture, as if made all of clear livid-coloured glass of the thinness of thin
parchment. Through this, as through a painted window, appeared now the naked
anatomy of earth, blue and cold: cliffs which swept down to fearful silences,
with the tide washing against the bases of the cliffs, and a welter of drowned
treasure and sea-wrack and vast worms tearing at one another in the shallows of
the sea. The air between the cliffs, ruffled in mists and rawky vapours, was
troubled with iron wings of chimaeras that mounted ever upwards, as bubbles
mount in wine, and vanished ever in the strip of sky high up between the lips
of the precipices: night sky, for all that it was day here in the natural
world; and in the night a blazing star with long hairs appeared. Vandermast and
those ladies were becoming even as the things about them livid and translucent,
like shadows in water or fetches of the dead. She alone, in that falling away
of appearance from reality, retained yet the lovely hues of life and carnal
substance.

So
that to the Duke, facing Lessingham across the council table in Ilkis; it was
in that moment as if he looked through layer upon layer of dream, as through
veil behind veil: the thinnest veil, natural present: the next, as in a
dumb-show strangely presented by art magic, the dappled path beneath the
strawberry-trees in his own garden in Zayana and the company there gathered:
and so, the firm frame of things and a jut of rock between the abysses, and,
standing upon it, that woman, clothed upon with the fires of thunder and of
night. From whose eyes as from starred heavens he took knowledge of the action
he now went on; and, as through them, saw it; and was content

 
xi
 

Gabriel
Flores

terms of the concordat
 
the half-forgotten
harmonies
 
tidings brought to the
vicar
 
a great prince and his poor secretary
 
a fury of dogs
 
entry of lessingham into laimak
 
the rider thrown.

Lessingham
said,
'I
have now laid the whole matter before your grace.
I
hide it not, it goes better with my purpose to
gather the apples this battle's lucky cast hath brought down for me and enjoy
them with your grace's friendship, sooner than climb higher for more and may be
break my neck. Nor can any say, who hath any forehead left, that you did draw
sword and get nought by it; when you are, upon sheathing of it, seized again of
your whole appanage as sovereign indefeasible, and regent besides of all
Meszria, save Outer Meszria only.'

'Regent,'
said Barganax: 'and in that quality his man, vassal, and subject. Leaveth a
tang upon the tongue.'

'What
man is not spoken of in this sense?' said Lessingham. 'All are subject to the
Queen of Fingiswold.'

'And
she', said Barganax, 'to this tutor. But losers must not be choosers; and
I
never reared a pig but that
I
was ready to eat his bacon.'

'My
lord Duke,' said Lessingham, 'we have looked each other in the eye ere this.
That
I
treat o' the Vicar's behalf,
regard it not: 'tis me, not him, you deal withal. That
I o'erthrew Roder in the ings of Lorkan, I have
forgot it and do you, my lord, forget it. From the sweep of eagles' wings it
becometh us overview the matter, and what's just and allowable of our
greatness, choose that, suffering nought else in the world 'twixt that and our
clear judgement.'

The
Duke was sat forward in his chair, his chin thrust forward a little, right
elbow on the table, forearm upright, hand propping his chin; his left arm
akimbo, hand upon hip with fingers spread: all with a cattish reposeful elegance.
His eyes, that seemed now hawk's eyes, now a deer's, all pupil, liquid and
unfathomable, now again proud, serene and relentless, like a lion's, gazed not
upon Lessingham but over Lessingham's shoulder. Lessingham, sitting back,
watched them in their mutations, until, with their turning at last to engage
his own, it was as if from those eyes his own secret spirit faced and regarded
him from without.

The
Duke spoke. 'Item, I subscribe my brother's testament (upon whom be peace);
and sith the Admiral resigned it in my favour, take up the regency of South
Meszria, doing homage therefor to my royal sister through person, during her
minority, of the Lord Protector. Item, he, both for himself and for behalf of
the Queen, receives me as lord of Zayana and of that whole duchy and dominion
as in that testament set forth, without all suzerainty. To these I add two
things further, my Lord Lessingham: first, that the Admiral is confirmed
regent of Outer Meszria, 'cause 'tis in the testament so, and I'll be secured
'gainst strange fingers meddling in that pie upon my border; and secondly, the
Vicar must give full amnesty to all took up weapons against him for sake of me,
and especially I mean to Earl Roder and to the Chancellor.'

'Let
them go,' said Lessingham. 'They have stood your grace in little stead. 'Tis
well if your dealing should measure their deserving.'

'It
shall rather hold measure with my own mind,' replied he. 'I'll not forsake
them.'

Then
goeth the matter out of all measure, if our agreement fall to the ground for
sake of men that, with bunglings and delays,—'

'My
Lord Lessingham,' said the Duke, 'you may spare your argument. Be it the wasting
and last downthrow of all my fortune, I'll not agree without this.'

Then
said Gabriel Flores in Lessingham's ear, from a stool at his left elbow, a
little behind him, 'My lord, 'twere not fit to concede this. His highness will
never stand for't.'

'Nature,
my lord Duke, stood ever on this point,' said Lessingham without heeding him: '
"Kae me, I'll kae thee." The cushion of my cousin's throne is stuffed
with thorns, and the stiffest are of your grace's stuffing in: Ercles and
Aramond. He will give peace to Beroald, Roder, and Jeronimy, and all them of
their following,' here Gabriel put a hand upon his sleeve, but withdrew it under
swift terror of Lessingham's eye-flash, 'and confirm besides Jeronimy, upon
homage done therefor unto his highness, in Outer Meszria, upon condition you do
call off those princes from practice 'gainst him in the north there; for the
world knoweth 'tis your hand works 'em, and at your bidding they can be made to
do or to forbear.'

'Put
it in,' said the Duke then: "tis a bargain. But you must not set me down
for more than I can perform. That I will be neither aiding nor comforting and
so forth: good; and that I will use all suasions: good. But if. they lay deaf
ear to my counselling—'

Lessingham
threw out his hands. 'Shall I expect your grace then with armed hand to enter
their dominions? I thought of no such thing. Countenance is enough: 'tis matter
of course with them, as eat and drink, meditating how they may with favour
benefit you, or be wary how to offend you. Let's set down largely that you will
not lend your shadow for these contrivings. Where the stream is clear, not too
much scriveners' preciseness: vomit up ink to trouble the waters.'

'Then
'tis fitted,' said the Duke, and stood up.

'Will
you appoint someone: County Medor if you please: to draw it out for us with
Gabriel Flores?'

'Yes,
Medor: he hath noted down all for my behalf,' said

Barganax.
'And remember yet constantly of this,' he said, walking apart with Lessingham
to the pavilion door while the others gathered up their papers: "Tis you
and I make this peace, but 'tis you must keep it. Were't the Vicar alone, I'd
not waste ink and parchment 'pon a concordat I'd know he should tear, soon as
advantage should wink at him to the transgressing of it. But in this I see something,
that you, my Lord Lessingham, have took it upon your honour, and stand warranty
unto me, that this peace shall hold.'

'Here,'
answered Lessingham, 'I must use a like licence as did your grace but now. He
is not at my apron-strings as a child by his nurse. But so far as in me lies, I
faithfully affirm by my solemned oath he' shall in all points abide by this
agreement.'

Upon
this, said with great grandeur by the Lord Lessingham, they two struck hand
together. As they so stood, handfasted for a moment upon that peacemaking, it
was as if a third stood with them: not perceivably in distinction of bodily
presence, yet with a strange certitude made known to each in the other and
apparent so: so that to the sense of each the other was lost, drunk up, confounded,
in this new presence. So they stood, not three but two. But to the Duke the
black beard and masculine presence of Lessingham were become as a cloak only,
cloaking but not hiding; or as some fortress of old night, strong to preserve
that which, to the Duke familiar yet ever new, unseizable as some flower dreamt
of by God but not yet unfolded in Elysium, looked from its windows. So too to
Lessingham was the Duke become, but as a might of sunrise rather or of white
noon; and that wonder seen at the window was for Lessingham as a forgotten
music remembered again and lost again, as in that May night three weeks ago in
Acrozayana.

Gabriel
said at his elbow, 'Pray your worship, I had rather meddle no further in this. Amaury
hath a more apter hand than I for't.'

Lessingham
looked down coldly at him. 'Belike he hath. But his highness did design your
presence mainly for such work as this. You were best go through with it.'

Gabriel
stood uncertain. 'So please you, I had rather not. So please you, I see little
of his highness' design in this,' he said, gathering boldness with speaking but
to a shoulder. ‘I am a simple poor servant of his: not a great lord. May be's
some trick in it; but to sell his highness' interest, I'd rather not set my pen
to it, no not to the drawing of it, so please you.'

'Well,
begone then,' said Lessingham, tartly; 'for indeed I have suffered too long
your impertinences in these proceedings, like a sparrow chirping and chittering
to other sparrows. Begone, go.'

Gabriel
stood yet in doubt. 'Yet, consider, my lord,—'

Lessingham
gave him a sudden look. 'Unless you mean to be kicked,' he said. 'Begone.'

And
with great swiftness Gabriel went.

Gabriel
went by chosen by-ways and with much circumspection, so that it was mid
evening when he rode down through the skirts of the forest where alders and
birches increase upon the oaks, and came upon the Zenner a mile below Kutarmish
bridge and scarce ten miles as the crow flies from Ilkis whence he had set
forth. His little brown horse swam the river, and now in another mile he turned
with secure mind up into the highroad and so, 'twixt gallops and breathing
times, had by nightfall left behind him the long straight causeway through the
fens that runs south and north past the solitary walled bluff of Argyanna. At
Ketterby he halted to bait his horse and sup at the moated house: mutton pies,
tripe, cheese, and garlic, and thick black beer; would not stay, but rode on
and slept in his cloak under the moon on the open heath a little this side of
Ristby; saddled up again before daylight; came to Storby when folk were first
astir at the bridge-house; ate breakfast at Anguring, and, galloping hard, an
hour later met the Lord Horius Parry riding with a half dozen of his gentlemen
in the water-meadows a league below Laimak.

'Now
we shall know somewhat,' said the Vicar, as Gabriel clambered down from the
saddle, took his master by the foot, and with a clumsy reverence kissed it.
'Chatter and surmise these two days past have fleshed us: set teeth on edge to
ask for truth. Give it me in a word: good or bad?'

'Highness,
'tis very good,' answered he. In the midst of the great dogs sniffing his boots
and breeches he stood unbonneted, shifting from leg to leg, his eyes shifting
but ever coming back to meet the Vicar's.

'That
and no more?'

'I
have been schooled by your highness to answer no more than your highness shall
please to ask.'

The
Vicar looked at him piercingly for a moment, then gave a great barking laugh.
'Good is enough,' he said. Then, 'Mandricard,' he said, swinging round in his
saddle so that those others, edging and craning nearer for news, drew laughably
back as if upon some danger: 'you and the rest go home: announce these tidings.
I'll take air awhile yet, talk on some small matters concern not you. Fare you
well.'