the virgin of the sun- 第17部分

〃If　your　lordship's　lady　should　set　her　heart　upon　the　ruby　the　cost
of　it　can　stand　over　a　while；　since　I　know　that　it　is　hard　for　a
husband　to　disappoint　a　wife　of　what　she　desires。〃

〃Man；　she　is　my　distant　cousin；　not　my　wife。　I　would　she　were；　but　how
can　two　high…placed　paupers　wed？〃

〃Perhaps　it　is　for　this　reason　that　my　lord　wishes　to　borrow　money。〃

Again　he　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　as　we　entered　the　shop　I　threw
back　the　hood　from　off　my　head　upon　which　I　wore　a　merchant's　cap　of
velvet。　The　lady　Blanche　caught　sight　of　me　and　started。

〃Surely；　surely；〃　she　began；　〃you　are　he　who　shot　the　three　arrows　at
the　cave's　mouth　at　Hastings。〃

〃Yes；　my　lady；　and　did　your　hawk　escape　the　dogs　upon　the　London
road？〃

〃Nay；　it　was　crippled　and　died；　which　was　the　first　of　many　troubles；
for　I　think　my　luck　rode　away　with　you　that　day；　Master　Hubert　of
Hastings；〃　she　added　with　a　sigh。

〃There　are　other　hawks　and　luck　returns；〃　I　replied；　bowing。　〃Perhaps
this　trinket　will　bring　it　back　to　you；　my　lady；〃　and　taking　the
snake…surrounded　ruby　heart；　I　proffered　it　to　her　with　another　bow。

〃Oh！〃　she　said；　her　blue　eyes　shining　with　pleasure；　〃oh！　it　is
beautiful；　but　whence　is　the　price　to　come　for　so　costly　a　thing？〃

〃I　think　the　matter　is　one　that　can　wait。〃

At　that　moment　the　lord　Deleroy　broke　in；　saying；

〃So　you　are　the　man　who　slew　the　French　knight　with　an　ancient　sword；
and　afterwards　shot　three　other　Frenchmen　with　three　shafts；　sending
one　of　them　through　shield　and　mail　and　body；　a　tale　that　was　spoken
of　afterwards；　even　in　London。　God's　truth！　you　should　be　serving　the
King　in　the　wars；　not　yourself　behind　the　counter。〃

〃There　are　many　ways　of　serving；　my　lord；〃　I　answered；　〃by　pen　and
merchandise　as　well　as　by　steel　and　shafts。　Now　with　me　it　is　the　turn
of　the　former；　though　perhaps　the　ancient　sword　and　the　great　black
bow　wait　till　their　time　comes　again。〃

He　stared　at　me　and　muttered；　half　to　himself：

〃A　strange　merchant　and　a　grim；　as　those　dead　Frenchmen　may　have
thought。　I　tell　you；　Sir　Trader；　that　your　talk　and　the　eyes　of　that
tall　Moor　of　yours　turn　my　back　cold；　it　is　as　though　someone　walked
over　my　grave。　Come；　Blanche；　let　us　begone　ere　our　horses　be　chilled
as　I　am。　Master　Grimmer；　or　Hastings；　you　shall　hear　from　me；　unless　I
can　do　my　business　otherwise；　and　for　the　trinket　send　me　a　note　at
your　leisure。〃

Then　they　went；　but　as　the　lady　Blanche　left　the　shop　she　caught　her
robe　and　turned　to　free　it；　while　she　did　so　flashing　at　me　one　of　her
sweet　looks　such　as　I　remembered　well。

Kari　followed　to　the　door　and　watched　them　mount　their　horses　at　the
gate；　then　he　searched　the　ground　with　his　eyes。

〃What　was　it　hooked　her　cloak？〃　I　asked。

〃A　dream；　or　the　air；　Master；　for　there　is　nothing　else　to　which　it
could　have　hung。　Those　who　would　throw　spears　behind　them　must　first
turn　round。〃

〃What　think　you　of　those　two；　Kari？〃

〃I　think　that　they　will　not　pay　for　your　jewel；　but　perhaps　this　was
but　a　bait　upon　the　hook。〃

〃And　what　more；　Kari？〃

〃I　think　that　the　lady　is　very　fair　and　false；　and　that　the　great
lord's　heart　is　as　black　as　are　his　eyes。　Also　I　think　that　they　are
dear　to　each　other　and　well　matched。　But　it　seems　that　you　have　met
them　both　before；　Master；　so　you　will　know　better　about　them　than　your
slave。〃

〃Yes；　I　have　met　them；〃　I　answered　sharply；　for　his　words　about
Blanche　angered　me；　adding；　〃I　have　noted；　Kari；　that　you　have　never　a
good　word　for　any　one　whom　I　favour。　You　are　jealous…natured；　Kari；
especially　of　women。〃

〃You　ask；　I　answer；〃　he　replied；　falling　into　broken　English；　as　was
his　fashion　when　moved；　〃and　it　is　true　that　those　who　have　much　love；
are　much　jealous。　That　is　a　fault　in　my　people。　Also　I　love　not　women。
Now　I　go　make　another　piece　for　that　which　Master　give　the　lady。　Only
this　time　it　all　snake　and　no　heart。〃

He　went；　taking　the　tray　of　jewels　with　him；　and　I；　too；　went　to　the
eating…room　to　think。

How　strange　was　this　meeting。　I　had　never　forgotten　the　lady　Blanche；
but　in　a　sense　I　had　lived　her　memory　down　and　mindful　of　my　uncle's
counsel；　had　not　sought　to　look　upon　her　again；　for　which　reason　I
kept　away　from　Hastings　where　I　thought　that　I　should　find　her。　And
now　here　she　was　in　London　and　in　my　house；　brought　thither　by　fate。
Nor　was　that　all；　since　those　blue　eyes　of　hers　had　re…lighted　the
dead　fires　in　my　heart　and；　seated　there　alone；　I　knew　that　I　loved
her；　indeed　had　never　ceased　to　love　her。　She　was　more　to　me　than　all
my　wealth；　more　than　anything；　and　alas！　between　us　there　was　still　a
great　gulf　fixed。

She　was　not　wed；　it　was　true；　but　she　was　a　highly　placed　lady；　and　I
but　a　merchant　who　could　not　even　call　myself　a　squire；　or　by　law　wear
garments　made　of　certain　stuffs　which　I　handled　daily　in　my　trade。　How
might　that　gulf　be　crossed？

Then　as　I　mused　there　rose　in　my　mind　a　memory　of　certain　sayings　of
my　wise　old　uncle；　and　with　it　an　answer　to　the　question。　Gold　would
bridge　the　widest　streams　of　human　difference。　These　fine　folk　for　all
their　flauntings　were　poor。　They　came　to　me　to　borrow　money　wherewith
to　gild　their　coronets　and　satisfy　the　importunate　creditors　at　their
door；　lest　they　should　be　pulled　from　their　high　place　and　forced　back
into　the　number　of　the　common　herd　as　those　who　could　no　longer　either
give　or　pay。

And　after　all；　was　this　difference　between　them　and　me　so　wide？　The
grandsire　of　Sir　Robert　Aleys；　I　had　been　told；　gathered　his　wealth　by
trade　and　usury　in　the　old　wars；　indeed；　it　was　said　that　he　was　one
who　dealt　in　cattle；　while　Lord　Deleroy　was　reported　to　be　a　bastard；
if　of　the　bluest　blood；　so　blue　that　it　ran　nigh　to　the　royal　purple。
Well；　what　was　mine？　On　the　father's　side；　Saxon　descended　from　that
of　Thanes　who　went　down　before　the　Normans　and　thereafter　became
humble　landed　folk　of　the　lesser　sort。　On　the　mother's；　of　the　race　of
the　old　sea…kings　who　slew　and　conquered　through　all　the　world　they
knew。　Was　I　then　so　far　beneath　these　others？　Nay；　but　like　my　father
and　my　uncle　I　was　one　who　bought　and　sold　and　the　hand　of　the　dyer
was　stained　to　the　colour　of　his　vat。

Thus　stood　the　business。　I；　a　stubborn　man；　not　ill…favoured；　to　whom
Fortune　had　given　wealth；　was　determined　to　win　this　woman　who；　it
seemed　to　me；　looked　upon　me　with　no　unkind　eye　since　I　had　saved　her
from　certain　perils。　To　myself　then　and　there　I　swore　I　would　win　her。
The　question　washow　could　it　be　done？　I　might　enter　the　service　of
the　King　and　fight　his　battles　and　doubtless　win　myself　a　knighthood；
or　more；　which　would　open　the　closed　gate。

Nay；　it　would　take　too　long；　and　something　warned　me　that　time
pressed。　That　strange　foreign　man；　Kari；　said　that　Blanche　was
enamoured　of　this　Deleroy；　and　although　I　was　wrath　with　him；　setting
his　words　down　to　jealousy　of　any　on　whom　I　looked　with　kindness；　I
knew　well　that　Kari　saw　far。　If　I　tarried；　this　rare　white　bird　would
slip　from　my　hand　into　another's　cage。　I　must　stir　at　once　or　let　the
matter　be。　Well；　I　had　wealth；　so　let　wealth　be　my　friend。　Time　enough
to　try　war　when　it　failed　me。



On　the　third　day　of　the　new　year；　which　at　this　time　of　Court　revelry
showed　that　the　matter　must　indeed　be　pressing；　I　received　those
particulars　for　which　I　had　asked；　together　with　a　list　of　the　lands
and　tenements　that　Sir　Robert　Aleys　was　ready　to　put　in　pawn　on　behalf
of　his　friend　and　relative；　the　lord　Deleroy。　Why　should　he　do　this；　I
wondered？　There　could　only　be　one　answer：　because　he　and　not　Deleroy
was　to　receive　the　money；　or　most　of　it。

Nay；　another　came　into　my　mind　as　probable。　Because　he　looked　upon
Deleroy　as　his　heir；　which；　should　he　marry　the　lady　Blanche；　he　would
become。　If　this　were　so　I　must　act；　and　quickly；　that　is；　if　I　would
ever　see　more　of　the　lady　Blanche；　as　perchance　I　might　do　by　treading
this　gold…paved　road；　but　not　otherwise。　I　studied　the　list　of　lands。
As　it　chanced　I　knew　most　of　them；　for　they　lay　about　Pevensey　and
Hastings；　and　saw　that　they　were　scarcely　worth　the　moneys　which　were
asked　of　me。　Well；　what　of　it？　This　matter　was　not　one　of　trade　and
large　as　the　sum　might　be；　I　would　risk　it　for　the　chance　of　winning
Blanche。

The　end　of　it　was　that　waiting　for　no　valuings　I　wrote　that　on　proof
of　title　clean　and　unencumbered　and　completion　of　all　deeds；　I　would
pay　over　the　gold　to　whoever　might　be　appointed　to　receive　it。

This　letter　of　mine　proved　to　be　but　the　beginning　of　a　long　business
whereof　the　details　may　be　left　untold。　On　the　very　next　day　indeed　I
was　summoned　to　the　house　of　Sir　Robert　Aleys　which　was　near　to　the
palace　and　abbey　of　Westminster。　Here　I　found　the　gruff　old　knight
grown　greyer　and　having；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　a　hunted　air；　and　with
him　the　lord　Deleroy　and　two　foxy　lawyers　of　whom　I　did　not　like　the
look。　Indeed；　for　the　first；　I　suspected　that　I　was　being　tricked　and
had　it　not　been　for　the　lady　Blanche；　would　have　broken　off　the　loan。
Because　of　her；　however；　this　I　did　not　do；　but　having　stated　my　terms
anew；　and　the　rate　and　dates　of　interest；　sat　for　a　long　while　saying
as　little　as　possible；　while　the　othe