The Black Douglas Read online

  CHAPTER XI

  THE AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE

  The Earl had almost arrived at the pavilion erected at the southernend of the jousting meadow, when a gust of cheering borne along thelines announced the arrival of a belated company. The young manglanced northward with intent to discover, by their pennons, who hisvisitors might be. But the distance was too great, and identificationwas made more difficult by the swarming of the populace round thenewcomers. So, being unable to make the matter out, Earl Williamdespatched his brother David to bring him word of their quality.

  Presently, however, and before David Douglas' return, shouts of"Avondale, Avondale!" from the men of Lanarkshire informed the youngEarl of the name of one at least of those who had arrived. A frown soquick and angry darkened his brow that it showed the consideration inwhich the Douglas held his granduncle James the Gross, Earl ofAvondale.

  "I hope, at least," he said in a low voice to Malise, who stood half astep behind him, "that my cousins Will and James have come with him.They are good metal for a tourney, and worth breaking a lance with."

  By this time the banners of the visitors were discernible crossing thefords of Lochar, while high advanced above all private pennons twostandards could be seen, the banner royal of Scotland, and closebeside the rampant lion the white lilies of France.

  "Saint Bride!" cried the Earl, "have they brought the King of Scots tovisit me? His Majesty had been better at his horn-book, or playingball in the tennis court of Stirling."

  Then came David back, riding swiftly on his fine dark chestnut, which,being free from the mantle wherein the horses of knights were swathed,and having its mane and tail left long, made a gallant show as the ladthrew it almost on its haunches in his boyish pride of horsemanship.

  "William," said David Douglas, "a word in your ear, brother. The wholetribe are here,--fat Jamie and all his clan."

  The brothers conferred a little apart, for in those troubled times menlearned caution early, and though the Douglas was the greatest lord inScotland, yet, surrounded by meaner men as he was, it behoved him tobe jealous and careful of his life and honour.

  Earl Douglas came out of the sparred enclosure of the tilt-ring inorder to receive his guests.

  First, as an escort to the ambassador royal of France and Scotland whocame behind, rode the Earl of Avondale and his five sons, noble youngmen, and most unlikely to have sprung from such a stock. James theGross rode a broad Clydesdale mare, a short, soft unwieldy man,sitting squat on the saddle like a toad astride a roof, and glancingslily sideways out of the pursy recesses of his eyes.

  Behind him came his eldest son William, a man of a true Douglascountenance, quick, high, and stern. Then followed James, whose lithebody and wonderful dexterity in arms were already winning him reputeas one of the bravest knights in all Christendom in every military andmanly exercise.

  Behind the Avondale Douglases rode two men abreast, with a lady on apalfrey between them.

  The first to take the eye, both by his stature and his remarkableappearance, rode upon a charger covered from head to tail in thegorgeous red-and-gold diamonded trappings pertaining to a marshal ofFrance. He was in complete armour, and wore his visor down. A longblue feather floated from his helmet, falling almost upon the flank ofhis horse; a truncheon of gold and black was at his side. A pacebehind him the lilies of France were displayed, floating out languidlyfrom a black and white banner staff held in the hands of a youngsquire.

  The knight behind whom the banner royal of Scotland fluttered was aman of different mould. His spare frame seemed buried in the suit ofarmour that he wore somewhat awkwardly. His pale ascetic countenancelooked more in place in a monkish cloister than on a knightly tiltingground, and he glanced this way and that with the swift and furtivesuspicion of one who, while setting one trap, fears to be taken inanother.

  But the lady who rode on a white palfrey between these two took allmen's regard, even in the presence of a marshal of France and a heraldextraordinary of the King of Scots.

  The Earl Douglas, having let his eyes once rest upon her, could notagain remove them, being, as it were, fixed by the very greatness ofthe wonder which he saw.

  It was the lady of the pavilion underneath the pines, the lady of theevening light and of the midnight storm.

  She was no longer clothed in simple white, but arrayed like a king'sdaughter. On her head was a high-peaked coiffure, from which thereflowed down a graceful cloud of finest lace. This, even as the Earllooked at her, she caught at with a bewitching gesture, and broughtdown over her shoulder with her gloved hand. A close-fitting robe ofpalest blue outlined the perfections of her body. A singlefleur-de-lys in gold was embroidered on the breast of her whitebodice, and the same device appeared again and again on the whitehousing of her palfrey.

  She sat in the saddle, gently smiling, and looking down with asweetness which was either the perfection of finished coquetry or theexpression of the finest natural modesty.

  Strangely enough, the first thought which came to the Earl Douglasafter his surprise was one in which triumph was blended with mirth.

  "What will the Abbot and Malise think of this?" he said, half aloud.And he turned him about in order to look upon the face of his masterarmourer.

  He found Malise MacKim ashen-pale and drawn of countenance, his mouthopen and squared with wonder. His jaw was fallen slack, and his handsgripped one upon the other like those of a suppliant praying to thesaints.

  The Earl smiled, and bidding Malise unlace his helmet in compliment tohis guests, he stood presently bareheaded before them, his headappearing above the blackness of his armour, bright as a flower withyouth and instinct with all the fiery beauty of his race.

  It was James the Gross who came forward to act as herald. "Mywell-beloved nephew," he began in somewhat whining tones, "I bring youtwo royal embassies, one from the King of France and the other fromthe King of Scotland. I have the honour to present to you the MarshalGilles de Retz, ambassador of the most Christian King, Charles theSeventh, who will presently deliver his master's message to you."

  The marshal, who till now had kept his visor down, slowly raised it,and revealed a face which, being once seen, could never afterwards bebanished from the memory.

  It was a large grey-white countenance, with high cheek-bones andcolourless lips, which were continually working one upon the other.Black eyes were set close together under heavy brows, and a long thinnose curved between them like the beak of an unclean bird.

  "Earl William," said the marshal, "I give you greeting in the name ofour common liege lord, Charles, King of France, and also in that ofhis son, the Dauphin Louis. I bring you also a further token of theirgood-will, in that I hail you heir to the great estates and dignitiesof your father and grandfather, sometime Dukes of Touraine and vassalspremier of the King of France."

  The young man bowed, but in spite of the interest of his message, themarshal caught his eyes resting upon the face of the lady who rodebeside him.

  "To this I add that which, save for the message of the King, mymaster, ought fitly to have come first. I present you to this fairlady, my sister-in-law, the Damosel Sybilla de Thouars, maid of honourto your high princess Margaret of Scotland, who of late hath expandedinto a yet fairer flower under the sun of our land of France."

  The Earl dismounted and threw the reins of his horse to Malise, whoseface wore an expression of bitterest disappointment and instinctivehatred. Then he went to the side of the Lady Sybilla, and taking herhand he bowed his head over it, touching the glove to his lips withevery token of respect. Still bareheaded, he took the reins of herpalfrey and led her to the stand reserved for the Queen of Beauty.

  Here the Earl invited her to dismount and occupy the central seat.

  "Till your arrival it lacked an occupant, saving my little sister; butto-day the gods have been good to the house of Douglas, and for thefirst time since the death of my father I see it filled."

  Smilingly the lady consented, and with a wave of his hand the EarlWilliam in
vited the Marshal de Retz to take the place on the otherside of the Lady Sybilla.

  Then turning haughtily to the herald of the King of Scots, who hadbeen standing alone, he said:--

  "And now, sir, what would you with the Earl Douglas?"

  The ascetic, monkish man found his words with little loss of time,showing, however, no resentment for Earl William's neglect of anyreverence to the banner under whose protection he came.

  "I am Sir James Irving of Drum," he said, "and I stand here on behalfof Sir Alexander Livingston, tutor and guardian of the King of Scots,to invite your friendship and aid. The Lord Crichton, sometimeChancellor of this realm, hath rebelled against the royal authorityand fortified him in Edinburgh Castle. So both Sir AlexanderLivingston and the most noble lady, the Queen Mother, desire theassistance of the great power of the Earl of Douglas to suppress thisrevolt."

  Scarcely had these words been uttered when another knight steppedforward out of the train which had followed the Earl of Avondale.

  "I am here on behalf of the Chancellor of Scotland, who is no rebelagainst any right authority, but who wishes only to bring thisdistracted realm back into some assured peace, and to deliver theyoung King out of the hands of flatterers and lechers. I have thehonour, therefore, of requesting on behalf of the Chancellor ofScotland, Sir William Crichton, the true representative of royalauthority, the aid and alliance of my Lord of Douglas."

  A smile of haughty contempt passed over the face of the Earl, and hedismissed both heralds, uttering in the hearing of all those wordswhich afterwards became so famous over Scotland:

  "Let dog eat dog! Wherefore should the lion care?"