The Outlaw of Torn

hed in the gardens for the little Prince until he knew the d

most extremities of the palace grounds where, by a little postern gate, she admitted a

ir hopes and plans, unmindful of the royal charge playin

e little postern gate on the plea that he wished to indulge in a midnight escapade, hinting broadly of a fair lady who was to be the partner

. Whatever else of mischief De Vac might be up to, Brus was quite sure that in so far as the King wa

gentility, but, then, what concern was it of his? Did he not have enough to think about to keep the gardens so that his royal master and mistress might find pleasure

ans of rewarding his poor servant, it ill became such a worm as he to ignore the divine favor. So Brus took the gold zecchins and De Vac the key

ossibly know him or recognize the key as belonging to the palace. Here he had a duplicate mad

leys of ancient London, lighted at far intervals by an occasional smoky lante

beneath which the inky waters of the river rose and fell, lapping the decaying piles and surging far beneath

e doorway of the building he sought. At length he came upon it, and, after repea

lord?" she added, hastily, as the flickering rays of the candle she bore lighted up De Vac

a quantity that you may ever after wear mantles of villosa and feast on simnel bread and m

ation of filth and cobwebs from the floor and rafters? Why, the very air reeked of the dead Romans who builded London twelve hundred years ago. Methinks, too, from the stink, they must hav

an thou, for though it come accursed and tainted from thy rogue hand, yet it speaks with

m the secrecy which you have demanded, an' I dare say there will be some who would pay well to learn the whereabouts of the old woman and the child, thy sister and her son you tell me they be, who you are so

ave gold against a final settlement; more even than we barga

ich would have been reflected to an exaggerated degree in the old woman had she k

d woman, but, as she had said, his stern commands for secrecy had told enough to arouse her suspicions, and with them her curiosity and cupidity. So it was that old Til might well have quailed in her tattered sandals had she but even vaguely guess

g the bundle with his long surcoat, De Vac stepped out in

one of the thwarts he hid the bundle. Then, casting off, he rowed slowly up the Thames until, below t

there by order of the King to add to the beauty of the aspect from the river side, De Vac c

since mature reflection had convinced him of the folly of his contemplated adventure, especially in one w

ne man desires what another does not, who shall say whether the child of his desire be vice or virtue? Or on the other hand if my friend desires his own wife and if that be virtue, then if I also des

that I might learn to reason by your wondrous logic; methi

ds no other logic than the sword, I should

e here and there marble statues of wood nymph and satyr gleamed, sparkling in the brilliant sunlight, or, half shaded by an overhanging bush, took on a semblance of life from the riotous play of light and shadow as the leaves above them moved to and fro in the faint breeze

ved stone benches of the open garden gave place to rustic s

y Maud and her little charge, Prince Richard; all ignor

aud hastened on to the little postern gate which she quickly unlocked, admitting her lover, who had been waiti

about among the trees and flowers, and none saw the stern, determined face

arer to the cold, hard watcher in the bushes. Closer and closer came the little Prince, and in anoth

to the little fellow, "let old DeVa

the butterfly which by now had passed out of sight. De Vac turned their steps toward the littl

butterfly did but alight without the wall, we can

rince; "the King, my father, has forbid

ac, more sternly, "no

hat De Vac was forced to grasp him roughly by the arm.

the boy. "How dare you lay h

s too late. The Lady Maud and her lover had heard and, in an instant, they w

eavoring to lock the gate. But, handicapped by the struggling boy, he had not time to turn the key before the off

ow thoroughly affrightened Prince with his left

itate any parley, so the two fell upon each other with grim fury; the brave officer facing th

int until it had first plunged through the heart of his brave antagonist. Then, with a bound, he lea

his iron grip, he stood facing the lad

es," she cried, "h

l tongue in thy head and let his patron saint look after the welfare of this princeling? Your rashness has brought you to

cester, whom he had summoned that he might heap still further indignities upon him with the intention of degrading and humiliating him that he might leave Engla

st entered and saluted his sovereign when there came an interruption which drowned the p

as parted, and Eleanor, Queen of England, staggered to

"Richard, our son, has been assas

t was with the greatest difficulty that the King fi

rch which did not end for over twenty years; but the first fruits of it turned the hearts of the court to stone, for there beside the open postern gate lay the dead bodies of Lady Ma

f the lords in waiting to the King reminded his majesty of the episode of the fenc

birthmark which closely resembled a lily and, when after a year no child was found bearing such a mark and no trace of De V

ight of reason, for it was evident that an assassin could have dispatched the little Pri

, Earl of Leicester, whose affection for his royal nephew had always been so

and although the great nobleman was divested of his authority in Gascon