Tom Tufton's Travels Read online

  CHAPTER VIII. THE GREAT DUKE.

  "Now, Tom, keep your eyes well open. He is about to appear!"

  Tom was standing, tall and silent, feeling singularly out of placein that gorgeous company, in a magnificent reception room,brilliantly lighted, and crowded from one end to the other with athrong of highly-born and fashionable persons.

  He had been introduced by Lord Claud into this gay assembly, andwas already half disposed to wish himself away.

  Tom had been several weeks in town now; and after his firstencounter with Lord Claud, which had led to such close intimacy fora few days, he had seen nothing of that remarkable personage forthe space of two or three weeks.

  Although perhaps a little piqued that his patron had not sent himso much as a line of invitation, or seemed to remember hisexistence, Tom was not sure that he regretted his lack of memory.Lord Claud had certainly fascinated his imagination, and won hisaffections; but he seemed to be a mysterious character, whosefriendship might not prove too desirable a possession. It was nothis place, he thought, with the simple pride of the countryman, toseek to thrust himself upon a man so much greater than himself. Sohe had gone about seeing the sights of the town with Harry Gay,spending his money with some freedom, and indulging in a littleplay and dicing at various houses of entertainment. But he keptwithin moderate bounds in his pleasures, both because he desired toeke out his funds as far as possible, and because he did not wishto fall under the displeasure of his kind host, Master Cale, thefather of pretty Rosamund.

  Tom thought a good deal about Rosamund during the week, andregarded Sunday as the red-letter day of his calendar. Master Caledid not forbid him to be of their company upon the afternoons whenthey walked abroad, and he and the maid were excellent friends bythis time, and exchanged many gay quips and sallies together.Rosamund always made him tell the story of his past week in somedetail; and Tom had therefore another motive for keeping free fromscenes and company which would have made his story unfit hearingfor her pretty ears.

  Already he had begun to think that when he had travelled and seenthe world, and was ready to go home and take up the duties which atfive and twenty would devolve upon him, he would return with fargreater contentment and pleasure if he could take back Rosamund ashis wife. He could not fancy that any life would be dull andmonotonous shared with her, nor any home dreary that was lightenedby the sunshine of her presence.

  The image of Rosamund had begun almost to obliterate that of LordClaud in his imagination, when suddenly one day he found himselfagain in company of that gentleman at the coffee house he generallyfrequented.

  Lord Claud laid a friendly hand upon his shoulder, saying, with alight laugh:

  "O Tom, Tom, whom I called so trusty, I fear me you are as fickleas any maid! But what does the prophet when the mountain will notcome to him? He even puts his pride in his pocket and goes to themountain. You are a solid mountain in your way, good Tom; and hereis the prophet come after you!"

  Tom looked up, half ashamed, half flattered, the charm of LordClaud's presence beginning at once to make itself felt.

  "My lord, I could not think you wanted such a humble person asmyself! And you had but to send me a line to Master Cale's if youdid," he stammered.

  Lord Claud dropped into the seat next him, laughing a light,low-toned laugh.

  "I like your simplicity, my honest Tom. Keep it as long as you can;for it is a quality rarely met with in these days, and smells assweet as lavender in country gardens. I have not been wont to needto ask my friends to visit me. They swarm about my rooms like beesround honey, so long as there be honey to gather from my hive. Howdo you think you are going to live, my young friend, when yourstore of guineas is melted, if you have not learned that noble artof picking and stealing, which our young blades of fashion practisewith such success and grace?"

  So the acquaintance was renewed, Tom quickly falling again beneaththe spell of the strong personality of Lord Claud. He had notentirely ceased his sword practice with Captain Raikes during thepast weeks, and now was to be found at his hall almost every day.Lord Claud himself would sometimes come and watch and applaud; andmore than once, as the two had walked away together, linked arm inarm, his patron had said:

  "Good swordsmanship is an art to be greatly prized. It makes a manrespected and feared. It gives him distinction with his fellows.Besides, one never knows when it may be useful for the saving ofone's skin. A man who can wield the rapier with skill, master hishorse as you can, honest Tom, and shoot fair and true with pistoland musket, may go through life to a merry tune, and even die atlast in his bed, if he has a mind for so respectable an end!"

  The days were shortening to their darkest by now. Snow fell in thestreets, and made walking disagreeable. Tom found it pleasant toride along beside Lord Claud, mounted upon the mettlesome mare,Nell Gwynne, who appeared kept just now for his especial use andbehoof. He still spent his Sundays at his lodgings; but prettyRosamund was not always able to come across when the snow lay deepalong the country roads. Tom began to think less of her again, andmore of his patron and friend; being, as may have already beengleaned, a youth of impressionable nature, easily moulded by thecharacter of his associates, although not without a latent firmnessof will which might develop into sterling metal in time, though,perhaps, not until the admixture of dross had been purged away bythe action of the furnace of trial.

  All London was now agog over the return of the victor of Blenheim.The great Duke of Marlborough had been upon his way home for sometime. In the middle of December he reached London, and took hisseat in the House of Lords; and it was said that early in the nextyear there would be a monstrous fine procession from the Tower toWestminster, in which all the trophies of war would be solemnlyparaded.

  Tom was as excited as anybody over all this, and as eager to obtainsight of the great Duke. Lord Claud had promised that he should notonly see him, but be one of the same company at some fine housewhere he would show himself. Tom had often been to grand enoughhouses already with his friend; but it seemed to him overmuch tosuppose that he could be introduced into any company of which theDuke of Marlborough was to be a member.

  Lord Claud, however, was not given to vain boasting. The open-housefestivities of Christmas were approaching. He himself had won theentree to an extraordinary number of fashionable houses; and thisevening here was Tom, come with his patron to a nobleman'sdwelling, standing in the crowd of fashionable grandees, all in aflutter of excitement to see the hero of the hour at closequarters.

  "Keep your eyes open, Tom; you cannot fail to see him as he passesthrough the room. You are lucky in being able to look over theheads of all the crowd. No tiptoeing lady can intercept your vieweven with her towering headdress!"

  This was hardly true; for there were ladies whose headdresses wereof such monstrous proportions that the dame of five feet stoodseven feet high, taking the heels of her shoes and the tower on herhead into consideration! But luckily these extravagant follies wereconfined only to the few, the majority of the ladies being contentwith a headdress of more moderate dimensions.

  There was a great buzz of talk going on as it became known that theDuke was approaching--some eager to know if the Duchess would bewith him; others laughing at the name, and vowing that Mrs. Morleycould never bear to part with her dear Mrs. Freeman even for anhour!

  The doors at the end of the room were thrown suddenly open. Themaster of the house appeared, leading with great distinction ofmanner a little knot of guests, who passed through the crowdedouter reception room at a slow pace, returning the many salutationsof the company with great show of goodwill, disappearing presentlybehind the curtains which shut off the innermost room where thelady of the house was awaiting them, with some of the more selectand high-born guests.

  "That is the Duke," said Lord Claud to Tom, indicating a tall andelegant man, who looked to him hardly old enough for the general ofso many victorious battles. He was singularly handsome, with alanguid grace of bearing that seemed strange in a soldier. He spokein a
peculiarly modulated and refined voice, and plainly possessedthe art of saying the right thing to the right person, and that atthe right moment. His silver tongue had done as much good servicein keeping the Allies in harmony, as his military genius in formingcombinations and defeating the ends of the enemy.

  At his side was the Duchess, a fine-looking woman of commandingpresence, not beautiful, but with a very elegant figure andremarkably abundant hair, which she wore in a more tasteful waythan most of the company. A few paces behind came another notablefigure, that of Marshal Tallard, the French general whomMarlborough had taken prisoner at Blenheim, and whom he had broughtwith him to England; but whom he treated with every courtesy, andwith whom he bad formed something very like a real friendship.

  Lord Claud whispered to Tom that Marshal Tallard had been the oneFrench general whose genius was in the least able to cope with thatof Marlborough; and to have him in safe keeping in this country wasa most excellent thing for the Grand Alliance.

  As soon as the distinguished guests had disappeared, the buzz oftalk rose louder than before. Tom asked, in puzzled tones, what allthis chatter about Mrs. Morley and Mrs. Freeman meant; and LordClaud laughed, as he replied:

  "Have you never heard of the whim of the Queen to call herself Mrs.Morley in her letters to the Duchess, who in her turn is Mrs.Freeman? And very well is she so named, for never was subject morefree with sovereign than is Duchess Sarah with good Queen Anne.Indeed, there be not those lacking who say that such freedom cannotgo on for ever. However fondly the Queen may love the Duchess now,she cannot for ever submit to be the subject of her subject. Someday there will be a storm, and then it will behove Mrs. Freeman tosing to a different tune! For the Queen has a will of her own whenonce it is roused, and can show a stubborn front when shechooses--as some of her ministers have already found to theirdiscomfiture!"

  Lord Claud strolled away presently, leaving Tom to look about himand listen to the idle chatter of the shifting throng. He made outthat though the Duke of Marlborough was in great popular esteem,his Duchess was little liked; and spiteful things were circulatedto her disfavour all round the room. It was plain that she had avery overbearing temper, and made many enemies; but her affectionfor her husband and children was never disputed, nor his for her,though there were many who marvelled what a man of his parts couldsee in such a shrew to be so devoted to her as had always been thecase.

  "For she belabours him sorely with her tongue times and again, andofttimes writes him fiery letters, which discompose him more than areverse in arms. When she smiles, he is filled with an extraordinaryjoy; and when she frowns, he knows no peace till he has conciliatedher. 'Tis the strangest thing in a man such as he; and the Queen isjust as bad. In old days the woman would have been burned as a witch,for she has certainly bewitched that pair, though no one else cansee wherein her wondrous charm lies."

  Later on in the evening, when the company had somewhat thinned, andwhen the card rooms had drawn off a number of those who yetremained, the Duke was seen strolling by himself through the suiteof rooms, exchanging friendly nods and words with the many eageracquaintances he met there.

  Marlborough had that recollection of faces which is so often theprerogative of royalty; and he had none of the pride which hindersa man from greeting an old friend, even though his station in lifewas humble. The Duke had been but the son of a country gentleman,when he came to court as plain John Churchill. He had climbed theladder of fame and fortune fast; but he remembered his formerfriends, and never forgot to salute them in company. His charm ofmanner was felt by all who came in contact with him. Howeverworried or hard pressed, he never let his irritation be seen, andhe never appeared in haste. He was as suave and gentle in manneramongst the humbler sort of company as in the presence of royaltyitself; and his clear glance passed quickly from face to face as hetalked, as though he were secretly taking the measure of men,although his languor of manner never varied.

  More than once, as he walked hither and thither through the rooms,had Tom's glance crossed his. Possibly it was the young man's greatheight which took the eye of the soldier in the midst of thiscrowd, where smirking fops and bending courtiers predominated. Tomcould not be accused of bowing or smirking. He remained the wholetime leaning back against the wall in the same place; his facegrave; his eyes following the movements of this or that person; hislips silent, because he could not frame them to the jargon oftongues and the stilted phrases of the day, and besides he had noacquaintances in this gay throng, save only Lord Claud himself.

  Tom was looking in some curiosity to see if Lord Claud wasacquainted with the Duke. He had never said so; but then Lord Claudwas not given to boasting, and had already surprised Tom by thenumber of his notable acquaintances. The Duke was walking along,skirting the wall of the room. Everybody gave way for him to pass.He was now very near to Lord Claud, and not far from Tom himself,for his patron had been strolling idly in his direction.

  Tom saw the eyes of the two men cross, and Lord Claud make hiscourtly bow, to which the Duke responded gracefully. Lord Claudtook one step forward, and said in a low tone, every syllable ofwhich, however, was audible to Tom:

  "I have never before had the honour of speaking with your Grace;but there is one word that I crave to speak in your ear. If therebe some secret mission of danger which the Duke of Marlboroughdesires to intrust to two men, stout of heart, cool of head, andskilled in the use of the sword, then I can promise that theservices of myself and my trusty comrade here are at your Grace'sdisposal; and I think I can promise that, whether we succeed ornot, we can be true to the death."

  And Lord Claud, as he spoke, laid a hand upon the arm of theastonished Tom, who had certainly not understood his words offormer days to mean anything quite so definite as this.

  At the same time the heart of the youth leaped within him as heheard, and he felt a thrill run through his veins. As the soft yetsearching gaze of the Duke fell upon him, he felt himself flush tothe temples like a girl; and yet at that moment he felt that hecould willingly lay down his life to serve so great a man as this.

  "And who may have told you, sir, that I have need of trusty men forthe secret service?" asked Marlborough, in his even tone.

  "My knowledge of men and of warfare have told me," answered LordClaud, with his accustomed serenity of manner. "True men are not tobe plucked from every tree, as I have found to mine own cost. A manmay prove but a treacherous reed, upon whom if one leans it goesinto his hand. Therefore, your Grace, have I made bold to tell youof two trusty servants, something wearied with the hollow life ofthis great city, who are willing and ready to travel fartherafield, and to whom peril or danger adds but zest to any quest."

  Marlborough stood thoughtfully regarding the two men before him.Lord Claud returned his gaze by one full and calm; Tom's eyesglowed and kindled by reason of the keenness of the surgingthoughts within.

  "You are he whom men call Lord Claud," said the Duke thoughtfully."You know that there are strange whispers afloat about you, mylord?"

  "I know it well."

  "And you have never denied those whispers?"

  Lord Claud smiled slightly.

  "My sword has answered a few taunts. For the rest, I heed them notovermuch. If we began to take cognizance of the chatterings of thisworld of magpies, we might have a duel to fight every day of ourlives."

  Marlborough smiled slightly at the nonchalance of the reply.

  "That is all you have to say to me, Lord Claud?"

  "That is all, your Grace."

  For a moment there was silence, whilst the Duke bent his eyes uponthe ground; then he looked straight at Tom.

  "And who are you, young sir?"

  Tom glanced at Lord Claud, but seeing that he was to answer forhimself, he did so frankly and candidly. He was not ashamed of hishumble birth, and made no secret of it; nor did he deny that heshould never have found himself in such fine company save for theintroduction and good offices of Lord Claud.

  "And you desire to see foreign parts?"
<
br />   "I was sent from home that I might do so. My father thought I mightfind room in your Grace's army to fight for my country. I wassmitten so with the wonders of London that I have lingered herelong. But I begin to weary of the life. I would gladly go forth andsee new lands, the more so if I could travel with a comrade whoknew to frame his tongue to foreign speech;" and here he glanced atLord Claud, who seemed to him a notable linguist.

  "You know no tongue but your own, Mr. Tufton?"

  "Never a word; and even that I cannot speak as men speak it inLondon town, so that I am fain to keep silence in a crowd likethis, lest men laugh me to scorn, and anger me till I say or dosomething unseemly;" and the lad's face flushed, for he had beensorely provoked before this, and had need of all his patience toquell the tempest of his soul.

  The Duke smiled at this boyish frankness of speech; but then hisface grew grave again, and he stood a while in thought. Then helooked at Lord Claud, and said with some significance:

  "I will think more of this matter, sir. I have used strange toolsbefore this, and ofttimes with success. The secret service has itssecrets and its surprises; and I have my own methods of winning thefidelity of the messengers I employ."

  "So I have heard, your Grace."

  The two men looked full at each other, and the glance was neitherunfriendly nor suspicious. It appeared to Tom as though there weremutual liking, and a disposition to confidence; but this wasneither the time nor the place to indulge it.

  "Till all this feasting and pageantry be over, I am not mine ownmaster, and I can scarce find time for the needful business of thehour," said Marlborough; "but later on I hope to be free to spend ashort spell of well-earned rest in mine own house of Holywell, hardby St. Albans. If you should receive a summons to visit me there,come privately, and bring your friend with you. It may be I shallmake use of your services ere long."

  With a slight bow, which was respectfully returned by Tom, and moregracefully by Lord Claud, the Duke moved away; and Tom's eyes werealight with excitement as he asked eagerly:

  "What does it mean? What have you offered? What will he use usfor?"

  Lord Claud led his pupil away through the crowded rooms, out intothe cold night air; but neither of them felt the cold. A keenexcitement filled their veins as with molten fire.

  "He rose to it!" quoth Lord Claud exultantly; "I saw it evergrowing in favour as he turned it over. I have heard of his methodsin the secret service. He spends more money, and gets greaterresults than any general has ever yet done. He says truth when hespeaks of employing strange tools. Well, let him employ thisstrange tool--and it shall not play him false!

  "My coffers are almost bare, Tom. And I am sick of crowds andfoppery and the follies of the city. I would fain away on the backof my good steed, and feel what freedom is like once more. Gold Imust have; and the King's gold is my fancy. Let me win it this timeby my services, which shall be true and faithful; but if not--well,let them not say the fault is mine!"

  "The Queen's, you mean," said Tom. "We serve our Queen now."

  Lord Claud gave a short laugh.

  "You speak sooth, honest Tom; we have a Queen now, and I would notdo despite to our good Queen Anne! I was thinking of the last timeI had won royal gold--then it was the King's money that replenishedmy empty exchequer!"

  He laughed again, and Tom looked at him half uneasily; whichperceiving, he changed his tone, and in a short time the youth hadforgotten everything save the glorious prospect of adventure andperil, and the handling thereafter of golden treasure; for if theDuke was accounted a lover of money, no man ever accused him ofshowing meanness in rewarding the services of others.

  The next weeks flew by almost like a dream for Tom; and truly hefelt he must surely be dreaming when he watched the gorgeouspageant of the third of January, and witnessed from a commandingsituation the grand procession of the trophies of war as it woundits way from the Tower to Westminster Hall.

  Companies of horse and foot made a brave and gallant show; rowafter row of pikemen with the captured standards; a goodly numberof the nobles of the land; and the great Duke himself, at whose'appearance the populace shouted till they were hoarse, ladies wavedhandkerchiefs, and the city seemed to go mad with joy and applause.

  Almost grander still was the pageant three days later, when thevictor of Blenheim went in state to the Goldsmiths' Hall, to abanquet given in his honour by the Lord Mayor and Town Council. Hewas conveyed there in one of the royal carriages; the greatest menin the kingdom, and some princely guests, accompanied him; andagain the whole city turned out to give him welcome. At Temple Barthe city marshals received him in state, garlands were flung, andtrumpets proclaimed the idol of the hour. The Commons werepetitioning the Queen to suggest some fitting tribute for theservices of so great a man; and the gift of the royal manor ofWoodstock, and the erection by royal bounty of the palace ofBlenheim (although after his fall and disgrace Marlborough had tofinish the palace at his own cost) were the results of this appeal.

  Tom witnessed all these brave sights, and had his head well-nighturned by all the rejoicings in which the city took part. EvenMaster Cale scarcely chid him for the way in which his guineas wereflying; although he warned Tom that they would not last long atsuch a pace. But Tom laughed now, and said he had the prospect ofearning more when these were gone; and Lord Claud laughed lightlywhen the subject came up, and told Tom that the pleasantest waywith money was to spend it freely whilst it lasted, and then turnto and get more. There were a hundred ways of doing this, heassured him; and Torn half believed him, and found it mightypleasant to throw about his gold as the young bloods of fashiondid, and have a pretty costly trinket to offer to Rosamund wheneverthey chanced to meet.

  Master Cale would rather the child had not had these gay gewgawsforced upon her; but he could not chide overmuch when he saw thebrightness of her eyes and the eagerness upon her face. Besides,Tom had already spoken of his speedy departure for foreign lands;and although Rosamund pouted, and professed that it was very unkindof him to go just when they had grown to be friends, her father sawno indications of deeper feeling. And, indeed, the maid had as yetno real love for any but her father. Tom had taken her fancy, asbeing the finest and handsomest youth she had ever come across, butshe regarded him as a being quite out of her sphere; and though herheart fluttered a little at first sight of him, she could lookforward to the thought of his absence with great equanimity.

  "You will come back and tell us all your adventures," she said, asthough that would make up for much; and Tom faithfully promised,although he fancied there might be many reservations in the tale hewould tell.

  One day before the month of January had fled Tom received a summonsto Lord Claud's lodging. There he found everything in confusion,servants hurrying hither and thither, and the valet packing up somesober clothing in a small valise that could be strapped across asaddle.

  When Tom came face to face with Lord Claud he saw a new expressionin the eyes of his patron. All the languor and indifference hadfled. His whole aspect was of a man bound upon some stern errand.

  "Tom," he said briefly, "the time has come. Go home and don yourstoutest riding dress. Take a second with you in saddlebag orvalise; and hide such money as you have left somewhere upon yourperson. Then come back hither, and we will dine together. We are tostart upon our journey this very day; and our first stage isHolywell House, near St. Albans."