Redgauntlet [247]
plainly dressed in a riding-habit, with a black cockade in his hat, but without any arms except a COUTEAU-DE-CHASSE, walked into the apartment without ceremony. He was a tall, thin, gentlemanly man, with a look and bearing decidedly military. He had passed through their guards, if in the confusion they now maintained any, without stop or question, and now stood, almost unarmed, among armed men, who nevertheless, gazed on him as on the angel of destruction.
'You look coldly on me, gentlemen,' he said. 'Sir Richard Glendale--my Lord --, we were not always such strangers. Ha, Pate-in-Peril, how is it with you? and you, too, Ingoldsby--I must not call you by any other name--why do you receive an old friend so coldly? But you guess my errand.'
'And are prepared for it, general,' said Redgauntlet; 'we are not men to be penned up like sheep for the slaughter.'
'Pshaw! you take it too seriously--let me speak but one word with you.'
'No words can shake our purpose,' said Redgauntlet, were your whole command, as I suppose is the case, drawn round the house.'
'I am certainly not unsupported,' said the general; 'but if you would hear me'--
'Hear ME, sir,' said the Wanderer, stepping forward; 'I suppose I am the mark you aim at--I surrender myself willingly, to save these gentlemen's danger--let this at least avail in their favour.'
An exclamation of 'Never, never!' broke from the little body of partisans, who threw themselves round the unfortunate prince, and would have seized or struck down Campbell, had it not been that he remained with his arms folded, and a look, rather indicating impatience because they would not hear him, than the least apprehension of violence at their hand.
At length he obtained a moment's silence. 'I do not,' he said, 'know this gentleman'--(making a profound bow to the unfortunate prince)--'I do not wish to know him; it is a knowledge which would suit neither of us.'
'Our ancestors, nevertheless, have been well acquainted,' said Charles, unable to suppress, even at that hour of dread and danger, the painful recollections of fallen royalty.
'In one word, General Campbell,' said Redgauntlet, 'is it to be peace or war? You are a man of honour, and we can trust you.'
'I thank you, sir,' said the general; 'and I reply, that the answer to your question rests with yourself. Come, do not be fools, gentlemen; there was perhaps no great harm meant or intended by your gathering together in this obscure corner, for a bear-bait or a cock-fight, or whatever other amusement you may have intended, but it was a little imprudent, considering how you stand with government, and it has occasioned some anxiety. Exaggerated accounts of your purpose have been laid before government by the information of a traitor in your own counsels; and I was sent down post to take the command of a sufficient number of troops, in case these calumnies should be found to have any real foundation. I have come here, of course, sufficiently supported both with cavalry and infantry, to do whatever might be necessary; but my commands are--and I am sure they agree with my inclination--to make no arrests, nay, to make no further inquiries of any kind, if this good assembly will consider their own interest so far as to give up their immediate purpose, and return quietly home to their own houses.'
'What!--all?' exclaimed Sir Richard Glendale--'all, without exception?'
'ALL, without one single exception' said the general; 'such are my orders. If you accept my terms, say so, and make haste; for things may happen to interfere with his Majesty's kind purposes towards you all.'
'Majesty's kind purposes!' said the Wanderer. 'Do I hear you aright, sir?'
'I speak the king's very words, from his very lips,' replied the general. '"I will," said his Majesty, "deserve the confidence of my subjects by reposing my security in the fidelity of the millions who acknowledge my title--in the good sense and prudence of the few who continue, from the errors of education, to disown it." His Majesty will not even
'You look coldly on me, gentlemen,' he said. 'Sir Richard Glendale--my Lord --, we were not always such strangers. Ha, Pate-in-Peril, how is it with you? and you, too, Ingoldsby--I must not call you by any other name--why do you receive an old friend so coldly? But you guess my errand.'
'And are prepared for it, general,' said Redgauntlet; 'we are not men to be penned up like sheep for the slaughter.'
'Pshaw! you take it too seriously--let me speak but one word with you.'
'No words can shake our purpose,' said Redgauntlet, were your whole command, as I suppose is the case, drawn round the house.'
'I am certainly not unsupported,' said the general; 'but if you would hear me'--
'Hear ME, sir,' said the Wanderer, stepping forward; 'I suppose I am the mark you aim at--I surrender myself willingly, to save these gentlemen's danger--let this at least avail in their favour.'
An exclamation of 'Never, never!' broke from the little body of partisans, who threw themselves round the unfortunate prince, and would have seized or struck down Campbell, had it not been that he remained with his arms folded, and a look, rather indicating impatience because they would not hear him, than the least apprehension of violence at their hand.
At length he obtained a moment's silence. 'I do not,' he said, 'know this gentleman'--(making a profound bow to the unfortunate prince)--'I do not wish to know him; it is a knowledge which would suit neither of us.'
'Our ancestors, nevertheless, have been well acquainted,' said Charles, unable to suppress, even at that hour of dread and danger, the painful recollections of fallen royalty.
'In one word, General Campbell,' said Redgauntlet, 'is it to be peace or war? You are a man of honour, and we can trust you.'
'I thank you, sir,' said the general; 'and I reply, that the answer to your question rests with yourself. Come, do not be fools, gentlemen; there was perhaps no great harm meant or intended by your gathering together in this obscure corner, for a bear-bait or a cock-fight, or whatever other amusement you may have intended, but it was a little imprudent, considering how you stand with government, and it has occasioned some anxiety. Exaggerated accounts of your purpose have been laid before government by the information of a traitor in your own counsels; and I was sent down post to take the command of a sufficient number of troops, in case these calumnies should be found to have any real foundation. I have come here, of course, sufficiently supported both with cavalry and infantry, to do whatever might be necessary; but my commands are--and I am sure they agree with my inclination--to make no arrests, nay, to make no further inquiries of any kind, if this good assembly will consider their own interest so far as to give up their immediate purpose, and return quietly home to their own houses.'
'What!--all?' exclaimed Sir Richard Glendale--'all, without exception?'
'ALL, without one single exception' said the general; 'such are my orders. If you accept my terms, say so, and make haste; for things may happen to interfere with his Majesty's kind purposes towards you all.'
'Majesty's kind purposes!' said the Wanderer. 'Do I hear you aright, sir?'
'I speak the king's very words, from his very lips,' replied the general. '"I will," said his Majesty, "deserve the confidence of my subjects by reposing my security in the fidelity of the millions who acknowledge my title--in the good sense and prudence of the few who continue, from the errors of education, to disown it." His Majesty will not even