The Knight Of The Golden Melice - John Turvill Adams (little red riding hood read aloud txt) 📗
- Author: John Turvill Adams
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Malignant Spirits Among Us, Who, Through The Pequot, Have Been
Disappointed In Expectations Of Trade."
There Was No Difference Of Opinion Between The Two, And It Was
Understood That They Should Be Silent On The Subject.
"Master Spikeman," Said The Knight, Addressing The Assistant Who Now
Met Them, "It Is A Pity We Had Not The Benefit Of Thy Prudent Counsels
In A Matter That Hath Just Happened; Yet Do I Trust That Our Conduct
Will Be Approved By Thy Better Judgment."
"Sir Christopher Gardiner Stands In No Need Of The Sanction Of My Poor
Opinion For Anything It May Please Him To Do," Answered Spikeman. "But
Resolve Me Your Riddle."
"Know You Not That The Ambassadors Have Left In Anger?"
"I Know It, And The Knowledge Fills Me With Foreboding Sorrow."
"Whether We Should Have Detained Or Allowed Them To Depart In Their
Present Frame Of Mind, Is The Question Which I Would Submit To Thy
Decision?"
"I Presume Not To Arraign Any Conclusion, Whereunto Either The
Worshipful Deputy Or Sir Christopher Gardiner May Arrive. Doubtless,
They Acted After Grave Consideration."
"Yet, Being Asked, Tell Me, With Thy Usual Candor, Master Spikeman,
What You Yourself Would Have Done In Like Circumstances?"
The Assistant Saw The Snare, And Determined That The Knight Should
Derive No Advantage From The Question. He Perceived That The Object
Was To Estop, By His Admissions, Any Objections To The Course Pursued
In Permitting The Taranteens To Leave, Which He Might Afterwards Be
Disposed To Make. He, Therefore, Replied:
"Never Be It Said That I Officiously Obtruded An Opinion; But, Sir
Christopher, Thus Urged, I Confess That It Had Better Pleased Me Had
The Savages Been Detained. Opportunity Might Then Have Been Afforded
To Disabuse Their Ignorance And Convince Them Of Our Innocence."
"I Will Not Say Thou Art In The Wrong, But If The Excellent Dudley
Erred, It Is A Strange Departure From His Ordinary Admirable
Judgment."
"I Pray Thee To Understand That I Impugn Not The Action Of The
Judicious Deputy Governor; But Wherefore Gave You Not--You Who Are So
Well Acquainted With The Nature Of These Heathens--Advice To Stop Them
For The Present?"
"And How Know You I Gave It Not? But Truly, Master Spikeman, I Did
Not. I Trust I Am Not Forward To Speak Before Princes. For What Saith
Holy Scripture: 'Even A Fool, When He Holdeth His Peace, Is Counted
Wise; And He That Shutteth His Lips Is Esteemed A Man Of
Understanding.' Yet Had I Seen Any Imminent Danger From Allowing The
Departure Of The Savages, Believe Me I Had Spoken, Even At The Risk Of
Incurring The Dishonor To See My Counsel Rejected."
"It Is Evident, Sir Christopher, That You Have Grave Doubts On The
Subject. Now, Methinks, It Had Been Well To Remember (Casting Aside,
As An Inconvenient Garment, These Scruples) What The Wise King Of
Israel Also Said, In Another Place: 'Where No Counsel Is, The People
Fall; But In The Multitude Of Counsellors There Is Safety.'"
"It Pains Me," Answered The Knight, Whose Courtesy Increased With The
Other's Coldness, "Not To Obtain Thine Approval. But, Master Spikeman,
Now That We Are Alone, (For Arundel, At The Very Beginning Of The
Conversation, Without Greeting, Or In Any Wise Noticing, The
Assistant, Had Passed On And Was Out Of Sight), I Avail Myself Of The
Good Chance To Avow My Anxious Desire To Secure Thy Friendship."
"If Such Truly Be The Wish Of Sir Christopher Gardiner," Returned The
Assistant, "It Is A Thing Easy To Be Compassed."
The Countenance Of The Knight Lighted Up, As He Replied, "I Rejoice
Greatly At Thy Words."
"But," Continued Spikeman, "I Am A Man Of Deeds And Not Of Words. I
Will Be Plain With You, Sir Christopher, And Show You That It Is No
Fault Of Mine That I Have Been Unable (However Much Desiring It) To
Look Upon You As A Well Wisher Of Mine, But Your Own. Have You Not
Interfered In Favor Of, And Harbored, That Philip Joy, Convicted Of
Contumelious Language Against The Magistrates And Elders, And Whom, I
Have Reason To Believe, Is Specially Evil-Disposed Toward Myself; And
Are You Not Now In Open Familiarity With, And A Supporter Of This
Young Man, Who But Just Now Parted From You; Who Deigned Not, Even By
A Look, To Notice Me; And Whose Business Here Seems To Be To Scatter
Reports Intended To Work Detriment To My Character? It Is Conduct Like
This Which Hath Separated Us One From The Other."
"Master Spikeman," Said The Knight, Deprecatingly, "The Relation
Wherein I Stand To Philip Is Of Public Notoriety, And, Therefore,
Cannot Be Unknown To You; And, Meseems, Is Sufficient To Excuse The
Slight Favor I Show Him. Yet, Herein Will I Approve Myself Loyal Unto
My Regard For Thee. I Believe Thou Errest In Ascribing An Evil Intent
On The Part Of Philip, But If He Cherish Any Such, I Will Take Order
With Him, Which Shall Redound To Thy Satisfaction. As For This Master
Arundel, Thou Layest More Stress Upon A Casual Acquaintance With Him
Than It Deserves. I Countenance Him Not. I Attach No More Consequence
To What He May Say Than Belongs To The Prattle Of A Beardless Boy.
Wouldst Have Me Rude To One Who Enlivens My Solitude, Being Fresh With
News From The Old World, And Who Visits Me Only Through A Like Love
With Myself Of Sylvan Sports?"
"I Presume Not To Dictate To Sir Christopher Gardiner," Said Spikeman,
Coldly, "Who Shall Be His Associates, Or What Course In Any Respect He
Shall Pursue. You Will Remember That Your Exculpation (Such As It Is)
Was Volunteered By Yourself."
The Eyes Of The Knight Fell To The Ground At This Ungracious Reply, So
That His Resentment, If He Felt Any, Was Hid Under Their Drooping
Lids. A Faint Suffusion Passed Over His Face, But After The Pause Of A
Moment, He Extended His Hand With A Smile, While He Said:
"I Will Find Means To Dissipate This Delusive Cloud That Interposes
Itself Betwixt Us. Meanwhile, Accept My Hand, In Token That, However
Changed Thyself, I Remain The Same."
It Was Impossible To Refuse To Take The Hand So Offered, But It Was
With No Cordial Grasp The Assistant Received It: And The Two Parted
With Feelings Of Aversion To One Another, Strengthened By The
Interview.
Chapter XVI (And, Douglass, More I Tell Thee Here, Even In Thy Pitch Of Pride,-- Here, In Thy Hold, Thy Vassals Near, * * * * I Tell Thee Thou'rt Defied.)
Marmion.
Three Weeks Followed After The Events Recorded, Without The Occurrence
Of Anything Deserving Special Mention. The Life Of The Colonists Went
On As Usual, In Erecting New Tenements, In Cultivating Their Farms,
And In Such Other Occupations As Their Situation Made Necessary. But
Little Was Seen Of The Knight In The Settlement, It Being Understood
That He Was Amusing Himself As Usual In The Sports Of The Forest. He
Did Occasionally, However, Make His Appearance In The Village, In The
Prosperity Of Which He Manifested An Interest. Notwithstanding The
Slighting Manner In Which He Had Spoken Of Arundel, And The
Displeasure Of Spikeman At The Favor Which He Showed The Young Man,
His Conduct Toward Him Remained Unchanged. As Before, Arundel Was
Frequently At Sir Christopher's Place, And Often Accompanied Him On
Short Expeditions, Though Never On Distant Excursions, Which Required
Several Days.
The Interest Of The Young Man In The Knight Increased Daily. Sir
Christopher's Manners Were So Gracious, His Temper So Sweet And
Equable, And The Sentiments He Expressed So Noble, That It Was
Impossible An Ingenuous Youth Should Escape Their Fascination. Yet Did
Arundei Fancy That The Attachment Which He Felt Was Hardly Returned.
It Might Be A Mere Fancy Springing From A Jealous Sensitiveness, Which
Is Disappointed If It Be Not Paid In The Full Measure Of Its Own Coin.
Perhaps The Inexperienced Youth Was Unreasonable In Expecting From His
Senior, Schooled To Greater Caution By Intercourse With The World, The
Demonstrativeness Which Characterized His Own Conduct. Be It As It
May, Upon More Acquaintance, The Knight Seemed To His Young Friend To
Resemble Nothing So Much As A Polished Rapier, Which, While It Shines
To The Eye, Is Cold To The Touch. Of The Pale Lady Geraldine He Saw
Little. He Had Noticed Accidentally A Circumstance In Reference To
Her, For Which He Was Unable To Account. Having Arrived Late One
Afternoon At The Residence Of The Knight, He Found, Upon Inquiring
After Him, That He Had Been Absent Several Days, And Was Not Expected
To Return For Two Or Three More. Arundel Then Asked To See The Lady,
But Was Answered That She Was Confined Sick To Her Room And Unable To
Receive Any One. Late As It Was, For The Sun Was Setting, He Was
Preparing To Return To The Settlement, When He Heard Sounding From The
Edge Of The Forest The Knight's Hunting Horn. He Stepped To The Outer
Door, And Beheld Sir Christopher Advancing With The Lady.
The Former Was Habited In His Usual Hunting Gear, While The Dress Of
The Lady Geraldine Consisted Of An Over-Coat Of Dark Cloth, Falling
Just Below The Knee, Fitting Tightly About The Chest, And Rising High
Into The Neck. On Her Feet Were Moccasins, Of The Natural Russet Shade
Of The Leather, Laced Up The Calf Of The Leg, So That They Nearly
Reached The Skirt, And On Her Head She Wore A Black Leather Cap,
Ornamented With An Ostrich's Feather, Beneath The Protection Of Which
Her Hair Fell Down In Plaits Upon Her Back. The Dress Was A Mixture Of
The Civilized And Of The Savage, And As She Approached, With A Little
Color In Her Cheeks, Occasioned By The Exercise, Arundel Thought That
She Looked Even Beautiful. Her Manner Appeared To Him To Betray
Confusion, But There Was No Embarrassment On The Part Of The Knight.
He Welcomed His Visitor With His Customary Politeness, Merely
Inquiring How Long It Was Since He Had Arrived, Adding, That His
Cousin Had Been Persuaded To Accompany Him On A Hunting Expedition,
For The Sake Of Her Health, Which Would Account For The Disorder Of
His House. The Two Were Accompanied By Several Natives, Among Whom Was
The Little Girl; But Their Hunt It Would Seem Had Been Unsuccessful,
For They Had Not Much Game. A Falsehood Had Been Told By The Domestic,
Evidently To Conceal The Absence Of The Lady, Which Arundel Could
Explain Only On The Supposition That It Was Designed To Mislead Others
And Not Himself, And Was Said To Him Only Because The Servant Was
Unable To Discriminate.
In Spite Of The Vigilance Of Spikeman, Arundel, Aided By The Cunning
Of Prudence, And The Connivance Of The Assistant's Wife, Had Two Or
Three Times Seen Eveline; And The Lovers, With Protestations Of
Eternal Fidelity, Encouraged Each Other To Look Forward To Happier
Days. Philip Joy Too, Though In Disobedience To The Orders Of The
Knight, Who Had Strictly Commanded Him Not To Put Foot Upon The Soil
Under The Jurisdiction Of Winthrop, Continued To Keep Up A
Communication With His Mistress. Pretty Prudence, Like A Beleaguered
City Hard Bested, Kept The Enemy Spikeman At Bay; Nor Did He, With All
His Parallels And Circumvallations, Make Any Progress. Not So,
However, Thought The Assistant, (For What Man Cannot The Cunning Of A
Coquette Deceive?) Who Every Once In A While Fancied The Fortress Was
About To Capitulate. Whenever He Began To Despair, A Few Sweet Smiles,
Or A Word Of Encouragement, Were Sufficient To Re-Kindle Hope; For
Though The Girl Hated Him, She Yet Took A Mischievous Pleasure In
Practising Her Caprices On Him, And Keeping Him Dangling At Her Apron
Strings.
Such Was The State Of Things, When One Morning A Canoe Was Seen
Entering The Harbor Of Boston, Containing A Couple Of Indians. They
Paddled Directly Up To The Wharf, Where Several Persons Were Standing,
Looking On, While Others Were Engaged In Various Employments Connected
With Commerce, And Sedately Stepping On Shore, One Of Them Hauled
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