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“Have we leave of the prince’s grace my brother to go?”
Tom said —
“Indeed your ladyships can have whatsoever of me they will, for the asking; yet would I rather give them any other thing that in my poor power lieth, than leave to take the light and blessing of their presence hence. Give ye good den, and God be with ye!” Then he smiled inwardly at the thought, “’tis not for nought[46] I have dwelt but among princes in my reading, and taught my tongue some slight trick of their broidered and gracious speech withal!”
When the illustrious maidens were gone, Tom turned wearily to his keepers and said —
“May it please your lordships to grant me leave to go into some corner and rest me?”
Lord Hertford said —
“So please your highness, it is for you to command, it is for us to obey. That thou should’st rest is indeed a needful thing, since thou must journey to the city presently.”
He touched a bell, and a page appeared, who was ordered to desire the presence of Sir William Herbert. This gentleman came straightway, and conducted Tom to an i
Next the tired captive sat down and was going to take off his buskins, timidly asking leave with his eye, but another silk-and-velvet discomforter went down upon his knees and took the office from him[47]. He made two or three further efforts to help himself, but being promptly forestalled each time, he finally gave up, with a sigh of resignation and a murmured “Beshrew me, but I marvel they do not require to breathe for me also!” Slippered, and wrapped in a sumptuous robe, he laid himself down at last to rest, but not to sleep, for his head was too full of thoughts and the room too full of people. He could not dismiss the former, so they stayed; he did not know enough to dismiss the latter, so they stayed also, to his vast regret – and theirs.
Tom’s departure had left his two noble guardians alone. They mused a while, with much head-shaking and walking the floor, then Lord St. John said —
“Plainly, what dost thou think?”
“Plainly, then, this. The King is near his end; my nephew is mad – mad will mount the throne, and mad remain. God protect England, since she will need it!”
“Verily it promiseth so[48], indeed. But… have you no misgivings as to… as to…”
The speaker hesitated, and finally stopped. He evidently felt that he was upon delicate ground. Lord Hertford stopped before him, looked into his face with a clear, frank eye, and said —
“Speak on – there is none to hear but me. Misgivings as to what?”
“I am full loth to word the thing that is in my mind, and thou so near to him in blood, my lord. But craving pardon if I do offend, seemeth it not strange that madness could so change his port and ma
“Peace, my lord, thou utterest treason! Hast forgot the King’s command? Remember I am party to thy crime if I but listen.”
St. John paled, and hastened to say —
“I was in fault, I do confess it. Betray me not, grant me this grace out of thy courtesy, and I will neither think nor speak of this thing more. Deal not hardly with me[49], sir, else am I ruined.”
“I am content, my lord. So thou offend not again, here or in the ears of others, it shall be as though thou hadst not spoken. But thou need’st not have misgivings. He is my sister’s son; are not his voice, his face, his form, familiar to me from his cradle? Madness can do all the odd conflicting things thou seest in him, and more. Dost not recall how that the old Baron Marley, being mad, forgot the favour of his own countenance that he had known for sixty years, and held it was another’s; nay, even claimed he was the son of Mary Magdalene, and that his head was made of Spanish glass; and, sooth to say, he suffered none to touch it, lest by mischance some heedless hand might shiver it? Give thy misgivings easement[50], good my lord. This is the very prince – I know him well – and soon will be thy king; it may advantage thee to bear this in mind, and more dwell upon it than the other.”
After some further talk, in which the Lord St. John covered up his mistake as well as he could by repeated protests that his faith was thoroughly grounded now, and could not be assailed by doubts again, the Lord Hertford relieved his fellow-keeper, and sat down to keep watch and ward alone. He was soon deep in meditation, and evidently the longer he thought, the more he was bothered. By-and-by he began to pace the floor and mutter.
“Tush, he must be the prince! Will any be in all the land maintain there can be two, not of one blood and birth, so marvellously twi
Presently he said —
“Now were he impostor and called himself prince, look you that would be natural; that would be reasonable. But lived ever an impostor yet, who, being called prince by the king, prince by the court, prince by all, denied his dignity and pleaded against his exaltation? No! By the soul of St. Swithin, no! This is the true prince, gone mad!”
Chapter VII
Tom’s First Royal Di
Somewhat after one in the afternoon, Tom resignedly underwent the ordeal of being dressed for di
46
’tis not for nought – (уст.) Не зря
47
took the office from him – (уст.) избавил его от этой работы
48
Verily it promiseth so – (уст.) Действительно, это похоже на правду
49
Deal not hardly with me – (уст.) Не поступай со мной так сурово
50
Give thy misgivings easement – (уст.) Гони прочь свои сомнения
51
Benvenuto – Бенвенуто Челлини (1500–1573), итальянский скульптор, ювелир, писатель
52
hunger had long been constitutional with him – (уст.) он уже давно проголодался
53
First Groom of the Chamber – (уст.) первый камергер