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Page 30
'Said De Aquila, after Jehan was gone down the stair: "Hugh, hast thou
ever told my Gilbert thou canst read Latin hand-of-write?"
'"No," said Hugh. "He is no friend to me, or to Odo my hound either."
'"No matter," said De Aquila. "Let him never know thou canst tell one
letter from its fellow, and"--here he jerked us in the ribs with his
scabbard--"watch him, both of ye. There be devils in Africa, as I have
heard, but by the Saints, there be greater devils in Pevensey!" And that
was all he would say.
'It chanced, some small while afterwards, a Norman man-at-arms would wed
a Saxon wench of the Manor, and Gilbert (we had watched him well since
De Aquila spoke) doubted whether her folk were free or slave. Since De
Aquila would give them a field of good land, if she were free, the
matter came up at the justice in Great Hall before De Aquila. First the
wench's father spoke; then her mother; then all together, till the hall
rang and the hounds bayed. De Aquila held up his hands. "Write her
free," he called to Gilbert by the fireplace. "A' God's name write her
free, before she deafens me! Yes, yes," he said to the wench that was on
her knees at him; "thou art Cerdic's sister, and own cousin to the Lady
of Mercia, if thou wilt be silent. In fifty years there will be neither
Norman nor Saxon, but all English," said he, "and _these_ are the men
that do our work!" He clapped the man-at-arms that was Jehan's nephew on
the shoulder, and kissed the wench, and fretted with his feet among the
rushes to show it was finished. (The Great Hall is always bitter cold.)
I stood at his side; Hugh was behind Gilbert in the fireplace making to
play with wise rough Odo. He signed to De Aquila, who bade Gilbert
measure the new field for the new couple. Out then runs our Gilbert
between man and maid, his beads clashing at his waist, and the Hall
being empty, we three sit by the fire.
'Said Hugh, leaning down to the hearthstones, "I saw this stone move
under Gilbert's foot when Odo snuffed at it. Look!" De Aquila digged in
the ashes with his sword; the stone tilted; beneath it lay a parchment
folden, and the writing atop was: "Words spoken against the King by our
Lord of Pevensey--the second part."
'Here was set out (Hugh read it us whispering) every jest De Aquila had
made to us touching the King; every time he had called out to me from
the shot-window, and every time he had said what he would do if he were
King of England. Yes, day by day had his daily speech, which he never
stinted, been set down by Gilbert, tricked out and twisted from its true
meaning, yet withal so cunningly that none could deny who knew him that
De Aquila had in some sort spoken those words. Ye see?'
Dan and Una nodded.
'Yes,' said Una gravely. 'It isn't what you say so much. It's what you
mean when you say it. Like calling Dan a beast in fun. Only grown-ups
don't always understand.'
'"He hath done this day by day before our very face?" said De Aquila.
'"Nay, hour by hour," said Hugh. "When De Aquila spoke even now, in the
Hall, of Saxons and Normans, I saw Gilbert write on a parchment, which
he kept beside the Manor-roll, that De Aquila said soon there would be
no Normans left in England if his men-at-arms did their work aright."
'"Bones of the Saints!" said De Aquila. "What avail is honour or a sword
against a pen? Where did Gilbert hide that writing? He shall eat it."
'"In his breast when he ran out," said Hugh. "Which made me look to see
where he kept his finished stuff. When Odo scratched at this stone here,
I saw his face change. So I was sure."
'"He is bold," said De Aquila. "Do him justice. In his own fashion, my
Gilbert is bold."
'"Overbold," said Hugh. "Hearken here," and he read: "Upon the Feast of
St Agatha, our Lord of Pevensey, lying in his upper chamber, being
clothed in his second fur gown reversed with rabbit----"
'"Pest on him! He is not my tire-woman!" said De Aquila, and Hugh and I
laughed.
'"Reversed with rabbit, seeing a fog over the marshes, did wake Sir
Richard Dalyngridge, his drunken cup-mate" (here they laughed at me)
"and said, 'Peer out, old fox, for God is on the Duke of Normandy's
side."'
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