[begin page 323]
Miles Hendon was picturesque enoughⒶalteration in the MS before he got into the riot on London Bridge—he was more so when he got out of it.Ⓐalteration in the MS He had but little money when he got in, none at allⒶalteration in the MS when he got out. The pickpockets had stripped him of his last farthing.
But no matter, so he found his boy. Being a soldier, he did not go at his taskⒶalteration in the MS in a random way, butⒶalteration in the MS set to work, first of all, to arrange his campaign.
What would the boy naturally do? Where would he naturally go? Well—argued Miles—he would naturally go to his former haunts, for that is the instinct of unsound minds, when homeless and for-saken,Ⓐalteration in the MS as well as of sound ones. WhereaboutsⒶalteration in the MS were his former haunts? [begin page 324] HisⒶalteration in the MS rags, taken together with the low villain who seemed to know him and who evenⒶalteration in the MS claimed to be his father, indicated that his home was in one or another of the poorest and meanest districts of London. Would the search for him be difficult, or long? No, it was likely to be easy and brief. He would not hunt for the boy, he would hunt for a crowd; in the centre ofⒶalteration in the MS a big crowd or a little one, sooner or later, he should find his poor little friend, sure; andⒶalteration in the MS the mangy mob would be entertaining itself with pestering and aggravating the boy, who would be proclaiming himself king, as usual. Then Miles Hendon would cripple some of those people, and carry off his little ward, and comfort and cheer him with loving words, and the two would never be separated any more.
So Miles started on his quest. Hour afterⒶhistorical collation Ⓐemendation hour he tramped through back alleys and squalid streets, seeking groups and crowds, and finding no end of them, but never any sign of the boy. This greatly surprised him, but did not discourage him. To his notion, there was nothing the matter with his plan of campaign; the only miscalculationⒶalteration in the MS about it was that the campaign was becoming a lengthy one, whereas he had expected it to be short.
When daylight arrived, at last, he had made many a mile, and canvassed many a crowd, but the only result was that he was tolerablyⒶalteration in the MS tired, rather hungry, and very sleepy. He wanted some breakfast, but there was no way to get it. To beg for it did not occur to him; as to pawning his sword, he would as soon have thought of partingⒶalteration in the MS with his honor; he could spare some of his clothes—yes, but one could as easily find a customer for a disease as for such clothes.
At noon he was still tramping—among the rabble which followed after the royal procession, now; for he argued that this regal display would attract his little lunatic powerfully. He followed the pageant through all its devious windingsⒶalteration in the MS about London, and all the way to Westminster and the Abbey. He driftedⒶalteration in the MS here and there amongst the multitudes that were massed in the vicinity for a weary long time, baffled and perplexed, and finally wandered off, thinking, and trying to contrive some way to better his plan of campaign. By and by, when he came to himself out of his musings, he discovered that the town was far behind him and that the day was growing old. He was near the river, and in the country; it was a region of fine ruralⒶalteration in the MS seats—not the sort of district to welcome clothes like his.
[begin page 325]It was not at all cold; so he stretched himself on the ground in the lee of a hedge to rest and think. Drowsiness presently began to settle upon his senses; the faint and far-off boom of cannon was wafted to his ear, and he said to himself “The new king is crowned,” and straightway fell asleep. He had not slept or rested, before, for more than thirty hours. He did not wake again until near the middle of the next morning.
He got up, lame, stiff, and half famished, washed himself in the river, stayed his stomach with a pint or two of water, and trudged off toward Westminster grumbling at himself for having wastedⒶalteration in the MS so much time. Hunger helped him to a new plan, now; he wouldⒶalteration in the MS try to get speech with old Sir Humphrey Marlow and borrow a few marks, and—but that was enough of a plan for the present; it would be time enough to enlarge it when this first stage should be accomplished.
Toward eleven o’clock he approached the palace; and although a host of showy people were about him, moving in the same direction, he was not inconspicuous—his costume took care of that. He watched these people’s faces narrowly, hoping to find a charitable one whose possessor might be willing to carry his name to the old lieutenantⒶtextual note—as to trying to get into the palace himself, that was simply out of the question.
[begin page 326]Presently our whipping-boyⒶemendation passed him,Ⓐalteration in the MS then wheeled about and scanned his figure well, saying to himself, “An’ that is not the very vagabond his majesty is in such a worry about, then am I an assⒶalteration in the MS—though belike I was that before. He answereth the description to a rag—that God should makeⒶalteration in the MS two such, would be to cheapen miracles, by wastefulⒶalteration in the MS repetition. I would I could contrive an excuse to speak with him.”
Miles Hendon saved him the trouble; for he turnedⒶalteration in the MS about, then, as a man generallyⒶalteration in the MS will when somebody mesmerizes him by gazing hard at him from behind; and observing a strong interest in the boy’s eyes, he stepped toward him and said—
“You have just come out from the palace; do you belong there?”
“Yes, your worship.”
“Know you Sir Humphrey Marlow?”
The boy started, and said to himself, “Lord! mine old departed father!” Then he answered,Ⓐalteration in the MS aloud, “Right well, your worship.”
“Good—is he within?”
“Yes,” said the boy; and added, to himself, “within his grave.”
“Might I crave your favor to carry my name to him, and say I beg to say a word in his ear?”
“IⒶalteration in the MS will despatch the business right willingly, fair sir.”
“Then say Miles Hendon, son of Sir Richard, is here without—I shall be greatly bounden to you, my good lad.”
The boy looked disappointed—“the kingⒶalteration in the MS did not name him so,” he said to himself—“but it mattereth not, this is his twin brother, and can give his majesty news of t’other Sir-Odds-and-Ends,Ⓐalteration in the MS I warrant.” So heⒶalteration in the MS said to Miles, “Step in there a moment, good sir, and wait till I bring you word.”
Hendon retired to the place indicated—it was a recessⒶalteration in the MS sunk in the palace wall, with a stone bench in it—a shelter for sentinels in bad weather. He had hardly seated himself when some halberdiers, in charge of an officer, passed by. The officer saw him, halted his men, and commanded Hendon to come forth.Ⓐalteration in the MS He obeyed, and was promptly arrestedⒶalteration in the MS as a suspicious character prowling within the precincts of the palace. Things began to look ugly. Poor Miles was going to explain, but the officer roughlyⒶalteration in the MS silenced him, and ordered his men to disarm him and search him.
“God of his mercy grant that they find somewhat,” said poor Miles; [begin page 327] “I have searched enow, and failed, yet is my need greater than theirs.”
Nothing was found but a document. The officer tore it open, and Hendon smiled when he recognized the “pot-hooksⒶemendation” made by his lost little friend that black day at Hendon Hall. The officer’s face grew dark as he read the English paragraph, and Miles’sⒶhistorical collation blenched to the opposite color as he listened.
“Another new claimant of the crown!” cried the officer. “Verily they breed like rabbits, to-day. SeizeⒶemendation the rascal, men, and see ye keep him fast whilst I convey this precious paper within and send it to the king.”
He hurried away, leaving the prisoner in the grip of the halberdiers.
“Now is my evil luck ended at last,” muttered Hendon, “for I shall dangle at a rope’s end for a certainty, by reason of that bit of writing. [begin page 328] And what will become of my poor lad!—ah, only the good God knoweth.”
By and by he saw the officer coming again, in a great hurry; so he plucked his courage together, purposing to meet his trouble as became a man. The officer orderedⒶhistorical collation Ⓐemendation the men to loose the prisoner and return his sword to himⒶalteration in the MS; then bowed respectfully, and said—
“Please you sir, to follow me.”
Hendon followed, saying to himself, “An’Ⓐalteration in the MS I were not traveling to death and judgmentⒶemendation, and so must needs economizeⒶemendation in sin, I would throttle this knave for his mock courtesy.”
The two traversed a populous court, and arrivedⒶalteration in the MS at the grand entrance of the palace, where the officer, with another bow,Ⓐalteration in the MS delivered Hendon into the hands of a gorgeous official, who received him with profound respect and led him forward throughⒶalteration in the MS a great hall, lined on both sides with rows of splendid flunkeys (who made reverential obeisance as the two passed along, but fell into death-throes of silent laughter at our stately scarecrowⒶemendation the moment his back was turned,)Ⓐalteration in the MS and up a broadⒶalteration in the MS staircase, among flocks of fine folk, and finally conducted him into a vast room, clove a passage for him through the assembled nobility of England, then made a bow, reminded him to take his hat off,Ⓐalteration in the MS and left him standing in the middle of the room, a mark for all eyes, for plenty of indignant frowns, and for a sufficiency of amused and derisive smiles.
Miles Hendon was entirely bewildered. There sat the young king, under a canopy of state, five steps away,Ⓐalteration in the MS with his head bent down and aside, speaking with a sort of human bird of paradise—a duke, maybe; Hendon observed to himself that it was hard enough to be sentenced to death in the full vigor of life, without having this peculiarly public humiliation added. He wished the king would hurry about it—some of the gaudy people near by were becoming pretty offensive. At this moment the king raised his head slightly and Hendon caught a good view of his face. The sight nearly took his breath away! He stoodⒶalteration in the MS gazing at the fair young face like one transfixed; then presently ejaculated—
“Lo, the lord of the KingdomⒶalteration in the MS of Dreams and Shadows on his throne!”
He muttered some broken sentences, still gazing and marveling; then turned his eyes aroundⒶalteration in the MS and about, scanning the gorgeous throng [begin page 329]
He stared at the king again—and thought, “Is it a dream?. . . . . .or is he the veritable sovereign of England, and not the friendless poor Tom o’ Bedlam I took him for—who shall solve me this riddle?”Ⓐalteration in the MS A sudden idea flashed in his eye, and he strode to the wall, gathered up a chair, brought it back, planted it on the floor, and sat down in it!
A buzz of indignation broke out, a roughⒶalteration in the MS hand was laid upon him, and a voice exclaimed,—
“Up, thou mannerless clown!—wouldst sit in the presence of the king?”
The disturbance attractedⒶalteration in the MS his majesty’s attention, who stretched forth his hand and cried out—
“Touch him not, it is his right!”
The throng fell back, stupefied.Ⓐalteration in the MS The king went on—
“Learn ye all, ladies, lords and gentlemen, that this is my trusty and well beloved servant, Miles Hendon, who interposed his good sword [begin page 330]
Two persons, who, through delay, had only arrived from the country during this morning, and had now been in this room only five minutes, stood listening to these words and looking at the king, then at the scarecrow, then at the king again, in a sort of torpid bewilderment.Ⓐalteration in the MS These were Sir Hugh and the ladyⒶemendation Edith. But the new earlⒶemendation did not see them. He was still staring at the monarch, in a dazed way, and muttering—
“OⒶhistorical collation, body o’ me! This my pauper! this my lunatic! This is he whom I would show what grandeur was, in my house of seventy rooms and [begin page 331] seven and twenty servants! This is he who had never known aught but rags for raiment, kicks for comfort, and offal for diet! This is he whom I adopted and would make respectable! Would God I had a bag to hide my head in!”
Then his manners suddenly came back to him, and he dropped upon his knees, with his hands between the king’s, and swore allegiance and did homage for his lands and titles. Then he rose and stood respectfully aside, a mark still for all eyes—and much envy, too.
Now the king discovered Sir High, and spoke out, with wrathful voice and kindling eye—
“Strip this robber of his false showⒶhistorical collation Ⓐemendation and stolen estates, and put him under lock and key till I have need of him.”
The late Sir Hugh was led away.Ⓐalteration in the MS
There was a stir at the other end of the room, now; the assemblage fell apart,
and Tom Canty, quaintly but richlyⒶalteration in the MS clothed, marched down, betweenⒶalteration in the MS these
liv-
“I have learnedⒶalteration in the MS the story of these past few weeks, and am well pleased with thee. Thou hast governed the realm with right royal gentleness and mercy. Thou hast found thy mother and thy sisters again? Good; they shall be cared for—and thy father shall hang, if thou desire it and the law consent. Know, all ye that hear my voice, that from this day, they that abide in the shelter of Christ’s Hospital and share the king’s bounty, shall have their minds and hearts fed, as well as their baser parts; and this boy shall dwell there, and hold the chief place inⒶalteration in the MS its honorable body of governors, during life. And for that he hath been a king, it is meet that other than common observance shall be his due; wherefore, note this his dress of state, for by it he shall be known, and none shall copy it; and wheresoever he shall come, it shall remind the people that he hath been royal, in his time, and none shall deny him his due of reverence or fail to give him salutation. He hath the throne’s protection, he hath the crown’s support, he shall be known and called by the honorable title of the King’s Ward.”
The proud and happy Tom Canty rose and kissed the king’s hand, and was conducted from the presence. He did not waste any time, but flew to his mother, to tell her and Nan and Bet all about it and get them to help him enjoy the great news.*Ⓐalteration in the MS
*See Notes to Chapter 33Ⓐalteration in the MS at end of the volume.Ⓐtextual note