The Buccaneer - A Tale

Barbara had long known that a servant's chief duty is obedience, yet she

would just then have done errand to any one rather than to Robin Hays;

she however replied,-"Please ye, mistress, the roan pony is easy to guide, if you happen to

be going the way he likes, and that is, ever from the park to the

stable, from the stable to the park; otherwise, like the Israelites of

old, he is a stiff-necked beast, whom I would rather eschew than commune

with. And the wolf-hound, my lady, behaves so rudely to little Crisp,

holding him by the throat in an unseemly fashion, and occasionally

despoiling him of a fragment of his ears, toes, or tail, as it pleasures

him, that I had rather take black Blanche if you permit me--she can soon

find Crisp or Robin either."

"As you please, Barbara; only silence and hasten."

"My mistress," thus ran Barbara's thoughts as she wended on her way

through the night, "is a wonderful lady; so good, so wise, so rich, yet

so unhappy! I wouldn't be a lady for the world!--it is hard fate enough

to be a woman, a poor, weak woman, without strength of limb or wisdom of

head; and, withal, a fond heart, yet afraid and ashamed to show its

fondness. If I was my lady, and my lady I, instead of sending my lady to

tell Robin Hays to let the poor gentleman out, I'd just go and let him

out myself, or send my lady (supposing her the maid Barbara) to let him

out, without telling anybody about it. And I am sure she loves that poor

gentleman; and yet she, wise, good, rich, and wonderful, is just going,

in the very teeth of her affections, to marry that black Burrell! I am

very happy that I'm not a lady, for I'd die, that I would ten times

over, sooner than marry any one I didn't love. It will kill her, I

know--I feel it will: yet why does she marry him? And she keeps such

deep silence too.--Down, pretty Blanche, and do not rouse your sleek

ears: your ears, Blanchy, are lady's ears, and so ought to hear nothing

frightening--and your eyes, Blanche, are lady's eyes, and should never

see any thing disagreeable.--What ails thee, doggy? Nay, wag ye'r tail,

and do not crouch so; 'tis but the shadow of a cow, I think.--How my

heart beats!"

The beating of the maiden's heart accelerated her speed, and she ran

with hasty and light footsteps a considerable distance before either dog

or girl paused for breath. At length they did pause, and Barbara saw

with much satisfaction, that she had left far behind the shadow which

caused Blanche and herself so much alarm. She reached the Gull's Nest

without any misadventure, and now her object was to draw Robin forth

from the hostelry without entering herself. Through a chink in the outer

door (the inner being only closed on particular occasions) she

discovered Robin and his mother, and one or two others--strangers they

might be, or neighbours--at all events she did not know them. Presently

Crisp stretched his awkward length from out its usual coil, and trotted

to the door, slowly wagging his apology for tail, as if perfectly

conscious of the honour of Blanche's visit. Miss Blanche, in her turn,

laid her nose on the ground and snorted a salutation that was replied to

by a somewhat similar token from master Crisp. Robin, who was the very

embodyment of vigilance, knew at once there was something or someone

without, acquainted and on friendly terms with his dog, and he quietly

arose and opened the door without making any observation to his

companions. He was, indeed, astonished at perceiving Barbara, who put

her finger on her lip to enjoin silence. He immediately led her to the

back of the house, where none of the casual visiters could see them, and

she communicated her lady's message quickly but distinctly. She would

have enlarged upon the danger, and expatiated on the interest she took

in the cause of the Cavalier, had Robin permitted her, but she saw he

was too much distressed at the magnitude of the information to heed the

details, however interesting they might have been at any other time.