The Heart

I felt myself white with wrath then, and was for blindly wrestling

with a great fellow who was among the foremost, shaking with mirth,

an oak wreath over his red curls making him look like a satyr, when

Mistress Mary rode between us. "Back, Master Wingfield," said she,

"I pray thee stand back." Then she looked at the folk, all smiles

and ready understanding of them, until they hurrahed again and rang

their bells and blew their horns, and she looked like a blossom

tossed on the wave of pandemonium.

I had my hand on her bridle-rein, ready to do my best should any

rudeness be offered her, when suddenly she raised her hand and made

a motion, and to my utter astonishment the brawling throng, save for

some on the outskirts, which quieted presently, became still. Then

Mistress Mary's voice arose, clear and sweet, with a childish note

of innocence in it: "Good people," said she, "fain would I be your Maid Marion, and fain

would I be your queen of May, if you would hold with me this Kingdom

of Virginia against tyrants and oppressors."

I question if a dozen there grasped her meaning, but, after a

second's gaping stare, such a shout went up that it seemed to make

the marshes quiver. I know not what mad scheme was in the maid's

head, but I verily believe that throng would have followed her

wherever she led, and the tobacco plants might have been that

morning cut had she so willed.

But I pulled hard at her bridle, and I forgot my customary manner

with her, so full of terror for her I was. "For God's sake, child,

have done," I said, and she looked at me, and there came a strange

expression, which I had never seen before, into her blue eyes, half

of yielding as to some strength which she feared, and half of that

high enthusiasm of youth and noble sentiment which threatened to

swamp her in its mighty flow as it had done her hero Bacon before

her. I know not if I could have held her; it all passed in a second

the while those wild huzzas continued, and the crowd pressed closer,

all crowned and crested with green, like a tidal wave of spring, but

another argument came to me, and that moved her. "'Tis not yourself

alone, but your sister and Madam Cavendish to suffer with you," I

said. Then she gave a quick glance at Catherine, who was raising her

white face and trying to get near enough to speak to her, for her

sister's speech had made her frantic with alarm, and hesitated. Then

she laughed, and the earnest look faded from her face, and she

called out with that way of hers which nobody and nothing could

withstand, "Nay," she said, "wait till I be older and have as much

wisdom in my head as hath the Maid Marion whom you have chosen. The

one who hath seen so many Mays can best know how to queen it over

them." So saying, she snatched the wreath with which they had

crowned her from her head and cast it with such a sweep of grace as

never I saw over the head of flax-headed and masked Maid Marion, and

reined her horse back, and the crowd, with worshipful eyes of

admiration of her and her sweetness and wit and beauty, gave way,

and was off adown the road toward Jarvis Field, with loud clamour of

bells and horns and wild dancing and wavings of their gad-sticks and

green branches. Mistress Mary rode before us at a gallop, and

presently we were all at the breakfast table in the great hall at

Drake Hill, with foaming tankards of metheglin and dishes of honey

and salmon and game in plenty. For, whatever the scarcity of the

king's gold, there was not much lack of food in this rich country.