CHAPTER VII.
MY LADY DUCHESS'S OPINION OF THE UTILITY OF MASTER WARNER'S INVENTION,
AND HER ESTEEM FOR ITS--EXPLOSION.
Adam, utterly unheeding, or rather deaf to, the discussion that had
taken place, and his narrow escape from cord and gibbet, lifted his
head peevishly from his bosom, as the duchess rested her hand almost
caressingly on his shoulder, and thus addressed him,--
"Most puissant Sir, think not that I am one of those who, in their
ignorance and folly, slight the mysteries of which thou art clearly so
great a master. When I heard thee speak of subjecting Nature to Man,
I at once comprehended thee, and blushed for the dulness of my
kindred."
"Ah, lady, thou hast studied, then, the mathematics. Alack! this is a
grievous blow; but it is no inherent fault in the device. I am
clearly of mind that it can be remedied. But oh! what time, what
thought, what sleepless nights, what gold will be needed!"
"Give me thy sleepless nights and thy grand thoughts, and thou shalt
not want gold."
"Lady," cried Adam, starting to his feet, "do I hear aright? Art
thou, in truth, the patron I have so long dreamed of? Hast thou the
brain and the heart to aid the pursuits of science?"
"Ay! and the power to protect the students! Sage, I am the Duchess of
Bedford, whom men accuse of witchcraft,--as thee of wizardy. From the
wife of a private gentleman, I have become the mother of a queen. I
stand amidst a court full of foes; I desire gold to corrupt, and
wisdom to guard against, and means to destroy them. And I seek all
these in men like thee!"
Adam turned on her his bewildered eyes, and made no answer.
"They tell me," said the duchess, "that Henry of Windsor employed
learned men to transmute the baser metals into gold. Wert thou one of
them?"
"No."
"Thou knowest that art?"
"I studied it in my youth, but the ingredients of the crucible were
too costly."
"Thou shalt not lack them with me. Thou knowest the lore of the
stars, and canst foretell the designs of enemies,--the hour whether to
act or to forbear?"
"Astrology I have studied, but that also was in youth; for there
dwelleth in the pure mathematics that have led me to this invention--"
"Truce with that invention, whatever it be; think of it no more,--it
has served its end in the explosion, which proved thy power of
mischief. High objects are now before thee. Wilt thou be of my
household, one of my alchemists and astrologers? Thou shalt have
leisure, honour, and all the moneys thou canst need."
"Moneys!" said Adam, eagerly, and casting his eyes upon the mangled
model. "Well, I agree; what you will,--alchemist, astrologist,
wizard,--what you will. This shall all be repaired,--all; I begin to
see now, all! I begin to see; yes, if a pipe by which the too-
excessive vapour could--ay, ay!--right, right," and he rubbed his
hands.
Jacquetta was struck with his enthusiasm. "But surely, Master Warner,
this has some virtue you have not vouchsafed to explain; confide in
me, can it change iron to gold?"
"No; but--"
"Can it predict the future?"
"No; but--"
"Can it prolong life?"
"No; but--"
"Then, in God's name let us waste no more time about it!" said the
duchess, impatiently,--"your art is mine now. Ho, there!--I will send
my page to conduct thee to thy apartments, and thou shalt lodge next
to Friar Bungey, a man of wondrous lere, Master Warner, and a worthy
confrere in thy researches. Hast thou any one of kith and kin at home
to whom thou wilt announce thy advancement?"
"Ah, lady! Heaven forgive me, I have a daughter,--an only child,--my
Sibyll; I cannot leave her alone, and--"
"Well, nothing should distract thy cares from thine art,--she shall be
sent for. I will rank her amongst my maidens. Fare-thee-well, Master
Warner! At night I will send for thee, and appoint the tasks I would
have thee accomplish."
So saying, the duchess quitted the room, and left Adam alone, bending
over his model in deep revery.
From this absorption it was the poor man's fate to be again aroused.
The peculiar character of the boy-prince of Gloucester was that of one
who, having once seized upon an object, never willingly relinquished
it. First, he crept and slid and coiled round it as the snake. But
if craft failed, his passion, roused by resistance, sprang at his prey
with a lion's leap: and whoever examines the career of this
extraordinary personage, will perceive, that whatever might be his
habitual hypocrisy, he seemed to lose sight of it wholly when once
resolved upon force. Then the naked ferocity with which the
destructive propensity swept away the objects in his path becomes
fearfully and startlingly apparent, and offers a strange contrast to
the wily duplicity with which, in calmer moments, he seems to have
sought to coax the victim into his folds. Firmly convinced that
Adam's engine had been made the medium of dangerous and treasonable
correspondence with the royal prisoner, and of that suspicious,
restless, feverish temperament which never slept when a fear was
wakened, a doubt conceived, he had broke from his brother, whose more
open valour and less unquiet intellect were ever willing to leave the
crown defended but by the gibbet for the detected traitor, the sword
for the declared foe; and obtaining Edward's permission "to inquire
further into these strange matters," he sent at once for the porter
who had conveyed the model to the Tower; but that suspicious
accomplice was gone. The sound of the explosion of the engine had no
less startled the guard below than the spectators above. Releasing
their hold of their prisoner, they had some taken fairly to their
heels, others rushed into the palace to learn what mischief had
ensued; and Hugh, with the quick discretion of his north country, had
not lost so favourable an opportunity for escape. There stood the
dozing mule at the door below, but the guide was vanished. More
confirmed in his suspicions by this disappearance of Adam's companion,
Richard, giving some preparatory orders to Catesby, turned at once to
the room which still held the philosopher and his device. He closed
the door on entering, and his brow was dark and sinister as he
approached the musing inmate. But here we must return to Sibyll.
