Lora of Two Worlds

Steward Webb entered the study, saw Felix there too, and his face went hesitant.

”Felix is one of us, speak freely.”

The Count’s word made Felix feel ten feet tall; he stood the straighter. Steward Webb rejoiced inwardly:

This saves even reporting to the sheriff, the Sheriff himself stands here; the Count can’t hide anything. God is on my side.

He bowed to the Count and to Felix, his face heavy with woe:

”My lord, strip me of my post; I have failed your trust.”

”Speak plainly.”

Steward Webb, all remorse, said: ”I have had my eye on this for some time, but could never find the proof. Today, Margery, who keeps the wardrobe, said a wicker trug of gold thread was missing, and we made a search.

”And the search, not only did we find the gold thread hidden under Norton’s bed, but in Steward Coltrain’s room, a bag of silver and coin. The matter might be large or small; I thought I should... come to the Count first.”

So saying, Abel came in carrying a money-bag. Roland opened it, inside were a few purses of pence, and, more to the point, two unmarked silver ingots, fifty marks each.

Square or bar ingots bore the royal stamp, and were official. Such unmarked ingots were the kind merchants used between themselves to settle great sums; they didn’t often pass in the open market.

The wages of House Odenheim’s servants and the pay of its soldiers would never run to silver ingots. That Coltrain should have such a sum was passing strange.

”Bring Coltrain.”

”My lord, Steward Coltrain has gone out; he’s not yet returned.”

”Find him.”

In the Count’s anger, Steward Webb’s heart at last settled: if the silver wasn’t privately given by the Count himself, then whether stolen or got from selling contraband, it was a breach of the law, sure enough.

He pressed his small advantage: ”Coltrain isn’t back, but his foster-son, the mute, is still in my lady’s court. Should I bring him first, and ask about the trug of gold thread under his bed?”

”In the young lady’s court? How comes a young man to be in her court? Bring him.”

The Count was nettled at once. His daughter was growing; she would have her Presentation at Court this autumn. Now, any young man who came near her looked, in the Count’s eye, very like a thief.

That was why, yesterday, he had laid on so hard, and beaten Brendan so sorely.

”I’ll go, Father.”

Carl turned and ran out, he would warn his sister. He didn’t believe Norton a thief, but the silver ingots of his foster-father were no small matter; he must not let her blunder into the Count’s temper and do harm.

Sure enough, the moment Lora heard Carl’s news, her eyes were like to start from her head:

”He’s paying her back out of spite! To think, I haven’t even gone to Father to complain of him, and he’s jumped first. Father will see fair. Who’s afraid of whom? There’s nothing to it, can he make black seem white?”

Carl shook his head:

”Lora, you say that because you’ve lost your memory. The chief steward has the right to discipline servants who do wrong; even if he goes too far now and then, no great harm, Father and Mother will bear it; you must give him his authority, or he can’t govern those below him.”

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Norton, seeing the young lady’s face go dark, signed at once that he knew nothing of the trug under the bed; he had been back to his room just now, and his foster-father had been out, and the hand-bow was in its box under the bed, and there had been no trug then.

Carl clapped him on the shoulder. ”Come to the Count’s study first. We’ll get to the bottom of it; you’ll not be wronged.”

When they reached the study, the man who had stepped in just before them was Coltrain.

From behind, Lora saw him drag that stiff right leg; he wore a russet homespun tunic, and, perhaps for want of exercise, his figure had begun to run to seed; but his back was as straight as a soldier’s.

Norton strode after him, went in, and knelt on one knee at Coltrain’s side.

”Why are you here?” His daughter had followed them in; her face was long, but her color was good, the Count let out a breath in private relief.

Lora curtsied to her father and her brothers; only then did she see Felix standing among them. She paid them no mind, and only played the coaxing daughter to her father:

”Father, I was set upon last night, and only hate that I had no hand to strike back. I sent for Norton today, to have him teach me the hand-bow. Another time danger comes, I need not be choked half-dead with a rope.”

The Count’s face softened. He thought it over, the hand-bow Coltrain had made was, to them, more trouble than it was worth; but to Lora, in a tight place, it might save her life.

Steward Webb had come prepared: if the young lady accused him of whipping Norton, he had his answer ready. He hadn’t looked for her to say nothing of the whipping, and to bring Norton into it only by way of the hand-bow. The Count, who doted on his daughter, might not punish Norton after all.

Luckily he hadn’t nailed down the trug story too hard. He trimmed his sails to the wind:

”My lord, Norton is a mute, and I daresay he meant no harm. The trug may be some fellow playing a jest on him. When I find out who, I’ll teach those japesters a lesson.”

”Hm. I think so too. If Norton had stolen a thing, he wouldn’t be such a fool as to hide it under his bed, where any eye might see. Tell me, that bag of silver and coin: where did you find it?”

At the word ”silver and coin,” Coltrain, who had come in blank-faced, lifted his head and looked at the table. Sure enough, his own familiar money-bag lay open by the Count’s hand. His face changed at once.

Every man in the room saw it. To say Coltrain didn’t know the bag, Felix would have been the first to disbelieve it.

A hundred marks of silver, that was a hundred purses of pence; to a household servant, not only a fortune, but a breach of the law: a bonded servant holding wealth of unknown origin was, by the manorial court, judged as theft.

It now turned on what Coltrain would say. If the Count would put in a good word for him, the sheriff’s court could turn a blind eye.

”My lord, we searched every room; this bag was found in Steward Coltrain’s clothes-chest.”

Steward Webb had found the bag long ago; he had held his peace because he hadn’t, in fact, traced the source of the money, if Coltrain put up some story, he couldn’t well gainsay it.

He had had to bring it out today before its time, and all because Lora had meddled in Norton’s affair.

”Coltrain, is this bag yours?” The Count had no need to beat about the bush with this old retainer.

”Y-yes, my lord.”

”Where did you come by these ingots?”

Coltrain knelt up straight, but didn’t dare meet the Count’s eye. He bowed his head and said nothing.

Alvin said: ”Steward Coltrain, the first time I went into the field, at nine years old, it was you who led me. On the field, no man was your match in valor. If there’s some reason you can’t speak of before us all, we can step out, and you can tell my father alone.”

That was fair and reasonable; Lora mentally applauded her Alvin. But Coltrain only said:

”There’s nothing to say. The two ingots are another man’s, left with me for safekeeping. As to whose they’re, I may say only to the master himself.”

The Count was near to bursting with anger: This stubborn ox, so you no longer count me as your liege lord! Felix is here today; we’ll see whether you speak in the gaol!

He made up his mind, and said, cold-faced:

”Felix, a household servant has broken the King’s law; I can’t shield him. Call your men; have him taken to the gaol.”

Felix was taken aback, this could have been smoothed over and let blow over; why take it to the sheriff? He glanced at Roland; Roland signaled ”do as he says.” So he bowed to his uncle, picked up the money-bag from the table, looked at Coltrain, and turned to go.

Lora was desperate; she stepped in front of Coltrain and cried: ”Father, can’t we try a household servant in our own court? Why send him to the sheriff after one question? Father, you must know, Steward Webb and Steward Coltrain...”

”Lora! Is this your place to manage things? Have you not forgotten everything? Who put you up to saying this?”

Carl drew her behind him and grinned: ”Father, it was I. I didn’t put Lora up to anything; I was only talking, in idle chat.”

Norton didn’t know what they were saying; he stood to one side, plucking at Coltrain’s sleeve, signing in a panic:

Foster-father, what’s the reason? Even the Count may not be told? Say it, the Count will surely help you!

Coltrain gave him a faint smile, said nothing, rose, and went to stand behind Felix.

At Lora’s words Felix had stopped; he could neither go nor stay. Only when no one in the room spoke again did he lead Coltrain out at the door.

There, suddenly, he saw his aunt standing quietly outside. He bowed at once.

His aunt smiled, waved her hand, and let them pass before her.