5

Tom felt like a prisoner.

In the prince’s apartment, Tom sat down and looked at the lords standing around him. He asked them to sit down, but they thanked him, and remained standing. He insisted, but his ‘uncle’ the Earl of Hertford whispered in his ear—“Please, do not insist, my lord; they must not sit in your presence.”

Lord St. John came, and bowing to Tom said he had come from the King on a mission that could only be discussed in private. Only the Earl of Hertford could remain.

When the lords left the apartment, Lord St. John said—

“His majesty commands that the prince shall hide his illness. That he shall not deny that he is the true prince, and heir to England’s throne; that he shall behave as is proper; that he shall stop speaking to anyone of his low birth; that he shall try hard to remember everything; that he shall not show that he has forgotten; that whatever bewilders him, he shall take advice of Lord Hertford or myself. His majesty asks to give him back the Great Seal, that he gave you to keep for a while three days ago. He must put it on some important papers.”

Tom replied—

“I shall do what the King has said. But he did not give the Seal to ME. I do not know where it is.”

Lord Hertford said—

“As to the books and other serious matters, it may perhaps be better to have a rest today not to be too tired at the banquet.”

Tom’s face showed surprise; and he blushed when he saw pity in Lord St. John’s eyes, as he said—

“Your memory is not very good, and you have shown surprise. Lord Hertford speaks of the city’s banquet which the King promised two months ago you would attend. Do you remember it now?”

“I am sorry, I don’t,” said Tom, and blushed again.

At this moment Lady Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey entered. Hertford went quickly to the door. He said to the girls in a low voice—

“Please, ladies, do not show surprise when his memory is not good.”

At the same time Lord St. John said in Tom’s ear—

“Please, sir, keep in mind his majesty’s order. SEEM to remember all. Do not show that you have changed.”

Tom nodded, for he was already learning, and was resolved to try to fit in as best as he could, according to the King’s command.

In spite of every precaution, the conversation among the young people became a little embarrassing at times; but the tact of Princess Elizabeth saved him, or a word from the lords helped him. One time the little Lady Jane turned to Tom and asked him—

“Have you paid thy duty to the Queen’s majesty today, my lord?”

Tom hesitated and was about to stammer out something quick, when Lord St. John answered for him—

“He has indeed, madam, and she did hearten him, considering his majesty’s condition; is it not so, your highness?”

Tom mumbled something that sounded like approval, but felt that it was getting more and more difficult to talk. Some time later it was said that Tom was to study no more at present, and Princess Elizabeth exclaimed—

“It is a pity! You made great progress. But you will learn and know as many languages as his majesty, your father.”

“My father!” cried Tom.“He cannot speak his own, not better than a swine!”

He stopped, blushed, then continued sadly:“Ah, my illness—I do not know what I am saying. I meant to offence to the King’s grace.”

“We know it, sir,” said Princess Elizabeth;“do not trouble yourself as to that.”

“Thank you, my lady,” said Tom, gratefully. When he learned that the little ladies were to accompany him to the banquet in the evening, he was glad, for he felt that he would have friends at his side among strangers.

Once the giddy little Lady Jane asked Tom a simple question in Greek. Princess Elizabeth saw that he didn’t ‘remember’ Greek; so she answered it herself on on Tom’s behalf, and then straightway changed the talk to other matters.

The more they talked, the more Tom grew at ease, seeing that everyone wanted to help him. When he learned that the little ladies were to accompany him to the Lord Mayor’s banquet in the evening, he felt relief and delight, since now he would have friends among that multitude of strangers.

Tom’s guardian angels, the two lords, had had less comfort during this talk. They felt much as if they were piloting a great ship through a dangerous channel; they were on the alert constantly. So, at last, when the ladies’ visit was coming to an end, they not only felt that the prince was tired, but also that they themselves were not in the best condition to take their ship back and make their voyage all over again. So they advised Tom to excuse himself, which he was very glad to do.

When the young ladies were gone, Tom turned to the lords and said—

“May I please rest?”

Lord Hertford said—

“It is for you to command, it is for us to obey. You should rest indeed, since you must go to the city presently.”

In his apartment Tom wanted to take a cup of water; but a servant seized it, dropped on one knee, and offered it to him. Then the tired prisoner sat down and was going to take off his shoes, but another servant went down on his knees and took them off.

After Tom left, the two noble guardians were alone. They were silent a while, then Lord St. John said—

“What do you think?”

“The King is near his end; my nephew is mad. God protect England!”

“Do you have any suspicions as to… as to…” Lord St. John stopped. He evidently was afraid to speak. Lord Hertford looked into his face, and said—

“Speak on—there is nobody to hear but me. Suspicions as to what?”

“I hate what is in my mind, and you are so near to him in blood, my lord. Does it not seem strange that madness could so change him? His speech is the same, but he is DIFFERENT, in one thing or another. Does it not seem strange that he forgot his father’s face, his manners, his French, but he remembers Latin? My lord, I cannot forget his saying he was not the prince, and so—”

“My lord, it is treason! Have you forgotten the King’s command? Remember I am also a criminal if I listen.”

St. John paled, and said—

“Do not tell anyone, and I will neither think nor speak of this thing any more.”

“You needn’t have suspicions. He is my sister’s son; I have known his voice, his face all his life. This is the prince—I know him well—and soon he will be King.”

After Lord St. John left, Lord Hertford sat down. He was soon deep in thought, and evidently the longer he thought, the more he was bothered.

“He MUST be the prince! Can any one be so much like him? No, no! If he were an impostor he would call himself prince. What impostor would call himself a pauper? NO! This is the true prince, gone mad!”

6

Later in the afternoon, Tom went through the ordeal of being dressed for dinner. He wore fine clothes, but everything different, everything changed. He was sitting in a spacious room, where a table was already set for one. Its furniture was all of gold, with beautiful designs. The room was half-filled with noble servers. Tom’s cupbearer was present, and stopped all his attempts to help himself to wine. The Taster was there as well, prepared to taste any suspicious dish upon requirement, and run the risk of being poisoned. These days, he was there more out of tradition, and was almost never called upon; but there had been times, not that many generations ago, when the office of taster lost some members. Why they did not use a dog or a plumber seems strange; but all the ways of royalty are strange. The Lord Chief Butler was there, and stood behind Tom’s chair, overseeing the service, under command of the Lord Great Steward and the Lord Head Cook, who stood near. Tom had three hundred and eighty-four servants beside these; but they were not all in that room, neither was Tom aware yet that they existed.

All the courtiers had been trained to remember that the prince was now out of his head, and to show no surprise at his unusual behaviour. Poor Tom ate with his fingers; but no one smiled at it, or even seemed to observe it. Tom examined his food and asked what it was. His question was answered with respect, and no surprise was shown. When he had finished his dessert, he filled his pockets with nuts; but nobody seemed to be shocked by it.

When his meal ended, a lord came and held before him a golden dish with rosewater in it, to wash his mouth and fingers with. Tom looked at the dish a moment or two, then raised it to his lips, and drank. Then he returned it to the lord, and said—

“No, I do not like it, my lord.”

This new eccentricity of the prince made everyone sad. Tom was taken to his apartment. As he was examining the prince’s armour, he suddenly remembered the nuts he had brought from dinner, and he thought what joy it would be to eat them with no crowd to see him. And soon he was eating nuts, feeling almost happy for the first time since God had made him a prince. When the nuts were all eaten, he found some books, among them one about the etiquette of the English court. He lay down on a divan, and read it with pleasure.

About five o’clock Henry VIII woke up and muttered to himself, “Troublous dreams, troublous dreams! My end is near.” Then a wicked light flamed up in his eye, and he muttered,

“Yet I will not die before him.”

His servants saw that he was awake, and one of them asked to bring in Lord Chancellor, who was waiting outside.

“Do it!” exclaimed the King eagerly.

The Lord Chancellor entered, and knelt by the King’s couch, saying—

“I have given order, and we waiting for your majesty’s further decision in the matter.”

The King’s face lit up with a fierce joy. He said—

“Lift me up! I will go before my Parliament, and seal the warrant that rids me of—”

His voice failed and the color dissapeared from his cheeks; the attendants lowered him back on his pillows. Sorrowfully, he said—

“How have I longed for this hour! And now it’s too late. But go, go! Let others do this. I put my Great Seal in commission: choose the lords that shall compose it and get to work. Go! Before the sun shall rise and set again, bring me the Duke of Norfolk’s head.”

“According to the King’s command, so shall it be. Will it please your majesty to order that the Seal be restored to me, so that I may proceed with the business?”

“The Seal? Who has the Seal, other than you?”

“Please your majesty, you did take it from me two days ago.”

“Why, I did: I do remember… What did I do with it?.. I am very feeble… It’s strange, strange… the Great Seal is in the hands of his highness the Prince of Wales! Fetch it!”

Lord Hertford went to Tom, but returned soon, empty-handed. He said—

“It saddens me, my lord the King, to bear bad news; but the prince’s illness prevents him from remembering the Seal.”

The King groaned—

“Trouble him no more, poor child.”

He closed his eyes, and became silent. After a time he opened his eyes again, and looked vacantly around until his saw kneeling Lord Chancellor. Instantly he became angry—

“You’re still here! By the glory of God, get on with that traitor’s business or I shall have your head!”

The trembling Chancellor answered—

“Your Majesty, I ask for mercy! I was waiting for the Seal.”

“Man, have you lost your mind? The small Seal lies in my treasury. And, since the Great Seal can’t be found, is it not enough? Begone! And don’t come back until you bring his head.”

The poor Chancellor went away to appoint the beheading of the luckless Duke of Norfolk for tomorrow.

* * *

At nine in the evening Tom and two little ladies were received with due ceremony by the Lord Mayor and the Fathers of the City at Guildhall, and conducted to a great table. The lords and ladies who were to attend on Tom and his two friends took their places behind their chairs. At a lower table the Court nobles sat, with the magnates of the city.

Tom (as he was instructed) rose—and everyone rose with him—and drank from a big golden cup with Princess Elizabeth; from her it passed to Lady Jane, and then to all in the hall. So the banquet began. The guests were entertained by actors, singers, and dancers.

Suddenly, the sound of the bugle broke into the noise of the banquet. There was silence, and everybody heard the voice of a messenger from the palace. He read a proclamation, and the closing words were—

“The King is dead!”

Poor Tom looked around him. A sudden purpose dawned in his face. He said, in a low tone, to Lord Hertford’s—

“Answer me truly, on your faith and honour! If I were to say a command, would you obey it? Would none rise up to say no?”

“None. You are now the king—your word is the law.”

Tom responded, in a strong voice—

“Then shall the king’s law be law of mercy from this day, and never more be law of blood! The King decrees the Duke of Norfolk shall not die!”

The words were carried eagerly from lip to lip far and over the hall, and then changed to new words:

“The reign of blood is ended! Long live Edward, King of England!”