ing. get thee back to thy fellows ere
i lay hands upon you: for your foot is on my land, and i may slay
you as a common draw-latch."
"is this your land, then?" gasped alleyne.
"would you dispute it, dog? would you wish by trick or quibbie
to juggle me out of these last acres? know, base-born knave,
that you have dared this day to stand in the path of one whose
race have been the advisers of kings and the leaders of hosts,
ere ever this vile crew of norman robbers came into the land, or
such half-blood hounds as you were let loose to preach that the
thief should have his booty and the honest man should sin if he
strove to win back his own."
"you are the socman of minstead?"
"that am i; and the son of edric the socman, of the pure blood of
godfrey the thane, by the only daughter of the house of aluric,
whose forefathers held the white-horse banner at the fatal fight
where our shield was broken and our sword shivered. i tell you,
clerk, that my folk held this land from bramshaw wood to the
ringwood road; and, by the soul of my father! it will be a
strange thing if i am to be bearded upon the little that is left
of it. begone, i say, and meddle not with my affair."
"if you leave me now," whispered the woman, "then shame forever
upon your manhood."
"surely, sir," said alleyne, speaking in as persuasive and
soothing a way as he could, "if your birth is gentle, there is
the more reason that your manners should be gentle too. i am
well persuaded that you did but jest with this lady, and that you
will now permit her to leave your land either alone or with me as
a guide, if she should need one, through the wood. as to birth,
it does not become me to boast, and there is sooth in what you
say as to the unworthiness of clerks, but it is none the less
true that i am as well born as you."
"dog!" cried the furious socman, "there is no man in the south
who can saw as much."
"yet can i," said alleyne smiling; "for indeed i also am the son
of edric the socman, of the pure blood of godfrey the thane, by
the only daughter of aluric of brockenhurst. surely, dear
brother," he continued, holding out his hand, "you have a warmer
greeting than this for me. there are but two boughs left upon
this old, old saxon trunk."
his elder brother dashed his hand aside with an oath, while an
expression of malignant hatred passed over his passion-drawn
features. "you are the young cub of beaulieu, then," said he.
"i might have known it by the sleek face and the slavish manner
too monk-ridden and craven in spirit to answer back a rough word.
thy father, shaveling, with all his faults, had a man's heart;
and there were few who could look him in the eyes on the day of
his anger. but you! look there, rat, on yonder field where the
cows graze, and on that other beyond, and on the orchard hard by
the church. do you know that all these were squeezed out of your
dying father by greedy priests, to pay for your upbringing in the
cloisters? i, the socman, am shorn of my lands that you may
snivel latin and eat bread for which you never did hand's turn.
you rob me first, and now you would come preaching and whining,
in search mayhap of another field or two for your priestly
friends. knave! my dogs shall be set upon you; but, meanwhile,
stand out of my path, and stop me at your peril!" as he spoke he
rushed forward, and, throwing the lad to one side, caught the
woman's wrist. alleyne, however, as active as a young deer-
hound, sprang to her aid and seized her by the other arm, raising
his iron-shod staff as he did so.
"you may say what you will to me," he said between his clenched
teeth--"it may be no better than i deserve; but, brother or no, i
swear by my hopes of salvation that i will break your arm if you
do not leave hold of the maid."
there was a ring in his voice and a flash in his eyes which
promised that the blow would follow quick at the heels of the
word. for a moment the blood of the long line of hot-headed
thanes was too strong for the soft whisperings of the doctrine of
meekness and mercy. he was conscious of a fierce wild thrill
through his nerves and a throb of mad gladness at his heart, as
his real human self burst for an instant the bonds of custom and
of teaching which had held it so long. the socman sprang back,
looking to left and to right for some stick or stone which might
serve him for weapon; but finding none, he turned and ran at the
top of his speed for the house, blowing the while upon a shrill
whistle.
"come!" gasped the woman. "fly, friend, ere he come back."
"nay, let him come!" cried alleyne. "i shall not budge a foot
for him or his dogs."
"come, come!" she cried, tugging at his arm. "i know the man: he
will kill you. come, for the virgin's sake, or for my sake, for
i cannot go and leave you here."
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