how derrick carver fulfilled his promise.
three days afterwards, derrick carver, upon whom the cardinal’s goodness had operated like a sovereign cordial, giving him new life and energy, announced that he was strong enough to avail himself of the permission he had received, and, accordingly, the door of his cell was unlocked by mallet, who accompanied him to the palace gates, and there let him go, never expecting, as he frankly avowed, to behold him again.
“it may be well to follow him and see what he is about,” observed rodomont, who was standing by.
“nay, his eminence has strictly forbidden that,” said mallet. “the man is to be left to his own devices. if he come back, i shall esteem him a greater fool than heretic.”
“tut, he will return,” said rodomont. “his eminence understands him better than you do.”
“well, we shall see,” rejoined the other.
on that very day, it chanced that bishop bonner came to lambeth palace, and proceeding straightway to the lollards’ tower, inquired for the prisoner. on learning that he had been allowed to go forth, he flew into a violent passion, and declared he would have the keeper punished for his gross breach of duty. mallet excused himself, and referred the infuriated bishop to the cardinal, but bonner could not obtain an audience till his rage had had time to subside. pole listened to his complaints and then replied, calmly,—
256“it is true, i have let the man go on his promise to return in the evening.”
“but what is the promise of such a false knave worth?” cried bonner, contemptuously. “he will infallibly break it.”
“i do not think so,” rejoined the cardinal. “but tarry with me till eventide, and you will see.”
bonner agreed, dined with the cardinal in the banqueting-hall, and, as there were many other important guests that day, he made merry, and thought no more about the prisoner. while he was sitting, however, with his host and priuli, rodomont bittern entered, and, bowing to the cardinal said,—
“your eminence desired to be informed when derrick carver came back. as the clock struck five, he returned to his cell.”
pole smiled, and, turning to the bishop, observed,—
“i was right in my judgment of him, you perceive.”
“i cannot deny it,” replied bonner. “nevertheless, i would advise your eminence to recall your permission. most assuredly he will do much mischief out of doors.”
“if it turn out so, he shall be kept within his cell,” rejoined pole.
shortly after this, bonner took leave of the cardinal, but, before quitting the palace, he satisfied himself, by personal inspection, that carver was safe in his cell. he found him, as usual, reading the bible, and, if he had dared, would have vented his rage upon him by causing him to be tied to the whipping-post in the chamber beneath and scourged.
“i will have him burnt as soon as possible,” he observed to mallet. “it is monstrous that such a vile wretch should be treated with so much leniency. and what of the cardinal’s other cade-lamb, mistress constance tyrrell? has she been brought back from her apostacy?”
“i cannot say, in sooth, my lord,” replied mallet. “but i incline to think not, seeing she doth not attend mass.”
“not attend mass! then she is still defiled by heresy,” cried bonner. “we will have her at smithfield in spite of the cardinal.” and with this amiable resolve he departed.
next morning carver went forth again, returning punctually at five o’clock in the evening, and he pursued the 257same course for nearly a week, rather anticipating his time than staying beyond it. one evening, however, he did not appear as usual. three hours more went by, and still he came not, and then mallet thought it right to acquaint the cardinal with his prolonged absence. the information caused pole to look grave.
“something must have happened to him,” he said. “i do not believe he would have stayed away of his own accord, still less do i deem he has any design of evasion. send rodomont bittern to me.”
on rodomont’s arrival, the cardinal ordered him to make immediate inquiries after the prisoner, and to take any persons with him who might aid in the quest.
“my own opinion is that the man has fallen into a snare.” pole said. “but i leave it to your shrewdness to discover what has become of him.”
“in obedience to your eminence’s injunctions, his movements have not been watched,” replied rodomont, “so that we have no clue to guide us. nevertheless, i will essay to find him.”
“about the business forthwith, and with a good heart,” said the cardinal. “you are quick-witted, and your penetration will put you on the right track.”
taking with him his lieutenants, jack holiday and nick simnel, rodomont set out on his mission. revolving what the cardinal had said while dismissing him, he came to the conclusion that he should get on the right track by going to bonner, who, he suspected, had a strong motive for keeping the prisoner out of the way.
accordingly, he entered the cardinal’s barge with his friends, bidding the oarsmen row them with all possible dispatch to the stairs at paul’s chain, where, landing, they made the best of their way to the palace of the bishop of london—a large edifice, which then stood on the north-west side of the cathedral.
from the porter at the palace gate they ascertained that bonner was attending vespers in saint paul’s, where they could speak with him on the conclusion of the service. rodomont then inquired from the porter whether any heretics had been arrested that day. the man replied that several had been taken at a conventicle in foster-lane, and 258that the chief sacramentary, who had been holding forth to the others, was detained in a strong-room in the gate till the lord bishop should decide what was to be done with him.
rodomont then explained to the porter that he was an officer in cardinal pole’s household, and with his companions was in search of an heretical prisoner named derrick carver, and this perchance might be he.
“marry, ’tis the very man,” replied the porter.
whereupon, he unlocked the door of the strong-room, and showed them carver within it, seated on a bench, with his hands tied behind his back with cords. rodomont would fain have carried him off at once, but this the porter would not permit, saying they must tarry till the bishop returned from saint paul’s.
half an hour elapsed before bonner made his appearance, and when he found rodomont and his comrades there he was exceedingly wroth, and refused to give up the prisoner.
“the knave was taken at a conventicle in foster-lane,” he said, “where he was preaching heretical doctrines, praying against her majesty, and giving the communion according to the prohibited book of service. i greatly marvel that the cardinal should allow such a pestilent wretch to go forth to spread contagion abroad. depart now, and tell his eminence that i will bring back the man to him to-morrow. he is safe here, as ye can bear witness.”
“our orders are to bring him back wherever we may find him,” rejoined rodomont, “and those we must obey.”
“what!” cried bonner. “will ye take him from me by force?”
“we trust your lordship will not drive us to that extremity,” replied rodomont. “we claim this man as the lord cardinal’s prisoner, and we require your lordship to deliver him up to us. if you resist, the fault will rest with you.”
“e’en take him, then,” rejoined bonner furiously. “but ye may rest assured i will not be robbed of my prey. he is a preacher of heresy and sedition, a blasphemer and traitor, and i will burn him in spite of the cardinal. it shall go hard if i burn not mistress constance tyrrell at the same time.”
259rodomont and his comrades stayed to hear no more, but carried off the prisoner, and placing him in the barge, conveyed him to lambeth palace. on arriving there they took him at once before the cardinal, and rodomont explained what had occurred.
“your eminence will perceive that i was forcibly detained,” said carver. “had it not been so, i should have returned at the appointed hour.”
“i sent you not forth to propagate heresy and sedition,” said pole, severely. “you have broken the compact between us, and abused my confidence. you can go forth no more.”
carver bowed his head in submission, and was taken to his cell in the lollards’ tower.
end of the third book.
