Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-05-16
I THE SPLENDID SPUR.
Being Memoirs Of the Adrent,res Of Mr..
John Marcel, a Serroat of His late
Majesty King Charles /, in the
gears 1GI2-3 Wr1ttcn by himself
EDITED IN MODERN ENGLISH BY
o."
CHAPTER [.
CHAP llLlt L.
TIE ROWLING GREEN OF TIE uCRoWN y

time comes TO Slt at nome ana write down
his adventures. IT'S her revenge, as | am
extremely sensible; and methnls she is the
harder to me, upon reflection how near |
came to being her life long servant, as you
are to hear.
Twas on Nov. %, 1G42-a clear, frosty day
that the king, with the Prince Of Wales
newly recovered of the measles, the Princes
Rupert and Maurice, and great company Of
lords and gentlemen, horse and foot, came
marching bac; to us from Reading. was
scholar of Trinity college, in Oxford, at that
time, and may begin my history at o'clock
on the same afternoon, when going las my
custom was to Mr.. Rob Drury for my fenc-
ing lesson. | found his lodgings empty
They stood at the corner of Ship street, as
you turn into the Corn market-a low vain
scoted chamber, i'll lighted but commodious
He is off to see the show" thought | as l
looked about me; and, finding an easy cushion
in the window, sat down to await him
Where presently, being tired out for / had
been carrying a halberd all day with the
scholars troop in Magdalen college grove,
and in despite of the open lattice, | fell sound
asleep.
It must have been an hour after that I
awokc with a chill las was naturaD, and was
stretching out hand to pull the window close,
but suddenly sat down again and fell to
watching instead.
The window looked down. at the height of
ten feet or so, upon bowling green at the
back of the Grown" tavern (liept by John
Davenart, in the Corn mariet, and across it
TO a rambling wing of the same inn; the
fourth sde-that to my left-beng but an old
wall, with broad sycamore growing against
it. Twas already twilight; and in the dark
,i,,rr tln
easement brightly lit, the curtains undrawn
and within a company of noisy drinkers
round table. They were gaming, as was
easily told by their clicking of the dice and
frequent oaths; and anon the below of some
tpsy chorus would come across. Twas one
OF these catches, dare say, that woke me;
only Just now my eyes were bent, not towards
the singers, but on the still lawn between US.
The sycamore, have limited, was a broad
tree and must, in SUMNER have borne a
gOOdly load of leaves; but now, in Novcm-
Der, these were Strewn thick over the green,
and nothing left bus stiff, naked boughs. Be-
meath it lay a cracked bowl or two on the
rank turf, and against the trunk a garden
bench rested, l suppose for the convenience
OF the players. On this man was now seated
He was reading in little book and this
first logged my curiosity; for twas unnatural
a man should read print at this dim hour, or,
if he had a mind to try, should choose "a cold
bowling green for his purpose Yet he
seemed to study his volume very attentively,
but with a sharp look now and then. towards
the lighted window, if the jewellers dis
turbed him. His back was partly turned TO
mo, and what with this and the growing dusk
l could but make guess at his face, but
plenty Of silver hair fell over his fur collar,
! = -4l.I., Il Ito
judged him between fifty and sixty. For the
rest, he wore a dark, simple suit very strait
~ cut, with an ample furred cloak and a hat
rather tall, after the fashion Of the last reign.
Now, why the mans behavior so engaged
me, l don't know; but at the end of half an
hour l was still watching him. By this twas
near dark, bitter cold, and his pretense to
read mere fondness; yet ne persevored-
though with longer glances at the easement
above, where the din at times was fit to wake
the dead.
And now one Of the dicers upset his chair
with curse, and gets on his feet. Looking
up saw his features for moment-a slight
pretty boy, scarce above eighteen, with fair
curls and flushed cheeks like girls. Il made
me admire to see him in this ring of purple
villainous faces. Twas evident he was a
young gentleman of quality, as well by his
bearing as his handsome cloak of amber satin
barred with black. Il think the devils in
these dice!n | heard him crying, and pretty
hubbub all about him; but presently the
drawer enters with more wine, and he sits
down quietly to "a fresh game.
As soon as twas started one of the crew,
that had been playing but was now dropped
out, lounges up from his seat and, coming to
the easement, pushes it open for fresh air.
He was one that till now had sat in full
view-a tall bully, with gross, pimpled
nose-and led the catches in Il bulls voice.
The rest of the players paid no heed to his
rising, and very soon his shoulders MD them
as he leaned out, drawing IL the cold breath.
b During the late racket had forgot for
while my friend under the sycamore, but
now, looking that way, 10 my astonshment
! saw him risen from his bench and stealing
across to the house opposite. / say steal
ing for he kept all the way TO the darker
shadow of the wall, and, besides, had a curl
Gus trailing motion with his left foot as
though the ankle Of it had been wrung or
badly hurt
As soon as he was come beneath the win
dow he stopped and called softly,
"Histw
The bully gave n start and looked down.
l could tell by this motion he did not look to
find any one in the bowling green at that
hour Indeed, he had been watching tho
shaft of light thrown past him by the room
behind, and now moved 50 as to let it fall ON
the man that addressed him.
The other stands close under the window,
as if 10 avoid this, and calls again.
"HistI says he, and beckons with finger.
The man at the window still held his tongue
q suppose because those in the room would
hear him if he spoke), and so for a while the
two men studied one another in silence, as if
considering their next moves
Aftar a bit, however, the bully lifted a
hand, and, turning back into the lighted
room, walks up TO one of the players, speaks
q word or two and disappears
! sat up on the window seat, where till now
] had been crouching for fear the shaft of
light should betray me, and presently las |
was eXpectingl heard the latch Of the back
porch gently lifted, and spied the heavy form
Of the bully coming softly over the grass.
Now, | would not have my readers preju-
diced, and so may tell them that this was the
first time in my life thGt had played tho
eavesdroppcr That did SO now can never
DO glad enough, but It's true, nevertheless,
my conscience pricked me; and was even