A PAGEANT EPISODE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14482, 1 July 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

A PAGEANT EPISODE.

(By Norman Innes:)

That tho pageant was a suxoes was admitted on every hand. Tho performers, so said the Master, were keen and intelligent, tho stage-manager and his assistants conceded they were keen: tho performers, on their part, consented to let bygones be bygones bo far as the Master was concerned, though alrro to the fact that it was he who had marred their summor, and voted the stiigo-niaiia'gcr immense. The spectators were enthusiastic, and, if inclined to be capricious in their approval 1 or certain of the characters impersonated, always greeted the Conqueror with rounds of cheering—a very large section of tho British public has Norman blood in its veins. But British public, performers, stage-managers, the Master of the Pageant himself, who was invariably urbane, voted Eustace de Montel a failure. The name of the unlucky performer ; who impersonated the character was James Easter, t a lank, somowihat near-sighted American, who had spent tm> less a sum than twenty guineas on his costume, and had cost tlie Master of the Robes, a sardonic individual not given to wasting time in discussing details of dress with a lady performer, as many days' worry. Easter himself was conscious of his shortcomings. "When, a few months before, the pageant had been mentioned in his rooms in Brazenose, on a sudden impulse lie had offered to take a part, and since then his interest had known' no nagging. Eight-and-twenty years of age, imbued with a love of the past, he had entered into the spirit of '.the episode in which he was to'appear with all an American's osthusiasm. Instead of putting up at an hotel in Eastbourne or liexhill, towns almost equidistant from the scene of the pageant, to had been at paiu3 to secure rooms in »r, <il<i-world farmhouse that nestled among the hills fivo mileo across tho Pevensey Marshes. He was inclined to look on it as sacrilege to take his mo,ior-ear Into that out-of-the-way cordner of Sus-ox, but, with an eye to the Napier's uses at the end of a grill- , ing summer's day, ,he sacrificed prejuv j dice on the altar of utility. Tho role of Eustace de Montel was a small one; in fact, ho had no more to [ do than to ride up to the King, Edward, the Third of that name, and present a writing, afterwards taking his | place among the lordß and ladies of the I Royal retinue. It was an ideal onarj sieter for one of a somewhat retiring ; disposition, giving opportunity for lavish display in costume, without the embarrassments of a speaking part. Nor had James Easter tlie smallest apprehension on the score of acquitting himself with credit. He was rich, had spared nothing in the hire of a suitable mount, was more than an average horseman, and being, like so many of his countrymen, a keen student of the days of chivalry, looked forward with eager anticipation to the first of the three dress rehoarsals within the castle itself.

Having sent on chauffeur and car with his luggage t> his Sussex quarters, he had arrived at Victoria only just in time to spring into the last carriage of the Hastings train, and found l himself in a third!, at one end of which a lady was seated with her back to the engine. Easter was annoyed. It was Ins custom to travel luxuriously; he had a first-class ticket, wished to smoke, arid the train did not 6top till Lewes. However, by the time Lowes was reached his cigar and the discomforts of 611 ill-stuffed seat were forgotten, and he was deep in a tete-a-tete with his fellow-traveller. It was within twenty minutes of reaching the county town that the lady had broken the ice, having noticed tho violet-covered book of the pageant in which the American had been absorbed.

" You are interested in the pageant?" said she, smiling, perhaps a trifle wearily. ■" They talk of nothing else in our part of the country." "Yes, lam taking, a part—a very small one. You are in it, too?" A pair of clear grey eyes met Easter's dark ones. "Nb,"'sbe- replied, with a. little shake of her head. " But you will see it?" "I'm afraid not." "You don't care for sucE things, probably?" The indifference of the English to their mighty past had been always a puzzlo, to the man with "his Transatlantic enthusiasm. "Oh, but I dol" she rejoined. "The children are simply, wild to see it." So, she was married, then The. American signed. Yet whv she should not go with the children baffled him for a moment, till, just as he was on the ; point! of asking the reason, he noticed that her dress, well cut though it was, was worn, and there wore other signs, minute m themselves, but unmistakable —fcaster had an eyo for the smaller things of life. So he guessed, ami wa s silent for a moment; then, in fear lest i Ins companion had taken notice of his glance, took refuge in the beanty of the country through wihich thev were travelling—the full round shoulders of the Downs, and the chequer of cornland and pasture to right and left of tile line. His fellow-traveller got out at Polegate, the station before Pevensev and j with a bow to Easter crossed the plat- | form to where the Hailsham train was waiting, and as he followed her with It's eyes he saw her confronted bv a tall, loosely-built figure in a Ions; drab overcoat. He noted that the colour mounted to her cheeks as the pair stood talking together, perhaos for half a minute; then, turning "abruptly, the man camo hurrying along the train and entered the American's apartment. Beneath an imnulse that almost got the better of him, it w,as on the tip of his tongue to make some casual reI fereuce to his late comoanion, and I learn, if possible, her identity, but .. there was something in the newcomer's I maimer that scarcely invited such a course. The latter, a strong-featured, fair-haired man, whose thin nervous , lips spoke a temper, of the quickest, ; whose eyes, very keen, very blue, gave I a certain wildness to the expression | seemed almost typical of Anglo-Saxon i aloofness. Moreover, the stranger j seemed oblivious of the fact that he 1 was not alone, and alighted at Pevensey ;in a languid, blase fashion without ■ having bestowed a. second glance upon , the American. That afternoon, strange to say, I James Easter's illusions as to the spirit jof pagentry suffered a shock from ] which they never recovered. For • weeks he had looked forward to the ! day when he should meet, his fellow- . performers in the costume of a bygone : age beneath the grey walls of the , castle, and bitter was his disappointment at the shattering of his dreams. I Jry as lie might he could not have ■ done with tho present for even a short twenty minutes, and live in tho olden past. There was d'Aquila's keep the huge outer walls with their wealth of clustering ivy ; there was the throng of knights and ladies, squires, and men-at-arms, muis, priests, and peasants; but there was also the stage-manager and his assistant, a knot of critical if privileged onlookers, and the stands yawning blank and oinsty. There was a certain incongruity in it all that Easter could not away with. No wonder, then, that he was late in making his entrance in. response, to the herald's summons, handed tho writing of which he was the bearer to a. bishop instead of to tho king, earning by his blunders the sarcasm of the. stage-

( manager and the laughter of his companions. His part played', he found himself a stranger m a group of dismounted knights and_ their ladles, some in costume, some in -ordinary dress, whose smiles hut added to his confusion. Net that he paid much nttention to his immediate" surroundings—i -perhaps it had h-een to his advantage if 1 he had. His thoughts, instead of being

concentrated upon the episode in progress, kept drifting back to tlie lairbuircil, grey-eyed ludy who had shared his morning's journey. The rehearsal over, his car carried him aero* the Marshes. Gone wore the scones of tjio afternoon—the pageant in its pomp and pride; instead, a smiling, gracious figure in a. brown holland dress dominated his recollections of tlio day. In spito of a week-end spent in tho heart of the South Saxon country, with, tho opening of tho pageant itself tilings went from bad to worse; in fact, Easter's troubles began upon the very first day, when his horse, caparisoned in blue and silver trappings, took fright at the storm of cheering that greeted its appearance. Its rider lost a stirrup, and the startled animal, for a moment out of hand, galloped ' wildly past tin- King's dh»ir, scattering a well-nosed group of ladies, to the anguish of the officials. Performers muttered their annoyunoe or contempt, spectators rocked with delight, and for tho remainder of the week De Montel's entrance was the signal for a hum of eager, if anticipation. Thanks to some difficulty he had experienced in remounting his charge upon the AVednesday, his exit post the left-hand corner of the grand stand, where the cheaper seats wore located, was invnri-

ably, if iromally, cheered, though as some salve to his feelings the plaudits of two children, who the week through wore to be noticed at the extremity of the foremost row of chairs, were undoubtedly genuine. Day in, day out; these children watched eagerly for the silver martlets upon the azure surcoat, craning their heads round the corner of tho stand; dav in, day out, they 6miled and waved their hands as if to a friend, as its wearer rode off in tlie Royal train. Tlie children, brother and sister, had caught Easter's attention at the very first performance, and more than once, on glancing at the spectators, ho had wondered who these . little ones that took such evident interest in him and his doings could be. It was upon the hist day of the pageant, when, having delivered has writing, ho had taken up lis allotted position in the group of dismounted knights and dames, that once again his attention was drawn to the boy and girl by a fragment of whispered conversation he chanced to. overhear " Those kiddiea at the end upon our rightP" It was a woman's voice that asked the Question. " Yes, those are they." "Where is she, then?"

"At homo," rejoined a knight at Easter's back. " I hod' to bring them, they've been, here every day this week. She won't come, you know, and I fancy you oau guess why." "They say it's because you would not take the character that bears your name."

The man laughed a. trifle harshly. 'Let them say so if the explanation pleases them."

The American turned to meet a hand*some, dark-eyed woman in amber silk and gold' brocade staring curiously at the chfldren in the stand before her. He fancied there was a suspicion of mockery in the smile that was parting her lips; he was certain that there was little pleasure to be read' on the face of iier companion, a knight, plumed and in complete armour, whom ho recognised m a moment. It was the cleanfoatured man who had shared the last stage of his journey to Pevensey the week before, the same who had spoken with "the girl in the hottand dress " as Easter waa who had travelled with him from town But for the clear blue eyes, the face that looked momentarily into his would have been scarcely pleasant; pride, evil temper; passion uncontrolled, "were written plainly on the features of the warrior who stood beside that richlyapparelled dame, with the bridle of his horae, a dark roan, looped on his arm. Easter had no time for a second glance, for the episode was all but ended. The horsemen were mounting, and then as he was on the point of putting his foot in the stirrup, his horse, startled by a burst of martial 1 music, by the glint of the July sun upon mail and spearrpoint, backed! away from its rider, and flung'the group into disorder.

' Take care' sir!" cried tho owner of the keen, fierce eyes, that had suddenly lit with annoyance. "By Heaven it's the fellow who has tho infernal cheek to disgrace my arms by wearing them!" . The latter part of the remark, addressed less to Easter than to tho lady who was already in the saddle, stung the American. "I am impersonating, Eustace de Montel, sir," he retorted, gathering up his reins, "and for the time being have a right to wear his arms." " Right!" gasped the other, catching his breath. " What right have you to what is mine?" Easter ' thought the speaker would have flung himself upon "him, but for the fact that the King's retinue was moving away. As each fell into Ins place, and wheeled round before the stand, the American found himself upon the outside of the procession with no one between him and the spectators. The final performance had passed off without a hitch, even he "had done nothing to mar the success of the day, and he was more than glad that the pageant was at an end; he had had enough of this resuscitating of the past On approaqhing the angle of the stand he glanced tip at the audience as if searching for seme face that he knew, though tho ground fell away sharply, and more than one horse had blundered down the slooe. His visor was up, and catching sight of the chilsdren who had been so loval in thein applause he smiled at them, and then suddenly became aware of snouts behind .him, of the thud of flying hoofs, of a murmur among the onlookers. He glanced backwards- and caught sight of a horseman, a tall man unon a heavy roan, bearing down upon "him as if to force him upon the barrier. Easter, recognising the man, and guessing his intention, did his best to draw his horse aside.; but it was all too late, tlie oncoming roan struck his bay unon the quarters, and steed and man went down within five paces of the stand. The spectators sprang to their feet; the procession was flung into disorder, some halting from sheer amazement, others crying shame on the rider of the roan, who made his exit laughing. The American knew the art of falling, and regained his saddle without loss of time, little the worse for the' mishap. Some of his armour had broken loose, sureoat and trappings were wfiite with dust; hut this was the sum total of the damage. t On reaching ' the inn, without stopping to take off his costume,- _ Easter ordered bis car and went down into the street. Thanks to the malic© of the man who had objected to his wearing tho Do Monted cognisance, many of those who had been inclined to look on him as an incompetent blunderer, were now profuse in their expressions of sympathy; his ready mounting of the bay after its fall had proclaimed' him a. horseman, and had won the goodwill'of spectators and performers alike. _" I am sure we are all sorry, sir," said the King of the Plantagauct episode, voicing the general solicitude. "De Montel's temper is a scandal to the county; between ourselves, he's hardly responsible for his actions. He should have taken your part himself', it was offered to him months ago, but he refused it in some fit of pique, and has no right to object to your taking it.

Tlie American was somewhat embarrass*} ; any resentment lie might have felt for his assailant -ebbed away, annoyance waa succeeded by amusement. Ho thanked the pageant King, assured all and sundry that he was not hurt, and was about to.step into his car when he caught a glimpse of two children upon the inn steps. He smiled at the sight of them, and waved his hand; at any rate, he had no quarrel with the brother ami sister In response they

came towards hiin, adding- not a little to his embarrassment. TJioij*? lieioro tho inn drew back as the pair advanced. "Wo wcro afraid that you wero hurt," said the boy; he could not have been more than nine. ''You were wearing our (Test, you know. Wo aro Do Montols from Chelsham." .Easter took thoir haJids. "Father has gono; he said he could mot take ns homo to-night, and. wo must wait for tho carrier."I Tho American laughed. "Will you come with mo in tho car?" The faces of tjic boy and girl lighted in an instant. "Come along, then," cried Buster, lifting tliom to the front scab of tlie Napier, and in another moment they | were threading thoir way through tho ' unwonted traffic in tho Povensey street.' Chelsham lies six niiltß out across tho marsh, and was not more than two from tho farmhouse in which t,lie American had taken rooms. Tho latter drove slowly, for tho children amused him, and the long stretch of level was at its best in the evening sunlight. Indeed, he made something of a detour for the 6ake of the brother and sister to whom motoring was a novelty, and they in their turn insisted on being allowed to present him to their mother. '' She was not able to come, not once," said tho boy. "She let us go instead, and she is a De Montel, too; she was father's cousin." "Yes, mother will be pleased/' added .his sister; "she wondered who it was that had taken father's part. You will see him too." James Easter had little wish to meet tho latter. Apart from the act of spite that might have resulted in a serious disaster ho remembered Hie dark-eyed, gaily-dressed lady and the whispered convensation between tho two. However, to please the little ones he would let them introduce him to their mother, and besides, he had heard of Chelsham and the beauties of the house. Within another ten minutes they hod reached the lulls beyond the marsh, and the children were standing up in the car eager to point out the chimneyo of their home, when on a ridge upon i thecr right appeared a horseman, t»vidfcntly one of those who had lately taken a port in the pageant, astride a heavily-made roan. Not tdrat the ocoupants of the car paid much attention to the colour of the ohargcr; it was t!u» mad fury of its gallop that held tjiem breathless. For an instant horse and rider were mriioTjefcted unon the skvUne, then down the slone thev plunged, through brake and thicket, headlong as though life and death hung on their swift descent. Straieht for the car thev made, down the steepest part of tho 'hill, the man forward upon tho roan's withers, doing nothing to hold it together, the roan mad with terror. Within thirty yards of the torel ground oame- the end. The horse made a mistake, strove to recover itself, and fell', flinging its rider wide to the off. "It's father!" gasped the boy, and Easter applied the brakes. Tlie sun was dip?>ing as, between the widespread borders, where lilies, Canterbury hells, and poppies were all in blor,m, tliey approached the grey old house, with its quarry roof and twisted chimney-stacks, Eastor with his burden in his arms and two children clinging to the skirts of Us cloak. TJixm the terrace a woman mot them—a. woman In piain brown holland. With a smile for her children, a heightening of bor colour for the man in the Do Monte] surcoat, sho advanced to meet them, and then stood suddenly still deatjiwhite for that which lay limp in the other's arms.

With no word of bidding Easter entered the house, leaving mother and children together. Now that the wild blue eyes were closed Neville de Montel s Van an ill face to look upon. As though one of the race whose ancestors he had impersonated, James Easter f?ave his orders in Chelsham that night, waited the doctor's coming, did all that was to be dono tinder the circumstances, and rode away in his car aa the moon rose seaward across the marshes. Lite Porensey's ruin, there's many a Southland Manor that can advance nigh olaima to the honour of pageantry; so far as Ghelsham is concerned', the latest episode in its history, so ther /»y, is likely to b» the weddfnc of its mistress with an American.