showing who was concealed in the jewel house.
after accompanying magog along the outer ward to the entrance of saint thomas’s tower, where he left him, lovel passed under the gloomy archway of the bloody tower, and, ascending the hill, made his way to the jewel house.
arrived there, he did not proceed to that part of the building which we last visited, but sought his private chamber, and having entered it, and bolted the door inside, he tapped at the door of a small inner room, and called out “you may come forth, sir.”
the summons was promptly obeyed by a young man, who stepping quickly towards him, said, “you have been long absent, lovel. what news do you bring?”
“excellent news, good master osbert clinton,” replied the other. “if all goes well, you will have the treasure to-night. it will delight you to hear that the coffers have been transported by the gigantic warders to traitor’s gate, and are now lying there, ready for you and your friends to take them away. so far all has gone well—far better than could have been expected—and i hope the rest will turn out equally prosperously. indeed, it can scarcely fail to do so, unless from ill management.”
“what course do you advise us to pursue, lovel?” demanded osbert.
“first of all, there must be no delay in the execution of 383the project,” replied the other. “the business must be done to-night. a boat capable of containing the chests must be brought to traitors’ gate. i shall be in saint thomas’s tower, and after going through the usual formalities, will cause the great wooden gate to be opened. if no untoward circumstance occurs, the coffers can thus be readily carried off and conveyed to a place of safety.”
“once out of traitors’ gate, all the rest will be easy,” said osbert. “your plan promises well, good lovel, and i trust nothing will occur to mar it. possessed of this gold, we shall be able to carry into immediate effect our grand enterprise. it may be wrong to seize this treasure, but neither i nor my associates have any scruples on the subject. we know that this gold is intended to be employed to bribe our nobles to enslave the country, and we consider it lawful plunder, of which we may rightfully possess ourselves by force or stratagem.”
“i take precisely the same view of the matter as yourself, sir,” said lovel; “and, as you, know, have engaged in this enterprise without fee or reward. i am anxious, as you and your friends are, to see the country delivered from spanish thraldom, and the protestant religion restored. while martyrs are giving up their lives in testimony of their faith, i do not hesitate to jeopardise mine to benefit the same cause. if this spanish gold can be employed against our enemies, instead of being used by them to our disadvantage, i shall be content.”
“in three day’s time there will be a rising in essex and suffolk,” said osbert; “and in less than a week an army of insurgents, larger than that commanded by wyat, will be marching to london, its battle-cry being, ‘down with the spaniard and the pope!’ this gold will give us all we need. and so you positively refuse any reward for the great service you are rendering us, lovel?”
“were i to take a reward, i should consider that i had violated my trust,” replied the other. “my object is to serve my country, and if it be freed from oppression i shall be amply rewarded. but now to proceed with the business. no time must be lost in communicating with sir henry dudley, sir anthony kingston, master udal, and the rest of your associates.”
384“that can be quickly done,” replied osbert. “they are close at hand—at the ‘rose and crown,’ on tower hill. there can be no difficulty as to a boat, since one has been already provided. at what hour ought the attempt to be made?”
“let me see,” said lovel, reflecting. “the tide will serve at nine. the boat should be at traitor’s gate at that hour.”
“good,” returned osbert. “now then to communicate with my friends.”
“leave that to me,” said lovel; “you cannot quit the tower with safety, as, if you should be seen and recognised, your instant arrest would follow. i will go to the ‘rose and crown’ at once, and give full instructions to your friends. retire to the inner room, and do not stir forth from it till my return.”
and as osbert complied, the keeper of the treasure left the jewel house, and set out on his errand.
