The Armourers Prentices | Page 5

shrewish-looking woman, was warming

her child's feet at the fire, before putting him to bed, and an old woman
sat spinning and nodding on a settle at a little distance.
"Brother," said Stephen, "we have thought on what you said. We will
put our stuff together, and if you will count us out our portions, we will
be afoot by sunrise to-morrow."
"Nay, nay, lad, I said not there was such haste; did I, mistress
housewife?"--(she snorted); "only that thou art a well-grown lusty
fellow, and 'tis time thou wentest forth. For thee, Ambrose, thou
wottest I made thee a fair offer of bed and board."
"That is," called out the wife, "if thou wilt make a fair scholar of little
Will. 'Tis a mighty good offer. There are not many who would let their
child be taught by a mere stripling like thee!"
"Nay," said Ambrose, who could not bring himself to thank her, "I go
with Stephen, mistress; I would mend my scholarship ere I teach."
"As you please," said Mistress Maud, shrugging her shoulders, "only
never say that a fair offer was not made to you."
"And," said Stephen, "so please you, brother John, hand us over our
portions, and the jewels as bequeathed to us, and we will be gone."
"Portions, quotha?" returned John. "Boy, they be not due to you till you
be come to years of discretion."
The brothers looked at one another, and Stephen said, "Nay, now,
brother, I know not how that may be, but I do know that you cannot
drive us from our father's house without maintenance, and detain what
belongs to us."
And Ambrose muttered something about "my Lord of Beaulieu."
"Look you, now," said John, "did I ever speak of driving you from
home without maintenance? Hath not Ambrose had his choice of
staying here, and Stephen of waiting till some office be found for him?

As for putting forty crowns into the hands of striplings like you, it were
mere throwing it to the robbers."
"That being so," said Ambrose turning to Stephen, "we will to Beaulieu,
and see what counsel my lord will give us."
"Yea, do, like the vipers ye are, and embroil us with my Lord of
Beaulieu," cried Maud from the fire.
"See," said John, in his more caressing fashion, "it is not well to carry
family tales to strangers, and--and--"
He was disconcerted by a laugh from the old nurse, "Ho! John
Birkenholt, thou wast ever a lad of smooth tongue, but an thou, or
madam here, think that thy brothers can be put forth from thy father's
door without their due before the good man be cold in his grave, and
the Forest not ring with it, thou art mightily out in thy reckoning!"
"Peace, thou old hag; what matter is't of thine?" began Mistress Maud,
but again came the harsh laugh. "Matter of mine! Why, whose matter
should it be but mine, that have nursed all three of the lads, ay, and
their father before them, besides four more that lie in the graveyard at
Beaulieu? Rest their sweet souls! And I tell thee, Master John, an thou
do not righteously by these thy brothers, thou mayst back to thy
parchments at Southampton, for not a man or beast in the Forest will
give thee good day."
They all felt the old woman's authority. She was able and spirited in her
homely way, and more mistress of the house than Mrs. Birkenholt
herself; and such were the terms of domestic service, that there was no
peril of losing her place. Even Maud knew that to turn her out was an
impossibility, and that she must be accepted like the loneliness, damp,
and other evils of Forest life. John had been under her dominion, and
proceeded to persuade her. "Good now, Nurse Joan, what have I denied
these rash striplings that my father would have granted them? Wouldst
thou have them carry all their portion in their hands, to be cozened of it
at the first ale-house, or robbed on the next heath?"

"I would have thee do a brother's honest part, John Birkenholt. A
loving part I say not. Thou wert always like a very popple for hardness,
and smoothness, ay, and slipperiness. Heigh ho! But what is right by
the lads, thou SHALT do."
John cowered under her eye as he had done at six years old, and
faltered, "I only seek to do them right, nurse."
Nurse Joan uttered an emphatic grunt, but Mistress Maud broke in,
"They are not to hang about here in idleness, eating my poor child's
substance, and teaching him ill manners."
"We would not stay here if you paid us for it," returned Stephen.
"And whither would you go?" asked John.
"To Winchester first, to seek