A Reputed Changeling Read online

  CHAPTER V: PEREGRINE'S HOME

  "For, at a word, be it understood,He was always for ill and never for good."

  SCOTT.

  A week had passed since any of the family from Oakwood had come tomake inquiries after the convalescent at Portchester, when Dr.Woodford mounted his sleek, sober-paced pad, and accompanied by agroom, rode over to make his report and tender his counsel to MajorOakshott. He arrived just as the great bell was clanging to summonthe family to the mid-day meal, since he had reckoned on the Squirebeing more amenable as a 'full man,' especially towards a guest, andhe was well aware that the Major was thoroughly a gentleman inbehaviour even to those with whom he differed in politics andreligion.

  Accordingly there was a ready welcome at the door of the old redhouse, which was somewhat gloomy looking, being on the north side ofthe hill, and a good deal stifled with trees. In a brief intervalthe Doctor found himself seated beside the pale languid lady at thehead of the long table, placed in a large hall, wainscotted with theblackest of oak, which seemed to absorb into itself all the lightfrom the windows, large enough indeed but heavily mullioned, andwith almost as much of leading as of octagons and lozenges--greenishglass--in them, while the coats of arms, repeated in upper portionsand at the intersections of beams and rafters, were not morecheerful, being sable chevrons on an argent field. The crest, ahorse shoe, was indeed azure, but the blue of this and of the coatsof the serving-men only deepened the thunderous effect of the black.Strangely, however, among these sad-coloured men there moved afigure entirely differently. A negro, white turbaned, and with hisblue livery of a lighter shade, of fantastic make and relieved by agreat deal of white and shining silver, so as to have an entirelydifferent effect.

  He placed himself behind the chair of Dr. Woodford's oppositeneighbour, a shrewd business-like looking gentleman, soberly buthandsomely dressed, with a certain foreign cut about his clothes,and a cravat of rich Flemish lace. He was presented to the Doctoras Major Oakshott's brother, Sir Peregrine. The rest of the partyconsisted of Oliver and Robert, sturdy, ruddy lads of fifteen andtwelve, and their tutor, Mr. Horncastle, an elderly man, who twentyyears before had resigned his living because he could not bringhimself to accept all the Liturgy.

  While Sir Peregrine courteously relieved his sister-in-law of thetrouble of carving the gammon of bacon which accompanied the vealwhich her husband was helping, Dr. Woodford informed her of herson's progress towards recovery.

  "Ah," she said, "I knew you had come to tell us that he is ready tobe brought home;" and her tone was fretful.

  "We are greatly beholden to you, sir," said the Major from thebottom of the table. "The boy shall be fetched home immediately."

  "Not so, sir, as yet, I beg of you. Neither his head nor his sidecan brook the journey for at least another week, and indeed my goodsister Woodford will hardly know how to part with her patient."

  "She will not long be of that mind after Master Perry gets to hisfeet again," muttered the chaplain.

  "Indeed no," chimed in the mother. "There will be no more peace inthe house when he is come back."

  "I assure you, madam," said Dr. Woodford, "that he has been a verygood child, grateful and obedient, nor have I heard any complaints."

  "Your kindness, or else that of Mrs. Woodford, carries you far,sir," answered his host.

  "What? Is my nephew and namesake so peevish a scapegrace?" demandedthe visitor.

  On which anecdotes broke forth from all quarters. Peregrine hadgreased the already slippery oak stairs, had exchanged Oliver'scareful exercise for a ribald broadsheet, had filled Mr.Horncastle's pipe with gunpowder, and mixed snuff with the chocolatespecially prepared for the peculiar godly guest Dame PriscillaWaller. Every one had something to adduce, even the serving-menbehind the chairs; and if Oliver and Robert did not add their quota,it was because absolute silence at meals was the rule for nonage.However, the subject was evidently distasteful to the father, whochanged the conversation by asking his brother questions about theyoung Prince of Orange and the Grand Pensionary De Witt. For thegentleman had been acting as English attache to the Embassy at theHague, whence he had come on affairs of State to London, and afterbeing knighted by Charles, had newly arrived at the old home, whichhe had scarcely seen since his brother's marriage. Dr. Woodfordenjoyed his conversation, and his information on foreign politics,and the Major, though now and then protesting, was evidently proudof his brother.

  When grace had been pronounced by the chaplain the lady withdrew toher parlour, the two boys, each with an obeisance and request forpermission, departed for an hour's recreation, and Dr. Woodfordintimated that he wished for some conversation with his hostrespecting the boy Peregrine.

  "Let us discuss it here," said Major Oakshott, turning towards asmall table set in the deep bay window, and garnished with wine,fruit, and long slender glasses. "Good Mr. Horncastle," he added,as he motioned his guest to one of the four seats, "is with me inall that concerns my children, and I desire my brother's counselrespecting the untoward lad with whom it has pleased Heaven toafflict me."

  When the glasses had been filled with claret Dr. Woodford uttered adiplomatic compliment on the healthful and robust appearance of theeldest and youngest sons, and asked whether any cause had beenassigned for the difference between them and the intermediatebrother.

  "None, sir," returned the father with a sigh, "save the will of theAlmighty to visit us for our sins with a son who has thus far shownhimself one of the marred vessels doomed to be broken by the potter.It may be in order to humble me and prove me that this hath beenlaid upon me."

  The chaplain groaned acquiescence, but there was vexation in thebrother's face.

  "Sir," said the Doctor, "it is my opinion and that of my sister-in-law, an excellent, discreet, and devout woman, that the poor childwould give you more cause for hope if the belief had not becomefixed in his mind that he is really and truly a fairy elf--yes, invery sooth--a changeling!"

  All the auditors broke out into exclamations that it was impossiblethat a boy of fourteen could entertain so absurd an idea, and thetutor evidently thought it a fresh proof of depravity that he shouldthus have tried to deceive his kind hosts.

  In proof that Peregrine veritably believed it himself, Dr. Woodfordrelated what he had witnessed on Midsummer night, mentioning how indelirium the boy had evidently believed himself in fairyland, andhow disappointed he had been, on regaining his senses, to findhimself on common earth; telling also of the adventure with theKing, which Sir Christopher Wren had described to him, but of whichMajor Oakshott was unaware, though it explained the offer of thepageship. He was a good deal struck by these revelations, provingmisery that he had never suspected, though, as he said, he had oftenpleaded, "Why will ye revolt more and more? ye _will_ be strickenmore and more."

  "Have you ever sought his confidence?" asked the travelled brother,a question evidently scarcely understood, for the reply was, "I havealways required of my sons to speak the truth, nor have they failedof late years save this unfortunate Peregrine."

  "And," said Sir Peregrine, "if the unlucky lad actually supposeshimself to be no human being, admonitions and chastisements wouldnaturally be vain."

  "I cannot believe it," exclaimed the Major. "'Tis true, as I nowremember, I once came on a couple of beldames, my wife's nurse andanother, who has since been ducked for witchcraft, and found themabout to flog the babe with nettles, and lay him in the thorn hedgebecause he was a sickly child, whom, forsooth, they took to be achangeling; but I forbade the profane folly to be ever againmentioned in my household, nor did I ever hear thereof again."

  "There are a good many more things mentioned in a household,brother, than the master is wont to hear of," remarked SirPeregrine.

  Dr. Woodford then begged as a personal favour for an individualexamination of the family and servants on their opinion. The masterwas reluctant thus, as he expressed it, to go a-fooling, but hisbrother backed the Doctor up, and further prevented a generalassembly to put one ano
ther to shame, but insisted on the witnessesbeing called in one by one. Oliver, the first summoned, wasbeginning to be somewhat less overawed by his father than in hisearlier boyhood. To the inquiry what he thought of his brotherPeregrine, he made a tentative sort of reply, that he was a strangefellow, who never could keep out of disgrace.

  "That is not the question," said his father. "I am almost ashamedto speak it! Do you--nay, have you ever supposed him to be a--" hereally could not bring out the word.

  "A changeling, sir?" returned Oliver. "I do not believe so now,knowing that it is impossible, but as a child I always did."

  "Who durst possess you with so foolish and profane a falsehood?"

  "Every one, sir. I cannot recollect the time when I did not asentirely deem Peregrine a changeling elf as that Robin was my ownbrother. He believes so himself."

  "You have never striven to disabuse him."

  "Indeed, sir, he would scarce have listened to me had I done go;besides, to tell the truth, it has only been of late, since I havebeen older, and have studied more, that I have come to perceive thefolly of it."

  Major Oakshott groaned, and bade him call Robert without sayingwherefore. The little fellow came in, somewhat frightened, and whenasked the question that had been put to his elder, his face lightedup, and he exclaimed, "Oh, have they brought him back again?"

  "Whom?"

  "Our real brother, sir, who was carried off to fairyland!"

  "Who told you so, Robert?"

  He looked puzzled, and said, "Sir, they all know it. Molly Owens,that was his foster-mother, saw the fairies bear him off on abroomstick up the chimney."

  "Robert, no lying!"

  The boy was only restrained from tears by fear of his father, andjust managed to say, "'Tis what they all say, and Perry knows."

  "Knows!" muttered Major Oakshott in despair, but the uncle, drawingRobin towards him, extracted that Perry had been seen flying out ofthe loft window, when he had been locked up--Robin had never seen ithimself, but the maids had often done so. Moreover, there was proofpositive, in the mark on Oliver's head, where he had nearly killedhimself by tumbling downstairs, being lured by the fairies whilethey stole away the babe.

  The Major could not listen with patience. "A boy of that age torepeat such blasphemous nonsense!" he exclaimed; and Robert,restraining with difficulty his sobs of terror, was dismissed tofetch the butler.

  The old Ironside who now appeared would not avouch his own disbeliefin the identity of Master Peregrine, being, as he said, a man whohad studied his Bible, listened to godly preachers, and seen theworld; but he had no hesitation in declaring that almost every othersoul in the household believed in it as firmly as in the Gospel,certainly all the women, and probably all the men, nor was there anydoubt that the young gentleman conducted himself more like a goblinthan the son of pious Christian parents. In effect both theclergyman and the Diplomate could not help suspecting that in othercompany the worthy butler's disavowal of all share in thesuperstition might have been less absolute.

  "After this," said Major Oakshott with a sigh, "it seems useless tocarry the inquiry farther."

  "What says my sister Oakshott?" inquired Sir Peregrine. "She! Poorsoul, she is too feeble to be fretted," said her husband. "She hasnever been the same woman since the Fire of London, and it would bevain to vex her with questions. She would be of one mind while Ispoke to her, and another while her women were pouring their talesinto her ear. Methinks I now understand why she has always seemedto shrink from this unfortunate child, and to fear rather than lovehim."

  "Even so, sir," added the tutor. "Much is explained that I neverbefore understood. The question is how to deal with him under thisfresh light. I will, so please your honour, assemble the familythis very night, and expound to them that such superstitions arecontrary to the very word of Scripture."

  "Much good will that do," muttered the knight.

  "I should humbly suggest," put in Dr. Woodford, "that the best hopefor the poor lad would be to place him where these foolish taleswere unknown, and he could start afresh on the same terms with otheryouths."

  "There is no school in accordance with my principles," said theSquire gloomily. "Godly men who hold the faith as I do areinhibited by the powers that be from teaching in schools."

  "And," said his brother, "you hold these principles as moreimportant than the causing your son to be bred up a human beinginstead of being pointed at and rendered hopeless as a demon."

  "I am bound to do so," said the Major.

  "Surely," said Dr. Woodford, "some scholar might be found, eitherhere or in Holland, who might share your opinions, and could receivethe boy without incurring penalties for opening a school withoutlicense."

  "It is a matter for prayer and consideration," said Major Oakshott."Meantime, reverend sir, I thank you most heartily for the goodnesswith which you have treated my untoward son, and likewise for havingopened my eyes to the root of his freakishness."

  The Doctor understood this as dismissal, and asked for his horse,intimating, however, that he would gladly keep the boy till somearrangement had been decided upon. Then he rode home to tell hissister-in-law that he had done his best, and that he thought it afortunate conjunction that the travelled brother had been present.