The Prince and the Pauper Read online

  CHAPTER III. Tom's meeting with the Prince.

  Tom got up hungry, and sauntered hungry away, but with his thoughts busywith the shadowy splendours of his night's dreams. He wandered hereand there in the city, hardly noticing where he was going, or whatwas happening around him. ?People jostled him, and some gave him roughspeech; but it was all lost on the musing boy. ?By-and-by he foundhimself at Temple Bar, the farthest from home he had ever travelled inthat direction. ?He stopped and considered a moment, then fell into hisimaginings again, and passed on outside the walls of London. ?The Strandhad ceased to be a country-road then, and regarded itself as a street,but by a strained construction; for, though there was a tolerablycompact row of houses on one side of it, there were only some scatteredgreat buildings on the other, these being palaces of rich nobles, withample and beautiful grounds stretching to the river--grounds that arenow closely packed with grim acres of brick and stone.

  Tom discovered Charing Village presently, and rested himself at thebeautiful cross built there by a bereaved king of earlier days; thenidled down a quiet, lovely road, past the great cardinal'sstately palace, toward a far more mighty and majestic palacebeyond--Westminster. Tom stared in glad wonder at the vast pile ofmasonry, the wide-spreading wings, the frowning bastions and turrets,the huge stone gateway, with its gilded bars and its magnificent arrayof colossal granite lions, and other the signs and symbols of Englishroyalty. ?Was the desire of his soul to be satisfied at last? ?Here,indeed, was a king's palace. ?Might he not hope to see a prince now--aprince of flesh and blood, if Heaven were willing?

  At each side of the gilded gate stood a living statue--that is to say,an erect and stately and motionless man-at-arms, clad from head to heelin shining steel armour. ?At a respectful distance were many countryfolk, and people from the city, waiting for any chance glimpse ofroyalty that might offer. ?Splendid carriages, with splendid peoplein them and splendid servants outside, were arriving and departing byseveral other noble gateways that pierced the royal enclosure.

  Poor little Tom, in his rags, approached, and was moving slowly andtimidly past the sentinels, with a beating heart and a rising hope, whenall at once he caught sight through the golden bars of a spectacle thatalmost made him shout for joy. ?Within was a comely boy, tanned andbrown with sturdy outdoor sports and exercises, whose clothing was allof lovely silks and satins, shining with jewels; at his hip a littlejewelled sword and dagger; dainty buskins on his feet, with red heels;and on his head a jaunty crimson cap, with drooping plumes fastenedwith a great sparkling gem. ?Several gorgeous gentlemen stood near--hisservants, without a doubt. ?Oh! he was a prince--a prince, a livingprince, a real prince--without the shadow of a question; and the prayerof the pauper-boy's heart was answered at last.

  Tom's breath came quick and short with excitement, and his eyes grew bigwith wonder and delight. ?Everything gave way in his mind instantlyto one desire: ?that was to get close to the prince, and have a good,devouring look at him. ?Before he knew what he was about, he had hisface against the gate-bars. ?The next instant one of the soldierssnatched him rudely away, and sent him spinning among the gaping crowdof country gawks and London idlers. ?The soldier said,--

  "Mind thy manners, thou young beggar!"

  The crowd jeered and laughed; but the young prince sprang to the gatewith his face flushed, and his eyes flashing with indignation, and criedout,--

  "How dar'st thou use a poor lad like that? ?How dar'st thou use the Kingmy father's meanest subject so? ?Open the gates, and let him in!"

  You should have seen that fickle crowd snatch off their hats then.You should have heard them cheer, and shout, "Long live the Prince ofWales!"

  The soldiers presented arms with their halberds, opened the gates,and presented again as the little Prince of Poverty passed in, in hisfluttering rags, to join hands with the Prince of Limitless Plenty.

  Edward Tudor said--

  "Thou lookest tired and hungry: ?thou'st been treated ill. ?Come withme."

  Half a dozen attendants sprang forward to--I don't know what; interfere,no doubt. ?But they were waved aside with a right royal gesture, andthey stopped stock still where they were, like so many statues. ?Edwardtook Tom to a rich apartment in the palace, which he called his cabinet.?By his command a repast was brought such as Tom had never encounteredbefore except in books. ?The prince, with princely delicacy andbreeding, sent away the servants, so that his humble guest might not beembarrassed by their critical presence; then he sat near by, and askedquestions while Tom ate.

  "What is thy name, lad?"

  "Tom Canty, an' it please thee, sir."

  "'Tis an odd one. ?Where dost live?"

  "In the city, please thee, sir. ?Offal Court, out of Pudding Lane."

  "Offal Court! ?Truly 'tis another odd one. ?Hast parents?"

  "Parents have I, sir, and a grand-dam likewise that is but indifferentlyprecious to me, God forgive me if it be offence to say it--also twinsisters, Nan and Bet."

  "Then is thy grand-dam not over kind to thee, I take it?"

  "Neither to any other is she, so please your worship. ?She hath a wickedheart, and worketh evil all her days."

  "Doth she mistreat thee?"

  "There be times that she stayeth her hand, being asleep or overcome withdrink; but when she hath her judgment clear again, she maketh it up tome with goodly beatings."

  A fierce look came into the little prince's eyes, and he cried out--

  "What! ?Beatings?"

  "Oh, indeed, yes, please you, sir."

  "_Beatings_!--and thou so frail and little. ?Hark ye: ?before the nightcome, she shall hie her to the Tower. ?The King my father"--

  "In sooth, you forget, sir, her low degree. ?The Tower is for the greatalone."

  "True, indeed. ?I had not thought of that. ?I will consider of herpunishment. ?Is thy father kind to thee?"

  "Not more than Gammer Canty, sir."

  "Fathers be alike, mayhap. ?Mine hath not a doll's temper. ?He smitethwith a heavy hand, yet spareth me: ?he spareth me not always with histongue, though, sooth to say. ?How doth thy mother use thee?"

  "She is good, sir, and giveth me neither sorrow nor pain of any sort.And Nan and Bet are like to her in this."

  "How old be these?"

  "Fifteen, an' it please you, sir."

  "The Lady Elizabeth, my sister, is fourteen, and the Lady Jane Grey,my cousin, is of mine own age, and comely and gracious withal; butmy sister the Lady Mary, with her gloomy mien and--Look you: ?do thysisters forbid their servants to smile, lest the sin destroy theirsouls?"

  "They? ?Oh, dost think, sir, that _they_ have servants?"

  The little prince contemplated the little pauper gravely a moment, thensaid--

  "And prithee, why not? ?Who helpeth them undress at night? ?Who attireththem when they rise?"

  "None, sir. ?Would'st have them take off their garment, and sleepwithout--like the beasts?"

  "Their garment! ?Have they but one?"

  "Ah, good your worship, what would they do with more? ?Truly they havenot two bodies each."

  "It is a quaint and marvellous thought! ?Thy pardon, I had not meantto laugh. ?But thy good Nan and thy Bet shall have raiment and lackeysenow, and that soon, too: ?my cofferer shall look to it. ?No, thank menot; 'tis nothing. ?Thou speakest well; thou hast an easy grace in it.?Art learned?"

  "I know not if I am or not, sir. ?The good priest that is called FatherAndrew taught me, of his kindness, from his books."

  "Know'st thou the Latin?"

  "But scantly, sir, I doubt."

  "Learn it, lad: ?'tis hard only at first. ?The Greek is harder; butneither these nor any tongues else, I think, are hard to the LadyElizabeth and my cousin. ?Thou should'st hear those damsels at it! ?Buttell me of thy Offal Court. ?Hast thou a pleasant life there?"

  "In truth, yes, so please you, sir, save when one is hungry. Therebe Punch-and-Judy shows, and monkeys--oh such antic creatures! and sobravely dressed!--and there be plays wherein they that play do shoutand fight ti
ll all are slain, and 'tis so fine to see, and costeth buta farthing--albeit 'tis main hard to get the farthing, please yourworship."

  "Tell me more."

  "We lads of Offal Court do strive against each other with the cudgel,like to the fashion of the 'prentices, sometimes."

  The prince's eyes flashed. ?Said he--

  "Marry, that would not I mislike. ?Tell me more."

  "We strive in races, sir, to see who of us shall be fleetest."

  "That would I like also. ?Speak on."

  "In summer, sir, we wade and swim in the canals and in the river, andeach doth duck his neighbour, and splatter him with water, and dive andshout and tumble and--"

  "'Twould be worth my father's kingdom but to enjoy it once! Prithee goon."

  "We dance and sing about the Maypole in Cheapside; we play in the sand,each covering his neighbour up; and times we make mud pastry--ohthe lovely mud, it hath not its like for delightfulness in all theworld!--we do fairly wallow in the mud, sir, saving your worship'spresence."

  "Oh, prithee, say no more, 'tis glorious! ?If that I could but clothe mein raiment like to thine, and strip my feet, and revel in the mud once,just once, with none to rebuke me or forbid, meseemeth I could foregothe crown!"

  "And if that I could clothe me once, sweet sir, as thou art clad--justonce--"

  "Oho, would'st like it? ?Then so shall it be. ?Doff thy rags, and donthese splendours, lad! ?It is a brief happiness, but will be not lesskeen for that. ?We will have it while we may, and change again beforeany come to molest."

  A few minutes later the little Prince of Wales was garlanded with Tom'sfluttering odds and ends, and the little Prince of Pauperdom was trickedout in the gaudy plumage of royalty. ?The two went and stood side byside before a great mirror, and lo, a miracle: there did not seem tohave been any change made! ?They stared at each other, then at theglass, then at each other again. ?At last the puzzled princeling said--

  "What dost thou make of this?"

  "Ah, good your worship, require me not to answer. ?It is not meet thatone of my degree should utter the thing."

  "Then will _I_ utter it. ?Thou hast the same hair, the same eyes, thesame voice and manner, the same form and stature, the same face andcountenance that I bear. ?Fared we forth naked, there is none couldsay which was you, and which the Prince of Wales. ?And, now that Iam clothed as thou wert clothed, it seemeth I should be able the morenearly to feel as thou didst when the brute soldier--Hark ye, is notthis a bruise upon your hand?"

  "Yes; but it is a slight thing, and your worship knoweth that the poorman-at-arms--"

  "Peace! ?It was a shameful thing and a cruel!" cried the little prince,stamping his bare foot. ?"If the King--Stir not a step till I comeagain! It is a command!"

  In a moment he had snatched up and put away an article of nationalimportance that lay upon a table, and was out at the door and flyingthrough the palace grounds in his bannered rags, with a hot face andglowing eyes. ?As soon as he reached the great gate, he seized the bars,and tried to shake them, shouting--

  "Open! ?Unbar the gates!"

  The soldier that had maltreated Tom obeyed promptly; and as the princeburst through the portal, half-smothered with royal wrath, the soldierfetched him a sounding box on the ear that sent him whirling to theroadway, and said--

  "Take that, thou beggar's spawn, for what thou got'st me from hisHighness!"

  The crowd roared with laughter. ?The prince picked himself out of themud, and made fiercely at the sentry, shouting--

  "I am the Prince of Wales, my person is sacred; and thou shalt hang forlaying thy hand upon me!"

  The soldier brought his halberd to a present-arms and said mockingly--

  "I salute your gracious Highness." ?Then angrily--"Be off, thou crazyrubbish!"

  Here the jeering crowd closed round the poor little prince, and hustledhim far down the road, hooting him, and shouting--

  "Way for his Royal Highness! ?Way for the Prince of Wales!"