Penshurst Castle in the Time of Sir Philip SidneyMarshall, Emma
General
Penshurst Castle in the Time of Sir Philip Sidney
Marshall, Emma
Sidney, Philip, Sir, 1554-1586 -- Fiction
Sir Philip had not time to delay, though the Dean hurried after the service
to greet him and to offer hospitality.
'I must be on my road to London,' he said, 'for a great event awaits me
there, Mr Dean--the baptism of my little daughter, to whom the Queen is
graciously pleased to stand godmother.'
'And God give you a safe journey, Sir Philip, and bless the child,' the
kindly Dean said. 'How fares it with the daughter of my good friend Sir
Francis Walsingham? I trust she is well recovered.'
'Fairly well,' Sir Philip replied. 'She is young and somewhat fragile, but
I trust will soon be able to join me at Flushing.'
After the exchange of a few more kindly words and congratulations, Sir
Philip Sidney was leaving the Cathedral, when a figure, still kneeling in
the nave, arrested his attention, and as his footsteps drew near, the bowed
head was raised, and Sir Philip saw it was Lucy Forrester.
He passed on, but lingered outside for a few moments, till, as he expected,
Lucy came out.
'I am glad to see you once more,' Sir Philip said; 'if only to bid you
farewell, and to assure you I will not fail to track out the villain, who
may, at least, give me tidings of Mistress Gifford's boy. I will see her
also, if possible.'
'You are very good, sir,' Lucy said.
But she moved on with quick steps towards St Anne's Gateway.
'Have you aught that I can convey to Mistress Gifford? If so, commit it to
my care at Penshurst, whither, I suppose, you go with the Countess on the
morrow or next day. Then we shall meet again--so now, farewell.'
Years had passed since Lucy had subdued the tumultuous throb at her heart
when in Sir Philip's presence. He was still her ideal of all that was noble
and pure and courteous; her true knight, who, having filled her childish
and girlish dreams, still reigned supreme.
There are mysteries in the human heart that must ever remain unfathomable,
and it is not for us to judge one another when we are confronted by them,
and can find no clue to solve them.
Lucy Forrester's romantic love for Sir Philip Sidney had worked her no ill;
rather, it had strengthened her on the way; and from that night when she
and Mary Gifford had exchanged their secrets she had striven to keep her
promise, and to be, as she had said she wished to be, really good.
The atmosphere of Lady Pembroke's house had helped her, and had been an
education to her in the best sense of the word.
'Fare you well, sir,' she said. 'I must hasten to find Mistress Crawley. We
came hither to the city for something wanted from a shop ere we start on
our journey; but I craved leave to go to the Cathedral for a few minutes.
This is how you found me, sir, there.'
There was something in Lucy's voice which seemed to betray anxiety as to
whether Sir Philip might think she was alone in Salisbury; and something
of relief when she exclaimed,--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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