Pisanio was glad she was willing to think of other places, and went
on to suggest a scheme, daring indeed, but which Imogen was only too
glad to accept. This was nothing less than that Imogen should disguise
herself as a page, and seek service with the Roman Ambassador, Lucius;
then she could go with him to Rome, where she would be living near
Leonatus, and, even if she did not see him, she could hear hourly
reports of his doings. Pisanio, with this end in view, had taken care
to provide himself with the dress of a page, which he now handed
over to Imogen. Lucius was to arrive on the following day at Milford
Haven, and Pisanio advised Imogen to go there to meet him, and offer
her services, which he would probably accept. Pisanio himself must
now return to the palace, in case his absence should give rise to
suspicion, but from the mountain-top where they stood he pointed out
Milford Haven, and it seemed within easy distance. Finally, before
taking leave, he gave Imogen the little box of drugs which the Queen
had presented to him, telling her that it contained some precious
cordial that would cure her if ever she were ill. So the faithful
servant bade farewell to his dearly loved mistress.
Poor Imogen set out with a brave heart on her perilous adventure,
but the town that had looked so near seemed to recede as she walked
towards it. For two days and nights she wandered on, almost spent with
hunger, and making the ground her bed. At last she came to an opening
in the side of the mountain, which looked as if it were used for some
kind of habitation, for a path led to the low entrance. Imogen found
it was a cave, evidently furnished for use. At first she was afraid to
enter, not knowing what danger might lurk inside, but hunger made her
valiant. She called, but no one answered.
“Ho! Who’s there? If anything that’s civil, speak. Ho! No answer? Then
I’ll enter. Best draw my sword; and if mine enemy but fear the sword
as I do, he’ll scarcely look at it. Grant such a foe, kind heaven!”
[Illustration: “Best draw my sword.”]
So, timid and quavering, in her boy’s tunic, with her short,
broad-bladed sword gripped in her trembling hand, Imogen pushed aside
the brushwood and entered the cave.
She had not long disappeared when the real owners of the cave
approached. These were an elderly man of commanding presence and two
noble-looking youths of twenty-two and twenty-three years old. In
spite of their rustic and almost savage garb of hunters, there was an
air of unmistakable distinction about all three; to the frank brow
and free step of the mountaineer the lads joined a princely grace of
bearing which told of high birth and noble breeding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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