H. C. Bailey

“ Oscott fell wearily into a chair and looked Sir Ralph over. Mr. Saunders sat on the edge of a stool and stared at the hangings of faded red and green saye.
“His lordship commends your zeal, Sir Ralph. It is of high import that the lurking enemies of the faith should be sought out and destroyed. One heretic in secret may do more harm than twenty bold professors. Therefore, my lord thanks you.”
Sir Ralph was eloquently grateful and pressed upon them generous entertainment. They ate and drank like gentlemen who found good appetite in heretic-hunting. ”

“ LIKE that, if I have made anything of the masses of queer papers at Assynton Towers, Dick the shepherd began the profitable business of his life. They digress to a large description of Assynton manor and Gabriel Rymingtowne, its lord. For the first, what matters to us is that it could be inherited only by males. Therefore on Gabriel Rymingtowne’s death it must pass, not to his daughter Mary, but to his cousin the priest. You can sympathize now with the anxieties of Sir Ralph. You will see the reason why Gabriel Rymingtowne did not love him. ”

“ Rymingtowne knew his world well enough to know that a taste for astrology might condemn a man to death. That his cousin was zealous to procure his death he had seen. If Dr. Oscott were come to Assynton—Dr. Oscott who had hunted heretics down all over the diocese—the danger was imminent. He knew how to act. In a moment he was climbing the down to the windmill. He saw his way. He would abolish all evidence of his science. He would let the good gentlemen come and search and, when they had found nothing, break in upon them. ”

“ The shepherd drew back. His heavy face was contorted with coarse cunning. “You’m minded to do such, Sir Ralph?” he asked.
“I see a way for a bold fellow that I know to come by five pounds. And there might be a crown or two in hand for him beside,” the priest smiled genially. “And if he were careful to put back the planks—after, no man were ever the wiser.” ”

“ The shepherd crossed himself in a hurry and stood gaping. “Look you, Diccon. They tell me he goes up o’ nights to the old wind mill, to the chamber he hath made himself there, to work his magic and conjure with the stars.”
“And so he doth,” the shepherd cried. “I ha’ seen him catching star-magic in a pipe.”
“Why, then, from the manor to the down he must cross the Avon by the plank bridge. What’s easier for a bold fellow who would be rich than to shift the mid planks o’ some dark night?” ”

“ The shepherd stared at him with stupid, puzzled eyes. “Oh, magic and devils!” he muttered. “Oh, but you shouldn’t ask me! I be afeard. Take the gentlemen into the windmill for to see for theirselves. Squire do never use to be there till two hour after sundown. You could go by twilight like I did and none the wiser.”
“What did you see, Diccon?”
“Oh, dear, ’tis hideous indeed. There’s glass and there’s gold and all. And I took and ran.”
Sir Ralph reflected. “Hideous with glass and gold”—that spelt black magic plainly enough. But he wanted more than magic. He wanted heresy. “Hark thee, Diccon. ”

“ He was a Berkshire shepherd when Mary who burnt the heretics was Queen. He had no name but Dick, like his father, the swineherd, before him. The maids called him “silly shepherd,” because they found him a heavy lout and dull.
Close upon Assynton village the downs stand bluff and gray. The murmur and light of a swift stream are about its church and there alone the rolling acres of bare land allow trees. From the old manor-house— what’s left of it now is a barn—Mistress Mary Rymingtowne was pleased to come and walk there. ”

“ The whine seemed to come out of the ground. The good gentlemen started aside to see the silly shepherd heave up his ungainly bulk. “Oh, you shouldn’t, you shouldn’t! And me just dreaming of rabbit-pie and all!”
Sir Ralph explained in rapid undertones. “A shepherd lad, a very simple, honest fellow. If you would know how the man is feared, no better witness.”
Dr. Oscott nodded. “Come, my lad, why so frightened?”
The shepherd giggled. “Why now, I ben’t sure what his reverence be wanting me to say.”
“The truth,” said Mr. Saunders.
“Speak out, Diccon lad. What does Mr. Rymingtowne do there?” ”

“ The bishops were very zealous after heretics. All across England the fires were glowing. A man could win favor and place by finding fresh victims. And what victim would burn more justly than Mr. Rymingtowne with his magic of alchemy and astrology and his mockery of Holy Church? It was the sacred duty of a faithful priest to send him to the stake. With joyous excitement Sir Ralph beheld the law of man and God arranging the death that he needed.
IV IN THE golden twilight of a showery day two men rode up to the rectory. ”

“ Rymingtowne was commonly regarded. They found him with a reputation for kindliness and uncanny powers and were the more inclined to believe in Sir Ralph.
He was in the best of spirits. Some copies of the New Testament in English, seized from the pack of a wicked pedler, he had thrust upon the shepherd and sworn him to get them into the windmill room before sunset. English testaments among the tools of magic must be enough to send any man to the stake.
V THE morning was hot. The swift gray-green river allured Mary Rymingtowne, who sat down among the kingcups. A shadow fell across the water. ”

“ Faith, thou art a marvelous ass. If thou doest a good thing thou must needs turn it into a bad.”
THE shepherd began to whimper and sob grotesquely, so that Sir Ralph had much ado to soothe him. After a while he was persuaded, reluctant, to face the gentlemen and tell his tale, but as soon as Sir Ralph had him at the door of the hall, as soon as he saw the grave faces within, he began to howl once more. “Come, Diccon, come!” ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1961, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 62 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”