Walter Manny

“ The marshal on leading Walter away said to him, "You will be captain of the city band to-morrow, and I must therefore tell you what the king purports. He has prepared a surprise for [Pg 91] the citizens, and the present show will be different to anything ever before seen in London. Both to show them somewhat of the sieges which are taking place on the borders of France and the Low Countries, in which Sir Walter Manny and many other gallant knights have so greatly distinguished themselves, and as an exercise for the young nobles he has determined that there shall be a castle erected. ”

“ I am no chicken, but I cannot claim to know as much of war as the squire of Sir Walter Manny. Settle the matter to your own liking.'
'You shall fly your pennon upon the fore part, then, and I upon the poop. For foreguard I shall give you your own forty men, with two score archers. Two score men, with my own men-at-arms and squires, may serve as a poop guard. Ten archers, with thirty shipmen, under the master may hold the waist while ten lie aloft with stones and arbalests. ”

“ At all events Manny, who died early in 1372, left instructions that he was to be buried in the church of the Carthusian monastery founded by himself. About 1335 he married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Thomas Plantagenet, earl of Norfolk, son of King Edward I., whose first husband had been John, Lord Segrave. This lady, who outlived Manny by many years, was countess of Norfolk in her own right, and she was created duchess of Norfolk in 1397. Manny left no surviving son. His daughter Anne, Baroness de Manny in her own right, married John Hastings, 2nd earl of Pembroke ”

“ As it appeared that the garrison were prepared to give battle outside the walls, the whole French army prepared to move against them.
In the meantime Sir Walter Manny, with 100 men-at-arms and 500 horse archers, issued by a sally-port on the other side of the town, and with all speed rode round to the rear of the French camp. There he found none to oppose him save servants and camp-followers, and making his way straight to the tent of Charles of Blois, where the two knights were confined, he soon freed them from their bonds. ”

“ Sir Walter de Manny then said, his eyes fixed in sorrow on the pale and trembling victims,—
"Noble sire, for God's sake restrain your wrath. You have the renown of all gentleness and nobility; I pray you do not a thing that can lay a blemish on your fair fame, or give men cause to speak of you despitefully. Every man will say it is a great cruelty to put to death such honest persons, who of their own will have put themselves into your hands to save the remainder of their people."
These words seemed rather to heighten than to soften the king's wrath. ”

“ They therefore contented themselves with setting fire to some houses, and then quitted the town; and thus that noble and gentle knight Sir Walter Manny performed the vow which he had made to the dames and lords of England. [30]
He fights for the love of his lady.
Afterwards, (in the year 1342,) being high in favour with Edward, he was sent into Brittany, with a proud display of knights and archers, to aid the Countess of Mountfort, at that time besieged in her castle by the French. ”

“ He employed the interval in making peace more impossible than ever. On October 7, he renewed his claim to the French crown, repudiated the homage into which he had been tricked during his infancy, and sent Bishop Burghersh straight from Valenciennes to Paris as bearer of his defiance. Thus the autumn of 1337 saw a virtual declaration of war. In November the first serious hostilities took place. Sir Walter Manny devastated the Flemish island of Cadzand, taking away with him as prisoner the bastard brother of the Count of Flanders.
Papal diplomacy had not yet exhausted its resources. ”

“ Sir Walter Manny commanded the squadron, and after a good night's rest and a capital dinner the next day, which concluded amid a slight shower from the French battering-ram, he declared that he would not run the risk of having any more batter pudding from the same quarter. ”

“ He appears to have first come to England as an esquire of Queen Philippa in 1327, and he took a distinguished part in the Scottish wars of Edward III. In 1337 he was placed in command of an English fleet, and in the following year accompanied Edward to the continent, where in the campaigns of the next few years he proved himself one of the boldest and ablest of the English king’s military commanders. ”

“ I took it for granted that he was one of your ... ah ... 'tame zanies', I think you called them. But I did not and still don't understand how you can be so positive."
"I let Manny go because he's incapable of driving a car. The very thought of being in control of a machine so much more powerful than he is would give him chills. Did you ever see what happens when you lock a claustrophobe up in a dark closet—the mad, unreasoning, uncontrollable panic of absolute terror? That's what would happen to Manny if you put him behind the wheel of a running automobile. It's worse than fear ”

“ This ain’t living, the way we go on now. Maybe once a week you take me to the movies. Oh, I ain’t complaining, Manny. Only it’s pretty hard. All the other girls at the office have good times. They go to Coney Island, Broadway, they go to cabarets, dances. I’m as good-looking as they are. I got nice clothes. You’re all right, Manny, but gee, it’s long, waiting like this.{69}”
“Oh....”
“You ain’t sore at me, are you, because I told you? It’ll be all right, Manny! You’ll make good. I’ll speak to my father. He’ll come across.” ”

“ By her Manny is said to have had one son, Thomas, who was drowned in a well at Deptford during his father's lifetime. His only surviving child, Anne, who was seventeen years of age at his death, and had been married since 1368 to John Hastings, earl of Pembroke, became his heir, and outliving her husband, who called himself 'Lord de Manny,' by nineteen years, she died in 1384. The 'Escheats Roll' enumerates estates of Manny and his wife in sixteen English counties, besides his properties in Calais and Hainault. ”

“ Alix said slowly, "that we fight man's wars and pulverate his garbage and dehydrate his sewerage, but we're not citizens. Why, Manny?"
"We're not human. We're not—orthodox." Manny was watching him closely as he spoke. ”

“ Williams, that it would be pretty bad if she should happen to take a fancy to a worse man than Manny. You can't never tell how some of these city men'll turn out, and we know all there is to know about Manny. ”

“ Manning laughed. "Oh, he thinks I'm as mad as a hatter. He can't understand anyone being able to exist unless they're within a taxi-drive of Bedford Row," He paused. "All the same, I believe it's people like ourselves who really get the best out of life. I would give the whole of what London and New York have to offer for one good evening after duck, or a stiff beat to windward round the Bridwell buoy." ”

“ It was only that we were deserted by our natural liege-protectors."
"Well, lad, don't speak against the powers that be. If God had meant us to prosper, we should have done so. His ways are hidden; but they're always good. And our Franzel has written me a noble letter—"
"The Emperor!—has he?" cried Rudolf.
"Aye, that he has," said Anna, leaving the basket to fetch the lamp; "do show it to him, Anderl."
"Why, how on earth did it reach you?"
"Eisenstecken knew this place," said Hofer. "He's at Vienna now, and he sent the letter here by a trusty hand—one who knew the mountains." ”

“ Fortunately, a handwritten note on gray, unembossed letter paper arrived the following day, confirming the invitation and specifying a dinner date the following Friday evening at eight P.M. Manny's income was a good one and he had eaten in some of the finest restaurants in the country but he had never been to the home of a truly wealthy man before. It was with no little trepidation that he appeared at the door of the Handworthy Mansion and was ushered into the house by the liveried butler who was, to Manny's intense surprise, white. ”

“ It costs more to live in Chicago than in Pocasset, and the sum of money with which you provided me is nearly gone. As I am a little afraid this hint won't be sufficient to open your heart, let me add that I can make it worth your while to be generous.
"It has come to my knowledge that you have sent out Mark Manning in search of your grandson. How you came to suspect that my cousin left a boy I can't imagine, but I don't mind telling you that you are correct. She did leave a boy, whose name is Jack Ransom. He is now about eight years of age. ”

“ James and Tom exchanged glances. They understood very well that Mark Manning was meant.
"I think I know the boy you met," said James. "It is a poor boy who works in my father's manufactory."
"What is his name?" asked Lyman Taylor.
"Mark Manning."
"Does he live in the village?"
"Yes; his mother is a poor widow."
"Where did you meet him?" asked Tom.
"At a cabin in the woods."
"Old Anthony's?"
"Yes; the hermit is an uncle of mine."
The two boys regarded the speaker with interest. All the villagers had some curiosity about the man who had settled so near them. ”

“ Undoubtedly, what is most obviously striking in the history of Manning's career is the persistent strength of his innate characteristics. Through all the changes of his fortunes the powerful spirit of the man worked on undismayed. It was as if the Fates had laid a wager that they would daunt him; and in the end they lost their bet.
His father was a rich West India merchant, a governor of the Bank of England, a Member of Parliament, who drove into town every day from his country seat in a coach and four, and was content with nothing short of a bishop for the christening of his children. ”

“ Williams, we'd ought to separate Ora from Manny? She might go to her mother's folks for awhile. Manny mayn't exactly be up-and-coming, but he hasn't bad habits. He's awful good company, full of fun, and everybody likes him. It doesn't seem quite right to stand between two that love each other, does it? Supposing she was your daughter what would you do about it?"
Mr. Williams' face twitched as he sat down on the lounge, but he made no answer at once.
"You know," Miss Phosie went on. "You stand in the place of a brother to us, as you always say, and Phenie don't like to discuss this with me. ”

“ Manning, "will supply the place of your own mother."
"I will sell matches for you, if you want me to, grandfather. I didn't like working for Peggy, but I will work for you."
"My dear Jack, instead of working you must go to school, and learn all you can. When you are grown up, it will be time for you to work."
It soon became noised about that the little boy, who was seen about the village with Mark, was the hermit's grandson. But the grandson of old Anthony was not considered a very important person, and only excited passing interest. ”

“ As he spoke, he drew the letter from his bosom, and placed it in Rudolf's hand.
"Amazing!" said Rudolf, eagerly running through it, while Anna held the lamp to enable him to read. "Why, what prevents your accepting it?"
"What should make me accept it?" returned Hofer. "What should such an one as I do at Vienna? No, no!—where the tree was planted, [249] there let it fall. My country has been much to me, and I've no mind to desert my country."
"Your countrymen burn to secure your safety. Dear Sandwirth, reconsider this!" ”

“ Franz walked on, silent and astounded, doubting which of them were the wickeder man. "The Sandwirth," resumed he, at length, with a choke in his voice, "has never done me a wrong—on the contrary, nothing but good. It is only Theresa—"
"Ah, if you can put up with that girl's scorn, you can put up with anything," said Father Donay contemptuously.
"I can't put up with it, and won't!" cried Franz; "but it's making her pay pretty dearly, too, if her father gets shot."
"Don't be such a dolt as to suppose it," said Father Donay pacifyingly; "the worst he and she will get is a good fright. ”

“ I was examining the revolver this afternoon, when I saw a name engraved upon it in very small letters.”
“What name?”
“R. Ranney.”
“Then,” said Manning, in excitement, “he is the famous Dick Ranney, formerly with Jesse James.”
“I never heard of him.”
“He is well known in this Western country. Why, there is a reward of a thousand dollars offered for his apprehension.”
“I should like to earn that money,” said Walter. ”

“ Finally he sent for Manny, placed my hand in his, and gave me to him formally. But not once did I encourage him, and he seemed to change into a veritable demon. His eyes would become crafty as he looked at me and his face assume an expression of sardonic intensity. ”

“ Though not permitted to approach the prisoners, the villagers [263] kept up with them, crying aloud in voices that the musicians could not drown—
"Never mind, Sandwirth! They'll bring vengeance on their own heads, Sandwirth! Keep a good heart! They won't dare to touch you! We'll never, never forget you!"
And this in every town and village through which they passed.
On reaching Meran, they were joined by the weeping Theresa. She had been seized and bound at am Sand, and the house plundered. The two little girls had escaped and taken refuge with Rudolf's mother. ”

“ Mannion said.
"No! Do you know what mnemonic erasure means? They'll strip away all your memories, everything but the basic pattern of your reflexes and reactions. Everything that is Dan Mannion will be erased, discarded, thrown away." Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. "I'll be declared a widow, officially. And your body will be given a new name, a different identity. You'll be re-educated as someone else."
Mannion nodded bleakly. "I know. What can I do? Dubrow's my Commander; he has to be telling the truth. ”