Grisewood’s interest was very great. He knew as a fact that Gervase Heriot was close at hand, and that he had a powerful motive for taking even a course so desperate as the murdering of his uncle.
“Has the nephew been arrested?” asked Grisewood, with an excitement he did not attempt to conceal.
“No, he’s not taken yet,” said the news-bearer. “But he will be precious soon, else call me a rogue. They do say that young villain lies here in Oxford, but I’ll wager Justice Pretyman and his posse will mighty soon rout him out o’ this home o’ learnin’.”
“Who the devil is Justice Pretyman?”
“The Justice is a great man hereabouts. There’s none better than he at tracking down the evil doer. I passed him and his men along the road as I came up. They are going to search every tavern and alehouse in this city from cellar to attic for this wicked young man, Gervase Heriot.”
“Well, here’s luck to their errand,” said Grisewood, piously, draining his tankard.
In the next moment, plunged in deep thought, he left the tavern parlor. Shakespeare soon left the parlor also.
This news was very disquieting to the player. He was in such a state of grave uneasiness, that he could have wished to start from Oxford immediately. But it would not be possible to do this until the Lord Chamberlain’s men had given their final performance that afternoon. Therefore he must possess his soul in patience until that time, but also he must be fully alive to all contingencies. Of one circumstance he was ignorant, and well it was for his peace of mind that this was the case. He did not know that Grisewood had penetrated the disguise of the Italian music master.
Happily, there was no reason to suppose that the dead man’s steward had associated the members of the Lord Chamberlain’s Company with the tragedy of the previous night. At least, as yet there was no evidence of this fact. But the playwright felt they must be prepared for all untoward things that might befall.
Fortune was kind, inasmuch that the officers of the law did not pay their visit to the Crown Tavern before the final performance had taken place. Indeed, as luck would have it, they went away at first on a false scent as far as the neighboring town of Banbury, so that by the time they found their way to the Cornmarket the play was over, the audience had dispersed, and the members of the Company were about to sit down to a well-earned meal.