XL.—OF THE VISION SEEN BY MAUGER AND SORROCOLD ON THE TOWER GREEN.
After the forcible abduction of Sir Narcissus by his spouse, the party broke up,—Og and Gog shaping their course to the By-ward Tower, Magog and his spouse, together with Ribald, who had taken up his quarters with them, to their lodging on the hill leading to the Green,—Hairun to the Lions’ Tower, Win-wike and his son to the Flint Tower, while Mauger, Wolfytt, and Sorrocold proceeded to the Cradle Tower. Unfastening his door, the headsman struck a light, and setting fire to a lamp, motioned the others to a bench, and placed a stone jar of strong waters before them, of which Wolfytt took a long, deep pull, but the chirurgeon declined it.
“I have had enough,” he said. “Besides, I want to see the spirit.”
“I care for no other spirit but this,” rejoined Wolfytt, again applying his mouth to the jar.
“Take care of yourselves, masters,” observed Mauger. “I must attend to business.”
“Never mind us,” laughed Wolfytt, observing the executioner take up an axe, and after examining its edge, begin to sharpen it, “grind away.”
“This is for Lord Guilford Dudley,” remarked Mauger, as he turned the wheel with his foot. “I shall need two axes to-morrow.”
“Sharp work,” observed Wolfytt, with a detestable grin.
“You would think so were I to try one on you,” retorted Mauger. “Ay, now it will do,” he added laying aside the implement, and taking up another. “This is my favourite axe. I can make sure work with it. I always keep it for queens or dames of high degree—he! he! This notch, which I can never grind away, was made by the old Countess of Salisbury, that I told you about. It was a terrible sight to see her white hair dabbled with blood. Poor Lady Jane won’t give me so much trouble, I’ll be sworn. She’ll die like a lamb.”