The Lair of the White Worm Read online

  CHAPTER III--DIANA'S GROVE

  Curiosity took Adam Salton out of bed in the early morning, but when hehad dressed and gone downstairs; he found that, early as he was, SirNathaniel was ahead of him. The old gentleman was quite prepared for along walk, and they started at once.

  Sir Nathaniel, without speaking, led the way to the east, down the hill.When they had descended and risen again, they found themselves on theeastern brink of a steep hill. It was of lesser height than that onwhich the Castle was situated; but it was so placed that it commanded thevarious hills that crowned the ridge. All along the ridge the rockcropped out, bare and bleak, but broken in rough natural castellation.The form of the ridge was a segment of a circle, with the higher pointsinland to the west. In the centre rose the Castle, on the highest pointof all. Between the various rocky excrescences were groups of trees ofvarious sizes and heights, amongst some of which were what, in the earlymorning light, looked like ruins. These--whatever they were--were ofmassive grey stone, probably limestone rudely cut--if indeed they werenot shaped naturally. The fall of the ground was steep all along theridge, so steep that here and there both trees and rocks and buildingsseemed to overhang the plain far below, through which ran many streams.

  Sir Nathaniel stopped and looked around, as though to lose nothing of theeffect. The sun had climbed the eastern sky and was making all detailsclear. He pointed with a sweeping gesture, as though calling Adam'sattention to the extent of the view. Having done so, he covered theground more slowly, as though inviting attention to detail. Adam was awilling and attentive pupil, and followed his motions exactly, missing--ortrying to miss--nothing.

  "I have brought you here, Adam, because it seems to me that this is thespot on which to begin our investigations. You have now in front of youalmost the whole of the ancient kingdom of Mercia. In fact, we see thewhole of it except that furthest part, which is covered by the WelshMarches and those parts which are hidden from where we stand by the highground of the immediate west. We can see--theoretically--the whole ofthe eastern bound of the kingdom, which ran south from the Humber to theWash. I want you to bear in mind the trend of the ground, for some time,sooner or later, we shall do well to have it in our mind's eye when weare considering the ancient traditions and superstitions, and are tryingto find the _rationale_ of them. Each legend, each superstition which wereceive, will help in the understanding and possible elucidation of theothers. And as all such have a local basis, we can come closer to thetruth--or the probability--by knowing the local conditions as we goalong. It will help us to bring to our aid such geological truth as wemay have between us. For instance, the building materials used invarious ages can afford their own lessons to understanding eyes. Thevery heights and shapes and materials of these hills--nay, even of thewide plain that lies between us and the sea--have in themselves thematerials of enlightening books."

  "For instance, sir?" said Adam, venturing a question.

  "Well, look at those hills which surround the main one where the site forthe Castle was wisely chosen--on the highest ground. Take the others.There is something ostensible in each of them, and in all probabilitysomething unseen and unproved, but to be imagined, also."

  "For instance?" continued Adam.

  "Let us take them _seriatim_. That to the east, where the trees are,lower down--that was once the location of a Roman temple, possiblyfounded on a pre-existing Druidical one. Its name implies the former,and the grove of ancient oaks suggests the latter."

  "Please explain."

  "The old name translated means 'Diana's Grove.' Then the next one higherthan it, but just beyond it, is called '_Mercy_'--in all probability acorruption or familiarisation of the word _Mercia_, with a Roman punincluded. We learn from early manuscripts that the place was called_Vilula Misericordiae_. It was originally a nunnery, founded by QueenBertha, but done away with by King Penda, the reactionary to Paganismafter St. Augustine. Then comes your uncle's place--Lesser Hill. Thoughit is so close to the Castle, it is not connected with it. It is afreehold, and, so far as we know, of equal age. It has always belongedto your family."

  "Then there only remains the Castle!"

  "That is all; but its history contains the histories of all the others--infact, the whole history of early England." Sir Nathaniel, seeing theexpectant look on Adam's face, went on:

  "The history of the Castle has no beginning so far as we know. Thefurthest records or surmises or inferences simply accept it as existing.Some of these--guesses, let us call them--seem to show that there wassome sort of structure there when the Romans came, therefore it must havebeen a place of importance in Druid times--if indeed that was thebeginning. Naturally the Romans accepted it, as they did everything ofthe kind that was, or might be, useful. The change is shown or inferredin the name Castra. It was the highest protected ground, and sonaturally became the most important of their camps. A study of the mapwill show you that it must have been a most important centre. It bothprotected the advances already made to the north, and helped to dominatethe sea coast. It sheltered the western marches, beyond which lay savageWales--and danger. It provided a means of getting to the Severn, roundwhich lay the great Roman roads then coming into existence, and madepossible the great waterway to the heart of England--through the Severnand its tributaries. It brought the east and the west together by theswiftest and easiest ways known to those times. And, finally, itprovided means of descent on London and all the expanse of countrywatered by the Thames.

  "With such a centre, already known and organised, we can easily see thateach fresh wave of invasion--the Angles, the Saxons, the Danes, and theNormans--found it a desirable possession and so ensured its upholding. Inthe earlier centuries it was merely a vantage ground. But when thevictorious Romans brought with them the heavy solid fortificationsimpregnable to the weapons of the time, its commanding position aloneensured its adequate building and equipment. Then it was that thefortified camp of the Caesars developed into the castle of the king. Aswe are as yet ignorant of the names of the first kings of Mercia, nohistorian has been able to guess which of them made it his ultimatedefence; and I suppose we shall never know now. In process of time, asthe arts of war developed, it increased in size and strength, andalthough recorded details are lacking, the history is written not merelyin the stone of its building, but is inferred in the changes ofstructure. Then the sweeping changes which followed the Norman Conquestwiped out all lesser records than its own. To-day we must accept it asone of the earliest castles of the Conquest, probably not later than thetime of Henry I. Roman and Norman were both wise in their retention ofplaces of approved strength or utility. So it was that these surroundingheights, already established and to a certain extent proved, wereretained. Indeed, such characteristics as already pertained to them werepreserved, and to-day afford to us lessons regarding things which havethemselves long since passed away.

  "So much for the fortified heights; but the hollows too have their ownstory. But how the time passes! We must hurry home, or your uncle willwonder what has become of us."

  He started with long steps towards Lesser Hill, and Adam was soonfurtively running in order to keep up with him.