Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Sitting in the hiding place in the upstairs room, Crispin processes what he learned about his parents and how this new knowledge explains his experiences, such as the townsfolk shunning Asta as well as his mother’s ambivalent treatment of him. He realizes that Lady Furnival must have sent du Brey to tell Aycliffe to kill Crispin as soon as it became clear that Lord Furnival was dying. Aycliffe must have killed Father Quinel for knowing Crispin's identity. Bear, meanwhile, never told Crispin what he knew because he wanted to protect him.

Crispin continues to think. He recognizes that his heritage as a Furnival involves the bondage Bear and Ball despise and which made his childhood so miserable. He resolves instead to work for freedom, starting by rescuing Bear.

Later that afternoon, Widow Daventry tells Crispin she found someone to help him over the wall and advises him to give up on helping Bear. Gathering his and Bear’s possessions, Crispin prepares to leave; Widow Daventry refuses to accept payment.

After night falls and curfew begins, the man assigned to help Crispin arrives. Widow Daventry hugs Crispin goodbye.

Without speaking, the man leads Crispin through back alleys. When they pause to hide from a group of passing soldiers, Crispin offers to pay the man to take him to the White Stag tavern.

The man leads him to the White Stag, then vanishes. Crispin knocks on the door and introduces himself as “Bear’s apprentice” and then by name. A moment later, someone invites him inside, where he sees several men with their faces covered by hoods. 

One of them, who seems to be Ball, asks Crispin why he came. Crispin explains that Bear was captured and taken to the Furnival’s palace. Ball and the others speculate that Bear will give them away if he is tortured. Ball also mentions that Bear used to agree with him and the other members of the revolutionary brotherhood but lately seems more cautious. When Crispin asks them to help him rescue Bear, they refuse, but one of them agrees to lead him to the town square.

The man guides Crispin to the town square, then leaves. Crispin hears priests performing early morning chants in the cathedral. Praying for help, Crispin makes his way toward the palace. Seeing guards at the first-floor entrance, Crispin climbs up to the second level in the narrow space between the palace and a neighboring building. Then, by climbing over a stone statue of a lion, Crispin arrives on the second-level balcony. He moves inside to a small entryway. Hearing nothing, he opens the doors to two side chambers. One contains flags while the other has weapons. Taking a dagger, he proceeds from the entryway to the next room.

Crispin is amazed to see a large, ornately decorated room, with the leftovers of a feast on a table. Seeing light coming from a doorway, Crispin looks inside and finds a room filled with gold, jewels, and religious relics, including a golden cross on an altar; an image of a knight kneeling before Mary, the mother of Jesus, also occupies the altar. Crispin sees that the knight’s face resembles his own and realizes that the knight must be his father, Lord Furnival. Crispin considers that the image of the knight does not match what he knows about Lord Furnival, and he realizes that his identity is independent of Lord Furnival. Crispin prays that God will administer justice to Lord Furnival “for what he truly was” (239).

A voice behind him asks Crispin what he is doing. He turns to see Aycliffe.

Crispin panics, feeling his old fear of Aycliffe return. Aycliffe scolds Crispin, referring to him as “Asta’s son” and “filthy peasant,” then turns to call the guards. Before he does, Crispin reveals that he knows his given name and that he is Lord Furnival’s son. At first Aycliffe denies it, but he becomes agitated when Crispin reveals Asta’s lead cross.

Crispin asserts that Aycliffe fears that Crispin will seize power, then accuses him of killing Father Quinel. He promises to leave Great Wexly and never return if Aycliffe lets Bear go. Aycliffe turns to call the guards, but Crispin knocks him to the ground and threatens him with the dagger. At Crispin’s insistence, Aycliffe makes an oath to let Crispin and Bear go as long as they give him Asta’s cross as they leave and never return nor reveal Crispin’s parentage. Crispin commands Aycliffe to lead him to Bear.

Aycliffe leads Crispin down winding stairs and through several pantries and hallways, past several sleeping servants. They then go down another flight of stairs into a cold, damp dungeon, passing several men who salute Aycliffe. At the bottom of the stairs, Aycliffe asks a soldier to lead them to Bear. The soldier does so, stopping at a locked door, which he then opens. Crispin enters to find Bear unconscious and tied up. Crispin cuts him loose, then wakes Bear, who lifts his bruised face. Bear is confused but follows Crispin out of the cell door, where Aycliffe, who is now armed, waits with a group of soldiers.

Crispin requests water and clothing for Bear, which the soldiers provide at Aycliffe’s signal. When Aycliffe hesitates to let Bear and Crispin pass, Crispin reminds him of his oath and threatens to read what is written on the cross. Embarrassed in front of the soldiers, Aycliffe agrees to take Crispin and Bear to the gates of the city. Moving slowly due to Bear’s injuries, the three of them go upstairs. At the entrance to the palace, Aycliffe asks Crispin to give him the cross, but Crispin says that he will only give him the cross once they are out of the city. At Aycliffe’s request, the guards let them out of the palace. Crispin retrieves a sack of his and Bear’s belongings from where he left it nearby, and they slowly make their way toward the gate, surrounded by an armed escort.

As they walk, Crispin secretly hands the dagger to Bear. Once they reach the gates, Aycliffe loudly denounces him and Bear as “traitors,” then admits that he made a promise not to kill Crispin but offers a reward to anyone who will. He attempts to bribe Bear, but Bear moves Crispin behind him and pulls out the dagger. Using his sword, Aycliffe attacks Bear, who holds him off. Gradually, Aycliffe forces Bear backward toward a wall of soldiers with their spears extended, who move forward.

With a powerful blow, Aycliffe knocks the dagger from Bear’s hand. Crispin runs and picks it up. Aycliffe shifts his attention to Crispin and is about to strike when Bear grabs Aycliffe, pinning his arms to his side. Bear then throws Aycliffe toward the soldiers’ spears, which pierce Aycliffe before the soldiers can react, killing him. Picking up Aycliffe’s weapons, Bears threatens the soldiers, who allow Bear and Crispin to pass out of the gate. Before he leaves, Crispin drops the lead cross on Aycliffe’s chest.

Crispin and Bear celebrate as they leave the city. When Crispin places Bear’s jester hat on his head, Bear places the hat on Crispin’s head and declares him to be a free man, accountable only to God. Crispin plays a song on the recorder, and Bear sings about Lady Fortune. Crispin is happier than ever, ready to explore the world, and confident in his name and identity.