GIRAUDE OF LAVAUR.

Just as the Perfect is about to step out of the chamber in which he and his wife Morise were discussing the prospects of Mylio, and to render a.s.sistance to the guests that were announced, Aimery, his sister Giraude and her son enter, carrying in Florette in a swoon. The Lady of Lavaur and her brother hold the young girl in their arms. Aloys, a lad of fourteen, holds her feet. Florette is gently deposited upon a couch of woven straw. While Morise runs into another room for a cordial, Karvel takes the sweet girl's pulse. Her dusty clothes and tattered shoes reveal that she walked a long distance. Her forehead is bathed in perspiration. Her face is pale, her respiration troubled.

The Lady of Lavaur, her brother and son group themselves near the couch and await silent and uneasy the words from the lips of the physician.

Giraude, who is of the same age as Morise and of striking beauty, is modestly dressed in a robe of green material. An orange-colored coif, from which hangs a white veil that partially covers her face, exposes her two heavy tresses of black hair. Her large and gentle blue eyes, now moistened with a tear, rest upon Florette, whom she contemplates with tender interest.

Aimery is forty years of age, and is dressed in field laborer's clothes--a broad-brimmed felt hat, a blouse held around his waist by a leather belt, a cloth coat and heavy leather boots. His open, comely, and resolute physiognomy depicts deep concern in the girl's condition.

Aloys, who is as rustically clad as his mother's brother, strikingly resembles his parent. The only marked difference is that his youthful face, in contrast to his mother's, is slightly browned by the sun. The education that his mother gives him is intended to inure the lad to manly and useful work, and to cultivate in him a taste for the same. The boy's eyes are filled with tears as he contemplates Florette, into whose mouth the physician pours a cordial by introducing the head of a little flask between her lips. The group presents the picture of charming benevolence.

THE LADY OF LAVAUR (holding up Florette's head, speaks in a low voice to the Perfect and Aimery:)--"Poor child! She does not yet regain consciousness! How pale she is! What a sweet and charming face she has!"

AIMERY--"The face of an angel, friend Karvel! What do you think can be the cause of her swoon? Do you think she is in danger?"

KARVEL--"I see no trace of a fall or of a wound. The poor girl must have experienced some severe shock, or she may have succ.u.mbed to excessive fatigue. (Turning to his wife) Morise, fetch me some fresh water."

Aloys has frequently been at the Perfect's. He knows his way in the house. He antic.i.p.ates Morise, runs to an earthenware vase, dips out some water into a cup and brings the same to the physician. Touched by the attention of the boy, Karvel turns to Giraude with a look of approbation. The mother kisses her son on the forehead.

"In acting so thoughtfully, my friend, Aloys conducts himself obedient to your instructions. He seeks to be useful to others."

Florette, whose temples the Perfect moistens with the fresh water that Aloys brought to him and into which he poured a few drops of an elixir, slowly regains consciousness. Her face gradually regains its color. She sighs twice. Presently tears gather slowly under her long eyelashes and she murmurs in a feeble voice:

"Mylio! Mylio! Help! Help!"

KARVEL (amazed)--"What is that she says?"

AIMERY--"She p.r.o.nounces your brother's name; she calls for help."

Florette raises both her hands to her forehead. A profound silence reigns in the chamber. She sits up on the couch. Her large eyes wander timid and surprised hither and thither, all around her. She gathers her thoughts, and presently, breaking out in tears, she cries in a heart-rending voice:

"Oh! Have mercy! Save Mylio! Save him!"

KARVEL (alarmed)--"What great danger does my brother run?"

FLORETTE (clasping her hands)--"Are you Karvel the Perfect, Mylio's brother?"

KARVEL--"Yes; yes. But calm yourself, poor child, and tell me where my brother is. What danger threatens him? Tell us who you are, and how you happen to know my brother."

FLORETTE--"I am a poor serf of the country of Touraine. Mylio saved my life and my honor. He said to me: 'Florette, I am going back to Languedoc. During our journey you will be my sister; when we arrive at my brother's house you will be my wife--I wish him to bless our union.'

Mylio kept his promise. We traveled happy at heart. When we were about five leagues from here--" (sobs smother Florette's voice; she is unable to utter another word.)

THE LADY OF LAVAUR (in a low voice to the Perfect)--"Oh, Karvel, your brother's tender love for this poor serf testifies in his favor. His heart has remained true, despite the slips of his youth. May G.o.d be praised!"

KARVEL (drying his tears)--"We never doubted it. But what has happened to him? Good G.o.d, what are we about to learn!"

AIMERY--"Sister, I shall go out; I may be able to gather some information."

ALOYS (with alacrity)--"Uncle, I will go with you, if mother allows. I shall help you in your inquiries!"

KARVEL (to Aimery)--"Wait a minute, my friend! (To Florette who is still sobbing) Dear child--dear sister--you are now our sister, I beg you, calm yourself, and tell us what has happened to Mylio, and where we could find him."

FLORETTE--"He told me that besides his wish of being speedily back to his brother's house, there was another reason, which he would inform you of, that induced him to hurry the journey, on account of which we traveled day and night. I was on the crupper of Mylio's horse; a friend of his accompanied us on a mule. This morning we halted at a large burg which is entered through a stone arcade--"

KARVEL--"That is the burg of Montjoire, about four leagues from here."

FLORETTE--"We traveled so fast from the time that we left Touraine that our horse's shoes wore out, and he lost two before we entered the burg.

Intending to have his mount reshod, Mylio inquired for a blacksmith and took his friend and myself to an inn where he told us to wait for him.

Mylio's companion is a merry juggler. He fell to playing upon his hurdy-gurdy and to singing songs against the church and the priests before the people at the inn. While he was at it, two monks escorted by several knights came in and ordered him in the name of the Pope to stop.

He answered them with some jests. Thereupon the men of the escort, together with the monks, rushed at poor old Goose-Skin, that is his name, and they beat him and called him a heretical dog."

AIMERY--"This looks serious! The monks have never before dared to show so much audacity. At Montjoire, as in the rest of Albigeois, the priests of Rome are loved as the pest. But the people in the inn are of this country. Did they not take the part of your traveling companion?"

FLORETTE--"Yes, sir; they did, and Mylio came in as the scuffle was at its height. He tried to defend his friend who was being badly treated.

The people of the inn had the worst of the fight and fled, leaving Mylio and the juggler in the hands of the monks; these said they were going to lock up the two heretics in the dungeon of the seigneur of the burg."

AIMERY--"Impossible! Raoul of Montjoire execrates the black-frocked militia as much as I do myself. I can hardly understand the impudence of those monks. Do they think they are in the north of Gaul? This dirty work will have to be looked into."

FLORETTE--"Alas! sir, what I am telling you is but too true. When Mylio saw himself overpowered, he and his companion pinioned and that the two were being dragged away, he cried out to me: 'Florette, run quick to Lavaur; inquire your way; when you arrive at the suburb of the town ask for the house of Karvel the Perfect, and tell my brother I am held here a prisoner.' Thereupon I ran all the way to this place--"

THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"And your strength gave out, did it not, dear child?

And you dropped down where we found you, about two hundred paces from here?"

FLORETTE--"Yes, madam. But for mercy's sake! Hasten to the help of Mylio! The monks may want to kill him. Run to his a.s.sistance!"

AIMERY (to Karvel)--"I shall take my sister back to Lavaur. You and I will then jump upon our horses and ride out to Raoul. I guarantee that we shall bring Mylio back with us."

CHAPTER III.

THE SHADOW OF WAR.

Aimery's plan is accepted, but its execution is immediately rendered superfluous. Hurried steps are heard approaching the house. Florette looks electrified, listens in the direction of the door and cries out: "It is he! It is Mylio--I recognize his steps--I hear him!"

Almost immediately after Florette's announcement Mylio steps into the chamber, followed by Goose-Skin. Florette, Karvel and Morise rush to meet the trouvere. He responds to their embraces with inexpressible bliss. Aimery, Aloys and his mother contemplate the scene with deep emotion.

THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"Oh! He who can inspire so much affection must merit it!"

ALOYS (in a low voice to his mother and pointing at Goose-Skin who stands aside)--"Mother, look at that poor old man! n.o.body speaks to him.

He is entirely forgotten--And he seems to be sad. Shall I go to him and bid him welcome in this country?"

THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"That is a kindly thought. Do so, my dear child."

While Mylio answers in mute transport the caresses of his dear ones, Aloys timidly approaches the old juggler. Goose-Skin is not sad, only he feels greatly embarra.s.sed. In speaking to him of the austere virtues of Karvel the Perfect and his wife, Mylio above all recommended to the juggler not to break out into gross and ribald jests, as was his wont.

Accordingly, faithful to the instructions of his friend, Goose-Skin is holding himself in. The old fellow makes serious efforts to repress his droll thoughts; he puckers up his lips, strives to look serious and venerable, but only succeeds in imparting to his otherwise jovial features the pitiful expression that Aloys mistook for sadness.