Noémi

by S. Baring-Gould

  CHAPTER XII.

  THREE CROSSES.

  NO sooner had Noemi left _l'eglise_ than with her teeth she tore the redcross off her left shoulder in an ebullition of wrathful resentment.

  She rode, attended by the two servants of the Tardes, to La Roque Gageacwithout speaking.

  Her mind was busy. It was clear to her that she could not remain withher aunt after that affair at the Devil's Table. The Bishop of Sarlatwas not an energetic ruler; he might demur to making an expeditionagainst Domme, doubt the expediency of attempting reprisals against soterrible a man as Le Gros Guillem, and all for the sake of a Jew, but hecould hardly allow her, who had been the mover in the robbery, to remainin one of his towns. It would not be well for her to compromise theTarde family. She must go to her mother at Domme.

  On arriving at La Roque, she told Jacques and Jean Tarde what she haddone.

  Jacques burst out laughing. "Well done, Cousin Noemi! I am glad ourmoney has gone to some good purpose."

  She flushed to her temples. Jean del' Peyra had not welcomed her withcommendation. He had received what she had done in an ungracious manner.She resented this. She was bitter at heart against him. That was thelast time she would move a finger to help a Del' Peyra.

  Noemi remained the night and part of next day at La Roque. Though youngand strong, she was greatly tired by the exertion she had gone through,and by the mental excitement even more than the bodily exertion. Thedistance to Domme was not great. She had but to cross the Dordogne acouple of leagues higher in a ferry-boat and she would be at the foot ofthe rock of Domme. This rock may be described as an oval snuffbox withprecipitous sides, flat, or nearly so, above, with, however, one endsomewhat elevated above the other. On this superior elevation stood thecastle or citadel. On the lower was the town, uniformly built, with aquadrangular market-place in the midst surrounded by arcades, and everystreet cutting another at right angles, and every house an exactcounterpart of its fellow.

  The garrison kept guard on the walls, but their headquarters were in thecastle, where also resided their Captain, Guillem. Access to the townwas to be had by one way only, and the gate was strongly defended bysalient drums of towers. The castle had a triple defence of river, walland half towers, and possessed a great donjon, square and machicolated.In 1369 it had stood a siege by the English for fifteen days, and hadrepelled Sir John Chandos and all his force. Since then it had falleninto the hands of the English through the neglect of the French crown toprovide the necessary garrison.

  Noemi was attended as far as Domme by her cousins' servant. On reachingthe town it was at once manifest that something unusual had occurredwhich was occupying the minds and tongues of the townspeople. The menwere gathered in knots; the arcaded market-place was full of them.

  The girl entered the castle and proceeded to her mother's room. Thislady was past the middle age, finely framed and delicately featured,still beautiful, but languid and desponding. She greeted her daughterwithout impulsive affection.

  "Noemi," she said, "something has happened to discompose your father. Ido not know what it is, the whole place is in commotion."

  "I will go see," answered the girl.

  "I do not think he wishes to be disturbed," said the lady, and sighing,leaned back in her seat.

  Noemi at once proceeded to the chamber usually occupied by Guillem, andshe saw him there, seated at a table, gnawing his nails.

  The insolent, dauntless freebooter was much altered. He sat with hiselbows on the table, his fingers to his teeth, his hair ragged, histall, smooth head, usually polished, without its wonted gloss, his eyesstaring stonily before him.

  The Captain was mortified rather than hurt. He had been driven like awolf athwart the woods by the peasants; smoked out of his lair byJacques Bonhomme, like a fox.

  He had escaped from the "Church" by the skin of his teeth. Roused by thecrashing in of the roof, then by the flood of fire, he had sprung fromhis bed, half-clothed, without his jerkin and boots, had seized hissword and had fled. In an instant he had realised the impossibility ofresistance, and had run along the _mal-pas_, and, selfish in his fear,had kicked down the plank over the chasm to secure himself from pursuit,though at the sacrifice of his men.

  He had lurked at a distance, watching his blazing castle and then hadrun on. Occasionally he had all but rushed into the arms of peasantsflocking from the neighbourhood. Once, in the grey morning light, he hadbeen recognised and pursued, and had only saved himself by coweringunder an overhanging stone till the men had gone by.

  Bootless, running over rocks and stones, and these latter in many casesflints that were broken and cut like razors, his feet had been gashed,and he had at length been hardly able to limp along. Prickles of briar,spines of juniper, had aggravated the wounds, and it was with extremedifficulty that he had reached the Dordogne, seized a boat, and rowedhimself across into territory nominally English. Even then he had notbeen safe. He knew it. He must reach Domme before the tidings of thedisaster arrived, or all the subjugated country would be roused. Hebroke into a farmer's stable, took his horse, and galloped with it upthe valley, nor halted till he reached the gates of Domme, where hiswarder opened to him in amaze to see the governor of the town, thecaptain of the garrison, arrive in such a deplorable condition.

  Since his arrival, after he had bathed his feet and had them bound up,he had been seated at his table, gnawing his nails, glaring into space,his heart eaten out with rage, humiliation, and raven for revenge.

  To have been defied by a Del' Peyra! To have been warned by hisadversary and not to have profited by the warning! Guillem's baldforehead smoked, so hot were his thoughts within him.

  Noemi stood looking at the Captain, amazed at the change that had comeover him--at his haggardness, at his stoniness of eye.

  "Father, what has happened?"

  "Go away! I want no women here."

  "But, father, something has taken place. All Domme is in commotion. Thestreets are full."

  "Full!" in a scream; "talking of me--of my disgrace! Call my lieutenant;I will send the pikemen through the streets to clear them--to silencethe chattering rogues."

  "But what does this all mean, father?"

  "Come here, child." He waved his arm without looking at her. She obeyed.She stepped to his side and stood by the table.

  "Father, your fingers are bleeding; you have gnawed them."

  "Have I? It matters not. My feet are bleeding, my brain is bleeding, myhonour is bled to death."

  "What has happened?"

  He took her hand. The only soft part in this terrible man was his lovefor Noemi, and that was rarely shown.

  "What are the Del' Peyras to you?" he asked roughly.

  "Nothing, father."

  He looked round, caught her steady eye, winced, and turned his away.

  "So--nothing. Why did you then ransom these men?"

  "Because, father, I had pity for the men themselves."

  "Why?" He could not understand this simple, natural, elementary feeling.She did not answer him, but loosened her hand from his; she took thetorn strips of red silk that had formed her cross and put them on thetable before him. "I renounce my companionship," she said.

  He did not regard her words or her action.

  "I am glad the Del' Peyras are nothing to you. I swear----" He sprang upbut sank again. He could not bear to stand on his mangled feet. "I swearto you, I swear to all Perigord I will root them out; I will not leave afibre of them anywhere. I will let all the world know what it is tooppose me."

  "What has been done, father?"

  Again he turned his face, but could not endure her clear eyes.

  "I cannot tell you. Ask others."

  Steps were audible in the anteroom, and Roger and Amanieu entered. Theysaluted.

  "Captain," said Roger, "we only are come."

  "And the others?"

  "Ten of them--made to leap the beam."

  "Yes, Captain, and the Seigneur d
el' Peyra sent his compliments to you,and was sorry your legs were so long. You'll excuse me, Captain, theywere his own words; he made me swear to repeat them. He was very sorryyour legs were so long. He cut ten crosses in the stone, one for each ofthe comrades, and, said he, there was room for another, and he'll do youthe honour of making its legs long also, if he has the chance ofcatching you."

  Guillem gnashed his teeth; the blood rushed into his eyes. He glared atthe messenger.

  "I think, Captain, you might have left us the plank," said Amanieu. "Asit was, we had to borrow one from the peasants."

  "Send me the lieutenant. This can only be wiped out in blood!" roaredthe Gros Guillem, in spite of his wounded feet, leaping into an uprightposition. "I care not that I am lamed--I care not--I shall be liftedinto my saddle. I will not eat, I will not sleep till I have revengedmyself and the murdered ten, and my burnt castle and this outrage on myhonour."

  "I am here, Captain," said the lieutenant, stepping forward. He hadentered along with the returned companions. In the blindness of hisagony of mind and rage Guillem had not noticed him.

  The filibuster turned his face to the lieutenant. It was terrible. Hisred but grizzled hair, uncombed, shaggy with sweat, electrified andbristling with the fury that was in him, his pale eyes and red suffusedballs, his great mouth with pointed fangs, the lower jaw quivering withexcitement, made his appearance terrible.

  "Lieutenant!" shouted Guillem; "call out all the men available--all butsuch as must remain to guard the castle and this cursed disloyal town,in which every citizen is a traitor. Muster them outside the castle;bring forth as many horses as we have. If I am carried, I will go. Atonce, before these peasants have recovered their astonishment, becausethey surprised us when we were asleep: at once, as swiftly as possible,to chastise them. Cut down every peasant in arms: give no quarter, butabove all, take me Ogier del' Peyra. I will pay fifty livres for him--toany man--to have him taken alive. I do not desire him dead; I must havehim alive. Do you mark me? First of all, Del' Peyra. At once, beforethey expect reprisals--at once."

  His hand was on the table. In his fury he shook it as if it had been hisenemy he was grappling.

  "To horse, Roger and Amanieu, and revenge your wrongs, as I will revengemine."

  "Pardon me, Captain," said Roger. "What is this I see? the red silkcross--what? has she taken this off and renounced companionship? So doI. I cannot serve against the father Del' Peyra or the son who spared mylife." He plucked at the cross on his shoulder, then with his daggerunripped it, tore it, and threw it on the table.

  "Nor I," said Amanieu surlily, "not because they spared me, but becauseyou kicked down the plank." And he also tore off his cross and flung iton the table.