_CHAPTER XLVII_.
_THE DUEL_.
Richenza's arrival at Cluny surprised Erwin; but she manifested sosincere a sympathy with the misfortunes of the Duchess Clemence, thathe related to her all the details of the outrage. The influentialposition of the Count of Champagne permitted him to lodge in thedependencies of the cloister, and his apartments opened upon an immensegarden ornamented with flowers, groves, and shady walks.
Richenza and her retinue had just entered the garden, followed at adistance by brother Severinus; and Erwin, after leaving the table, wentthither to join the party. Antonio, who was constantly on the watchover Rechberg's movements, at once left the cloister and hurriedlyproceeded to the village, where Hermengarde was awaiting his returnwith feverish anxiety. At last he came, and entered the lady's presencewith an air of supreme indifference.
"Your absence has been long, Antonio; was it not possible for you togive my message yesterday?"
"Noble lady, Rechberg remained quite late with the Count of Champagneand the other nobles. He rose late this morning, and I was unable togive him your message until a few moments since, as he was going to thegarden with the Countess Richenza. The time was ill-chosen."
"Well! what was his answer?"
"'Hermengarde here?' he said, with surprise. 'Come to see her!--yousay. I am very sorry; but it is no longer possible----'"
"Go on, Antonio, and tell the truth!" said she. "Is he in the garden?"
"Precisely; now, as the garden is close to the road near the mountain,you can see for yourself."
"Yes, and that is what I mean to do," replied Hermengarde, who seemedto have all at once regained her courage. "Wait for one moment,gentlemen; I will be back again soon;" and she left the room.
"You have done a stupid thing," said Pietro. "If she succeeds inentering the garden----"
"Pshaw! she cannot get over a ten-foot wall."
"And if Rechberg were to perceive her?"
"He! his eyes are not clear enough to see so far."
Hermengarde returned in a few minutes, and at once set out, followed bythe two Italians and her nurse Hedwige.
In a short time they were on the road which overlooked the garden.Antonio led the way to an elevation, from which they could see all theadjoining country, and the young girl followed, without heeding thewords which the spy still continued to address to her. Suddenly shepaused, and then, before her companions could interfere, ran towards alittle gate in the cloister-wall.
As soon as Antonio perceived her intention, and that the door was open,he sprang towards her.
"For the love of God!" he cried, "where are you going? Your entranceinto the convent may have disastrous results!"
She turned her head a little, glanced at Antonio, and disappeared.Hedwige and Pietro followed, but the other remained behind.
"That door open!--unlucky mishap!" he said; "all is lost! The bestthing for me to do is to run away, and escape the Count's anger;" andhe hastily left the place.
A narrow path wound through several clumps of bushes, and terminated ata conservatory surrounded by vines. Hermengarde stopped here. At abouta hundred yards in front, Richenza and the young nobleman were walkingtogether, in earnest conversation. Brother Severinus stood near thedoor, reading his breviary.
"The Duchess of Saxony is a noble woman," said Richenza; "and what didshe say of her husband's disloyal conduct?"
"Galdini Sala was obliged to repeat three times the Duke's words:'Clemence ceased to be my wife by the Pope's decree, and with myconsent. No one, not even Alexander, can change my determination.' Atfirst the Duchess seemed thunderstruck. She repeated only, 'With hisconsent!' in a tone which I cannot describe. It seemed at first asthough her heart would break, and then her eyes flashed with anger. TheDuke of Saxony had lost all claim to her affection. 'My lord Count,'she said to me, 'accept my thanks for all the trouble I have givenyou;' and taking a rich jewel, 'Accept this,' she said, 'it is the onlyway in which the repudiated Duchess can show her gratitude.' Then shewent to see His Holiness, and this morning left Cluny, escorted by someof the Austrian men-at-arms."
"How noble! how truly great! but, alas! how unfortunate!" saidRichenza, with emotion.
"Now that the Duchess has gone," said Erwin, "and the object of myjourney is accomplished, I can return to Laon, where I have business ofgreat importance."
"It can be put off a little longer, and we will go there together,"urged Richenza.
"I regret that it is impossible; but everything is prepared, and I mustleave Cluny to-day. Allow me, noble lady, to bid you farewell."
He was interrupted by a piercing shriek.
"Erwin! my Erwin!" cried a voice from the conservatory.
The Count approached. In the dim light he saw a group of three persons,one of whom lay fainting on the ground. He had recognized the voice,but he could scarcely believe that Hermengarde was there. But it wasshe, and Rechberg knelt in astonishment beside his lady-love, fromwhose face all signs of life had disappeared. Suddenly the Count wasseized, and thrust violently away.
"Back! wretch," cried Pietro, whose anger broke out at the sight of hisrival. "Back! you have no longer the right to tend her, German savage."
Rechberg gazed first at the Lombard and then at the fainting girl.
Nigri again pushed him away.
"If you dare to approach her again, I will plunge my sword into yourbreast." And Pietro, sword in hand, placed himself between the Countand the lady.
"Who are you, who dare to separate me from my affianced wife?" criedRechberg.
"Draw and defend yourself," said the Italian furiously.
"Here, in her presence? No, sir!" replied the Count. "Put up yoursword; elsewhere I will chastise you as you deserve."
"You shall not escape me thus! Villain, defend yourself!" said Pietro.
And his sword's point grazed Erwin's breast.
"Hold!" cried the Count. "Would you dare to assassinate me?"
"I will take your life.--If you will not defend it," said Nigri,striking Rechberg, as he spoke, with the flat of his sword. Scarcelyhad the Count felt the blow, when his sword, quick as lightning,flashed from the scabbard, and the fight began. Hermengarde still layupon the ground, her head upon Hedwige's knee. During the progress ofthe duel, she opened her eyes and called her lover's name, but Erwinsaw and heard nothing except his antagonist who had slightly woundedhim. Suddenly, he saw his opportunity, and with a rapid thruststretched Pietro lifeless on the ground. Just then the chamberlain.rushed forward to prevent the combat, but it was too late, and as hesaw the bloody corpse,--
"Woe to us!" he cried, "a murder has been committed within thecloister-walls. Wretch, what have you done?"
But Rechberg paid no attention to the question; he wished to approachthe young girl, who was seated with her nurse upon a neighboring bench,but she motioned him away.
"I was present during the whole affair," said brother Severinus, whoendeavored to apologize for the Count. "I saw it all, worthy father;the Count would have gone elsewhere, but this unhappy man, whose soulis before his God, tried to kill him; he was obliged to defendhimself."
"That certainly diminishes the enormity of the offence," replied thechamberlain, "but a crime has been committed within the cloister, andit is to be judged here at Cluny. Follow me, Count."
"At once," said Rechberg. "Noble lady," he added, turning to Richenza,"I regret sincerely, that my violence has caused your young lady ofhonor to faint. I trust that she will be cared for until I haveestablished my innocence and can offer my excuses in person. Richenzaunderstood the hint; for, except as an attendant of the Countess,Hermengarde would have been obliged to leave the cloister immediately.
"It was scarcely necessary to ask me to take care of my young friend,"she said; "it is only my duty."
She gave the necessary orders for her to be conveyed to her ownapartments, and Erwin with one last look at Hermengarde, followed thechamberlain.
O
n the ensuing day, the judges met, but the testimony of Severinus, andthe favorable reputation which Erwin bore as Clemence's champion,procured his acquittal. Still the court was at a loss to understand themotives of the Count's quarrel with the Italian. The judges withdrewinto an adjoining room, whence, after a short deliberation, theyreturned.
"My son," said the president, "the law absolves you on the ground oflegitimate self-defence. God alone, to whom the secrets of all heartsare known, can pronounce whether your act was free from all earthlypassion. Still, in the interest of your own soul, we advise you, as apenance, to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where in defence of ourRedeemer's tomb you can purge your sword of the stain left on it by theblood of Pietro Nigri."
The Count expressed his thanks and proceeded at once to Richenza'sapartments, where he expected to find Hermengarde.
To his great surprise he was informed that the Count of Champagne, withall his retinue, had started at an early hour for Laon, and that theyoung Italian had returned to the neighboring village.
He repaired there at once, and on his entrance to the inn was receivedby Hedwige, who informed him that her mistress was quite unwell, andhad not yet left her chamber.
"But I will tell her," she said, "that you are here."
Erwin paced the room until the servant announced that her lady wouldreceive him.
"Great heavens!" said Hedwige, "how she has suffered! I have alwaysmaintained that you would not be false to your plighted word, and thatin spite of Richenza's relationship to the king of France, she couldnot make you forget your betrothed."
"I cannot understand you, Hedwige. How could you entertain such anidea?"
"Pietro assured us that you wanted to marry Richenza, and Antonioconfirmed his story. Besides, you stayed for several days in herfather's castle and refused to receive us, and then Richenza came toCluny with you."
"Now I understand it all," said Erwin; "ah! the wretched knave!"
The door opened, and Hermengarde entered. She was dressed simply inwhite, with a blue sash around her waist.
"Pardon me, dearest," said the Count, tenderly; "pardon me for all Ihave made you suffer." But Hermengarde was already assured of Erwin'sinnocence before he had even spoken.
"Count," she replied, "you need make no excuses; only tell me why I didnot see you yesterday?"
"I had no idea that you were at Cluny."
"Then Antonio did not carry you my message?"
"Most certainly not! You seem surprised, Hermengarde; but you do notknow all. That villain Antonio was in a plot to separate us, and hismeasures were skilfully taken."
"Fortune sometimes favors the wicked," said the noble girl. "But wasthe arrival of Richenza merely the result of chance?"
"It may have been a part of the plot! I intended to return to Laon, andwas taking my leave, when--"
He suddenly paused, for the recollection of the scene in the gardenseemed painfully depicted on Hermengarde's features. She sat down andgazed silently at her lover, whose attentions to the young Countess shehad fancied meant more than was called for by the mere requirements ofchivalrous courtesy. But it was impossible to cherish a suspicion ofErwin's loyalty after his frank and honest explanations.
"Ah! Erwin," she said; "but that murder, that fearful crime!"
"You could not have wished me to allow myself to be assassinated?"
"No, oh! no. But after the combat I saw how your sword was covered withblood; I seem to see even now his wild glance and the blood streamingfrom the ghastly wound." And she hid her face in her hands as if toshut out the horrid vision.
"Wretch that I am," said Erwin, "to have caused you this fright! Butconsole yourself, dearest; with time, the painful impression will fadeaway. Would you make me regret having been the victor? The pious monkshave pronounced me innocent; will you be more severe than they? Tellme, dearest Hermengarde; I will abide by your decree, however rigorousit may be."
"I know you are guiltless, Erwin,--and yet this blood seems to rise upbetween us: it is a childish feeling, I know, but I cannot overcomeit."
The Count stood in pensive silence, for the monks even in his acquittalhad uttered doubts of his complete innocence. And indeed, if he hadgone directly to Laon, instead of waiting for Antonio, Pietro would nothave met his death in the gardens of Cluny. His remorse was poignant.
"The pious monks," he said, "have counselled me to make a pilgrimage toPalestine, to the sepulchre of our blessed Redeemer. It is for you,Hermengarde, to decide whether I shall submit to this penance."
This singular question was entirely consistent with the manners of thetimes. Hermengarde reflected for a moment.
"To-morrow," she said, "after having invoked together, the aid of Mary,the Mother of Sorrows, you shall know my decision."
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