by Eugène Sue
CHAPTER V.
IN THE TREASURE CHAMBER.
While the slaves of Chram were busy leading the horses to the stables,and placing the loaded carts and the saddles under the shelter of abroad shed that served for cover to large stocks of hay, the royalleudes ate and drank with the appetite and thirst of men who were on theroad since early morn. Having, together with his three favorites, donehonor to the count's repast, Chram said to Neroweg:
"Take me to a place where we can talk privately. You surely have somesecret chamber where you keep your treasure--let us closet ourselvesthere."
Neroweg seemed in no haste to comply. Doubtlessly he was notover-anxious to introduce the son of his King into the secret retreat.Noticing the count's hesitation, Chram proceeded to say:
"If there is another apartment in your burg that is more secluded thanyour treasure chamber, it will suit me better. Your wife's chamber,perhaps? Let us go there."
"No--no. Come to my treasure chamber. But first wait till I have issuedthe necessary orders so that your people may not want for anything andthe horses be properly tended."
Saying this Neroweg took one of his leudes aside and whispered to him:
"Ansowald, you and Bertefred will arm yourselves well and remain nearthe door of the apartment into which I am to go with Chram. Holdyourselves in readiness to run in at my first call."
"What do you fear, seigneur count?"
"The family of Clovis has a strong liking for other people's goods.Although my coffers are under triple locks and ribbed with iron, I liketo feel that you and Bertefred are ready at the door with your hands onyour swords."
"We shall do as you bid us."
"Order Rigomer and Bertechram to hold themselves equally well armed atthe door of the women's apartment. Let them strike without mercywhomsoever should attempt to introduce himself into Godegisele'schamber. Let them immediately give the alarm. I mistrust the Lion ofPoitiers. Neither do I take the other two favorites of Chram to be lesspagan or less dissolute than the wild lion himself. I hold them capableof anything--just as their royal master. Did you count the number ofarmed men in Chram's suite?"
"He brought in only one-half of his leudes--his _antrustions_, as thehaughty crew style themselves. They look down with contempt upon usbecause they are pursuivants of a King."
"Shortly ago as they were at table," put in Bertechram, "they affectedto eat with disgust and they examined the bottom of the pots as if tomake sure that they were clean. They do not cease sneering at ourearthen and tin wares--especially at our kitchen utensils."
"I know--I know--they want to drive me to exhibit my gold and silverwares, many a piece of which they will purloin. But I am on my guard."
"Neroweg, blood may yet flow before evening if the insolent fellows donot desist from their impertinencies. Our patience is near the end ofits tether."
"Fortunately, however, we, your faithful leudes, together with thefootmen and the slaves whom we can safely arm, are as numerous as themen who compose the escort of Chram."
"Come, come, my good companions; do not heat yourselves, my friends. Ifany quarrels should break out at table, dishes will be broken, and theywill have to be replaced. We must bear that in mind."
"Neroweg, honor is before dishes--even if the dish be of gold orsilver."
"Certainly, but it is unnecessary to provoke a quarrel. Keep yourselveson your guard, and see to it that watch is kept at the door of thewomen's apartment--hand on sword."
"It will be done as you order."
A moment later Prince Chram and the count found themselves alone in thelatter's treasure room. They were engaged in an important and seriousconference.
"Count, how much are the treasures worth that are locked in thesecoffers?"
"Oh, they do not contain much--they are large on the principle that itis always well to be provided with a large pot and a big coffer, as wesay in Germany, but they are almost empty."
"So much the worse, count. I wished to double, triple and even quadruplethe value of their contents."
"Are you jesting?"
"Count, I desire to increase your power and wealth beyond even yourhopes. I swear as much by the indivisible Trinity."
"I then believe you. After this morning's miracle, you would not dare torisk drawing upon my house the fire of heaven, by taking so redoubtablean oath in vain. But what is your reason for wishing to add so greatlyto my power and wealth?"
"Because I have a personal interest in so doing."
"You convince me."
"Would you like to have domains as vast as those of a King's son?"
"I surely would."
"Would you like to have, instead of those half empty coffers, a hundredothers bursting with gold, precious stones, vases, goblets, bowls,armors and costly fabrics?"
"Certainly I would."
"Would you, instead of being count of a city in Auvergne, govern a wholeprovince--in short, be as rich and powerful as you could wish?"
"By the indivisible Trinity, are you serious? Explain yourself; I drinkin your words."
"I swear to you by the Almighty God."
"Do you also swear by the great St. Martin, my patron saint?"
"I swear it also by the great St. Martin that my tender is serious."
"Well, then, to the point. What is your project?"
"At this hour my father Clotaire is outside of Gaul warring against theSaxons. I propose to profit by his absence and make myself King in theplace of my father. Several counts and dukes of the neighborhood haveentered into the conspiracy. Will you be with or against me?"
"And what about your brothers, Charibert, Gontran, Chilperic andSigebert? Will they leave your father's kingdom to you alone?"
"I shall have all my brothers killed."
"Clovis, your grandfather, as well as his sons, all rid themselves oftheir nearest relatives in the same fashion. You would be proceedingaccording to the traditions of your house."
"Answer, count; will you pledge yourself by a sacred oath to combat onmy side at the head of your men? If you will, then, by an equal oath, Ishall pledge myself to make you duke of whatever province you maychoose, and to relinquish to you the goods, treasures, slaves anddomains of the richest seigneurs who may have sided with my fatheragainst me."
"What you demand of me, if I understand you rightly, is that I pledgemyself, in my own name and the name of my leudes and pursuivants, to_obey your mouth_, as we express it in Germany?"
"Yes, that is my demand."
"But what fate do you reserve for your father?"
"His own bodyguard came near cutting him to pieces just before the warwith the Saxons. Are you aware of that?"
"Such a rumor did reach us."
"Well, then, my plan is to have my brothers killed; to declare that myfather died in the war with the Saxons; and then to pronounce myselfKing of Gaul in his place."
"But when he returns from Saxony with his army, what will you do then?"
"I shall take the field against him at the head of my leudes, and Ishall kill him--just as he killed his nephews."
"I am thinking of what may happen to me. If in the war with your fatheryou go down, and I am found mixed up in the affair--it will go ill withme. I would then be stripped as a traitor of all the lands that I holdin _benefice_, only my salic lands would be left to me."
"Do you expect to win in a game without taking any risks?"
"I would much prefer that! But listen, Chram. Let the counts and dukesof Poitou, Limousin and Anjou take your side against your father, then Iand my leudes will _obey your mouth_. But I shall not openly declaremyself in your favor until the others shall have first taken up armsopenly."
"You wish to play a safe game."
"Yes, I wish to risk little and gain much--I sincerely admit it."
"Very well--then let us exchange pledges."
"Wait a moment, King; we shall swear upon a sacred relic."
"What are you doing? Why open that coffer? Leave the lid up so that Imay see your t
reasures. By my royal hair, I never in my life have seen amore magnificent Bible case than this!" exclaimed Chram as Neroweglifted the precious Bible case from the coffer. "It is all gold, rubies,pearls and carbuncles. From what pillage did you get that?"
"In a city of Touraine. The gospels within are all written out in goldletters."
"The case is superb. I am dazzled by it."
"King, we shall take our pledge upon these gospels."
"I consent. Well, then, upon these holy Gospels, I, Chram, son ofClotaire, swear by the indivisible Trinity and by the great St. Martin,and according to the formula consecrated in Germany, that, 'if you,Neroweg, count of the city of Clermont in Auvergne, yourself and yourleudes, who once stood on the side of the King, my father, will now comeover to the side of me, Chram, who propose to constitute myself Kingover you, and that if I do so constitute myself, I shall make you dukeof some great province of your own choice, and shall give you thedomains, houses, slaves and treasures of the richest of the seigneurswho may have stood by my father and against me. Amen.'"
"And I, Neroweg, count of the city of Clermont in Auvergne, swear onthese Gospels, by the indivisible Trinity and the great St. Martin, thatif the counts and dukes of Poitou, Limousin and Anjou, instead ofcontinuing as heretofore on the side of your father, openly go over toyour side, and in arms, for the purpose of establishing you, Chram, asKing over them, then I together with my men, will do likewise in orderthat you may be established King over us. And may I be consigned to theeternal fires if I fail in my oath! Amen."
"And may I, Chram, be consigned to the eternal fires if I fail in myoath! It is sworn before God."
"It is sworn before the great St. Martin."
"And now, count, allow me to examine this magnificent Bible case. Count,I have never seen anyone comparable with you for the quickness withwhich you open and close a coffer. Our oath now binds us together, and Ican speak to you plainly. The first thing that I now have to do is torid myself of my four brothers, Gontran, Sigebert, Chilperic andCharibert."
"The glorious Clovis, your grandfather, always proceeded in thatfashion when he thought proper to join some new kingdom or otherheritage to his possessions. He always killed first and seizedafterwards. He then had no adversary to combat."
"My father Clotaire has also been of that opinion. He began by killingthe children of his brother Clodomir, whereupon he seized theirheritage."
"Others, like your uncle Theodorik, on the contrary, seized first, andthen sought to kill--that was unskilful. A corpse is more easilyplundered than a live body."
"Count, you are endowed with the wisdom of a Solomon; but I can not killmy brothers myself. Two of them are very strong men, while I am ratherfeeble and worn out. Moreover, they will not willingly furnish me withthe opportunity. They mistrust me. I have fixed upon three determinedmen to commit the murders; they are men that I can reckon with. I need afourth."
"Where shall we find him?"
"Here--in the country of Auvergne."
"In my burg?"
"Yes; perhaps in your own house."
"What!"
"Do you know the reason why Bishop Cautin has been anxious to accompanyme to this place?"
"I do not."
"It is that the bishop is in great hurry to try, sentence and witnessthe execution of the Vagres and their accomplices who are held prisonersin the _ergastula_ of this burg--above all because he wishes to witnessthe execution of the bishopess."
"I still do not understand you, Chram. The two criminals, together withthe women who are their accomplices, are to be taken to Clermont, sosoon as they shall have recovered from their wounds, to be tried thereby the _curia_."
"According to the reliable rumors that have reached us, the bishopfears, and not without good reason, that the populace of Clermont mayrise in revolt in order to set the bandits free the moment they arrivein the city of Clermont. The names of the hermit laborer and Ronan theVagre are dear to the race of slaves and vagabonds. It would be justlike them to raise a riot and seek to set the bandits free--while here,at the burg, nothing of the sort need be feared."
"Such an uprising would be serious."
"I promised Bishop Cautin that, if you consent, then I, Chram, now Kingin Auvergne in my father's name, shall issue orders that the criminalsbe tried, sentenced and executed here at this burg, before your ownjusticiary _mahl_."
"If my good father Cautin thinks so, I shall accept his opinion. I am asdesirous as himself to witness the execution of those bandits, and Iwould sooner give twenty gold sous than see them escape death, a thingthat, as you say, might happen if they are taken to Clermont and thevile population of the city should rise in their favor. But what hasthis to do with the murder of your brothers?"
"Is Ronan the Vagre healed of his wounds? I understand he is. He has thereputation of being a resolute bandit."
"He is a demon--a prop of hell."
"Suppose that after that demon shall have been sentenced to somefrightful death he were told: 'You shall have grace, you shall be setfree, but upon condition that you kill a certain person--after themurder is committed you will receive twenty gold sous for yourreward'--do you think he would refuse such an offer?"
"Chram, that devil of a Ronan and his band killed nine of my bravestleudes; they pillaged and set fire to the episcopal villa and the placeis to be rebuilt at my expense. As sure as the great St. Martin is inparadise, the cursed Vagre shall not be set free, he shall not escapethe death that his crimes deserve!"
"Who says otherwise?"
"You speak of granting him grace."
"But after he shall have committed the murder, then, instead of countingout twenty gold sous to the Vagre, twenty blows with an iron bar will becounted out on his back, after which he can be quartered or otherwisedisposed of in short order. Ah, that seems to amuse you."
"I laugh because it reminds me of the swindling baldrics and necklaceswith which your grandfather Clovis one day rewarded his accomplicesafter they dispatched the two Ragnacaires. The Vagre will return inorder to receive the twenty gold sous promised to him, instead of whicha hundred blows will be bestowed upon him with an iron bar."
"Determined men are rare. If the Vagre carries his part of the affair toa successful issue, then my four brothers will be dead before the weekis over--their death insures the success of my projects. It is to yourinterest as well as mine that we avail ourselves of the Vagre. So it isunderstood that you will spare his life."
"But what about the bishop, who has come to enjoy the sight of thebandit's death? He will not consent to let the fellow free."
"Cautin will console himself over the Vagre's escape by seeing thebishopess roast, and the hermit-laborer hang."
"But suppose the Vagre promises to commit the murder but fails incarrying out his part of the bargain?"
"And the twenty gold sous that he will surely expect to receive afterthe murder is committed?"
"You are right--his cupidity will drive him to the deed and insure hisreturn. But how is his flight to be connived at?"
"You can convene your _mahl_ within two hours. The culprits can be triedand sentenced at one session."
"Yes, that can all be done."
"To-day the trial and sentence--to-morrow the execution. Between now andto-morrow we have the night left. You will have the Vagre led out of the_ergastula_ after dark, and taken to Spatachair, one of my favorites.Leave the rest to me. To-morrow we shall say to the bishop: 'The Vagrehas fled'--why do you laugh, Count Neroweg?"
"At that Vagre who will be thinking that he is to gain twenty gold sous,and who will receive instead a hundred blows with an iron bar, and thenbe quartered."
"As you see, count, your vengeance will lose nothing by the arrangement,while it will insure the success of our plans. Unless I could speedilyfind a fourth determined man, as the Vagre, there would always be abrother left who might lay claim to my father's kingdom. Answer, are weagreed upon the Vagre's flight?"
"Yes, yes--we are agreed."
&nb
sp; "Accordingly your _mahl_ is to be convened within two hours in order toproceed to the trial."
"Within two hours it will be in session."
"Adieu, Neroweg, count of the city of Clermont--but duke to be ofTouraine, and one of the richest and most powerful seigneurs, made suchby the friendship of Chram, King of all Gaul, after the death of hisfather and all his brothers! Adieu!"
