CHAPTER X.
ON THE LADDER OF LIFE.
FOUR days passed over, and Walter Espec, quite recovered from theeffects of his struggle with the waves, and of the salt water he hadinvoluntarily imbibed during his perilous adventure on the coast ofCyprus, was at Nicosia, and engaged in chivalrous exercises, in thecourtyard of the house occupied by the Earl of March; when he wasaccosted by Bisset, the English knight, who had been a witness of hisdaring exploit, and requested to repair to the presence of the King ofFrance.
Walter was somewhat taken by surprise and startled by the summons.Recovering his serenity, however, as well as he could, he intimated hisreadiness; and with the air befitting a Norman gentleman who had existedfrom childhood in the consciousness that his name was known to fame, andwho did not forget that he had noble blood of Icinglas in his veins, heaccompanied the knight to the palace in which the saint-king was lodged.
At that time, Louis, not much satisfied with himself for havingconsented to winter in Cyprus, though little dreaming of the terriblemisfortunes that awaited his army in the land for which he was bound,was seated at table and endeavouring to forget his cares, whileconversing familiarly with a young and noble-looking personage of greatstrength and stature, with a head of immense size, and a countenancebeaming with sagacity. In truth this was a very remarkable personage. Hewas then known as John, Lord of Joinville, and seneschal of Champagne;and he has since been famous as the chronicler of the triumphs anddisasters of the Crusade in which he acted a conspicuous part.
'Seneschal,' said Louis, addressing Joinville, 'I marvel much that youdo not mix water with your wine.'
'In truth, sire,' replied Joinville, half jocularly, 'I fear so to do;for physicians have told me I have so large a head, and so cold astomach, that water might prove most injurious.'
'Nevertheless,' said Louis, earnestly, 'be advised by me, and do notallow yourself to be deceived. If you do not drink water till you are inthe decline of life, you will then increase any disorders you may have.'
'But, sire,' asked Joinville, innocently, 'why should I drink water thenmore than now?'
'Ah,' answered Louis, 'simply because if you take pure wine in your oldage, you will be frequently intoxicated; and verily it is a beastlything for an honourable man to make himself drunk.'
'I acknowledge that it is very wrong, sire,' said Joinville; 'but I amone of those who endeavour to practise moderation in the use of thewine-cup.'
'And pray, seneschal,' asked Louis, after a pause, 'may I ask if youever wash the feet of the poor?'
'Oh, sire, no,' answered Joinville, not without evincing surprise. 'Ihardly deem that it would become such a person as I am.'
'In truth, seneschal,' exclaimed Louis, 'this is very ill said. Youought not to think that unbecoming which He, who was their Lord andMaster, did for our example when He washed the feet of His apostles. Idoubt not you would very unwillingly perform what the King of Englanddoes; for on Holy Thursday he washes the feet of lepers.'
'Oh, sire,' cried Joinville, in a conclusive tone, 'never will I washthe feet of such fellows.'
'Now, seneschal,' resumed Louis, still more seriously, 'let me ask youanother question. Whether would you be a leper, or have committed adeadly sin?'
'Sire,' answered Joinville, frankly, 'rather than be a leper, I wouldhave committed thirty deadly sins.'
'How could you make such an answer?' said Louis, reproachfully.
'Sire,' exclaimed Joinville, with decision, 'if I were to answer again,I should repeat the same thing.'
'Nevertheless,' urged Louis, with earnestness, 'you deceive yourself onthe subject; for no leprosy can be so awful as deadly sin, and the soulthat is guilty of such is like the devil in hell.'
It was when the conversation between the King of France and the Lord ofJoinville had reached this stage, that Walter Espec, guided by theEnglish knight, made his appearance, not without exhibiting symptoms ofagitation when he found himself face to face with the monarch, who, ofall the princes of Christendom, enjoyed, at that period, the highestreputation in Europe and the East.
But the appearance and aspect of Louis were not such as to daunt ordismay.
Nothing could have been more plain and simple than the dress worn by theroyal chief of the crusaders. Indeed it was plain and simple toaffectation; and the coat of camlet, the surcoat of tyretaine, themantle of black sandal, contrasted remarkably with the splendid garmentsof princes who were his contemporaries, especially Henry, King ofEngland, who, like most of the Plantagenets, was given to magnificenceof attire, and generally regarded as by far the greatest dandy in hisdominions. Nor had Louis been endowed by nature with the qualities whichplease the eye and impress the imagination. His figure, it is true, wastall and well proportioned; but his face and features were notcalculated to dazzle. When compared with men of such noble presence andregal air as our English Edwards and Henrys, he was decidedly plain. Hehad the peculiar face and slanting features which distinguished so manyof the descendants of Hugh Capet, and that large long straight nose,which, instead of keeping the Greek facial line, inclined forward, andhung slightly over the short upper lip. Not even flattery could havedescribed the saint-king as a model of manly beauty.
"Young gentleman," said King Louis, "it has come to myknowledge that you have performed an action noble in itself, and worthyof the praises of the valiant."--p. 64.]
Now it happened that Walter Espec had never before seen a king, and wasprepared to behold something very grand, like Coeur de Lion, with hisscarlet bonnet, his rose-coloured tunic, and his mantle of stripedsilver tissue, and his Damascus blade with a golden hilt in a silversheath. Naturally, therefore, he was at the first glance somewhatdisappointed with the appearance of the monarch in whose presence hestood. But as Louis turned upon him a countenance which, albeit notbeautiful, denoted energy and decision of character, and expressed atonce goodness and good-nature, and high moral and intellectualsuperiority, the youth, whose instincts were strong, felt that he was inthe presence of a man who was worthy of reigning.
'Young gentleman,' said Louis, mildly, as Walter bent his knee, 'it hascome to my knowledge that you have performed an action noble in itself,and worthy of the praises of the valiant.'
'Sire,' replied Walter, colouring, and speaking with less than hiswonted confidence, 'I scarce know to what your highness is pleased torefer.'
'Ah,' said Louis, glancing towards the Lord of Joinville, 'I can hardlycredit your words. But such modesty is becoming in youth. However, Imean that, four days since, as I learn, you saved a noble demoisellefrom the sea, at the most manifest peril to your own life.'
Walter bowed in acknowledgement of the compliment, but did not speak.
'Not,' continued Louis hastily, 'not that you should therefore bevainglorious, or puffed up with vanity, or think more highly ofyourself than you ought to think on account of your achievement, howeverhonourable; for I trust you know and feel that, before our Maker, we areall but as potter's clay.'
'My lord,' replied Walter, pausing in some perplexity, 'I would fainhope my ideas on the subject will ever be such as befit a Christian anda gentleman.'
'Well, well,' said Louis, hastily, 'on that point I meant not to expressa doubt, and,' added he, 'seeing that you give promise of being apreuhomme, I pray God, out of His goodness, that you may prove apreudhomme as well as a preuhomme.'
'Sire,' said Walter, looking puzzled, 'you must pardon me when I confessthat I comprehend not clearly the distinction.'
'Ah,' replied Louis, smiling, and shaking his head gravely, 'thedistinction is of much consequence; for know that by preuhomme I mean aman who is valiant and bold in person, whereas by preudhomme I signifyone who is prudent, discreet, and who fears God, and has a goodconscience.'
Walter bowed again; and, being at a loss for words to answer, tookrefuge in silence. In fact, he began to feel so awkward that he wishednothing so fervently as that the interview would come to an end; andLouis, after condescending to ask some more questions, and inc
ulcatesome more lessons, dismissed him with words of encouragement, and giftedhim with an amulet in the form of a ring, which bore on it thisinscription--
Who wears me shall perform exploits, And with great joy return.
As Walter left the king's presence to depart from the palace, he turnedto the knight who had been his conductor.
'On my faith, sir knight,' said he laughing, but rather nervously, 'thisreminds me more of the adventures which in childhood I have heardrelated by pilgrims and pedlars at the chimney-corner, than aught I everexpected to meet with in the real breathing busy world.'
'Indeed,' said Bisset, quietly; 'methinks there is nothing so verywondrous about the business. It only seems to me that you have been bornwith luck on your side--not my own case--and that you have, withouthazarding more than you are likely to do in the first battle with theSaracens, gained the privilege of climbing some steps up the ladder thatleads to fortune and fame.'
'And yet,' observed Walter, as he laughed and looked at the ring whichLouis had bestowed on him, 'beshrew me if I have had the courage to askeither the rank or name of the demoiselle to whom I had the fortune torender the service that has made my existence known to this good andpious king.'
'By the might of Mary,' exclaimed the knight, 'there is no reason whyyou should remain in ignorance who the demoiselle is, or what is hername. She is kinswoman of John de Brienne, who, in his day, figured asKing of Jerusalem, and kinswoman also of Baldwin de Courtenay, who nowreigns at Constantinople as Emperor of the East; and her name is Adelinede Brienne.'
'Holy Katherine,' muttered Walter, again looking closely at theinscription on the ring, as if for evidence that the whole was not adream, 'I begin to think that I must assuredly have been born with luckon my side, as you say; and, with such luck on my side, I need not evendespair of finding the brother I have lost.'
'Credit me, at all events,' said Bisset, looking wise, 'when I tell youthat you have got upon the ladder of life.'