CHAPTER XX.
THE RING.
NOEMI could not sleep that night. She sat in her rocky prison lookingout over the valley of the Vezere at the distant landscape bathed inglorious moonlight. Opposite Le Peuch the rocks are not precipitous;there is a falling away of the plateau into soft undulations and stages,rounded in the wood and sombre in their mantle of trees.
The moon was full--so bright that it eclipsed every star save itsattendant Venus; the whole sky was infused with light, the darkness ofthe deep blue turned to grey. The Vezere gleamed as a plate of moltensilver below.
The river passed with a sigh rather than a murmur. How white, dazzlingwhite, those cliffs must seem facing the moon, standing up like gigantichorse-teeth! The moon smote in at the window where sat Noemi. It bathedher face, her arm that was raised to sustain her chin.
How glorious was the world! how peaceful! how happy! Only man, with hislust of rapine, his love of violence, transformed it into a place oftorment. What if there were no parties--one English, the otherFrench--but all this fair land reposed under a single sceptre! And whatif that one sceptre controlled evildoers, put down lawlessness, and,extended over the land, bid it rest! What if all evildoers were rootedout, and first among these Le Gros Guillem!
Below in Ste. Soure was the sound of a human voice, of a woman singingto her child that wept and would not sleep. Noemi could not hear thewords, but she knew the air, and with her lips murmured--
B'aqui la luno Se y'n abio dios, t'en dounarioy uno!
"Moon, moon! gloriously bright! If there were two I would give thee one!I would give thee one--thee! thee!"
To whom would she give the moon if there were two, and one were at herdisposal? The mother would give it to her babe because her whole heartwas for that child. And she--Noemi--to whom would she give the moon--towhom?
Was she not going to give something better than the moon--even herprecious life?
Yes; not for a moment did she waver in her resolution. If Jean del'Peyra did not return on the morrow by first sun-peep she would castherself down--and what matter? Would life be worth a rush to her whenshe knew that Jean was dead? Dead he would be, if he did notreturn--dead, along with his father--
B'aqui lo vito! Se y'n abio dios, t'en dounarioy lu doui!
"Life! life! precious life! If I had two I would give thee both!"
The night passed slowly, and still Noemi sat at the opening in the rock.The moon had mounted high in heaven and sailed down the western sky. Itno longer peered into the rock-chamber, no longer flooded her form asshe sat motionless at the opening.
Her brain had no rest. Thoughts turned and twisted in her head. Againand ever again she asked whether for her sake her father would yield uphis prey--sacrifice the opportunity offered him of putting his foot downat once on and crushing the Del' Peyra family in the persons of fatherand son together. She knew the implacability of his temper, theruthlessness with which when offended he pursued his revenge to the end.Dear she might be to him, but was she dearer than vengeance on such ashad humiliated him as he had never been humiliated before? The airbecame raw and chill, with that rawness and chill which precede dawn.
Noemi rose and went to the door and looked across the chasm to theguard-room, which, it will be remembered, was an excavation in a rockybuttress. Holding the jambs she looked and listened. She could hear nosound. Amanieu and Roger were asleep. They had not been disturbed duringthe day, and in confidence that no danger menaced, they had castthemselves on the bed and slept. Still holding the jambs, she leanedforward and looked down. Below all was dark. The moon was behind thehill, and its shadow lay black along the slope. There was so much lightin the sky that she was able to distinguish in the depths masses ofwhite rock, lying about faintly discernible like high up vaporous whitecloud in a summer sky--rocks there on which her head would dash and herlimbs be broken within a few hours, unless Jean and his fatherappeared--white rocks there that would be splashed with her blood. If LeGros Guillem would not yield up his victims this would be the end of heryoung life. To him she would, she could not return. Her honour--her wordwas engaged--here she would perish.
The night was chill, she drew a mantle about her, and resting her headagainst the stone jamb of the window, looked out dreamily--and slippedinto unconsciousness, to start to full life and activity of thought at asound, the whistle of Roger or Amanieu in the guard-room rock.
These men were awake. Day was broken. In the east the sky was white.
The church-bell began to toll for Mass. From her window she could seethe village. The hills opposite were black, hard as cast-iron againstthe whitening sky. A halo already stood over the place where the sunwould mount, and a cloud high up was shot with gold. Noemi was shiveringwith cold. She rose and paced the chamber, but ever and anon returned tothe window to look out. The white light was changing to amber, the sunwas at hand.
Roger was carolling merrily, and smoke issued from the guard-chamber.The men were lighting a fire whereat to warm themselves, and perhaps dosome cooking for their morning meal. In the cold meadow by thewater-side, where lay a whiteness like a snow, a peasant was visible,turning the glebe with his plough fastened to the horns of a pair ofoxen.
She paced her chamber faster. She could not overcome the shivering thatpervaded her. The cold had entered the marrow of her bones, and with ither heart turned sick. Where was Jean? Was he in the oubliette? Had hebeen cast down on the body of his dying father?
Suddenly Noemi stood still. Painted on the rock opposite the window wasa saffron spot of light. The sun was risen.
"It is all over!" she said, and went to the door.
There she uttered a cry--a cry of joy and release.
Along the surface of the rock ran Jean towards her. He leaped on thethreshold, and she caught and drew him in with both hands.
The chill had gone from her. A rush of glowing life swept through herarteries and suffused her cheeks.
"Saved!" she gasped. "Oh, Jean, is it well?"
"I am but just in time!" he answered. "All is well. I came on--my fatheris behind, too tired to proceed at my pace. Oh, Noemi, Noemi----"
They held hands, they could neither speak more words. Her eyes filledwith tears, and then she sobbed.
Jean was moved. "Noemi," he said, "I shall never, never forget what youhave done for us."
The girl speedily recovered herself.
"I must back to Domme," she said. "My task is done. You did not say thatI had surrendered myself?"
"No. I let Le Gros Guillem think that we had captured you. But it iswith me as with you. I must be back to my father. There is a fellow comewith me--called Heliot, and with my father is Peyrot le Fort."
"The worst--the most treacherous ruffians there are!"
"They can do no hurt. At all events, till you are restored."
"From that moment their hands are free."
Jean became grave for a moment. But his was an honest nature, not proneto mistrust, even in the midst of the lawlessness and falsehood of thetimes.
"Ah, bah!" said he. "I can defend myself!"
"Then let us start immediately," said Noemi. "I would that you had notto come back with me. I would your father had not been left with Peyrotle Fort."
Jean went into his father's castle. He ordered two men-at-arms to attendhim. Roger and Amanieu were as well to accompany the Captain's daughter.
In less than an hour all were ready to start. A breakfast was hastilysnatched, and Jean's horse, as well as that of the _routier_, was givenwater and corn.
The band of men that left Ste. Soure consisted now of Jean del' Peyra,with his two men mounted, also of Noemi, attended by three of herfather's _routiers._The men whom Jean had taken with him as attendantswere not accustomed to riding; they could handle a pike, but had notbeen called to service on horseback, and this became speedily evident,for on descending a hill which was rough with chalk nodules and f
lints,one of them let his horse fall, and himself rolled some way down. Thebeast was injured and the man bruised. To Jean's annoyance he was notonly detained, but obliged to leave the fellow behind. He was engagedfor some minutes examining the horse's knees and satisfying himself thatthe brute was not in a condition to go further.
When he rejoined Noemi she said to him in a low tone--
"Let the men ride on; I have a word to say to you."
Jean slackened pace and waited till a sufficient distance separated themfrom their attendants. Then she said: "Treachery is intended. Heliot hasbeen working Amanieu and Roger. Amanieu says he will do nothing; observehim now. He has thrust his hands into his belt; that means that he willneither serve Le Gros Guillem nor Del' Peyra, but let the others do asthey list. As for Roger, he has pretended to agree, and he has cautionedme. He does not know particulars. Heliot would not trust him--he onlysounded Roger."
"The fellow shall at once be disarmed," said Jean, and rode forward. Theroutier was summoned to deliver up his sword, and seeing that he couldobtain no assistance from his former comrades, sullenly surrendered. Hewas then allowed to ride on with the rest, but with his hands bound.
In the meanwhile the other routier had been spending the remainder ofthe night by the charcoal-burner's pile. He found the peasant churlishand indisposed for conversation, wary, and watchful of all hismovements. Now and again, when the collier was engaged on his heap,Peyrot stole into the hut to look at the sleeping Seigneur, butimmediately was followed by the burner with his pronged fork.
"Why do you always run after me?" he asked churlishly.
"Because I know that such as you purpose no good."
In the morning the old Seigneur awoke, and came forth. He said nothing,but as he looked at the collier, who was eating brown bread, the manconcluded he was hungry, and readily shared his breakfast with him, butabsolutely refused to break bread with the rover. Peyrot was hungry, andirritated because he was not given the opportunity of executing hisintention. He would have attacked the collier but that he feared him;the man was tall, muscular, and on the alert. His black face disguisedhis feelings, but his eyes flashed with a saturnine light at everysuspicious movement of the man-at-arms.
"They come! they come!" shouted the charcoal-burner, starting forward.
"They come!" echoed Peyrot, and at once he had his sword out, and hadstruck at Ogier from behind. The blow would have been fatal had not theold man worn Le Gros Guillem's jerkin lined with ring mail. In a momentPeyrot was caught by the fork of the collier, round the throat, underchin and ears, was flung backwards and pinned to the ground.
"Haro! help all! I have the wolf!" yelled the man, and from out of thescrub poured the peasants returning from the chase.
They had been so far successful that they had killed the male wolf andthe cubs, but the dam had escaped them. They were exultant, excited bythe hunt; they carried the beasts they had killed slung across poles.
"See here!" cried the collier. "Here is the worst wolf of all--he triedto murder the Sieur del' Peyra!"
"We will drive him into your charcoal and burn him!" cried a peasant.
"That will spoil my charcoal. He is not worth it," answered the collier.
"We will hack him to pieces!" "We will cudgel out his brains!" "We willflay him alive!" As many voices, so many opinions.
At the same time arrived the party from Le Peuch.
"Here are others! See! Another red cross! Burn--hang--brain them both!Here are other two! Kill them all--all!"
The peasants seethed and swirled round Heliot, whose hands were bound,and about Amanieu and Roger.
"My friends," said Jean del' Peyra, "you are mistaken. This is myprisoner. The others are my very good friends."
"You would not let us kill them before, and now this fellow tried tomurder your father. He struck at him from behind like a coward."
"If he has done that," said Jean, "his life is forfeit. Who says he didthat?"
"I do," answered the collier. "I saw him. He has been looking out for anopportunity all morning. I saved the Seigneur."
"Very well," said Jean. "Then I speak no word in his behalf. Let him betaken to the next tree and hanged."
"Hang him! hang him! who has a rope? That which fastens the old wolfwill do! No--it is too short, make a band of hazel."
Then a voice shouted: "There is before you Le Gros Guillem's daughter.Why should we kill the wolf's cubs and let run Guillem's whelps?"
"Kill her! kill the whelp!" yelled the men, and crowded round Noemi.
"She is a Tarde! Hands off!" called another. "Take the men, do not toucha woman!"
Then the crowd precipitated itself on the bound _routier_; Amanieu andRoger drew their swords and kept the peasants at bay.
"She is a cub of Gros Guillem, I swear it!" called a man. "Kill thewhole breed, or she will mother _loups-garoug_!" (Were-wolves.)
"Messire Jean! we have no cause against you," said an immense man, afarmer, coming up and laying hold of Jean's horse's bridle. "But we willnot spare any of that Domme race. They are accursed--have they not beenexcommunicated by the Pope--by the Bishop? We do not spare a wolf-cubhowever piteously it whine, however young it be, to whatever sex it maybelong; and if this be a cub of the were-wolf Guillem, shall we besqueamish? Swear to us she is not of the race, and she shall passuntouched. If not, we will kill her."
Densely packed round him, brandishing forks and clubs and axes were themen, rendered savage by oppression, and now reckless by success. Nonewere the retainers of the Del' Peyras. Jean knew not to what master theybelonged. The men roared--
"Swear she is not Guillem's daughter, or we will kill her!"
The moment was one of supreme danger.
"Noemi!" said he hastily. "Hold out thy hand!"
She obeyed, extending her fingers straight before her.
"Swear! swear!" yelled the men.
Then Jean plucked open his purse, drew out the ring she had sent by himto her father, and said, as he held it aloft--
"See all; I put it on her finger. Do you want to know who she is? Knowall that she is the betrothed of Jean del' Peyra, son of the Sieur delPeuch de Ste. Soure."
A shriek--a shriek of horror and agony.
The attention of those crowding in on Noemi and Jean was diverted.
Some men had taken up Peyrot le Fort, and had rammed him with theirpitchforks into the fuming pyre of the charcoal-burner, then had massedon sods and clay, and had beat it down over him with their spades.
"Ride! away! ride!" shouted Jean.