CHAPTER VI.
THE JEW.
JEAN DEL' PEYRA left the Bishop's castle, which stood on rising groundabove the town, and was well fortified against attack, and entered thecity to find Levi. The Jew lived in the little square before thecathedral.
The Bishop might well say that his episcopal seat was shabby, for theminster was small and rude in structure, a building of the Romanesqueperiod such as delighted the monks to erect, and of which many superbexamples exist in Guyenne. The monastic body at Sarlat had not been richenough or sufficiently skilled in building to give themselves as statelya church as Souillac, Moissac, or Cadouin. It consisted, like nearlyevery other sacred dwelling of the period, of an oblong domed building,consisting of three squares raised on arches surmounted by Orientalcupolas, with an unfinished tower at the west end. The visitor to Sarlatat the present day will see a cathedral erected a century and more afterthe date of our story, in a debased but not unpicturesque style.
The Jew was not at home. His wife informed Jean that he had gone to LaRoque to gather in a few _sols_ that were owing to him there for moneyadvanced to needy personages, and that she did not expect him home tillthe morrow. Christians were ready enough to come to her husband forloans, but were very reluctant to pay interest, and it cost Levi muchpains and vexation to extract what was his due from those whom he hadobliged. Accordingly Jean remounted his horse, and rode over the hillsdue south, in the direction of the Dordogne.
About halfway between Sarlat and La Roque, at the highest point of theroad, where the soil is too thin even to sustain a growth of oakcoppice, and produces only juniper, Jean passed a singular congeries ofstones; it consisted of several blocks set on end, forming an oblongchamber, and covered by an immense slab, in which were numerous cup-likeholes, formed by the weather, or whence lumps of flint had beenextracted. It was a prehistoric tomb--a dolmen, and went by the name ofthe Devil's Table. To the present day, the women coming to the market atSarlat from La Roque rest on it, and if they put their fish which theyhave to sell into the cups on the table, are sure of selling them at agood price. Yet such action is not thought to bring a blessing with it,and the money got by the sale of the fish thus placed in the Devil'scups rarely does good to those who receive it. The monument is now inalmost total ruin: the supports have been removed or are fallen, but atthe time of this tale it was intact.
Jean did not pay it any attention, but rode forwards as hastily as hecould on his somewhat fatigued horse.
On reaching the little town of La Roque, Jean was constrained to put uphis horse outside the gates. There was not a street in the place alongwhich a horse could go. The inhabitants partook of the nature of goats,they scrambled from one house to another when visiting their neighbours.Only by the river-side was there a level space, and this was occupied bystrong walls as a protection against assault from the water.
Jean inquired whether the Jew had been seen, and where, and was toldthat he had been to several houses, and was now in that of the Tardes.The family of Tarde was one of some consequence in the little place, andhad its scutcheon over the door. It was noble--about three otherfamilies in the place had the same pretensions, or, to be more exact,right. Jean, without scruple, went to the house of the Tardes and askedfor admission, and was at once ushered into the little hall.
The Jew was there along with Jean and Jacques Tarde, and they werecounting money. To Del' Peyra's surprise, Noemi was also present andlooking on.
Jean del' Peyra gave his name, and asked leave to have a word withthe Jew. He stated the circumstances openly. There was no need forconcealment. Le Gros Guillem had fallen on Ste. Soure, and aftercommitting the usual depredations, had carried off seven men, andheld them to ransom. The sum demanded was a hundred Bergerac livres.Unless that sum was produced immediately, the men would bemutilated--hamstrung.
As Jean spoke, with bitterness welling up in his heart, he lookedstraight in the eyes of Noemi. She winced, changed colour, but resolvednot to show that she felt what was said, and returned Jean's look withequal steadiness.
"And you want the money?" said the Jew. "On what security?"
"The Bishop will grant an indulgence to eat butter in Lent at a fee.That will raise more than is required."
"The Bishop!" Levi shook his head. "You Christians are not men of yourword. You will promise it--and never pay."
"You lie, Jewish dog!" said Jacques Tarde. "Have I not paid you what wasowing?"
"Ah, you--but the Bishop!"
"Is he false?"
"He may think it righteous to cheat the Jew."
"He will give you what security you require that the money beforthcoming," said Jean.
"Will not the Christians eat butter without paying for thedispensation?" asked the Jew. "If they think that the butter-money iscoming to me they will not scruple. I do not like the security. TheBishop is old; he may die before Lent; and then what chance shall I haveof getting my money? The next Bishop will not allow butter, or, if hedoes, will pocket the money it brings in. He will not be tied by thisBishop's engagement. I will not have the butter-money."
"Will you take a mortgage on Ste. Soure?" asked Jean.
"I don't know. It is not on the Bishop's lands. It is face to face withthe stronghold of the big Guillem. If I wanted to sell and realise, whowould buy in such proximity? Whom are you under? The King of France? Heis a long way off and his arm is weak. No, I will not have a mortgage onSte. Soure. Besides, I am poor; I have no money."
"You lying cur!" exclaimed Jacques Tarde; "we have paid you up all thecapital lent us. We would no longer have our blood sucked attwenty-eight per cent, and we have sold the little land at Vezac to payyou."
"That was easy land to sell," said the Jew. "With Beynac Castle on oneside and La Roque on the other! But Ste. Soure"--he shook his head. "Itis under the claw of Guillem. He has but to put down his hand from theChurch and he scratches through the roofs, and picks out all that hedesires."
"And you refuse the Bishop's guarantee?"
The Jew looked furtively at the two Tardes and at Jean and said--"Who isto guarantee the Bishop? On his lands he sees that I draw in my little_sols_, but then I pay him for that, I pay heavily, and for that heavyprice he allows me to lend moneys and pick up interests. But I do notpay the King of France to ensure me against the Bishop. That is why Iwill not let him be in debt to me."
"Our land is devoured by two evils," said Jacques Tarde. "The _routier_and Jew, and I do not know which is worst! We shake ourselves, and kickout, and for a moment are free, and then they settle on us again. Thecarrion crow and the worm--and so we die."
"Ah, Monsoo Tarde!" answered Levi. "Why do you speak like this? Youwished to build you a grand house and paint it and carve and gild--andfor that must have moneys. Did I come and force you to borrow of me mypoor pennies? Did you not come and beg me to furnish what you needed? Idid not say to you, 'Your old house is not worthy of a Tarde. It is meanand not half fine enough for a fine man like you!' It was your own prideand vanity sent you to me. And now, if I could find the moneys would notthis young gentleman bless me, and the seven families I might be thesaving of, call down the benediction of the skies on me and mine? Herehas he come all the way from Ste. Soure to seek me, and he is in despairbecause I am so poor."
"You poor! Levi! you thief!"
"I am poor. I lay by grain on grain; and such as you scatter anddestroy. Why should I spend my painfully gathered pennies to save someof your villains, young Sir? What if there was a riot in Sarlat as therewas fifteen years ago--and the mob fell on the Jews? How was it then?Did you not fire our houses, and throw our children into the flames, andrun your pikes into the hearts of our mothers and wives? You think wecare for you after that! Let your own Christian thieves hamstring theirown brothers. Why do you come to poor Levi to help you--to Levi who ishelpless among you, and is only suffered to live because he is necessaryto you? You cannot do without him, as now--now, amidst the violences ofLe Gros Guill
em!"
"And you will not help me," said Jean, despairingly. He had no thoughtfor the wrongs endured by the Jews, no thought for what made them anecessity, no thought of the incongruity that while the Church denouncedusury, the usurers were only able to carry on their trade by the Popeand the prelates extending their protection to them--for a considerationin hard cash, paid annually.
Again Jean's eyes met those of Noemi; he was pale, his brow clouded, hislips trembled, as though about to address some words to her.
"What would you say?" she asked. "Speak out. I am not afraid to hear.Levi has been making my father responsible for his bloodsucking."
"I would," said Jean sullenly, "I would to Heaven you could come with meand see the work wrought at Ste. Soure; and if after that you were ableto laugh and lightly talk of your father as a great man and one to beproud of because he is in every mouth--then, God help you!"
"I will come!" answered the girl impulsively. "When? At once?"
Jean looked at her incredulously.
"Aye!" said she. "Jacques Tarde has nothing to engage him now that hehas shaken off the horse-leech. He will ride with me, and we will takeanother, though I reckon my presence would suffice as a protection. Nonewill lay hands on the daughter of Le Gros Guillem." She reared her headin pride.
"Be not so sure of that," said Jean. "At Ste. Soure they would tear youto pieces if they knew who you were."
"And you--would look on and let it be?"
"No; on my lands, whilst under my protection, you are safe."
"Under your protection!" jeered the girl! "Bah! If I stood among athousand, and shouted, 'Ware! Le Gros Guillem is on you!' they would flyon all sides as minnows when I throw a stone into the water." Shealtered her tone and said: "There, I go to do good. I will see my fatherif he is at his church, and I will whisper good thoughts unto him, andget him to reduce the ransom. Now, will you take me with you?"
"You will trust yourself with me?"
"Jacques Tarde shall come also. Let anyone dare to touch Noemi! I willcome. When shall we start?"
"At once," answered Jean.
"So be it; at once."