CHAPTER V.
ASYLUM.
Berthoald was received by the intendant, whom, controlling his ownanger, he followed to a near spot where two horses stood saddled.Ricarik left about a dozen slaves and colonists behind to watch thetrench under the starry sky, and motioning Berthoald to one of thehorses, leaped upon the other and galloped ahead. The young chief rodein the wake of his guide, rage alternating in his breast with curiosityconcerning the fighting abbess who gave such unsatisfactory tokens ofresignation to the decree that dispossessed her of her benefice. In thecourse of the ride towards the abbey, Berthoald encountered two otherprotected ditches, like the first, but crossable by means of drawbridgesthat were let down to allow him and his guide to pass. A short whileafter crossing the second of these two ditches, Berthoald stood near theouter enclosure of the abbey. The enclosure consisted of thick joistswell fastened together and planted from bank to bank of the two pondsthat lay on both sides. The buildings of the abbey rose upon a vastpeninsular field, accessible only from the side of the causeway that hadjust been put in a state of defence. Behind the monastery, a tongue ofland connected with the forest, whose crest bordered the horizon, thusoffering another passage. Berthoald noticed many lights inside of theenclosure, projected, no doubt, by torches. The intendant took a copperhorn that hung from the pommel of his saddle and blew a call. Aniron-barbed door facing the jetty opened slowly. Preceded by his guide,Berthoald entered the first courtyard of the abbey, and found himselfface to face with the abbess on horseback, surrounded by severaltorch-bearing slaves. Meroflede had lowered the cape of her scarletcloak half over her forehead. At her side hung a gold-handled huntingknife in a steel sheath. Berthoald was seized with astonishment at thesight of the woman as she sat in the light of the torches. Her costume,at once monastic and martial, set off the supple and easy frame of theabbess. The young chief found her handsome as far as he could judgeacross the shadow projected upon her face by her half-drawn cowl.
"I know that you are Berthoald," said Meroflede in a vibrating andsonorous voice; "and so you have come to take possession of my abbey?"
"This abbey has been given me and my companions of war by Charles, thechief of the Franks. Yes, I have come to take possession."
Meroflede indulged in a laugh of disdain, and despite the shadow thatveiled her face, her laughter exposed to the eyes of Berthoald two rowsof pearly white teeth. The abbess gave her horse a slight touch of herheel and bade the young man follow.
At the moment when Meroflede's horse was put on the march,Broute-Saule--now healed of the peckings of the sparrow-hawk, and nolonger clad in rags, but wearing on the contrary an elegant greenjacket, buck-skin hose, neat leather shoes and a rich fur cap--placedhimself at the horse's head with his hands on the reins. Thus walkingbetween the abbess and Berthoald, the young hawk thief watchedattentively the slightest motion of Meroflede and covered her withardent and jealous eyes. From time to time he cast an uneasy glance atthe young chief. The torch-bearing slaves followed close behind theabbess and Berthoald to the inner courtyard. Meroflede entered withBerthoald and indicated to him fifty colonists in martial order andarmed with bows and slings.
"Do you think these premises are sufficiently protected, my valiantcaptain?" asked Meroflede.
"For me and my men, a slinger or an archer is no more dangerous than adog that barks at a distance. We let the arrows whiz, the stones fly andget within our sword's length. To-morrow at break of day you will knowwhat you have to expect, dame abbess ... should you insist upondefending the abbey."
Meroflede again laughed and said: "If you love a fight at close quartersyour taste will be suited to-morrow."
"Not to-morrow!" cried Broute-Saule, casting upon Berthoald a look ofconcentrated hatred and mistrust; "if you wish to fight, fight on thespot ... right here in this yard, by the light of the torches and underthe eyes of our holy abbess; although I have neither casque nor cuirass,I am your man!"
Meroflede playfully struck Broute-Saule's cap with her whip and saidsmiling: "Hold your tongue, slave!"
Berthoald made no answer to the challenge of the hot-headed lad, andsilently followed the abbess, who, riding out of this second yard, movedtowards a spacious building from which confused cries were heard toproceed. She leaned over her horse, and said a few words in the ear ofBroute-Saule. The latter seemed to hesitate before obeying. Seeing this,she added imperiously:
"Did you hear me?"
"Holy dame--"
"Will you obey!" cried Meroflede impetuously, striking Broute-Saule withher whip. "Do as you are told, slave!"
The face of Broute-Saule became livid and his furious eyes fell not uponMeroflede but upon Berthoald. But the lad made a violent effort tocontrol himself; he obeyed, and ran forward to execute his mistress'orders. Immediately after, about a hundred men of sinister anddetermined mien and dressed in rags came out of the building, drew upin line and brandished their lances, swords and axes, shouting: "Longlive our holy abbess, Meroflede!" Several women who were among the mencried no less noisily: "Long live our abbess! Long live our holy dame!"
"Do you, who have come to take possession of this monastery," saidMeroflede to the young chief with a caustic smile, "know what the rightof asylum imports?"
"A criminal who takes refuge in a church is protected from the justiceof men."
"You are a treasure of science, worthy of carrying the crosier and themitre! Well, these good folks that you see there are the flower of thebandits of this region; the least guilty of them has committed one ortwo murders. Apprised of your approach, I offered them to leave theasylum of the basilica of Nantes by night, and promised them asylum inthe chapel of the abbey, and the indulgence of the good old times. Ifthey leave this place the gibbet awaits them. That will give you an ideaof the fury with which they will defend the monastery against your men,who would not be Christian enough to extend to them a similarprotection. It is easy enough to accept the gift of an abbey, it is moredifficult to take possession of it. You now know what forces I have atmy command. Let us enter the monastery. After so long a journey, youmust feel tired. I extend hospitality to you. You shall sup with me....To-morrow, at daybreak, you shall rejoin your companions. You surely area prudent councilor. You will induce your band to look for some otherabbey, and you will lead them in the search."
"I see with pleasure, holy abbess, that solitude and the austerities ofthe cloister have not impaired the joviality of your temper."
"Ah! You think I am jovial?"
"You suggest with an amusing seriousness that I and my men who havebeen fighting the Arabs, Frisians and Saxons since the battle ofPoitiers, shall now turn tail to this handful of murderers and robbers,reinforced by poor colonists who have left the plow for the lance, andthe hoe for the sling!"
"You braggart!" cried Broute-Saule, who had returned to his place at thehead of Meroflede's horse. "Will you have us two take an axe? We shallstrip to the waist, and you will find out whether the men of this placeare cowards!"
"You look to me to be a brave lad," answered Berthoald smiling. "If youwould like to remain with us at the abbey, you will find a place in theranks of my companions."
"We must have a truce from now till to-morrow.... You are surely tired.You shall be taken to a bath. That will refresh you. After that we shallsup. I can not treat you to a feast such as St. Agnes and St. Radegondetreated their favorite poet, Bishop Fortunat, to at their abbey ofPoitiers, in short skirts. But you will not starve." Meroflede thenturned to Ricarik: "You have my orders, obey them!"
While speaking, Meroflede had drawn near the interior door of the abbey.With a light leap she alighted from her horse and disappeared within thecloister, after throwing the bridle to Broute-Saule. The lad followedthe fascinating woman with looks of despair, and he then slowly returnedto the stables, after shaking his fist at Berthoald. The latter, who wasmore and more struck by the oddities of the abbess, did not noticeBroute-Saule's threatening gesture but was steeped in thought whenRicarik recalled him to his surrounding
s, saying: "Alight; the slaveswill conduct you to the bath; they will help you take off your armor,and as your baggage is not here they will furnish you with propervestments--they are a new hose and coat that I never used. You may putthem on should you prefer them to your iron shell. I shall later comefor you to sup with our holy dame."