CHAPTER IV.
QUEEN AND MAYOR OF THE PALACE.
Chrotechilde was not mistaken. The mayor of the palace of Burgundy hadarrived, and now stepped, accompanied by Sigebert, into the chamberwhere Brunhild and her confidante were conversing with the kinglets, andanticipating the future with diabolical foresight.
Sigebert, a boy of barely eleven, was like his brothers, frail, sicklyand pale. Nevertheless, what with the excitement of the journey and thejoy at seeing his brothers, a slight flush suffused his sweet, wan face,which not all the execrable precepts of his grandmother had succeeded indepriving of its angelic appearance. He ran to embrace the aged Queenand then joyfully reciprocated the caresses and answered the volley ofquestions of his little brothers, who crowded around him. To each hehanded some slight presents, which he brought from his journey and werelocked in a small coffer that he took from the hands of one of hissuite, and impulsively opened in order to give his brothers a token ofremembrance. Chrotechilde availed herself of a favorable moment, andapproaching the Queen said in a low voice:
"Madam, if you will take my advice, keep the two slaves untilevening--between now and then we shall have time to make up our minds."
"Yes, that will be the best thing to do," answered Brunhild; andaddressing the child: "You should now retire for rest, and you can talkwith your brothers about your journey. I have matters of importance toconsider with Duke Warnachaire."
Chrotechilde led away the children, and the Queen remained alone withthe mayor of the palace of Burgundy, a man of tall stature, and facecold, impenetrable, resolute. He wore a rich steel armor trimmed withgold after the Roman fashion. His long sword hung from his side, hislong dagger was in his belt. After attaching a long and scrutinizinglook upon Warnachaire who, however, remained impassible, Brunhildmotioned him to a seat near the table, and let herself down into oneopposite, saying:
"What tidings do you bring?"
"Good--and bad, madam--"
"First the bad."
"The treason of Dukes Arnolfe and Pepin, as well as the defection ofseveral great seigneurs of Austrasia, is no longer a matter of doubt.They have deserted our colors and passed over to the camp of Clotaire IIwith all their men; they are now preparing to march against your army."
"I have long expected their treason. Oh, seigneurs, enriched and madepowerful by the bounty of the Kings, you are yet able to carryingratitude to such lengths! Very well! I prefer open war tosubterraneous manoeuvres. The domains, Salic lands and benefices of thetraitors will all return to my fisc. Proceed."
"Clotaire II raised his camp at Andernach, and has penetrated to theheart of Austrasia. Being summoned to respect the kingdoms of hisnephews, whose guardian you are, he answered that he would submit onlyto the judgment of the grandees of Austrasia and of Burgundythemselves."
"Fredegonde's son expects to raise the people and seigneurs of mykingdoms in rebellion against me. He deceives himself. Prompt andterrible examples will terrify all would-be traitors."
"Well said, madam!"
"All the traitors--whatever their rank may be, whatever their power,whatever the mask that they assume! Do you hear, Warnachaire, mayor ofthe palace of Burgundy?"
"I hear even what you do not say to me--but I bow before my Queen."
"Do you read my thoughts?"
"You take me for a traitor. You consider me your enemy, especially sinceyour recent return from Worms."
"I am on my guard against everybody."
"Your suspicions, madam, have become certitude. You told Aimoin, one ofour men, to stab me to death."
"I order only my enemies to be despatched."
"Accordingly, I am an enemy to you, madam, at least you look upon me assuch. Here are the fragments of the letter, written in your own hand,and ordering Aimoin to kill me."
And the duke deposited several fragments of parchment upon the table;the Queen looked defiantly at the mayor of the palace.
"Did Aimoin give you that letter?"
"No, madam; accident placed these fragments into my hands."
"And yet you return to the palace?"
"In order to prove to you the injustice of your suspicions; that is thereason I have returned to the place where you are sovereign."
"Or perhaps you come to betray me."
"Madam, if I had wished to betray you, I would have repaired, as so manyother seigneurs of Burgundy have done, not hither, but to the camp ofClotaire II. I would have placed your grandson as a hostage in hishands, and I would have remained in your enemy's camp, together with thetribes that I brought with me from Germany."
"Those tribes are devoted to my interests; they would have refused tofollow you; they have come for the purpose of reinforcing my army."
"Those tribes, madam, have come for the purpose of pillage, and littledo they care whether they be indulged as auxiliaries of Brunhild or ofClotaire II, whether it be against the country of Soissons, of Burgundyor of Austrasia. These Franks have no predilections, provided only that,after they shall have fought bravely and helped in winning the victory,they will be free to ravage the vanquished country, gather a largebooty, and lead numerous slaves back with them to the other side of theRhine--such are the Franks whom I have brought."
"And I tell you that the sight of my grandson, the infant King, askingthrough your mouth the assistance of the Germans, interested thebarbarians in his cause, and secured the success of your mission."
"Had you not expressly promised the Franks the pillage of the vanquishedterritories, they would have remained unaffected by the youth ofSigebert; they are as savage as were our fathers, the first companionsof Clovis. It was with no little trouble that I succeeded in preventingthem from ravaging all the districts that we traversed on our route; intheir impatience of savages they imagined themselves already invanquished territory. Every day their chiefs called upon me at the topof their voices to deliver battle, in order that they might begin theplundering and return laden with booty to Germany, before the winterseason sets in."
"Where are the Franks now?"
"I left them near Montsarran."
"Why so far from Chalon?"
"Despite all I could do to prevent it, those savages killed and stole ontheir passage. To bring them here to the center of Burgundy, and thensend them out again in some other direction, according as therequirements of the war may demand or the facilities for provisioningmay require, would be to expose the territories that may have to betraversed to untold and unnecessary disasters. Such afflictions may fanthe spark of rebellion among our people--because, as you know, madam,the people are growing restive even on this side of the frontier ofBurgundy."
"Yes--at the instigation of the traitors who have gone over toFredegonde's son, there are some seigneurs who are seeking to raise thepeople in rebellion against me--against the 'Romish Woman,' as they callme. Oh, seigneurs and people will feel the weight of Brunhild's arm!"
"The enemies of Brunhild will always tremble before her; nevertheless, Ifear to increase their number by exposing our people to be victimized bythe barbarism of our new allies. I doubt not that the territory where Ihave had those troops encamp will be laid waste, but the evil effect oftheir conduct will be at least limited to the spot. Moreover, thelocation is central enough to enable us to expedite these auxiliaries inwhatever direction the movements of Clotaire II may render necessary. Asyou see, I have acted with foresight."
"What is the temper of the army?"
"It is full of ardor; it only asks to be led to battle. The remembranceof the last two victories of Toul and Tolbiac, above all, of the immensebooty, the large number of slaves that the troops carried away--all thatfires them with the desire to fight the son of Fredegonde. These, madam,are the good tidings that counterbalance the evil ones. Is Brunhildstill of the opinion that Warnachaire has conducted himself like atraitor, and does she still entertain the idea of having him stabbed todeath?"
"A man whom one has sought to do away with, who learns the fact, and whostill comes back--Oh, Warnac
haire, that needs careful attention!"
"Brunhild is quick to suspect and to punish, but she is magnificenttowards those who serve her faithfully."
"You have, then, a favor to ask of me?"
"Yes, madam; but only after the war is ended, or, rather, I expect itafter the victory that I shall win over Clotaire II, when I deliver himto you tied hands and feet."
"Warnachaire!" cried the Queen thrilling with wild delight at thethought of having Fredegonde's son in her power; "if you deliverClotaire a prisoner in my hands, I shall challenge you to express a wishthat Brunhild will not gratify, and--" but recollecting herself, shesuddenly stopped short, cast a somber, scrutinizing glance at the mayorof the palace and proceeded: "Can it be your purpose to spread a snarefor me and lull my suspicions? Warnachaire, if your purpose is to betrayme--"
"Madam, you look upon me as a traitor. If you but ring that bell,instantly your chamberlains and equerries will rush in and kill mebefore your very eyes. So that you may consider me dead. But who is theman whom you do not suspect? Whom will you take for your general? DukeAlethee, perchance, or Duke Roccon?"
"No! Neither the one nor the other!"
"Sigowald, perhaps?"
"You are mocking! He is my personal enemy."
"Perhaps Eubelan?"
"I have not yet forgotten his criminal relations with Arnolfe andPepin--the two traitors! He no doubt is considering how to follow theirexample, and to go over to the enemy. No; I will not trust Eubelan! Healso is an enemy."
"Yet, madam, they are all capable of captaining the army; they are allexperienced and brave chiefs."
"Yes, but I have not proposed to kill them--at least they do not knowthat I had any such intention--while, as to you, I have ordered yourdeath, and what is more to the purpose, you are aware of it."
"You think me animated with a sentiment of revenge towards you because Iknow that you meant to have me stabbed to death. If it is the hope ofvengeance that has brought me back to you, what is there to prevent mefrom laying my hand upon this bell, and depriving you of the means togive the alarm?"
And the duke did what he said.
"What prevents me from drawing this dagger?"
And the duke held the glistening weapon before the eyes of Brunhild,whose first impulse was to throw herself back and her arms forward.
"What, in short, prevents me from killing you with one blow of thisdagger, which is poisoned as were the daggers of Fredegonde's pages?"
And as he uttered these words, Warnachaire drew so close to Brunhildthat he could strike her before she was able to utter a single cry.Excepting a first movement of surprise, the Queen did not even wink hereyes; her indomitable orbs remained resolutely fixed upon those of themayor of the palace. With a look of disdain she pushed aside thedagger's blade, remained pensive for an instant, and then observedregretfully:
"One is bound to put faith in something. You could have killed me--thatis true; you have not done so--I can not deny the fact. Your purpose isnot to take revenge upon me--unless you mean to reserve me for a fatemore terrible than death. But that is not likely. The man who hates doesnot resort to such hazardous and refined schemes. The future belongs tonone. If the opportunity offers to strike an enemy, the blow is dealthard and firmly. I therefore conclude that you are not animated bysecret hatred toward me. You shall keep the command of the army. Listen,Warnachaire, Brunhild is implacable in her suspicions and her hatred,but she is magnificent towards those who serve her faithfully. LetFredegonde's son fall into my hands, and my favor will transcend yourexpectations. Let us forget the past, let us be friends."
"The past is forgotten, madam, as far as I am concerned."
"Now let us argue calmly, Warnachaire. Let us sift things to the bottom.I did mean to have you killed--that is true! I have had so many otherskilled! But it never was out of taste for blood. My sister Galeswinthewas killed, my husband was killed, my son was killed, my most faithfulservants were killed. Single-handed have I been compelled to defend thekingdom of my son and grandsons against the kings who are bent upon mydestruction. Whatever weapon was available was good to me; and afterall, I have won brilliant victories, I have accomplished great things.All this notwithstanding I am hated; the Frankish seigneurs envy me; thevile Gallic plebs, whether slave or free, is silently resentful towardsme, and would rebel if it were not curbed by the terror I inspire itwith. But look! Look at that man! Who is he?" cried Brunhild breakingoff her sentence in the middle, and, precipitately rising, she pointedat Loysik, who stood at the door connecting with the secret spiralstaircase, and who was pushing aside with one arm the leather curtainthat had until then hid him from the eyes of the Queen and the mayor ofthe palace of Burgundy. Warnachaire took a few steps towards the agedhermit laborer, who advanced slowly into the chamber, and said to him:
"Monk, how come you here? Great is your audacity to dare to introduceyourself into the Queen's apartment--who are you?"
"I am the superior of the monastery of the Valley of Charolles."
"You lie!" broke in Brunhild. "One of my chamberlains is at the abbey atthis hour to seize the superior, and bring him to me in irons."
"Your chamberlain," replied the monk, "your chamberlain, together withthe archdeacon and all their armed men, is at this hour a prisoner inthe monastery."
To announce such news, no less improbable than offensive to the pride ofBrunhild; to announce it to that implacable woman, and thus to exposehimself to certain death--the action seemed so exorbitant that the Queendid not believe the monk's words; she shrugged her shoulders with alook of disdainful pity, and said to the major of the palace:
"Duke, that old man is out of his senses. But how did he contrive toenter the palace?"
Other circumstances soon combined to confirm Brunhild's belief in themonk's insanity. Loysik had continued to advance slowly towards theQueen, but despite his spirit's firmness, of which he had given so manya proof during his long life, in the measure that he drew nearer to thehorror-inspiring woman, his self-possession gradually forsook him, hismind became troubled, he felt his knees trembling under him, and he wasconstrained to lean against an ivory stand that was within his reach.The profound, unconquerable emotion was caused by the horror that theQueen inspired in the venerable monk, together with the consciousness ofthe terrible position in which he found himself.
With his head drooping upon his chest, he sought to collect himself andto gather his thoughts. His eyes wandered over the medal-case that layupon the ivory stand against which he leaned. The large bronze medalthat lay among the others drew to itself the monk's attention all themore readily, seeing that it was the only one of a vulgar metal, all theothers being of either gold or silver. At first Loysik contemplated itmechanically, but being presently attracted towards it by an undefinableinterest, he stooped over, looked at it more closely, approached hishead nearer in order better to see the imprint, and deciphered theinscription that was under the august profile, that seemed to stand outlustrous from the bronze. A thrill ran over the frame of the aged man; asudden, an extraordinary feeling seized him, a feeling in whichenthusiasm, stupor and hope were mingled into one. The confusion intowhich his mind was thrown an instant before ceased; he felt reassuredand strengthened as if he had encountered a support as unexpected as itwas powerful; in short, it seemed to him a providential circumstance toencounter--_the image of Victoria in the palace of Brunhild_.
Loysik had bent down in order to contemplate more closely the featuresof the Gallic heroine; as he recognized them, he bowed a knee andstretching his arms towards the august effigy, he murmured:
"O, Victoria--holy woman-warrior in behalf of Gaul! Your presence inthis horrid place fortifies my soul; it seems to impart to me thenecessary strength to save the descendants of Schanvoch, of the faithfulsoldier whom you called your brother, and who was one of my ancestors!"