Earl Hubert's Daughter Part 30

"It is better," said Belasez softly.

"Father, my Christianity is Christ. I concern not myself with other men, except to save them, so far as it pleases G.o.d to work by me."

"Well, well! May Adonai forgive us all!--My son, what dost thou mean to do with the child? It is for thee to decide now."

"My father, I shall endeavour to obtain absolution from my vows, and to become once more a parish priest, so that my Beatrice may dwell with me.

Until then, choose thou whether she shall remain with thee, or go back to Bury Castle. I am sure the Lady would gladly receive her."

"Nay, Bruno, do not ask me to choose! If the child be here when Licorice returns, she will never dwell with thee. I believe she would well-nigh stab us both to the heart sooner than permit it. And I fear she may come any day."

"Then she had better come with me to Bury."

"'It is Adonai!' So be it."

"But I shall see thee, my father?" asked Belasez, addressing Abraham.

"Trust me for that, my Belasez! I can come to thee on my trade journeys, so long as it pleases the Holy One that I have strength to take them. And after that--He will provide. My son, wilt thou come for the child to-morrow? I will let thee out at the postern door; for thou hadst better not meet Delecresse."

And Abraham drew back the bolt, and opened the baize door.

"Father Jacob!" they heard him instantly e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e, in a very different tone from that of his last words.

"What hast thou been about now?" demanded the shrill voice of Licorice in the pa.s.sage outside. "When folks are frightened at the sight of their lawful wives, it is a sure sign they have been after some mischief. Is there any one in yon chamber except thyself?--Ah, Belasez, I am glad to see thee; 'tis more than I expected. But, child, thou shouldst have set the porridge on half an hour ago; go down and look to it.--Any body else? Come, I had best see for myself."

And Licorice pushed past her husband, and walked into the room where Bruno was standing. He came forward to meet her, with far more apparent calmness than Abraham seemed to feel.

"Good even, my mother," he said courteously.

"If I were thy mother, I would hang myself from the first gable," hissed Licorice between her closed teeth. "I know thee, Bruno de Malpas, thou vile grandson of a locust! Nay, locust is too good for thee: they are clean beasts, and thou art an unclean. Thou hare, camel, coney, night-hawk, raven, lobster, earwig, hog! I spit on thee seven times,"-- and she did it--"I deliver thee over to Satan thy master--"

"That thou canst not," quietly said Bruno.

"I sweep thee out of my house!" And suiting the action to the word, Licorice caught up a broom which stood in the corner, and proceeded to apply it with good will. Bruno retreated, as was but natural he should.

"Licorice, my dear wife!"

"I'll sweep _thee_ out next!" cried Licorice, brandishing her broom in the very face of her lord and master. "I'll have no Christians, nor Christian blood, nor Christian faith, in my house, as I am a living daughter of Abraham! Get you all out hence, ye loathsome creeping things, which whosoever toucheth shall be unclean! Get ye out, I say!-- Belasez, bring me soap and water. I'll not sleep till I've washed the floor. I'd wash the air if I could."

"Your pardon, Mother, but if you will have no Christian blood in your house, you must sweep me out," answered Belasez, with a mixture of dignity and irrepressible amus.e.m.e.nt.

Licorice turned round to Abraham.

"Thou hast told her?"

"It was better she should know, wife."

"I'll chop thy head off, if I hear thee say that again!--And dost thou mean to be a Christian, thou wicked girl?"

"I do, Mother. And I mean to go with my father."

"Go, then--like to like!--and all the angels of Satan go with thee!"

And the broom came flying after Belasez.

"Nay, wife, give the child her raiment and jewels."

"I'll give her what belongs to her, and that's a hot iron, if she does not get out of that door this minute!"

"Wife!"

"I'll spoil her pretty face for her!" shrieked Licorice. "I never liked the vain chit overmuch, nor Anegay neither: but if she does not go, I'll give her something she won't forget in a hurry!"

"Come, my Beatrice,--quick!" said Bruno.

"Go, go, my Belasez, and G.o.d keep thee!" sobbed Abraham.

And so Belasez was driven away from her old home. She had hardly expected it. It had always been a trouble to her, and a cause of self-reproach, that she and Licorice did not love each other better: and she was not able to repress a sensation of satisfaction in making the discovery that Licorice was not her mother. Yet Belasez had not looked for this.

"What are we to do, Father?" she asked rather blankly.

"I must lodge thee with the Sisters of Saint Clare, my child; there is nothing else to be done. I will come and fetch thee away so soon as my arrangements can be made."

Beatrice,--as we must henceforth call her,--did not fancy this arrangement at all. Bruno detected as much in her face.

"Thou dost not like it, my dove?"

"I do not like being with strangers," she said frankly. "And I am afraid the nuns will think me a variety of heathen, for I cannot do all they will want me."

"They will not, if I tell the Abbess that thou art a new convert," said Bruno. "They may very likely attempt to instruct thee."

"Father, why should there be any nuns?"

Beatrice did not know how she astonished Bruno. But he only smiled.

"Thine eyes are unaccustomed to the light," was all he answered.

"But, Father, among our people of old,--I mean," said Beatrice hesitatingly, "my mother's people--"

"Go on, my Beatrice. Let it be 'our people.' Speak as it is nature to thee to do."

"Thank you, my father. Among our people, there were no nuns. So far from it, that for a woman to remain unwed was considered a reproach."

"Why?--dost thou know?"

"I think, because every woman longed for the glory of being the mother of the Messiah."

"True. Therefore, Christ being come, that reproach is done away. Let each woman choose for herself. 'If a virgin marry, she hath not sinned.' Nevertheless, 'she that is unmarried thinks of the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, body and soul.'"