Quentin Durward Part 53

"Well, cousin," answered the Duke, "I do believe thou hadst a lesson to keep faith another time.--And now for once, without finesse and doubling, will you make good your promise, and go with me to punish this murdering La Marck and the Liegeois?"

"I will march against them," said Louis, "with the Ban and Arriere Ban of France [the military force called out by the sovereign in early feudal times, together with their va.s.sals, equipment, and three months'

provision], and the Oriflamme displayed."

"Nay, nay," said the Duke, "that is more than is needful, or may be advisable. The presence of your Scottish Guard, and two hundred choice lances, will serve to show that you are a free agent. A large army might--"

"Make me so in effect, you would say, my fair cousin?" said the King.

"Well, you shall dictate the number of my attendants."

"And to put this fair cause of mischief out of the way, you will agree to the Countess Isabelle of Croye's wedding with the Duke of Orleans?"

"Fair cousin," said the King, "you drive my courtesy to extremity. The Duke is the betrothed bridegroom of my daughter Joan. Be generous--yield up this matter, and let us speak rather of the towns on the Somme."

"My council will talk to your Majesty of these," said Charles, "I myself have less at heart the acquisition of territory than the redress of injuries. You have tampered with my va.s.sals, and your royal pleasure must needs dispose of the hand of a ward of Burgundy. Your Majesty must bestow it within the pale of your own royal family, since you have meddled with it--otherwise our conference breaks off."

"Were I to say I did this willingly," said the King, "no one would believe me, therefore do you, my fair cousin, judge of the extent of my wish to oblige you, when I say most reluctantly, that the parties consenting, and a dispensation from the Pope being obtained, my own objections shall be no bar to this match which you purpose."

"All besides can be easily settled by our ministers," said the Duke, "and we are once more cousins and friends."

"May Heaven be praised!" said Louis, "who, holding in his hand the hearts of princes, doth mercifully incline them to peace and clemency, and prevent the effusion of human blood.

"Oliver," he added apart to that favourite, who ever waited around him like the familiar beside a sorcerer, "hark thee--tell Tristan to be speedy in dealing with yonder runagate Bohemian."

CHAPTER x.x.xIV: THE EXECUTION

I'll take thee to the good green wood, And make thine own hand choose the tree.

OLD BALLAD

"Now G.o.d be praised, that gave us the power of laughing, and making others laugh, and shame to the dull cur who scorns the office of a jester! Here is a joke, and that none of the brightest (though it might pa.s.s, since it has amused two Princes), which hath gone farther than a thousand reasons of state to prevent a war between France and Burgundy."

Such was the inference of Le Glorieux, when, in consequence of the reconciliation of which we gave the particulars in the last chapter, the Burgundian guards were withdrawn from the Castle of Peronne, the abode of the King removed from the ominous Tower of Count Herbert, and, to the great joy both of French and Burgundians, an outward show at least of confidence and friendship seemed so established between Duke Charles and his liege lord. Yet still the latter, though treated with ceremonial observance, was sufficiently aware that he continued to be the object of suspicion, though he prudently affected to overlook it, and appeared to consider himself as entirely at his ease.

Meanwhile, as frequently happens in such cases, whilst the princ.i.p.al parties concerned had so far made up their differences, one of the subaltern agents concerned in their intrigues was bitterly experiencing the truth of the political maxim that if the great have frequent need of base tools, they make amends to society by abandoning them to their fate, so soon as they find them no longer useful.

Thus was Hayraddin Maugrabin, who, surrendered by the Duke's officers to the King's Provost Marshal, was by him placed in the hands of his two trusty aides de camp, Trois Esch.e.l.les and Pet.i.t Andre, to be dispatched without loss of time. One on either side of him, and followed by a few guards and a mult.i.tude of rabble--this playing the Allegro, that the Penseroso, [the mirthful and the serious. Cf. Milton's poems by these names.]--he was marched off (to use a modern comparison, like Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy) to the neighbouring forest; where, to save all farther trouble and ceremonial of a gibbet, and so forth, the disposers of his fate proposed to knit him up to the first sufficient tree.

They were not long in finding an oak, as Pet.i.t Andre facetiously expressed it, fit to bear such an acorn; and placing the wretched criminal on a bank, under a sufficient guard, they began their extemporaneous preparations for the final catastrophe. At that moment, Hayraddin, gazing on the crowd, encountered the eyes of Quentin Durward, who, thinking he recognized the countenance of his faithless guide in that of the detected impostor, had followed with the crowd to witness the execution, and a.s.sure himself of the ident.i.ty.

When the executioners informed him that all was ready, Hayraddin, with much calmness, asked a single boon at their hands.

"Anything, my son, consistent with our office," said Trois Esch.e.l.les.

"That is," said Hayraddin, "anything but my life."

"Even so," said Trois Esch.e.l.les, "and something more, for you seem resolved to do credit to our mystery, and die like a man, without making wry mouths--why, though our orders are to be prompt, I care not if I indulge you ten minutes longer."

"You are even too generous," said Hayraddin.

"Truly we may be blamed for it," said Pet.i.t Andre, "but what of that?--I could consent almost to give my life for such a jerry come tumble, such a smart, tight, firm lad, who proposes to come from aloft with a grace, as an honest fellow should."

"So that if you want a confessor--" said Trois Esch.e.l.les.

"Or a lire of wine--" said his facetious companion.

"Or a psalm--" said Tragedy.

"Or a song--" said Comedy.

"Neither, my good, kind, and most expeditious friends," said the Bohemian. "I only pray to speak a few minutes with yonder Archer of the Scottish Guard."

The executioners hesitated a moment; but Trois Esch.e.l.les, recollecting that Quentin Durward was believed, from various circ.u.mstances, to stand high in the favour of their master, King Louis, they resolved to permit the interview.

When Quentin, at their summons, approached the condemned criminal, he could not but be shocked at his appearance, however justly his doom might have been deserved. The remnants of his heraldic finery, rent to tatters by the fangs of the dogs, and the clutches of the bipeds who had rescued him from their fury to lead him to the gallows, gave him at once a ludicrous and a wretched appearance. His face was discoloured with paint and with some remnants of a fict.i.tious beard, a.s.sumed for the purpose of disguise, and there was the paleness of death upon his cheek and upon his lip; yet, strong in pa.s.sive courage, like most of his tribe, his eye, while it glistened and wandered, as well as the contorted smile of his mouth, seemed to bid defiance to the death he was about to die.

Quentin was struck, partly with horror, partly with compa.s.sion, as he approached the miserable man; and these feelings probably betrayed themselves in his manner, for Pet.i.t Andre called out, "Trip it more smartly, jolly Archer.--This gentleman's leisure cannot wait for you, if you walk as if the pebbles were eggs, and you afraid of breaking them."

"I must speak with him in privacy," said the criminal, despair seeming to croak in his accent as he uttered the words.

"That may hardly consist with our office, my merry Leap the ladder,"

said Pet.i.t Andre, "we know you for a slippery eel of old."

"I am tied with your horse girths, hand and foot," said the criminal.

"You may keep guard around me, though out of earshot--the Archer is your own King's servant. And if I give you ten guilders--"

"Laid out in ma.s.ses, the sum may profit his poor soul," said Trois Esch.e.l.les.

"Laid out in wine or brantwein, it will comfort my poor body," responded Pet.i.t Andre. "So let them be forthcoming, my little crack rope."

"Pay the bloodhounds their fee," said Hayraddin to Durward, "I was plundered of every stiver when they took me--it shall avail thee much."

Quentin paid the executioners their guerdon, and, like men of promise, they retreated out of hearing--keeping, however, a careful eye on the criminal's motions. After waiting an instant till the unhappy man should speak, as he still remained silent, Quentin at length addressed him, "And to this conclusion thou hast at length arrived?"

"Ay," answered Hayraddin, "it required neither astrologer, or physiognomist, nor chiromantist to foretell that I should follow the destiny of my family."

"Brought to this early end by thy long course of crime and treachery?"

said the Scot.

"No, by the bright Aldebaran and all his brother twinklers!" answered the Bohemian. "I am brought hither by my folly in believing that the bloodthirsty cruelty of a Frank could be restrained even by what they themselves profess to hold most sacred. A priest's vestment would have been no safer garb for me than a herald's tabard, however sanctimonious are your professions of devotion and chivalry."

"A detected impostor has no right to claim the immunities of the disguise he had usurped," said Durward.

"Detected!" said the Bohemian. "My jargon was as good as yonder old fool of a herald's, but let it pa.s.s. As well now as hereafter."