TRAPPINGS OF THE HORSE--MIDNIGHT ARRIVAL--CHARACTER OF THE WOUNDED MAN
DISCOVERED--HIS NARRATIVE--FAMILY WORSHIP.
The dear and sensible Erard was delighted. He laughed, he wept, he
looked at the chevalier, whose cheeks had recovered some color, and
asked him, softly, whether he lived, and whether he heard and saw them.
"Where am I?" asked the chevalier, faintly, turning his eyes towards one
of the torches.
"With God and with your brethren!" replied Gottfried, taking one of his
hands. "But say no more now, and may God aid us!"
It was necessary to transport the warrior to the dwelling of Gottfried,
and the passage was long and difficult.
Gottfried first spread upon the litter some light pine-branches, over
which he placed the housing of the horse and his own outer garments,
those of his servants, and even that of Erard, who begged him to take
this also; then, after the old man had bound up the bruised limb between
strong splinters of pine, which he had cut with the blade of the
chevalier's sword, and which he tied with his scarf, he laid the warrior
on the branches, while two robust servants carefully raised and bore the
litter towards the summit of the hill.
"And the poor horse!" said Erard, at the moment when his grandpapa, who
bore the flambeaux and the sword of the Chevalier, began his march.
"You will return to-morrow morning," said Gottfried to his servants,
"and take off the trappings. As to the body, the eagles and the crows
must devour it. Come, and may God guard and strengthen us!"
The chevalier had recovered his senses. He saw himself in the hands of
friends, and doubted not that the old man was a supporter of the cause
he had himself defended.
It was not until midnight that the convoy reached the house of
Gottfried. The journey was made slowly, and more than once the master
had desired his servants to rest.
The bed of the old man himself received the wounded knight, on whom
Gottfried, who was no stranger to the art of healing wounds and
fractures, bestowed the most judicious cares, and beside whom this
devoted Christian passed the remainder of the night.
"Go and take some rest," said he to Erard and the domestics, "and may
our God and Saviour keep your souls while his goodness gives you sleep!"
Erard embraced his grandfather, Ethbert and Matthew bent before him
respectfully, and Gottfried remained alone, in silence, near the bed,
which was lighted by a little lamp, through a curtain which concealed
it.
"You have saved me!" said the chevalier to the old man, when all was
quiet in the house. "May the Holy Virgin recompense you."
"It is then one of our enemies!" said Gottfried to himself, as he heard
this prayer. "O God!" said he in his heart, "make thy charity to abound
in me!"
"I am your friend," replied the old man, affectionately, "and God
himself has granted me the blessing of being useful to you. But, I pray
you, remain silent, and, if possible, sleep a few moments."
Gottfried needed to collect his thoughts, and to ask God for his Spirit
of peace and love. He had already supposed, at sight of the chevalier's
shield, that he belonged to the army of the enemy; but he had just
received the certainty of it, and "perhaps, perhaps," said he to
himself, "I have before me one who may have killed my son!"
The old man therefore spent the moments not employed beside the
chevalier in praying to God and in reading his gospel of grace.
The knight slept peacefully towards morning, and on awaking showed that
he was refreshed. "If it were not," said he, "for my bruised limb, I
would ask for my arms. O, why am I not at the head of my men?"
Gottfried sighed, and as he gave the warrior some drink, said, in a low
voice, "Why do men hate and kill each other, invoking the name of Him
who died to save them?"
"But," exclaimed the warrior, in a deep voice, "are those who despise
and fight against the holy Church Christians?"
At this moment Erard half opened the door, and showed his pretty curly
head, saying, "Grandpapa, has the wounded man been able to sleep? I have
prayed God for him."
"Much obliged, my child," said the chevalier, extending his hand to him.
"Come! do not fear; approach. O, how you resemble my second son! What is
your age and name?"
"I am called Erard," replied the child, giving his hand to the
chevalier, "and I shall soon be nine years old."
"That is also the age of my Rodolph," pursued the chevalier. "Alas!
they will think me dead! Those villains! those cowards! Did they not see
that I had no lance, and that my sword was broken?"
"Go, my child," said Gottfried. "Let the table and the books be
prepared, I will soon come and pray to God with you. Call all the
servants."
"Will you also pray for me?" asked the chevalier, "If you will, pray
also for my dear Hildegarde and our five children. O, when shall my eyes
see them again?"
"Is it long since you left them?" asked Gottfried.
"It is a week," replied the chevalier, with firmness. "I learned that
the intrepid Arnold----"
"What Arnold?" asked Gottfried, with anxiety.
"Arnold the Lion, as he is called," said the warrior, "and one of the
chiefs of these rebels." (_Gottfried turned pale and raised his eyes to
heaven_.) "I learned that this audacious Arnold had joined his camp, and
I felt that my duty called me immediately to the field. I therefore left
my family and my house, and have shown the rebels that my arm and my
heart are as strong as ever,"
"Have you encountered this Arnold?" asked Gottfried, hardly daring to
ask this question.
"Have I encountered him!" cried the chevalier. "And who but myself could
have----?"
"They are waiting for prayers," said Erard, opening the door. "Dear
grandpapa, will you come?"
The old man followed the child, and his tearful eyes soon rested on the
Book of God.
"Grandpapa, you are weeping!" said Erard, approaching the old man. "What
is the matter? Are you suffering?"
"Listen to the word of consolation," said Gottfried, making the child
sit down; "and may the Spirit of Jesus himself address it to our
hearts."
He read then from the book of Psalms, and said a few words on
resignation to the will of God, and in his humble prayer supplicated God
to remember the chevalier and his family, and to bless him in the house
whither he had been brought in his mercy. "Amen! Amen!" repeated all the
servants.