THE SHADOW OF WAR.
Aimery's plan is accepted, but its execution is immediately rendered
superfluous. Hurried steps are heard approaching the house. Florette
looks electrified, listens in the direction of the door and cries out:
"It is he! It is Mylio--I recognize his steps--I hear him!"
Almost immediately after Florette's announcement Mylio steps into the
chamber, followed by Goose-Skin. Florette, Karvel and Morise rush to
meet the trouvere. He responds to their embraces with inexpressible
bliss. Aimery, Aloys and his mother contemplate the scene with deep
emotion.
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"Oh! He who can inspire so much affection must merit
it!"
ALOYS (in a low voice to his mother and pointing at Goose-Skin who
stands aside)--"Mother, look at that poor old man! Nobody speaks to him.
He is entirely forgotten--And he seems to be sad. Shall I go to him and
bid him welcome in this country?"
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"That is a kindly thought. Do so, my dear child."
While Mylio answers in mute transport the caresses of his dear ones,
Aloys timidly approaches the old juggler. Goose-Skin is not sad, only he
feels greatly embarrassed. In speaking to him of the austere virtues of
Karvel the Perfect and his wife, Mylio above all recommended to the
juggler not to break out into gross and ribald jests, as was his wont.
Accordingly, faithful to the instructions of his friend, Goose-Skin is
holding himself in. The old fellow makes serious efforts to repress his
droll thoughts; he puckers up his lips, strives to look serious and
venerable, but only succeeds in imparting to his otherwise jovial
features the pitiful expression that Aloys mistook for sadness.
ALOYS (with a kindly voice)--"Welcome in our country, good father!"
GOOSE-SKIN (aside to himself)--"This brat is surely a little Perfect
himself. I shall have to keep guard over my tongue. (Aloud to Aloys in a
grave and sententious tone) May God preserve you, my young master, and
always keep you in the path of virtue. Because virtue--affords more true
and merry contentment than the most charming grace--What do I
say!--Virtue is a man's lady-love. Well now, virtue excels love-making."
(Unable to understand the last words of Goose-Skin, Aloys looks upon the
juggler with wondering eyes and returns to his mother, while Goose-Skin
proceeds apart to himself) "I am satisfied with my first trial. I have
given the youngster a high opinion of my wisdom and of my powers of
speech."
KARVEL (leading Mylio to Aimery and his sister)--"Dame Giraude, I
solicit from you for Mylio a little of the good will that you entertain
toward us."
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"You well know, Karvel, that Aimery and myself have
long shared your tender affection for your brother."
MYLIO (respectfully and sincerely)--"Madam, Karvel has just been telling
me of the debt of gratitude that I owe you. (Pointing to Florette) This
dear child dropped on the road exhausted with fatigue--and you, your
worthy brother and your son brought her help--you carried her to my
brother--"
THE LADY OF LAVAUR (interrupting Mylio)--"If the filling of a duty
deserves reward, we shall find it in the happiness of having been
helpful to this charming girl, who will soon belong to the brother of
one of our best friends."
MYLIO (to Aimery, smiling)--"Will you, at least, sir, allow me to thank
you for your kindness towards me and my traveling companion? Karvel
tells me that you were on the point of taking horse to deliver us from
the clutches of our enemies."
AIMERY--"Very naturally. Raoul of Montjoire is a friend of mine. Like
all of us inhabitants of Languedoc, he has only aversion for the
monastic fraternity. I was sure that he would set you free at my
request, both you and your merry companion, yonder bulky customer, whose
droll songs caused the disturbance."
GOOSE-SKIN (hearing himself referred to as a droll and merry customer,
and considering himself in the midst of people who are all more or less
Perfects, redoubles his efforts to look dignified)--"I request the noble
lady, the noble sir and the other members of this company kindly not to
take me for a droll customer. My song, which provoked the ire of the
tonsured gentry at the inn, was simply a cry of indignation uttered by a
man who might have been virtuous--but who, ripened by experience, knows
that the gown does not make the monk, that the bowl does not make the
wine, that the gorget does not make the throat, that the skirt does not
make the legs--"
Mylio interrupts the flow of Goose-Skin's eloquence with an angry look.
The juggler holds his tongue, steps back penitently, and in order to
keep himself in countenance proceeds to examine the copper vessels that
are placed on the distilling furnace.
MYLIO (turning to Aimery, who, together with Karvel could not suppress a
smile at the words of the juggler)--"Overpowered, disarmed, pinioned by
the men who escorted the two monks, myself and my companion were taken
to Raoul of Montjoire. One of the monks said to him: 'These two heretics
have had the audacity, one of them of singing a song that was insulting
to the priests of the Lord, the other of defending the singer. I call
upon you, in the name of the Church, to punish the two criminals.' 'By
God, monk, I thank you' answered Raoul, 'you could bring no more
acceptable guests to me,' and addressing his men he proceeded: 'Here,
friends! Untie the bonds of these brave contemners of the Church of
Rome, the modern Babylon that is smirched with rapine and blood!'"
AIMERY--"That language is the only one that Raoul could hold!"
MYLIO--"As soon done as said. We were freed from our bonds and the Sire
of Montjoire added, showing the monk the door: 'Get you gone, and quick
as possible, you agent of Rome, vile Romanist, wicked Roman creeper! You
are not here in France where the tonsured lackeys of Rome rule the
roost!' 'Detestable miscreant! Damned heretic!' cried the monk, furious,
and he left the room shaking his fists at Raoul and saying: 'Tremble!
The day of the wrath of heaven is near! You will soon be all crushed in
your nests, vile viperous heretics!'"
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"The audacity of these monks should arouse our
indignation, were it not that we are aware of the impotence of their
hatred."
MYLIO--"Oh, madam, the day is unhappily at hand when the hatred of the
priests is a thing to be feared. I have hastened hither to let you know
it."
KARVEL--"What do you mean?"
MYLIO--"I have traveled almost day and night to be ahead of tidings that
I can plainly see have not yet reached you, and that explain the
insolence of the monk and the threats that he hurled at Raoul."
AIMERY--"What has happened?"
MYLIO--"Pope Innocent III has issued orders to all the bishops to preach
a Crusade against the heretics of Languedoc."
AIMERY (laughing)--"A Crusade? Do these tonsured folks take our country
for the Holy land? We are not Saracens!"
MYLIO--"At this very hour he is unchaining against your provinces the
same fanatic hatred and savage cupidity that at one time the Papacy
unchained against the Saracens. The Pope has already bestowed your lands
and other property upon the future Crusaders. He has promised them
pardon for all their crimes, the past, the present and the
future--earthly riches, heavenly treasures."
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"What you tell us, Mylio, seems incredible. Whence
can all that hatred against us 'heretics,' as they call us, proceed?
Does not the Catholic Church preserve in Languedoc its churches, its
domains, its bishoprics, its monks and its priests? Have they ever been
disturbed in the exercise of their cult? Why should they make a Crusade
against us? Simply because we practice the evangelical morality of Jesus
according to our own faith? Simply because our heart and our reason
reject the myth of original sin which smites with its anathema even the
child in its mother's womb? Simply because we smile at the pretension of
the priests to claim to be the infallible representatives of God on
earth, and declare that the newly born child will be damned if it dies
unbaptized? Can they mean to punish us because we prefer our own
Perfects, worthy pastors like you, Karvel, who, industrious and austere,
practice and preach in the midst of the sacred joys of family life the
sublime doctrine of Christ, the friend of the poor and the sorrowing,
the enemy of the hypocrites and of the rich? But, moreover, why resort
to violence? Are the Catholic priests the only repositories of the true
faith? Are they the only inspired ones of God? Let them convert us by
reason, by gentleness, by persuasion. Why appeal to violence--to fire
and sword! No, no! It would be the height of blindness and of human
perversity!"
MYLIO--"The Crusades against the Saracens were preached by the Church,
and the same Church is now stirring up anew the same execrable passions
against the provinces that have withdrawn themselves from the tyranny of
Rome. Great dangers are threatening Languedoc. While passing Cahors I
learned that a man of rare military valor, but fanatical and merciless,
Simon, Count of Montfort-L'Amaury, one of the most famous heroes of the
last Crusade in the Holy Land, was placed in the chief command of the
Catholic army that is about to invade this country."
KARVEL--"Simon of Montfort is well known by us! The choice of such a
chief is, indeed, the signal for a war of extermination, a war without
mercy or pity. Helas! What disasters are in store for us!"
AIMERY--"If the Catholics attack us we shall know how to defend
ourselves. I swear to God, this war will be a terrible one!"
THE LADY OF LAVAUR (anxiously)--"But what harm do we do the Catholics?
Do we force our belief upon them? By what right should they want to
impose theirs upon us with war and violence? In battle the children of
the poor mothers are killed. (Saying this in a trembling voice and her
eyes wet with tears, Giraude presses her son with anxiety and
tenderness to her heart, and takes Aimery's hand.) War is the terror of
mothers, sisters and wives! War is an execrable affair!"
AIMERY--"Sister dear, calm your fears!"
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"Alas! I am no heroine. I live on my love for my son
and for you, and when I think that you, together with so many friends
dear to my heart, may perish in this terrible war! (Again embraces her
son passionately and murmurs:) Oh! I am afraid! Good God, have mercy
upon us!"
ALOYS--"Good mother, do not fear; we shall defend you."
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"We shall flee this very evening with my brother. We
shall take ship at Aigues-Mortes--"
AIMERY--"And who will defend the city and the Castle of Lavaur, of which
your son is the seigneur?"
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"Let the priests seize our castle, our lands and
all, provided only my son and you are left to me!"
AIMERY--"The capture of the city and the castle fatedly draws in its
wake the ruin and death of all the inhabitants and men of the field who
will take refuge in them at the first tidings of the Crusade. Would you
leave them without a guide?"
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"Pardon me, brother; pardon me, friends. What I said
was cowardly--"
A FARMER (enters)--"Seigneur Aimery, one of your servants has just come
from the castle, where your friends have gone in haste to consider
matters of grave importance with you and with Dame Giraude. Your
presence is requested."
AIMERY--"The tidings brought by Mylio are confirmed!"
KARVEL (to the Lady of Lavaur)--"Courage, Giraude! Friendly hearts and
firm devotion will never be wanting to you."
THE LADY OF LAVAUR (drying her tears)--"Adieu, good Karvel! Pity my
weakness! I am ashamed of it! Pardon a moment of debility!"
KARVEL--"No; you have not been weak. The mother spoke--the sister--the
cry of nature leaped from your soul; I honor you all the more therefore.
I well know that you never fall short of any duty when the moment comes
to fill it."
THE LADY OF LAVAUR--"Alas! I hope so--Oh! What a horrible thing war is!
We were happy! (She contemplates her son, embraces and weeps over him.)
What wrong have we done to those priests? What wrong have we done them,
my poor child!"
AIMERY (to Mylio)--"Your presence in these perilous days is a welcome
assistance. We know you to be a resolute man, Mylio. So long, Karvel. I
shall let you know this evening the result of our conversation with our
friends at the castle, and the decision that we may have adopted."
Before leaving the Perfect's house the Lady of Lavaur approaches
Florette who all this while has been seated near Morise. After keeping
himself aside for a while, Goose-Skin sat down on a bench and is now
sound asleep. He is exhausted with the rough handling that he received
at the inn. The Lady of Lavaur takes Florette's hand and says with a sad
smile on her lips:
"Poor little one, good and devoted as you are, you arrive in our country
at an unhappy season. May we weather the dangers that threaten us
without having to lose any head that is dear to us! Whatever may happen,
count in it on my friendship." Moved into tears, Florette raises to her
lips the hands of the Lady of Lavaur with brimming emotion. After a last
adieu to Morise and the Perfect, the Lady of Lavaur leaves, accompanied
by her son and Aimery.