THE LADY PIETOSA DE BRÉAUTÉ
Evidently they were expected at High March; for no sooner the white
plumes had cleared the forest purlieus and came nodding over the heath
in view of the solemn towers, than a white flag was run up the keep. It
floated out bravely--a snow patch in a pure sky.
"Peace, hey?" quoth Prosper, asking. "Well then, there shall be peace
if they will take it. It is for them to settle."
Isoult said nothing. She had no reason to welcome High March, or to
attend a welcome. She might have doubted the wisdom of their adventure
had she been less newly a wife. As it was, she would have followed her
man into the jaws of hell.
When they drew closer still, they could see that the great gates were
set open and the drawbridge let down. Soon the guard turned out and
presented arms. Then issued in good order a white-robed procession,
girls and boys bare-headed, holding branches of palm. A rider in green
marshalled them with a long white wand which he had in his right hand.
It was all very curious.
"I should know that copper-headed knave," said Prosper.
"It is the seneschal, dear lord," said Isoult, who would know him
better, "with his white rod of office."
Prosper gave a mighty shout. "Master Porges, by the Holy Rood! Oh,
Master Porges, Master Porges, have you not yet enough of rods white or
black? Look how the rascal wags the thing. Why, hark, child, he has set
them singing."
The shrill voices, in effect, rose and fell along the devious ways of a
litany to Master Porges' household gods. Mention has already been made
of his curiosity in these commodities. The present times he had judged
to be times of crisis, big with fate. Who so apt as his newest saint to
propitiate the hardy outlaw Galors de Born, and the young Demoiselle de
Bréauté?
For the shocked soul of Porges had fled into religion as your only cure
for esteem and a back cruelly scored. In such stresses as the present
it still took wing to the same courts. "_Sancta Isolda, Sancta Isolda,
Genetricis Ancilla,_" went the choir, "_Ora, ora pro nobis._"
And then--
"_Quoe de coelis volitans,
Sacras manus agitans,
Foves in suppliciis
Me, ne extra gregulo
Tuo unus ferulo
Pereat in vitiis._"...
and so on. The youngsters sang with a good will, while Master Porges,
as poet and man of piety, glowed in his skin. The verse limped, the
Latin had suffered, perhaps, more violence than Latin should be asked
to suffer even of a Christian: but what of that? It was the pietist's
own; and as his pupils sang it, they bore before his eyes the holy
image of the saint trampling under her feet the hulking thief Prosper.
And gaily they bore it, and gaily sang their unwitting way towards the
unwitting couple of lovers, who never let go hands until they were near
enough to feel all eyes burn into them to read their secret.
This was vastly well; but Master Porges' present bent was towards
policy. Her ladyship had advised with him in her new occasions. "Sir
Galors de Born," she had said, "is a late enemy of mine no longer to be
feared, since I have won back all my fiefs by the readiness and prudent
discretion of the High Bailiff of Wanmeeting."
This good man had indeed made the most of his achievements, and,
reflecting that Prosper had gone alone to tackle Galors,--whereof he
was indubitably dead,--and that it was a pity no one should be any the
better for such a mishap, had told the whole story to his mistress,
carefully leaving the hero's name out of account. "For why," said the
Bailiff, "cause a woman to shed unavailing tears?"
"Remember, however," the Countess went on, "that this Galors may be the
escort of the Lady Pietosa de Bréauté, my daughter and your mistress,
to her home. Pay him then the respect due to such an esquire, but no
more. Receive from him my Lady Pietosa, and put yourself between her
and him--yourself at her right hand and in the middle. She is not his;
at the worst of all he is hers."
Master Porges bowed, observing. Here was need of a high stroke of
policy. Now policy to him meant mastery, and mastery when it did not
mean a drubbing, as it had done with Prosper (the greatest politician
he had ever known), meant a snubbing. With a cue from Prosper's
handling of the science, Master Porges thought he could show Galors,
politically, his place.
The white-robed throng of singers stopped, with wondering simple faces,
before the great black knight and his rose-clad lady. Prosper doubtless
looked grim--he hardly filled the headpiece of Galors: the white
wicket-gates, with many a dint across them, gleamed harshly from the
coal-black shield. _Entra per me_ had an uncompromising ring about it.
His visor was down; he did not wish them to see a too good-humoured
face until he had exacted a tribute.
But Master Porges cantered up with many a sweep of hand and cap to the
lady.
"My lady, welcome to your halls and smiling goodly lands. We have done
what honour we might. Your ladyship will read it for an earnest of our
duties and good-will."
Thus Porges. Isoult sat wondering, very much confused. She was coming
in as a queen indeed. Master Porges went on to handle the esquire.
"Master Galors, good-day to you," he said. "My lady the Countess of
Hauterive hath heard of you. She may possibly send for you anon. In the
meantime, in the pendency of her motions to that grace, I am to receive
from you the Lady Pietosa, who has suffered your attentions so far, and
who thanks you, through me, her inherited minister. At your ladyship's
pleasure now. Follow us, good Master Galors."
Unfortunately Prosper saw no need for playing Galors just then. But the
seneschal always pleased him.
"Master Porges," he said in his suavest tones, "the gentleman you name
is indisposed to wait very long--he must not indeed be delayed--and is
wholly incapable of travel unattended. He must therefore ride where I
ride. As for the lady upon whom you bestow so decorous a name, I cannot
answer. The lady whom I escort will please herself. Step behind us,
Master Porges, I entreat of you. You would not ask so much of Sir
Galors de Born if you knew him as well as I do."
"Now, who is this? What am I then, Messire?" the seneschal gasped.
"You are the most worshipful Master Porges, if I am right, by the grace
of God Seneschal of High March, and so forth."
"Ah! Good! And you, sir?"
"I am not Galors de Born," replied Prosper modestly, "though he is not
far removed from me."
"You bear his coat, Messire."
"Ah, Saint Mary! I bear more than that of his."
"Messire, I have it in command----"
"And I have it to command. Behind, sir," said Prosper shortly and
finally. Then he rode forward with Isoult and met the minstrels.
"My little singers," cried he, "sing your blithest now, and take us
happily to the Castle. Come--
"'Love is Lord of the land,
Master of maid and man;
Goeth in green with a ruddy face,
Heartening whom he can,'" etc., etc.
The thing was a country catch which he had himself caught up from the
High March maids. It went to a free breathless measure, ran easily into
a gallop, must be jigged to. The fluttering cavalcade came skipping
home, all save the boy who carried Sancta Isolda, and he at last tucked
her under his arm and tripped with the rest. So it befel that the man
of policy came in the rear; so also it befel that, when at the gates
Prosper demanded his audience, Master Porges went in chastened with the
message, and came back still more chapfallen to report--that her
ladyship, his mistress, would receive the messenger of Sir Galors de
Born at once, with the lady in his escort. Thus finally Prosper, with
Isoult behind him, stood in the great hall, and saw the Countess Isabel
trembling on the dais.
She came down the way left her by the assembled household, pale and
misty with tears to meet them. Prosper was softened at once, but before
he could speak she was holding out her hands to him as a suppliant,
striving to steady her voice.
"Oh, Galors," she began, "thou hast been my enemy declared for no fault
of mine, and dreadful wrong hast thou done to many harmless folk who
had never wronged thee. Yet, if I had never won back what was mine, and
still owed thee a living grudge instead of a grudge for the unhappy
dead, for the sake of her thou bringest me I must receive thee here.
Now give me that which thou didst promise. Let me see her."
Prosper stood melted by the pent passion of the woman, but by her words
stricken dumb. He understood that she should think him Galors, and
cared little if she did, for discovery must make his case the stronger.
But what she wanted with Isoult, what Galors had promised on her score,
passed all comprehension. He thought he knew enough of the Countess to
be sure she would not lightly forgive; yet here was the Countess asking
to see the girl who had made a fool of her! Withal her need was
painfully plain. He therefore took Isoult by the hand and led her
forward.
The Countess, shaking so that she could hardly stand, caught the girl
from him. But she could not look at her, only steadied herself by
clutching at her arms.
"Let me see the token," says she in an eager whisper.
So then Isoult unfastened her gown and took it out by its golden chain.
The Countess received it in both hands as a relic. Yet hand and head
shook too much that she might see it. The poor lady held her wrist with
the other hand, lifted it up near her face; then she blinked her eyes
close to it. So for some time she remained, looking upon the jewel, but
seeing nothing, seeming to love the feel of it in her hands, and crying
all the while freely and noiselessly with streams of tears down her
cheeks. Next she dropped the crystal and took Isoult by the shoulders,
to peer in the same blind fashion into the girl's wondering eyes. And
then at last, with a little smothered cry, she caught her to her bosom,
straining her there with desperate hunger of affection, while her tears
and passionate weeping shook and shuddered through her. In broken
words, with sobs, half-moaning prayers, and half-crazy thanksgivings,
she spoiled herself of the tenderness and frantic love a mother has,
but no other under heaven.
Commanding herself in time, she raised her marred face high above her
daughter, who lay close in her arms, and turning to Prosper, said
steadily enough--
"Galors, now declare thyself. Thou hast spoken so far the truth. This
is my true daughter, Pietosa de Bréauté, the daughter of my murdered
lord, Fulk de Bréauté, born in wedlock, and by me suffered to be stolen
away by him who first stole my body (but never my soul) from my lord.
Now ask of me, and I will give thee all, even to this treasure at my
breast. Declare thyself."
Prosper forgot everything but to blurt out his wonder.
"Galors, madam, Galors! But I am not Galors, good Lord! Ah!" (and he
pulled up his visor). "Look upon me, madam, and judge if I am Galors."
The Countess gasped, then blushed: all the household grew dumb. Master
Porges went out suddenly into the air. The first to recover breath was
the lady paramount.
"Ah, my Lord Prosper le Gai," she said, "in your revenge I see your
father's son. Should I not have known? I am at your mercy, my lord. You
have struck me hard at last, harder than before, but may be not harder
than I deserve."
"Madam," said Prosper, "it seems I have struck you harder and nearer
than I knew. For your present joy has given me the most wondrous news
that ever I had in the world."
"But the letter of Galors, was it not from you?" she cried out.
"I know nothing of letters from Galors, Countess. When I write it is in
my own name."
"There is mystery here. He wrote me of my daughter, that he would bring
her--ah, and take her again. She has come as he said. But where is
Galors?"
Prosper lifted on high the head of his enemy. "Here he is," said he.
A timely diversion was caused here by a certain red-cheeked girl, by
name Melot. She had already proved the sharpness of her sloe-black
eyes; she proved it now again by seeing, alone of all that company, the
hounded page-boy in the Lady Pietosa de Bréauté. After her first gape
of re-discovery, being a girl of parts, conscious that generosity was
afoot, she edged her way to the front, stooped suddenly and caught at
the hem of the red silk robe to kiss it.
"What is this, wench?" said the Countess, glad of the relief.
Then said Melot on her knees, "My lady, I do this because I was the
first who sinfully found out your ladyship's lady daughter when she was
here before like a boy; and I pray her pardon, and yours, my lady, and
yours again, Messire, for the deadly sin I did."
Red-cheeked Melot ran on glibly up to this point on a beaten track. All
maidens of her class wallow in contrition. But when her words failed
her, she sought a distressed lady's proper shelter, and began to cry.
Isoult stooped and caught her up before she could be stayed. She was
too newly a Countess, you see.
"This is Roy's answer to thee, Melot," she laughed, and kissed the
rogue.
But for Isabel, long a Countess--otherwise. This unhappy lady felt
herself whipped. Her abasement was now so deep, so desolately did she
stand among her dependents, a naked woman spoiled of all her robes,
that Prosper's honest heart smote him.
"Countess," he said, smiling, "will you give me what Galors might have
won?"
But Isoult did better still. She came back to her mother's breast, put
up her hand timidly and touched the cold cheek. "Mother," was all she
said. It was all the woman needed to cover her shame in a cloak of warm
tears. The two wept together, and then Prosper knelt to his
mother-in-law's hand.
But the Countess was stronger than he had thought. In truth, she never
spared herself any of her dignities. Her humility now became her
admirably; never was she more certainly the great lady of romance than
when she led Prosper and Isoult to the dais, set them each on a throne,
and then, turning to her people, opened her hands to them, her heart,
and her conscience.
"Lo! you now," she cried out, "heed what I shall speak. This is the
Lady Pietosa, called Isoult le Gai, my daughter indeed, Countess after
me of Hauterive, Lady of Morgraunt and the purlieus, whom I, unknowing
and to my shame, despised and misused--unworthy mother, that in trying
to befoul the spotless but stained herself the deeper. And you, people,
sheep of a hireling shepherd, followed in my ways and became as I am,
most miserable in shame. If now I lead you aright, follow me also that
road. You shall kneel therefore with me to the young Countess and to
the Earl (in her right), my Lord Prosper."
Before either could stop her she was on her knees at her daughter's
foot. Isoult dropped with a little cry, but the elder had her way. She
kissed the foot, and then stood by the throne to watch the homage paid.
One by one they came sidling up. Melot was pushed into the front rank;
her shrewdness paid so much penalty. She knelt and laid her forehead on
the ground. Isoult lightly set her foot on the bowed head; but he who
watched the ceremony with dimmed eyes saw that the treader was the
humblest there.
Master Porges, flap-cheeked and stertorous, grovelled like a fat
spaniel. Prosper came to the rescue as he swam up to the height of a
man again, gasping for the air. "Ah, seneschal," he said, "we each love
honour and ensue it after our fashion. We should be better acquainted."
The seneschal kissed his hand, and never doubted for one moment more
but that Prosper was the pattern of knighthood. The image-maker at
March was thereafter busy with the figure of one in the similitude of
an Archangel, under whom ran the legend-"_Properate vias ejus_." It is
reported that he had a further commission for a great bronze Saint
Isidore, destined to the chapel at High March.
Days of festival followed, with jousting and minstrelsy. Isoult sat in
a green silk bower, clothed all in white, her black hair twisted with
pearls, a crown of red roses upon all. The hooded falcon showed again
on baldrick and girdle, the _fesse dancettée_ flickered on a new
shield, the red plumes danced; "Bide the Time" was the cry. After this
came all the mesne lords to do homage for their lands, and among them
was Malise le Gai, Lord of Starning and Parrox. Prosper, when the two
met, laughed at him, made him angry, got forgiven, and shook hands. He
thus put the man at his ease, and won a tolerable friendship with his
brother against the time when the elder would be, in respect of certain
fiefs, the vassal of the younger. But from Goltres came none to do
fealty, nor from Hauterive, nor from Malbank Saint Thorn. Goltres, in
fact, was escheat, and granted out to Prosper's brother Osric and his
new wife from Prè. A new abbot was set over Holy Thorn; but the charter
of pit and gallows was revoked by the Countess, withal she said--"It
was the granting of that charter which won me my child again."
It does not appear that there is anything more to record.
"What am I to call you, lady wife?" said Prosper, when he had her in
his arms again.
"Ah, lord, thou shouldst know by now!"
"Pietosa?"
"Prosper!"
"Isoult la Desirée?
"If you must."
"Isoult la Desirous?"
"It would be true.
"What will you have then, child?"
"Ah, ah, I will have that!"
It was, after all, but a rosy child that Prosper kissed.
EXPLICIT