The Cloister and the Hearth: A Tale of the Middle Ages

  CHAPTER LXVII

  IT happened, two days after the scene I have endeavoured to describe,that Gerard, wandering through one of the meanest streets of Rome, wasovertaken by a thunderstorm, and entered a low hostelry. He called forwine, and, the rain continuing, soon drank himself into a half-stupidcondition, and dozed with his head on his hands and his hands upon thetable.

  In course of time the room began to fill and the noise of the rudeguests to wake him.

  Then it was he became conscious of two figures near him conversing in alow voice.

  One was a pardoner. The other by his dress, clean but modest, might havepassed for a decent tradesman: but the way he had slouched his hat overhis brows so as to hide all his face except his beard, showed he was oneof those who shun the eye of honest men, and of the law. The pair weredriving a bargain in the sin market. And by an arrangement not uncommonat that date, the crime to be forgiven was yet to be committed--underthe celestial contract.

  He of the slouched hat was complaining of the price pardons had reached."If they go up any higher we poor fellows shall be shut out of heavenaltogether."

  The pardoner denied the charge flatly. "Indulgences were never cheaperto good husbandmen."

  The other inquired "Who were they?"

  "Why such as sin by the market, like reasonable creatures. But if yourwill be so perverse as go and pick out a crime the Pope hath set hisface against, blame yourself, not me?"

  Then, to prove that crime of one sort or another was within the means ofall, but the very scum of society, he read out the scale from a writtenparchment.

  It was a curious list: but not one that could be printed in this book.And to mutilate it would be to misrepresent it. It is to be found in anygreat library. Suffice it to say, that murder of a layman was muchcheaper than many crimes my lay readers would deem light by comparison.

  This told; and by a little trifling concession on each side, the bargainwas closed, the money handed over, and the aspirant to heaven's favourforgiven beforehand for removing 1 layman. The price for disposing of aclerk bore no proportion.

  The word assassination was never once uttered by either merchant.

  All this buzzed in Gerard's ear. But he never lifted his head from thetable; only listened stupidly.

  However, when the parties rose and separated, he half raised his headand eyed with a scowl the retiring figure of the purchaser.

  "If Margaret was alive," muttered he, "I'd take thee by the throat andthrottle thee, thou cowardly stabber. But she is dead; dead; dead. Dieall the world; 'tis nought to me: so that I die among the first."

  When he got home there was a man in a slouched hat walking briskly toand fro on the opposite side of the way.

  "Why there is that cur again," thought Gerard.

  But in his state of mind, the circumstance made no impression whateveron him.