CHAPTER IX
PHILIBERT IN DANGER
Three years had passed. Philibert and Antoine now were tall youths, andMarguerite was a slender, graceful maiden of fifteen.
"I am sorry that she is growing up," said Cunegunda to Le Glorieux.
"Then am I to infer that you are fond of dwarfs?" asked he.
"No, but do you not see that as soon as she becomes a woman she mustmarry?"
"Most women do," he returned, "and most of them are equallydiscontented, whether they do or do not."
"And small wonder, since they must marry men," said Cunegunda. LeGlorieux could always throw her into a temper. "I did not marry again,and I am not discontented," she added.
"I have no doubt that you have made many a man discontented by refusingthem right and left," said the fool politely.
Cunegunda smiled, but looked serious again as she said dolefully, "Ourprincess must marry and go to live in a strange land. How I wish thatshe were merely the child of a nobleman instead of being the daughter ofthe emperor; then she could remain in Austria. Now she must go away."
"Something about me makes you cry"]
"You are getting ready to cry again," said the jester, in an injuredtone. "I am supposed to make people laugh. Even his Majesty laughs atme. But there seems to be something about me that makes you cry. If youwill tell me what it is I will change it, both for your benefit and myown. That you can not see the point of a joke, no matter if it is as bigas my head, is perhaps not your fault; but it seems to me that you mightkeep from bursting into tears every time you see me or hear the jingleof my bells."
Philibert de Bresse approached; he was dressed in all the grandeur ofthe time, and a fine sword hung by his side. "What is the trouble withDame Cunegunda?" he asked.
"Nothing in particular," replied the fool, "save that she wants ourprincess to marry a hair-dresser, or some person of the kind."
"I said nothing about a hair-dresser, and you know it!" snapped theindignant woman. "I do not want my little lady to go away to a strangecountry. I am now past middle age, and I am attached to my own land anddo not want to leave it."
"I was not aware that the emperor was arranging a foreign match foryou," remarked Le Glorieux.
Deeming this piece of satire too trivial to notice, Cunegunda said, "Imust go with my lady wherever she goes, for so I promised her mother."
"Is that promise to hold good until she is ninety?" asked Le Glorieux.
"It is to hold good as long as there is breath in my body, and she doesnot forbid me to accompany her."
"But there is no danger--I mean there is no prospect of the LadyMarguerite's making a foreign marriage?" asked Philibert hastily.
"I am very much inclined to believe that there is," replied Le Glorieux."If nothing of the kind happens soon, it will not be the fault of thatdark-browed Spanish envoy, Don Juan Manuel. He is quiet and cold, but heis always thinking. Not that most people are not always thinking whenthey are quiet, for few people's brains are swept quite empty ofthoughts, but his thinking counts for something. He knows quite wellwhat he is about, does Manuel. He is always talking to our emperor, wholistens with a great deal of attention to all that he says, and whateverit is, it will be a good thing for Spain, you can make up your mind tothat."
"And who is this Spaniard who has so much influence over the Emperor ofAustria?" asked Philibert hotly. "He is a nobody, an ordinary Castilian,who managed to attract the attention of the Queen of Spain, afterwardgaining her confidence when he became her secretary."
"Well, that he did gain her confidence, and that he has a good deal ofinfluence over Max, is a fact nevertheless," returned the fool. "Theyoung Prince of the Asturias is of the right age to marry, and will be asuitable match for our princess, and, so far as I am concerned, I amperfectly willing that they should marry, for I think that I should liketo live in Spain. The climate is very fine, there would not be so muchtrouble in keeping warm as there is here, and I am fond of oranges."
"The Spanish match is not made yet, and how do you know that the LadyMarguerite would take you with her, even if she should go to Spain?"asked Cunegunda disdainfully.
"How do I know that she would take her shoes with her to Spain?" heinquired. "I have become a necessity to her; she could not get onwithout me. Besides that, I was a present to her from the Lady Anne, nowQueen of France. If I was valuable when I was the present of a mereduchess, my value has increased tenfold now that I am the gift of aqueen. So do not talk any more nonsense about my not going, for I shallbe the first one to be considered."
"I do not want to go away to a strange country," reiterated Cunegunda,and she went away wiping her eyes.
Philibert walked slowly to the other end of the room, seeming to beabsorbed in unpleasant thought, and the jester followed him, chatteringall the while, but getting no reply.
"Philbert, my boy," said he, "I can see that you are in a sour andunhappy frame of mind. I feel that the remark I made about the climateand the oranges of Spain has made you restless and envious. Besidesthat, you do not want to be separated from me, for nobody does. Now, Ihave a great deal of influence with my young mistress, and I willpersuade her to let you go to Spain in her suite. Think of it! How fineit will be to hear the pretty senoritas tinkling their guitars, to pluckthe olives from the trees--not that I care for them when they areplucked--and to see that great palace which the Spanish sovereignssnatched from the Moors; and they say there is a bedstead made from thegold that the Admiral Columbus brought from the new lands across thesea; perhaps, if we manage it right we may be allowed to sleep inthat--in the bed, I mean, not the sea."
"Do not talk to me of Spain," said Philibert impatiently. "I hate thecountry, and I never want to see it."
"Philibert, my boy," said the fool, not at all disturbed by thisoutburst, "you are growing quick-tempered. I have noticed it for sometime. Try to cultivate a sweet and gentle disposition. I hope I am notconceited, but really you would be more agreeable if you were more likeme."
The sound of gay laughter and buzz of conversation was heard, and theLady Marguerite and her ladies, followed by a number of gentlemen,entered the salon. The princess wore a gown of white, with wide sleevesthat almost touched the floor; the heavy braids of her hair, wound withropes of pearls, fell far below her waist, while a fillet of the samejewels clasped her brow. She came toward the window near which Philibertand the jester stood, and said with a bright smile, "I am very happy. Myfather has promised that I shall go with him to the mountains when hegoes to hunt chamois. Never before would he give his consent to mygoing."
"To climb rocks and leap chasms after chamois would, I should think, bevery entertaining pastime for a lady," said Le Glorieux. "And you willlook well if your long locks should get caught in a crag and leave yoususpended like a spider from its web."
"Oh, I do not intend to hunt," she replied, laughing. "We ladies willstop at the inn at the foot of the mountain, and go just a little way upto see the hunters start."
"It will be more enjoyable if Philibert and Antoine and I should goalong," said Le Glorieux.
"Oh, yes; you shall go, if you like, and one of you shall get me aflower of the edelweiss from some inaccessible crag."
Senor Manuel, the Spanish envoy, now joined them, in a hesitatingmanner, as one who does not wish to intrude, yet who has something ofimportance to say. "I have something here that I was ordered to give toyour Highness," said he. "It is a gift from his royal Highness, thePrince of the Asturias." He drew a small packet from his breast, whichhe placed in her hand with a profound obeisance, and withdrew withoutmore words.
"Come, Philibert, please cut this cord for me"]
"Oh," said the princess, "I wonder what it can be!" She tried eagerly toundo the wrappings, for she was young enough to be very anxiousregarding a present. Taking a seat in the window she busied herself withthe cord, which she twisted into a hopeless tangle in her haste to untieit. "Come, Philibert," she called impatiently, "please cut this cord forme."
&n
bsp; He took the package from her hand and broke the cord in his strongfingers so suddenly and so vigorously that the wrappings fell apart anda portrait fell with a sharp click to the floor.
"You must not open a package as if you were trying to throttle anassassin," said Le Glorieux reproachfully, as Philibert with an apologyrecovered the portrait and placed it in the Lady Marguerite's hand.
"Her Highness is unfortunate in asking the assistance of one soawkward," murmured Philibert, and with a bow he withdrew.
But Marguerite did not look at him, so intent was she in examining theportrait. "Come and see what was sent to me by Don Juan, Prince of theAsturias," she said to the other ladies, some of whom were young, andall as eager to see it as herself. The portrait was painted on ivory,and was surrounded by diamonds; it was of a youth on the threshold ofmanhood, a gentle, pleasing face, with blue eyes and fair hair.
"I thought Spaniards were dark," said Marguerite.
"The Prince could not well be dark, since his father and mother both arefair," said one of the gentlemen, who had visited the court of Spain."His mother, Queen Isabella, is descended from the great English Houseof Plantagenet, both of her parents coming from that royal family."
"So much the better if he is light," remarked the jester. "My own hairis light, being indeed of a fine reddish tinge, though the cap I wearconceals its beauty from the world, which is a pity. I never have knownmany Spaniards, but I am sure I should be fonder of a light-haired onethan of that dark ambassador with his black hair always as smooth asglass, like the head of a snake, and who glides in and out so silentlythat you never see him until he stands before you."
Marguerite's ladies expressed a great deal of admiration for thepicture, which they considered a very handsome face, but perhaps theiropinion was biased by the fact that the original was the future king ofone of the richest and most powerful nations in Europe. But Margueriteslipped the portrait beneath her girdle and expressed no furtheropinion concerning it.
The court was now staying in the royal castle of Innsbruck in the Tyrol.Maximilian cherished a fond affection for this country, because he hadadded it to the possessions left him by his father. In his bedchamber atInnsbruck are to be found these lines, "I, king by the grace of God,wear the crown that I may protect the poor, and be just to all, and inorder that we may all live in peace eternal."
The landlord of the The Hunter's Rest, the inn at the foot of themountains where his Majesty went to hunt, had entertained the emperormore than once; but he was somewhat overwhelmed by the company ofladies, who now formed a part of the imperial party. Maximilian, asusual upon such occasions, was plainly dressed; he wore a green huntingsuit somewhat the worse for wear, for he was not particular regardinghis personal appearance when engaged in his favorite pastime of chasingthe chamois. An Alpine hat with a single feather was worn where thecrown of the Hapsburgs had rested, while his aristocratic feet wereencased in stout hunting boots. Yes, the emperor was more like one ofthemselves; he was always so merry, laughing and joking with thelandlord's wife, chucking the roly-poly children under their chins,exchanging a good-natured word with anybody who happened to drop in,that he won all hearts, and they forgot their awe of the emperor intheir admiration of the man.
But these ladies in their elegant fur-trimmed gowns and their daintylittle ways,--would anything that the inn afforded be half good enoughfor them? The landlord soon found, however, that the greatest lady amongthem, the princess herself, was sweet and gracious, and she even kissedthe dimpled face of the baby, an act on her part which never wasforgotten, and which the child herself lived to tell to hergrandchildren, always pointing to the exact spot which her good motherhad informed her had been brushed by the rosy lips of her Highness, theLady Marguerite of Hapsburg. And the other ladies were obliged to unbendin imitation of their young mistress, and so they were far lessawe-inspiring than had been expected.
The ladies accompanied the hunters a little way up the mountain, untilthe ascent became steep and tiresome, and then they returned to the inn.There the princess, who was very fond of pets, was greatly attracted bya baby chamois, a little kid, which had been adopted by the landlord'schildren. He was a cunning little fellow, with bright eyes that seemedto sparkle with fun when she stroked his foolish little face and softvelvety ears. When she spoke to him he would turn his head to one sideas if reflecting upon what the lady had said, seeming to be thinkingvery hard with a view of giving a suitable reply, and then he woulddouble himself up and roll about like a kitten.
In the meantime the emperor's party were climbing higher, an ascentwhich grew more and more difficult as they continued. Le Glorieux, whohad hunted the chamois in the company of his late master, was acquaintedwith the ways of this elusive animal, which is one of the most difficultin the world to hunt. But to Philibert and Antoine the experience wasnew and strange. These three were a little behind the others when LeGlorieux said, pointing to the right, "There is one!"
"Oh, that," said Philibert, "is nothing but a rock. You are prepared tosee a chamois in every distant object."
"I am very much mistaken," said the other, "if that is not a sentinelsent out to watch for danger, while the others may take their breakfastin peace. You have no idea what a very clever animal the chamois is. Ifa good many kings and emperors were half as keen to scent danger itwould be a great deal better for the countries they rule."
"What is the good of a chamois being a sentinel?" asked Antoine. "Ifthat is one he is too far away from the others to call their attentionto danger."
"Not a bit of it," was the reply. "He is too clever to get too far awayto give the signal; trust him to look out for that. If he should see ushe would say in his way, which would be to stamp his forefeet and givea shrill kind of a whistle, 'Here are some of those disgusting humanbeings with their bows and arrows. Get out of their way as fast as youcan, every one of you!'"
One of the huntsmen now said that they would be obliged to go back andcome up the other side of the gorge, as they must get above the game inorder to shoot it, so they went down a steep ravine, climbing overledges of rock and up the other side. But in the meantime the sentinelhad done his duty and had informed his friends of the presence of themen with their bows and arrows, and the party, which now could see theflock, numbering some twenty animals, saw a scampering that waswonderful to behold. With a series of remarkable leaps they sprang overa gulch and climbed up rocks so steep it seemed as if no living creaturecould have found a footing.
Round the other way went the hunters after them, rushing pell-mell overrocks and shrubs, but all the animals escaped save one, which seemeddoomed eventually to become the prey of Maximilian. Higher and higherclimbed the frightened chamois, higher and higher followed the straightathletic figure of the emperor. Once when he was hunting chamoisMaximilian had found himself in a position so perilous that it seemed tohim that nothing but the suddenly-developed wings of a bird couldpossibly extricate him, but he did not remember former dangers now, forhe thought of nothing but the capture of the frightened creature flyingbefore him.
Finally the hunted animal could go no farther, finding it impossible toclimb higher, or to pass its pursuer in a downward flight. So there wasnothing to do but to wait in trembling expectancy the death that wassure to come. The emperor seized his knife, and the chamois, as ifwilling at last to yield to the inevitable, seemed to lean its soft bodytoward the cruel blade, then fell headlong down the rocks, from where itwas afterward taken by the attendants.
And thus the hunt continued, and Philibert, though he watched it withinterest, had turned his mind upon the attainment of one object, andthat was finding a cluster of edelweiss. Sometimes our thoughts appearto be reflected in the mind of some one besides us, and it now seemed tobe the case, for Le Glorieux said, "I am not foolishly squeamish, Ishould hope, and I have stood up in battle and shot at men who were ableto defend themselves, but I can not say that it amuses me in the leastto see a chamois killed. They are such gentle things, and they make sucha plucky effort to
save themselves, and they look at their captor withsuch piteous eyes when they are stabbed, that I do not see anythingenjoyable in it, though, of course, I am nothing but a fool. And, as ourlittle princess wants a sprig of edelweiss, I shall go in pursuit of aflower instead of a chamois."
"Le Glorieux, dear Le Glorieux, let me get the flower for her," pleadedPhilibert.
"What matters which of us gets it, so long as she has it?" asked thefool. "Let us both look for it, and then it will be more likely to befound."
"Very well, if you think best, but I like to do things for her, LeGlorieux. I went to the wars with my father when I was so young that Iscarcely remember the love of a sister, and when the Lady Margueritesmiled at me the first night that I saw her, with a look of kindnessthat no one else ever had given me, I felt as if I could give up my lifefor her."
"She always is kind," said the jester; "she never is haughty, even toher servants. I loved her in the first place because she was hermother's daughter, but now I love her for herself. She never has a harshword or a sharp tongue for the poor fool, and seems to remember that hehas feelings as well as the rest of the world."
He lay for some time stunned]
The edelweiss is a flower which grows upon dizzy heights, blooming underthe snow. The great difficulty sometimes experienced in finding itrenders it the more desirable. Philibert had seen the flower and knewthat it usually grew in dangerous places; but this fact did not make himhesitate for a moment in his resolve to pluck it. After searching forsome time he was at last rewarded by seeing a cluster of the snowyblossoms hanging over the edge of a dark rock some distance below him.There was no way to reach it but to attempt a dangerous descent byclimbing down the cliff to where the flowers grew. But the boy, in hiseagerness to obtain the flower, did not think of the danger, andforthwith began to climb downward, finding a foothold on roughprojections, and clinging to others, sliding cautiously downward, forthere was a little level space just above the plant where he knew hecould stand while securing it. It was a foolhardy feat, and would nothave been undertaken by any but a rash youth, who gave no thought topossible consequences, and who was resolved to accomplish what he hadundertaken in spite of everything. A stunted shrub grew out of the rockssome distance above the flower, and Philibert grasped it, thinking toswing himself downward. This act was his undoing, for the treacherouslimb broke with a sharp snap, and the youth was precipitated downward,not to the level space beside the flower, but over it and some twentyfeet down to another level space, where he lay for some time stunned andunconscious.
When he returned to his senses he was lying flat on his back on a narrowledge of rock, and dangerously near the edge, with a little stream ofblood trickling from his temple. Rising to his feet he moved his legsand arms as vigorously as possible, to see if any bones were broken, butwas delighted to find that, with the exception of the cut, which didnot seem to be a deep one, he had sustained no serious injury.
But Philibert would have been far more comfortable and easy in his mindon safe ground with a broken arm than he was in this lonely spot, thoughcomparatively uninjured. For the depth below him was so great that itmade him dizzy to look over the edge of his resting-place, while abovehim the rock was so steep that not even a chamois could have climbed it.And there above him, as it had been but a short time ago below him, wasthe edelweiss, its flowers nodding at him impudently as if defying himto come up and take them. "I will have you yet," said he, though he feltthat in the circumstances this sounded a good deal like an empty boast.
Each member of the hunting party had a horn at his side to blow in caseof need, but that of Philibert was flattened by his fall, and would notgive forth the faintest sound. His friends would miss him and search forhim, but he had heard of people who had been lost for ever among thesecold, silent mountains, and he could not help thinking that possiblythis was to be his own fate, for he knew that, intent upon his search,he had wandered quite a distance from his companions, who might not knowin what direction to look for him. And all this for a cluster ofstarlike blossoms that looked over the edge of the rock above him andnodded in derision! He put his hands to his mouth and called as loudlyas he could, but the rocks echoed his call and seemed to throw it backat him disdainfully and mockingly.
He repeated the call until he was tired, then he sat down quietly tothink. How long could he remain here before he froze or starved todeath? He had heard of life being sustained on roots and herbs, butthere was nothing here but rock, and nothing above him but rock, whilebelow him there seemed to be naught save the empty air. After a while,when the excitement caused by his new position had given way to despair,he found that the wound on his temple really did pain him, and turningquite faint he remained for a long while with his eyes closed.
After what seemed to be a very long time the sound of a horn was borneto him on the air, a sound which seemed to the lost one as sweet as thesong of an angel. He rose to his feet, and, putting his hands to hismouth once more, he called three times with all his strength. Ananswering call reassured him, and soon hearing voices, he called again,and was overjoyed to see the faces of his friends looking over theprecipice above.
"In the name of all the saints, boy," called Maximilian, "are you hurt?"
"No, your Majesty, only a little bruised."
There was the hurried buzz of conversation, which he could notdistinguish, and the looped end of a rope was lowered to him, which hesecured about his body. Then he was slowly drawn up, and as he swungopposite the nodding blossoms, Philibert reached out his hands andgrasped them, pulling them out by the roots.
"What is the matter with the boy? Is he out of his senses?" asked theemperor, who was anxiously watching the ascent to terra firma.
"No, I do not know that you could call him out of his senses exactly,"replied Le Glorieux. "The Lady Marguerite wanted some edelweissblossoms, and he was trying to find them for her. I have no doubt thathe was after that very bunch when he fell. There is one thing that Ihave noticed about Philibert," went on the jester, "and that is thatwhen he starts out to do a thing he will do it if it threatens everydrop of blood in his body."
"He is a foolhardy youth," said the emperor. "I can understand how onecould take almost any risk to kill a chamois, but not to pluck a handfulof weeds." But he looked pleased, nevertheless, for he was a man whocould appreciate perseverance. And he examined Philibert's wound withcareful attention, saying that the two boys and the jester should returnto the inn in the company of one of the guides. And Philibert de Bressestill clutched the flowers which he had risked so much to obtain.
Behind the mountaineer's hut, where the remainder of the party expectedto spend the night, Le Glorieux took from the spot where he carefullyhad placed them, a cluster of snowy blossoms, which, with greatdifficulty, a scratched face, and some bruises, he had gathered beforehe heard of Philibert's mishap. These children of the snow he threw overthe cliff unseen by his companions. "Let him have all the praise and thehonor of it," said he to himself. "You are nothing but a fool, LeGlorieux, and you must not be selfish."
The princess received the flowers with a little cry of joy, and shethanked the donor with a smile so beaming, inquiring so tenderly abouthis wound, that Philibert felt repaid a thousandfold for the trouble hehad taken to gratify her wish.
"But, my poor Le Glorieux," said the princess sweetly, "you have an uglyscratch across your face, and your hands are bruised. Have you also hada fall?"
"No, little Cousin," he returned gravely, and with a shake of the head."The scrapings you notice on my handsome countenance and on my slenderhands are but the result of a weakness with which I was born."
"You were not born with those scratches, or I should have observed themlong ago," she replied, smiling.
"I said the result of a weakness, your Highness. It is my nature to wantto climb. Whenever I see the side of a rock I am seized with anuncontrollable desire to scale it, and climb I must if the sky falls. Ialways have found it the most agreeable sensation in the world to beclinging
to the side of a rock with nothing over me but the blue of theheavens, and nothing beneath me but the blue of some mountain lake andwith a delightful feeling of uncertainty as to just where I am to findmy next foothold."
"That is an odd taste indeed," she returned, laughing, "and I do notthink there are many who share it with you."
Antoine, I regret to say, was a mischievous youth, as we have seen fromthe trick he played on his friend the jester when they first started outon their journey together, and it may have been--though of course hewould have scorned the suggestion--that some of the raps given him bythe old Duchess of Burgundy were not altogether undeserved.
However that may be, he surely did meddle with something at the innwhich did not concern him, as you shall presently see. That "something"was a cunning little bear. The innkeeper conducted the jester and thetwo boys to a rude cage constructed out of the limbs of trees, which hehad placed a little distance from the house and near the edge of theforest. Within the cage was a brown bear cub which had been brought tohim by a friend. This wild and woolly pet, he said, he was going totrain and sell for a good round sum to a traveling mountebank, who wouldwant to exhibit it in the courtyards of inns and before the nobility.
Young Master Bruin was already learning, and one felt that his educationwould be completed by the time he was full grown. When his master wouldsay "Come," he would obey, and he could stand on his hind feet in amanner that was quite genteel, and he was greatly admired by the threeguests of his master, who watched his performances. When replaced in thecage, he walked round and round it, and every time he came to a cornerhe would bow, as all bears do when caged, but Le Glorieux remarked, "Isee that you have begun by teaching him to be polite, and politeness isa great thing in man or beast. There are a good many things we couldlearn from animals if we would only think about it, though we are sowell satisfied with ourselves that we think we are the only livingbeings in the world who are worth considering. There are not many of uswho are as faithful in our friendship as an ordinary dog, and did youever watch a cat when she had her mind bent on getting a certain mouse?Talk about patience and perseverance! Why, if a man had as much, hecould accomplish almost anything he set out to do!"
"I should like to take that little bear out and play with him," remarkedAntoine, as the innkeeper walked on ahead with Philibert.
"Just you take my advice, my young friend, and let that bear alone,"said the jester, with emphasis. "The owner of the bear will teach him anumber of tricks, no doubt, but there is one that he will not beobliged to learn, having been born with it, and that is the art ofhugging."
"Pooh!" said Antoine, "a little thing like that could not hurt me. Ihave played with dogs a good deal larger than that bear."
"You take my advice and let him alone, or the emperor may be asking forone of his favorite songs and find nobody at hand to sing it."
But even in this twentieth century a boy may be found once in a whilewho will not take good advice, though experience always teaches thewisdom of listening to older people, and Antoine allowed the goodcounsel of Le Glorieux to glide from his mind as drops of water roll offa duck's back, so, at the very first opportunity he could find to do sounseen, he returned to the bear's cage.
Taking the rope which the bear's master had used to lead him about,Antoine opened the door and tried to get the loop about the animal'sneck. Master Bruin, as if realizing that here was some one who had nobusiness to tamper with him, growled and gazed at the intruder with asardonic grin, which revealed all his sharp white teeth.
"You need not look so fierce, you woolly little thing," said the boy;"you are no bigger than a ball of knitting yarn. I should be ashamed tobe afraid of you." Then he dragged the rope back and held the loop openin his hand, calling, "Come, come," as the innkeeper had done. Butyoung Bruin crouched sulkily in the extreme end of his domicile, withoutdeigning to move.
Then the boy took a long stick and poked him with it, saying, "Youobstinate pig of a bear, we shall see whether you will come out or not.You have made me lose all patience with you."
In the way of squeezing he was an adept]
The little bear now made up his mind to accept the invitation, and that,too, very swiftly and suddenly, and before Antoine had time to throw theloop over his head or even to think what to do next, the bear was uponhim. Bruin scorned to bite. His talent and taste did not lie in thatdirection, but in the way of squeezing he was an adept. He huggedAntoine as if the boy had been a lost brother now restored to his armsafter a lapse of many years. The boy thought of the dagger he wore inhis belt, but in order to reach the weapon it was necessary to have theuse of his arms, and both of those members were securely pinned to hisside by that inconsiderate little bear, who went on squeezing as if henever meant to leave off. Antoine now was very much frightened. He wasat the mercy of his foe and he was afraid that the breath would bepressed out of his body in a very short time.
He gave a shrill and ear-piercing yell which brought the innkeeper andLe Glorieux in haste from the house and opened all the windows on thatside, where heads were thrust out to see what was the matter.
What the bear thought when he saw his master never will be known. Whathe did was to release his hold on the boy as suddenly as if the latterhad been a hot potato, and scamper away as rapidly as his clumsy legscould carry him. The two men ran in pursuit, but their efforts wereunavailing, for Master Bruin had deserted civilization forevermore.
"I warned you, did I not, to let that bear alone?" asked Le Glorieuxindignantly. "Did I not tell you that he was terrible when it came tohugging? Why did you do just what I warned you not to do? People whorefuse to take good advice are always sorry for it."
"I only wanted to have a little sport with him," whimpered Antoine. "Idid not know that bears could hug so hard."
"You have found it out now," said the jester. "You have played ourfriend here a fine trick. He was keeping the bear in order to sell himat a good price, and you, in spite of everything I could say to you,must let the animal escape. It would be no more than fair for you to paywhatever he is worth to our good host and consider yourself lucky withgetting off without a cuffing in addition--a punishment you deserve!"
Antoine felt the justice of this remark and emptied out the contents ofhis purse. But when he saw what a small sum it was, Le Glorieux relentedand said gently, "Put aside your money, my boy; there is not enough tobother about. You are one of our party, the emperor's and mine, and Iwill pay for the damage you have done." And he offered the innkeeper ahandful of silver. The latter, being upright as well as good-natured,refused to take all the money offered him by the jester, merely takingwhat he had expected to receive for the bear, showing that honesty is aplant that will flourish anywhere, provided the ground be favorable.
The remains of what once had been a velvet glove]
The Lady Marguerite had an experience of her own with one of the petsbelonging to the inn. When she and her ladies returned from their walkthey were met at the door by the landlady, who was as pale and terrifiedas if some calamity had overtaken her. In her left hand she extendedtoward the princess a wet and torn object which resembled a piece of moprag that had seen long service, but which in reality was the remains ofwhat once had been a velvet glove embroidered with seed pearls. Underher right arm she held with some difficulty, for he was wriggling withall his might, a small puppy of the age when dogs believe that the chiefobject of life is to chew things, and who looked at the princess with animpudent little bark, just as if he had not been striving with all thepatience and perseverance of which he was capable to reduce a piece ofher property to a pulp.
"Oh, this hound, this hound, your Highness!" moaned the poor woman. "Ihave tried my utmost to keep him out of the way of your Highness andout of the bedchamber of your Highness! My boys and my husband, theywill have every kind of an animal about, but for me I hate them all--Imean the animals, your Highness, and not my husband and my sons. Andthis hound, your Highness, he has been determined to go into yourbedchamber at any cos
t, though I have driven him away from it again andagain. He seems to have had nothing else on his mind since your Highnesshas honored this poor place with your presence. And when I went in yourroom this morning to put it in order, he slipped in unseen by me andremained under a chair, occupied in chewing this valuable glove just asif it had been the object of his life to feed upon pearls."
"Never mind," said the Lady Marguerite soothingly. "They are too smallto injure him, even if he has swallowed any of them."
"Injure him! What should I care for him?" cried the woman. "It is theloss of the glove belonging to your Highness that distresses me."
"Oh, do not trouble yourself about the glove; I have plenty more. Butwhat a pretty puppy, and a fine breed, too."
"Yes, your Highness, the breed is well enough," replied the woman sadly,as if she wished that the puppy had striven more faithfully to live upto the traditions of his race.
"I should like to have him," said the princess, "and you shall be paidwhatever you think that he is worth."
"Does your Highness want a dog that has just wrought such destruction?"asked the good woman, in amazement.
"Of course, why not?" said Marguerite, taking the dog in her own arms."You did not know that it was my glove, did you, doggie?"
"Your Highness is perfectly welcome to him for nothing at all," was thereply, but the princess insisted upon paying her a price for the smallanimal, which the landlady considered sufficient to purchase all thedogs in the Tyrol. And his new mistress named him Brutus, which was avery grown-up and dignified name for so small and mischievous a memberof the dog family, and as he was very intelligent he became the mostfavored of Marguerite's pets.
When they returned to the palace at Innsbruck Le Glorieux said, "LittleCousin, we each have a souvenir of the trip; you have the puppy, yourfather has some fine chamois horns, Philibert has a cut temple, Antoinesore ribs, while I have a scratched face, owing to my passion forclimbing."