CHAPTER VIII.
The mountains and the country around were by this time filled with newtidings that contained representations of the most horrible cruelties,said to have been practised by the Camisards. Even their best friendsand such as willingly lent them their aid, became displeased, and manyof the rebels themselves ventured not to extenuate the barbarity, whichthese had permitted themselves to exercise against catholic priests,landholders, nay even towards secret protestants. It appeared as if theweakest party desired, in defying despair to outdo the harshness oftheir foes; but this alienated many hearts from them and withheld thehelp that otherwise would have been openly lent to them.
A serene summer morning shed its light over the mountains, when Edmondwith hasty steps took his way towards the secret wilds, where there wasneither track nor footpath, and which was only known to him fromrepresentation. He felt as if his wonderful gift of inward sight wasconducting him in the direct way, for he discovered the most secretdirecting signs by which the rebels alone could find a clue to thehiding-places, without straying among the windings of the rocks, orbeing stopped by the appearance of unexpected precipices. He left thefortress of St. Hyppolite on one side and came in a short time afterhaving climbed steep mountains, into another rocky district, to whichonly small stony paths led, and which far around was torn asunder byspacious crevices and caverns. Here did the Camisards keep theirseverely wounded that had been able to escape from the fight; if thiswas impossible, they shot them themselves, in order to deliver themfrom the cruel ingenuity of the executioner. In these caves, Rolandalso concealed his provision of arms and ammunition, if he should havea superfluity of them, and also a supply of food and wine, likewisemedicines, and that which was necessary for the care of the sick.Government had already offered a large reward for the discovery of thisimportant place of refuge, but until now in vain, for only the mosttrustworthy among the rebels were acquainted with this district, whonaturally would not betray it and they took care, that only those amongthe country-people, whose integrity could be depended upon, should beadmitted. As Edmond went along the narrow way which lay on the rightunder a steep mountain, whilst on the left, at the distance of a fewpaces, yawned a giddy abyss; he was just reflecting how easily andsafely this pass might be defended, when he suddenly heard a largefigure with a hairy face and wild, savage expression, call out,requesting to speak with him. Edmond was going to explain to him forwhat purpose he had come there, when the hairy figure without replyingtook up his gun and was in the act of firing at him, a cracked voicefrom behind a projection of the rock, cried out: "For God's sake stop,brother Mazel!" at the same moment two naked brown arms fell on thebreast of the armed man and dashed the gun on the ground. "He is nospy, he cannot be such!" exclaimed the half-naked man, "it is the youngLord of Beauvais."
As Edmond looked round he saw Eustace, the charcoal-burner whom he knewvery well, standing before him.
"How came you to this secret place?" said the invalid, who was takencare of here.
Edmond now saw several strange faces which gathered round to examinehim with looks of curiosity. The young man experienced a singularsensation on beholding these ragged, wretched looking figures, and onfinding himself compelled to tell them wherefore he was come, and thathe intended to live among them as a brother, and to fight for theirabused rights. Eustace clapped his hands in the greatest amazement, andcried out: "I should have sooner expected the day of judgment! youcannot conceive bow haughty and indignant this noble gentleman was,when I once attempted to speak and jest with his little lady sister!Yes, Abraham, that is a sign from God, to strengthen us in our goodcause. If such a gentleman to whom nothing is wanting, to whom God hasplentifully given whatever human wealth can procure, brought up andlearned in their religion, if he should come over to us, and be willingto undergo the severity of the weather, storms, hunger, nakedness, andfor the sake of God, perhaps, a disgraceful death: what are we then todo, whom they have plundered, ill used, whose children they haveslaughtered, whose priests they have murdered; indeed these are signswhich precede judgment?" In the same moment he began to scream out apsalm; but Mazel said: "Cease now, good brother, for we do not at allknow yet, if brother Roland will accept him, he must first be broughtbefore him; we have lately been several times too much deceived and thething may be only a snare this time also, but Roland and Cavalier knowdirectly what they are about, no one can deceive these."
Edmond looked at him with the utmost contempt and exclaimed: "Conductme to the wood, to Lord Roland!"--
"Brother Roland, if you please," replied the stout Mazel, "among usthere are no Lords; God is our Lord.--Stephen! Favart!" Cried he, in acommanding tone, and out of the cliffs sprang forward a fair-hairedyoung man, and behind him stole forth another, whom Edmond immediatelyrecognised for the old huntsman, that he had met about twelve daysbefore at his father's house. "Conduct the young man to brotherRoland," said Mazel to both of them, and Edmond accompanied them insilence, still deeper into the solitude of the mountains. Favartglanced sideways at the new comrade, while they walked on together, atlength he said: "Lately, but for that young lad, things would haveturned out badly enough."
"Who was he?" asked Edmond.
"I do not know," replied the huntsman, "I should like very much toknow who he is; he knew me, although I did not know him. I hadabandoned the brethren for sixteen months, now I am again returned tothem, principally because the young lad said in my ear that I was anapostate and a traitor to God; now, I know too, how the Lord ofBasville, the Intendant thinks, and all the other godless men. They areblood-thirsty men."
Young Stephen drew out a little flute and blew upon it a spiritualsong, which sounded pleasingly far through the mountains. "Leave offthat godless blowing," said Favart. "Why godless?" asked Edmond. "It isonly a worldly little pipe," said the squinting huntsman, "all thesethings proceed from the wicked enemy, to ensnare our souls and heartsthrough sensual pleasure; in simplicity we should think on the Lord andour lips alone should laud and praise him, but not artificially andseducingly, for it is not seemly to make jubelee in our sorrow."
"You are too severe," said Stephen, "the birds in the woods praise theLord and artificially too, in their way."
"They have no reason, no soul," said Favart, "they are poor beasts,even if it were the nightingale herself; it is still no praise to theLord, they do but call their mates, or brood in their nests, theirgodliness is all a lie."
"As you will," said Stephen, at the same time replacing his flute. Theycame to a number of trees hewn down, and placed so as to form a sort offence, from out of which a voice exclaimed: "Who goes there?" "Zion!"replied the two guides; and some large birch-trees were pushedbackwards, and made way on the narrow path. They passed through. "Whereis Roland?" demanded they of the sentinels. "Up there," replied thelatter, "under the great Apostle chesnut tree."
"We shall soon be there," said Stephen. They already heard a noise inthe distance, talking, singing, and also clattering of iron; and now,when they had reached the summit of the wooded mountain plain, Edmondperceived many men in various groups, all brown and burnt by the sun,the greatest part of them in ragged doublets; some appeared to bepraying, a few were reading, others were reposing on the grass, severalwere whetting their jagged swords or cleaning their guns, others weremending their vestments; many sang psalms. A tall wild-looking manadvanced towards them, he walked up and down agitatedly with his handsbehind his back, huge whiskers descended on either side of his face,his hair was tightly drawn up to the top of his head; "Good daybrethren," cried he, in a discordant voice, which Edmond immediatelyrecognised for the same he had heard in the distance on the eventfulnight. "The hero Catinat!" exclaimed Favart, shaking the gigantic manheartily by the hand, "how fares it with you?" "I am accused brother,"said the former, "and Roland will hold no intercourse with me until allhis officers, Cavalier and the rest, have spoken respecting me."
"Where is Roland?" enquired Edmond, hastily. "It is he yonder, who sitswith his
bared neck under the chesnut tree," said Catinat.
Edmond perceived a man of slight figure and middle age, leaning againstthe trunk of the tree, who was looking quietly on the ground andsmoking a short clay tobacco pipe; he had taken off a red silkneckerchief which lay by his side, and had loosened his waistcoat, sothat his whole breast was laid bare, his head was uncovered, his facewas only shaded by large whiskers. He calmly raised his light browneyes, as the three presented themselves before him, and Stephenexplained in a few words Edmond's request. "Indeed!" said Roland, stillcontinuing to smoke and quickly turning his searching glance fromEdmond; "have a little patience, until I give you my answer, we donothing without higher counsel, and I have not been thus blessed. Areany of our prophets here?" asked he in a loud voice, looking round thecircle.
"No, brother Roland," resounded from all sides; "Be patient, some ofthem will shortly be here, for I do not know you, but nothing can beconcealed from them."
Edmond felt hurt, his heart was ready to overflow; he related in a fewwords his wonderful transformation and how the spirit had led him intothe mountains; "Yes, I myself, unworthy as I may be," concluded he,with deep emotion, his narration, "I have been blessed with thiswonderful gift of fore-knowledge."
"Indeed!" said Roland in a drawling tone, while he rather winked thanlooked at the youth with his half closed eyes, in which was reflectedeither his contempt, or perhaps his envy, the latter was what Edmondconceived it to indicate. He raised his foot, and knocked the ashes outof the top of his tobacco pipe; "Go and walk up and down for a shorttime, I have some reflections to make; as soon as one of our prophetsarrives, you shall obtain your answer."
Edmond turned away much annoyed, and cast his eyes over theinterminable mountains; to the immense chain of the Cevennes are joinedthe blue summits of the Pyrenees, and on the other side were to be seencraggy cliffs and masses of rocks, which give so striking a feature tothe right bank of the Rhone. What was Edmond's surprise, when among thefraternity he recognized two noblemen, whom he had formerly met manytimes at Nismes, and who had sunk into universal contempt on account oftheir frivolity and bad conduct. Cesar and Mark Anthony were merelywhat is usually termed in ordinary life boon companions; they had beenfinally compelled, in consequence of their debts to make their escape,and had, apparently, from absolute necessity alone, sought the societyof these religious mountaineers. However much they tried to imitate thelooks and demeanour of the rest, there still lay concealed even in thevery manner that they greeted Edmond, something of that recklessinsolence and licentious freedom, which all well-principled young menhad excluded from their society many years before.
When Edmond had taken a survey of the surrounding country and of hisfuture companions, Roland again called out in a loud voice, as he stoodup:
"Is no prophet yet arrived?" "Yes," said Favart, "here is brotherDuplant." At the same moment a pale, haggard little man stepped up, whotrembled in every joint as from cold and whose prominent eyes added tohis appearance of illness. "What do you wish brother?" asked he of theleader in an almost whining tone.
"Come forward brother," said Roland in a full, sonorous voice; "here isa new brother, who presents, himself to us from out of the valley, arich distinguished man and a catholic; what does the spirit say to youabout it?"
Duplant opened his light-blue eyes still wider, gazed on Edmond with afeeble, death-like look, then gathered himself up, shook his headviolently, fell down, and while his breast and the lower part of hisbody heaved convulsively, a deep, and to him, unusual voice proceededfrom him, resounding loudly: "I tell thee brother, this is a choiceinstrument, he will serve the Lord faithfully; his father in his heartis in our mountains, rejoice all that he is come among us. Amen!"
Roland immediately embraced the youth, then extended his hand to him;"In the name of God then!" said he solemnly, "My vocation must betrue," answered Edmond, "for you have given a reception such as mightwell have frightened back an ordinary enthusiast."
"We cannot do otherwise brother," said Roland, "we are too often put tothe test by spies in various forms; therefore, the Lord, decides amongus, He, who cannot be deceived."
"It is good for me to be among you and to look upon the faces of allthese, honoured men: but where is Cavalier, the hero, whose nameresounds throughout the whole country? my soul burns to know him and tofold him in my arms."
"Yonder he comes with his troop in wonderful array."
A multitude of Camisards, clad in pillaged uniforms, marched up themountain shouting with joy, at their head rode their commander, mountedon a little horse, one feather in his large hat, a richly embroidereduniform hung wide and loosely on his little thin body. He sprang fromhis horse, and while Edmond was making his way up to him, impressedwith the almost ludicrous appearance of the unbecoming attire, the sojustly renowned Cavalier advanced towards him, and Edmond, in terrorand in deep confusion, stepped back, for the young hero was no otherthan that miller-lad, whom he had a short time before in his father'shouse treated with so much contempt, nay even with cutting bitterness.