CHAPTER I.
IN THE TOWER-ROOM.
"Long live he who loves the Franks! May Christ uphold their empire! MayHe enlighten their chiefs and fill them with grace! May He protect thearmy, may He fortify the faith, may He grant peace and happiness tothose who govern them under the auspices of our Lord Jesus Christ!"
By the faith of a Vagre! That passage from the prelude to the Salic Lawalways recurs to the mind when Frankish kings or queens are on thetapis. Let us enter the lair of Brunhild--splendid lair! Not rustic isthis burg, like Neroweg's, the large burg that we old Vagres reduced toashes! No; this great Queen has a refined taste. One of her passions isfor architecture. The noble woman loves the ancient arts of Greece andItaly. Aye, she loves art! Regale your sight with the magnificent castlethat she built at Chalon-on-the-Saone, the capital of Burgundy.Magnificent as are all her other castles, none, not even that ofBourcheresse, can compare with her royal residence, the superb gardensof which stretch to the very banks of the Saone. It is a palace at oncegorgeous and martial. In these days of incessant feuds, kings andseigneurs always turn their homes into fortifications. So also didBrunhild. Her palace is girt by thick walls, flanked with massivetowers. One only entrance--a vaulted passage closed at its twoextremities by enormous iron-barred doors--leads within. Night and dayBrunhild's men-at-arms mount guard in the vault. In the insidecourtyards are numerous other lodges for horsemen and footmen. The hallsof the palace are vast; they are paved in marble or in mosaics, and areornamented with colonnades of jasper, porphyry and alabaster surmountedwith capitals of gilded bronze. These architectural wonders,masterpieces of art, the spoils of the temples and palaces of Gaul, weretransported with the help of an immense number of relays of slaves andbeasts of burden from their original and distant sites to the palace ofthe Queen. These vast and gorgeous halls, which are furthermore storedwith massive ivory, gold and silver furniture, with exquisitely wroughtpagan statues, with precious vases and tripods, are but vestibules tothe private chamber of Brunhild. The sun has just risen. The spacioushalls are filling with the Queen's domestic slaves, with officers of hertroops, with high dignitaries of her establishment--chamberlains,equerries, stewards, constables--all coming to receive their mistress'sorders.
A circular apartment, contrived into one of the towers of the palace,connects with the chamber that the Queen habitually inhabits. The wallsare pierced by three doors--one leads to the hall where the officers ofthe palace are in waiting; another into Brunhild's bedroom; the third, asimple bay closed by a curtain of gilded leather, opens upon a spiralstaircase that is built into the hollow of the wall itself. The Queen'schamber is sumptuously furnished. Upon a table, covered with a richlyembroidered tapestry, lie rolls of white parchment beside a solid cofferstudded with precious stones. Around the table a number of chairs arearranged, all of which are furnished with soft purple cushions. Here andthere the shafts of pillars serve as pedestals for vases of jasper, ofonyx, or of Corinthian bronze, a material more precious than gold or redalabaster. Upon an antique green plinth rests a group exquisitelywrought in Parisian marble and representing the pagan god of Lovecaressing Venus. Not far from that group, two statues of bronze that agehas turned green represent the obscene figures of a fawn and a nymph.Between these two masterpieces of pagan art, a picture painted upon woodand brought at great expense from Byzantium, represents the infantChrist and John the Baptist, the latter also as a child. This pictureof holiness indicates that Queen Brunhild is a fervent Catholic. Doesshe not carry on a regular correspondence with the Pope of Rome, thepious Gregory, who can not bestow too many blessings upon his holydaughter in Christ? Further away, upon yonder ivory stand, is anelaborately carved case in which large Roman and Gallic medals of silverand gold are displayed. Among these medals is one of bronze, the onlyone of that metal in the collection. What does it represent?
What! Here! In a place like this! That august, that venerated face! O,profanation!
Oh, never was the place or time more opportune for a miracle than hereand now, in order to terrify evildoers! That bronze effigy shouldshudder with horror at the place in which it finds itself.
An elderly and richly clad woman, of stony, cynic and wily countenance,steps from Brunhild's bedroom and enters the apartment in the tower. Thewoman, of noble Frankish extraction and Chrotechilde by name, has longbeen the confidante in all the Queen's crimes and debaucheries. Shesteps to a bell, rings it and waits. Shortly after, another old womanappears at the door that opens upon the spiral staircase in the wall.Her extremely simple costume announces that she is of inferior rank.
"I heard you ring, noble dame Chrotechilde, at your orders."
"Did Samuel, the slave merchant, come as ordered?"
"He has been waiting below for over an hour with two young girls, andalso an old man with a long white beard."
"Who is that old man?"
"A slave, I suppose, that the Jew is to take somewhere else, after hisbusiness is done here."
"Order Samuel to bring up the two young girls, immediately."
The old woman bowed and vanished behind the curtain. Almost at the samemoment Brunhild stepped out of her bedroom.
The Queen was sixty-seven years of age; the lines on her face stillpreserved the traces of exceptional beauty. Her wan and wrinkled facewas illumined by the somber brilliancy of her two large but sunken eyes,which were surrounded with deep, dark circles. They were black, like herlong eyelashes; only her hair was white. A front of brass, cruel lips,penetrating eyes, a head haughtily poised, proud and lofty carriage,seeing that she had preserved a straight and supple waist--such wasBrunhild. She had hardly stepped into the apartment, when she stopped,listened and said to Chrotechilde:
"Who is coming up the little stairs?"
"The slave merchant; he has two young girls with him."
"Let him in--let him in!"
"Madam, whom do you intend to present with the two slave girls that hebrings?"
"I shall tell you later. But I am in a hurry to examine the twocreatures. The choice is important."
"Madam, here is Samuel."
The dealer in Gallic flesh, a Jew by extraction like most of the men whodevoted themselves to such traffic, entered, followed by the two slaveswhom he brought with him. They were wrapped in long white veils, thatwere transparent enough to enable them to walk unassisted.
"Illustrious Queen," said the Jew dropping on one knee and bowing so lowthat his forehead almost touched the floor, "I am here obedient to yourorders; here are two young female slaves; they are veritable treasuresof beauty, of sweetness, of gracefulness, of gentleness and above all ofmaidenliness. Your excellency knows that old Samuel has but onequality--that of being an honest trader."
"Rise--rise!" commanded Brunhild, addressing the two girls, who, at thesight of the redoubted Queen, had fallen on their knees at thethreshold of the door near the merchant. "Let the girls rise, and removetheir veils."
The two slaves hastened to obey the Queen. They rose. To the end ofenhancing the value of his merchandise, the Jew had clad the two younggirls in short-sleeved tunics, the skirt of which hardly reached theirknees, while the cut of their corsage left their bosoms and shouldershalf exposed. One of the two slaves, a tall and lithesome girl, wore awhite tunic; her eyes were blue; a strand of corals wound itself in thebraids of her black hair; eighteen or twenty years was the utmost agethat she could be taken for. The girl's face, touchingly beautiful andopen, was bathed in tears. Steeped in sorrow and shame, and trembling atevery limb, she dared not raise her tear-dimmed eyes out of fear toencounter Brunhild's. After long and attentively contemplating the girl,whom she ordered to turn around in order to have a view of her from allsides, the old Queen exchanged a look of approval with Chrotechilde, whohad been no less attentively examining the slave. Addressing the lattershe asked:
"Of what country are you?"
"I am from the city of Toul," answered the girl in a tremulous voice.
"Aurelie! Aurelie!" cried Samuel stamping on the ground
with his foot."Is that the way you remember my lessons? You should answer: 'GloriousQueen, I am from the city of Toul.'" And turning towards Brunhild,"Kindly pardon her, madam, but she is so childish, so simple--"
Brunhild cut off the Jew's flow of words and proceeded with herinterrogatory:
"Where were you taken?"
"At Toul, madam, when the city was sacked by the King of Burgundy."
"Were you free or slave?"
"I was free--my father was a master armorer."
"Can you read and write? Have you pleasing accomplishments? Can you singand play?"
"I can read and write, and my mother taught me to play upon the archluteand to sing."
When she said that she could sing, the unhappy girl was unable torepress the sobs that suffocated her. She must have thought of hermother.
"Weep, and weep again!" Samuel cried, angrily scolding the girl. "Youcan do that better than anything else. But, as you know, great Queen,one has a certain supply of tears, after the supply has run out the bagis empty."
"Do you really believe so, Jew? Fortunately you are merely slanderingthe human race," observed the Queen with a cruel smile, and proceeded tointerrogate the young girl:
"Have you ever been a slave before now?"
"By the faith of Samuel, illustrious Queen, she is as new to slavery asa child in the womb of its mother!" cried the Jew as he saw the youngGallic slave breaking out anew into sobs, and unable to make answer. "Ibought Aurelie on the very day of the battle of Toul, and since then mywife Rebecca and I have watched over the girl as if she were our ownchild, hoping that we might realize a fair price for her. We guaranteethat she is a maiden."
After another look over the girl, who now hid her face in her hands,Brunhild said to Samuel:
"Return her veil to her; let her stop whimpering; bring forth the otherone."
Aurelie received her veil from the hands of the Jew like an act ofkindness, and hastened to wrap herself up in its folds in order toconceal her grief, her shame and her tears. At the Queen's order, theother slave hastened to step forward. Dainty and fresh as a Hebe, shemight be sixteen years of age. A string of pearls wound itself in thestout braids of her bright blonde hair; her large hazel eyes sparkledwith mischief and fire; her thin and slightly upturned nose, her rosyand palpitating nostrils, her ruby but rather fleshy lips, her littleenamel teeth, her dimpled cheeks and chin, imparted to this girl theliveliest, gayest and most impudent look imaginable. Her tunic of greensilk added luster to the whiteness of her bosom and shoulders. Oh! theJew had no need of telling this one to turn around, and turn again, inorder that the aged Queen might obtain a good view of her charmingshape. She raised her head, arched her neck, rose on the tips of herfeet, folded her arms gracefully, and at all points played the coquettebefore Brunhild and Chrotechilde, who again exchanged looks of approval,while the Jew, who was now made to feel as uneasy by the audacity ofthis slave as before by the sorrowful deportment of the other, whisperedto her:
"Keep quiet, Blandine--do not shake your legs and wave your arms quiteso much. A little more decorum, my girl, in the presence of ourillustrious and beloved Queen! One would think you had quicksilver inyour veins! May your excellence excuse her, illustrious princess. She isso young, so gay, so giddy-headed--all she wants is to fly from her cageand display her plumage and voice. Lower your eyes, Blandine! Youaudacious girl! How dare you look our august Queen in the face!"
Indeed, instead of avoiding the penetrating eyes of Brunhild, Blandinesought to catch and mischievously to challenge them, all the whilesmiling with a confident mien. The Queen, accordingly, after an equallylong and minute survey, said to her:
"Slavery does not seem to sadden you?"
"On the contrary, glorious Queen, to me slavery has been freedom."
"How is that, impudent lass?"
"I had a peevish, cross, quarrelsome step-mother. She made me spend uponthe cold stone porches of the basilicas all the time that I was notengaged plying my needle. The old fury used to beat me whenever Iunfortunately took my nose off my sewing and smiled at some lad at thewindow. Accordingly, great Queen, what a sad lot was mine! Ill fed, Iwho am so fond of dainties; ill clad, I who am so coquettish; on my feetat the first crow of the cock, I who am so fond of snoozing in my bed!And so it happens that great was my joy when your invincible grandsonand his brave army, Queen, illustrious Queen, drew, last year, nearTolbiac, where I lived."
"Why so?"
"Because, glorious Queen, I knew that Frankish warriors never kill younggirls. I said to myself: 'Perhaps I may be captured by some baron ofBurgundy, a count, or perhaps even a duke, and once I am a slave, if Iknow myself, I shall become a mistress--because there have been femaleslaves known--"
"To become Queens, like Fredegonde, not so, my little one?"
"And why not, if they are pretty!" impudently answered the minx withoutlowering her eyes before Brunhild, who listened to and contemplated herwith a pensive air. "But, alas," Blandine proceeded saying with a halfsuppressed sigh, "I did not then have the fortune of falling into thehands of a seigneur. An old leude, with long white moustaches and not abit amorous, had me for his share of the booty, and he immediately aftersold me to seigneur Samuel. But perhaps it is not yet too late, and alucky chance may come my way. But what is this that I am saying!" addedBlandine smiling her sweetest at Brunhild, "is it not a great, anunexpected piece of good luck that has brought me to your presence,illustrious Queen?"
After a moment's reflection, Brunhild said to the merchant:
"Jew, I shall buy one of these two slaves from you."
"Illustrious Queen, which of the two do you prefer, Aurelie orBlandine?"
"I am not yet decided--leave them at the palace until this evening--theyshall be taken to my women's apartment."
At a nod from the Queen, Chrotechilde rang the bell; the second oldwoman again appeared; Brunhild's confidante said to her:
"Take these two slaves with you."
"Illustrious Queen," said Blandine turning once more to Brunhild, whilethe Jew was carefully wrapping the devilish girl in her veil. "Queen,choose me, glorious Queen--you will thereby do a good work--I would somuch like to stay at court."
"Keep still, impudent thing!" said Samuel in a low voice while gentlypushing Blandine towards the Queen's bedroom, at the door of whichChrotechilde pointed her finger. "Too much is too much; suchfamiliarities may displease our illustrious sovereign!"
The two young girls, one of whom was brimming over with happiness whilethe other staggered under the weight of her grief, stepped into theQueen's apartment. The Jew humbly bowed before Brunhild, left by thesame door that he had entered, and closed behind him the leather curtainthat masked the issue to the spiral staircase.
Brunhild and her confidante were left alone.