Part 35 (1/2)
”Monsieur d'Ares,” said De Guiche, ”remain beside this unfortunate ently as possible The vicoo and find a priest”
”Go, sir,” replied the tutor; ”but in Heaven's naer!”
”Do not fear Besides, we are safe for to-day; you know the axioe, sir,” said Raoul to the woundedto execute your wishes”
”May Heaven prosper you!” replied the dying ratitude ialloped off in the direction mentioned and in ten , called to the host and announced that a wounded ed hi needful He desired hihborhood any doctor or chirurgeon, to fetch hier
The host, who sao young noble they required, and our two cavaliers, after seeing that preparations for the reception were actually begun, started off again and proceeded rapidly toward Greney
They had gone rather un to descry the first houses of the village, the red-tiled roofs of which stood out fro toward thee hat and gray worsted dress ustine brother Chance for once see what they were so assiduously seeking He was a man about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, but who appeared much older from ascetic exercises His complexion was pale, not of that deadly pallor which is a kind of neutral beauty, but of a bilious, yellow hue; his colorless hair was short and scarcely extended beyond the circle forht blue eyes seean Raoul, with his usual politeness, ”are you an ecclesiastic?”
”Why do you ask er, with a coolness which was barely civil
”Because ant to know,” said De Guiche, haughtily
The stranger touched his mule with his heel and continued his way
In a second De Guiche had sprung before hie ”Answer, sir,” exclaimed he; ”you have been asked politely, and every question is worth an answer”
”I suppose I aers who take a fancy to ask me”
It ith difficulty that De Guiche restrained the intense desire he had of breaking thean effort to control himself, ”we are not people who elonne and I am the Count de Guiche Nor was it from caprice we asked the question, for there is a wounded and dying man who demands the succor of the church If you be a priest, I conjure you in the name of humanity to follow me to aid this man; if you be not, it is a different matter, and I warn you in the nanorant, that I shall chastise you for your insolence”
The pale face of the e, that Raoul, whose eyes were still fixed upon him, felt as if this smile had struck to his heart like an insult
”He is so his hand to his pistol A glance, threatening and transient as lightning, replied to Raoul
”Well, sir,” said De Guiche, ”are you going to reply?”
”I ahimself to convey a respect by speech that did not come from his heart, ”if you are a priest you have an opportunity, asyour vocation At the next inn you will find a woundedattended by our servants, who has asked the assistance of a o,” said the o, sir,” said De Guiche, ”remember that we have two steeds able to catch youryou seized wherever you may be; and then I swear your trial will be summary; one can always find a tree and a cord”
The ain flashed, but that was all; he o,”--and he went
”Let us follow him,” said De Guiche; ”it will be the surest plan”
”I was about to propose so doing,” answered De Bragelonne
In the space of five minutes the monk turned around to ascertain whether he was followed or not
”You see,” said Raoul, ”we have done wisely”
”What a horrible face that monk has,” said De Guiche
”Horrible!” replied Raoul, ”especially in expression”
”Yes, yes,” said De Guiche, ”a strange face; but thesepractices; their fasts make them pale, the blows of the discipline h weeping for the good things of this life we common folk enjoy, but they have lost”
”Well,” said Raoul, ”the poor et his priest, but, by Heaven, the penitent appears to me to have a better conscience than the confessor I confess I am accustomed to priests of a very different appearance”
”Ah!” exclaimed De Guiche, ”youbrothers, who go begging on the high road until some day a benefice falls down froners--Scotch, Irish or Danish I have seen thely?”
”No, but reasonably hideous”
”What a misfortune for the wounded man to die under the hands of such a friar!”
”Pshaw!” said De Guiche ”Absolution comes not from him who administers it, but from God However, forto say to such a confessor You are ofwith the poreat inclination to break the holy father's head”
”Yes, count, it is a strange thing and one which ht astonish you, but I feel an indescribable horror at the sight of yonder man Have you ever seen a snake rise up on your path?”
”Never,” answered De Guiche
”Well, it has happened to me to do so in our Blaisois forests, and I remember that the first time I encountered one with its eyes fixed upon ue, I reh fascinated, until the moment when the Comte de la Fere----”
”Your father?” asked De Guiche
”No,
”Very well----”
”Until the moment when the Coelonne, draw your sword;' then only I rushed upon the reptile and cut it in two, just at the , ere it sprang upon ht of that man when he said, 'Why do you ask ret that you did not cut your serpent in two morsels?”
”Faith, yes, alht of the little inn and could see on the opposite side the procession bearing the wounded es The youths spurred on
”There is the wounded ustine brother ”Be good enough to hurry yourself a little, monsieur monk”
As for Raoul, he avoided thehis head away in repulsion
The young men rode up to the wounded man to announce that they were followed by the priest He raised hilance in the direction which they pointed out, saw the monk, and fell back upon the litter, his face illumined by joy
”And now,” said the youths, ”we have done all we can for you; and as we are in haste to rejoin the prince's army we must continue our journey You will excuse us, sir, but we are told that a battle is expected and we do not wish to arrive the day after it”