第16章 WHAT BEFELL OUTSIDE OF CHINON TOWN(7)

At this tale the girl Elliot,crossing herself very devoutly,cried aloud -"O father,did I not tell you so?This holy thing can have been no other but that blessed Maiden,guarded by the dear saints in form visible,whom this gentleman,for the sin of keeping evil company,was not given the grace to see.Oh,come,let us mount and ride to Chinon,for already she is within the walls;had we not ridden forth so early,we must have heard tell of it."It seemed something hard to me that I was to have no grace to behold what others,and they assuredly much more sinful men than myself,had been permitted to look upon,if this damsel was right in that she said.And how could any man,were he himself a saint,see what was passing by,when his head was turned the other way?Howbeit,she called me a gentleman,as indeed I had professed myself to be,and this I saw,that her passion of anger against me was spent,as then,and gone by,like a shower of April.

"Gentleman you call yourself,sir,"said her father;"may I ask of what house?""We are cadets of the house of Rothes,"I answered."My father,Leslie of Pitcullo,is the fourth son of the third son of the last laird of Rothes but one;and,for me,I was of late a clerk studying in St.Andrews.""I will not ask why you left your lore,"he said;"I have been young myself,and,faith,the story of one lad varies not much from the story of another.If we have any spirit,it drives us out to fight the foreign loons in their own country,if we have no feud at home.

But you are a clerk,I hear you say,and have skill enough to read and write?""Yea,and,if need were,can paint,in my degree,and do fair lettering on holy books,for this art was my pleasure,and I learned it from a worthy monk in the abbey.""O day of miracles!"he cried."Listen,Elliot,and mark how finely I have fallen in luck's way!Lo you,sir,I also am a gentleman in my degree,simple as you see me,being one of the Humes of Polwarth;but by reason of my maimed leg,that came to me with scars many,from certain shrewd blows got at Verneuil fight,I am disabled from war.A murrain on the English bill that dealt the stroke!To make up my ransom (for I was taken prisoner there,where so few got quarter)cost me every crown I could gather,so I even fell back on the skill I learned,like you,when I was a lad,from a priest in the Abbey of Melrose.Ashamed of my craft I am none,for it is better to paint banners and missals than to beg;and now,for these five years,I am advanced to be Court painter to the King himself,thanks to John Kirkmichael,Bishop of Orleans,who is of my far-away kin.A sore fall it is,for a Hume of Polwarth;and strangely enough do the French scribes write my name--"Hauves Poulvoir,"and otherwise,so please you;but that is ever their wont with the best names in all broad Scotland.Lo you,even now there is much ado with banner-painting for the companies that march to help Orleans,ever and again.""When the Maiden marches,father,you shall have banner-painting,"said the girl.

"Ay,lass,when the Maid marches,and when the lift falls and smoors the laverocks we shall catch them in plenty.{8}But,Maid or no Maid,saving your presence,sir,I need what we craftsmen (I pray you again to pardon me)call an apprentice,and I offer you,if you are skilled as you say,this honourable post,till you find a better."My face grew red again with anger at the word "apprentice,"and Iknow not how I should have answered an offer so unworthy of my blood,when the girl broke in -"Till this gentleman marches with the flower of France against our old enemy of England,you should say,father,and helps to show them another Bannockburn on Loire-side.""Ay,well,till then,if it likes you,"he said,smiling."Till then there is bed,and meat,and the penny fee for him,till that great day.""That is coming soon!"she cried,her eyes raised to heaven,and so fair she looked,that,being a young man and of my complexion amorous,I could not bear to be out of her company when I might be in it,so stooped my pride to agree with him.

"Sir,"I said,"I thank you heartily for your offer.You come of as good a house as mine,and yours is the brag of the Border,as mine is of the kingdom of Fife.If you can put your pride in your pouch,faith,so can I;the rather that there is nothing else therein,and so room enough and to spare.But,as touching what this gentle demoiselle has said,I may march also,may I not,when the Maid rides to Orleans?""Ay,verify,with my goodwill,then you may,"he cried,laughing,while the lass frowned.

Then we clapped hands on it,for a bargain,and he did not insult me by the offer of any arles,or luck penny.

The girl was helped to horse,setting her foot on my hand,that dirled as her little shoe sole touched it;and the jackanapes rode on her saddle-bow very proudly.For me,I ran as well as I might,but stiffly enough,being cold to the marrow,holding by the father's stirrup-leather and watching the lass's yellow hair that danced on her shoulders as she rode foremost.In this company,then,so much better than that I had left,we entered Chinon town,and came to their booth,and their house on the water-side.Then,of their kindness,I must to bed,which comfort I sorely needed,and there I slept,in fragrant linen sheets,till compline rang.