Barbarossa; An Historical Novel of the XII Century.
Page 13
_CHAPTER XI_.
_THE JOURNEY_.
Erwin thought it advisable to accompany Bonello and his daughter untilthey had reached a place of safety. Well aware of the dangers of theroad, and the bitter party feeling throughout Lombardy, he feared lestthe old man might lose his life, were he to meet any of the soldiersfrom Lodi, Pavia, Cremona, or the other cities which were leaguedagainst Milan. He therefore procured a strong armed escort to protecthis friends in case of attack. Whilst the Count of Rechberg was makinghis preparations, Hermengarde and the Abbot hastened to the castle tocommunicate the glad tidings of their success to the prisoner, who, ina transport of joyful emotion, threw himself upon his daughter'sbreast, with tears of pious gratitude. The Abbot looked on calmly.Pietro Nigri, as though he regretted that the tyrant had granted hisold friend's pardon, gazed on in gloomy indifference. After the firstmoments of their joyful greeting, Guido requested to be informed of thedetails, and the Abbot Conrad related the scene which had taken placebetween the Emperor and the young Count.
"Where is the noble youth?" asked Bonello; "why did you not bring himhere?"
At that moment was heard the clatter of horses' hoofs, and the clank ofarmor, in the castle-yard, and Erwin, hastily dismounting, made his waytowards the tower. Bonello watched him anxiously; and when the Count,in brilliant armor, entered the room, he rushed towards him, seized hishand, and fell upon his knees.
"Most excellent young man!" he cried; "you are my preserver! may Godreward you for your kindness to my child! Heaven grant me the power toprove to you my gratitude! Anything which you may ask of me shall beyours. May God bless and keep you."
The old man spoke in a voice choked with emotion. Erwin interruptedhim, for he was pained to see Bonello at his feet.
"Rise, my lord, I beg of you. Your thanks overwhelm me. I have onlyacted as any other gentleman would have done, in my place. I merelycrave the favor of accompanying you to your home."
At this new mark of kind consideration, Bonello was about to utterfurther words of gratitude; but the Count interrupted him by theannouncement that all was ready for their departure. They left thetower, and entered the court-yard of the castle, where stoodHermengarde's palfry, and a splendid courser for her father. Theparting between Bonello and the Abbot was touching; they embraced oneanother, and the prelate returned to the camp. Pietro Nigri mountedsullenly, glancing haughtily upon the young girl, and contemptuously ather father.
"Farewell, lady," he said; "I wish you every happiness. As to you,Sir," he added, "I sincerely trust that you may never have cause toregret the life which you owe to a tyrant's mercy,--a life destined tobe passed unprofitably, for all that concerns the honor and well-beingof your country."
He dashed off before Guido could reply, and the others hastened toleave the castle, where some of them, at least, had suffered soacutely.
At the foot of the hill, they struck towards the south, and thendiverged from the main road. Erwin was anxious to please his guests,and readily yielded to Bonello's guidance. The latter was perfectlyfamiliar with the country, and desired to avoid any meeting with theItalian soldiery. For, though firmly resolved never to draw his swordagain, he was pained at the sight of so many Lombards hurrying to joinBarbarossa's legions and attack Milan, the most important bulwark ofItalian independence, so they took a cross road which speedily ledthem to the summit of the plain. Every precaution had been takenagainst the marauders who then infested the country. In front, rodetwo men-at-arms; then came Rechberg, followed by Hermengarde and herfather, and four other troopers closed the rear of the escort.
"We must hasten," said Guido, "in order to arrive before nightfall atthe monastery of San Pietro; it will be sufficient for the first day'sjourney, and by starting at dawn to-morrow, we shall reach my castlebefore the evening."
Erwin had wished to learn some of the particulars about Bonello'sfamily, and he at once profited by the present opening.
"Only by to-morrow evening?" said he; "then your castle must be nearthe Lower Alps?"
"In their very midst, Count; in the very heart of the Alps," repliedGuido. "If, as I suppose, you like mountain-castles, mine will pleaseyou. Years ago, when I visited Germany, I used to admire yourfortresses perched upon the craggy peaks, like immense eagles' nests.The evident disposition of the Teutonic nobility to shun the cities andlow grounds, and occupy the heights, is a mark of sound judgment. Ourancestors, also, knew how and where to build their strongholds. Did youever see Castellamare?"
"Is that your dwelling?"
"Yes," answered Bonello. "The Romans from whom I am descended, erectedthe fortress, and it has been in my family from time immemorial."
"Doubtless, during your absence, your son commands in the castle?"
"I have no son," answered the old man, somewhat sadly.
"That pale-faced young man, who was with you at Cinola, is perhaps oneof your relations?"
"Pietro Nigri? Oh, not precisely, but almost!" Here the young girl'shorse plunged violently.
"Take care, my child; your horse seems inclined to be troublesome,"said Guido. "Pietro," he resumed, "is the son of the Milanese ConsulNigri. He is a most worthy young man; he was my daughter's escort toCinola."
They approached the monastery, around whose walls the twilight mist wasslowly rising. Still, from afar, could be seen the dark red windows ofstained glass; and the gilded cross upon the tower, illuminated withthe rays of the setting sun, shone bright through the evening haze.Bonello gazed eagerly upon this glad haven of rest, as they hastenedforward.
At the sound of the bell, a grating was drawn aside.
"Open, open, brother Ignatius!" cried the lord of Castellamare to themonk, who examined the appearance of the visitors. "We wish a lodgingfor the night, and a flask of your best wine."
Soon a key grated in the lock, the gates opened, and the littlecavalcade rode into the court-yard.
"You are most welcome, my lord," said Ignatius, cordially; "pardon meif I have made you wait. We are obliged to be most prudent, for thecountry is filled with marauders, who have little respect for thesanctity of our poor cloisters. Your arrival here is truly gratifyingto us all; but we regret our superior's absence."
"Where is he?"
"In Genoa."
"I am extremely sorry," said Guido; "for we might have talked togetheruntil matins."
The horses were led to the stables, and a lay brother conducted thetravellers to the refectory. Several long benches and tables, twocomfortable arm-chairs, a handsome crucifix upon the wall, and a bronze_aspersorium_, composed all the furniture of the room. Seating himselfin one of the arm-chairs, Guido at once entered into conversation withthe lay brother, whose mission it was not only to receive, but also toentertain all visitors to the convent.
"The holy Abbot is at Genoa, you say?" inquired Bonello. "He absentshimself so rarely that there must have been grave reasons for hisjourney."
The monk glanced distrustfully at Erwin, and was silent. Rechbergconcluded that the Order belonged to Alexander's party and had incurredthe displeasure of the Emperor. The repast was soon brought in, and thetired travellers partook eagerly of the three copious dishes. Theservants were entertained in another room. The rest of the evening waspassed in conversation; but Bonello made no allusion to politicalaffairs, and the monk imitated his example, although it was evidentthat he would gladly have spoken of the German army and the perils nowmenacing the Church. But the presence of the young nobleman imposedsilence upon his curiosity.
Erwin felt this reserve the more so that he feared lest Guido mightsuspect him of repeating to the Emperor what he had already overheard.He would gladly have talked with Hermengarde, but it seemed as if shemeant to model her conduct by her father's, and all his attempts toengage her in conversation were ineffectual.
"She considers me the enemy of her country," he thought; "perhapsavoids me as a heretic. At least she might remember what I have donefor her sake."
Th
e idea was painful to him, and he was heartily glad when theyseparated for the night. Next morning they resumed their journey. Thesummits of the Alps grew more distinct, and Hermengarde's spiritsappeared to brighten as they approached her home. She conversed gaylywith Rechberg and asked many artless questions about Germany and itsinhabitants, and he was charmed with the interest she evinced in hisnative land.
"Have you any mountains like those in Germany?" said she, pointing tothe Alps.
"Yes, lady; and our mountains are covered with forests in which roamthe stag, the roebuck, and the wild boar; but the bear, much to thedelight of the traveller and the chagrin of true hunters, becomes everyday more rare.
"Bears! but is it possible that any one can regret the disappearance ofthose fierce animals!"
"Oh! a bear-hunt has its charms!"
"Very dangerous ones, I should think."
"But it is precisely on account of their danger that this sport isattractive, fair lady. To slay a timid stag requires little courage,but a struggle with the bear needs both bravery and skill. Thebear-hunt is the school in which we take our first lessons in the artof war."
The Count's earnestness proved that he spoke of one of his favoritepastimes.
"In what part of Germany is your domain, Count?" said Hermengarde,after a short pause.
"In Suabia."
"If I mistake not, Suabia is the birthplace of the Hohenstauffen?"
"Precisely, noble lady! The castles of Hohenstauffen and Rechberg areneighboring ones. Our families have always been intimate and are evenconnected by ties of blood."
Erwin almost regretted his last remark when he reflected that hisrelationship with Barbarossa would be a poor recommendation in the eyesof the young Lombard.
"I fear that our journey will be unpleasantly interrupted," saidBonello, who, for some time, had been watching a gray speck on thesummit of the mountain.
"In what way, sir knight?"
"Do you see that castle? It is the dwelling of the Emperor's prefect,Herman, who is in charge of yonder bridge. He is a cruel, bad man, andlevies tolls to suit his own pleasure, particularly when the travellersare wealthy or of high rank. He has on several occasions seized uponpersons and held them prisoners until a high ransom has been paid fortheir release."
"But this is a crying injustice," said the Count, "and should bereported to His Majesty, who would punish Herman severely for his abuseof power." Bonello shook his head, with a smile.
"Herman merely executes the Emperor's orders," said he. Rechberg lookedat the speaker with astonishment. He was loth to believe that such aninsult to his sovereign were possible. Bonello resumed,--
"Barbarossa knows perfectly well all about his deputy here, but thereare other exactions of which I believe him still ignorant. He hasreduced several families to utter beggary, and when he can squeezenothing more out of them himself, he sells them to the Jews. This iswhat he calls 'balancing his accounts.' I have known instances where hehas stretched the poor wretches on the rack to extort from them theirlast pennies. In short, this Herman, the terror of the country, is adisgrace to humanity. But there are other deputies of the Emperor insome of the cities, who are equally merciless in their exactions."
"I can scarcely credit your statements," replied the young Count; "butI feel sure that upon the first complaint of such enormities Fredericwould interfere."
"You make a grave mistake," said Bonello. "I have personallyrepresented the facts to the Emperor, but in vain; his invariableanswer has been, that it was the duty of his agents to collect thetaxes and imposts, and if they were obliged to resort to extrememeasures, that it was doubtless the fault of the inhabitants whorefused to pay their dues."
They rode on in silence. The young Count was dejected, for he began toperceive that it was natural for men like Bonello to resist such anarbitrary exercise of tyranny.