Part 5 (2/2)
”Unless he remained in Paris, where I ran across him this morning,”
replied Rothbert. ”Never was his presence more needed than here and now!”
”Count,” said the abbot gulping down a yawn, ”none of my dear brothers in Christ sleep outside of the abbey, unless sent on a mission by me.
Fultrade must surely have returned home this evening. Will you not please to communicate to me the cause of this night alarm?”
”I shall give you news of a nature to make you open wide your eyes and ears. The Northmans have reappeared at the mouth of the Seine. They are advancing upon Paris with a fleet of vessels!”
Despite his enormous corpulence, Abbot Fortunat bounded up from his bed.
His triple chin s.h.i.+vered; his large red face was blanched; he clasped his hands in terror; his lips trembled convulsively; but his fear prevented him from articulating a single word. The other personages attached to the abbey looked, like himself, terror-stricken at the tidings brought by the count. Some moaned, others fell upon their knees and invoked the intercession of the Lord. All, the abbot included, who had finally found his voice, cried:
”Almighty G.o.d, have mercy upon us! Deliver us from these pagans! From these demons! Alack! Alack! What ills are about to afflict the servitors of your Church! What ravages! Our goods will be pillaged by these sacrilegious wretches! Oh, Lord! Deliver us from the Northmans! Command your angels to exterminate these pagans!”
In the midst of these exclamations Fultrade entered, at last. He looked cross and irritated. His face was inflamed.
”Come in, Fultrade,” the count called to him when he saw the monk appear at the threshold of the abbot's apartment. ”Come in; you are the only man of thought and action in this place;” and turning to the abbot, whose whimpering annoyed him, the count added: ”Fortunat, quit your lamentations! The hour calls for action, not for whines!”
The monks repressed their moans with difficulty, while the Count of Paris, addressing Fultrade in particular, said:
”The moments are precious--the Northmans have appeared at the mouth of the Seine. They are said to be under the command of one of their most intrepid sea-kings, named Rolf. Their fleet is so numerous that it covers the whole width of the mouth of the river. They can not now be further away than ten or twelve leagues from here. The means to repel them must be considered.”
”And how comes it that we have not been apprised of the arrival of these accursed men?” inquired Fultrade in a rage. ”They have pa.s.sed Rouen. How comes it that the people of that city did not spread the alarm? There is treason in this!”
”Oh! What do the people of Rouen care about the arrival of the pirates?
Not having been this time themselves attacked by the Northmans, they do not concern themselves about the rest of the provinces. It was only this evening that I was notified by some messengers of the seigneurs and abbots, whose lands border on the Seine, that the Northmans were here.
They furthermore informed me that the vile rustic plebs, which has nothing to lose, shows itself everywhere happy at the thought of the ills that these pagans will inflict upon the Church and the seigneurs.
It is for us, accordingly, for us seigneurs and clergy, to join hands and defend one another! We need not look for help from Charles the Simple, who will think of nothing but the defence of his own royal domain, if he be capable of even that. He will allow the Northmans to plunder us to their hearts' content.”
”Alack! Alack!” resumed the Abbot of St. Denis with a fresh outburst of moans. ”What direful calamities are again in store for us!--Did we not see Charles the Bald grant the country of Chartres to that execrable Hastain! to that chieftain of Northman pirates! to that vile revolted serf! to that bandit, soiled with all crimes and abominable sacrileges!
Alack!--What horrible times these are in which we live!--What shall we do, Oh, Lord!--What else can we do but invoke your holy name!”
”What we are to do?--It is plain! We must rely upon ourselves alone!
Organize ourselves for our own defence; arm our colonists and our towns-people; and lead them out, under pain of death, to do battle with the Northman!--You, Fultrade, are a man of energy and intelligence.
Immediately take horse and ride at full gallop with some of my officers and a good escort, to summon in my name the bishops and abbots of my duchy of France to arm their serfs and towns-men. A portion of these men is to be left in the abbeys and castles as a garrison, the others are to be marched to Paris in small detachments, to defend the Commune.”
”Count, what are you thinking of!” exclaimed the abbot, raising his hands to heaven. ”At so dangerous a moment, would you send Father Fultrade from my side!”
”You need not be afraid,” answered Rothbert. ”Before leaving Paris I issued orders to one hundred of my men at arms to march hither at the double quick, in order to defend this post which dominates the Seine.”
”Alack!” murmured the abbot, breaking out in tears. ”Already, five times has this abbey been invaded, sacked and pillaged by these pagans.
Although the place has been surrounded by new fortifications, it never could resist the Northmans! Alack! The thickest walls crumble down before these demons! We are lost!”
”Fear is deranging your mind, Fortunat. I tell you again that nothing short of a regular siege will take the place. My hundred soldiers will suffice for the defence against these Northmans. And, now, Fultrade, to horse! If you succeed in your mission you will receive from me a rich bishopric in reward.”
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