A Ladder of Swords: A Tale of Love, Laughter and TearsParker, Gilbert
History
A Ladder of Swords: A Tale of Love, Laughter and Tears
Parker, Gilbert
Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603 -- Fiction; Huguenots -- Fiction; Jersey (Channel Islands) -- Fiction
She pressed her hands tight upon her ears and prayed with a passion
and a fervor she had never known before. A revelation seemed to come
upon her, and, for the first time, she was a Huguenot to the core.
Hitherto she had suffered for her religion because it was her
mother’s broken life, her father’s faith, and because they had
suffered and her lover had suffered. Her mind had been convinced, her
loyalty had been unwavering, her words for the great cause had
measured well with her deeds. But new senses were suddenly born in
her, new eyes were given to her mind, new powers for endurance to her
soul. She saw now as the martyrs of Meaux had seen; a passionate
faith descended on her as it had descended on them; no longer only
patient, she was fain for action. Tears rained from her eyes. Her
heart burst itself in entreaty and confession.
“Thy light shall be my light, and Thy will my will, O Lord,” she
cried at the last. “Teach me Thy way, create a right spirit within
me. Give me boldness without rashness, and hope without vain
thinking. Bear up my arms, O Lord, and save me when falling. A poor
Samaritan am I. Give me the water that shall be a well of water
springing up to everlasting life, that I thirst not in the fever of
doing. Give me the manna of life to eat that I faint not nor cry out
in plague, pestilence, or famine. Give me Thy grace, O God, as Thou
has given it to Michel de la Forêt, and guide my feet as I follow him
in life and in death, for Christ’s sake. Amen.”
As she rose from her knees she heard the evening gun from the Castle
of Mont Orgueil, whither Michel was being borne by the Queen’s men.
The vesper-bell had stopped. Through the wood came the salt savor of
the sea on the cool sunset air. She threw back her head and walked
swiftly towards it, her heart beating hard, her eyes shining with the
light of purpose, her step elastic with the vigor of youth and
health. A quarter-hour’s walking brought her to the cliff of the
Couperon.
As she gazed out over the sea, however, a voice in the bay below
caught her ear. She looked down. On the deck of the little craft
which had entered the harbor when the vesper-bell was ringing stood a
man who waved a hand up towards her, then gave a peculiar call. She
stared with amazement: it was Buonespoir the pirate. What did this
mean? Had God sent this man to her, by his presence to suggest what
she should do in this crisis in her life? For even as she ran down
the shore towards him, it came to her mind that Buonespoir should
take her in his craft to England.
What to do in England? Who could tell? She only knew that a voice
called her to England to follow the footsteps of Michel de la Forêt,
who even this night would be setting forth in the governor’s
brigantine for London.
Buonespoir met her upon the shore, grinning like a boy.
“God save you, lady!” he said.
“What brings you hither, friend?” she asked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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