A Maid of Brittany: A RomanceKnowles, Mabel Winifred
History
A Maid of Brittany: A Romance
Knowles, Mabel Winifred
Brittany (France) -- History -- 1341-1532 -- Fiction
Pierre obeyed sullenly enough, for it displeased him to have his sport
thus interrupted, but Gwennola paid no heed to his frowns, but stood
awaiting her attendants with a little smile hovering around her lips,
though why she smiled she could not have told, unless it were that she
recalled to mind Father Ambrose’s shocked face when the Frenchman spoke
of maidens’ eyes. Tiens! what harm then was it? It was true,—so she
supposed,—but could it also be true that her eyes——? She broke off,
blushing crimson at the unmaidenly thought, then sighed as, instead of
Henri d’Estrailles’ handsome face, she recalled another face which had
looked so mockingly into hers that very morn, yonder on the terrace, a
cruel, evil face, with sallow cheeks and pale, cold eyes, the
recollection of which started another train of thought. What had it
been that had so startled Guillaume de Coray? Why had he been absent
since that moment when he had parted from her so suddenly? She was
still wondering vaguely when the entrance of Marie and Job Alloadec
broke in on her meditations.
"Come," she said, a little impatiently, "I have been awaiting thee this
long time, my Marie; it grows late, and I would fain be home before the
twilight deepens; but, ma foi, what ails the good Jobik?"
It certainly appeared as if somewhat greatly ailed the poor retainer;
his usually ruddy cheeks were flabby and pale, and his blue eyes glanced
from side to side, with the nervous stare of one who has been badly
frightened. Marie crossed herself, paling too as she replied—
"Ah, mademoiselle, pardon, it is true that I delayed, but poor Job was
at first so fear-stricken that I deemed he would verily have become
crazed outright."
Gwennola stamped her foot impatiently. "Foolish one!" she cried, though
there was a ripple of laughter mingled with the anger in her tones.
"Say then what has befallen? has the poor Jobik seen the same vision
that affrighted Monsieur de Coray this morning?"
"Truly, I know not," replied Marie in a whisper. "But he says—nay, lady,
he says—tiens, Job! tell the Lady Gwennola what thou sawest yonder in
the forest."
For reply the poor Breton poured forth a mumbled string of vows and
prayers, from amongst which Gwennola at last extracted the startling
fact that, as he stood by the river bank, he had seen amongst the trees,
on the other side, a vision of Yvon de Mereac, his young lord, who had
perished on the bloody field of St Aubin du Cormier nearly three years
since.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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