Corse de Leon; or, The Brigand: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 2)James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
History
Corse de Leon; or, The Brigand: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 2)
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
France -- History -- Henry II, 1547-1559 -- Fiction
When the young cavalier first perceived him, the man was at the distance
of some two hundred yards; but it was with no small pleasure that
Bernard de Rohan at once recognised one of his own servants, named
Pierre Millort, an honest but somewhat weak man, who had been born upon
his own estates, and had served him for many years. He now felt certain
of obtaining speedy news of Isabel de Brienne, and rode directly towards
the other horseman, expecting that the man would remember his lord's
person at once. The young nobleman, however, dressed in the habit which
had been given him by Corse de Leon, bore not at all his usual aspect,
and good Pierre Millort also devoutly believed him to be dead. It is not
to be wondered at, therefore, that he looked upon the person who
approached him as a complete stranger; and, fancying that there was
something in his appearance of a very doubtful nature, he drew his sword
a little forward as he saw the strange cavalier riding directly up to
him, and prepared to defend himself, in case of need, as well as might
be.
When Bernard de Rohan called him by his name, however, asking if he did
not recollect him, astonishment, not a little mingled with superstitious
fear, made the man nearly fall from his horse, and he felt strongly
inclined to argue the matter with his young master, in order to persuade
him that he was really dead. At length, becoming fully convinced that
such was not the case, and that Bernard himself, in a bodily and
corporeal form, was before his eyes, he gave him the information which
he desired regarding Isabel de Brienne, though that information was by
no means satisfactory to the young cavalier.
The lady had arrived at Grenoble, he said, on the very same day that she
had set out from Gandelot's inn; but, finding that her brother was not
there, and had not sent any notice of his coming to the house in the
city where she expected to hear of him, she had taken her departure on
the following morning, in order to reach the capital and throw herself
upon the protection of the king as speedily as possible. She hoped to
arrive at Vienne in one day, the man continued, and had sent him off at
once to convey intelligence of her route to somebody he was to meet at
Gandelot's inn.
"Then how happened you not to be there last night?" demanded Bernard de
Rohan. "Had you pursued your journey, you would have saved me the
trouble of coming to Grenoble, and would have enabled me to cut across
the country and join her at Vienne this morning. Now she will be two
whole days in advance of me."
"And not a horse will you get in Grenoble with which to pursue your
way," replied the man; "for that's the reason, sir, why I did not come
on at once."
"Had you not your own horse?" demanded Bernard de Rohan, somewhat
angrily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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