Never would it have become known just who the religious men were who lived in the forest had they not found the following inscription upon the tomb of Renaud, written by Maugis himself: +-------------------------------------+ | MAUGIS DE MONTAUBON, | | +Duc de Aymon+. | | AUX NAMES REVERSES DE SON COUSIN, | | RENAUD, DUC DE BEUVES. | | _En Memoire de Leur Amitie._ | +-------------------------------------+ They also found in the grotto of Maugis the portrait of Yolande. He had written underneath her name and his own. It was incontestable proof of his identity. The news of the combat and its sad ending reached Cologne. Seigneur de Burie, who had formerly known Maugis and Renaud, visited the hermitage to assure himself that the tomb contained all that remained of the heroic Maugis and Renaud, which having done, he fell on his knees and prayed with fervor. Immediately upon his return he sent the clergy of Cologne to exhume the precious remains and bring them to Cologne, where they were deposited in the cathedral with great pomp and ceremony, their bier being watched by knights continuously while they laid in state. In the meantime the tidings were sent to Paris. The emperor, on hearing the sad news, ordered the entire court in mourning, and indeed the mourning was not a mere outward seeming, for there was sorrow in every heart. The sons of Maugis and his brothers were plunged into the most profound grief. Some days afterward an imposing retinue proceeded to Cologne and brought with them the remains of the two heroes. When they had reached the suburbs of Paris they were met by Charlemagne himself, and escorted into the city. There the most magnificent funeral ceremonies were held, after the completion of which the Aymon family proceeded with the two bodies onward to Montaubon, their final resting place, where they were placed under a magnificent tomb. To give testimony to his grief and friendship, after the emperor had accompanied them as far as Orleans, he returned to Paris, and ordered that the arms and escutcheons of Pinabel be destroyed, and that everything should be obliterated that was connected with a name which called forth so much execration. THE END. Transcriber’s Notes: • Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). • Text enclosed by pluses is in small caps (+small caps+). • Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. • Redundant title page removed.