The river took many turns, and this sometimes brought the wind on their
side instead of right astern. Then they all moved to the weather side to
prevent the boat heeling over too much; all but a child of about five
years old, the grandson of the boatman, and his darling: this urchin had
slipped on board at the moment of starting, and being too light to
affect the boat's trim was above, or rather below, the laws of
navigation.
They sailed merrily on, little conscious that they were pursued by a
whole posse of constables armed with the bailiff's writ, and that their
pursuers were coming up with them: for, if the wind was strong, so was
the current.
And now Gerard suddenly remembered that this was a very good way to Rome
but not to Burgundy. "Oh Denys," said he with an almost alarmed look,
"this is not your road."
"I know it," said Denys quietly. "But what can I do? I cannot leave thee
till the fever leaves thee: and 'tis on thee still; for thou art both
red and white by turns; I have watched thee. I must e'en go on to
Cologne I doubt, and then strike across."
"Thank Heaven," said Gerard, joyfully. He added eagerly with a little
touch of self-deception, "'Twere a sin to be so near Cologne and not see
it. Oh man, it is a vast and ancient city, such as I have often dreamed
of, but ne'er had the good luck to see. Me miserable, by what hard
fortune do I come to it now. Well then, Denys," continued the young man
less warmly, "it is old enough to have been founded by a Roman lady in
the first century of grace, and sacked by Attila the barbarous, and
afterwards sore defaced by the Norman Lothaire. And it has a church for
every week in the year, forbye chapels and churches innumerable of
convents and nunneries, and above all the stupendous minster yet
unfinished, and therein, but in their own chapel, lie the three kings
that brought gifts to our Lord, Melchior gold, and Gaspar frankincense,
and Balthazar the black king, he brought myrrh: and over their bones
stands the shrine the wonder of the world; it is of ever-shining brass
brighter than gold, studded with images fairly wrought, and inlaid with
exquisite devices, and brave with colours; and two broad stripes run to
and fro of jewels so great so rare, each might adorn a crown or ransom
its wearer at need: and upon it stand the three kings curiously
counterfeited, two in solid silver richly gilt; these be bareheaded; but
he of Æthiop ebony, and beareth a golden crown: and in the midst our
blessed Lady in virgin silver, with Christ in her arms; and at the
corners, in golden branches, four goodly waxen tapers do burn night and
day. Holy eyes have watched and renewed that light unceasingly for ages,
and holy eyes shall watch them in sæcula. I tell thee, Denys, the oldest
song, the oldest Flemish or German legend, found them burning, and they
shall light the earth to its grave. And there is St. Ursel's church, a
British saint's, where lie her bones and all the other virgins her
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