Via Crucis: A Romance of the Second CrusadeCrawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
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Via Crucis: A Romance of the Second Crusade
Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
Crusades -- Second, 1147-1149 -- Fiction
His dark face glowed, and his unwinking eyes watched her face for the
least sign of life. Ten minutes, a quarter of an hour, passed, and time
seemed facing death--the swift against the immovable and eternal.
Gilbert, the strong and masterful in fight, humbly and anxiously
watched his man's looks for the signs of hope, as if Dunstan had been
the wisest physician of all mankind; and indeed in that day there were
few physicians who knew how to do what the man was doing. And at last
the glow in his face began to fade, and Gilbert's heart sank, and the
horror of so disturbing the dead came upon him tenfold, so that he let
the slender arm rest on the stones, and sighed. But Dunstan cried out
fiercely to him.
"For your life, go on! She is alive! See! See!"
And even as Gilbert sadly shook his head in the last collapse of
belief, the long lashes quivered a little with the lids and were still,
and quivered again, and then again, and the eyes opened wide and
staring, but broad awake; and then the delicate body shook and was half
convulsed by the miracle of life restored, and the slight arms
quickened with nervous strength, resisting the men's strong hands, and
a choking cough brought the bright colour to the pale cheeks.
Then Gilbert lifted her from the pavement to the stone rim of the well,
that she might breathe better, and presently the choking ceased, so
that she lay quite still with her head against his breast, and her
weight in his arms. But still she did not speak, and the man's heart
beat furiously with joy, and then stood still in fear, lest the worst
should come again, whereof there was no danger; but he did not know,
and Dunstan and Alric were suddenly gone, seeking wine in the house.
Just when the girl seemed to be sinking into a swoon they brought a
short draught of Syrian wine in an earthen cup; for little Alric was
not wise, but he would have found wine in the sandy desert, and he had
gone straight to a corner where a leathern bottle with a wooden plug
was hung up in a cool place.
Beatrix drank, and revived again, and looked up to Gilbert.
"I knew you would come," she said faintly, and she smiled, but Gilbert
could not speak.
By this time the Jewish boy had brought his mother, and they carried
the girl into a room, and the woman took care of her kindly, fearing
lest a Christian should die in her husband's house, and also lest she
should not be paid the value of the rent, but with womanly gentleness
also, wrapping her in dry clothes of her own before she laid her to
rest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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