The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-01

you are certainly coDiuror, Master Peter;
believe you know my thoughts better than I
do myself. Yes, am going to Male; but
give You my word 1t is only to reconnoitre, and
If possible to procure some Intelligence of our
unfortunate princess. promise you to put
off the reckoning till n more convenient sea-
son bat warrant you they shall pay with
interest when they do pay, or my name is not
Jan Breydel,'
The swo deans DOW went ont together, and
parted, after exchanging few more words in
the street. Breydel started off without delay,
and q rapid walk of / alf an-hour brought him
| to the village of Male, which at this time con-
sisted of some thirty matched cottages scat
tered here and there in the immediate neigh
borhood of the castle. ALI around stretched
away impenetrable forests, amidst which the
| industry of the villagers had cleared an open
space of cultivated fields. To judge by the
fertility of the soil and abundance of the har-
vests, the peasantry should have been rich and
prosperous,-a superstition, however, which
was strangely belied by their dress and gen.
eral appearance, which in all respects bespoke
the deepest poverty. Slavery and despotism
had borne their fruits. The peasant did not
labor for himself; all belonged to his feudal
lord; and he thought himself fortunate if
| after payment Of all exaotions, he could by I'M
remitting exertion, secure himself even the
| barest maintenance.
At some little distance from the castle was
an open space, round which stood o few houses
of stone, built somewhat closer together than
| the rest in the middle rose tall stone pillar,
| to which was attached q chain with an iron
collar, in fact, kind of pillory, which be-
tokened the criminal Jurisdiction possessed by
the lord. On one side was o small chapel, the
wall of its churcbyard encroaohing few PAGES
upon the square. Adjoining the chapel stood
tolerably lofty house, the only place of pub
lie entertainment which the village boasted.
A stone image of st. Martin above the door
| served for a sign but so rudely chiselled that
| it's representation of q human figure might be
| regarded as purely conventional. The whole
ground-foor was occupied by o single apart
ment, one end of which was almost entirely
| taken up by projecting fireplace dispro.
portionately wide, that it left only q recess at
either end used as q drying place for herbs and
roots The other walls were whitewashed and
hung all over with various cooking utensils in
wood and pewter: q halberd, and several large
knives in leathern sheatbs occupied q place
| apart. The whole aspect of the place was
gloomy in the extreme. The rafters overhead
were black with smoke, and perpetual twi-
| light reigned even when, as now, the sun shoue
brightly without; for but few of his rays were
| admitted by the small panes of the Windows
which, moreover, were raised full seven feet
| above the floor. Some heavy wooden seats and
still heavier chairs completed the furnishing
| of the room.
| The hostess ran hither and tbither hastily
waiting upon her guests, who, at the time,
happened to be unusually numerous. Flagons
and beakers went their round necessarily, and
| the merriment of the jewellers blended into
| one confused hubbub of voices, in which not
one Ineligible word could be distinguished
1t was easy enough, however, to perceive that
the result was not perfectly homogeneous, and
that two distinct and different tongues COM
bined together to produce it. From about the
fire. place might be heard the manly and Wig
orous tones of the Flemish, while in the more
polished and softer accents W hich nded from
the body of the apartment might be recognized
the language of France. Among those who
spoke in the foreign tongue, and belonged to
the garrison of the castle, the principal leader
was one Leroux, at least such he seemed to be,
by the authoritative tone in which he spoke,
and the dir of superiority which he assumed.
He was, however, but simple man-at- arms
like the rest; it was only his extraordinary
strength and lofty stature, aud his readiness
to profit by those advantages, which had pro-
cured him this kind of pre-eminence among
his fellows.
While the Frenchmen were thus Justify ad-
dressing themselves to their haSons and merry
jests and jovial shouts went freely round, an
other soldier of the garrison entered the room.
GOOD news, comrades !" said he !; eve shall
soon be out of this cursed Flanders. 1 trust
before tomorrow is over we shall see our own
pleasant land of France again /"
At this every man was insanity on the alert
and looked the newcomer in the face with an
expression of mingled doubt and inquiry.
Yes" he went on " to- morrow we set off
for France, with the lady that paid us visit
at such an out-ofthe-wsy time last night"
Is that so, indeed ~ asked Leroux.
| Nothing more certain Messre de St Pol