The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-08-19
AT THE STAKE.
A STORY OF THE MIDDLE AGES.


"To the stake with herl Away with
the sorceress Gods curse be on her
for her evil doings" shouted the mob
II was early morning, yet even at that
hour the judgment hall of the little
town of Bourdonnis was thronged with
the populace. Men, women and children,
old and young, the noble and the
hurghcr, priests, soldiers and common
people, crowded the spacious hail and
cried madlv for her blood.
The evening before a female, closely
veilcd and attended by two servants,
whose dark countenances bespoke the
sons of Ethiopia, had arrived at Bour.
donnis and put up at one of the princi-
pal hostelrics of the place. Strange
rumors soon arose respecting her Her
garb, her mien, her language and her
complexion were said to be those of
Saracen against which accused
race the chivalry of Europe and the
church itself warred in vain. These ru-
mors gained additional strength when
the landlord Of the inn where she had
stopped was heard to say that he had
seen her practising sorcery, charge
easily credited in that age, and ono
which few, especially in case like this,
had the hardihood to disbelieve. In less
than an hour the whole population of
the town was about, surrounding the
hostelry, and crying out for vengeance
against the sorccrcss. Such connections
were both frequent and sanguinary in
that supcrstitiOus age.
The soldiery, however, interfcrcd by
arrcsting the unsuspecting victim OF
these rumors, aud at an early hour the
prisoner had been brought into the
judgment hall to await the mockery of
trial.
"Answer me, daughter of Belial %
said the judge, as soon as the murmurs
of the mob allowed him to be heard.
"Will you confess your crime? Speak,
or you diel Know you that the rack,
ayel fire itself awaits you if your OBJ
stinacy continuesP
The prisoner was slight girlish crea-
ture, sitting with her face buried in her
hands, directly opposite to the judge.
She was apparently young and her figure,
30 far as could be seen through the
thick veil which shrouded her form, was
light and agile as that of sylph. To
the judges question she made no answer.
She only shook her head dcspondingly.
and those nigh her fancied they heard
her Sob
AT these fearful words, repeated now
for the second time, and growled forth
with an ominOus tierceness. appalling
even TO the hearer, the prisoner was OBJ
served to tremble, whether with fear or
otherwise, we know not, and lifting her
veil up with a sudden effort, she rose to
her feet, turned hastily around to the
mob, and disclosed countenance of
such surprising loveliness to their gaze,
that even those who had cried out most
unrelentingly for her blood now shrank
abashcd into silence, while others who
had been less eager for her condemnation
audibly murmured in her favor.
"What would ye have of mel" she
said, addressing the judge, and for the
first time standing unveiled before him.
GAS there is God in whom we both
believe, have told you only the truth.
am stranger, foreigner, defcnccless
woman, but not the less the aflianccd
bride of one of your proudcst noblemen,
the count de Garonne."
The tone in which she spoke was low,
but OH how touchingly sweet; and hel
words were uttered in broken French
with perceptible Oriental accent. Loud
murmurs rose in her favor as she ceased
speaking. The tide was turning. But
the judge now spoke.
''Out on thee for base slanderer of {
noble of France and a hoy crusader
Thou the betrothed bride of Garonne
AS soon would the eagle mate with tn,
vulture. l tell thee, woman, that thy
story of having been shipwrecked il
coming to France, and OF all thy trair
having been lost except thy two Ethio
plan myrmidons, is a foul lie, and an
almost minded to wiring the truth from
thee on the rack"
II have said it, said the prisoner, il
firm voice, for she felt that her life dc
pended on her firmness, land if you vii
give but one week, one little week, anc
] will prove it before man as we'll as God
came from Syria in the same fleet will
my lord, but under charge of his mother
confessor-now a saint in heaven l-bu
being separated by a storm, in which on
galley was shipwrecked, l was throw
unprotected on your shores. l am
stranger here. My servants even hayr
deserted me. / do no one harm. ] plo
no treason. All ask is to pass on m.
way. Ohln she continued in burst o
emotion, 'if you have a daughter, thinl
what would be your feelings if she wa
thus to be set upon in a strange land,
and she burst into tears. Again tn
crowd murmured in her favor.
"Womanm sternly interposed tn
Judge, unmoyed by her emotion, 'looI