Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-07-19
THE RANSOM.

across the horizon. Triumphal arches and
rostrai columns emerged from the thick
foliage Of trees whose shadows had lain for
centuries upon them. The homes OF the poor,
the palaces Of priests and ministers. vast halls
and ruinesi temples cast their strange and
varied silhouettss upon the fathomlsss blue
Of the Latin sky and tretted the horizon like
the lace mantle Of some Titaness
When the gods reigned, the city was known
o. the city Of Aphrodite. Nov she bore the
name Of sainted bishop Of the true church
Above her walls rose the olive woods, and
higher still the forests of pines, soInher and
mysterious, and fast against the granite hills
beyond, into the infinite ether, where the
eagle spreads his mighty wings, pointed the
nine towers Of the castle of Pierreluce
Here dwelt the virgin Bathilde.
She WAS a widow who had neer been Q
wife Her lord, called forth to single handed
combat on their marriage eve, had gone
never 10 return, and with the chaste kiss OF
parting on her brow, she was like a fruit Of
Paradise with bloom untouched save by the
swift passing of an angels wing
Her skin was white "a the petals Of the lily
flower
Her eyes We're deep; changeful as twilights
in autumn.
Her throat was ivory column-fine and
white and slender, and wound about with
strings Of gold, clasped by single amethyst.
Her hair was like copper threads in the sun
hght-like brown seaweed in the shade, but
soft To the touch as is the fur Of the wild
beast
She loved no one.
She was as cold as the marble gods and her
heart was Of ice. And her people hated and
feared her for she was wicked and cruel in
their hearts they cursed her.
But she cared not at all In the radiant
pride of her beauty she was like a pagan EN-
press and she scarce bowed her naughty
head at the elevation Of the Host The
priest swung the sacred chalice before her
beautiful eyes-wide opened and scornful-
and when the white robed frlars In the don
Jon chapel besought her to kneel with the
faithful at confession, she made answer
proudly:
"Of what should accuse myself"
And the angels wept in heaven, and even
the good and just God saw that she must be
humbled.
1t was yet the time of the harvest, and the
autumn sunset lay warm on the granite hills
when there came knocking at the gates and
a sound Of many horses hoofs and the voices
Of men.
Foulques the Beautiful asked shelter for
the night from the Lady of Pierreluce.
Foulques the Beautiful was tall OF stature
and fair Of face His head WAS the mocking
head OF Bacchus, and his lips were red as if
stained by the juice Of the grape His hair
lay on his brow like rings Of gold. and there
was that in his eye which no woman could
withstand
I'm RQ
looked down on the guest at her donjon
gates.
From the donjon gates Foulques the Beau
tiful looked up at Bathilde in the window OF
the tower.
And it was as if she were held by chains,
and the heart which she had never felt be-
fore TO beat rose in great throbs Of ecstasy,
and she placed her two hands at her white
throat and felt the beating there
And Foulques the Beautiful smiled and
Bathilde sent down her servitors to open the
castle TO him and to his followers, and to bid
them welcome in the name Of the Lady Of
Pierreluce
And all the splendors of the castle were
shown him and the magnifcence OF his enter
tainment surpassed that which would have
been offered to king pope
And Baihide laid aside her robes OF mourn
ing and attired herself in garments of white,
and put on her girdle glittering with pre-
cious stones and unbound her hair, that il
might fall It's length TO her white feet and
went down and stood before Foulques the
Beautiful
He gazed on her and loved her even as she
loved him. And he saw her only as the
man, humble in her love. for she served him
and listened 20 him and. when he spoke, made
answer she thought would please him.
Day by day with her beauty she wooed
him from the wars toward which he jour
neyed
Day by day he fingered and thought only Of
her eyes.
But still he said no word OF love to her,
knowing well it was his duty to go on For
to the soldier duty comes first and love comes
after
At last she went and stood before him-she
that had been 80 proud. In her humility, she
cast down her eyes and sank upon her knees
and stretched out her hands to him implor
ingly and said:
leave me mott love theef'
And be lifted her in his arms and kissed
her lips
And Foulques the Beautiful and the Lady
Of Pierreluce were betrothed
lHt "ultc fDttti II idfs Va VIC OudtCi ~
sought Bathilde to bow her head and bend
her knee and give thanks To heaven for her
great happiness But she opened wide her
scornful eyes and held her naughty head the
higher and made answer:
Now care naught for God and his angels,
for have indeed found my paradise"
And the angels wept again in heaven. and
the Just Col saw that she had not been suf
fciently bumbled
But the followers Of Foulques the Beauti-
ful chsfed at the delay. And messengers
came TO the Castle OF Pierreluce to seek him,
and they brought him tidings Of the terrible
wars wag..! by the iufdes In Provence.
They told him Of the wives and daughters
lei to hideous bondage by these the foes Of
God and his church And there were muir
uurs among the men who rode after Foul
ques the Beautiful and he heard hts name
spoken in bitterness among them when they
knew not he was nigh, and he saw the frovns
upon their faces when he came unheralded
into their midst.
His own heart child him and be fretted to
be gone, and yet the face of Baihilde held
him as though she were a sorceress who had
bound him to her side by chains
But day came when messenger rode In
hot haste to Pierreluce with word that hands
had been laid upon the sire of Foulques the
Beautiful in his own country Of Theoule, and
he called his men to horse and threw himself
upon his palfrey and, daring not to look again
on Bathiide, he rode away without a glance
behind
She spoke no word.
YEARLY she went up into her tower There
abe sat alone and no one heard her voice in
lamentation or could say that she was desc
late
But from that window where she had first
looked down on the coming of her lord there
at she, from the first gray Of davning until
the shadows of the night, and watched and
waited for his return
No one heard her weeping and none could
say that they had seen her shed a tear.
But there by her window she wept the d.
lent, bitter tears which srald and scar the
cheeks they fall upon.
And in the tight the watchers Of her castle
saw her in her trailing robes Of black wan
dering through the long CORRIDORS or stood
aside that she might pass into her courts and
gardens and walk the paths and show her
sleep,es eyes to the cold pity Of the stars
Thinner and paler she grew until Der black
robes seemed 70 float about her and scarce
touch her slender limbs
She was conscious neither Of hunger. Thirst
nor fatigue
And at last she ceased to hope for the ~
turn Of Foulqus the Beautiful He vas
dead or faithlesA
Then she summoned her servitors and bAds
them take from her castle wallis AL the mir
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