"Mother! list a suppliant child! Ave Maria! Ave Maria! Stainless styled. Foul demons of the earth and air, From this their wonted haunt exiled, Shall flee before thy presence fair."--Lady of the Lake.--WALTER SCOTT.
Jean's recovery after Hilda's departure had been slow and lingering; butfor the unwearied care of the good fathers and of the recluse, aided bya constitution of no ordinary strength, he must have succumbed to theterrible injuries which he had received. As, however, the days began tolengthen, and signs of spring to appear even on the wild rock where hehad taken refuge, his vigour gradually returned. It had been necessarythat he should be protected from excitement; consequently, whilereceiving from the hermit regular reports from the Vale, and many asweet message from his love which made his heart leap with happiness,he knew nothing till the beginning of February of the incursion of theVoizins, and the accompanying events. Since he had been alone, however,he had dwelt for hours together on the strange story which he hadoverheard in the tower, the principal figure of which, while his brainhad been still confused, had been always mingled in his delirium withthe massive form of the hermit. Father Austin, watching him withanxiety, at length suggested that he should relieve his mind byrepeating the tale to the recluse himself. He readily adopted thesuggestion. His listener, who had been too delicate to question Hilda asto her antecedents, but who had been burning to learn the explanation ofthe striking resemblance of her features to a face which, whether hewaked or slept, ever haunted him, though more often contorted in agonythan wreathed in smiles, heard with impatience the history of Algar'streachery; but when Jean detailed the escape of Tita and her charge, andidentified the latter with the maiden whom he had rescued, he sprang tohis feet at the risk of plunging his patient into a fresh crisis offever, and exclaimed, "May the choicest gifts of heaven be showered onthee, brave youth! the blessed angels and saints will love thee for thisdeed!" He reflected a moment, then turned his eyes full on Jean's face,"Why should I leave it to Austin to tell thee what he has long knownunder the solemn secrecy which binds priest and sinner? Thou shalt knowit from my own lips: I am Haco! Drifted hitherward on that lonelyvoyage, I was released by holy men, now saints above, who healed mywounds and taught me to bury my pride, and to kneel humbly before theCross. I never doubted that I was childless as well as wifeless; had Idone so, I should have returned at all risks to claim my own. But she!Hilda! 'twas her mother's name! this maiden, towards whom my soul wentout in yearning, is my own! yes! my child! If a wild feeling rose when Iwatched her I crushed it out, for I thought that I had stifled all humanpassions; but now--" He fell on his knees, and hid his face in hishands, his giant frame convulsed with sobs; but it was evident that hewas controlling himself, and when he rose his rugged face was full ofhumanity: youth seemed to have returned to it; under the disfiguringscars Jean could trace without difficulty the fearless, generousfeatures of which Judith had spoken with such enthusiasm. Haco warmlygrasped the sick man's hand, and left the cell.
Father Austin had, it appeared, learnt Judith's story from Hilda, butthis confidence also had been made under the seal of confession. He hadbeen confirmed in his impression of its accuracy by the tale he hadalready heard from Haco, whose strange arrival was still a favouritetopic among the monks, though none of those now in the monastery hadwitnessed it. The three men were now able openly to discuss the subjectin its various bearings, but they agreed that the mystery should not berevealed till peace was restored.
Haco had from the first foreseen the danger to be apprehended from theVoizin incursion. The monks were still further surprised to see thebeing, whose gentleness had amazed them on Hilda's arrival, now a leaderof men, active, vigorous, inspiring others with the love of life withwhich he himself seemed to be animated. Before the attack came Jean wassufficiently recovered to be able to render efficient assistance; he hadably seconded Haco in the two encounters, after which he was speciallyentrusted with the defence of the Vale.
Judith was in no degree daunted by temporary failure: her naturerevelled in overcoming opposition; her spirit rose to the occasion.Garthmund was inclined to be sulky after his second defeat, and mighthave abandoned the enterprise had he dared to do so; but fear of thesorceress kept him firm. For a month the system of blockade was tried,varied by occasional assaults which, being made with less spirit thanthe earlier ones, were easily repulsed. The blockade was not moresuccessful. Haco had provided ample stores for the small garrison whichhe had considered sufficient to protect the promontory of Lihou,naturally almost impregnable; and the force defending the Vale, campedchiefly on Lancresse Common, was only nominally blockaded. The sallies,made from time to time, were ordered more with a view of keeping up themartial spirit of the men than with that of providing for wants, for thefriendly inhabitants of the eastern side of the island, emboldened byrecent proofs that the dreaded Voizins were not invincible, ran theirboats almost with impunity into the little creeks into which the heaviercraft of the enemy could not follow them.
Judith hardly noticed these details. Her attention was fixed upon thekey of the position. She knew that a resistance of this description wasaltogether contrary to the unwarlike character of the natives; she wasconvinced that they were actuated by some abnormal spirit, and that ifthe motive power were removed the machine would collapse. She made ither business to ascertain what the spring was that guided them. All herart failed in detecting the presence of Haco, perhaps because herengines were powerless when directed against one of her own blood; butshe easily ascertained that the warriors in the opposing camp looked toJean as their leader, that his spirit pervaded all, and that his ardourto protect his sacred charge filled him with a wondrous power whichastonished even those who from childhood had bent to his unchallengedprimacy.
Having satisfied herself as to the character of the opposing force, hernext step was to secure Jean's person. This presented no difficulty toher. A scroll was delivered to the young leader by an unknown messenger,who at once disappeared. Jean, seeing that the characters were thosewhich, as he believed, Austin alone was able to trace, took the scrollto the sister who alone was able to interpret them. What Sister Theresaread was alarming:--"Hasten! I am grievously sick; my strength fails! Imust see thee without delay." Jean was distressed beyond measure, butHilda, whom he hurried to consult, agreed with him that no time must belost in obeying the summons; the fact that Haco was at Lihou convincedthem that the father would not have sent for Jean if his case had notbeen one of extreme danger. After a hasty farewell and a promise ofspeedy return, for his presence with the forces was imperative and hegrudged every hour of absence from his beloved, he set out alone in hisboat. Before an hour had passed he was captured by a flotilla which hadbeen lying in ambuscade behind the Grandes Rocques, and was a prisonerin the enemy's camp.
If Judith had been an ordinary woman she would have been content withthis result, would have executed the prisoner, and have awaited thesubmission of his disheartened followers; and she would have failed,defeated by the indomitable courage and resource of Haco. But it was notin this clumsy fashion that her genius moulded the materials at hercommand. She now controlled, as she believed, the mainspring of theresistance, which would probably cease with the death of Jean. But heraim went far beyond the mere submission of her antagonists; she wishedthat the blow should be struck in such a manner as to stamp out thefalse creed which had held the islanders in thrall, to prove to allsceptics the powers of her own Gods and the impotence of those of heropponents, and to commit the recently reconverted islanders soirretrievably that they could not afterwards backslide. She wished also,by making an example that would inspire terror, to establish theundisputed supremacy of her people in the whole island. But, side byside with these political considerations, were the religious influenceshonestly and steadfastly working in her powerful intellect. When shecommuned with her Gods she thought of no earthly good or ill: she lovedthese strange conceptions, and fixed her whole soul on conciliatingthem. It was now her conviction that they were displeased: theirdispleasure, awful as she believed it to be, did not terrify her, but itvexed her to the inmost heart: she feared that they had not been rightlypropitiated, and resolved that the shortcoming must be remedied.
All her reflections pointed with unerring force to the same conclusion.She held in her hands the strong frame, the stout heart, the rulingmind. All were concentrated in Jean Letocq. He, then, must be offered upas a fitting sacrifice. By such an offering the deities could not failto be appeased, and by the death of this man in this fashion all thenatural exigencies of the situation would be satisfied. She neverallowed herself to dwell for one moment on the fact that the victim wasbeloved by Hilda. On this point she had armed herself with bars of brassand triple steel. He might have fooled the girl, but at the thought oflove her heart was ice.
The sorceress communicated her resolution to Garthmund. The chieftainexhibited no surprise: he expressed a grim approval of the proposal,which seemed likely to give an excuse for revelry and to bring thecampaign to a prompt conclusion, and proceeded to make the requisitearrangements.
The 30th of March was the day chosen. The forces investing the twobeleaguered positions were ordered to assemble, that on the western sideon the low ground between L'Er閑 and Lihou, that on the northern undershelter of the woods of the Braye du Valle, facing the fortificationsthrown up by the defenders. At a given signal, the kindling of a beaconon the Rocque du Guet, the two hosts were to make simultaneously adetermined assault. The islanders not engaged in these operations, withthe exception of those openly or secretly sympathizing with theChristians, poured into Vazon Forest, none remaining behind but thoseabsolutely incapable of conveying themselves or of being conveyed.
By this time the consternation in the enemy's camp was all that thesorceress could desire. Jean's capture had been ascertained, and all theparticulars respecting his coming fate were known by means of spies.Haco shook his head at the proposals of rescue made by spirited youths."Success would be hopeless," he said; "failure would be fatal to thosewhose lives are precious to us. If he dies we will brace every nerve toavenge him, but we must be patient, and await their onslaught. Then willcome our turn! then will we spring at their dastard throats! then shallthey drink freely of their own gore!" If the man of the sword thoughtthe case hopeless, what could the men of the cloister do? They did allin their power--prayed ceaselessly, fasted, did penance under theguidance of Father Austin; but nevertheless the fatal morning arrived.
Hilda knew her lover's danger. When he failed to return, and when Haco,arriving from Lihou, admitted that he had not been seen at themonastery, her heart sank; she, better than any of those around her,knew the stern, implacable patriotism and fanaticism of Judith'snature; she fully realized the savage dispositions of her countrymen,their contempt of human life, and their brutal treatment of captives.She had some conception of their fearful orgies, and she shuddered whenher mind touched, not daring to dwell, on Jean's possible fate. She hadsufficient presence of mind to bear up bravely before Haco, who had nosuspicion that she had a perception of the terrible truth from whicheven his rent and seared feelings shrank; nor did she reveal to FatherAustin, during a short visit which he paid her at great risk this innerserpent which was devouring her young heart. Sister Theresa and herfellows marvelled at her as on the morning of the fatal day she passedbetween them, her eyes rapt in contemplation, her look serene and calm,though beneath the surface lay a depth of unutterable woe, sinking,receding, chill as the dark, haunted, bosom of an unfathomable mountainlake.
She sought her own cell and begged to be left alone. Then the full heartburst the bounds imposed by the strong will. She placed before her thelittle Madonna, from which she never parted, and fell on her knees. Sheprayed till noon, and her prayer continued still; it was not simply awoman's supplication: her whole essence was poured out before the HolyMother, who was the object of her special adoration. This girl had neverknown evil: for nineteen years her mind had rippled on, sparkling withgood deeds, little bright thoughts, gentle inspirations sweetly obeyed;then first streamed in the warm current of human love, followed by therapid thrilling rush of the flow of Divine awakening. The little streamhad become a torrent; but one in which every element was pure, for itscomponent parts were faith in God, trust in man, the will to act, thepower to bear, contentment in joy and resignation in sorrow. Above all,she had ever before her the words which Austin had told her comprisedthe sermon of the universe--"Thy will be done!" Was it possible that, inthe days when miracles were yet wrought, such a prayer at such a timefrom such a saint should not be heard? Some three hours had passed afternoon when she felt a sweet languor overspread her. A mist crept beforeher eyes, which quickly passed away and was replaced by a radiancebrighter than the sun's rays; her eyes had power however to look aloft,and she gazed with clasped hands and with loving reverence: the HolyVirgin herself stood before her, holding in her arms the Blessed Infant;the Mother looking down with a smile inexpressibly tender andcompassionate, the Child stretching forth its dimpled hand and givingits blessing. She sank in rapture, the glory too great for her. As thevision faded she arose, a marvellous strength possessing her. Shestepped forth, and found herself in the midst of a crowd gazing,horror-stricken, seawards. "Fear nothing," she said with a calmexpression that seemed to permeate the whole assembly like an innervoice; "he is saved, and you are saved!" The words came opportunely.