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The House of the Wolf; a romance By: Stanley John Weyman (1855-1928) |
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In this Etext, text in italics has been written in capital letters. Many French words in the text have accents, etc. which have been
omitted. THE HOUSE OF THE WOLF A Romance
by STANLEY WEYMAN
CONTENTS.
CHAP. I. WARE WOLF!
II. THE VIDAME'S THREAT.
III. THE ROAD TO PARIS.
IV. ENTRAPPED!
V. A PRIEST AND A WOMAN.
VI. MADAME'S FRIGHT.
VII. A YOUNG KNIGHT ERRANT.
VIII. THE PARISIAN MATINS.
IX. THE HEAD OF ERASMUS.
X. HAU, HAU, HUGUENOTS!
XI. A NIGHT OF SORROW.
XII. JOY IN THE MORNING. INTRODUCTION. The following is a modern English version of a curious French memoir,
or fragment of autobiography, apparently written about the year 1620 by
Anne, Vicomte de Caylus, and brought to this country if, in fact, the
original ever existed in England by one of his descendants after the
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. This Anne, we learn from other
sources, was a principal figure at the Court of Henry IV., and,
therefore, in August, 1572, when the adventures here related took
place, he and his two younger brothers, Marie and Croisette, who shared
with him the honour and the danger, must have been little more than
boys. From the tone of his narrative, it appears that, in reviving old
recollections, the veteran renewed his youth also, and though his story
throws no fresh light upon the history of the time, it seems to possess
some human interest.
THE HOUSE OF THE WOLF. CHAPTER I. WARE WOLF! I had afterwards such good reason to look back upon and remember the
events of that afternoon, that Catherine's voice seems to ring in my
brain even now. I can shut my eyes and see again, after all these
years, what I saw then just the blue summer sky, and one grey angle of
the keep, from which a fleecy cloud was trailing like the smoke from a
chimney. I could see no more because I was lying on my back, my head
resting on my hands. Marie and Croisette, my brothers, were lying by me
in exactly the same posture, and a few yards away on the terrace,
Catherine was sitting on a stool Gil had brought out for her. It was
the second Thursday in August, and hot. Even the jackdaws were silent.
I had almost fallen asleep, watching my cloud grow longer and longer,
and thinner and thinner, when Croisette, who cared for heat no more
than a lizard, spoke up sharply, "Mademoiselle," he said, "why are you
watching the Cahors road?" I had not noticed that she was doing so. But something in the keenness
of Croisette's tone, taken perhaps with the fact that Catherine did not
at once answer him, aroused me; and I turned to her. And lo! she was
blushing in the most heavenly way, and her eyes were full of tears, and
she looked at us adorably. And we all three sat up on our elbows, like
three puppy dogs, and looked at her. And there was a long silence.
And then she said quite simply to us, "Boys, I am going to be married
to M. de Pavannes." I fell flat on my back and spread out my arms. "Oh, Mademoiselle!" I
cried reproachfully. "Oh, Mademoiselle!" cried Marie. And he fell flat on his back, and
spread out his arms and moaned. He was a good brother, was Marie, and
obedient. And Croisette cried, "Oh, mademoiselle!" too. But he was always
ridiculous in his ways. He fell flat on his back, and flopped his arms
and squealed like a pig. Yet he was sharp. It was he who first remembered our duty, and went to
Catherine, cap in hand, where she sat half angry and half confused, and
said with a fine redness in his cheeks, "Mademoiselle de Caylus, our
cousin, we give you joy, and wish you long life; and are your servants,
and the good friends and aiders of M. de Pavannes in all quarrels, as " But I could not stand that. "Not so fast, St. Croix de Caylus" I said,
pushing him aside he was ever getting before me in those days and
taking his place. Then with my best bow I began, "Mademoiselle, we
give you joy and long life, and are your servants and the good friends
and aiders of M. de Pavannes in all quarrels, as as " "As becomes the cadets of your house," suggested Croisette, softly... Continue reading book >>
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