In the guest chamber of a Dominican convent lay a single stranger, exhausted by successive and violent fits of nausea, which had at last subsided, leaving him almost as weak as Margaret lay that night in Holland.
A huge wood fire burned on the hearth, and beside it hung the patient's clothes.
A gigantic friar sat by his bedside, reading pious collects aloud from his breviary.
The patient at times eyed him, and seemed to listen: at others closed his eyes and moaned.
The monk kneeled down with his face touching the ground and prayed for him; then rose and bade him farewell."Day breaks," said he;"I must prepare for matins."
"Good Father Jerome, before you go, how came I hither?""By the hand of Heaven.You flung away God's gift.He bestowed it on you again.Think on it! Hast tried the world and found its gall.Now try the Church! The Church is peace.Pax vobiscum."He was gone.Gerard lay back, meditating and wondering, till weak and wearied he fell into a doze.
When he awoke again he found a new nurse seated beside him.It was a layman, with an eye as small and restless as Friar Jerome's was calm and majestic.
The man inquired earnestly how he felt.
"Very, very weak.Where have I seen you before, messer?""None the worse for my gauntlet?" inquired the other, with considerable anxiety; "I was fain to strike you withal, or both you and I should be at the bottom of Tiber."Gerard stared at him."What, 'twas you saved me? How?""Well, signor, I was by the banks of Tiber on-on an errand, no matter what.You came to me and begged hard for a dagger stroke.
But ere I could oblige you, ay, even as you spoke to me, I knew you for the signor that saved my wife and child upon the sea.""It is Teresa's husband.And an assassin?!!?""At your service.Well, Ser Gerard, the next thing was, you flung yourself into Tiber, and bade me hold aloof.""I remember that."
"Had it been any but you, believe me I had obeyed you, and not wagged a finger.Men are my foes.They may all hang on one rope, or drown in one river for me.But when thou, sinking in Tiber, didst cry 'Margaret!'""Ah!"
"My heart it cried 'Teresa!' How could I go home and look her in the face, did I let thee die, and by the very death thou savedst her from? So in I went; and luckily for us both I swim like a duck.You, seeing me near, and being bent on destruction, tried to grip me, and so end us both.But I swam round thee, and (receive my excuses) so buffeted thee on the nape of the neck with my steel glove; that thou lost sense, and I with much ado, the stream being strong, did draw thy body to land, but insensible and full of water.Then I took thee on my back and made for my own home.
'Teresa will nurse him, and be pleased with me,' thought I.But hard by this monastery, a holy friar, the biggest e'er I saw, met us and asked the matter.So I told him.He looked hard at thee.'Iknow the face,' quoth he.''Tis one Gerard, a fair youth from Holland.' 'The same,' quo' I.Then said his reverence, 'He hath friends among our brethren.Leave him with us! Charity, it is our office.'
"Also he told me they of the convent had better means to tend thee than I had.And that was true enow.So I just bargained to be let in to see thee once a day, and here thou art."And the miscreant cast a strange look of affection and interest upon Gerard.
Gerard did not respond to it.He felt as if a snake were in the room.He closed his eyes.
"Ah, thou wouldst sleep," said the miscreant eagerly."I go." And he retired on tip-toe with a promise to come every day.
Gerard lay with his eyes closed: not asleep, but deeply pondering.
Saved from death, by an assassinWas not this the finger of Heaven?
Of that Heaven he had insulted, cursed, and defied.
He shuddered at his blasphemies.He tried to pray.