For several weeks the frequent visits of this prior to the Countess of Viteau had given a great deal of uneasiness to Bernard. The man was not one of the regular religious instructors9 of the family, nor had he anything to do with the education of the boys. There was some particular reason for his visits to the chateau10, and of this the household at large knew nothing; but the fact of his being a Dominican, and therefore connected with the Inquisition, made him an unpleasant visitor to those who saw his comings and goings, but who did not know their object.
Squire Bernard thought that he knew why this Brother Anselmo came so often to the chateau, but he could not be certain that he was right. So he kept his ideas to himself, and did no more than hope that each visit of the friar might be the last.
When the two brothers entered the chateau, they went directly to their mother's apartments. They found her in a large room, the floor of which was covered with soft rushes, for there were no carpets in those days. There was an abundance of furniture, but it was stiff and heavy, and on the walls there hung various pieces of tapestry11, of silk or wool, most of which the good lady had embroidered12 herself.
The Countess of Viteau was a woman of about thirty-five years of age, and of a sweet but dignified13 appearance and demeanor14. She was evidently very fond of her children, and they were equally fond of her. She had a book in her hand when the boys entered (it should be remembered that she was one of the very few ladies of that day who read books), but she laid it down, and drew her sons to her, one on each side.
"Mother," said Louis, as she leaned over to kiss the young fellow who was to leave her the next day for such a long, long time,—"Mother, I wish you would write a letter to the Count de Barran, and ask him to have me taught falconry as soon as possible, and also to get me a hawk16 of my own, and have him trained."
"What put that into your head?" asked his mother, who could not help smiling at this absurd idea on the part of a boy who was going to begin life as a page, but who expected to enter at once into the sports and diversions of the grown-up nobility.
"It was Raymond's falcon15 that made me think of it," said Louis. "I suppose I shall not see that bird fly,—at least, not for ever so long,—and so I want one of my own."
"I did not intend you should know anything about Raymond's falcon," said his mother, "for I knew it would fill your head so full that there would be no room for anything else. But we will not talk of falcons17 now. I have a great deal to say to my little boy——"
"Not so very little either," said Louis, drawing himself up to his full height.
"Who is going away," continued his mother, "to learn to be a page, a squire, and a Christian18 knight19."
We need not know what she said to him, but the three were together until the room grew dark, and there was no treasure that Louis could take with him which could be so valuable as the motherly advice he received that afternoon.
Louis was to start for Barran's castle in the forenoon of the next day, and was to be accompanied by Bernard and a small body of archers20, for, although there were no wars going on at that time, there was always danger from robbers. All over France, and in many other parts of Europe, there were well-organized bands of men who made a regular business of pillaging21 travelers on the highways. So it was necessary that Louis should have with him enough men to defend him against an attack by these brigands22.
Very early in the morning,—earlier than any one else in the chateau, excepting a few servants,—Louis arose and dressed himself. He did this very quietly, so as not to wake his brother. Then he stole softly down to a room in the lower part of the building, where he knew Bernard kept the falcon he was training. The door of this room was shut, but not locked, and Louis slipped in without waking the squire, who slept soundly in a chamber23 just across the passage-way.
He closed the door, and looking around the room, into which a little light came from a small, high window, he soon perceived the falcon sitting on a wooden perch24, in a corner. The bird was unhooded, but was tied by the leg, with a short cord, to the perch. On a small table near by lay the hood25. As Louis approached the falcon, it turned its head quickly towards him and slightly raised its wings. This threatening gesture made the boy hesitate; he did not want to be bitten or scratched. Drawing back, and looking about him, he saw a cloth lying upon a bench. Seizing this, he quickly threw it over the bird, untied26 the cord, and, muffling27 with the cloth a little bell which was fastened to one of the falcon's legs, Louis snatched up the hood from the table, and, with the bird under his arm, he hurried out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him.
Out-of-doors, he quickly made his way to the little gate at the bottom of the grounds, and, through this, passed out into the road. When he reached a spot where he could not be seen from the chateau, he sat down, carefully uncovered the head of the falcon, and clapped over it the little hood. Then he threw aside the cloth, and set the bird upon his wrist, where it perched contentedly28, although not finding it quite so firm a support as the strong hand of Bernard. While wearing the hood, which completely covered its eyes, it would not attempt to fly.
"Now, then," said he to himself, "I shall try what this fine bird can do; and when I have had an hour's sport, I shall take it back and put it on its perch, and no one will be any the worse for it. If I meet Bernard, as I go back, I shall not care. I shall have had my bit of falconry, and he can have his falcon. There must be herons, or some kind of birds, down in that field by the wood, where we saw Bernard yesterday."
When Louis reached the field, he gazed eagerly into the air and all about him for some flying creature, after which he could send his falcon in chase. But nothing, excepting a few small birds, could he discover, and he was not to be content with such game as they. If he had had dogs with him, or knew how himself to arouse the birds from their covers, he might have had a chance to send his falcon after a long-legged heron, or a pheasant; but no large bird chose to make its appearance, and poor Louis began to think that he would lose the one chance he had of seeing Raymond's falcon in pursuit of its prey29.
Suddenly, from under some bushes near the edge of the wood, a large hare leaped out, and went jumping across an open space towards a little copse a short distance beyond the spot where Louis stood. Our young hunter knew that falcons chased hares, and such small animals, as well as winged game, and he instantly jerked the hood from the head of his bird, and cast it off toward the flying hare.
But, to his amazement30, the falcon did not pursue the hare, which, in a few moments, disappeared in the copse. Louis did not know that hawks31 or falcons were not always trained to chase both hares and birds, and that this one had been accustomed to fly after winged game only.
Instead of swooping32 upon the hare, which, it is probable, it did not see, the falcon rose into the air, and began to soar around in a great circle.
"Perhaps it will see some game for itself," thought Louis, "and that will do just as well."
But the falcon did not appear to be in pursuit of anything. It only flew around and around, apparently33 rising higher and higher each moment. Louis now became anxious for it to come down, so that he could try again in some other place to scare up some game, and he began to whistle and call, as he had heard the falconers do when they wished their birds to descend34.
But the falcon paid no attention to his calls, and, after rising to a great height, it flew away to the south, and presently was lost to sight.
Poor Louis was overwhelmed with grief. It seemed to him that he could never hear anything so dismal35 as the last tinkle36 of the little bell on the falcon's leg, nor see anything so sad as the dark speck37 which he watched until it appeared to melt away into the distant sky.
For some minutes Louis stood gazing up into the air, and then he hung his head, while a few tears came into his eyes. But he was a sturdy boy in mind and body, and he did not cry much. He slowly turned, and, with the hood of the falcon in his hand, went back to the house.
"If they ask me about it, I shall tell them," he said to himself, "but I hope they will not find it out just as I am starting away."
It was yet quite early when Louis reached his room, where he found his brother still asleep, and there was soon so much hurry and bustle38, in the preparation for the departure of the little expedition, that the absence of the falcon did not seem to have been discovered.
After a prolonged leave-taking, and a great many tears from his mother and brother, and from many of the retainers and servants of the chateau, Louis set forth39 for the castle of Barran. He rode his mother's palfrey, a small and gentle horse, and was followed by quite a train of archers and men-at-arms, headed by the trusty Bernard.
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1
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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consolidated
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| a.联合的 | |
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7
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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8
doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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9
instructors
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| 指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 ) | |
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10
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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11
tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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12
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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14
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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15
falcon
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| n.隼，猎鹰 | |
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16
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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17
falcons
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| n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 ) | |
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18
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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19
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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20
archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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21
pillaging
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的现在分词 ) | |
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brigands
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| n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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24
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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muffling
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| v.压抑，捂住( muffle的现在分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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30
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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31
hawks
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| 鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物 | |
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32
swooping
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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33
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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34
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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35
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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36
tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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37
speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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38
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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