red eve-第45节

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Sir　Geoffrey；　whom　they　had　laid　down　upon　another　couch　close　to　her。

〃Oh；　they　told　me　that　you　were　dead；　husband；〃　she　said；　〃crushed　or
swallowed　in　the　earthquake！　But　I　thank　God　they　lied。　Yet　what　ails
you；　sweetheart；　that　you　do　not　stand　upon　your　feet？〃

〃Little；　dear　wife；　little；〃　he　answered　in　a　cheerful　voice。　〃My　foot
is　somewhat　crushed；　that　is　all。　Still　'tis　true　that　had　it　not　been
for　this　brave　knight　and　his　squire　I　must　have　lain　where　I　was　till
I　perished。〃

Now　Lady　Carleon　raised　herself　slightly　and　looked　at　Hugh　and　Dick；
who　stood　together；　bewildered　and　overwhelmed。

〃Heaven's　blessings　be　on　your　heads；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃for　these
Venetians　would　surely　have　left　him　to　his　doom。　Ah；　I　thought　that
it　was　you　who　must　die　to…day；　but　now　I　know　it　is　I；　and　perchance
my　lord。　Physician；〃　she　added　after　a　pause；　〃trouble　not　with　me；
for　my　hour　has　come；　I　feel　it　at　my　heart。　Tend　my　lord　there；　who；
unless　this　foul　sickness　takes　him　also；　may　yet　be　saved。〃

So　they　carried　them　both　to　their　own　large　sleeping　chamber　on　the
upper　floor。　There　the　surgeon　set　Sir　Geoffrey's　broken　bone
skilfully　enough；　though　when　he　saw　the　state　of　the　crushed　limb；　he
shook　his　head　and　said　it　would　be　best　to　cut　it　off。　This；　however；
Sir　Geoffrey　would　not　suffer　to　be　done。

〃It　will　kill　me；　I　am　sure；　or　if　not；　then　the　pest　which　that　ship；
/Light　of　the　East/；　has　brought　here　from　Cyprus；　will　do　its　work　on
me。　But　I　care　nothing；　for　since　you　say　that　my　wife　must　die　I
would　die　with　her　and　be　at　rest。〃

At　sunset　Lady　Carleon　died。　Ere　she　passed　away　she　sent　for　Hugh　and
Dick。　Her　bed　by　her　command　had　been　moved　to　an　open　window；　for　she
seemed　to　crave　air。　By　it　was　placed　that　of　Sir　Geoffrey　so　that　the
two　of　them　could　hold　each　other's　hand。

〃I　would　die　looking　toward　England；　Sir　Hugh；〃　she　said；　with　a　faint
smile；　〃though　alas！　I　may　not　sleep　in　that　churchyard　on　the　Sussex
downs　where　I　had　hoped　that　I　might　lie　at　last。　Now；　Sir　Hugh；　I
pray　this　of　your　Christian　charity　and　by　the　English　blood　which
runs　in　us；　that　you　will　swear　to　me　that　you　and　your　squire　will
not　leave　my　lord　alone　among　these　Southern　folk；　but　that　you　will
bide　with　him　and　nurse　him　till　he　recovers　or　dies；　as　God　may　will。
Also　that　you　will　see　me　buried　by　the　bones　of　my　childthey　will
tell　you　where。〃

〃Wife；〃　broke　in　Sir　Geoffrey；　〃this　knight　is　not　of　our　kin。
Doubtless　he　has　business　elsewhere。　How　can　he　bide　with　me　here；
mayhap　for　weeks？〃

But　Lady　Carleon；　who　could　speak　no　more；　only　looked　at　Hugh；　who
answered：

〃Fear　nothing。　Here　we　will　stay　until　he　recoversunless；〃　he　added；
〃we　ourselves　should　die。〃

She　smiled　at　him　gratefully；　then　turned　her　face　toward　Sir　Geoffrey
and　pressed　his　hand。　So　presently　she　passed　away；　the　tears　running
from　her　faded　eyes。

When　it　was　over　and　the　women　had　covered　her；　Hugh　and　Dick　left　the
room；　for　they　could　bear　no　more。

〃I　have　seen　sad　sights；〃　said　Hugh；　with　something　like　a　sob；　〃but
never　before　one　so　sad。〃

〃Ay；〃　answered　Dick；　〃that　of　the　wounded　dying　on　Crecy　field　was　a
May　Day　revel　compared　to　this；　though　it　is　but　one　old　woman　who　has
gone。　Oh；　how　heavily　they　parted　who　have　dwelt　together　these　forty
years！　And　'twas　my　careless　tongue　this　morning　that　foretold　it　as　a
jest！〃

In　the　hall　they　met　the　physician；　who　rushed　wild…eyed　through　the
doorway　to　ask　how　his　patients　fared。

〃Ah！〃　he　said　to　them　in　French　when　he　knew。　〃Well；　signors；　that
noble　lady　has　not　gone　alone。　I　tell　you　that　scores　of　whom　I　know
are　already　dead　in　Venice；　swept　off　by　this　swift　and　horrible
plague。　Death　and　all　his　angels　stalk　through　the　city。　They　say　that
he　himself　appeared　last　night；　and　this　morning　on　the　tilting　ground
by　the　quay；　and　by　God's　mercyif　He　has　any　left　for　usI　can　well
believe　it。　The　Doge　and　his　Council　but　now　have　issued　a　decree　that
all　who　perish　must　be　buried　at　once。　See　to　it；　signors；　lest　the
officers　come　and　bear　her　away　to　some　common　grave；　from　which　her
rank　will　not　protect　her。〃

Then　he　went　to　visit　Sir　Geoffrey。　Returning　presently；　he　gave　them
some　directions　as　to　his　treatment；　and　rushed　out　as　he　had　rushed
in。　They　never　saw　him　again。　Two　days　later　they　learned　that　he
himself　was　dead　of　the　pest。

That　night　they　buried　Lady　Carleon　in　her　son's　grave；　which　Dick　had
helped　to　prepare　for　her；　since　no　sexton　could　be　bribed　to　do　the
work。　Indeed　these　were　all　busy　enough　attending　to　the　interment　of
the　great　ones　of　Venice。　In　that　churchyard　alone　they　saw　six
buryings　in　progress。　Also　after　the　priest　had　read　his　hurried
Office；　as　they　left　the　gates；　whence　Lady　Carleon's　bearers　had
already　fled　affrighted；　they　met　more　melancholy　processions　heralded
by　a　torch　or　two　whereof　the　light　fell　upon　some　sheeted　and
uncoffined　form。

〃'Twixt　earthquake　and　plague　Murgh　the　Helper　is　helping　very　well；〃
said　Grey　Dick　grimly；　and　Hugh　only　groaned　in　answer。



Such　was　the　beginning　of　the　awful　plague　which　travelled　from　the
East　to　Venice　and　all　Europe　and　afterward　became　known　by　the　name
of　the　Black　Death。　Day　by　day　the　number　of　its　victims　increased；
the　hundreds　of　yesterday　were　the　thousands　of　the　morrow。　Soon　the
graveyards　were　full；　the　plague　pits；　long　and　deep；　were　full；　and
the　dead　were　taken　out　to　sea　by　shiploads　and　there　cast　into　the
ocean。　At　length　even　this　could　not　be　done；　since　none　were
forthcoming　who　would　dare　the　task。　For　it　became　known　that　those
who　did　so　themselves　would　surely　die。

So　where　folk　fell；　there　they　lay。　In　the　houses　were　many　of　them；
they　cumbered　and　poisoned　the　streets　and　the　very　churches。　Even　the
animals　sickened　and　perished；　until　that　great　city　was　turned　into
an　open　tomb。　The　reek　of　it　tainted　the　air　for　miles　around；　so　that
even　those　who　passed　it　in　ships　far　out　to　sea　turned　faint　and
presently　themselves　sickened　and　died。　But　ere　they　died　they　bore　on
the　fatal　gift　to　other　lands。

Moreover；　starvation　fell　upon　the　place。　Though　the　houses　were　full
of　riches；　these　would　scarce　suffice　to　buy　bread　for　those　who
remained　alive。　The　Doge　and　some　of　his　Council　passed　laws　to
lighten　the　misery　of　the　people；　but　soon　few　heeded　these　laws　which
none　were　left　to　enforce。　The　vagabonds　and　evil…minded　men　who　began
by　robbing　the　deserted　houses　of　jewels；　money　and　plate；　ended　by
searching　them　for　food　and　casting　aside　their　treasures　as　worthless
dross。　It　was　even　said　that　some　of　them　did　worse　things；　things　not
to　be　named；　since　in　its　extremities　nature　knows　no　shame。　Only　if
bread　and　meat　were　scarce；　wine　remained　in　plenty。　In　the　midst　of
death　menyes；　and　womenwho　perhaps　had　deserted　their　wives；　their
husbands　or　their　children；　fearing　to　take　the　evil　from　them；　made
the　nights　horrible　by　their　drunken　blasphemies　and　revellings；　as
sailors　sometimes　do　upon　a　sinking　ship。　Knowing　that　they　must　die；
they　wished　to　die　merry。



Sir　Geoffrey　Carleon　lived　a　long　while　after　the　death　of　his　wife。
When　he　passed　away　at　last；　ten　days　or　so　later；　it　was　painlessly
of　the　mortification　of　his　broken　limb；　not　of　the　pest；　which　went
by　him　as　though　it　knew　that　he　was　already　doomed。

All　this　time　Hugh；　Grey　Dick；　and　David　Day　nursed　him　without
ceasing。　Indeed　with　the　exception　of　a　woman　so　ancient　and
shrivelled　that　nothing　seemed　able　to　harm　her　any　more；　no　one　else
was　left　in　the　great　/palazzo/；　for　all　the　rest　of　the　household　had
perished　or　fled　away。　This　woman；　who　was　the　grandmother　of　one　of
the　servants；　now　dead　of　the　plague；　cooked　their　food。　Of　such
provision　fortunately　there　was　much　laid　up　in　the　storerooms　for　use
in　the　winter；　since　Lady　Carleon　had　been　a　good　and　provident
housewife。

So　those　three　did　not　starve；　although　Sir　Geoffrey　would　touch
little　of　the　salted　stuff。　He　existed　on　a　few　fruits　when　they　could
get　them；　and　after　these　were　gone；　on　wine　mingled　with　water。

At　length　came　the　end。　For　two　days　he　had　lain　senseless。　One　night；
however；　David；　who　was　watching　in　his　chamber；　crept　into　the　room
where　Hugh　slept　hard　by　and　told　them　that　Sir　Geoffrey　was　awake　and
calling　them。　They　rose　and　went　to　him。　By　the　light　of　the　moon
which　shone　in　at　the　open　window；　that　same　window　through　which　Lady
Carleon　had　looked　toward　England　ere　she　passed　away；　they　saw　him
lying　quietly；　a　happy　smile　upon　his　face。

〃Friends；〃　he　said　in　a　weak　voice；　〃by　the　mercy　of　God；　I　go　out　of
this　hell　to　heaven；　or　so　I　think。　But；　if　indeed　this　be　not　the　end
of　the　world；　I　hope　that　you　who　have　lived　so　long　will　continue　to
live；　and　I　have　sent　for　you　to　bless　you　and　to　thank　you　both。　In
yonder　case　are　certain　papers　that　have　to　do　with　the　King's
business。　I　pray　you　deliver　them　to　his　Grace　if　you　can　and　with
them　my　homage　and　my　thanks　for　the　trust　that　he　has　reposed　in　me。
Tell　him　what　I　have　not　written　in　the　letters〃and　here　he　smiled
faintly〃that　I　think　that　few　of　h