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diff --git a/27916.txt b/27916.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..70cd61c --- /dev/null +++ b/27916.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2594 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Gabriel and the Hour Book, by Evaleen Stein + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Gabriel and the Hour Book + +Author: Evaleen Stein + +Illustrator: Adelaide Everhart + +Release Date: January 28, 2009 [EBook #27916] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GABRIEL AND THE HOUR BOOK *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + + +Gabriel . and . the Hour . Book + +Roses of St. Elizabeth Series + +Evaleen.Stein. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration] + + + + +GABRIEL AND THE HOUR BOOK + + + + +Roses of St. Elizabeth Series + + Each 1 vol., small quarto, illustrated and decorated + in colour. $1.00 + + The Roses of Saint Elizabeth + BY JANE SCOTT WOODRUFF + + Gabriel and the Hour Book + BY EVALEEN STEIN + + The Enchanted Automobile + _Translated from the French by_ + MARY J. SAFFORD + + Pussy-Cat Town + BY MARION AMES TAGGART + + L. C. PAGE & COMPANY + New England Building + BOSTON, MASS. + + +[Illustration: _Gabriel_] + + + + +Roses of St. Elizabeth Series + +Gabriel and the Hour Book + +BY Evaleen Stein + + +_ILLUSTRATED IN COLOURS BY_ + +Adelaide Everhart + + L. C. Page & Company + Boston Mcmvi + + + + _Copyright, 1906, by + L. C. PAGE & COMPANY + (Incorporated)_ + + _All rights reserved_ + + _First Impression, July, 1906_ + + + _COLONIAL PRESS_ + + _Electrotyped and Printed by C.H. Simonds & Co. + Boston, U.S.A._ + + + + +TO + +=My friend= + +CAROLINE H. GRIFFITHS + + + + +CONTENTS + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. The Little Colour Grinder 1 + + II. Brother Stephen's Inspiration 19 + + III. Gabriel Interviews the Abbot 35 + + IV. The Hour Book 49 + + V. The Count's Tax 65 + + VI. Gabriel's Prayer 74 + + VII. The Book Goes to Lady Anne 89 + + VIII. Lady Anne Writes to the King 99 + + IX. The King's Messenger 116 + + X. Gabriel's Christmas 136 + + XI. The King's Illuminator 162 + + + + + +[Illustration] + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + Gabriel _Frontispiece_ + + "He saw the Abbot walking up and down" 38 + + "Dreaming of all the beautiful things he meant to paint" 59 + + "Taking down the book . . . he unwrapped and unclasped it" 95 + + "Began slowly to turn over the pages" 105 + + "He passed a little peasant boy" 142 + + + + +Gabriel and the Hour Book + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE LITTLE COLOUR GRINDER + + +IT was a bright morning of early April, many hundred years ago; and +through all the fields and meadows of Normandy the violets and +cuckoo-buds were just beginning to peep through the tender green of the +young grass. The rows of tall poplar-trees that everywhere, instead of +fences, served to mark off the farms of the country folk, waved in the +spring wind like great, pale green plumes; and among their branches the +earliest robins and field-fares were gaily singing as a little boy +stepped out from a small thatched cottage standing among the fields, and +took his way along the highroad. + +That Gabriel Viaud was a peasant lad, any one could have told from the +blouse of blue homespun, and the wooden shoes which he wore; and that he +felt the gladness of the April time could easily be known by the happy +little song he began to sing to himself, and by the eager delight with +which he now and then stooped to pluck a blue violet or to gather a +handful of golden cuckoo-buds. + +A mile or two behind him, and hidden by a bend in the road, lay the +little village of St. Martin-de-Bouchage; while in the soft blue +distance ahead of him rose the gray walls of St. Martin's Abbey, whither +he was going. + +Indeed, for almost a year now the little boy had been trudging every day +to the Abbey, where he earned a small sum by waiting upon the good +brothers who dwelt there, and who made the beautiful painted books for +which the Abbey had become famous. Gabriel could grind and mix their +colours for them, and prepare the parchment on which they did their +writing, and could do many other little things that helped them in their +work. + +The lad enjoyed his tasks at the Abbey, and, above all, delighted in +seeing the beautiful things at which the brothers were always busy; yet, +as he now drew near the gateway, he could not help but give a little +sigh, for it was so bright and sunny out-of-doors. He smiled, though, as +he looked at the gay bunches of blossoms with which he had quite filled +his hands, and felt that at least he was taking a bit of the April in +with him, as he crossed the threshold and entered a large room. + +"Good morrow, Gabriel," called out several voices as he came in, for the +lad was a general favourite with the brothers; and Gabriel, respectfully +taking off his blue peasant cap, gave a pleasant "good morrow" to each. + +The room in which he stood had plain stone walls and a floor of paved +stone, and little furniture, except a number of solidly made benches and +tables. These were placed beneath a row of high windows, and the tables +were covered with writing and painting materials and pieces of +parchment; for the brotherhood of St. Martin's was very industrious. + +In those days,--it was four hundred years ago,--printed books were very +few, and almost unknown to most people; for printing-presses had been +invented only a few years, and so by far the greater number of books in +the world were still made by the patient labour of skilful hands; the +work usually being done by the monks, of whom there were very many at +that time. + +These monks, or brothers, as they were often called, lived in +monasteries and abbeys, and were men who banded themselves together in +brotherhoods, taking solemn vows never to have homes of their own or to +mingle in the daily life of others, but to devote their lives to +religion; for they believed that they could serve God better by thus +shutting themselves off from the world. + +And so it came about that the brothers, having more time and more +learning than most other people of those days, made it their chief work +to preserve and multiply all the books that were worth keeping. These +they wrote out on parchment (for paper was very scarce so long ago), and +then ornamented the pages with such beautiful painted borders of flowers +and birds and saints and angels, and such lovely initial letters, all in +bright colours and gold, that to this day large numbers of the beautiful +books made by the monks are still kept among the choicest treasures of +the museums and great libraries of the world. + +And few of all those wonderful old illuminations (for so the painted +ornaments were called) were lovelier than the work of the brotherhood of +St. Martin's. Gabriel felt very proud even to grind the colours for +them. But as he passed over to one of the tables and began to make ready +his paint mortar, the monk who had charge of the writing-room called to +him, saying: + +"Gabriel, do not get out thy work here, for the Abbot hath just ordered +that some one must help Brother Stephen, who is alone in the old +chapter-house. He hath a special book to make, and his colour-grinder is +fallen ill; so go thou at once and take Jacques's place." + +So Gabriel left the writing-room and passed down the long corridor that +led to the chapter-house. This was a room the brothers had kept for +years as a meeting-place, when they and the Abbot, who governed them +all, wished to talk over the affairs of the Abbey; but as it had at last +grown too small for them, they had built a new and larger one; and so +the old chapter-house was seldom used any more. + +Gabriel knew this, and he wondered much why Brother Stephen chose to +work there rather than in the regular writing-room with the others. He +supposed, however, that, for some reason of his own, Brother Stephen +preferred to be alone. + +He did not know that the monk, at that moment, was sitting moodily by +his work-table, his eyes staring aimlessly ahead of him, and his hands +dropped idly in his lap. For Brother Stephen was feeling very cross and +unhappy and out of sorts with all the world. And this was the reason: +poor Brother Stephen had entered the Abbey when a lad scarcely older +than Gabriel. He had come of good family, but had been left an orphan +with no one to care for him, and for want of other home had been sent to +the Abbey, to be trained for the brotherhood; for in those days there +were few places where fatherless and motherless children could be taken +care of. + +As little Jean (for this was his name before he joined the monks, when +one's own name was always changed) grew up, he took the solemn vows +which bound him to the rules of the brotherhood without realizing what +it all would mean to him; for Brother Stephen was a born artist; and, by +and by, he began to feel that while life in the Abbey was well for most +of the brothers, for him it was not well. He wanted to be free to wander +about the world; to paint pictures of many things; and to go from city +to city, and see and study the work of the world's great artists. + +It is true he spent the greater part of his time in the Abbey working on +the illuminated books, and this he loved; yet it did not wholly satisfy +him. He longed to paint other things, and, above all, his artist nature +longed for freedom from all the little rules of daily life that +governed the days of the brotherhood. + +Brother Stephen had brooded much over this desire for freedom, and only +the day before had sought out the Abbot of St. Martin's and asked to be +released from the vows of obedience which he had taken years before, but +which now he found so hard to live up to. But, to his great +disappointment, the Abbot had refused to grant his request. + +The Abbot had several reasons for this refusal; one of them was that he +himself dearly loved all the little daily ceremonies of the Abbey, and +he could not understand why any one who had once lived there could +prefer a life in the world. He really thought it was for Brother +Stephen's own good that he should stay in the brotherhood. + +And then, too, perhaps there was another reason less to the Abbot's +credit; and this reason was that of all the beautiful illuminated books +for which the Abbey of St. Martin's had become so famous, none were +quite so exquisitely done as those made by Brother Stephen. So perhaps +the Abbot did not wish to lose so skilful an artist from the work-room +of the Abbey, and especially at this particular time. For just before +Brother Stephen had had his talk with the Abbot, a messenger from the +city of Paris had come to the Abbey, bearing an order from the king, +Louis XII., who reigned over France, and Normandy also, which was a part +of France. + +Now the following winter, the king was to wed the Lady Anne of Bretagne; +and as Lady Anne was a great admirer and collector of beautiful painted +books, the king thought no gift would please his bride quite so much as +a piece of fine illumination; and he decided that it should be an hour +book. These books were so called because in them were written different +parts of the Bible, intended to be read at certain hours of the day; for +most people at that time were very devout, and the great ladies +especially were very fond of having their hour books made as beautiful +as possible. + +As King Louis thought over the best places where he might have his +bride's gift painted, at last he made up his mind to send to the monks +of St. Martin's. He commanded that the hour book be done in the most +beautiful style, and that it must be finished by the following December. + +The Abbot was delighted with the honour the king had shown the Abbey in +sending this order; and he determined that Brother Stephen should stay +and make the entire book, as no one else wrote so evenly, or made quite +such lovely initials and borders as did he. + +When the Abbot told this to Brother Stephen, however, it was a pity +that he did so in such a cold and haughty way that altogether Brother +Stephen's anger was aroused, for he had a rather unruly temper; and so, +smarting under the disappointment of not receiving his liberty, and +feeling that the book for Lady Anne was one cause of this, he had spoken +angrily and disrespectfully to the Abbot, and refused point-blank to +touch the king's order. + +At this the Abbot in his turn became angry, and declared that Brother +Stephen should be compelled to paint the hour book whether he wished to +or not; that he must do it as punishment for his unruly conduct; and the +Abbot threatened, moreover, that if he did not obey, he would be placed +under the ban of the Church, which was considered by all the brotherhood +as a dreadful misfortune. + +And so with this threat hanging over him, that very morning, just before +Gabriel reached the Abbey, Brother Stephen had been sent to the old +chapter-house, where he was ordered to work by himself, and to begin the +book at once. And to complete his humiliation, and for fear he might try +to run away, the Abbot caused him to be chained to one of the legs of +the heavy work-table; and this chain he was to wear every day during +working hours. + +Now all this made Brother Stephen very angry and unhappy, and his heart +was full of bitterness toward the Abbot and all of the brotherhood and +the world in general, when all at once he heard Gabriel's knock at the +door; and then, in another moment, the door was softly pushed open, and +there, on the threshold, stood the little boy. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +BROTHER STEPHEN'S INSPIRATION + + +GABRIEL knew nothing of Brother Stephen's troubles, and so was smiling +happily as he stepped into the room, holding his cap in one hand, while +with his other arm he hugged to him his large bunch of violets and +cuckoo-buds. Indeed he looked so bright and full of life that even +Brother Stephen felt the effect of it, and his frown began to smooth out +a little as he said: + +"Well, my lad, who art thou?" + +"I am Gabriel Viaud, Brother Stephen," answered the boy, "and I have +come to help you; for they told me Jacques is fallen ill. What would you +like me to do first?" + +To this Brother Stephen scarcely knew what to reply. He was certainly in +no mood for work. He was still very, very angry, and thought himself +terribly misused by the Abbot; and though he greatly dreaded the +latter's threats, he had almost reached the point of defying him and the +king and everybody else, no matter what dreadful thing happened to him +afterward. + +But then as he looked again at the bright-faced little boy standing +there, and seeming so eager to help, he began to relent more and more; +and besides, he found it decidedly embarrassing to try to explain things +to Gabriel. + +So after a little pause, he said to him: "Gabriel, I am not ready for +thee at this moment; go sit on yonder bench. I wish to think out a +matter which is perplexing me." Then as Gabriel obediently went over to +the bench and seated himself, he added: "Thou canst pass the time +looking at the books on the shelf above thee." + +So while Brother Stephen was trying to make up his mind as to what he +would do, Gabriel took down one of the books, and was soon absorbed in +its pages. Presently, as he turned a new one, he gave a little +involuntary exclamation of delight. At this Brother Stephen noticed him, +and-- + +"Ah!" he said, "what hast thou found that seems to please thee?" + +"Oh, sir," answered Gabriel, "this is the most beautiful initial letter +I have ever seen!" + +Now Gabriel did not know that the book had been made a few years before +by Brother Stephen himself, and so he had no idea how much it pleased +the brother to have his work admired. + +Indeed, most people who do good work of any kind oftentimes feel the +need of praise; not flattery, but the real approval of some one who +understands what they are trying to do. It makes the workman or artist +feel that if his work is liked by somebody, it is worth while to try to +do more and better. + +Poor Brother Stephen did not get much of this needed praise, for many of +the other monks at the Abbey were envious of him, and so were unwilling +really to admire his work; while the Abbot was so cold and haughty and +so taken up with his own affairs, that he seldom took the trouble to say +what he liked or disliked. + +So when Brother Stephen saw Gabriel's eager admiration, he felt pleased +indeed; for Gabriel had a nice taste in artistic things, and seemed +instinctively to pick out the best points of anything he looked at. And +when, in his enthusiasm, he carried the book over and began to tell +Brother Stephen why he so much admired the painting, without knowing it, +he really made the latter feel happier than he had felt for many a day. +He began to have a decided notion that he would paint King Louis's book +after all. And just then, as if to settle the matter, he happened to +glance at the corner of the table where Gabriel had laid down his bunch +of flowers as he came in. + +It chanced that some of the violets had fallen from the cluster and +dropped upon a broad ruler of brass that lay beside the painting +materials. And even as Brother Stephen looked, it chanced also that a +little white butterfly drifted into the room through the bars of the +high, open window; after vaguely fluttering about for a while, at last, +attracted by the blossoms, it came, and, poising lightly over the +violets on the ruler, began to sip the honey from the heart of one of +them. + +As Brother Stephen's artistic eye took in the beauty of effect made by +the few flowers on the brass ruler with the butterfly hovering over +them, he, too, gave a little exclamation, and his eyes brightened and he +smiled; for he had just got a new idea for an illuminated border. + +"Yes," he said to himself, "this would be different from any I have yet +seen! I will decorate King Louis's book with borders of gold; and on the +gold I will paint the meadow wildflowers, and the bees and butterflies, +and all the little flying creatures." + +Now before this, all the borders of the Abbey books had been painted, in +the usual manner of the time, with scrolls and birds and flowers more or +less conventionalized; that is, the artists did not try to make them +look exactly like the real ones, but twisted them about in all sorts of +fantastic ways. Sometimes the stem of a flower would end in the +curled-up folds of a winged dragon, or a bird would have strange +blossoms growing out of his beak, or perhaps the tips of his wings. + +These borders were indeed exquisitely beautiful, but Brother Stephen +was just tired of it all, and wanted to do something quite different; so +he was delighted with his new idea of painting the field-flowers exactly +like nature, only placing them on a background of gold. + +As he pictured in his mind one page after another thus adorned, he +became more and more interested and impatient to begin at once. He +forgot all about his anger at the Abbot; he forgot everything else, +except that he wanted to begin King Louis's book as quickly as possible! + +And so he called briskly to Gabriel, who meantime had reseated himself +on his bench: + +"Gabriel, come hither! Canst thou rule lines without blotting? Canst +thou make ink and grind colours and prepare gold size?" + +"Yes, sir," said Gabriel, surprised at the monk's eager manner, "I have +worked at all these things." + +"Good!" replied Brother Stephen. "Here is a piece of parchment thou +canst cut and prepare, and then rule it, thus" (and here he showed him +how he wished it done), "with scarlet ink. But do not take yonder brass +ruler! Here is one of ivory thou canst use instead." + +And then as Gabriel went to work, Brother Stephen, taking a goose-quill +pen and some black ink, began skilfully and carefully to make drawings +of the violets as they lay on the ruler, not forgetting the white +butterfly which still hovered about. The harder he worked the happier he +grew; hour after hour passed, till at last the dinner time came, and +Gabriel, who was growing very hungry, could hear the footsteps of the +brothers, as they marched into the large dining-room where they all ate +together. + +Brother Stephen, however, was so absorbed that he did not notice +anything; till, by and by, the door opened, and in came two monks, one +carrying some soup and bread and a flagon of wine. As they entered, +Brother Stephen turned quickly, and was about to rise, when all at once +he felt the tug of the chain still fastened about the leg of the table; +at this his face grew scarlet with shame, and he sank back in his +chair. + +Gabriel started with surprise, for he had not before seen the chain, +partly hidden as it was by the folds of the brother's robe. As he +looked, one of the two monks went to the table, and, with a key which he +carried, unlocked the chain so Brother Stephen might have a half-hour's +liberty while he ate. The monks, however, stayed with him to keep an eye +on his movements; and meantime they told Gabriel to go out to the Abbey +kitchen and find something for his own dinner. + +As Gabriel went out along the corridor to the kitchen, his heart swelled +with pity! Why was Brother Stephen chained? He tried to think, and +remembered that once before he had seen one of the brothers chained to a +table in the writing-room because he was not diligent enough with his +work,--but Brother Stephen! Was he not working so hard? And how +beautiful, too, were his drawings! The more Gabriel thought of it the +more indignant he grew. Indeed, he did not half-enjoy the bread and +savoury soup made of black beans, that the cook dished out for him; he +took his wooden bowl, and sitting on a bench, ate absently, thinking all +the while of Brother Stephen. + +When he had finished he went back to the chapter-house and found the +other monks gone and Brother Stephen again chained. Gabriel felt much +embarrassed to have been obliged to see it; and when Brother Stephen, +pointing to the chain, said bitterly, "Thou seest they were afraid I +would run away from my work," the lad was so much at a loss to know what +to say, that he very wisely said nothing. + +Now Brother Stephen, though he had begun the book as the Abbot wished, +yet he had by no means the meek and penitent spirit which also the Abbot +desired of him, and which it was proper for a monk to have. + +And so if the truth must be told, each time the other monks came in to +chain him, he felt more than anything else like seizing both of them, +and thrusting them bodily out of the door, or at least trying to do so. +But then he could not forget the Abbot's threat if he showed +disobedience; and he had been brought up to dread the ban of the Church +more than anything else that could possibly happen to him, because he +believed that this would make him unhappy, not only in this life, but in +the life to come. And so he smothered his feelings and tried to bear the +humiliation as patiently as he could. + +Gabriel could not help but see, however, that it took him some time to +regain the interest he had felt in his work, and it was not until the +afternoon was half-gone that he seemed to forget his troubles enough +really to have heart in the pages he was making. + +When dusk fell, Gabriel picked up and arranged his things in order, and +bidding Brother Stephen good night, trudged off home. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +GABRIEL INTERVIEWS THE ABBOT + + +THE next day of Gabriel's service passed off much the same as the first, +and so it went for almost a week; but the boy saw day by day that +Brother Stephen's chain became more and more unbearable to him, and that +he had long fits of brooding, when he looked so miserable and unhappy +that Gabriel's heart fairly ached for him. + +At last the lad, who was a sympathetic little fellow, felt that he +could stand it no longer, but must try and help him in some way. + +"If I could only speak to the Abbot himself," thought Gabriel, "surely +he would see that Brother Stephen is set free!" + +The Abbot, however, was a very stately and dignified person; and Gabriel +did not quite see how a little peasant boy like himself could find an +opportunity to speak to him, or how he would dare to say anything even +if he had a chance. + +Now it happened the very morning that Gabriel was thinking about all +this, he was out in the Abbey kitchen beating up the white of a nice +fresh egg which he had brought with him from home that day. He had the +egg in an earthen bowl, and was working away with a curious wooden +beater, for few people had forks in those days. And as he beat up the +white froth, the Abbey cooks also were very busy making pasties, and +roasting huge pieces of meat before the great open fireplace, and baking +loaves of sweet Normandy bread for the monks' dinner. + +But Gabriel was not helping them; no, he was beating the egg for Brother +Stephen to use in putting on the gold in the border he was painting. For +the brothers did not have the imitation gold powders of which we see so +much to-day; but instead, they used real gold, which they ground up very +fine in earthen mortars, and took much trouble to properly prepare. And +when they wanted to lay it on, they commonly used the white of a fresh +egg to fasten it to the parchment. + +[Illustration: "_He saw the Abbot walking up and down_"] + +So Gabriel was working as fast as he could, for Brother Stephen was +waiting; when all at once he happened to look out the kitchen door, +which opened on a courtyard where there was a pretty garden, and he saw +the Abbot walking up and down the gravel paths, and now and then +stopping to see how the tulips and daffodils were coming on. + +As Gabriel looked, the Abbot seated himself on a stone bench; and then +the little boy, forgetting his awe of him, and thinking only of Brother +Stephen and his chain ran out as fast as he could, still holding his +bowl in one hand and the wooden beater in the other. + +As he came up to where the Abbot was sitting, he courtesied in such +haste that he spilled out half his egg as he eagerly burst out: + +"O reverend Father! will you not command Brother Stephen to be set free +from his chain?" + +The Abbot at first had smiled at the droll figure made by the little +boy, whom he supposed to be one of the kitchen scullions, but at this +speech he stiffened up and looked very stern as Gabriel went on +breathlessly: + +"He is making such a beautiful book, and he works so hard; but the chain +is so dreadful to him, and I was sure that if you knew they had put it +on him, you would not allow it!" + +Here the Abbot began to feel a trifle uncomfortable, for he saw that +Gabriel did not know that he himself had ordered Brother Stephen to wear +the chain. But he mentioned nothing of this as he spoke to Gabriel. + +"Boy," he said, severely, "what affair of thine is this matter about +Brother Stephen? Doubtless if he is chained, it is a punishment he hath +merited. 'Tis scarcely becoming in a lad like thee to question these +things." And then, as he looked sharply at Gabriel, he added, "Did +Brother Stephen send thee hither? Who art thou?" + +At this Gabriel hung his head, and, "Nay, sir," he answered, simply, "he +does not know, and perhaps he will be angry with me! I am his +colour-grinder, and I was in the kitchen getting the egg for his +gold,"--here suddenly Gabriel remembered his bowl, and looking down in +dismay, "Oh, sir," he exclaimed, "I have spilled the egg, and it was +fresh-laid this morning by my white hen!" Here the boy looked so +honestly distressed that the Abbot could not but believe that he spoke +the truth, and so he smiled a little as he said, not unkindly: + +"Well, never mind about thy hen,--go on; thou wast in the kitchen, and +then what?" + +"I saw you in the garden," answered Gabriel, "and--and--I thought that +if you knew about the chain, you would not like it;" (here the Abbot +began to look very stern again); "and," Gabriel added, "I could not bear +to see Brother Stephen so unhappy. I know he is unhappy, for whenever he +notices the chain, he frowns and his hand trembles so he can hardly +paint!" + +"Ah," said the Abbot to himself, "if his hand trembles, that is another +matter." For the Abbot knew perfectly well that in order to do +successfully anything so delicate as a piece of illumination, one must +have a steady hand and untroubled nerves; and he began to think that +perhaps he had gone a little too far in punishing Brother Stephen. So +he thought a minute, and then to Gabriel, who was still standing before +him, not quite knowing what to do, he merely said: + +"Go back to thy work, lad, and mind thy colours; and," he added with +haughty dignity, "I will do as I think best about Brother Stephen's +chain." + +So Gabriel went back to the kitchen feeling very uncomfortable, for he +was afraid he had displeased the Abbot, and so, perhaps, done more harm +than good to Brother Stephen. While he was quite sure he had displeased +Brother Stephen, for he had kept him waiting a long while, and worse +still, had spilled the best egg there was in the kitchen! However, the +lad begged one of the cooks to let him have another egg, and, whisking +it up as quickly as he could, made haste to carry it to the +chapter-house. + +As he pushed open the door, Brother Stephen said, sharply, "How now! I +thought they had chained thee to one of the tables of the kitchen!" + +"I am so sorry," said Gabriel, his face very red,--"but--I--I spilled +the first egg and had to make ready another." + +He hoped Brother Stephen would not ask him how he happened to spill it; +for by this time he began to realize that the high-spirited monk +probably had reasons of his own for submitting to the punishment of the +chain, and that very likely he would be displeased if he knew that his +little colour-grinder had asked the Abbot to free him. So Gabriel felt +much relieved when, without further questions, Brother Stephen went on +with his work, in which for the moment he was greatly absorbed. + +And thus the day went quietly on, till early in the afternoon; when, to +the great surprise of both of them, the door slowly opened, and in +walked the Abbot himself. + +The Abbot was haughty, as usual, and, as Brother Stephen saw him come +in, he raised his head with an involuntary look of pride and resentment; +but neither spoke as the Abbot stepped over to the table, and examined +the page on which the monk was working. + +This particular page happened to be ornamented with a wide border of +purple flag-flowers, copied from some Gabriel had gathered the day +before in a swampy corner of one of the wayside meadows. Their fresh +green leaves and rich purple petals shone with royal effect against the +background of gold; while hovering over them, and clinging to their +stems, were painted honey-bees, with gauzy wings, and soft, +furry-looking bodies of black and gold. + +As the Abbot saw how beautiful it all was, and how different from any +other of the Abbey illuminations, he smiled to himself with pleasure. +For the Abbot, though he never said a great deal, yet very well knew a +good piece of artistic work when he saw it. Instead of merely smiling to +himself, however, it would have made Brother Stephen much happier if he +had taken the trouble to say aloud some of the nice things he was +thinking about the work. + +For Brother Stephen felt very bitter as he thought over all he had been +made to bear; and even as the Abbot looked, he saw, sure enough, that +his hand trembled as Gabriel had said; for the poor monk had hard work +to control his feelings. + +Now the Abbot really did not mean to be unkind. It was only that he did +not quite know how to unbend; and perhaps feeling this, he soon went +out. + +Gabriel, who had been very much afraid he might say something to him +about their conversation of the morning, felt greatly relieved when the +door closed behind him; and the rest of the afternoon he and Brother +Stephen worked on in silence. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE HOUR BOOK + + +BUT the next morning when Gabriel reached the Abbey, to his great joy he +found the chain gone (for the Abbot had so ordered after his visit to +the chapter-house), and Brother Stephen already hard at work, and happy +as a bird. For like many other artist souls, when things went wrong, +Brother Stephen suffered dreadful unhappiness; while, on the other hand, +when pleased, he was full of boundless delight; and so, being relieved +from the chain, he was in one of his most joyous moods. + +He smiled brightly as Gabriel entered; and the April sunlight streaming +in through the high narrow windows sparkled so radiantly, and so filled +them with the life and energy and gladness of the spring-time, that each +of them felt as though he could do no end of work, and that King Louis's +book should be one of the most beautiful things in all the world! + +And that morning was but the beginning of a long series of happy days +that Brother Stephen and Gabriel were to spend together. At first the +monk knew nothing of how it happened that he was freed from the +humiliation of the chain; but one day he heard about Gabriel's talk +with the Abbot from one of the brotherhood who had chanced to be in the +garden that morning, and had overheard them. + +At first Brother Stephen was rather displeased; for he did not like it +that the little boy had begged of the Abbot something which he himself +was too proud to ask. But when he thought it over, and reflected that it +was out of sheer kindness that Gabriel had made the request, his heart +strangely warmed toward the lad. Indeed, through all his life in the +Abbey, no one had ever really cared whether he was happy or unhappy; and +so poor Brother Stephen had had no idea how very pleasant it would be +to have even a little peasant boy take an interest in him. And as day +after day went by, he began to love Gabriel, as he had never before +loved any one. + +Yes, those were very happy days for both of them, and very busy ones, +too. Every morning Gabriel would come to the Abbey with his hands filled +with the prettiest wild flowers he could find on the way; and from these +Brother Stephen would select the ones that pleased him best to paint. +Sometimes it would be the sweet wild hyacinths of pale blue, sometimes +the yellow marsh-marigolds, and again the little deep pink field-roses, +or some other of the innumerable lovely blossoms that every season +brought. And with them all, as he had said, he put in the small flying +creatures; butterflies and bees, scarlet ladybugs and pale green +beetles, whose wings looked like scraps of rainbows; and sometimes, in +his zeal, he even painted the little snails with their curled-up shells, +and the fuzzy caterpillars that happened to come in on Gabriel's +bouquets, and you really would never believe how very handsome even +these looked in the gold borders, when Brother Stephen got through with +them. + +And so, day by day, the book grew in perfect beauty. And as Brother +Stephen worked, there was much for Gabriel to do also. For in those days +artists could not buy their ink and paints all ready for use as they do +to-day, but were obliged to prepare by hand almost all their materials; +and a little assistant such as Gabriel had to keep his hands busy, and +his eyes open, too. + +For instance, the matter of the ink alone, Gabriel had to have on his +mind for weeks; for one could not then buy it ready made, in a bottle, +as we do now without the least trouble, but the monks or their +colour-grinders had to make it themselves. + +And this is the way Gabriel had been taught to do it: morning after +morning of those early spring days, as he trudged along on his way to +the Abbey, he kept sharp watch on the young hawthorn-trees by the +roadside; and when their first buds showed, and while they were still +tiny, he gathered armfuls of the boughs, and carried them to the Abbey, +where he spread them out in a sunny corner of the courtyard to stay +until quite dry. Then he had to put them in a stone mortar and pound off +all the bark; and this he put to steep in great earthen jars of water, +until the water might draw all the sap from out the bark. All this took +several weeks to do. + +And then Gabriel spent a number of busy days in the great kitchen. There +he had a large saucepan, and in it he placed, a little at a time, the +water in which the bark was steeping; and then raking out some coals +from the blazing fire of logs, he set his saucepan over them, and +watched the barky water until it had boiled down very thick, much as one +boils down syrup for preserves. + +Then he dipped out the thick liquid into little bags of parchment, which +he had spent days stitching up very tightly, so that nothing could leak +out. After the little bags were filled, he hung them out-of-doors in the +bright sunlight; and as the days grew warmer and warmer, the sun soon +dried their contents, so that if one of the little bags were opened it +would be found filled with a dark powder. + +And then, last of all, when Brother Stephen wished some fresh ink for +his writing, or for the delicate lines about his initial letters or +borders, Gabriel would take a little of the dry powder from one of the +bags, and, putting it in a small saucepan over the fire, would melt it +with a little wine. And so at last it would be ready for use; a fine, +beautiful black ink that hundreds of years have found hard work to fade. + +[Illustration: "_Dreaming of all the beautiful things he meant to +paint_"] + +Then there was the gold to grind and prepare; that was the hardest of +all, and fairly made his arms ache. Many of the paints, too, had to be +worked over very carefully; and the blue especially, and other brilliant +colours made from vegetable dyes, must be kept in a very curious way. +Brother Stephen would prepare the dyes, as he preferred to do this +himself; and then Gabriel would take little pieces of linen cloth and +dip a few in each of the colours until the linen would be soaked; and +afterward, when they had dried in the sun, he would arrange these bits +in a little booklet of cotton paper, which every night Brother Stephen, +as was the custom with many of the monks, put under his pillow so that +it might keep very dry and warm; for this preserved the colours in all +their brightness. And then when he wanted to use some of them, he would +tell Gabriel to cut off a bit of the linen of whatever colour he wished, +and soak it in water, and in this way he would get a fine liquid +paint. + +For holding this paint, as dishes were none too plenty in those days, +mussel shells were generally used; and one of Gabriel's tasks was to +gather numbers of these from the banks of the little river that ran +through one of the Abbey meadows. That was very pleasant work, though, +and sometimes, late in the afternoons of those lovely summer days, +Brother Stephen and Gabriel would walk out together to the edge of this +little river; the monk to sit on the grassy bank dreaming of all the +beautiful things he meant to paint, while Gabriel hunted for the pretty +purple shells. + +And oftentimes the lad would bring along a fishing-pole and try his luck +at catching an eel; for even this, too, had to do with the making of the +book. For Brother Stephen in putting on the gold of his borders, while +he generally used white of egg, yet for certain parts preferred a glue +made from the skin of an eel; and this Gabriel could make very finely. + +So you see there were a great many things for a little colour-grinder to +do; yet Gabriel was very industrious, and it often happened that he +would finish his tasks for the day, and still have several hours to +himself. And this was the best of all; for at such times Brother +Stephen, who was getting along finely, would take great pleasure in +teaching him to illuminate. He would let the boy take a piece of +parchment, and then giving him beautiful letters and bits of borders, +would show him how to copy them. Indeed, he took so much pains in his +teaching, that very soon Gabriel, who loved the work, and who had a real +talent for it, began to be quite skilful, and to make very good designs +of his own. + +Whenever he did anything especially nice, Brother Stephen would seem +almost as much pleased as if Gabriel were his own boy; and hugging him +affectionately, he would exclaim: + +"Ah, little one, thou hast indeed the artist soul! And, please God, I +will train thy hand so that when thou art a man it shall never know the +hard toil of the peasant. Thy pen and brush shall earn a livelihood for +thee!" And then he would take more pains than ever to teach Gabriel all +the best knowledge of his art. + +Nor did Brother Stephen content himself with teaching the boy only to +paint; but in his love for him, he desired to do still more. He had no +wealth some day to bestow upon him, but he had something that was a very +great deal better; for Brother Stephen, like many of the monks of the +time, had a good education; and this he determined to share with +Gabriel. + +He arranged to have him stay at the Abbey for his supper as often as he +could be spared from home; and hour after hour of the long summer +evenings he spent teaching the lad to read and write, which was really +quite a distinction; for it was an accomplishment that none of the +peasants, and very few of the lords and ladies of that time possessed. +Gabriel was quick and eager to learn, and Brother Stephen gradually +added other things to his list of studies, and both of them took the +greatest pleasure in the hours thus passed together. + +Sometimes they would go out into the garden, and, sitting on one of the +quaint stone benches, Brother Stephen would point out to Gabriel the +different stars, or tell him about the fragrant growing plants around +them; or, perhaps, repeat to him some dreamy legend of old, old +Normandy. + +And then, by and by, Gabriel would go home through the perfumed dark, +feeling vaguely happy; for all the while, through those pleasant +evenings with Brother Stephen, his mind and heart were opening brightly +as the yellow primroses, that blossomed by moonlight over all the Abbey +meadows. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE COUNT'S TAX + + +AND in this happy manner the spring and summer wore away and the autumn +came. Brother Stephen felt very cheerful, for the beautiful book grew +more beautiful week by week; and he was very proud and happy, because he +knew it was the loveliest thing he had ever made. + +Indeed, he himself was so cheerful, that as the autumn days, one after +another, melted away, it was some little time before he noticed that +Gabriel was losing his merriness, and that he had begun to look sad and +distressed. And finally, one morning, he came looking so very unhappy, +that Brother Stephen asked, with much concern: + +"Why, lad, whither have all thy gay spirits taken flight? Art thou ill?" + +"Nay, sir," answered Gabriel, sadly; "but oh, Brother Stephen, we are in +so much trouble at home!" + +At this the monk at once began to question him, and learned that +Gabriel's family were indeed in great misfortune. + +And this is how it came about: in those days the peasant folk had a very +hard time indeed. All of the land through the country was owned by the +great nobles; and the poor peasants, who lived on the little farms into +which the land was divided, had few rights. They could not even move to +another place if they so wished, but were obliged to spend all their +lives under the control of whatever nobleman happened to own the estate +on which they were born. + +They lived in little thatched cottages, and cultivated their bits of +land; and as rent for this, each peasant was obliged to help support the +great lord who owned everything, and who always lived in a strong +castle, with armed men under his command. + +The peasants had to raise wheat and vegetables and sheep and cows, so +that the people of the castles might eat nice, white bread, and nut +cookies and roast meat; though the poor peasants themselves had to be +content, day after day, with little more than hard, black bread, and +perhaps a single bowl of cabbage or potato soup, from which the whole +family would dip with their wooden spoons. + +Then, too, the peasants oftentimes had to pay taxes when their noble +lord wished to raise money, and even to follow him to war if he so +commanded, though this did not often happen. + +And now we come to the reason for Gabriel's troubles. It seems that the +Count Pierre de Bouchage, to whose estate Gabriel's family belonged, +had got into a quarrel with a certain baron who lived near the town of +Evreux, and Count Pierre was determined to take his followers and attack +the baron's castle; for these private wars were very common in those +days. + +But Count Pierre needed money to carry on his little war, and so had +laid a very heavy tax on the peasants of his estate; and Gabriel's +father had been unable to raise the sum of money demanded. For besides +Gabriel, there were several little brothers and sisters in the family, +Jean and Margot and little Guillaume, who must be clothed and fed; and +though the father was honest and hard-working, yet the land of their +little farm was poor, and it was all the family could do to find +themselves enough on which to live. + +When peasant Viaud had begged Count Pierre to release him from the tax, +the count, who was hard and unsympathetic, had become angry, and given +orders that the greater part of their little farm should be taken from +them, and he had seized also their little flock of sheep. This was a +grievous loss, for out of the wool that grew on the sheeps' backs, +Gabriel's mother every winter made the warm, homespun clothes for all +the family. + +Indeed, Count Pierre had no real right to do all this; but in those +times, when a noble lord chose to be cruel and unjust, the poor +peasants had no way to help matters. + +And this was not all of Gabriel's woes; for only a few days after he had +told these things to Brother Stephen, when he went home at night, he +found his mother crying bitterly, and learned that Count Pierre, who was +having some trouble in raising his money, and so had become more +merciless than ever, had that day imprisoned his father at the castle, +and refused to release him unless some of the tax were paid. + +This was the hardest blow of all; and though the other children were too +young to understand all that had befallen them, poor Gabriel and his +mother were so distressed that neither slept that night; and the next +morning when the little boy arose, tired out instead of rested by the +long night, he had scarcely the heart to go away to the Abbey, and leave +things so miserable at home. But his mother thought it best for him to +keep on with his work with Brother Stephen, because of the little sum he +earned; and then, too, he felt that he must do his part to help until +King Louis's book was finished. After that, he did not know what he +could do! He did not know how he could best try to take his father's +place and help the family; for, after all, he knew he was only a little +boy, and so things seemed very hopeless! + +Indeed the grief and poverty that had come upon them at home made +Gabriel so sad that Brother Stephen was quite heart-broken, too, for he +deeply loved the lad. As he worked, he kept trying all the while to +think of some way to help them; but as the monk had passed all his life +within the walls of the Abbey, he knew but little of the ways of the +outside world; and he had no money of his own, or he would gladly have +paid the tax himself. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +GABRIEL'S PRAYER + + +MEANTIME, though they worked quietly, they were both very industrious; +and at last one day, late in October, when the first snow was beginning +to fall, Brother Stephen finished the last page of the beautiful book. +He gave a sigh as he laid down his paintbrush; not because he was tired, +but because in his heart he was really sorry to finish his work, for he +knew that then it would soon be taken away, and he hated to part with +it. + +As he and Gabriel laid all the pages together in the order in which they +were to go, brother Stephen's heart swelled with pride, and Gabriel +thought he had never seen anything half so lovely! + +The text was written in beautiful letters of the lustrous black ink +which Gabriel had made; and at the beginnings of new chapters, wonderful +initial letters glittered in gold and colours till they looked like +little mosaics of precious stones. + +Here and there through the text were scattered exquisite miniature +pictures of saints and angels; while as for the borders that enclosed +every page, they wreathed around the written words such lovely garlands +of painted blossoms, that to Gabriel the whole book seemed a marvellous +bouquet of all the sweet flowers he had daily gathered from the Norman +fields, and that Brother Stephen, by the magic of his art, had made +immortal. + +Indeed the little boy fairly blinked as he looked at the sparkling +beauty of those pages where the blossoms were to live on, through the +centuries, bright and beautiful and unharmed by wind or rain or the +driving snow, that even then was covering up all the bare frost-smitten +meadows without. + +And so Gabriel turned over page after page shining with gold and purple +and rose-colour, till he came to the very last of the text; and then he +saw that there was yet one page more, and on turning over this he read +these words: + +"I, Brother Stephen, of the Abbey of St. Martin-de-Bouchage, made this +book; and for every initial letter and picture and border of flowers +that I have herein wrought, I pray the Lord God to have compassion upon +some one of my grievous sins!" + +This was written in beautifully, and all around it was painted a +graceful border like braided ribbons of blue. + +Now in Brother Stephen's time, when any one finished an especially +beautiful illumination of any part of the Bible, it was quite customary +for the artist to add, at the end, a little prayer. Indeed, no one can +make a really beautiful thing without loving the work; and those +old-time artist-monks took such delight in the flowery pages they +painted, that they felt sure the dear Lord himself could not help but be +pleased to have his words made so beautiful, and that he would so grant +the little prayer at the end of the book, because of the loving labour +that had gone before. + +As Gabriel again read over Brother Stephen's last page, it set him to +thinking; and a little later, as he walked home in the frosty dusk, he +thought of it again. + +It was true, he said to himself, that all the beautiful written and +painted work on King Louis's book had been done by Brother Stephen's +hands,--and yet,--and yet,--had not he, too, helped? Had he not gathered +the thorny hawthorn, and pricked his fingers, and spent days and days +making the ink? Had he not, week after week, ground the colours and the +gold till his arms ached, and his hands were blistered? Had he not made +the glue, and prepared the parchment, and ruled the lines (and one had +to be _so_ careful not to blot them!), and brought all the flowers for +the borders? + +Surely, he thought, though he had not painted any of its lovely pages, +yet he had done his little part to help make the book, and so, +perhaps--perhaps--might not the Lord God feel kindly toward him, too, +and be willing to grant a little prayer to him also? + +Now of course Gabriel could have prayed any time and anywhere, and +simply asked for what he wanted. But he had a strong feeling that God +would be much more apt to notice it, if the prayer were beautifully +written out, like Brother Stephen's, and placed in the book itself, on +the making of which he had worked so long and so hard. + +Gabriel was very pleased with his idea, and by the time he reached home, +he had planned out just what he wanted to say. He ate his supper of hard +black bread very happily, and when, soon after, he crept into bed and +pulled up his cover of ragged sheepskin, he went to sleep with his head +so full of the work of the past few months, that he dreamed that the +whole world was full of painted books and angels with rose-coloured +wings; that all the meadows of Normandy were covered with gold, and the +flowers fastened on with white of egg and eel-skins; and then, just as +he was getting out his ruler to rule lines over the blue sky, he rubbed +his eyes and woke up; and, finding it was morning, he jumped out of bed, +and hastened to make himself ready for his day's work. + +When he reached the Abbey, Brother Stephen was busy binding together the +finished leaves of the book; for the monks had to do not only the +painting, but also the putting together of their books themselves. + +After Gabriel had waited on Brother Stephen for awhile, the latter told +him he could have some time to himself, and so he hurried to get out the +little jars of scarlet and blue and black ink, and the bits of parchment +that Brother Stephen had given him. He looked over the parchment +carefully, and at last found one piece from which he could cut a page +that was almost as large as the pages of the book. It was an old piece, +and had some writing on one side, but he knew how to scrape it off +clean; and then taking some of the scarlet ink, he ruled some lines in +the centre of the page, and between these, in the nicest black letters +he knew how to make, he wrote his little prayer. And this is the way it +read: + +"I, Gabriel Viaud, am Brother Stephen's colour-grinder; and I have made +the ink for this book, and the glue, and caught the eels, and ground the +gold and colours, and ruled the lines and gathered the flowers for the +borders, and so I pray the Lord God will be kind and let my father out +of prison in Count Pierre's castle, and tell Count Pierre to give us +back our meadow and sheep, for we cannot pay the tax, and mother says we +will starve." + +Now in the little prayers that the monks added at the end of a book, it +was the custom to ask only that their sins might be forgiven. But +Gabriel, though he knew he had plenty of sins,--for so the parish priest +of St. Martin's village told all the peasant folk every Sunday,--yet +somehow could not feel nearly so anxious to have them forgiven, as he +was to have his father freed from prison in the castle, and their little +farm and flock restored to them; and so he had decided to word his +prayer the way he did. + +It took him some time to write it out, for he took great pains to shape +every letter as perfectly as possible. Nor did he forget that Brother +Stephen had taught him always to make the word God more beautiful than +the others; so he wrote that in scarlet ink, and edged it with scallops +and loops and little dots of blue; and then all around the whole prayer +he made graceful flourishes of the coloured inks. He very much wished +for a bit of gold with which to enrich his work, but gold was too +precious for little boys to practise with, and so Brother Stephen had +not given him any for his own. Nevertheless, when the page was finished, +the artistic effect was very pleasing, and it really was a remarkably +clever piece of work for a little boy to have made. + +He did not tell Brother Stephen what he was doing, for he was afraid +that perhaps he might not quite approve of his plan. Not that Gabriel +wished for a moment to do anything that Brother Stephen would not like +him to do, but only that he thought their affairs at home so desperate +that he could not afford to risk losing this means of help;--and then, +too, he felt that the prayer was his own little secret, and he did not +want to tell any one about it anyway. + +And so he was greatly relieved that Brother Stephen, who was very much +absorbed in his own work, did not ask him any questions. The monk was +always very kind about helping him in every way possible, but never +insisted on Gabriel's showing him everything, wisely thinking that many +times it was best to let the boy work out his own ideas. So Gabriel said +nothing about his page, but put it carefully away, until he could find +some opportunity to place it in the book itself. + +Meantime Brother Stephen worked industriously, and in a few days more he +had quite finished the book. He had strongly bound all his painted pages +together, and put on a cover of violet velvet, which the nuns of a +near-by convent had exquisitely embroidered in pearls and gold. And, +last of all, the cover was fastened with clasps of wrought gold, set +with amethysts. Altogether it was a royal gift, and one worthy of any +queen. Even the Abbot, cold and stately though he usually was, +exclaimed with pleasure when he saw it, and warmly praised Brother +Stephen upon the loveliness of his work. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +THE BOOK GOES TO LADY ANNE + + +AND it was well that the beautiful book was finished, for the very next +afternoon a nobleman, with several attendants, arrived at the Abbey to +see if the work were done. The nobleman was Count Henri of Lisieux, who +had been sent by King Louis to bear to Lady Anne a precious casket of +jewels as part of his bridal gifts to her; and the count had also +received orders from the king to go to St. Martin's Abbey on his way, +and if the book of hours were finished, to take it along to the Lady +Anne. + +Count Henri was greatly pleased when they showed the work to him, and he +said that he knew both King Louis and his bride could not help but be +delighted with it. And then, after it had been duly looked at and +admired, the book was wrapped up in a piece of soft, rich silk and laid +on a shelf in the chapter-house to wait until the next morning, when +Count Henri would take it away. For he had come far, and the Abbot had +invited him to stay overnight in the Abbey before going on with his +journey. + +While all this was taking place, and the book was being examined, +Gabriel had been quietly at work in one corner of the chapter-house, +grinding some gold; and when he heard that Count Henri was going away +the next morning, he knew that if he expected to put his own little page +in the book, he must do so some time before he went home that evening; +and he did not quite see how he could manage it. + +Late in the afternoon, however, a little before dusk, all the others +left the chapter-house, Brother Stephen to go to his own cell, while the +Abbot took Count Henri out to show him over the Abbey. And just as soon +as they were gone, Gabriel hastily put down the stone mortar in which he +was grinding the gold, and, going over to the work-table, opened the +drawer in which he kept his own things, and took out the page on which +he had written his little prayer. + +He then went to the shelf and took down the book. He felt guilty as he +unfolded the silk wrappings, and his hands trembled as he loosened the +golden clasps, and hurriedly slipped in his piece of parchment. He put +it in at the very back of the book, after Brother Stephen's last page. +Then carefully refastening the clasps, and again folding it up in its +silken cover, he replaced the book on the shelf. + +Poor Gabriel did not know whether he had done very wrong or not in +taking this liberty with the painted book. He only knew that he could +not bear to have it go away without his little prayer between its +covers; and he thought that now God would surely notice it, as he had +written it as nicely as he knew how, and had placed it next to Brother +Stephen's. + +By this time it was growing dark, and so Gabriel left the Abbey and took +his way home. When he reached their forlorn little cottage, he found +only a scanty supper awaiting him, and very early he went to bed; for +they had but little fire and were too poor to afford even a single +candle to burn through the long winter evening. + +[Illustration: "_Taking down the book . . . he unwrapped and unclasped +it_"] + +As Gabriel lay shivering in his cold little bed, he wondered how long +it would be before God would grant his prayer for help. And then he +wondered if God would be displeased because he had dared to put it in +the beautiful book without asking permission from Brother Stephen or the +Abbot. And the more he thought of the possibility of this, and of all +their other troubles, the more miserable he felt, till at last he sobbed +himself to sleep. + +The poor little boy did not know that after he himself had been sleeping +for several hours, Brother Stephen, who had not slept, came out of his +cell in the Abbey, and, carrying in his hand a small lamp, passed softly +down the corridor and into the chapter-house. For Brother Stephen, +like many another true artist who has worked long and lovingly upon some +exquisite thing, found it very hard to part with that which he had made. +He did not expect ever again to see the beautiful book after it left the +Abbey, and so he felt that he must take a farewell look at it all by +himself. + +As he entered the chapter-house, he set the lamp on the table; and then +taking down the book and placing it also on the table, he unwrapped and +unclasped it, and seating himself in front of it, looked long and +earnestly at each page as he slowly turned them over, one by one. + +When at last he came to the end, and found a loose leaf, he picked it +up in dismay, wondering if his binding could have been so badly done +that one of the pages had already become unfastened. But his look of +dismay changed to bewilderment as he examined the page more closely, and +saw Gabriel's little prayer. He read this over twice, very slowly; and +then, still holding the page in his hand, he sat for a long time with +his head bowed; and once or twice something that looked very like a tear +fell on the stone floor at his feet. + +After awhile the lamp began to burn low; and Brother Stephen rising, +gave a tender look to the loose page he had been holding, and then +carefully put it back in the book, taking pains to place it, as nearly +as he could, exactly as Gabriel had done. Then, with a sigh, he shut the +velvet covers, once more fastened the golden clasps, and, replacing the +silken wrappings, laid the book on the shelf, and went back to his cell. + +The next morning Count Henri and his escort made ready for their journey +to Bretagne. Count Henri himself placed the precious book in the same +velvet bag which held the casket of jewels for the Lady Anne, and this +bag he hung over his saddle-bow directly in front of him, so that he +could keep close watch and see that no harm befell King Louis's gifts. + +And then he and his soldiers mounted their horses, and, taking a +courteous leave of the Abbot and the brotherhood of St. Martin's, they +trotted off along the frosty road. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +LADY ANNE WRITES TO THE KING + + +AFTER several days' journey they entered Bretagne, and before long drew +near to the city of Nantes and the castle of Lady Anne. This castle was +very large, and had many towers and gables and little turrets with +sharp-pointed, conical roofs. There was a high wall and a moat all +around it, and as Count Henri approached, he displayed a little banner +given him by King Louis, and made of blue silk embroidered with three +golden lilies. + +At the sight of this, the keepers of the drawbridge (who in those days +always had to be very watchful not to admit enemies to their lord's +castle) instantly lowered the bridge, and Count Henri and his guard rode +over and were respectfully received within the gate. + +They dismounted in the courtyard, and then, after resting awhile in one +of the rooms of the castle, Count Henri was escorted into the great hall +of state, where Lady Anne was ready to receive him. + +This hall was very large and handsome, with a high, arched ceiling, and +walls hung with wonderful old tapestries. Standing about in groups were +numbers of picturesquely dressed pages, ladies-in-waiting, richly clad, +and Breton gentlemen gorgeous in velvets and lace ruffles, for a hundred +of these always attended Lady Anne wherever she went. At one end of the +hall was a dais spread with cloth of gold, and there, in a carved chair, +sat the Lady Anne herself. She wore a beautiful robe of brocaded crimson +velvet, and over her dark hair was a curious, pointed head-dress of +white silk embroidered with pearls and gold thread. + +As Count Henri approached, she greeted him very cordially; and then, +kneeling before her, he said: + +"My Lady, I have the happiness to deliver to your hands these bridal +gifts which our gracious sovereign, King Louis, did me the honour to +entrust to my care." + +And then, as he handed to her the casket of jewels and the silken +package containing the hour book, she replied: + +"Sir Count, I thank you for your courtesy in bearing these gifts to me, +and I am well pleased to receive them." + +Then summoning a little page, she told him to carry the presents up to +her own chamber, where she might examine them at her leisure. + +By and by, Count Henri withdrew, after asking permission to start the +next morning on his return to Paris; for he wished to report to the +king that he had safely accomplished his errand. + +And then Lady Anne, having given orders that he and his followers be +hospitably entertained during their stay in the castle, mounted the +great stone staircase, and went to her own room, for she very much +wanted to look at the gifts from King Louis. + +These she found on a table where the little page had placed them. The +casket was uncovered, while the book was still wrapped up in the piece +of silk, so that one could not tell just what it was. + +[Illustration: "_Began slowly to turn over the pages_"] + +Lady Anne opened the casket first, as it happened to be nearest to her; +and she drew in her breath, and her eyes sparkled with pleasure, as she +lifted out a magnificent necklace, and other rich jewels that gleamed +and glittered in the light like blue and crimson fires. She tried on all +the ornaments, and then, after awhile, when she had admired them to her +heart's content, she took up the silk-covered package, and curiously +unwrapped it. When she saw what it contained, however, her face grew +radiant with delight, and-- + +"Ah!" she exclaimed to herself, "King Louis's gifts are indeed princely, +and this one is the most royal of all!" + +For King Louis had been entirely right in thinking nothing would please +the Lady Anne quite so much as a piece of fine illumination. + +Still holding the book carefully in her hands, she at once seated +herself in a deep, cushioned chair, and began slowly to turn over the +pages, taking the keenest pleasure, as she did so, in every fresh beauty +on which her eyes fell. When she had gone about half through the book, +she lifted it up to look more closely at an especially beautiful initial +letter, and then, all at once, out fluttered the loose leaf which +Gabriel had put in. + +As it fell to the floor, a little page near by hastened to pick it up, +and, bending on one knee, presented it to Lady Anne. At first she +frowned a little, for she thought, as had Brother Stephen, that the +book must have been badly bound. But when she took the leaf in her hand, +to her surprise, she saw that it was different from the others, and that +it had not been bound in with them; and then she read over the writing +very carefully. When she had finished, she sat for some time, just as +Brother Stephen had done, holding the page in her hand, while her face +wore a very tender expression. + +Lady Anne was really deeply touched by Gabriel's little prayer, and she +wished greatly that she herself might find a way to help him and his +family out of their trouble. + +But the more she thought about it, she realized that she had no +authority over a Norman nobleman, and that no one in France, except the +king, was powerful enough to compel Count Pierre to release the peasant +Viaud from imprisonment. + +So going over to a little writing-table, she took out a thin sheet of +parchment, a quaint goose-quill pen, and a small horn full of ink, and +wrote a letter which she addressed to King Louis. Then she took the +loose leaf on which Gabriel's prayer was written, and, folding it in +with her letter, tied the little packet with a thread of scarlet silk +(for no one used envelopes then), and sealed it with some red wax. And +on the wax she pressed a carved ring which she wore, and which left a +print that looked like a tiny tuft of ermine fur encircled by a bit of +knotted cord; for this was Lady Anne's emblem, as it was called, and +King Louis, seeing it, would know at once that the packet came from her. + +Then she went down into the great hall of the castle, and sent one of +her Breton gentlemen to bring Count Henri. When the latter entered, she +said to him: + +"Sir Count, it would give me great pleasure to keep you longer as my +guest, but if you must return to Paris tomorrow, I will ask you to be my +bearer for a little packet which I am anxious to send to King Louis." + +Then, as she handed it to him, she added with a smile, "I give it to +you now, for if you ride early in the morning, I must leave my Breton +gentlemen to do the honours of your stirrup-cup." + +(This last was the cup of wine which it was considered polite to offer a +departing guest as he mounted his horse, and was a little ceremony over +which Lady Anne liked to preside herself; that is, when her guests went +away at agreeable hours.) + +As Count Henri received the packet from her, he made a very deep bow, +and replied that he would be most happy to serve the Lady Anne in any +way he could, and that he only awaited her command to start at once on +his journey. + +"Nay," said Lady Anne, with another little smile, "'tis no affair of +state importance! Only a matter of my own on which I have set my heart. +But I will not hear to your setting forth, until you have sat at my +table and rested overnight in the castle." + +To this Count Henri again gallantly bowed his obedience; and then, +before long, Lady Anne led all the company into the great banquet-hall, +where a number of long tables were set out with roasted game, and bread +and wine and the many different cakes and sweetmeats of Bretagne. + +The Lady Anne took her place at the head of the longest table of all, +and she placed Count Henri at her right hand. Near them sat many of the +ladies-in-waiting, and Breton gentlemen of the highest rank; while at +the farther end, beyond a great silver saltcellar standing in the middle +of the table, were seated those of less degree. + +The dishes were of gold and silver, and Lady Anne herself was waited +upon by two noblemen of Bretagne, for she lived very magnificently, as +was fitting for the bride of King Louis. + +When the supper was over, they all went back into the great castle hall, +where bright fires of logs were blazing in the huge fireplaces; and as +they sat in the firelight, they listened to the beautiful songs and +music of two troubadours who had that day chanced to come to the castle, +and who sang so sweetly that it was very late before the company broke +up for the night. + +All through the evening, however, in spite of the pleasant +entertainment, Lady Anne, who was very sympathetic, could not help but +think many times of poor little Gabriel, and how cold and hungry and +miserable he must be! She had been much struck, too, with the beautiful +way in which he had written out and ornamented his little prayer, for +she was a good judge of such things; and, as she thought about it, she +determined some day to see the lad herself. Meantime she was very +anxious to help him as soon as possible. Indeed, she felt much happier +when the next morning came, and Count Henri set out for Paris; for then +she knew that her letter and Gabriel's little written page were on their +way to King Louis. + +In due time, Count Henri arrived safely at the king's palace, and +delivered the packet from Lady Anne. And when King Louis broke the wax +seal, and read the letter and Gabriel's little prayer, he, too, was +deeply touched. Lady Anne's letter explained to him about finding the +loose page in the beautiful book he had sent her, and asked that he +would see to it that Count Pierre set the boy's father free. + +This King Louis at once determined to do, for he was a just and +kind-hearted monarch, and during his reign did much to lighten the taxes +and oppression of the peasant-folk; and, moreover, in this trouble of +Gabriel's father, he now took an especial interest, as it gave him great +pleasure to grant any wish of the Lady Anne, whom he loved deeply. + +So that very day he sent for a trusty messenger, and after explaining +things to him, directed him to set out as soon as possible for St. +Martin's Abbey, and there to seek out Brother Stephen and inquire about +the little peasant boy, Gabriel Viaud. And then, if he found everything +to be true that Gabriel had said in his prayer, he was to act according +to further orders which King Louis gave him. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +THE KING'S MESSENGER + + +NOW while all these things had been going on, poor Gabriel had been +growing more wretchedly unhappy day by day. His people had become poorer +and poorer, and the long, cold winter was upon them. They had almost +given up hope of the release of peasant Viaud from prison, and did not +know where they could get bread or fire to keep them alive through the +bitter cold. Sometimes Gabriel thought with despair of how much he had +hoped from his little prayer! For he was sure, by this time, that God +was angry with him for daring to put it in the beautiful book. + +And to add the last touch to his distress, he had been obliged to give +up his work and lessons at the Abbey; for Brother Stephen had been ill +for a time, and unable to paint, and all the other monks had +colour-grinders of their own. So Gabriel, who could not afford to be +idle even for a few days, had been forced to seek employment elsewhere. + +The only work he could find was with a leather dresser in the village of +St. Martin's, and though it was very hard and distasteful to him, he +felt that he must keep at it, as he could thus earn a few pennies more +each day than he could as colour-grinder at the Abbey. And yet, with all +his hard toil, the little sum he brought home at night was far from +enough to keep them all from want, to say nothing of paying the tax +which still hung over them; and so every day they became more hopeless +and discouraged. + +Indeed, in those times, when a peasant family fell under the displeasure +of their noble lord, it was a bitter misfortune, for there were few +places to which they might turn for help. + +And it seemed to Gabriel especially hard to bear all their troubles in +the gracious Christmas season; for it was now past the middle of +December. Always before they had had enough for their happy little +Christmas feast, and some to spare. They had always had their sheaf of +wheat put by for the birds; and for two seasons past Gabriel's father +had let him climb up the tall ladder and fasten the holiday sheaf, bound +with its garland of greens, to the roof of the little peaked and gabled +dovecote that stood on top of a carved pole in the centre of the +farmyard. For every Norman peasant always wishes the birds, too, to be +happy at the joyous Christmas-tide. + +And always, every Christmas eve, when Gabriel and his little brothers +and sister had gone to bed, they had set their wooden shoes in a row on +the hearthstone; and then in the morning when they wakened up, they +always found that the blessed Christ-child had been there in the night, +and filled all the little shoes with red apples and nuts. + +But this Christmas-time everything was so sad and changed, they were +sure even the Christ-child would forget them. And, day by day, the +little supply of coarse meal for their black bread grew smaller and +smaller, and the snow became deeper, and the wintry winds blew more cold +and cruelly. + +Meantime, King Louis's messenger was travelling as fast as he could, +and three days before Christmas he arrived at St. Martin's Abbey. The +Abbot was greatly surprised to see him, and still more so when he asked +if he might speak privately with Brother Stephen. This the Abbot +granted, though he was very anxious to know the messenger's errand; for +he could think of no reason for it, unless there had been something +wrong with King Louis's book. So he was quite uneasy as he saw the +messenger enter Brother Stephen's cell and close the door. + +Brother Stephen, too, was at first much surprised when his visitor told +him he had come from King Louis to inquire about a peasant boy by the +name of Gabriel Viaud; though in a moment it flashed through his mind +that Gabriel's prayer had found its way to the palace, and that the +answer was coming. + +He said nothing of this, however, but when the messenger asked if he had +had such a boy for colour-grinder, he eagerly answered: + +"Yes, and there lives no manlier and sweeter-spirited lad in all +France!" + +"Is it true," continued the messenger, "that Count Pierre de Bouchage +hath imprisoned his father for failure to pay a tax, and that the family +are now in sore distress?" + +"Yes, that also is true," replied the monk very sadly. And then he said +beseechingly: "But surely King Louis will help them? Surely our +gracious sovereign will not allow such injustice and cruelty?" + +Here the messenger answered: + +"Nay, our sovereign is indeed a generous monarch! Else had he not been +touched by the little prayer which the peasant lad placed in the book +thou madest for the Lady Anne. Though I dare say thou knewest naught of +it" (here Brother Stephen smiled gently, but said nothing), "yet so the +lad did. And 'twas because of that scrap of parchment falling under the +eyes of King Louis, that I have journeyed all the way from Paris. And," +he added, as he remembered the heavy snow through which he had ridden, +"it takes a stout heart and a stouter horse to brave thy Norman roads +in December!" + +Then he asked Brother Stephen a great many more questions, and inquired +what road to take in order to find Count Pierre's castle, and also the +Viaud cottage. And then when he had satisfied himself about all these +matters, he went back to the great hall of the Abbey, where the Abbot +was slowly pacing the floor, telling his beads as he walked. + +The Abbot, though very curious as to the reason of the messenger's +visit, asked him no questions other than if the book for Lady Anne had +been entirely satisfactory; and he felt relieved when the messenger +assured him that so far as he knew both the king and Lady Anne had been +greatly delighted with it. Then, after talking a little while about +Brother Stephen's artistic work, the messenger briefly explained to the +Abbot his errand, and told him that King Louis had ordered him to make +his inquiries about Gabriel as quietly as possible. + +As he heard, the Abbot raised his eyebrows and looked somewhat +disapproving, when he realized that the peasant lad who had dared to put +his page into the beautiful book was the same little colour-grinder who +had had the boldness to speak to him, one day in the garden, and ask him +to take off Brother Stephen's chain. However, whatever he may have +thought, he kept it to himself; he treated the messenger with much +courtesy, and, on bidding him good night, invited him to stay as a guest +of the Abbey so long as he chose. + +The next morning the messenger rode to the Viaud farm, and, though he +did not go into the cottage, he looked it over carefully and the land +about it; and then he took the highway that led to the castle of Count +Pierre de Bouchage. + +When he reached the castle, he asked to see Count Pierre, and so was +taken into the great hall, where the count received him in a very +haughty manner. He became somewhat more polite, however, when he learned +that King Louis had sent the messenger to him; though he looked +decidedly blank when the latter presented to him a letter written on +parchment and fastened with a wax seal stamped with the king's emblem, +which was the print of a little porcupine with the quills on his back +standing up straight, and a crown on top of them. + +On seeing this letter, Count Pierre looked blank because the truth was, +that, like many other noble lords at that time, he could read only with +great difficulty. But then the messenger rather expected this, and so he +asked permission to read the parchment to him, and Count Pierre +frowningly assented. + +Indeed, though the messenger pretended not to notice his angry looks, he +frowned blacker and blacker as the reading went on. For King Louis +requested in the letter that Count Pierre at once release from prison in +his castle one Jacques Viaud, peasant on his estate. And the king +further said that he himself wished to buy the Viaud cottage and farm, +together with a good-sized piece of ground that adjoined it (the +messenger, in looking it over that morning, had selected a piece of land +which was much better soil than the most of the Viaud farm), and he +stated that for this purpose he had sent by his messenger a certain sum +in gold pieces. + +The king mentioned also that he would like to have the flock of sheep, +with the addition of fifty more than had been taken from them, restored +to the Viaud family. And, finally, he said that he desired Count Pierre +to do these things in honour of his king's approaching marriage with the +Lady Anne. For when kings and queens marry, it is generally customary +for them, and for many of the loyal noblemen who are their subjects, to +bestow gifts and benefits upon the poor people, so that every one may be +as happy as possible on the royal wedding-day. + +Now Count Pierre really did not care a fig to do honour to King Louis's +marriage, and he was very angry to be asked to release a peasant whom +he had imprisoned, and to restore flocks which he had seized; and +especially was he furious at the request to buy the land, for he did not +wish to sell it, and so to lose control over the peasant-folk who lived +there. + +But, nevertheless, in spite of his wrath, the count knew well enough +that he had no real right to do as he had done, and that King Louis knew +it also; and that therefore the very best thing he could do was to obey +the king's wishes at once. + +King Louis had made his letter a polite request rather than a command, +because some of his unruly subjects, like Count Pierre, were proud and +difficult to manage, and he wished to settle matters pleasantly and +peaceably, if possible. And so, in asking him to honour the royal +wedding, he gave the count an excuse to yield to his king's wishes, +without hurting his pride so much as if he were obliged to obey a +command. + +Count Pierre began to see this, too; and, moreover, he knew that, +notwithstanding the politeness of his letter, the king had plenty of +soldiers, and that he would not hesitate to send them to the Castle de +Bouchage, if necessary, to bring its lord to terms. And he very wisely +reflected that to fight King Louis would be a much more dangerous and +expensive undertaking than the private war with the Baron of Evreux, +which he already had on his hands. + +Before yielding to the requests in the letter, however, Count Pierre +wished to satisfy himself that the messenger had correctly read it to +him. And so, haughtily demanding it for a few minutes, he hurried out of +the hall, and sent a page scampering off to bring to him a troubadour; +for one or more of these wandering singers were always to be found in +every nobleman's castle, and the count knew that most of them could +read. + +When in a few minutes the page came back, followed, close at his heels, +by a man in motley dress, with a viol hung over his shoulders, Count +Pierre, without waiting to greet the latter, thrust the parchment into +his hands with the gruff command: + +"There, fellow! read this letter for me instantly! and if thou makest a +single mistake, I will have thee strangled with the strings of thine own +viol, and tumbled off the highest turret of this castle before set of +sun!" + +At this fierce threat, the troubadour began at once to read, taking care +to make no mistakes. Count Pierre listened attentively to every word, +and when the troubadour came to the end, having read it exactly as the +messenger had done, the count angrily snatched it from his hands, and, +swallowing his rage as best he could, went slowly back to the castle +hall. + +Then, after a few moments' silence, he very ungraciously and +ill-naturedly gave orders that peasant Viaud be released from prison, +and the sheep sent back. He made a very wry face over the fifty extra +ones, and did not look at all anxious to celebrate King Louis's +approaching wedding. + +And then he took the gold pieces which the messenger offered him, and +reluctantly scrawled his name (it was all he could write, and that very +badly) to a piece of parchment which the messenger had ready, and which, +when Count Pierre had signed it, proved that he had sold to King Louis +the land and cottage, and no longer held control over peasant Viaud or +any of his family. + +When this was done, the messenger, bidding the nobleman a courteous +farewell, left the latter still very angry and scowling, and, above all, +lost in amazement that King Louis should take all this trouble on +account of a poor, unknown peasant, who had lived all his life on a tiny +farm in Normandy! And as no one ever explained things to him, Count +Pierre never did know how it had all come about, and that, however much +against his will, he was doing his part toward helping answer Gabriel's +little prayer. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +GABRIEL'S CHRISTMAS + + +WHEN the messenger reached the courtyard of the castle, he found peasant +Viaud awaiting him there. The poor man looked very pale and wan from his +imprisonment, and his face pitifully showed what anxiety he had suffered +in thinking about his family left with no one to help them. His clothes, +too, were thin and worn, and he shivered in the cold December wind. +Noticing this, the messenger at once sent word to Count Pierre that he +was sure King Louis would be highly gratified, if, in further honour of +his coming marriage, the count would supply peasant Viaud with a warm +suit of clothes before leaving the castle. + +This message was almost too much for Count Pierre to bear, but he did +not dare to refuse. And the messenger smiled to himself when, by and by, +a page came and called Gabriel's father into the castle, from which, in +a little while, he came out, warmly clad, and quite bewildered at all +that was happening to him. + +As they set out together for the Viaud cottage, peasant Viaud walking, +and the messenger riding very slowly, the latter explained to him all +about Gabriel's little prayer in the beautiful book, and how Lady Anne +had sent it to King Louis, to whom he owed his release from prison. But +the messenger added that, aside from the lad's father and mother, the +king did not wish any one, not even Gabriel himself, to know how it had +all come about. + +For King Louis declared that he himself did not deserve any thanks, but +that the good God had only chosen the Lady Anne and himself and Count +Pierre (though the latter did not know it) as the means of answering +Gabriel's prayer, and of helping the Christ-child bring happiness at the +blessed Christmas-time. For King Louis had not forgotten that the great +day was near at hand. + +Of the promised return of the sheep, and the buying of the farm by the +king, the messenger said nothing then; and when they had nearly reached +the cottage, he took leave of peasant Viaud and rode back to the Abbey. +For, having finished the king's errand, before going away, he wanted to +say good-bye to the Abbot and brothers of St. Martin's, and also to get +some of his belongings which he had left at the Abbey. + +A few minutes after the messenger had left him, peasant Viaud reached +the cottage and raised the latch,--but then it is no use trying to tell +how surprised and happy they all were! how they hugged and kissed each +other, and laughed and cried! + +And then, when the first excitement was over, they began soberly to +wonder what they would do next; for they still feared the displeasure of +Count Pierre, and still did not know where to turn to raise the tax, or +to help their poverty. + +"If only he had not taken the sheep," said Gabriel's mother, sadly, "at +least I could have spun warm clothes for all of us!" + +But even as she spoke, a loud "Baa! Baa!" sounded from up the road, and +presently along came a large flock of sheep followed by one of Count +Pierre's shepherds, who, without saying a word to any one, skilfully +guided them into the Viaud sheepfold, and there safely penned them in; +then, still without a word, he turned about and went off in the +direction of the castle. + +Gabriel's father and mother, who from the cottage window had watched all +this in silent amazement, looked at each other, too bewildered to speak. +Then they went out together to the sheepfold, and peasant Viaud, who +began to realize that this, too, must be part of King Louis's orders, +explained to his wife that which the messenger had told him. When he had +finished, they went back, hand in hand, to the house, their eyes filled +with happy tears, and in their hearts a great tenderness for the little +son who had brought help to them. + +[Illustration: "_He passed a little peasant boy_"] + +Just before dark, that same afternoon, the king's messenger, having +taken leave of the Abbey folk, once more passed along the highroad. On +his way, he was particular to stop at the Viaud cottage, where he +contrived to have a few minutes' talk alone with Gabriel's mother, and +then wishing her a merry Christmas, he spurred his horse, and rode along +on his journey back to Paris. + +As he neared St. Martin's village, he passed a little peasant boy, in a +worn blouse, walking toward the country; and had he known that this same +lad was the Gabriel because of whom, at King Louis's order, he had +ridden all the way from Paris, he would certainly have looked at the boy +with keen interest. + +While for his part, had Gabriel known that the strange horseman was a +messenger from the king, and that he had that day played a very +important part in the affairs of the Viaud family,--had he known +this,--he surely would have stood stock-still and opened his eyes wide +with amazement! + +But the messenger was absorbed in his own thoughts, and so rode swiftly +on; while poor Gabriel was too sad and wretched to pay much attention to +any one. + +As the lad drew near home, however, all at once he fancied he heard the +bleating of sheep. At this he pricked up his ears and began to run, his +heart suddenly beating very fast with excitement! + +When he reached the sheepfold, sure enough, there was no mistaking the +sounds within. He opened the door and hurried through the thatched shed, +noting with delight the rows of woolly backs glistening in the twilight, +and then, bursting into the cottage, rushed up to his father and kissed +and hugged him with all his might! + +Indeed, Gabriel was so happy and excited that he did not realize that he +was not at all surprised with their good fortune. For miserable as he +had been for weeks, and though he had thought that he had quite +despaired of his prayer being answered, yet deep down in his heart, +without knowing it, all the while he had cherished a strong hope that it +would be. + +Nor was Brother Stephen surprised either, when, at barely daybreak the +next morning, before going to his work, Gabriel hurried up to the Abbey +and told him all about it. His face beamed with delight, however, and he +seemed almost as happy over it all as Gabriel himself. He smiled, too, +but said nothing, as the lad wondered over and over what God had done to +Count Pierre, to make him willing to free his father and restore the +sheep! He only said, as he gently patted Gabriel's hair: + +"There, there, little one! the good God hath many ways of softening +men's hearts, and never thou mind in what manner he hath chosen to +manage the Count Pierre!" + +Just then one of the monks went past the open door, his arms full of +evergreens, and carrying in his hand a pot of the pretty white flowers +that the Norman peasant folk call Christmas roses. Seeing him, Brother +Stephen told Gabriel that he must go and help the brothers trim the +Abbey church for the joyous service of the morrow; and so with another +affectionate little pat, he went out to do his part in arranging the +holiday greens and garlands and tall wax candles, while Gabriel hurried +off to his work in the village. + +The little boy was so happy, though, over the things that had happened +at home, that he went about all day in a sort of wondering dream. And +that evening as he went home from his work, very tired, but still +dreaming, the early Christmas-eve stars shone and twinkled so radiantly +over his head and the snow sparkled so brightly under his feet, that he +fairly tingled through and through with the nameless, magic happiness of +the blessed season! + +And when he reached home, and sat down next to his father while they ate +their scanty supper, they all felt so glad to be together again that +nobody minded that the pieces of black bread were smaller than ever, +and that when the cold wind blew through the crevices of the cottage +walls, there was not enough fire on the hearth to keep them from +shivering. + +Indeed, they were all so much happier than they had been for many weeks, +that when Gabriel and the younger children went to bed, the latter, with +many little gurgles of laughter, arranged their little wooden shoes on +the hearth, just as they had always done on Christmas eve. + +For they said to each other, Jean, and Margot, and little Guillaume, +that surely the good God had not forgotten them after all! Had he not +brought back their father and the sheep? And surely he would tell the +little Christ-child to bring them a few Christmas apples and nuts! + +Gabriel, however, took no part in their talk, and he did not set his +shoes on the hearth with the others; not that he feared they would be +forgotten, but rather because he thought that he had already asked for +so much and been so generously answered, that he had had his share of +Christmas happiness. + +His father was freed from prison, and the flock of sheep, with fifty +more than they had had before, were back in the fold; and though they +were not yet relieved from the tax, nor was their land restored to them, +as he had prayed, yet he felt sure that these, too, would come about in +some way. + +And so, considering all these things, he did not quite like to set out +his wooden shoes, and thus invite the Christ-child to give him more; for +he knew the Christ-child had a great many shoes to attend to that night. +So Gabriel, as he made himself ready for bed, pretended not to hear the +chatter of his little brothers and sister, nor to notice what they were +doing. + +When peasant Viaud, however, saw them standing their little empty shoes +in front of the meagre fire, he bowed his head on his hands, and the +tears trickled through his fingers. But the mother smiled softly to +herself, as she kissed each of the children and tucked them into their +worn sheepskin covers. + +Next morning, at the first peep of day, every one in the cottage was +wide awake; and as soon as they opened their eyes, the children all +jumped out of bed and ran to the hearth with little screams of delight. +For there stood the little wooden shoes,--Gabriel's, too, though he had +not put them there,--and even a larger one apiece for the father and +mother, and the blessed Christ-child had not forgotten one! + +Only instead of apples and nuts, they were filled with the most +wonderful bonbons; strange sugar birds, and animals, and candied fruits +such as no peasant child in Normandy had ever before seen; for they +were sweetmeats that no one but the cooks of old Paris knew just how to +make. + +And then, as with eager fingers the children drew out these marvels, +down in the toe of each shoe they found a little porcupine of white +sugar with pink quills tipped with a tiny, gilded, candy crown; and last +of all, after each little porcupine, out tumbled a shining yellow gold +piece stamped with the likeness of King Louis. + +Even the larger shoes were filled with bonbons, too, and from the toe of +the mother's out dropped a gold piece, like the others, only larger. But +when the father, with clumsy hands, emptied his shoe, instead of a gold +piece, there fell out a small parchment roll fastened with a silken +cord, and showing at one corner a wax seal bearing the print of the +little royal porcupine and crown. + +Peasant Viaud gazed at it for a few minutes, in utter bewilderment, and +then handing it to Gabriel, who was standing by, he said: + +"Here, child, 'tis a bit of writing, and thou art the only one of us who +can read. See if Brother Stephen's lessons have taken thee far enough to +make out the meaning of this!" + +Gabriel took the roll and eagerly untied the cord, and then he carefully +spelled out every word of the writing, which was signed by Count Pierre +de Bouchage. + +For it was the very same parchment which King Louis's messenger had +made Count Pierre sign to prove that he had sold to the king, for a +certain sum of gold, the old Viaud farm, together with a piece of good +land adjoining it; and then, at the end of the deed, as the writing was +called, there were a few lines from King Louis himself, which said that +in honour of the blessed Christmas-time the king took pleasure in +presenting to peasant Viaud, and his heirs for ever, everything that he +had bought from Count Pierre. + +When Gabriel had finished reading, no one spoke for a little while; it +was so hard to realize the crowning good fortune that had befallen them. +Peasant Viaud looked fairly dazed, and the mother laughed and cried as +she snatched Gabriel to her and kissed him again and again. The younger +children did not understand what it all meant, and so went on munching +their sweetmeats without paying much attention to the little piece of +parchment which Gabriel still held in his hand. + +As for Gabriel, he really had had no idea that any one could possibly be +so happy as he himself was at that moment! He had not the least notion +of how it had all come about; he only knew that his heart was fairly +bursting with gratitude to the dear God who had answered his little +prayer so much more joyously and wonderfully than he had ever dared to +dream of! + +In his excitement he ran out of the house and hurried into the +sheepfold, where he patted the soft woolly backs of each of the sheep, +and then he raced around the snowy meadows trying to realize that all +these belonged to his family for ever! And that Count Pierre could never +again imprison his father or worry him with heavy taxes! + +But the wonders of this wonderful day were not yet over; for presently, +as Gabriel raised his eyes, he saw a strange horseman coming down the +road and looking inquiringly in the direction of the Viaud cottage. Then +seeing the boy standing in the meadow, the horseman called out: + +"Ho, lad! Is this the farm of the peasant Viaud?" + +"Yes, sir," answered Gabriel, coming up to the road; and then, + +"Art thou Gabriel?" asked the rider, stopping and looking curiously at +the little boy. + +When again Gabriel wonderingly answered, "Yes, sir," the stranger +dismounted, and, after tying his horse, began deliberately unfastening +the two fat saddle-bags hanging over the back of the latter; and loading +himself with as much as he could carry, he gave Gabriel an armful, too, +and walked toward the cottage. + +To the surprised looks and questions of Gabriel's father and mother, he +only said that the Christ-child had been in the castle of the Lady Anne +of Bretagne, and had ordered him to bring certain things to the family +of a Norman peasant boy named Gabriel Viaud. + +And such delightful things as they were! There was a great roll of +thick, soft blue cloth, so that they could all be warmly clad without +waiting for the mother to spin the wool from the sheeps' backs. There +were nice little squirrel-fur caps for all the children; there were more +yellow gold pieces; and then there was a large package of the most +enchanting sweetmeats, such as the Bretons make at Christmas-time; +little "magi-cakes," as they were called, each cut in the shape of a +star and covered with spices and sugar; curious old-fashioned candies +and sugared chestnuts; and a pretty basket filled with small round +loaves of the fine, white bread of Bretagne; only instead of the +ordinary baking, these loaves were of a special holiday kind, with +raisins, and nuts, and dried sweet-locust blossoms sprinkled over the +top. + +Indeed, perhaps never before had so marvellous a feast been spread under +a peasant roof in Normandy! All were beside themselves with delight; and +while the younger children were dancing round and round in happy +bewilderment, Gabriel snatched up a basket, and hurriedly filling it +with some of the choicest of the sweetmeats, started off at a brisk run +for the Abbey; for he wanted to share some of his Christmas happiness +with Brother Stephen. + +When he reached the Abbey, his eyes bright with excitement, and his +cheeks rosy from the crisp cold air, and poured out to Brother Stephen +the story of their fresh good fortune, the monk laughed with delight, +and felt that he, too, was having the happiest Christmas he had ever +known. + +And then, by and by, when he took Gabriel by the hand and led him into +the Abbey church for the beautiful Christmas service, as the little boy +knelt on the stone floor and gazed around at the lovely garlands of +green, and the twinkling candles and white Christmas roses on the altar, +half-hidden by the clouds of fragrant incense that floated up from the +censers the little acolytes were swinging to and fro,--as he listened to +the glorious music from the choir, and above all, as he thought of how +the dear God had answered his prayer, the tears sprang to his eyes from +very joy and gratitude! And perhaps that Christmas morning no one in all +France, not even King Louis himself, was quite so happy as the little +peasant boy, Gabriel Viaud. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +THE KING'S ILLUMINATOR + + +AND to say that he was happier than even King Louis, is saying a very +great deal; for King Louis spent the day most delightfully in Bretagne, +in the castle of his bride to be, the Lady Anne. And then, just after +the holiday season had passed, early in January, he and Lady Anne were +married with great ceremony and splendour. + +After the wedding, for three months, the king and queen lingered in +Bretagne; enjoying themselves by night with magnificent entertainments +in the castle, and by day in riding over the frosty fields and in +hunting, of which both of them were very fond. And then in April, when +the first hawthorn buds were beginning to break, they journeyed down to +Paris to live in the king's palace. + +Before long, King Louis and Queen Anne decided to make a number of +improvements in this palace; and as they both were great lovers of +beautiful books, they determined, among other things, to build a large +writing-room where they could have skilful illuminators always at work +making lovely books for them. + +When this room was finished, and they began to think of whom they would +employ, the first one they spoke of was Brother Stephen, whose exquisite +work on the book of hours had so delighted them. But then, much as they +wished to have him in the palace, they did not think it possible to do +so, as they knew he belonged to the brotherhood of St. Martin's Abbey, +and so of course had taken vows to spend his whole life there. + +It chanced, however, soon after this, that King Louis happened to have a +little talk with the messenger he had sent to the Abbey at Christmas +time to see about Gabriel. And this messenger told the king that while +there the Abbot, in speaking to him of Brother Stephen's work, had said +that the latter really wished to leave the brotherhood and go into the +world to paint; and that, though he had refused his request to be freed +from his vows, yet the monk had worked so faithfully at King Louis's +book that he thought he had earned his freedom, and that perhaps he, the +Abbot, had done wrong in forcing him to stay at the Abbey if he wished +to study his art elsewhere. + +In short, he had as much as said that if Brother Stephen ever again +asked for his freedom, he would grant it; and this showed that the Abbot +had relented and unbent a great deal more than any one could ever have +believed possible. + +When King Louis heard what the messenger told him, he was greatly +pleased; and after talking it over with the queen, he decided to send +the same messenger post-haste back to the Abbey to ask for the services +of Brother Stephen before the Abbot might again change his mind. + +Now King Louis was a very liberal monarch, and both he and Queen Anne +liked nothing better than to encourage and help along real artists. And +so they thought that they would supply Brother Stephen with money so +that he could travel about and study and paint as he chose, even if he +preferred always to paint larger pictures rather than to illuminate +books; though they hoped that once in awhile he might spend a little +time in their fine new writing-room. + +When the messenger started, they told him to explain all this to Brother +Stephen, and let the latter plan his work in whatever way best pleased +him. + +But the queen gave particular orders that, if possible, the messenger +was to bring the peasant boy, Gabriel Viaud, back to the palace with +him; for she thought the lad's work on the page where he had written his +little prayer showed such promise that she wished to see him, and to +have him continue his training in the beautiful art of illumination. + +The messenger, having thus received his orders, at once set out again +for Normandy; and he found this second journey much more pleasant than +the one he had made before, through the winter snows. For this time he +rode under tall poplar-trees and between green hedgerows, where the +cuckoos and fieldfares sang all day long. And when, after several days' +travelling, he drew near St. Martin's Abbey, the country on either side +of the road was pink with wild roses and meadowsweet, just as it had +been a year before, when Gabriel used to gather the clusters of +field-flowers for Brother Stephen to paint in the beautiful book. + +Indeed, Gabriel still gathered the wild flowers every day, but only +because he loved them; for though, since their better fortunes, he was +again studying and working with Brother Stephen, the latter was then +busy on a long book of monastery rules, with only here and there a +coloured initial letter, and which altogether was not nearly so +interesting as had been the book of hours with its lovely painted +borders. + +And so when the messenger reached the Abbey, and made known his errand, +they were both overjoyed at the prospect King Louis offered them. + +After talking with the messenger, the Abbot, true to his word, in a +solemn ceremony, freed Brother Stephen from his vows of obedience to +the rules of St. Martin's brotherhood; and then he gave both him and +Gabriel his blessing. + +Brother Stephen, who had been too proud to ask a second time for his +freedom, was now delighted that it had all come about in the way it did, +and that he could devote his time to painting anything he chose. + +Gabriel, too, was enchanted at the thought of all that he could do and +learn in the king's palace; and though he felt it hard to leave his +home, Queen Anne had kindly made it easier for him by promising that +sometimes he might come back for a little visit. + +So in a few days he and Brother Stephen had made all their preparations +to leave; and they set out, Gabriel going with the messenger directly to +King Louis's palace in Paris; while Brother Stephen, taking the bag of +gold pieces which the king and queen had sent for him, travelled to many +of the great cities of Europe, where he studied the wonderful paintings +of the world's most famous masters, and where he himself made many +beautiful pictures. In this way he spent a number of happy months. + +And then, just as a great many other people do, who find out that as +soon as they are not compelled to do a certain kind of work, they really +like it very much better than they thought, so, Brother Stephen, being +no longer obliged to illuminate books, all at once discovered that he +really enjoyed painting them more than anything else in the world. + +And so it was that, by and by, to the gratification of the king and +queen, and above all to the great delight of Gabriel, he made his way to +the great writing-room of the palace in Paris. And there, in the doing +of his exquisite artistic work, he passed the rest of his long and happy +life. + +And through all the years the warm love and friendship between himself +and Gabriel was as sweet and beautiful and as unchanging as any of the +white and golden lilies that they painted in their rarest books. For +Gabriel, too, became one of the finest illuminators of the time, and +his work was much sought for by the great nobles of the land. + +Indeed, to this day, many of the wonderful illuminations that were made +in that writing-room are still carefully kept in the great libraries and +museums of France and of Europe. And some time, if ever you have the +happiness to visit one of these, and are there shown some of the painted +books from the palace of King Louis XII. and Queen Anne, if the work is +especially lovely, you may be quite certain that either Brother Stephen, +or Gabriel, or perhaps both of them together, had a hand in its making. + + THE END. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Gabriel and the Hour Book, by Evaleen Stein + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GABRIEL AND THE HOUR BOOK *** + +***** This file should be named 27916.txt or 27916.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/9/1/27916/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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