Shortridge High School - Annual Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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IN PRQVENCE, hated him, for a troubadour is not a likely candidate for the hand of a noble lady. He' wist that a wandering minstrel should not gain the peasant's ancient holding. So it happened, that, when the day began to slope towards the aftemoon, the Marquis was playing at bowls, with sundry of his gentlemen, within a little court, all paved with grass so smooth that my lady m' ht dance thereon. Hither there came a waiting gentleman, and behind him apace followed the ancient peasant, Laurent. He bore his round hat in his hand, and a small black box, and blinked like the night owl as he emerged from the shadowy door. Bowing stiffly first to right and then to left he made obeisance to the Marquis, who asked him what he would. The Marquis was clad all in blue deer's-leather, with bosses of gold, and he looked so majestic that Laurent stood much in awe of him and fixed his gaze on a certain golden boss on my lord's surcoat. Then with many haltings he told his tale as you know it already. Thus the Marquis heard all the tale and he saw the old, old lease which was in the black box, and being much wrought up, declared it were not forfeit if live more yew-trees had been felled. Thereupon he inscribed and sealed an order commanding Gui d'Uisel to pay unto the peasant a fee of an hundred golden byzants, for injuries attempted. Altogether it rejoiced greatly both the Marquis and the page to be able thus to pay back old scores against the scornful troubadour. The morn of the next day there were many things transpirin in the village of Yvetot which lay near the cot of Laurent. For in the early sunlight thither came the great troubadour riding upon a milk-white palfry, together with certain companions, and thither also came the page Aubanel, for to see what he might see. And the troubadour was dressed all in cloth of the hue of the heart of the musk-rose, trimmed with dainty minnevair, and all so fine and light that I wist it was more suited to a court of love than to riding a saddle through the open country. But he recked not of this, for he was strong in his pride, rejoicing in 'the thought of his prowess in song, and of his favour at the Marquis' court, and of the goodly valley that was soon to be part of his own estate. So shortly he rode up to where the peasant stood under the bush by the inn yard, and smiled on him and spake him fair and pleasantly, as is the custom of those who have the might on their side. And perhaps thou, never sawest such unlikeness so near together, for the troubadour, clad in holiday mantle, upon a steed like Pegasus for whiteness, smiled a hard, unlovely smile, upon the toil-worn Laurent. He, in his turn, fingered a while of his leathem jerkin, and made as though he would beseech the troubadour for mercy, saying that he was old and so was Ursela

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IN PROVENCE man the cause of his dolor, whereupon he stopped lamenting and told of it. How it chanced a short while back, that a certain troubadour, Gui d'Uisel, of high favour with the Marquis, had come possessed, through heritage, of the parcel of land neighboring to the peasant's vale, and that now this troubadour desired the little valley for his own estate, fsuch are the grasping ways of menj, and that he, relying on his standing with my lord, had caused a writ to be served upon the peasant. This set forth, that, whereas the peasant had of late felled five goodly yew-trees off the Marquis' ground, in order to make for himself an hostel for his stock, he had forfeited the lease of the land, and must remove. And that is why the old man, yclept Laurent, did lament so woefully, for he knew right well that the great troubadour would soon have the pleasant dale for his very own. But the page straightened up, and his black eyes danced as motes in the sunlight, for l ween that he saw a chance to repay the haughty Gui for that aforetime box on the ear. nl-low now, old man, quoth he, stint thy bewailings and fare to our gracious lord, the Marquis, bearing thy deed of tenure, and l trow right well thou wilt have redress. So saying, he quaffed a drink of clear brook water from a cup of cornel wood, and betook his way on the high-road towards the castle. And hey! but that was a morning like that of the saints in Paradise, for the sun shone blithelyg warmly, but not too warmg only where the little road wound into the glades of the woodland the sun came not. Here was cool, green shadow, and the morning's dew still wet on the leaves, and here a hare's track in the soft dry roadway, and there a little flat line that marked where a serpent had crossedg and one might hear the hare farther and farther off amid the basky foliage, but the serpent had fled and hidden away. So Aubanel fared onwards, thinking his own thoughts and seeming pleased withal, and presently he came under the high round towers of Castle Vaqueiras and went within. And oh! it was a wonderous castle, so fine with spoil of Turk and Saracen, and Moor and Greek that it would take from all Hallow's eve to All Souls' day to tell of it. But the page Aubanel heeded not the broidered arras, nor cloth of gold, nor Monkish missals, but went straight and found his master's beagle-hound already returned, tired and footsore, to his rightful kennel. So he sought out the Marquis and told him of his morning's search and of the writ against the poor peasant, and that it was the trou- badour who had caused the writ to be served. Now it had chanced that my lord Mar uis had seen my lady, his daughter, smile often upon the troubadour, and had heard the songs sung in return, and whereas he had once been fond of him of Uisel, he now

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IN PRCVENCE his wife, and both had but few more years on God's green earthg and he prayed him to let him live on in the house of his fathers. But Gui d'Uisel brake in roughly, demanding the forfeited lease of the good Marquis' ground, holding out his hand to take it. Then Laurent stra' htened somewhat and held up his white head and answered that he would not yield a liiade of grass off his holding. So the page, skilled somewhat in arts of learning, read aloud in mighty tones the terms of the writ which my lord had given Laurent yestere'en, showing the pendant seal of the marquisate. When the great troubadour heard that he must pay an hundred byzants out of his own store, he grew most haughty, and bit his lips so that the marks of his teeth showed white against the blood risen in his face, but he dared not disobey that seal. He looked at those companions who had come with him, and saw that they smiled somewhat, but still he drew forth a broidered pouch and therefrom counted an hundred round hard byzants, which he dropped in the roadway at the goodman's feet. Then, giving spurs to his horse he turned him and galloped back toward Vaqueiras. Thereupon all the village people went to the house in the woods, in the valley where Laurent had lived for many years, and his fathers before him, and there was feasting there like on a Saint's clay, with honey and wassail bread, and apricots dried in last summer's sunshine, all washed down with the sweet red wine of Provence. Thither the page Aubanel followed them and joyed in their rustic revels, and he drank again from the cornel cup, of the water of the cold brown brook, and presentl towards the even, he went away, and as he trod on the leaves in the greenwood this old melody came into his mind and he chanted it happily, in ancient Provence: A 'By a lone and leafy brake I did on my way A sad shepherd overtake Who in grief did say- 'Love, alaok for me And the shafts of calunmy For my ladye Sorrows evermoe Which doth give me woe.' mg Only the rest of the ballad was lost in the still even air, as he fared farther and farther away.