“Still is she sib to the Fiend and the Serpent!”
“Witch!”
“Witch!”
“Have her before the bishop!”
It was so that they had her—a throng haling her up the hill. Now Héribert had had that morning evil news of the ravening of that baron with whom he was at war. His thoughts followed Rainulf, he contemplated putting him and all who held from him under ban, obtaining from Rome an interdict. He hardly glanced at the woman they brought. “Blasphemy and sorcery and betraying?—Put her in the prison—here is not time to judge the matter! Have her in chains till the next day of hearing!”
They brought her down into the town and put her in the black and strong place that did for town prison. She sat in the dark and thought of flowers and heard a tinkling, rippling music.
The bishop divided his fighting men into two forces; left one within the town, and with the other went forth to burn and slay in Red Rainulf’s territory....
In the crowded town broke forth pestilence. Now there were famine and pestilence and a wild superstition and fanatic longing for prodigies. Without the walls it was harvest-time, but few harvested. Here Red Rainulf’s iron scourge prevented, and here mere willingness not to labour further, seeing that harvest-fields and all were presently to see the End! The country poured its folk into the town. All wanted company; all wished to dream of, to talk of, to await the End in company.
There came news that the bishop was worsted in fight. The church bells rang, priest and monk made all day long prayers and chanting. The pestilence was not worsted—from the crowded alleys were brought forth that day many dead. Children, too, were crying with hunger. That night, just after dusk, a great, bearded meteor passed over the town. Plain sign was that of God’s early Coming—of a Coming in wrath! The palmer’s voice was heard like a tolling bell. “Prepare your house—make clean this place! If there is Evil among you, cast it to the fire!” When morning came the people crowded into the market-place, all who might coming together to bear one another company.... In sight of all, one of the towers of the church fell.
“That woman who prophesied against High God and His ways—”