Was this the tower in which Aucassin was imprisoned by his father, the Count of Beaucaire, to prevent his marrying the little Saracen maid Nicolette? Was it here that she watched and waited on one moonlit night, long ago, hearing Aucassin lamenting in his captivity? One likes to think of the good sentinel ostentatiously humming a warning song, when he heard the town-guards advancing to kill the devoted Nicolette, by order of the Count.
VISIGOTH TOWER, CASTLE OF BEAUCAIRE.
By E. M. Synge.
I had copied out some of the songs and fragments of the story from Andrew Lang's translation, in order to have the pleasure of reading them on the spot.
Barbara was much amused at Aucassin's interview with the Captain of the City of Beaucaire who had imprisoned Nicolette in his house, by the Count's command.
Poor Aucassin is very disconsolate, and in his distress he makes some very free remarks about Heaven and hell, pointing out that in Heaven the company is intolerably dull, whereas all the jolly good fellows and pleasant ladies are to be found—elsewhere.
"With these I would gladly go," he says, "let me but have with me my sweetest lady."
But nobody will allow that; for the way of the world is to be immensely active about other people's business. So the Count and all the rest of Aucassin's nearest and dearest bestir themselves to separate him and Nicolette.
"Aucassin did so depart