My Lord smiled sadly and shook his head, saying with a sigh,—
“The child has chosen for herself, my Lord.”
Then my mistress withdrew, and I followed her. How my head spun! My mistress to wed a lord almost as great as the King himself, to go to Paris to dwell, and I, Jehan, to go with her!
Of a truth I scarce drew breath for the next ten days, since we were to go forth straightway, and there was hurly-burly to get us furnished forth. At the end of that time we set out towards Paris, my Lord Comte sending five hundred lances to safeguard my Lady, and the Duc de Berry sending as many more, with litters, chariots, jewels, and fine robes to meet us on our way. I have not speech to tell how fine we fared on that journey. At every halt great silken tents were spread, my Lord Duc had sent minstrels for to sing at my Lady’s pleasure, and there were litters hung with scarlet and gold to carry her when she was a-weary. There were women to wait on her, pages to run her bidding, and Jehan, chief of them all, always at hand, with a chain of bright gold about his neck, to show his new rank.
III
When we came nigh Paris, word came from my Lord Duc that we were to halt at the Abbey of St. Denis, whither the King and Queen and the Ducs de Berry and Burgundy, with my Lady’s father, were to come to welcome us.
When my Lady heard that her father was to come also, she turneth to me, who knew that she had not seen him since she was a small babe of three. “By my faith, Jehan,” quoth she, “I fear my own father more than the lord I am to marry, since he is the greater stranger of the two. Why think you he cometh?”
“Truth, I know not, my Lady,” say I; and it was not till later that it was known that this strange father, hearing of his daughter’s beauty and that she was to wed his friend the Duc de Berry, came forth from Paris with the King and Queen to look on her.
We lay that night at the Abbey, and before we went to rest heard mass in the cathedral itself. Never had I dreamed that so noble a building had been made by men’s hands. And this was but the beginning. Gold and silver statues stood on the great altar; great coloured stones the names of which I knew not, sparkled on the cups and dishes of gold that were used for the holy offices, while the books that the holy fathers held in their hands, as well as their robes and mitres, gave forth sparkles like unto a rainbow. After the mass they took my Lady to show her the treasures, and I, following behind, saw with these eyes, that had never thought to see such things, the great golden sword of King Charlemagne, and so many other wonders of gold and jewels that my mind could hold them not.
What made my blood to stir most amid all that world of rich and holy things, was a banner that hung high over the great altar. Torn it was, yet in its folds glowed the colour of flame; and one of the good fathers turning to me, who stood with mouth agape, I doubt not, asked,—