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The duke could not but smile when he saw Gilbert, and taking him aside, he whispered in his ear: "You will soon have an opportunity to display upon the battle-field the gallantry of the Bohemian harp-bearer, and to couch a lance for Suabia and the Lady Margaret!" "But how can I thank you for "
The Lord of Hers himself could not have recognized his son in the drooping, swarthy, gypsy-looking figure that stood beside Humbert. Gilbert's head was enveloped in something like a cowl, and his whole figure was muffled up in a coarse brown cloak. Thus attired, he was to play the part of a Bohemian harp-bearer.
Before the drawbridge was gained, Humbert had recovered himself, and was prepared to put forth all his daring and skill to extricate themselves from the consequences of this perilous adventure. "Ho! warder!" he cried, in a confident tone, "a minnesinger Ailred of Zurich and his harp-bearer, wet and fasting. Shelter in the name of God!"
It flashed through the air like a bright spark of flame and fell, glistening redly, on the pavement just half-way between Theos and Sah-luma...Theos eyed it with faintly amused indifference, . . the Laureate bowed gracefully, but did not stoop to raise it, he left that task to his harp-bearer, who, taking it up, presented it to his master humbly on one knee.
"Thou art a mule, Thomas," said the King "a very mule for dullness and obstinacy! Come, nobles a hall a hall range ye around him! Give Blondel the tabouret. Where is his harp-bearer? or, soft, lend him my harp, his own may be damaged by the journey." "I would your Grace would take my report," said Thomas de Vaux. "I have ridden far, and have more list to my bed than to have my ears tickled."
His gaze wandered from the figure of Sah-luma to that of the attendant harp-bearer who, perched on a narrow foothold on the back of the chariot, held his master's golden instrument aloft as though it were a flag of song, the signal of a poet's triumph, destined to float above the world forever! Just then the equipage arrived at the Kings palace.
His white garb glistened at every point with gems, and from his shoulders, where it was fastened with large sapphire elasps, depended a long mantle of cloth of gold, bordered thickly with swansdown, this he held up negligently in one hand as ho remained for a moment in full view of the assembled soldiery, graciously acknowledging their enthusiastic greetings, . . then with easy and unhasting tread he mounted the rest of the stairway, followed by Theos and his harp-bearer, and passed into the immense outer entrance hall of the Royal Palace, known, as he explained to his guest, as the Hall of the Two Thousand Columns.
He had however no time to analyze his emotion, for just then the Herald-in-Waiting, having performed a backward evolution from the throne to the threshold of the audience-chamber, beckoned impatiently to Sah-luma, who at once stepped forward, bidding Theos keep close behind him. The harp-bearer followed, . . and thus all three approached the dais where the King still stood erect, awaiting them.
Alive to her voice, he sprang to his feet. "Back!" cried the Lady Margaret to the leader of the party, who was now within a few feet of her. "Pardon me, my lady," said the man, bowing deeply; "your sire has commanded us to arrest the harp-bearer." The maiden reflected an instant, and then said: "Offer him no violence take him before my father I will accompany you."
The old critic Zabastes, squeezing his lean, bent body from out the throng, hobbled after Sah-luma at some little distance behind the harp-bearer, muttering to himself as he went, and bestowing many a side-leer and malicious grin on those among his acquaintance whom he here and there recognized.
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