"
But, indeed, his protest was premature. The anger of the crowd
dwindled into sullen clamours.
"The king laughs at us! 'Tis too much to ask."
A faint, exultant smile flickered over the king's face as he asked:
"Now, friends, where is your idol's supplement? Who will be his
lieutenant, who will be heir to his heritage of a cross bar and a
rope? You are not so brisk as you were. Does your devotion falter?
Were you mocking me and him?"
Villon looked at the king with a kind of disdainful admiration.
"King of foxes!" he applauded, and the king heard him and smiled
again.
"Tristan," he said, "go into yonder church and bring me an inch of
candle."
Tristan bowed and entered the church. The king went on:
"Our royal mercy is mild, our royal mercy is patient. As it is our
hope and our belief to live in history as a good and gracious
sovereign, we would not have it said of us that we denied even a
felon all due and reasonable opportunity."
Even while he spoke, Tristan came out of the church carrying in his
hand a great gold candlestick in whose socket a little piece of
candle, scarce an inch high, still was burning.
Pages:
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239