He gave it into the
hands of one of the soldiers of the Scottish Guard, who held it in
his strong grasp and stood as immovable as a statue, while the thin
faint flame pointed spear-like towards heaven in the warm and
windless air.
Louis stopped and whispered to a page behind him who bowed and
entered the church. Then the king spoke again to the silent,
wondering crowd:
"So long as this candle burns, so long Fran?ois Villon lives. If
while it burns, one of you is moved to take Master Villon's place on
the gallows, so much the better for Master Villon, and so much the
worse for his substitute. Herald, proclaim our pleasure."
At a sign from Montjoye, the royal herald, two pursuivants stirred
the air with the blast of golden trumpets. Then Montjoye spoke:
"The king's grace and the king's justice is ready to grant life and
liberty to Fran?ois Villon if anyone be found willing to take his
place on the gallows and die his death that he may live his life!"
As Montjoye's words died away a great silence fell upon the
assembled people, a silence so still and cruel that men's hearts
grew cold and the warm June air seemed to be sighing over fields of
ice.
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