The Cloister and the Hearth Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Cloister and the Hearth novel. A total of 160 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Cloister and the Hearth.by Charles Reade.PREFACE A SMALL portion of this tale appear
The Cloister and the Hearth.by Charles Reade.PREFACE A SMALL portion of this tale appeared in _Once a Week_, July--September, 1859, under the t.i.tle of "A Good Fight."After writing it, I took wider views of the subject, and also felt uneasy at having d
- 160 And even with that word--he fell asleep.They laid him out for his last resting-place.Under his linen they found a horse-hair s.h.i.+rt. "Ah!" cried the young monks, "behold a saint!"Under the hair cloth they found a long thick tress of
- 159 The mourner's short-lived energy had exhausted itself in the necessary preparations, and now he lay crushed, clinging to the cold lead that held her.The man, of whom the cart was hired, walked by the horse's head, and did not speak to him, and when he b
- 158 "Well?""They followed thee not to Gouda by miracle but by my treason. I said, he will ne'er be quite happy without his birds that visited him in his cell; and I was jealous of them, and cried, and said, these foul little things, they a
- 157 He ran hastily in to scold her and pack both her and the boy out of the place.To his surprise the servant told him with some hesitation that Margaret had been there, but was gone."Gone, woman?" said Gerard, indignantly. "Art not ashamed to
- 156 "Go to! They do but give the laity back a pig of their own sow.""And what more do I? What more doth the duke?"Then the ambitious vicar must build almshouses for decayed true men in their old age, close to the manse, that he might keep,
- 155 "Think you I would be so wicked as marry without his leave?"Accordingly she actually went to Gouda, and after hanging her head, and blus.h.i.+ng, and crying, and saying she was miserable, told him his mother wished her to marry one of those two;
- 154 And she vowed on her knees never by word or deed to let her love come between this young saint and heaven.Reader, did you ever stand by the sea-sh.o.r.e after a storm, when the wind happens to have gone down suddenly? The waves cannot cease with their cau
- 153 She ran upstairs directly and washed away all traces of her tears and put on a cap, which, being just taken out of the drawer, was cleaner, theoretically, than the one she had on; and came down to him.He seized both her hands and kissed them, and a tear f
- 152 When they had gone about a quarter of a mile, Gerard sighed. "Margaret,"said he, "I must e'en rest; he is too heavy for me.""Then give him me, and take thou these. Alas! alas! I mind when thou wouldst have run with the child
- 151 He groaned."There, forgive me for nagging; I am but a woman: you would not have been so cruel to your own flesh and blood knowingly, would you?""Oh, no.""Well then, know that thy brother Sybrandt lies in my charge with a broken ba
- 150 "No matter, those that will do it again if thou hast lost them, which the saints forbid.""I lose them? nay, there they lie, close to thy hand.""Where, where, oh where?"Clement hung his head. "Look in the Vulgate. Heaven forgive me: I thought thou w
- 149 "Sing thee a story, baby? Well, after all, why not? And wilt thou sit o'my knee and hear it?""Yea.""Then I must 'een doff this breastplate. 'Tis too hard for thy soft cheek. So. And now I must doff this bristly cilice; they would p.r.i.c.k thy ten
- 148 "Oh fie, fie! eh, my sweet woman, speak not so. Is any man that breathes worth your child's life?""My child! where is he? Why, Reicht, I have left him behind. Oh shame!is it possible I can love him to that degree as to forget my child? Ah!I am rightly
- 147 "Part, Gerard? Never: we have seen what comes of parting. Part? Why you have not heard half my story; no nor the t.i.the. 'Tis not for thy mere comfort I take thee to Gouda manse. Hear me!""I may not. Thy very voice is a temptation with its music, mem
- 146 "Why, methought I left it open," said he. "The wind. There is not a breath of wind. What means this?"He stood with his hand upon the rugged door. He looked through one of the great c.h.i.n.ks, for it was much smaller in places than the aperture it pre
- 145 He had not long enjoyed this felicity, when his dreams began to take another and a strange complexion. He wandered with Fra Colonna over the relics of antique nations, and the friar was lame and had a staff, and this staff he waved over the mighty ruins,
- 144 [E] It requires now-a-days a strong effort of the imagination to realize the effect on poor people who had never seen them before, of such sentences as this: "Blessed are the poor," &c.[F] The primitive writer was so interpreted by others besides Clemen
- 143 My reader is aware that the moment the phrenzy of his pa.s.sion pa.s.sed, he was seized with remorse for having been betrayed into it. But perhaps only those who have risen as high in religious spirit as he had, and suddenly fallen, can realize the terror
- 142 "Ot's a 'ermit?""A holy man that lives in a cave all by himself.""In de dark?""Ay, whiles.""Oh."In the morning Reicht was sent to the hermit with the pelisse, and a pound of thick candles.As she was going out of the door, Margaret said to her,
- 141 She whispered, "'Tis a far holier hermit than the last; he used to come in the town now and then; but this one ne'er shows his face to mortal man.""And that is holiness?""Ay, sure.""Then what a saint a dormouse must be!""Out, fie, mistress. Wou
- 140 "Ghysbrecht," said Margaret, weeping, "since he hath forgiven thee, I forgive thee too: what is done, is done; and thou hast let me know this day that which I had walked the world to hear. But oh, burgomaster, thou art an understanding man,
- 139 The spectators received this excuse with loud derision. There was the fact. The dwarf was great at mounting a pole: the giant only great at excuses. In short Giles had gauged their intellects: with his own body no doubt."Come," said he, "an
- 138 "Well, to be sure," cried Catherine. "And you the burgomaster! Hast whipt good store of thieves in thy day. However," said she, on second thoughts, "'tis better late than never. What, Margaret? art deaf? The good man hath bro
- 137 He looked puzzled and innocent."Hast thou ever robbed the fatherless?" inquired the friar."Me? robbed the fatherless?" gasped Ghysbrecht; "not that I mind.""Once more, my son, I am forced to tell thee thou art trifling w
- 136 They slipped howling under the table, and crawled out the other side.But, ere they could get to the door, the furious old man ran round and intercepted them. Catherine only screamed and wrung her hands; your notables are generally useless at such a time;
- 135 "Girl, as I stand here, he asked me, where-about you were buried in this churchyard.""Ah?""I told him, nowhere, thank Heaven: you were alive and saving other folk from the churchyard.""Well?""Well, the long and
- 134 "She died about three years ago, and was buried here.""Oh, that is another matter," said Jorian; "that was before my time; the vicar could tell you, likely; if so be she was a gentlewoman, or at least rich enough to pay him his fe
- 133 Presently she saw a lady leave an excellent place opposite, to get out of the sun, which was indeed pouring on her head from the window.Margaret went round softly but swiftly; and was fortunate enough to get the place. She was now beside a pillar of the s
- 132 "As if I didn't know that," said the old man, pettishly. "But she doesn't lie here. Bless you, they left this a longful while ago. Gone in a moment, and the house empty. What, is she dead? Margaret a Peter dead? Now only think on&
- 131 The Hearth WRITING an earnest letter seldom leaves the mind in _statu quo_.Margaret, in hers, vented her energy and her faith in her dying father's vision, or illusion; and, when this was done, and Luke gone, she wondered at her credulity, and her co
- 130 "But," objected the penitent, "it would be a sin to leave them here.They can be sold to feed the poor.""Mary, fix thine eye on this crucifix, and trample those devilish baubles beneath thy feet."She hesitated; but soon threw
- 129 While they were talking Jerome came up, and Clement persuaded him to lie at the convent that night. But when in the morning Clement told him he had had a long talk with the abbess, and that she was very sad, and he had promised her to try and win back her
- 128 But one day, as if tired with his importuning, she turned on him, and said with a look and accent, I should in vain try to convey-- "Find me my boy's father!"CHAPTER Lx.x.xIV "MISTRESS, they all say he is dead.""Not so. They
- 127 "'Twas well thought of," said Jerome. He then told him he had but delayed till he could obtain extraordinary powers from the Pope to collect money for the Church's use in England, and to hear confession in all the secular monasteries.
- 126 "Ah, mother," whispered Margaret, in reply, "he doth but deceive himself as we do."Ere she could finish the sentence, a strange interruption occurred.A loud voice cried out, "I SEE HIM. I SEE HIM."And the old man with dilatin
- 125 SOME blackguard or other, I think it was Sybrandt, said, "A lie is not like a blow with a curtal axe."True: for we can predict in some degree the consequences of a stroke with any material weapon. But a lie has no bounds at all. The nature of th
- 124 The young woman consented with a smile, and popped her child into the cradle and came into Margaret's house. She dropped a curtsy, and Catherine put the child into her hands. She examined, and pitied it, and purred over it, and proceeded to nurse it,
- 123 The door opened, and an unexpected visitor, Eli, came in, looking grave and kind.Margaret eyed him in silence, and with increasing agitation."Girl," said he, "the skipper is come back.""One word," gasped Margaret, "is he
- 122 And so they parted. The monk erect, his eyes turned heavenwards and glowing with the sacred fire of zeal; the princess slowly retiring and turning more than once to cast a lingering glance of awe and tender regret on that inspired figure.She went home sub
- 121 "Where is he? where? where?""What is that to thee?""Only to see him alive. To beg him on my knees forgive me. I swear to you I will never presume again to--How could I? He knows all. Oh, shame!Father, _does_ he know?""Al
- 120 "I will try," said Clement. "Free the mule of the cart, and of all harness but the bare halter."This was done, and the animal immediately lay down and rolled on his back in the dust like a kitten. Whilst he was thus employed, Clement a
- 119 He pa.s.sed out of the northern gate with his eyes lowered, and the whole man wrapped in pious contemplation.Oh, if we could paint a mind and its story, what a walking fresco was this bare-footed friar!Hopeful, happy love, bereavement, despair, impiety, v
- 118 The Hearth A CATHERINE is not an unmixed good in a strange house. The governing power is strong in her. She has scarce crossed the threshold ere the utensils seem to brighten; the hearth to sweep itself; the windows to let in more light; and the soul of a
- 117 "Kissing of images, and the Pope's toe, is Eastern Paganism. The Egyptians had it of the a.s.syrians, the Greeks of the Egyptians, the Romans of the Greeks, and we of the Romans, whose Pontifex Maximus had his toe kissed under the Empire. The Dr
- 116 He reported the same at headquarters, half reluctantly. For he was an honest friar though a disagreeable one.One Julio Antonelli was accused of sacrilege; three witnesses swore they saw him come out of the church whence the candlesticks were stolen, and a
- 115 "Nay," said the chancellor, peevishly, "the Princess Marie would hang us. She doteth on _this_."Now _this_ was our friend Giles, strutting, all unconscious, in cloth of gold.Then Dr. Remedy grew impatient, and bade flay a dog."A d
- 114 CHAPTER LXXII ONE of the novice Gerard's self-imposed penances was to receive Ludovico kindly, feeling secretly as to a slimy serpent.Never was self-denial better bestowed: and, like most rational penances, it soon became no penance at all. At first
- 113 "Had it been any but you, believe me I had obeyed you, and not wagged a finger. Men are my foes. They may all hang on one rope, or drown in one river for me. But when thou, sinking in Tiber, didst cry 'Margaret!'""Ah!""M
- 112 And we male writers seldom do more than indicate the griefs of the other s.e.x. The intelligence of the female reader must come to our aid, and fill up our cold outlines. So have I indicated, rather than described, what Margaret Brandt went through up to
- 111 "Are ye verily sure?" said they. "He had been in the river. Why, in the saints' names, fled he at our approach?"Then said Vanucci, "Friends, methinks this has nought to do with him we seek. What shall we do, Andrea?"Here
- 110 The pardoner denied the charge flatly. "Indulgences were never cheaper to good husbandmen."The other inquired "Who were they?""Why such as sin by the market, like reasonable creatures. But if your will be so perverse as go and pic
- 109 The maid said, in an awe-struck whisper, "Altezza, the man is here."The lady bade her admit him, and s.n.a.t.c.hed up a little black mask and put it on; and in a moment her colour was gone, and the contrast between her black mask and her marble
- 108 "The little impostor! Duck him!""What for, signors?" cried Andrea, in dismay, and lost his rich carnation.But the females collected round him, and vowed n.o.body should harm a hair of his head."The dear child! How well his pretty
- 107 "They are so dull," objected a lively lady. "I went up Tiber twice as fast last time with but five mules and an a.s.s.""Nay, that is soon mended," cried a gallant, and jumping ash.o.r.e he drew his sword, and despite the remo
- 106 "Alas!" sighed the woman, turning pale, "what mean these dark words? and what new master is this whose service thou wouldst try?""SATAN."And with this horrible declaration on his lips the miserable creature walked out with hi
- 105 CHAPTER LXIV GERARD returned to consciousness and to despair.On the second day he was raving with fever on the brain. On a table hard by lay his rich auburn hair, long as a woman's.The deadlier symptoms succeeded one another rapidly.On the fifth day
- 104 "If you breath a word of my folly, it will be your last.""Think not so poorly of me. You are my benefactress once more. Is it for me to slander you?""Go! I will send you the means. I know myself; if you cross my path again, I shal
- 103 Perhaps something in his deep and patient sigh touched a tender chord in that ungoverned creature; or perhaps the time had come for one pa.s.sion to ebb and another to flow. The princess sank languidly into a seat, and the tears began to steal rapidly dow
- 102 "Signora, it ill becomes me to school you; but methinks such as Heaven appoints to govern others should govern themselves.""That is true, Gerardo. How wise you are, to be so young." She then called the other maid, and gave her a little
- 101 For some time past, too, it appeared as if the fairies had watched over him. Baskets of choice provisions and fruits were brought to his door by porters, who knew not who had employed them, or affected ignorance; and one day came a jewel in a letter, but
- 100 "I search in vain for a copy of it to add to my poor library.""It is well. Then the strict orders I gave four years ago to destroy every copy in Italy, have been well discharged. However, for your comfort, on my being made Pope, some fool t
- 99 Margaret seemed nearer and nearer.It was Holy Thursday. No work this day. Fra Colonna and Gerard sat in a window and saw the religious processions. Their number and pious ardour thrilled Gerard with the devotion that now seemed to animate the whole people
- 98 "What is your name, good youth?""Gerard, signora.""Gerard? body of Bacchus! is that the name of a human creature?""It is a Dutch name, signora. I was born at Tergou, in Holland.""A harsh name, girls, for so wel
- 97 "Wilt read me of them some day?""And willingly, signor. But what would they say who employ me, were I to break off work?""Oh never heed that; know you not who I am? I am Jacques Bonaventura, nephew to his holiness the Pope, and ca
- 96 "I forget. Addio, Fiammina. Addio, Ser Gerard. Be happy, be prosperous, as you are good." And the Roman matron glided away, while Gerard was hesitating, and thinking how to offer to pay so stately a creature for her purchase.The next day in the
- 95 "Madama," said Teresa, "Leonora tells me you want a writer: I have brought you a beautiful one, he saved my child at sea. Prithee look on him with favour."The goldsmith's wife complied in one sense. She fixed her eyes on Gerard�
- 94 "I hope so," said Pietro.CHAPTER LIX ABOUT a week after this the two friends sat working together, but not in the same spirit. Pietro dashed fitfully at his, and did wonders in a few minutes, and then did nothing, except abuse it; then presently
- 93 "'Tis well distinguished, signor. But then, a writer can write the thoughts of the great ancients, and matters of pure reason, such as no man may paint: ay, and the thoughts of G.o.d, which angels could not paint. But let that pa.s.s. I am a pai
- 92 CHAPTER LVIII GERARD took a modest lodging on the west bank of the Tiber, and every day went forth in search of work, taking a specimen round to every shop he could hear of that executed such commissions.They received him coldly. "We make our letter
- 91 "Think ye I am in earnest? Let me but win safe to land, I'll not give him a rush dip."Others lay flat and prayed to the sea. "O most merciful sea! O sea most generous! O bountiful sea! O beautiful sea! be gentle, be kind, preserve us i
- 90 "Well, meantime?""Dear father, dear mother, what can we do to pleasure the absent, but be kind to his poor la.s.s; and her own trouble afore her?""'Tis well!" said Eli; "but I am older than thou." Then he turne
- 89 "Natheless, courtesy is in their hearts, ay, in their very blood. They say commonly, 'Give yourself the trouble of sitting down.' And such straws of speech show how blows the wind. Also at a public show, if you would leave your seat, yet no
- 88 "_January 14._--When not attending on my good merchant, I consort with such of our company as are Italians, for 'tis to Italy I wend, and I am ill seen in Italian tongue. A courteous and a subtle people, at meat delicate feeders, and cleanly: lo
- 87 _Eli._] "What meaneth it?"_Catherine._] "Nay, I know not; but 'tis Latin: is not that enow? He was the flower of the flock.""Then I to him, 'Take now thy psaltery, and part we here, for art a walking prison, a walking h.
- 86 "Then, said I, 'may this thing be?' And I took myself to task. 'Gerard, son of Eli, dost thou well to bemoan thy lot, that hast youth and health; and here comes the wreck of nature on crutches, praising G.o.d's goodness with singi
- 85 And with all this she kept her enemies waiting, though it was three by the dial.At last she started, attended by her he-comrade. And when they were half way, she stopped and said thoughtfully, "Denys!""Well, she-general?""I must g
- 84 "I see there is something in the letter has softened ye towards them.""Not a jot, Denys, not a jot. But an I hated them like poison I would not disobey my love. Denys, 'tis so sweet to obey, and sweetest of all to obey one who is far,
- 83 "Nay, I would not hurt their bodies for all their cruel hearts.""Then ye must e'en laugh at them, wife. What! a woman grown, and not see why mesdames give tongue? You are a buxom wife; they are a bundle of thread-papers. You are fair a
- 82 "Who knows? may be in ten minutes you will be altogether as hot."She ran into the shop, but speedily returned to the mayor and said, "Good news! He fancies her and more than a little. Now how is't to be?Will you marry your child, or bu
- 81 "Nay, I knew it not till you did tell me. I trow you would be better for a little good company.""I trow not. What is their silly chat to me?"Here Margaret requested the father to leave them alone: and in his absence put some practical
- 80 "Ay, but I can. 'Tis sovereign. Look on thyself as cured!" If she had the materials by her, and she was too good an economist not to favour somewhat those medicines she had in her own stock, she would sometimes let the patient see her compo
- 79 "Alas, no, father: I am a poor foolish girl, that would fain do well, but have done ill, most ill, most unwisely: and now must bear the shame.But, father, I love you, with all my faults, and will not you forgive my folly, and still love your motherle
- 78 "Else how would the poor thing keep his head in such a world as this?""'Tis well said, dame. Art as ready with thy weapon as he; art his mother, likely. So bring him forth and that presently. See, they lead a stunted mule for him. The
- 77 Here Denys observed somewhat drily, that the female to whom he had addressed himself was mute; and the others, on whose eloquence there was no immediate demand, were fluent: on this the voices stopped, and the eyes turned pivot-like upon Reicht.She took a
- 76 "So you have been hearkening all the time, eh?""What are my ears for, mistress?""True. Well throw us the light of thy wisdom on this dark matter.""There is no darkness that I see," said Reicht. "And the clue, w
- 75 Denys's words had surprised his hosts, but hardly more than their deportment now did him. They all three came creeping up to where he sat, and looked down into him with their lips parted, as if he had been some strange phenomenon.And growing agitatio
- 74 The man, not being acquainted with her, opened his eyes at this transition, swift and smooth."Well, dame, there be two; John Bush and Eric Donaldson, they both bide in this street.""Then, G.o.d be with you, good people" said she, and p
- 73 "Mother, you were so hot against her. I waited till I could tell you without angering you worse.""Ay," said Catherine, half sadly, half bitterly, "like mother like daughter: cowardice it is our bane. The others I whiles buffet; or
- 72 "No, madam.""I wouldn't let her go back to Sevenbergen to-night, then.""That is as she pleases. She still refuses to bide the night.""Ay, but you are older than she is; you can make her. There, she is beginning to n
- 71 Giles said, "Poor Gerard!" in a lower voice than seemed to belong to him.Even Cornelis and Sybrandt felt a momentary remorse, and sat silent and gloomy.But how to get the words read to them. They were loth to show their ignorance and their emoti
- 70 "A what? Then thy armour shall be stripped off, and thou shalt be tied to a stake in front of the works, and riddled with arrows for a warning to traitors.""N--n--n--n--no! duda--duda--duda--duda--don't do that.""Why not?&quo
- 69 Anthony of Burgundy overtook numbers of these, and gathered them under his standard, so that he entered Flanders at the head of six hundred men. On crossing the frontier he was met by his brother Baldwyn, with men, arms, and provisions; he organized his w
- 68 CHAPTER XLI DENYS, placed in the middle of his companions, lest he should be so mad as attempt escape, was carried off in an agony of grief and remorse. For his sake Gerard had abandoned the German route to Rome; and what was his reward? left all alone in
- 67 The black sheep sat disconsolate amidst the convivial crew, and eyed Hans Memling's wallet. For more ease he had taken it off, and flung it on the table. How readily they could have slipped out that letter and put in another. For the first time in th
- 66 "Well, keep him drinking! We will see, we will see." And he sent them off discomfited.To explain all this we must retrograde a step. This very morning then, Margaret Brandt had met Jorian Ketel near her own door. He pa.s.sed her with a scowl. Th
- 65 But as there are horses who burn and rage to start, and after the first yard or two want the whip, so all this hurry cooled into inaction when Hans got as far as the princ.i.p.al hostelry of Tergou, and saw two of his boon companions sitting in the bay wi
- 64 "Ah! so you were: I forgot that." And royalty was more reconciled to its lot. "What would you then?""A free pardon, your highness, for myself and Gerard.""For what?""For prison-breaking.""Go to: the b
- 63 "Gyf the world prove harsh and cold, Come back to the hedde of gold.""And if I do I must go as her servant; I who am Margaret's. I am a-weary, a-weary. I will sleep, and dream all is as it was. Ah me, how happy were we an hour agone, w
- 62 They shook hands over it. Then Gerard said nothing, for his heart was too full: but he ran twice round his companion as he walked, then danced backwards in front of him, and finally took his hand, and so on they went hand-in-hand like sweethearts, till a
- 61 "A civil question merits a civil reply," said he very drily."Alas, I meant no other," said Gerard."Then why pretend you were thinking of my goodness, when you know I have no goodness under my skin.""Had another said this