But his brother looked at him often with
wondering eyes, for it seemed to him that this Charles was a new
being, with whom he had but scant acquaintance. He could not
recognize in this stern faced, brooding man the quiet, homely
farmer and settler whose home he had shared for so long.
Their new comrades were glad of the rest afforded them by the
necessity of waiting till Charles should be fit to move. They had
been travelling for many months, and the shelter of a roof--even
though it was only the roof of a shed--was grateful to them.
Fritz and Charles took a strong mutual liking almost from the
first. Both were men of unwonted strength and endurance, and both
were fired by a strong personal enmity towards the French and their
aggressive policy.
Julian told Humphrey, in their private conferences, something of
the cause of this personal rancour.
"There was a fair maid in our valley--Renee we called her--and her
parents were French. But we were all friends together; and Fritz
and she loved each other, and were about to be betrothed. Then came
these troubles, and the priest forbade Renee to wed a heretic; and
though she herself would have been faithful, her parents were
afraid. It seemed to all then that the French were going to be
masters of the land. There was another youth who loved her also,
and to him they married her.
Pages:
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53