Michel and Angele | Page 2

instance, 'The
Right of Way'. It had its friends, but it has apparently appealed to
smaller audiences--to those who watch the world go by; who are not
searching for the exposure of life's grim realities; who do not seek the
clinic of the soul's tragedies. There was tragedy here, but there was
comedy too; there was also joy and faith, patience and courage. The
book, taken by itself, could not make a permanent reputation for any
man, but it has its place in the scheme of my work, and I would not
have it otherwise than it is.

A NOTE
There will be found a few anachronisms in this tale, but none so
important as to give a wrong impression of the events of Queen
Elizabeth's reign.

MICHEL AND ANGELE

CHAPTER I
If you go to Southampton and search the register of the Walloon
Church there, you will find that in the summer of 157_,
"Madame Vefue de Montgomery with all her family and servants were
admitted to the Communion"--"Tous ceux cj furent Recus la a Cene du
157_, comme passans, sans avoir Rendu Raison de la foj, mes sur la
tesmognage de Mons. Forest, Ministre de Madame, quj certifia quj ne
cognoisoit Rien en tout ceux la po' quoy Il ne leur deust administre la
Cene s'il estoit en lieu po' a ferre."
There is another striking record, which says that in August of the same
year Demoiselle Angele Claude Aubert, daughter of Monsieur de la
Haie Aubert, Councillor of the Parliament of Rouen, was married to
Michel de la Foret, of the most noble Flemish family of that name.
When I first saw these records, now grown dim with time, I fell to
wondering what was the real life-history of these two people. Forthwith,
in imagination, I began to make their story piece by piece; and I had
reached a romantic 'denoument' satisfactory to myself and in sympathy
with fact, when the Angel of Accident stepped forward with some
"human documents." Then I found that my tale, woven back from the
two obscure records I have given, was the true story of two most
unhappy yet most happy people. From the note struck in my mind,
when my finger touched that sorrowful page in the register of the
Church of the Refugees at Southampton, had spread out the whole
melody and the very book of the song.
One of the later-discovered records was a letter, tear-stained, faded,
beautifully written in old French, from Demoiselle Angele Claude
Aubert to Michel de la Foret at Anvers in March of the year 157_. The
letter lies beside me as I write, and I can scarcely believe that three and
a quarter centuries have passed since it was written, and that she who
wrote it was but eighteen years old at the time. I translate it into

English, though it is impossible adequately to carry over either the
flavour or the idiom of the language:
Written on this May Day of the year 157_, at the place hight Rozel in
the Manor called of the same of Jersey Isle, to Michel de la Foret, at
Anvers in Flanders.
MICHEL, Thy good letter by safe carriage cometh to my hand,
bringing to my heart a lightness it hath not known since that day when I
was hastily carried to the port of St. Malo, and thou towards the King
his prison. In what great fear have I lived, having no news of thee and
fearing all manner of mischance! But our God hath benignly saved thee
from death, and me He hath set safely here in this isle of the sea.
Thou hast ever been a brave soldier, enduring and not fearing; thou
shalt find enow to keep thy blood stirring in these days of trial and peril
to us who are so opprobriously called Les Huguenots. If thou wouldst
know more of my mind thereupon, come hither. Safety is here, and
work for thee--smugglers and pirates do abound on these coasts, and
Popish wolves do harry the flock even in this island province of
England. Michel, I plead for the cause which thou hast nobly espoused,
but--alas! my selfish heart, where thou art lie work and fighting, and
the same high cause, and sadly, I confess, it is for mine own happiness
that I ask thee to come. I wot well that escape from France hath peril,
that the way hither from that point upon yonder coast called Carteret is
hazardous, but yet-but yet all ways to happiness are set with hazard.
If thou dost come to Carteret thou wilt see two lights turning this-
wards: one upon a headland called Tour de Rozel, and one upon the
great rock called of the Ecrehos. These will be in line with thy sight