"
"But what can I do? who would heed me?"
"Dost thou not know of a drug, which shall throw the drinker
thereof into a trance, so like death that all shall believe him
dead?"
"I do indeed."
"And art thou sure of thy power to revive the sleeper from this
seeming death, after the lapse of days--after men have committed
him as a corpse to the tomb?"
"I can do so with facility if I have the necessary drugs; but I am
stripped of all. Were I in London--"
"Hast thou no brethren in Oxenford?"
"Yea, verily, I remember Zacharias the Jew, who lives hard by the
river, in the parish of St. Ebba."
"Canst thou trust him with thy life?"
"He is a brother."
"Ye are better brothers than many Christians. I will send him to
thee, and he shall supply thee with the necessary medicaments. If
the experiment succeed, and absolute secrecy be observed, I will
cause thy sentence to be commuted to banishment, with the
forfeiture of some portion of thine ill-gotten goods; otherwise
there remaineth but the stake."
And Geoffrey of Coutances departed.
An hour later, Zacharias of St. Ebba's parish entered; the two
conferred a long time--Zacharias departed--returned again--and in
the evening of the following day sought the bishop and placed a
packet in his hand.
Pages:
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259