The Branding Needle, or The Monastery of Charolles

st immediately thereupon the three younger brothers of Sigebert, who was then absent on the journey to Germany, rushed in, followed by their governesses

ver by a pallor that betrayed ill health, and that rendered their eyes exceptionally large and weird. Their long hair, the symbol of Frankish royalty, fell thin upon their shoulders. They wore short dalmaticas of gold and silver thread. The governesses respectfull

this morning, my dear children!

our brother Corbe,

rbe do that

ff his white turtle dove-and s

d-you laughed-y

but our little br

h so hard th

pt because th

e, if blood frightens you! And when we go to battl

cut the dove's head off. Oh, I am not afraid of blood; not I;

t far better, dear children, to promenade quietly in a cart or a litter, to lie down in a soft bed, eat dainties, have fun all day long, and please your whims? The blood of royal families is too precious a thing to expose it recklessly, my pretty little kinglets. You have your leudes to go to war and fight the enemy in battle, your servants to kill the people

ance-thrusts; I prefer to amuse myself, and do what I please. But why, then, did our brot

s have advised letting him undertake a

e be ba

erhaps-perhap

So much the better! His place will not

igebert will inhabit his own royal mansion, he will have his own

ly one year o

ical glance with Chrotechilde; "you will then also have your royal establishment and your separate room-your

ear older, so as to have all th

Corbe also-and also Merovee, I would lik

Brunhild; "patience; it will all come about-but what noise is that in the la