all so nosy.”
Arnaud suppressed a chuckle. He was certain he was in the presence of
one of the nosiest women ever created by God, but didn’t doubt her sincerity.
He left her with the promise that he would ask around in Lavaur to find someone
who would come and talk to her.
Arnaud hardly noticed the walk back into Lavaur, so occupied was he by
what Berthe had said to him. If the truth were known—and he could
scarcely admit it to himself—he had spent the whole of last winter since
his wife had died, and most of the spring and summer, in the company of several
believers who had impressed him with their ideas and the fact that they lived
by what they preached. Never a religious man, he could easily recognize the
difference between them and the priests in the Catholic Church.
The abstemious way of living of the Cathars, as people were beginning to
call them, contrasted sharply with the profligate life that many of the
Catholic clergy led. There were some good and honest men amongst the
priests—those who strove to bring comfort to the poor and needy—but
on the whole, these were largely lost in the hundreds whose object it was to
get rich at the expense of their parishioners. Several Archbishops had spoken
out about the abuses they saw in their church, but there were just as many who
turned a blind eye to what was going on under their noses. Since the death of
his wife, Arnaud had turned these facts over in his mind time and time again.
He had never occupied himself much with his church; going to mass on an
irregular basis was the closest he had come to finding God. He could not
remember his last confession but he knew it had been before he had married!
As these thoughts chased one another around his head, his mind began to
clear a little. He realised that he had had little interest in women since his
wife had gone. There had been several who had pushed themselves forward, eager
to fill an empty space in Arnaud’s life—he was, after all, a well-set-up
man with good prospects in the glove trade now—however, rather than seek
the company of women, more often than not he had found himself in the company
of some of the Cathar elders, enjoying their lively discussions and listening
to their teachings. They were all, to a man and to a woman too, excellent and
persuasive speakers!
So it was, that along the dusty road leading to Lavaur, Arnaud finally
made up his mind to find out as much as he could about the beliefs of all the
good people he had encountered since his wife’s death. What the future would
bring he could not guess; he only knew that for the first time in nearly a
year, he had begun to feel a peace within himself.
When Arnaud, pleased with his decision, spoke to his in-laws, he saw
that there were tears in their eyes. It was an emotional time for the three of
them, for they all knew that but for the death of his wife, they would not be
savouring this moment in Arnaud’s life.
“If only she could have been here to see this,” said his mother-in-law,
kissing him. “She would have been so happy.”
“If she had lived to see this change in you, her life would have been
complete,” her husband added. “But come now,” he continued, “we both know that
she is alive and well somewhere in another body, and one day Arnaud, you will
be certain of it, too. If we truly believe this, there is no need at all for
sadness.”
His wife looked at him and in a voice quivering with emotion said, “I do
believe she sees what is going on and is happy that she was the instrument of
Arnaud’s calling.”
“No more tears, then. Arnaud’s way will be long and arduous. If he is to
achieve what God has chosen him for, we must help him all we can. God alone
knows what is in store for our Church. The Catholic Church sends out warnings
against us and some of our people have been burned at the stake in the north.
Times will be harder from now on and we should think ourselves blessed that our
Count Raymond, although
Arnaud suppressed a chuckle. He was certain he was in the presence of
one of the nosiest women ever created by God, but didn’t doubt her sincerity.
He left her with the promise that he would ask around in Lavaur to find someone
who would come and talk to her.
Arnaud hardly noticed the walk back into Lavaur, so occupied was he by
what Berthe had said to him. If the truth were known—and he could
scarcely admit it to himself—he had spent the whole of last winter since
his wife had died, and most of the spring and summer, in the company of several
believers who had impressed him with their ideas and the fact that they lived
by what they preached. Never a religious man, he could easily recognize the
difference between them and the priests in the Catholic Church.
The abstemious way of living of the Cathars, as people were beginning to
call them, contrasted sharply with the profligate life that many of the
Catholic clergy led. There were some good and honest men amongst the
priests—those who strove to bring comfort to the poor and needy—but
on the whole, these were largely lost in the hundreds whose object it was to
get rich at the expense of their parishioners. Several Archbishops had spoken
out about the abuses they saw in their church, but there were just as many who
turned a blind eye to what was going on under their noses. Since the death of
his wife, Arnaud had turned these facts over in his mind time and time again.
He had never occupied himself much with his church; going to mass on an
irregular basis was the closest he had come to finding God. He could not
remember his last confession but he knew it had been before he had married!
As these thoughts chased one another around his head, his mind began to
clear a little. He realised that he had had little interest in women since his
wife had gone. There had been several who had pushed themselves forward, eager
to fill an empty space in Arnaud’s life—he was, after all, a well-set-up
man with good prospects in the glove trade now—however, rather than seek
the company of women, more often than not he had found himself in the company
of some of the Cathar elders, enjoying their lively discussions and listening
to their teachings. They were all, to a man and to a woman too, excellent and
persuasive speakers!
So it was, that along the dusty road leading to Lavaur, Arnaud finally
made up his mind to find out as much as he could about the beliefs of all the
good people he had encountered since his wife’s death. What the future would
bring he could not guess; he only knew that for the first time in nearly a
year, he had begun to feel a peace within himself.
When Arnaud, pleased with his decision, spoke to his in-laws, he saw
that there were tears in their eyes. It was an emotional time for the three of
them, for they all knew that but for the death of his wife, they would not be
savouring this moment in Arnaud’s life.
“If only she could have been here to see this,” said his mother-in-law,
kissing him. “She would have been so happy.”
“If she had lived to see this change in you, her life would have been
complete,” her husband added. “But come now,” he continued, “we both know that
she is alive and well somewhere in another body, and one day Arnaud, you will
be certain of it, too. If we truly believe this, there is no need at all for
sadness.”
His wife looked at him and in a voice quivering with emotion said, “I do
believe she sees what is going on and is happy that she was the instrument of
Arnaud’s calling.”
“No more tears, then. Arnaud’s way will be long and arduous. If he is to
achieve what God has chosen him for, we must help him all we can. God alone
knows what is in store for our Church. The Catholic Church sends out warnings
against us and some of our people have been burned at the stake in the north.
Times will be harder from now on and we should think ourselves blessed that our
Count Raymond, although
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