The Wandering Harlot (The Marie Series) (3 page)

IV.

Marie felt as if she were a ghost hovering outside her body and looking down in disbelief at what was happening. Was she really being dragged and pushed through the dark streets, barefoot and in a thin nightshirt? This could not be happening.

Clenching her teeth, she prayed softly that she would wake up and find herself back in her own bed, but no Baby Jesus or saint came to her aid. At first she was relieved when Hunold pushed her to the floor in the tower dungeon and bound her arms in an iron ring, for she thought the nightmare had come to an end. Surely she was about to wake up in bed, cuddled in her warm quilt and thinking of something to dispel the terrible dream.

Time passed, though, and all she could feel was the damp cold creeping in from the hard-packed dirt floor, and all she could see was an impenetrable darkness without any moonlight. She slowly began to understand this was not a nightmare and that she really had been accused of immoral behavior. Since the rope around her wrists bound her to the ground, she pulled her legs up, put her head on her knees, and tried to pray, but her words were drowned out by her violent sobs.

Over and over she asked herself why the two men had lied. She had rarely had contact with the secretary, since he was usually caught up in business matters and was often traveling. Had the carriage driver thought all this up in order to humiliate her? But the two men knew they would have to swear to their assertions before a cross and a judge.

Thinking about what would happen the next day, Marie felt reassured. A matron would examine her in the morning and determine Marie was indeed a virgin. Linhard and Utz would be revealed as slanderers in court, and Marie would be exonerated.

Once she had convinced herself that she was not in danger after all, Marie wondered why Counselor Rupert had been so quick to believe the two men’s assertions. Did he regret signing the marriage contract, and was now happy to have found this way to withdraw his offer? Or was he just stunned by the sudden accusations? No doubt he now realized his hasty reaction would lose him a fortune, and he would want the truth to come to light. It was in his own interest to help her now.

Just then, Marie heard someone sliding the bolt aside and inserting a key in the lock. It was her father and her fiancé coming to get her! So this was all just a cruel prank or horrible misunderstanding. The key turned very slowly, almost silently, and the door opened without a sound. Outside someone was whispering, and a light appeared as if several torches had been lit.

Marie looked expectantly toward the door. To her disappointment, Hunold appeared in the opening, grinning and holding a torch. Turning around, he pulled Linhard forward and gave him a shove that sent him stumbling across the room. The secretary’s face was twisted in a terrified grimace. The bailiff stepped aside and Utz entered. The carriage driver placed his torch in a ring, looking at Marie as if he wanted to devour her with his eyes. Feeling ill, Marie turned away as Hunold closed the door, locking it behind him. Then he placed the torch over Marie’s head.

Marie was frozen with fear and sat up as far as her fetters permitted. “What do you want from me?”

Hunold bent over as if to grab her, but the carriage driver pushed him aside and looked Marie in the face. “You don’t want Linhard and me to commit perjury tomorrow in court, do you?”

Marie crawled back toward the wall. “I don’t understand . . .”

“Don’t worry, you will in a moment.” Utz forced Marie onto her back. Then Hunold walked over to Marie and ripped her nightshirt off as far up as her neck. At that moment Marie began to scream. “No! No! For the Mother of God and all the saints, you cannot do that! You are violating God’s commandments.”

Utz and Hunold nudged each other and doubled over with laughter. While the bailiff was still holding his belly, the carriage driver pointed up at a small opening just below the ceiling, warning Hunold against making so much noise. Then he stooped, slapped Marie in the face, and stuffed a dirty rag into her mouth so that now she could only whimper.

Still laughing, Hunold jumped on Marie.

Her world seemed to fall to pieces. Silently she called on God and all the saints. Why are you allowing this? she asked, What have I done that you are punishing me like this?

Hunold finished, rolling off her, and Marie doubled up, overcome by a wave of nausea before Utz forced himself on her. Afterward, her whole body was wracked with pain. The world around her seemed to have been transformed into a pitching and rolling ship, and all she wanted was for the surrounding ocean to open up and devour her. Through a veil of tears she could see Utz and the bailiff walking toward Linhard, who was holding on to the door and trembling all over.

“Now it’s your turn,” they told him.

When the secretary said nothing, Hunold grabbed him and forced him toward Marie.

“I don’t know . . . I can’t . . .” Linhard stammered.

“Are you going to perjure yourself tomorrow, or back out and betray us? Either you go along with us, or your corpse will be floating down the Rhine tonight.”

Utz kicked him so hard, he fell down on top of the girl.

Marie struggled to catch her breath and tried to push Linhard away, but Utz placed his foot down so hard on her right leg that she thought the bone would break. Marie’s feelings suddenly transformed. Just a moment ago she had been awash in a sea of despair, but now rage built up within her and she felt pure hatred for the first time in her life. The carriage driver and the bailiff were crude, conscienceless characters, but the secretary had served in her father’s house for many years and was something like a member of the family. His betrayal hurt her so deeply that if she could, she would have torn him to shreds with her bare hands. At the same time, she wished she were dead.

Linhard stood up, turning his back to her as he buttoned up his trousers. Utz spat on the floor, ignoring Marie. “We’re done here. What do you say we go to Guntram Adler’s and share a tankard of beer?”

“Yes, but at your expense. The little secretary looks like he could use a stiff drink.” Hunold opened the door, pushed Linhard outside, and waited until Utz had walked past him with the torches. Then he pulled the door closed and locked it carefully.

Inside, it was once more as quiet and dark as the grave. Marie could feel the cold creeping into her body, more so than before, but not enough to soothe the burning inside her. She struggled to sit up, laid her head on her fettered hands, and pulled her knees up to her chest to make the pain easier to bear.

She wondered anxiously what would happen now. People wouldn’t ask if she had been violated, but they would instead issue blame and speak ill of her. Even if her father offered her weight in gold, no honorable man would seek her hand in marriage, not even a poor fellow like Michel. The best her father could do would be to marry her to some drunk like the sheepshearer Anselm, for whom the wine he could buy with her dowry would be more important than her virginity and reputation.

Marie kept thinking about the men who had first slandered her, then destroyed her life so brutally. She no longer asked why, but, almost choking on her hatred, she yearned to see the three men punished, whipped, and then driven out of town amidst shouts and jeers. Impatiently she waited for the morning to come when she would be examined by an old woman from Constance and the truth would come to light. She tried to seek solace from the Holy Virgin and the saints in order to escape the madness that had come over her. But her anger choked every prayer on her lips.

V.

The first rays of dawn shone through the window bars of her cell when she heard a key turn in the lock and the bolt slide back. When a powerfully built older woman entered, Marie began to cry with relief. It was the widow Euphemia who lived three doors away from them and had known Marie since birth.

The woman placed her torch in the ring above Marie’s head, put her hands on her hips, and looked down at the figure lying at her feet. Without saying a word, she bent down, seized Marie’s legs, and pulled her forward. Marie stiffened instinctively as the widow inspected her, then stood up with a cruel laugh. “Now you see what you get when a girl grows up without a mother.”

Marie panted between clenched teeth. “Utz the carriage driver, Hunold the bailiff, and Linhard our secretary, came to the dungeon and violated me. Euphemia, you can see how much I was hurt. I was still a virgin until the men attacked me. You must testify to that in court.”

The widow laughed bitterly. “I must do nothing of the sort! Your father should have been smart enough to marry me after your mother died. I would have seen to it that you grew up as a decent girl. But Matthis Schärer, the arrogant son of a runaway serf, thought he was too fine for a simple shoemaker’s widow.”

The shock triggered by these malicious words gave Marie the strength to sit up partway and look the woman in the face. “What are you saying? You can see what happened to me! Do you want the three men who slandered and violated me to escape their just punishment?”

At that moment the door opened again, and Hunold entered with a basin of water. Over his arm he carried a towel and a penitent’s hair shirt.

Marie screamed at the sight of him, but Euphemia shrugged, dipped the cloth in the water, and began to clean her. Clinging to the hope that the judge would see through the web of lies and violence spun around her, Marie lay motionless. She didn’t even resist when Euphemia put the hair shirt on her, then motioned to Hunold. “She’s now presentable for the high court.”

The bailiff bound Marie’s arms behind her back as on the evening before and shoved her toward the door. She was so preoccupied with her misery that not until they were crossing the bridge did Marie realize that Hunold was taking her to the island’s Dominican monastery, where the monks had a reputation for merciless severity.

VI.

The monastery’s great hall was built to impress. The walls were made of precisely hewn stone blocks, their weight underscored by the unusually large woven tapestries depicting biblical scenes. Narrow, high, stained-glass windows told of the sufferings of Dominican martyrs. The ceiling was made of dark stained wood and decorated with fine carvings. The coats of arms of the bishops of Constance and abbots of the island monastery were displayed on the massive pillars. All of this gave the visitor the feeling of standing at one of the holiest places in Christendom.

Behind a solid rock table at the back of the hall was a seat as magnificent as the kaiser’s own throne, and there sat the bishop’s judge, Honorius von Rottlingen, dressed in the white-and-black habit of the Dominicans. Two steps to the side from the judge’s table stood the prosecutor’s richly carved chair where Counselor Rupert was acting as both prosecutor and plaintiff. Behind him, court bailiffs were positioned to carry out the judge’s orders.

The spectators’ chairs were empty, and Gero Linner and Jörg Wölfling sat on one of the sparsely occupied witness benches. At the other end of the same bench sat Utz Käffli and Linhard Merk. The carriage driver eyed his surroundings with a disrespectful smirk as if amused by the stiff dignity of this place, while Linhard half closed his eyes, visibly struggling with the aftereffects of the previous night’s alcohol.

Matthis Schärer had taken a seat on the rear witness bench far from his daughter’s accusers. His complexion was gray, his cheeks fallen, and one half of his face hung down slightly. Softly bewailing his misfortune, he clung to his brother-in-law.

Mombert also seemed shaken, but unlike Matthis, he was still able to think clearly. He was alarmed by the speed with which Counselor Rupert had been able to schedule Marie’s trial and the aloof faces of the judge and the court bailiffs. It was a bad omen that Marie’s case was being tried in the bishop’s court and not before a local jury with jurisdiction over Constance citizens where he and Matthis could have presented a better defense for Marie. In this hall, where Counselor Rupert served as legal adviser to the bishop’s court and was a frequently welcomed guest, they did not wield the slightest influence.

Mombert was also angry at Master Jörg, a member of the High Council of Constance, who should have insisted that this case be heard in a city court. But Jörg Wölfling remained quietly in his seat, neither speaking nor showing any emotion.

Honorius von Rottlingen cleared his throat to gain the attention of those present. “Bring in the strumpet!”

With those words, the judge seemed to have already made up his mind. Terrified of the fanatical monk, Mombert shuddered, tears rolling down his cheeks as the bailiff led Marie into the courtroom. Matthis felt ill and leaned forward, his face in his hands.

There were dark shadows under Marie’s eyes. She shook violently, and her face was painfully contorted. None of that, however, detracted from her angelic beauty, and it was clear from the look in her eyes that her spirit remained unbroken.

A court bailiff led her to the prisoner’s bench where she was forced to kneel. When the judge gave a signal, Rupert rose and walked to the middle of the hall, then accused Master Matthis of having knowingly deceived him into the engagement with his daughter. “But these two good men here followed the call of their conscience and warned me of Matthis Schärer’s ruse and the immoral life of his daughter, Marie.”

Marie bowed slightly and looked directly at the judge, speaking in a firm voice. “This is a wretched web of lies, Your Honor! Last night, Linhard the secretary, Utz the carriage driver, and Hunold the bailiff broke into my cell and violated me in order not to have to commit perjury here. I swear by the Holy Virgin and Jesus that until last night I was a chaste virgin.”

Marie’s father jumped up as if wanting to run to her, but then collapsed, groaning, and clenched his chest. Mombert held on to him.

“You have chosen a rather strange defense.” The judge sounded doubtful. “If you are unjustly charging the three men, your punishment will be even more severe.”

“I speak the truth,” Marie affirmed. “I swear . . .”

Counselor Rupert waved her off. “Is she so scheming as to try to deflect criticism of her own crime with a baseless accusation?”

Mombert rose indignantly. “How can you say her accusation is baseless? I know Marie only as a pious, obedient child who never lies.”

Rupert shook his head thoughtfully. “It honors you, Master Mombert, that you come to the defense of your relative, but you were present when Utz Käffli and Linhard Merk told us convincingly that they had engaged in immoral behavior with her. Her assertion she had not lost her innocence until it was taken from her against her will last night is really going too far. I hope the venerable father will consider this insolence in his judgment.”

“What about the bailiff?” Mombert asked. “Not a word was mentioned of him last night.”

“Naturally she must accuse him as well. Who but he could have given Utz and Linhard the key to the dungeon?” Rupert said, addressing the judge, who silently nodded his agreement.

“If you speak the truth, the matron who examined you will confirm your words, but if you have lied, the full force of the law will be brought to bear.”

Marie could feel every hair on her body standing on end. She could only hope that Euphemia would obey her conscience in the presence of the cross. As soon as the widow was led in, however, Marie could tell that she didn’t intend to testify truthfully.

Father Honorius called the woman forward. “You are Euphemia, widow of the shoemaker Otfried, ordered this morning to examine the virginity of Marie Schärer who has been accused of prostitution. Give the court your findings.”

Euphemia scowled and blew air through her teeth. “Your Honor, I can hardly call the girl a virtuous virgin.”

Father Honorius looked at her severely. “Euphemia Schuster, in the name of God and our savior Jesus Christ, I demand you tell us the truth. Did you see signs that the accused was violated during the night?”

The widow did not hesitate for a moment. “I saw no sign she had been violated. This I swear by God the Almighty.”

Marie cried out loudly. “She’s lying! She hates my father and is allied with those who defiled me!”

Father Honorius pounded the flat of his hand on the table so hard that the stone rang. “Bailiffs, gag the accused! She is not worthy of being allowed to raise her voice again.”

The judge turned to Linhard and Utz. “You two have claimed that you fornicated with Marie, the daughter of Matthis Schärer. Do you swear by the cross that your testimony is true?”

Utz rose, walked up to the judge’s bench, and placed his hand on the cross that the judge held out to him. “I swear by everything that is holy that I lay with Marie Schärer.”

Seeing the judge’s questioning gaze directed at him, Linhard broke out in a sweat. He held his head down, looking as if he expected to be struck down at any moment by a bolt of lightning. Clutching the cross in his trembling hands, he walked up to the judge’s bench, and said the words that sealed Marie’s fate: “I swear by all that is holy.”

Satisfied, Father Honorius nodded. “The accused is hereby found guilty of prostitution and will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Now we must decide the penalty. Counselor Rupert, since the godless actions of the accused have sullied your honor, it is up to you to demand an appropriate punishment.”

The counselor bowed slightly. “I thank you, Venerable Father. According to the laws of the holy church and the Reich, if the guilt of a wayward woman has been proven and she admits and regrets her actions in a court of law, she shall be sent to a nunnery where she can pray for the forgiveness of her sins.”

He paused and looked at the spectators, who nodded their silent approval. Then he turned to Marie. “Are you now finally ready to admit your sins?” he demanded. “Consider carefully. It is the only way for you to atone for your transgressions and save your soul from eternal damnation.”

Marie hesitated. All she wanted now was to crawl away and hide behind the walls of a nunnery where she would be able to forget the cruelty of the world. But she knew she could be acquitted only by committing perjury and at the same time exonerating the three rapists along with the widow Euphemia whose vile slander had sealed her fate. She shook her head violently and uttered a sound that could be understood as “No.”

Counselor Rupert turned a grim face to the judge. “If the girl remains unrepentant,” he said, “and refuses to confess her guilt, she must be whipped and driven from the city.”

Her father stood up, breathing heavily, and staggered forward. “Child, you don’t know what you are doing,” he said, whimpering. “Admit your guilt, and I will send you to the sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Constance.” Turning her head away, Marie gazed in another direction.

Marie could hear her father’s pleas and saw her uncle Mombert’s imploring look. Even the judge nodded his encouragement. It was as if the entire world had conspired against her, but she knew that if she took the veil, she would suffer the contempt of the noble nuns and would be punished for sins she had never committed. Worse, perjury was a deadly sin for which she didn’t wish to atone. No, she was not ready to do that.

She looked at the judge and shook her head resolutely. Honorius von Rottlingen was visibly annoyed. “Since this hussy is stubborn and denies her guilt, she shall suffer the worst possible penalty.”

He consulted briefly with his bailiffs, then rose and looked down at Marie.

“Marie Schärer, you are sentenced to thirty lashes with branches and eternal banishment from the city of Constance and its surroundings for having deceived the esteemed Counselor Rupert Splendidus and entered a marriage contract under pretense of being an honorable virgin as well as for slandering upstanding citizens.” The judge was preparing to rise and conclude the session, when Counselor Rupert asked permission to speak.

“Excuse me, Venerable Father, for presenting one last request. None of your bailiffs should whip the whore. In my experience, most men deal more leniently with such a beautiful woman. I suggest that bailiff Hunold carry out the punishment. He will certainly not be merciful.”

“No, he won’t. Not after she accused him of this disgraceful crime,” replied the judge, raising his hand to demand the attention of those present. “The judgment will be carried out today. Take the hussy to the marketplace and have the bailiff Hunold carry out the punishment. After that, two bailiffs of this court are to escort her out of Constance.”

Marie could feel the last of her strength ebbing away. With a satisfied grin, Hunold approached, seized the rope with which he had twice dragged her through the city, and yanked it so hard, she fell to the ground.

“It won’t do you any good to throw yourself at my feet and beg me to spare you,” he sneered at her. “You should have thought of that before.”