Soon after he returned the war intruded. Fleeing refugees brought news to the city that a Spanish army was on the march. The garrison hardly had time to prepare for the unexpected attack. The enemy approached in early April, while their foraging units roamed the surrounding countryside, looting and burning. Adam’s first thought was for the safety of his beloved. In the alarm and confusion of a city under attack, he procured a dagger, assembled some supplies, lowered himself over the wall on a dark night, swam across the moat and slipped through the siege lines. He made it to Sainte Marie Kerque the following day and found, to his relief, that the village was safe. He went to the Niel house and announced that he was here to protect them from marauding Spanish soldiers. The family welcomed him, even Clemence. Madame Niel accepted him into her household and assigned him the garret chamber. He took to visiting with Monsieur Niel in his workshop, whiling away the day when Clemence was not available. After a week, the shoemaker suggested that Adam learn the trade. The shoemaker observed that Adam was too old to serve an apprenticeship but not too old to learn the craft and marry his daughter, “If she’ll have you and if you can tame her, then I give my blessing,” he said. These were two significant ‘ifs” but Adam agreed and undertook his training in the craft of shoemaking. He was exultant! Once a trained shoemaker and no longer a dockworker he could aspire to marriage with Clemence. She resisted the idea. At times, she enjoyed his presence but at other times, she treated him as an overgrown apprentice living with them. Sometimes she would lead him on and raise his hopes; then she would turn on him and dash them. He was far from “taming” her, never mind, gaining her consent to marriage.
For more on the Spanish invasion and siege of Calais see source note 5
Siege of Calais: Image courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Calais_(1596)
Comentários