"People--those people. Please, oh please, give me no money."
"Her mind is clearly unhinged," thought Boleslav.
"Besides, there is money enough," she continued in a whisper, glancing round her timidly, "in the cellar--great boxes full--where the wine is.
I used to take what I wanted from there--for him, I mean--the _gnad"ger Herr_. For myself I never want any, unless it"s to buy a new jacket with."
"Will you earn a new jacket?"
"There"s no need to earn it, _Herr_. Next time I go to Bockeldorf--for the _Herr_ must have food--I can get one."
So, unreasoning as a beast of burden, she performed her duties, and expected no return except her food!
"Will you, then, without earning anything, go a long way for me this very night?"
"Oh, won"t I, _Herr_, if you wish it?"
CHAPTER VI
The next day the village of Schranden received an unexpected visitation that proved no small shock to its inhabitants. At about five o"clock in the afternoon two coaches appeared in the village street each of which contained half-a-dozen occupants, young fellows in Jager uniforms, with their muskets slung over their shoulders from wide leather belts.
In the first coach there was also a female occupant, who, the moment the horses" heads turned in the direction of the s.p.a.ce opposite the church, alighted with a wild leap, and scudded away towards the Castle.
Every Schrandener recognised in her the deceased Baron"s sweetheart, but all were too much taken aback to think of following her.
The coaches halted before the Black Eagle, the windows of which were eagerly opened, and before the strangers had moved from their seats, an enthusiastic welcome was extended to them.
"The Heide boys--Hurrah!" shouted Felix Merckel, who had many a time fought side by side with these comrades of the Sellinthin squadron, and he stretched a foaming jug out of the window.
His father threw open the door of the little room reserved for "gentry," where only wine was drunk, in the hopes that at least some of these wealthy yeomen would patronise it. But, without answering the warm greetings, they proceeded in gloomy silence to unharness the horses, and to take out of their vehicles all manner of tools, such as hatchets, files, and spades.
The Schrandeners were astounded.
"Good gracious! have you lost your tongues?" Felix Merckel called from the window. "And why haven"t you brought your paragon, Lieutenant Baumgart, with you?"
Still no answer.
The Schrandeners began to think these strangers must be playing off a joke on them, and burst into extravagant laughter.
Then Karl Engelbert, who evidently had the command of the expedition, came under the window from which Felix"s broad-shouldered form obtruded itself, and, greeting him with a half-military salute, said--
"With your permission, Herr Lieutenant, we have come here not to take part in any festivities or anything of that sort. We are a funeral party."
"But here in Schranden no one is going to be buried," cried Felix Merckel, still laughing, but his face appreciably lengthened.
"Indeed, Herr Lieutenant! Nevertheless, we have been invited to a funeral."
"Who has invited you?"
"Our former officer, Lieutenant Baumgart."
"Nonsense! There"s no Lieutenant Baumgart here. I thought you were going to bring him with you."
"Pardon, Herr Lieutenant, he is here already."
"Where is the fellow hiding, then?"
"Probably you know him better under another name--Herr von Schranden."
The stone jug in Felix"s hand fell and crashed to pieces at Engelbert"s feet. The beer splashed his legs up to the knee.
A tumult arose inside the inn. As if in preparation for battle, windows were speedily closed, and Johann Radtke, driven by thirst to ascend the steps to the main entrance, found the door banged in his face.
"Hunted from the threshold like tramps!" grumbled the dark-haired Peter Negenthin, and clenched his fist in his sling.
"Do you wish to perjure yourself?" asked Engelbert in a low voice, coming close to him. "If so, then go back. What is required of us we must do. Whoever forgets the church at Dannigkow is a cur!"
"And if we are dry we must wet our whistles with holy water, I suppose," added Radtke with a sigh.
Engelbert shouldered his musket and gave the orders to move on. The procession filed off in the direction of the Castle, a handful of natives, out of respect for the muskets, bringing up the rear.
Boleslav stood on the bridge to receive his friends.
He rushed towards them in delight, and could hardly articulate, for emotion, the words of grat.i.tude that rose to his lips.
Engelbert held out his hand in silence. Boleslav was going to embrace him, but he drew back. In his excitement Boleslav did not notice the rebuff.
"I knew you"d come," he stammered forth at last--"knew that I had friends who would not leave me undefended to the tender mercies of this pack of wolves."
No one made any response. They stood drawn up in an unbroken line, their eyes looking beyond rather than at him, in embarra.s.sment.
Engelbert was the first to break the silence.
"You have summoned us, and we have come--but our time is short; tell us what you want us to do."
For a moment Boleslav wondered at being addressed in this curt, somewhat surly fashion, by the comrade who, of all others, had been his favourite. But it was only for a moment. Why should he doubt them? Had they not come? And then, incoherently enough, he related how his father"s disgrace had descended on him, and what he had resolved to do, with their help.
All the time a pair of shining eyes watched him from the other side of a rubbish heap, and a woman"s figure that sat cowering there trembled like an aspen.
"They are here--they are in the village!" she had called out to him in timid excitement, as she had flown into the yard like a Maenad. At first he had not recognised her in a light cotton skirt, a bed-jacket b.u.t.toned over her panting bosom, and a handkerchief of many colours on her head, tied under the chin, according to a fashion of the peasant girls in the neighbourhood.
"They gave me these things to put on," she had added apologetically, on observing his puzzled looks.
And then in pleasure at the news that his friends had arrived, he had forgotten her, till, while waiting for them on the bridge, he had caught sight of her hovering about the ruins. The head-dress had fallen on her neck, and the wild black tresses escaped, and waved in confusion about her sunburnt face. She seemed to be smiling absently to herself.
He was ashamed to think his friends had seen this woman, and decided to pay her off and dismiss her on the spot, so that they should not encounter her again.