She rushed out.
"This is a night of h.e.l.l!" groaned Francis, and dropt back, as if annihilated, into his seat.
It was about the same time of the year, that Althea was sitting in her chamber by the open window, through which played the gentle spring-breezes. Her little Henry drew about the room, on a wheeled platform, a stately knight, proudly mounted, in the full equipments of the tournay, Tausdorf"s present to him from Nuremberg. With this he kept up an intolerable clatter, but his mother did not heed him. Before her stood the embroidery frame, in which she had stretched a scarf, but she did not work; and, lost in fairy visions, she listened to the humming of the bees that swarmed in the blossoms of an apple-tree before her window. Then on a sudden echoed the sweet song of the nightingale from the topmost branch, and Althea"s bosom swelled in gentle heavings; her eyes became moist, she folded her hands, and with pious looks to heaven, exclaimed mournfully, "Forgive me, Eternal Benevolence! if this feeling be a sin against the memory of my Henry."
"Where now does Herr Tausdorf tarry?" interrupted the child. "He promised to be here early to-day."
"Was the speech of innocence an answer to my prayer?" whispered Althea; and, beckoning the child to her, she took him on her lap, caressed him with fervour, and softly asked him, "Are you then fond of Herr Tausdorf, dear boy?"
"Yes, indeed, from my very heart," replied the little one. "He is always so kind to me, brings me pretty things, and has often let me ride upon his gray horse. I love him more than uncle Netz and all the other knights who visit you. He does not swear and curse so terribly as they do, nor drink such monstrous quant.i.ties of wine. I have never either seen him drunk, like uncle Netz, who often cuts a vile figure with the fiery face and gla.s.sy eyes. Then he is always so kind and sedate; and I do not know how he manages it, but when he bids or forbids me any thing, I cannot help obeying him, however great my inclination to be froward."
"But you are fond of uncle Schindel?" said Althea, to conceal her delight in the child"s answer.
"Oh yes! but then he is a little too old for me. I always think of him as of my grandfather: while Herr Tausdorf is still so handsome, and full of life and energy. It is so I fancy my father must have looked.
Oh, if Herr Tausdorf were my father! I would follow him at his nod, and love him--almost as much as yourself, dear mother."
"Sweet boy!" cried Althea transported, and hid her burning forehead in the golden locks of the child.
Three slow, orderly raps were given at the door, but occupied with other matters, she paid no attention to them; at last in walked Christopher Friend, in splendid doublet and rich pantaloons of sky-blue velvet, slashed with green, and trussed with gold points, and a broad collar about his neck of real Brabant lace. With great courteousness and much dignity, he waved his richly feathered cap in salutation. The first glance, that Althea cast upon his crafty knavish face, extinguished every spark of joy in her breast, and with icy coldness she asked what was Master Friend"s pleasure?
"n.o.ble lady, I have lived long enough in the dreary state of widowhood to know all its inconveniences, and to desire a change. I want a wife of good person, good birth, and gentle manners; and, considering the great wealth with which the Lord has blest me, I believe myself well worthy of such a one. Worthiest Althea, my choice has fallen upon you.
It has, indeed, cost me no little eloquence to wring from my father his consent to this match, of which he would not hear at first, on account of the violent quarrels between the n.o.bility and citizens and the mutual bitterness that has grown out of them. At last, however, I succeeded in bending his obstinacy, and chiefly through the faithful picture of your excellent virtues; and here I am, with his blessing, to woo solemnly for your fair hand."
"I value your courtship as I ought," replied Althea, hastily; "but with my conviction that we are in no respect suited to each other, I answer with a candid _no_."
"_No!_" repeated Christopher, dropping from the clouds. "With such proposals, it is the custom, although the lady have a negative in her pocket, at least to ask time for consideration, from mere courtesy.
Your _no_, therefore, is almost too candid."
"I could not prevail upon myself to let you believe in the possibility of our union, even for a moment."
"I should think, though, that the petty estate which you hold at Bogendorf in your widow"s right can be no reason for your rejecting so splendid an establishment thus scurvily."
"Then you thought to buy me of my poverty?--Another sign how little we are suited to each other, for I have never regarded wealth."
"That shows your fancy for the Bohemian ragam.u.f.fin!" retorted Christopher, whose wrath had burst every curb of manners. "I always wished to persuade myself out of the idea of your caring for the vagabond, but now it is on the sudden clear to me that I am sacrificed for him."
"Have the goodness yourself to repeat your aspersions to him," cried Althea warmly; "but this room you will quit instantly."
"Why should we mutually incense each other without occasion?" said Christopher, quickly composed again, and courteous. "You have rejected my love, which must, indeed, grieve me; but, at least, you cannot prevent me from wooing your friendship; and rest a.s.sured I will show you mine so thoroughly, that you shall yet one day rue your harshness."
He bowed himself profoundly, and departed.
"That is an abominable man," said the little Henry. "Had you married him, I do believe I should have run away from you."
"My horizon grows more and more cloudy," sighed Althea. "I fear there will be no staying for me much longer in the old Schweidnitz, for the hatred of these Friends is terrible, from their wealth and their enormous power."
"Oh, if they ill-treat you," cried the little one warmly, "only call Tausdorf to your help, he"ll soon send them about their business! And I too am a n.o.bleman: let me once be capable of bearing arms, and I"ll maul this rabble of citizens that it shall do your heart good to see it."
Althea hastily set down the little nettle which began to sting thus early, and asked in anger, "Did you ever hear such words from me or from the knight Tausdorf, whose name is always in your mouth?"
"No," stammered the terrified child, already struggling with his tears; "but uncle Netz, and the rest of the knights, call the Schweidnitzers by no other name when they talk of them."
"Have these then so suddenly become your models? Formerly you were of a different opinion; but shame upon you for so soon forgetting the lessons of your mother. What have I told you of the different cla.s.ses in the world?"
"They are all established by G.o.d," repeated the boy, amidst a flood of tears, "and therefore the high should never despise the low, for he is his brother."
"And what did I say to you of the citizens and peasants?"
"They are for the whole more useful and indispensable than the n.o.ble, who in reviling them disgraces himself."
"You, then, have disgraced the n.o.bility which you are so proud of. Go to your own room, and reflect with yourself seriously upon your injustice, and pray to G.o.d to forgive you such want of charity. That you may have leisure for this, you shall neither play nor eat till the evening."
"Dear mother!" said the little one imploringly, and raised his folded hands.
"I am fixed," she replied with great earnestness; and the poor boy left the room slowly and with loud sobbings.
"G.o.d grant me strength to banish this evil spirit, the last in the pure mind of my child," prayed Althea fervently, as her brother-in-law, Netz, rushed into the room with wild unceasing laughter. Vexed at this interruption of her better thoughts, she exclaimed, "What have you been about now?"
"Oh, I have been enjoying a fine piece of sport. Since we were here with the bishop, your cits have had a little respect for us, because they see that we hang together manfully. So we touch them up now and then, till they are ready to run against the walls from terror."
"Alas! I have already heard much of this kind of exploits, but in truth they do you little honour."
Netz, pa.s.sing over the remark, continued: "Just now I amused myself with riding on my war-horse into a publican"s house, and even into the tap-room on the ground floor. The old witch of a hostess crept forward immediately, and, quaking and trembling, begged of me to dismount; but I cut as furious a grimace as I could, and roared out, "Pity on the n.o.ble blood that has been spilt! let any one of the Schweidnitzers come abroad, be he who he may, and he shall have a warm reception; ten of us have sworn to avenge the murder." Zounds! you should have seen how the old one"s knees tottered, and three citizens, who had been sitting behind the table, crept into a corner with their cups. Then turning round my horse, I dashed out, while the windows clattered again."
"And you would palm off this adventure upon me for a chivalrous achievement?" said Althea with cold mockery.
"How perverse you are," replied Netz; "it was only a little joke of mine with the rabble. They"ll tell it again in the city, which will be in a proper fright; and, whenever a chuff creeps out of his hole from necessity, it will be with fear and trembling."
"What would you say, brother, if one of the people were to ride into your hall, as you did with those honest men, who had in nowise offended you?"
"G.o.d confound him! I would hang him up by the legs."
"Would it have been wrong, then, if the citizens had taken courage, and done as much to you?"
"Zounds! that"s a different thing," said Netz, stroking his whiskers.
"How, different? Perhaps the citizens of Schweidnitz are your serfs, without any rights against their master?"
"You catechize me too closely," replied Netz, confused, "tell me rather--to come to something else--what is the matter between you and Christopher Friend? As I was riding up the streets to your house, he met me, tricked out wonderfully, but with a face more horrible even than that I made in the tap-room. What did the money-bag want with you?"
"He asked my hand," returned Althea, going on calmly with her embroidery.
"And you sent him off with the willow? By my word as a knight, that does you honour, for the pitiful scoundrel has gold enough to buy half the princ.i.p.ality; and there is many an honest woman, before this, has made herself over to the devil, for the sake of wretched mammon. You have not only acted like a n.o.ble lady, but like a prudent woman, who well weighs every thing. It was not out of love that he sought your hand, but to make peace between his kin and the n.o.bility through you, and afterwards you would have found his house a h.e.l.l."
"What evil thoughts does hatred put into the minds of men! I did not dream a syllable of any such secondary objects, but refused him simply because I felt no inclination for him."