_Christiern._ Oh, I cannot stay another moment: I must go home: who is it?
_Footman_. "Tis a poor man who has brought in two carts full of my master"s baggage; and my master begs you"ll be so very good as to see that the things are all right, as you know "em, and no one else here does.
_Christiern (with impatience)._ How provoking!--a full hour"s work:--I sha"n"t get home this night, I see that:--I wish the man and the baggage were in the Gulf of Finland. [_Exeunt._]
SCENE--_The apartment where the_ COUNT, ELEONORA, CHRISTINA, _&c., were dancing._
_Enter Mrs._ ULRICA, _eading the two children._
_Christina._ Ha! Mrs. Ulrica, and her little G.o.dson.
_Mrs. Ulrica._ My lady, I beg pardon for presuming to interrupt; but I was so proud of my little G.o.dson and his sister, though not my G.o.ddaughter, that I couldn"t but bring them up, through the very midst of the company, to my master, to praise them according to their deserts; for n.o.body can praise those that deserve it so well as my master--to my fancy.
_Eleonora_ (_aside_). Nor to mine.
_Mrs. Ulrica_. Here"s a purse, sir, which this little boy and girl of mine found in the woods as they were going home; and, like honest children, as they are, they came back with it directly to me, thinking that it was mine.
_Helmaar_. Shake hands, my honest little fellow--this is just what I should have expected from a G.o.dson of Mrs. Ulrica, and a son of--
_Mrs. Ulrica (aside to the Count_). Oh, Lord bless you, sir, don"t tell him--My lady--(_to Christina_)--would you take the children out of hearing?
_Eleon_. (_to the children_). Come with us, my dears.
[_Exeunt ladies and children._]
_Mrs. Ulrica_. Don"t, sir, pray, tell the children any thing about their father: they don"t know that their father"s here, though they"ve just seen him; and I"ve been striving all I can to keep the secret, and to keep the father here all night, that I may have the pleasure of seeing the meeting of father and mother and children at their own cottage to-morrow. I would not miss the sight of their meeting for fifty pounds; and yet I shall not see it after all--for Christiern will go, all I can say or do. Lord bless me! I forgot to bolt him in when I came up with the children--the bird"s flown, for certain--(_going in a great hurry_).
_Helmaar_. Good Mrs. Ulrica, you need not be alarmed; your prisoner is very safe, I can a.s.sure you, though you forgot to bolt him in: I have given him an employment that will detain him a full hour, for I design to have the pleasure of restoring my deliverer myself to his family.
_Mrs. Ulrica_. Oh! that will be delightful!--Then you"ll keep him here all night!--but that will vex him terribly; and of all the days and nights of the year, one wouldn"t have any body vexed this day or night, more especially the man, who, as I may say, is the cause of all our illuminations, and rejoicings, and dancings--no, no, happen what will, we must not have him vexed.
_Helmaar_. He shall not be vexed, I promise you; and, if it be necessary to keep your heart from breaking, my good Mrs. Ulrica, I"ll tell you a secret, which I had intended, I own, to have kept from you one half hour longer.
_Mrs. Ulrica_. A secret! dear sir, half an hour"s a great while, to keep a secret from one when it"s about one"s friends: pray, if it be proper--but you are the best judge--I should be very glad to hear just a little hint of the matter, to prepare me.
_Helmaar_. Then prepare in a few minutes to see the happy meeting between Christiern and his family: I have sent to his cottage for his wife, to desire that she would come hither immediately.
_Mrs. Ulrica_. Oh! a thousand thanks to you, sir; but I"m afraid the messenger will let the cat out of the bag.
_Helmaar_. The man I have sent can keep a secret--Which way did the Lady Eleonora go?--Are those peasants in the hall? [_Exit Count._]
_Mrs. Ulrica_ (_following_). She went towards the west drawing-room, I think, sir.--Yes, sir, the peasants are at supper in the hall. (_Aside_) Bless me! I wonder what messenger he sent, for I don"t know many--men I mean--fit to be trusted with a secret. [_Exit_.]
SCENE--_An apartment in Count_ HELMAAR"S _Castle_.--ELEONORA.--CHRISTINA.--_Little_ KATE _and_ ULRIC _asleep on the floor_.
_Eleon_. Poor creatures! they were quite tired by sitting up so late: is their mother come yet?
_Christina._ Not yet; but she will soon be here, for my brother told Aleftson to make all possible haste. Do you know where my brother is?--he is not among the dancers. I expected to have found him sighing at the Lady Eleonora"s feet.
_Eleon_. He is much better employed than in sighing at any body"s feet; he is gone down into the great hall, to see and reward some poor peasants who have brought home the knapsacks of those unfortunate soldiers who fell in the last battle:--your good Mrs. Ulrica found out that these peasants were in the village near us--she sent for them, got a plentiful supper ready, and the count is now speaking to them.
_Christina_. And can you forgive my ungallant brother for thinking of vulgar boors, when he ought to be intent on nothing but your bright eyes?--then all I can say is, you are both of you just fit for one another: every _fool_, indeed, saw that long ago.
[_A cry behind the scenes of "Long line Count Helmaar! Long live the good count! long live the poor man"s friend!_"]
_Christina (joins the cry_). Long live Count Helmaar!--join me, Eleonora--long live the good count! long live the poor man"s friend!
[_The little children waken, start up, and stretch themselves_.]
_Eleon_. There, you have wakened these poor children.
_Ulric_. What"s the matter? I dreamed father was shaking hands with me.
_Enter Mrs_. ULRICA.
_Little Kate_. Mrs. Ulrica! where am I? I thought I was in my little bed at home--I was dreaming about a purse, I believe.
_Mrs. Ulrica_. Was it about this purse you were dreaming?--(_shows the purse which the children found in the wood_)--Come, take it into your little hands, and waken and rouse yourselves, for you must come and give this purse back to the rightful owner; I"ve found him out for you--(_Aside to Christina and Eleonora_). And now, ladies, if you please to go up into the gallery, you"ll see something worth looking at.
[_Exeunt_.]
SCENE--_A hall in Count_ HELMAAR"S _Castle.--Peasants rising from supper in the back scene_.
_1st Peasant_. Here"s a health to the poor man"s friend; and may every poor man, every poor honest man--and there are none other in Sweden--find as good a friend as Count Helmaar.
_Enter_ CHARLES, _eagerly_.
_Charles_. Count Helmaar! is he here?
_Omnes_. Heyday! Charles, the sleeper, broad awake! or is he walking in his sleep?
_Charles_. Where"s Count Helmaar, I say?--I"d walk in my sleep, or any way, to get a sight of him.
_1st Peasant_. Hush! stand back!--here"s some of the quality coming, who are not thinking of you.
[_The peasants all retire to the back scene. Count_ HELMAAR, CHRISTINA, _and_ ELEONORA, _appear, looking from a gallery. Enter_ ALEFTSON _and_ CATHERINE _at one door, Mrs._ ULRICA _at the opposite door, with_ CHRISTIERN, _followed by the two children._]
_Cath._ (_springs forward_.) Christiern! my husband! alive!--is it a dream?
_Christiern_ (_embracing her_). Your own Christiern, dearest Catherine.
[_The children clap their hands, and run to their father._]
_Ulric._ Why, I thought he was my father; only he did not shake hands with me.
_Kate._ And Mrs. Ulrica hid me hold my tongue.
_Christiern._ My Ulric! my little Kate!