"Let it be past!" cried Arwed, "I cannot outwardly honor what I inwardly despise."
"You will soon leave the royal service then;" grumbled the colonel: "for in that service cases of the kind may often occur."
"Have you any further need of me, colonel?" asked Arwed, his glance impatiently turning towards the palace of Goertz.
"For to-night, no," answered Brenner. "But come to my quarters early in the morning. We will then make arrangements for our return, I will not trouble you to go with me to the governor"s. After the captious remarks which he let fall he might have various dangerous questions to ask you--and if your hitherto pa.s.sive awkwardness should become active, I might in the end have cause to repent my willingness to take you with me."
"If I, however," asked Arwed, seized with a sudden presentiment, "should have occasion to set out upon a journey to-night, would you give me a furlough upon my word of honor to appear at the camp before Frederickshall in eight days?"
"Come not to me with such a strange request!" cried the colonel with vehemence. "I have no authority nor power to grant you such a furlough."
"But when the object is to save a good man?" asked Arwed earnestly, seizing the colonel"s hand and looking anxiously in his face with his beautiful clear eyes.
The colonel gave him a piercing glance from under his gray bushy eye-brows. But the severity of his eye soon melted into a more kindly expression. "My old friend Duecker is well disposed towards you," said he: "and there is no falsehood in your face. I see that you are one who will keep your word. Go upon your own terms whither you will."
"May G.o.d reward you!" cried Arwed, hastening away.
CHAPTER XII.
Dark and gigantic in the evening dusk arose the proud palace of the baron von Goertz, and the unlighted windows and the perfect silence which reigned in and about it gave it the unpleasant appearance of a deserted spectre-castle. Only in one room shone a dull light which resembled the blue flame that burns in ruins over buried treasures.
"That is Georgina"s light," said Arwed to himself, agitated with the conflicting emotions of sorrow and joy. He pushed open a little side door near the great portal, and creeping softly up the deserted stairs pa.s.sed through the echoing corridors towards Georgina"s chamber. As he entered he saw his beloved sitting at a table and with streaming eyes reading the note in which he had warned her of her father"s danger. Her right hand supported her drooping head,--her left had been taken possession of by the little Magdalena, who was endeavoring to administer friendly and childlike consolation.
"Heaven be praised!" said Arwed. "Thou hast received my letter in time, and thy father is saved!"--
"Would to G.o.d it were so!" cried Georgina, with a sorrow so deep that it left no room in her heart for joy at again seeing her lover. "My father departed yesterday for Frederickshall. He is accustomed to travel with rapidity, and before my courier can overtake him he will be already in the hands of his enemies."
"That depends upon who the courier is," said Arwed encouragingly. "I have determined to save the father of my beloved, and to spare my country the commission of a crime. I will set forth, and should a couple of horses fall dead under me it will be a small matter. I am only held back for the moment by my concern for thee. This palace will soon be occupied, and thy father"s property confiscated. What a scene will await thee if thou remainest without a protector in the desolated house!"
"Be not anxious for me," said Georgina, ringing the bell. "I will immediately repair, with my sister, to the count Dernath"s, where we are certain of a right friendly reception.
"Dernath and all thy father"s friends will be arrested this night!"
cried Arwed, in deep anguish.
"I nevertheless can find some place of refuge in Stockholm," answered Georgina; "and thou canst with confidence devote thyself to the discharge of a duty to which thy heart impels thee."
Meanwhile the governess of Georgina entered, clasping her hands in astonishment at finding a strange young officer in the bed-room of her pupil.
"Do not alarm yourself respecting my companion, dear governess!" cried Georgina. "Your attention is now required by affairs of more importance. Instantly call the women and the two Holstein, lacqueys.
Let some of the best of mine and Magdalena"s things be packed up, and send the steward to provide a boat. We will immediately repair to Blasius Holm, to the old invalid post-captain who was, three years ago, ransomed at Ystad by my father."
"Accompanied by this cavalier?" cried the terrified governess. "This looks like an elopement, baroness!"
"Would to G.o.d it were!" said Georgina sorrowfully. "But this cavalier"s way lies in quite another direction. The king is dead, my father a prisoner if he be not saved by scarcely less than a miracle, and during this very night will this palace be stormed as though it were a strong hold of the Danes. Therefore hasten, for our moments are counted!"
Wringing her hands, and followed by the weeping Magdalena, the governess retired.
"Will you not also save your father"s papers and valuables?" asked Arwed. "The hands which will rummage here will be none of the purest."
"No!" answered Georgina after some reflection. "Let the commissioners do that for which they may be able to answer to G.o.d and their own honor. I will not venture to touch my father"s property. Besides, I am too proud to take any thing with me out of Sweden which might be claimed as the property of the state. Hasten you, now, to the rescue of my beloved father. He was to proceed through Westgothland and to pa.s.s by Stroemstadt. I can give you no more precise information of his route."
"Let me first accompany you to your asylum," said Arwed. "Before that, I cannot leave you in peace."
"G.o.d knows how great a consolation your attendance upon me would be,"
answered Georgina: "but the question now is not of my consolation or your peace, dear Arwed,--but of my father"s rescue. An hour"s delay may be death to him. Therefore go at once, Arwed, fly, save, and there is no reward which you may not demand of me in exchange for the life of my beloved parent."
Saying this, she threw her white arms about his neck, printed a fervent kiss upon his lips, and gently thrust him out of the door.
CHAPTER XIII.
The wearied Arwed pushed the little gothlander, which he had purchased at the Rakalse inn instead of his overridden Norman, into a smart trot upon the high road to Stroemstadt. The rider was almost exhausted, but his determined spirit, animated by love and generosity, impelled the obedient body to renewed exertions of its diminishing powers. At length lie caught a glance of a fast rolling carriage, relieved against the border of a snow-clad forest. "Now is the crisis!" cried he, burying his spurs so unmercifully in his horse"s flanks that he flew with him in furious career over the frozen ground. After a hard ride of a quarter of an hour he overtook the carriage. In it sat baron Goertz, wrapped in a fur cloak, and so attentively reading some papers that he did not perceive the approaching horseman. "I bless my fate," called out the latter, as he reached the carriage, "that I have found your excellency in good time. I bring you important intelligence."
"Who are you, sir?" asked Goertz, disturbed in his occupation, with a tone of displeasure.
"Captain Gyllenstierna," answered Arwed. "I have ridden after you from Stockholm to give you warning and save you from a great misfortune."
"Gyllenstierna!" cried Goertz with a friendly smile, leaning back that he might hear his voice above the rattling of the carriage. "Then you bring me news from my daughter, or a message from her. You cannot well deliver it from your saddle; therefore be pleased to hitch your horse to mine and take a seat by me in the carriage."
"I accept your invitation with thanks," answered Arwed, and attaching his reins to the collar of a saddle-horse, he sprang into the carriage.
"Have the goodness," said he, "to change the direction of your journey immediately, and on the way I will tell you the cause."
"What are you dreaming of?" asked Goertz with an angry brow.
"There comes a whole troop of dragoons to meet us," cried the coachman, "and they are pressing forward under whip and spur." Arwed examined them attentively for a moment. "My G.o.d, I have come too late!"
stammered he, recognizing the gray coat of colonel Baumgardt advancing at their head.
"Are you in your right mind, young man, or rather are you not some other than the person you pretend to be?" asked Goertz yet more angrily, drawing a pistol from the pocket of the carriage.
"For G.o.d"s sake!" untreated Arwed, grasping his hand, "reserve your weapons for your enemies, who are coming to meet us. By you sits your friend, who is ready to die in your defence. Turn back instantly, perhaps we may yet avoid them."
As Goertz sharply examined his countenance his features relaxed into a milder expression at the perusal of his honest face. "I have no longer an ill opinion of you," said he smilingly. "It is my impression, however, that you desire to increase your importance with me a little by pressing upon me your protection against a pretended danger; and I can pardon something on account of your youth and the motive by which you are impelled. Another time, however, you must find some more probable pretence. That the hors.e.m.e.n who are approaching us are no robbers, but honest Swedish dragoons, a child may see; and, if I mistake not, that is colonel Baumgardt, whom I well know, riding at their head."
In a moment the troops had reached the carriage.
"Good evening, your excellency!" cried Baumgardt, wheeling about his horse and raising his hat. Three other officers, who followed him, likewise wheeled about and remained, courteously greeting the baron, before and on both sides of the carriage, while the dragoons trotted past and closed up behind it.
"Good evening, colonel!" answered Goertz serenely. "Whither so late?"
"To meet your excellency," said the colonel politely. "We lost our way in the driving snow, and have been riding about in a state of perplexity for two days. We bring with us important news from the camp."
"Whatever it may be," answered Goertz, "I bring you from Aland yet better and more important. But it can all be more conveniently told in a warm room with a bottle of old wine. I shall stop for the night at the parsonage of Tanum, and bear with me a good bottle case. Will the gentlemen be my guests? We will pa.s.s a pleasant evening together, and in the morning I will proceed to Frederickshall under your safeguard."