Barbara Blomberg — Complete

by Georg Ebers

  CHAPTER XVI.

  "Poor Wolf!" old Ursel had exclaimed. But whoever had met the youngknight the following morning, as he went up the stairs to the Blombergs'rooms, would have deemed him, like Baron Malfalconnet, the happiest ofmortals.

  He had obeyed Dr. Hiltner's summons, and remained a long time with him.Then he went home at a rapid pace, for he longed to tell Barbara howfair a prospect for their future was opening before him.

  She had showed her liking for him plainly enough yesterday when theyparted. What should prevent her from becoming his now that he couldpromise an ample income?

  There was some one stirring in the private chapel as he passed, but hepaid no heed; in former days many people from the neighbourhood prayedhere frequently.

  He found no one in the Blombergs' home except the father.

  Barbara would certainly return immediately, the old man said. She hadgone down to the chapel a short time before. She was not in the habit ofdoing so at this hour, but the great favour shown her by the Emperor hadprobably gone to her head, and who could wonder?

  Wolf also thought it natural that so great a success should excite herpowerfully: but he, too, had a similar one to relate, and, with joyfulemotion, he now told the old gentleman what the syndic had offered.

  The Council, which, by the establishment of the "Convivium," had alreadyprovided for the fostering of the noble art of music, wished to do stillmore. The project had been dear to the recently deceased Martin Luther,and the Ratisbon syndic, who had enjoyed his friendship, thought he wascarrying out his wishes----

  Here Wolf was interrupted, for the table groaned under the blow of theold warrior's still powerful fist, coupled with the exclamation: "Sothere is still to be no rest from the accursed disturber of the peace,although he is dead! No offence, my lad; but there can be nothingedifying to a good Christian where that Wittenberg fellow is concerned."

  "Only have patience," Wolf interposed here, secure of victory, and now,slightly vexed with himself for his imprudence in mentioning MartinLuther's name to the old hater of Turks and heretics, he explained thatDr. Hiltner, in the name of the Council, had offered him the position ofDamian Feys, Barbara's teacher. The Netherlander was going home, and themagistrate was glad to have found in him, Wolf, a native of Ratisbon whowould be no less skilled in fostering music in this good city. To bindhim securely, and avoid the danger of a speedy invitation elsewhere,the position offered was provided with an annual salary hithertounprecedented in this country, and which far exceeded that of many animperial councillor. This had been rendered possible through a bequest,whose interest was to be devoted to the development of music, and--if heshould accept the place--to him and his future wife.

  When he heard this, he would fain have instantly bestowed the mostbeautiful candles upon the Holy Virgin, but the scruple concerningreligion had prevented his rejoicing fully; and when he told the syndicthat under no circumstances could he abandon the old faith, it was donewith the fear that the glittering bird would fly away from him. But theresult had been different, for Dr. Hiltner replied that religion didnot enter into the matter. He knew Wolf and his peaceful nature, andtherefore hoped that he would be advised that music was a languageequally intelligible to all persons of feeling, whatever tongue theyspoke and whatever creed they preferred. This opinion was also that ofthe Catholic maestro Feys, and he had therefore escaped all difficulty.Wolf must, of course, consider the circumstances which he would findhere. If he would accommodate himself to them, the Council would bewilling to overlook his faith; besides, Hiltner, on his own authority,had given him the three days' time to reflect, for which he had asked onBarbara's account.

  A long-drawn "H'm" from Blomberg followed this disclosure. Then he shookhis clumsy head, and, grasping his mustache with his hand, as if hewanted in that way to stop the motion of his head, he said thoughtfully:"Not a whole thing, Wolf, rather a double one, or--if we look at itdifferently--it is only a half, for an honest friend of our Holy Church.The way into which they tempt you is paved with gold, but--but--I seethe snares and pitfalls----"

  He rose as he spoke, muttering all sorts of unintelligible things, untilhe finally exclaimed, "Yet perhaps one might----"

  Then he looked impatiently toward the door, and asked: "Where is thegirl loitering? Would Eve probably bite the apple of temptation also?"

  "Shall I call her?" cried Wolf eagerly.

  "No, no," said the captain. "It is sinful to disturb even our nearestrelatives at prayer. Besides, you would not believe how the maestro'spraises and the imperial gift have excited the vanity in her woman'snature. For the first time in I know not how many years, she oversleptthe hour of mass. It was probably ten o'clock when I knocked at herchamber door. Toward eleven there was a movement in her room. Then Iopened the door to bid her good-morning, but she neither heard nor sawanything, and knelt at the priedieu as if turned to stone. Before goingto sleep and early in the morning I expect such things, but when it isalmost noon! Her porridge still stood untouched on the table here, andto-day there is no occasion for fasting. But I did not like to disturbher, and perhaps she would still be kneeling before the Virgin's imageif the maid-servant hadn't blundered in to carry a bouquet which HerrPeter Schlumperger's servant had brought. Then Barbara started up asif a hornet had stung her. And how she looked at me! Once--I knew itinstantly--I had gazed into such a marvellously beautiful face, suchhelpless blue eyes. Afterward I remembered who and where it had been.God guard me from sinning against my own child, but that was exactly theway the young girl looked who they--it was farther back in the past thanyou can remember--burned here for a witch, as the halberdiers and monksled her to the place of execution. Susanne Schindler--that was hername--was the daughter of a respectable notary's clerk, who was obligedto wander about the world a great deal, and perished in Hungary just asshe reached womanhood. Her mother had died when she was born, and an oldwoman had taken care of her out of friendship. People called the lass'beautiful Susel,' and she was wonderfully charming. Pink and white,like the maiden in the fairy tale, and with glittering golden hair justlike my Wawerl's. The old woman with whom she lived--her aunt orsome other relative--had long practised the healing of all sorts ofinfirmities, and when a young Spanish count, who had come here with theEmperor Charles to the Reichstag in the year '31, fell under his horsein leaping a ditch, his limbs were injured so that he could not usethem. As he did not recover under the care of the Knights of St. John,who first nursed him, he went to the herb doctress, and she took chargeof him, and cured him, too, although the skill of the most famousdoctors and surgeons had failed to help him.

  "But, to make amends, Satan, who probably had the largest share in themiracle, visited him with the sorest evil, for 'beautiful Susel,' whowas the old woman's assistant, had so bewitched the young count thathe not only fell in love with her, but actually desired to make her hiswife.

  "Then all the noble relatives at home interfered. The Holy Inquisitioncommanded the investigation of the case, and sent a stern vicargeneral to direct the proceedings of the Dominicans, who had seized thetemptress. Then it came to light that 'beautiful Susel' had bewitchedthe luckless young count and robbed him of reason by her wicked arts.

  "The old woman, whom they had also examined, escaped her just punishmentbecause she died of the plague, which was raging here at that time, but'beautiful Susel' was burned, and I looked on while it was done.

  "When the Dominicans had led her to the stake, she turned toward thepeople who had flocked here from all quarters. Many doubtless pitied heron account of her marvellous beauty, and because the devil had given herthe mask of the most touching kindness of heart; but she gazed directlyinto my face with her large, blue eyes as I stood close by, and foryears I saw the witch's look distinctly before me. Yet what do we not atlast forget? And now it must happen that what reminded me of heragain is my own innocent child! Wawerl just looked into my eyes as if'beautiful Susel' had risen from her grave. It was not long, yet itseemed as if she shrank in terror from me, her own
clear father. Shegazed up at me in helpless despair, as if she feared God and the world.

  "I have learned little about shivering, but a chill ran down my spine.Of course, I did not let her notice anything. Poor child! after thehonour bestowed yesterday, I thought there would be nothing to-dayexcept laughter and loud singing. But my grandmother used to say thatthe grief which tortures a young girl--she herself knows not why--isthe hardest to bear, and then Barbara must now make up her mind aboutmarriage, for, besides you, there are Peter Schlumperger and youngCrafft to be considered.

  "I remembered all this, and so, as usual, I took her face between myhands to give her her morning kiss. She always offers me her lips,but to-day she turned away so that my mouth barely brushed her cheeks.'Women's whims!' I thought, and therefore let it pass. You can imaginehow glad I should have been to hear something more about yesterdayevening, but I made no objection when she wished to go to the chapelat once, because she had overslept the hour of mass. She would be backagain before the porridge was heated. But the little bowl has stoodthere probably three quarters of an hour, and we are still waiting invain."

  Here he paused in his voluble flow of speech, and then burst forthangrily: "The devil may understand such a girl's soul! Usually Wawerldoes just the opposite of what one expects; but if she does accept you,she will--as an honest man I ought not to conceal it from you--she willgive you many a riddle to guess. Whims and freaks are as plenty with heras buttercups in spring turf; but you can't find a more pious girl inall Ratisbon. From ancient times the motto of the Blombergs has been'Faith, Courage, and Honour,' and for that very reason it seems tome highly improbable that Wawerl would advise you to accept an officewhich, after all, will force you to yield to the will of hereticalsuperiors. The high pay alone will hardly win her."

  "It will not?" asked Wolf in astonishment. "It is for her alone, not formyself, that I value the increased income."

  "For her?" repeated the old man, shrugging his shoulders incredulously."Open your eyes, and you will see what she cares for gold and jewels."

  "The splendid bouquet there--do you suppose that she even looked at it?Bright pinks, red roses, and stately lilies in the centre. Where werethey obtained, since April is scarcely past? And yet she threw thecostly birthday gift aside as if the flowers were apple parings. It wasnot she, but I, who afterward put them in the pitcher, for I can't bearto see any of God's creatures thirst, even though it is only a flower.Besides, we both know that the fullest purse in the city, and a manworthy of all respect to boot, are attached to the bouquet. Yes, indeed!For a long time she has been unwilling to share my poverty, and if HerrPeter had remained loyal to our holy religion, I would persuade hermyself."

  Here, exhausted by his eager speech, he paused with flushed cheeks--forit was a hot day--and raised his long arm to take his hat from the hook,to refresh his dry palate at the tavern.

  But, after a brief pause for reflection, he restored it to its place.

  He had remembered that he had not stirred a finger that morning, and hadpromised to have an inscription on a jug completed early the nextday. Besides, the baker had not been paid for four weeks, so, sighingheavily, he dragged himself to the workbench to move the burin with aweary hand.

  Wolf had followed him with his eyes, and the sight of the chivalroushero, the father of the girl whom he loved, undertaking such a wretchedoccupation, in such a mood, pierced him to the heart.

  "Father Blomberg," he said warmly, putting his hand on his shoulder,"let your graver rest. I am a suitor for your child's hand. We are oldfriends, and if from my abundance I offer you----"

  Here the hot-blooded old man furiously exclaimed: "Don't forget to whomyou are speaking, young fellow! How important he feels because he getshis living at court! True, there is no abundance here; but I practisethis art merely because I choose, and because it cools my hot bloodin this lukewarm time of peace. But if on that account," he addedthreateningly, while his prominent eyes protruded even farther thanusual, "you ever again venture to talk to me as though I were a daylabourer or a receiver of alms----"

  Here he hesitated, for in the midst of his outbreak Barbara hadnoiselessly entered the room. Now she approached him, and, in a moregentle and affectionate tone than she had ever used before, entreatedhim to rest.

  The captain, groaning, shook his head, but Barbara stepped lightly uponthe low wooden bench on which he sat, drew his gray head toward her, andtenderly stroked his hair and beard, whispering: "Rise, father, and letsomebody else finish the engraving, it is so cool and shady in the greenwoods where the birds are singing, and only yesterday you praised therefreshing drink at the Red Cock."

  Here he impatiently, yet with a pleased senile, endeavoured to releasehimself from her arms, but she interrupted his exclamation, "Don'tyou know, Miss Thoughtless," with the whispered entreaty: "Here me outfirst, father! Maestro Appenzelder asked me to add my voice to the boychoir a few times more, and yesterday evening the treasurer told me thatthe Queen of Hungary had commissioned him to give me as many ducats asthe boys received pennies."

  She spoke the truth; but the old man laughed heartily in his deep tones,cast a quick glance at Wolf, who was looking up at his weapons,and, lowering his voice, cried gaily, "That's what I call a feminineChrysostomus or golden mouth, and I should think----"

  Here he hesitated, for a doubt arose in his chivalrous mind whether itwas seemly for a young girl who belonged to a knightly race to acceptpayment for her singing. But the thought that it came from the hand ofroyalty, and that even the great Duke of Alba, the renowned Granvelles,and so many princes, counts, and barons received golden wages for theirservices from the Emperor's hand, put an end to these scruples.

  So, in a happier frame of mind than he had experienced for a long time,he said in a low tone, that he might not be understood by their guest:"Greater people than we rejoice in the gifts which emperors and kingsbestow, and--we can use them, can't we?"

  Then he rubbed his hands, laughed as if he had outwitted the people ofwhom he was thinking, and whispered to his daughter: "The baker willwonder when he gets paid this time in glittering gold, and the butcherand Master Reinhard! My boots still creak softly when I step, and youknow what that means. The soles of your little shoes probably only sing,but they, too, are not silent."

  The old man, released from a heavy burden of care, laughed merrily againat this jest, and then, raising his voice, told his daughter and Wolfthat he would first get a cool drink and then go outside the gatewherever his lame foot might carry him. Would not the young noblemanaccompany him?

  But Wolf preferred to stay with Barbara, that he might plead his causein person. There was something so quiet and diffident in her manner. Ifshe would not listen to him to-day, she never would. In saying farewell,the captain remarked that he would not meddle in the affair of theCouncil. Wawerl alone must decide that.

  "When I return home," he concluded, "you will have come to an agreement,and, whatever the determination may be, I shall be satisfied. Perhapssome bright idea may come to me, too, over the wine. I'll go to theBlack Bear, where I always meet fellow-soldiers."

  Then he raised his hand with a gay farewell salute, and left the room.