by Georg Ebers
CHAPTER I.
Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dustand drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
The marquise had not yet left her litter. The wind had extinguished twoof the torches. One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and thegale blew the smoking flame aside. But, ere she had reached the gate,a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path steppedforward to meet her. She started back and, as he called her by name, sherecognised the young Wittenberg theologian, Erasmus Eckhart. Sincerelyindignant, she ordered him to go away at once, but her first words wereinterrupted by the shrill voice of the marquise, who had now left herlitter, and with loud shrieks ordered the steward to seize the burglar.
Erasmus, however, trusted to his strength and nimbleness and, instead ofpromptly taking flight, entreated Barbara to listen to him a moment. Notuntil, far from allowing herself to be softened, she, too, threatenedhim, did he attempt to escape, but both litters were in his way, andwhen he had successfully passed around them the gardener, suddenlyemerging from the darkness, seized him. But the sturdy young fellow knewhow to defend his liberty, and had already released himself from hisassailant when other servants grasped him.
Above the roar of the storm now rose the shrieks of the marquise, theshouts of "Stop thief!" from the men, and Erasmus's protestations thathe was no robber, coupled with an appeal to Jungfrau Blomberg, who knewhim.
Barbara now stated that he was the son of a respectable family, and hadby no means come here to steal the property of others; but the marquise,though she probably correctly interpreted the handsome young fellow'slate visit, vehemently insisted upon his arrest. She treated Barbara'sremonstrance with bitter contempt; and when Cassian, the almoner'sservant, appeared and declared that he had already caught this rascalmore than once strolling in a suspicious manner near the castle, andthat he himself was here so late only because his beloved bride, inher mistress's absence, was afraid of the robber and his companions,Barbara's entreaties and commands were disregarded, and Erasmus's handswere bound.
By degrees the noise drew most of the inmates of the castle out ofdoors, and among them Frau Lerch. Lastly, several halberdiers, who werecoming from the Lindenplatz and had heard the screams in the garden,appeared, chained the prisoner, and took him to the Prebrunn jail.
But scarcely had Erasmus been led away when the priests of the householdalso came out and asked what had happened. In doing this Barbara'scaution in not calling Erasmus by name proved to have been futile, forCassian had recognised him, and told the ecclesiastics what he knew.The chaplain then asserted that, as the property of the Prince Abbotof Berchtesgaden, the house and garden were under ecclesiasticaljurisdiction, and committed the further disposal of the burglar's fateto the Dominican whom the almoner had placed there. For the present hemight remain in secular custody. Early the following morning he must bebrought before the Spanish Dominicans who had come with the Emperor,and from whom greater severity might be expected than from the Ratisbonbrotherhood, by whom monastic discipline had been greatly relaxed.
Meanwhile the wind had subsided, and the storm had burst with thunder,lightning, and torrents of rain. Priests and laymen retreated intothe house, and so did Barbara and the marquise. The latter had exposedherself to the tempest only long enough to emphasize the necessity ofdelivering the heretical night-bird to the Spanish Dominicans very earlythe next morning, and to show Barbara that she did not overlook thesignificance of the incidents under the lindens. With a disagreeableblending of tenderness and malice, she congratulated the young girl onthe applause she had received as a dancer, the special favour which shehad enjoyed from the Duke of Saxony, and the arrest of the dangerousburglar, which would also be a gratification to his Majesty.
With these words the old aristocrat, coughing slightly, tripped up thestairs; but Barbara, without vouchsafing an answer to this speech, whosepurpose she clearly understood, turned her back upon her and went to herown room.
She had desired no gift in return when, to save this contemptiblewoman's son and his child, she sacrificed her lover's precious memento;but the base reward for the kind deed added a burning sense of pain tothe other sorrows which the day had brought. What a shameful crime wasingratitude! None could be equally hateful to eternal justice, for--shenow learned it by her own experience--ingratitude repaid kindness withevil instead of with good, and paralyzed the disappointed benefactor'swill to perform another generous deed.
When she entered her sleeping-room the courage which she had summonedduring the walk, and the hope to which she had yielded, appeared to bescattered and blown away as if by a gust of wind. Besides, she could notconceal from herself that she had drawn the nails from the planks of herwrecked ship of life with her own hand.
Did it not seem as if she had intentionally done precisely what sheought most studiously to have left undone? Her sale of the star had beenonly an unfortunate act of weakness, but the dance, the luckless dance!Not once only, several times Charles had stated plainly enough howunpleasant it was to him even to hear the amusement mentioned. She hadbehaved as if she desired to forfeit his favour.
And why, in Heaven's name, why? To arouse his jealousy?
Fool that she was! This plant took root only in a heart filled with love
And his?
Because she perceived that his love was dying, she had awakened thisfatal passion. Was it not as if she had expected to make a water-lilyblossom in the sands of the desert?
True, still another motive had urged her to this mad act. She knew notwhat name to give it, yet it was only too possible that, in spite of herrecent experiences, it might overpower her again on the morrow.
Surprised at herself, she struck her brow with her hand, and when FrauLerch, who was just combing her wet hair, perceived it, she sobbedaloud, exclaiming: "Poor, poor young gentleman, and the Hiltners, wholove him as if he were their own son! Such a terrible misfortune! Oldfool that I am! The first time he asked admittance to show you thetablature, and you did not want to receive him, I persuaded you to doso. Then he fared like all the others whose heads you have turned withyour singing. Holy Virgin! If the Hiltners learn that you and I let himbe bound without making any real protest. It will fall heaviest upon me;you can believe that, for Fran Hiltner and Jungfrau Martina, since theyoung girl has gone to dances, have been among my best customers. Nowthey will say: Frau Lerch, who used to be a good little woman, left theyoung fellow in the lurch when his life was at stake, for they will takehim to the Spanish Dominicans. They belong, to the Holy Inquisition, andthink no more of burning people at the stake than we do of a few days inprison."
Here Barbara interrupted her with the remark that Erasmus could beconvicted of no crime, and the Holy Inquisition had no authority inRatisbon.
But Frau Lerch knew better. That was all very well during the Emperor'sabsence, but now that his Majesty resided in the city the case wasdifferent. Erasmus had been arrested on ecclesiastical ground, thechaplain had ordered him to be delivered to the Spaniards early the nextmorning and, ere the syndic could interpose, the rope would already betwisted for him, for with these gentlemen the executioner stood closebeside the judge. Besides, she had heard of a pamphlet against the Pope,which the young theologian had had published, that had aroused greatindignation among the priesthood. If he fell into the hands of theDominicans, he would be lost, as surely as she hoped to be saved. If hewere only in the custody of the city, of course a better result might behoped.
Here she stopped with a shriek, dropping the comb, for the thundercloudwas now directly over the city, and a loud peal, following close uponthe flash of lightning, shook the house; but Barbara scarcely heeded thedazzling glare and the rattling panes.
She had risen with a face as white as death. She knew what severesentences could be pronounced by the Council of the Inquisition, and thethought that the keenest suffering should be inflicted upon theHiltners through her, to whom they had showed so much kindness, seemedunendurable. B
esides, what she had just said to herself concerningingratitude returned to her mind.
And then, Inquisition and the rack were two ideas which could scarcelybe separated from one another. What might not be extorted from theaccused by the torture! In any case, the almoner's suspicion wouldobtain fresh nourishment, and her lover had told her more thanonce--what a special dislike he felt for women who, with their slenderintelligence, undertook to set themselves above the eternal truths ofthe Holy Church. And the jealousy which, fool that she was, she haddesired to arouse in her lover, what abundant nourishment it wouldderive from the events which had occurred on her return from thefestival!
But even these grave fears were overshadowed by the thought of Dr.Hiltner's wife and daughter. With what fair-mindedness the former in theConvivium had made her cause her own, how touching had been Martina'seffort to approach her, and how ill that very day she had requited theirloyal affection! Erasmus was as dear as a beloved son to these goodwomen, and Frau Lerch's reproach that her intercession for him was butlukewarm had not been wholly groundless. The next day these friends who,notwithstanding the difference in their religious belief, had treatedher more kindly than any one in Ratisbon, would hear this and condemnher. That should not be! She would not suffer them to think of her asshe did of the shameless old woman whose footsteps she still heard overher head.
She must not remain idly here, and what her impetuous nature sopassionately demanded must be carried into execution, though reason andthe loud uproar of the raging storm opposed it.
Fran Lerch had just finished arranging her hair and handed her hernight-coif, when she started up and, with the obstinate positivenesscharacteristic of her, declared that she was going at once to theHiltners to inform the syndic of what had happened here. Erasmus wasstill in the hands of the town guards, and perhaps it would bepossible for the former to withdraw the prisoner from ecclesiasticaljurisdiction.
Frau Lerch clasped her hands in horror, exclaiming: "Holy Virgin, child!Have you gone crazy? Go out in this weather? Whoever is not killed bylightning will drown in the puddles."
But with that violent peal of thunder the storm had reached its height,and when the next flash of lightning came the thunder did not followuntil some time after, though the rain continued to beat as heavilyagainst the panes. Yet even had the tempest continued to rage with fullfury, Barbara would not have been dissuaded from the resolution whichshe had once formed.
True, her attempt to persuade Frau Lerch to accompany her remainedfutile. Her frail body, the dressmaker protested, was not able toundertake such a walk through the storm. If she yielded, it would be herdeath. It would kill Barbara, also, and this crazy venture would be toodearly paid for at the cost of two human lives.
Barbara's angry remark that if she would not run the risk of getting wetfor the sake of compassion, she might on account of the Hiltners' goodcustom, finally made the excited woman burst into piteous crying; yet inthe midst of it she brought Barbara's dress and old thick cloak and, asshe put them on the girl, exclaimed, "But I tell you, child, you'll turnback again when you get halfway there, and all you bring home will be abad illness."
"Whoever can execute the gagliarde to dance herself into misery,"replied Barbara impatiently, "will not find it difficult to take a walkthrough the rain to save some one else from misfortune. The cloak!"
"She will go," sobbed Frau Lerch. "The servants must still obey you.At least order the litter. This crazy night pilgrimage can not remainconcealed."
"Then let people talk about it," replied Barbara firmly and, afterhaving the cloak clasped and the hood drawn over her head, she wentout. Frau Lerch, who had the key, opened the door for her amid loudlamentations and muttered curses; but when the girl had vanished in thedarkness, she turned back, saying fiercely through her set teeth: "Rushon to ruin, you headstrong creature! If I see aright, the magnificencehere is already tottering. Go and get wet! I've made my profit, and thetwo unfinished gowns can be added to the account. The Lord is my witnessthat I meant well. But will she ever do what sensible people advise?Always running her head against the wall. Whoever will not hear, mustfeel."
She hastened back into the house as she spoke to escape the pouringrain, but Barbara paid little heed to the wet, and waded on through themire of the road.
The force of the storm was broken, the wind had subsided, distantflashes of lightning still illumined the northern horizon, and the nightair was stiflingly sultry. No one appeared in the road, and yet somebelated pedestrian might run against her at any moment, for the densedarkness shrouded even the nearest objects. But she knew the way, andhad determined to follow the Danube and go along the woodlands to thetanner's pit, whence the Hiltner house was easily reached. In this wayshe could pass around the gate, which otherwise she would have beenobliged to have opened.
But ere gaining the river she was to learn that she had undertaken amore difficult task than she expected. Her father had never allowed herto go out after dark, unaccompanied, even in the neighbourhood, and theterrors of night show their most hideous faces to those who are burdenedby anxious cares. Several times she sank so deep into the mud that hershoe stuck fast in it, and she was obliged to force it on again withmuch difficulty. As she walked on and a strange, noise reached her fromthe woodyard on her left, when she constantly imagined that she heardanother step following hers like an audible shadow, when drunkenraftsmen came toward her, hoarsely singing an obscene song, she pressedagainst a fence in order not to be seen by the dissolute fellows. Butnow a light came wavering toward her, looking like a shining bird flyingslowly, or a hell-hound, with glowing eyes, and at the sight it seemedto her impossible to wander on all alone. But the mysterious lightproved to be only a lantern in the hand of an old woman who had beento fetch a doctor, so she summoned up fresh courage, though she toldherself that here near the lumber yards she might easily encounterraftsmen and guards watching the logs and planks piled on the banks ofthe river, fishermen, and sailors. Already she heard the rushing of theswollen Danube, and horrible tales returned to her memory of haplessgirls who had flung themselves into the waves here to put an end tolives clouded by disgrace and fear.
Then a shiver ran through her, and she asked herself what her fatherwould say if he could see her wading alone through the water. Perhapsthe fatigues of the long journey had thrown him upon a sick-bed;perhaps he had even--at the fear she felt as though her heart would stopbeating--succumbed to them. Then he knew how matters stood with her, thesin she had committed, and the shame she had brought upon him that shemight enjoy undisturbed a happiness which was already changing intobitter sorrow. Meanwhile it seemed as if she was gazing into his rugged,soldierly face, reddish-brown, with rolling eyes, as it looked whendisfigured by anger, and she raised her hands as if to hold himback; but only for a few minutes, for she perceived that her excitedimagination was terrifying her with a delusion.
Drawing a long breath, she pushed her dank hair back into her hood andpressed her hand upon her heart. Then she was calm a while, but anew terror set it throbbing again. Close beside her--this time ather right--the loud laughter of men's harsh voices echoed through thedarkness.
Barbara involuntarily stopped, and when she collected her thoughtsand looked around her, her features, distorted by anxiety and terror,smoothed again, and she instantly knocked with her little clinchedhand upon the door of the hut from whose open windows the laughter hadissued.
It stood close to the river bank, and the tiny dwelling belonged tothe Prior of Berchtesgaden's fisherman and boatman, who kept thedistinguished prelate's gondolas and boats in order, and acted as rowerto the occupants of the little Prebrunn castle. She had often met thisman when he brought fish for the kitchen, and he had gone with the boatsin the water excursions which she had sometimes taken with Gombert andAppenzelder or with Malfalconnet and several pages. She had treated himkindly, and made him generous gifts.
All was still in the house after her knock, but almost instantly thedeep voice of the fisherman Valentin, who had thr
ust his bearded faceand red head out of the window, asked who was there.
The answer received an astonished "Can it be!" But as soon as sheinformed him that she needed a companion, he shouted something to theothers, put on his fisherman's cap, stepped to Barbara's side, and ledthe way with a lantern which stood lighted on the table.
The road was so softened that, in spite of the light which fell on theground, it was impossible to avoid the pools and muddy places. Butthe girl had become accustomed to the wet and the wading. Besides, thepresence of her companion relieved her from the terrors with which thedarkness and the solitude had tortured her. Instead of watching for newdangers, she listened while Valentin explained how it happened that shefound him still awake. He had helped hang the banners and lamps tinderthe lindens, and when the storm arose he assisted in removing the bestpieces. In return a jug of wine, with some bread and sausages, had beengiven to him, and he had just begun to enjoy them with two comrades.
The Hiltner house was soon reached. Nothing had troubled Barbara duringthe nocturnal walk since the fisherman had accompanied her.
Her heart was lighter as she rapped with the knocker on the syndic'sdoor; but, although she repeated the summons several times, not a soundwas heard in the silent house.
Valentin had seen the Hiltners' two men-servants with the litters underthe lindens, and Barbara thought that perhaps the maids might have goneto the scene of the festival to carry headkerchiefs and cloaks to theladies before the outbreak of the storm. That the deaf old grandmotherdid not hear her was easily understood.
The Hiltners could not have returned, so she must wait.
First she paced impatiently to and fro in the rain, then sat upon acurbstone which seemed to be protected from the shower by the roof. Butever and anon a larger stream of water poured down upon her from thejaws of a hideous monster in which the gutter ended than from the blackclouds, and, dripping wet, she at last leaned against the door, whichwas better shielded by the projecting lintel, while the fishermaninquired about the absent occupants of the house.
Thus minute after minute passed until the first and then the secondquarter of an hour ended. When the third commenced, Barbara thought shehad waited there half the night. The rain began to lessen, it is true,but the sultry night grew cooler, and a slight chill increased herdiscomfort.
Yet she did not move from the spot. Here, in front of the house in whichestimable women had taken her to their hearts with such maternal andsisterly affection, Barbara had plainly perceived that she, who hadnever ceased to respect herself, would forever rob herself of this rightif she did not make every effort in her power to save Erasmus from thegrave peril in which he had become involved on her account. During thisself-inspection she did not conceal from herself that, while singinghis own compositions to him, she had yielded to the unfortunate habitof promising more with her eyes than she intended to perform. How couldthis vain, foolish sport have pleased her after she had yielded herself,soul and body, to the highest and greatest of men!
Anne Mirl Woller had often been reproved by her mother, in her presence,for her freedom of manner. But who had ever addressed such a warningto her? Now she must atone for her heedlessness, like many other thingswhich her impetuous will demanded and proved stronger than the reasonwhich forbade it. It was a wonder that Baron Malfalconnet and MaestroGombert had not sued more urgently for her favour. If she was honest,she could not help admitting that her lover--and such a lover!--wasjustified in wishing many things in her totally different. But she waswarned now, and henceforth these follies should be over--wholly andentirely over!
If only he would refrain from wounding her with that irritatingsharpness, which made her rebellious blood boil and clouded her clearbrain! He was indeed the Emperor, to whom reverence was due; but duringthe happy hours which tenderly united them he himself desired to benothing but the man to whom the heart of the woman he loved belonged.She must keep herself worthy of him, nothing more, and this toilsomeerrand would prevent her from sullying herself with an ugly sin.
During these reflections the chill had become more and more unendurable,yet she thought far less of the discomfort which it caused her than ofincreased danger to Erasmus from the Hiltners' long absence.
The third quarter of an hour was already drawing to an end when Valentincame hurrying up and told Barbara that they were on the way. He hadmanaged to speak to the syndic, and told him who was waiting for him.
A young maid-servant, running rapidly, came first to open the house andlight the lamps. She was followed, quite a distance in advance of theothers, by Dr. Hiltner.
The fisherman's communication had made him anxious. He, too, hadheard that Barbara was the Emperor's favourite. Besides, more than onecomplaint of her offensive arrogance had reached him. But, for that veryreason, the wise man said to himself, it must be something of importancethat led her to him at this hour and in such weather.
At first he answered her greeting with cool reserve, but when sheexplained that she had come, in spite of the storm, because the matterconcerned the weal or woe of a person dear to him, and he saw thatshe was dripping wet, he honestly regretted his long delay, and in hismanly, resolute manner requested her to follow him into the house; butBarbara could not be persuaded to do so.
To give the thunderstorm time to pass and take his wife and daughterhome dry, he had entered a tavern near the lindens and there engagedin conversation with several friends over some wine. Whenever he urgedreturning, the young people--she knew why--objected. But at last theyhad started, and Bernhard Trainer had accompanied the Hiltners, inorder to woo Martina on the way. Her parents had seen this coming, andwillingly confided their child's happiness to him.
The betrothed couple now came up also, and saw with surprise the earnestzeal with which Martina's father was discussing something, they knew notwhat, with the singer on whose account they had had their first quarrel.The lover had condemned Barbara's unprecedented arrogance during thedance so severely that Martina found it unendurable to listen longer.
Frau Sabina, too, did not know how to interpret Barbara's presence; butone thing was certain in her kindly heart--this was no place for suchconversation. How wet the poor girl must be! The wrong which Barbarahad done her child was not taken into consideration under thesecircumstances and, with maternal solicitude, she followed her husband'sexample, and earnestly entreated Barbara to change her clothes in herhouse and warm herself with a glass of hot black currant wine. ButBarbara could not be induced to do so, and hurriedly explained to thesyndic what he lacked the clew to understand.
In a few minutes she had made him acquainted with everything that it wasnecessary for him to know. Dr. Hiltner, turning to his wife, and meanwhile looking his future son-in-law steadily in the eye, exclaimed, "Weare all, let me tell you, greatly indebted to this brave girl."
Frau Sabina's heart swelled with joy, and to Martina, too, the praisewhich her father bestowed on Barbara was a precious gift. The motherand daughter had always espoused her cause, and now it again proved thatthey had done well.
"So I was right, after all," whispered the young girl to her lover.
"And will prove so often," he answered gaily. But when, a short timeafter, he proposed to Barbara's warm advocate to accompany the singerhome, Martina preferred to detain him, and invited him to stay in thehouse with her a little while longer.
These incidents had occupied only a brief period, and Dr. Hiltnerundertook to escort the young girl himself. To save time, he questionedher about everything which he still desired to know, but left her beforeshe turned into the lane leading to the little castle, because hewas aware that she, who belonged to the Emperor's household, might hemisjudged if she were seen in his company.
Shortly after, he had freed Erasmus from imprisonment and sent him, incharge of one of the Council's halberdiers, beyond the gate. He was toremain concealed outside the city until the syndic recalled him.
The young theologian willingly submitted, after confessing to hisfoster-father how s
trongly love for Barbara had taken possession of him.
This act might arouse strong hostility to the syndic, but he did notfear it. Moreover, the Emperor had showed at the festival plainly enoughhis withdrawal of the good opinion which he had formerly testified uponmany an occasion. This was on account of his religion, and where thatwas concerned there was no yielding or dissimulation on either side.
Barbara returned home soothed.
Frau Lerch was waiting for her, and with many tokens of disapprovalundressed her. Yet she carefully dried her feet and rubbed them with herhands, that she might escape the fever which she saw approaching.
Barbara accepted with quiet gratitude the attention bestowed uponher, but, though she closed her eyes, the night brought no sleep, forsometimes she shivered in a chill, sometimes a violent headache torturedher.
