Barbara Blomberg — Complete

by Georg Ebers

  CHAPTER VI.

  That night Barbara dreamed of her father. Birds of prey were attackinghis body as it lay upon the ground, and she could not drive them off.The terror with which this spectacle had disturbed her sleep could notbe banished during the morning. Now, whatever it cost, she must go toLandshut and hear some tidings of him.

  Maestro Gombert would set out for Munich the next day, and in doing somust pass the neighbouring city. If he would carry her with him, shewould be safe. He came at twilight to take leave of her, and withgenuine pleasure gave her the second seat in his travelling carriage.

  Early the following morning the vehicle, drawn by post horses, stoppedbefore the little Prebrunn castle, and Barbara was soon driving with themusician through the pleasant country in the warm August day.

  Sister Hyacinthe and Fran Lamperi had tried to prevent her departure byentreaties and remonstrances, for both feared that the long ride mightinjure her; and, moreover, the latter had been charged by Quijada, inthe Emperor's name, to keep her in the castle and, if she left it, toinform him at once by a mounted messenger.

  As Barbara could not be detained, Frau Lamperi, though reluctantly,obeyed this command.

  Before leaving Prebrunn Barbara had warned Gombert that he would findher a very uninteresting companion, since it was still impossible totalk much; but Gombert would not admit this. To a true friend, the merepresence of the other gives pleasure, even though he should not open hislips.

  The girl had become very dear to him, and her presence made timepass swiftly, for the great musician liked to talk and conversedbewitchingly, and he had long since discovered that Barbara was a goodlistener.

  Besides, the motley life on the road attracted his attention as wellas his travelling companion's, for the war had begun, and already wouldhave resulted in a great victory for the Smalcalds, at the foot of theBavarian Alps, had not the Augsburg Military Council prevented the ablecommander in chief Schartlin von Burtenbach and his gallant lieutenantSchenkwitz from profiting by the advantage won. The way to Italy andTrent, where the Council was in session, was already open to the alliedProtestants, but they were forbidden from the green table to follow it.It would have led them through Bavarian territory, and thereby perhapsafforded Duke William, the ruler of the country, occasion to abjure hisneutrality and turn openly against the Smalcalds.

  The shortsightedness with which the Protestants permitted the Emperor toremain so long in Ratisbon unmolested, and gather troops and munitionsof war, Gombert had heard termed actually incomprehensible.

  The travellers might expect to find a large force in Landshut, amongthe rest ten thousand Italians and eight thousand Spaniards. This, themusician explained to his companion, was contrary to the condition ofhis Majesty's election, which prohibited his bringing foreign soldiersinto Germany; but war was a mighty enterprise, which broke even Firmercontracts.

  A bitter remark about the man who, even in peace, scorned fidelity andfaith, rose to Barbara's lips; but as she knew the warm enthusiasm whichGombert cherished for his imperial master, she controlled herself, andcontinued to listen while he spoke of the large re-enforcements whichCount Buren was leading from the Netherlands.

  A long and cruel war might be expected, for, though his Majestyassumed that religion had nothing to do with it, the saying went--hereCatholics, here Protestants. The Pope gave his blessing to those whojoined Charles's banner, and wherever people had deserted the Churchthey said that they were taking the field for the pure religion againstthe unchristian Council and the Romish antichrist.

  "But it really can not be a war in behalf of our holy faith," Barbarahere eagerly interposed, "for the Duke of Saxony is our ally, and Oh,just look! we must pass there directly."

  She pointed as she spoke to a peasant cart just in front of them, whoseoccupants had been hidden until now by the dust of the road. They weretwo Protestant clergymen in the easily recognised official costume oftheir faith--a long, black robe and a white ruff around the neck.

  Gombert, too, now looked in surprise at the ecclesiastical gentlemen,and called the commander of the four members of the city guard whoescorted his carriage.

  The troops marching beside them were the soldiers of the ProtestantMargrave Hans von Kustrin who, in spite of his faith, had joined theEmperor, his secular lord, who asserted that he was waging no religiouswar. The clergymen were the field chaplains of the Protestant bands.

  When the travellers had passed the long baggage train, in which womenand children filled peasant carts or trudged on foot, and reached thesoldiers themselves, they found them well-armed men of sturdy figure.

  The Neapolitan regiment, which preceded the Kustrin one, presentedan entirely different appearance with its shorter, brown-skinned,light-footed soldiers. Here, too, there was no lack of soldiers' wivesand children, and from two of the carts gaily bedizened soldiers'sweethearts waved their hands to the travellers. In front of theregiment were two wagons with racks, filled with priests and monksbearing crosses and church banners, and before them, to escape the dust,a priest of higher rank with his vicar rode on mules decked with gaytrappings.

  On the way to Eggmuhl the carriage passed other bodies of troops. Herethe horses were changed, and now Gombert walked with Barbara in front ofthe vehicle to "stretch their legs."

  A regiment from the Upper Palatinate was encamped outside of thevillage. The prince to whom it belonged had given it a free ration ofwine at the noonday rest, and the soldiers were now lying on the grasswith loosened helmets and armour, feeling very comfortable, and singingin their deep voices a song newly composed in honour of the EmperorCharles to the air, "Cheer up, ye gallant soldiers all!"

  The couple so skilled in music stopped, and Barbara's heart beat quickeras she listened to the words which the fair-haired young trooper closebeside her was singing in an especially clear voice:

  "Cheer up, ye gallant soldiers all! Be blithe and bold of mind With faith on God we'll loudly call, Then on our ruler kind. His name is worthy of our praise, Since to the throne God doth him raise; So we will glorify him, too, And render the obedience due. Of an imperial race he came, To this broad empire heir; Carolus is his noble name, God-sent its crown to wear. Mehrer is his just title grand, The sovereign of many a land Which God hath given to his care His name rings on the air!"

  [Mehrer--The increaser, an ancient title of the German emperors]

  How much pleasure this song afforded Barbara, although it praised theman whom she thought she hated; and when the third verse began with thewords,

  "So goodly is the life he leads Within this earthly vale,"

  oh, how gladly she would have joined in!

  That could not be, but she sang with them in her heart, for she had longsince caught the tune, and how intently the soldiers would have listenedif it had been possible for her to raise her voice as usual! Amid thesinging of all these men her clear, bell-like tones would have risenlike the lark soaring from the grain field, and what a storm of applausewould have greeted her from these rough throats!

  Grief for the lost happiness of pouring forth her feelings in melodyseized upon her more deeply than for a long time. She would fain haveglided quietly away to escape the cause of this fresh sorrow. ButGombert was listening to the young soldier's song with interest, soBarbara continued to hear the young warrior as, with evident enthusiasm,he sang the verse:

  "Patient and tolerant is he, Nor vengeance seeks, nor blood; E'en though he errs, as well may be, His heart is ever good."

  She, too, had deemed this heart so, but now she knew better. Yet itpleased her that the fair-haired soldier so readily believed the poetand, obeying a hasty impulse, she put her hand into the pouch at herbelt to give him a gold piece; but Gombert nudged her, and in his brokenNetherland German repeated the verse which he had just heard:

  "
'Tis stern necessity that forced The sword into his hand; 'Tis not for questions of the faith That he doth make his stand."

  So the soldiers believed that their commander had only grasped the swordwhen compelled to do so, and that religion had nothing to do with thewar, but the leader of the orchestra knew better. The conversationsof the Spaniards at the court, and the words which De Soto had utteredlauding the Emperor, "Since God placed my foes in my hands, I must wagewar upon his enemies," were plain enough.

  Gombert repeated this remark in a low tone but, ere Barbara could answerhim, the carriage, with its fresh relay of horses, stopped in the road.

  It was time to get in again, but Barbara dreaded the ride over therough, crowded highway, and begged her companion to pursue their journeya little farther on foot. He consented and, as the girl now flung agold gulden to the blond leader of the voices, cheers from the soldiersfollowed them.

  Leaning on Gombert's arm, Barbara now moved on more cheerfully untilthey were stopped by the vivandiere's counter.

  The portly woman stood comfortably at ease behind her eatables anddrinkables, rested her fists on her hips, and glanced toward herassistant, who stared boldly into the musician's face, and asked him totake some refreshment for himself and his sweetheart.

  She was a young creature, with features prematurely haggard, cheeksscarlet with rouge, and eyebrows and lashes dyed black. The infant whicha pale little girl nine years old was tending belonged to her. She hadhad her hair cut close, and her voice was so discordantly hoarse that ithurt Barbara's ears.

  As the bold young woman tapped Gombert lightly on the arm and, withfresh words of invitation, pointed toward the counter, a shiver ranthrough Barbara's limbs. Even her worst enemy would not have ventured tocompare her with this outcast, but she did herself as she thought of herown cropped hair and injured voice. Perhaps the child in the arms ofthe pale nine-year-old nurse was disowned by its father, and did notthe greatest of sovereigns intend to do the same to his, if the motherrefused to obey him?

  These disagreeable thoughts fell upon her soul like mildew upon growinggrain, and after Gombert had helped her into the carriage again shebegged him to let her rest in silence for a while. The Netherlander, itis true, had no suspicion of her condition, but he knew that she had notyet wholly recovered, and carefully pushed his own knapsack under herfeet.

  Barbara now closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, yet she torturedher mind with the same question which she had vainly tried to decidein the chapel of Wolf's house. Besides, she was troubled about theinformation which the recruiting officer might give her concerning herfather. And suppose she should meet the Emperor Charles in Landshut, andbe permitted to speak to him?

  The blare of trumpets and a loud shout of command roused her from thisjoyless reverie. The carriage was passing some squads of Hungariancavalry moving at a walk toward Landshut.

  Their gay, brilliant appearance scattered the self-torturing thoughts.Why should she spoil the delightful drive with her friend, which,besides, was nearly over? Even if the worst happened, it would come onlytoo soon.

  So drawing a long breath, she again turned to her companion, and Gombertrejoiced in the refreshing influence which, as he supposed, her sleephad exerted upon her. In an hour he must part from the artist to whom heowed so much pleasure, whose beauty warmed his aging heart, and who hefrequently wished might regain the wonderful gift now so cruelly lost.Her fiery vivacity, her thoroughly natural, self-reliant unconcern, herfresh enthusiasm, the joyousness and industry with which she toiledat her own cultivation, and the gratitude with which any musicalinstruction had been received, had endeared her to him. It would be apleasure to see her again, and a veritable banquet of the soul to hearher sing in the old way.

  He told her this with frank affection, and represented to her how muchbetter suited she was to Brussels than to her stately but dull and quietRatisbon.

  With enthusiastic love for his native land, he described the bustlinglife in his beautiful, wealthy home. There music and every artflourished; there, besides the Emperor and his august sister, weregreat nobles who with cheerful lavishness patronized everything that wasbeautiful and worthy of esteem; thither flocked strangers from thewhole world; there festivals were celebrated with a magnificence andjoyousness witnessed nowhere else on earth. There was the abode offreedom, joy, and mirth.

  Barbara had often wished to see the Netherlands, which the EmperorCharles also remembered with special affection, but no one had ever thustransported her to the midst of these flourishing provinces and thisblithesome people.

  During the maestro's description her large eyes rested upon his lips asif spellbound. She, too, must see this Brabant, and, like every newlyawakened longing, this also quickly took possession of her wholenature. Only in the Netherlands, she thought, could she regain her losthappiness. But what elevated this idea to a certainty in her mind wasnot only the fostering of music, the spectacles and festivals, themagnificent velvet, the rustling silk, and the gay, varied life, notonly the worthy Appenzelder and the friend at her side, but, far aboveall other things, the circumstance that Brussels was the home of theEmperor Charles, that there, there alone, she might be permitted to seeagain and again, at least from a distance, the man whom she hated.

  Absorbed in the Netherlands, she forgot to notice the nearest thingswhich presented themselves to her gaze.

  The last hour of the drive had passed with the speed of an arrow, bothto her and her travelling companion, and just as they were close tothe left bank of the Isar, which was flowing toward them, Gombert'sold servant turned and, pointing before him with his outstretched hand,exclaimed, "Here we are in Landshut!" she perceived that the goal oftheir journey was gained.

  Barbara was familiar with this flourishing place, above which proudlytowered the Trausnitzburg, for here lived her uncle Wolfgang Lorberer,who had married her mother's sister, and was a member of the cityCouncil. Two years before she had spent a whole month as a guest in hiswealthy household, and she intended now to seek shelter there again.Fran Martha had invited her more than once to come soon, and meanwhileher two young cousins had grown up.

  Two arms of the Isar lay before her, and between them the island ofZweibrucken.

  Before the coach rolled across the first, Barbara gathered her luggagetogether and told the postboy where he was to drive. He knew thehandsome Lorberer house, and touched his cap when he heard its owner'sname. Barbara was glad to be brought to her relatives by the famousmusician; she did not wish to appear as though she had dropped from theclouds in the house of the aunt who was the opposite of her dead mother,a somewhat narrow-minded, prudish woman, of whom she secretly stood inawe.