Sidonia, the Sorceress Volume I Part 20

_Illa_.--"He must send away all the bystanders first; did he not see how they all stood round, with their mouths open from wonder?" Hereupon the knight roared out, "Away, go all, all of ye, or I'll stick ye dead as calves. The devil take any of you who dare to listen!" His whole frame trembled meanwhile as an aspen leaf, and he could scarcely wait till the carls clambered over the bundles of goods--"What had happened? In the name of all the devils, let her speak, now that they were alone."

But here the cunning wanton began to weep so piteously, that not a word could she utter; however, as old Otto grew impatient, and began to curse and swear, and shake her by the arm, she at last commenced (while Appelmann was listening from the cabin):--

"Her dearest father knew how the young lord had bribed a priest in Crummyn to wed them privately; but this was all a trick which his wicked mother had suggested to him, in order to bring her to utter ruin; for on the very wedding night, while she was waiting for the Prince in her little room, according to promise, to flee with him to Crummyn, the perfidious d.u.c.h.ess, who was aware of the whole arrangement, sent a groom to her chamber at the appointed hour, and she being in the dark, embraced him, thinking he was the Prince. In the self-same instant the door was burst open, and the old revengeful hag, with Ulrich von Schwerin, rushed in, along with the young Prince and Marcus Bork, her cousin, amid a great crowd of people with lanterns. And no one would listen to her or heed her; so she was thrust that same night out of the castle, like a common swine-maid, though the young lord, when he saw the full extent of his wicked mother's treachery, fell down in a dead faint at her feet."

And here she wept and groaned, as if her heart would break.

"Who, then, was the gay youth who sat beside her there on the bundle?" screamed Otto.

_Illa_.--"That was the very groom that she had embraced, for they had sent him away with her, to make their wicked story seem true."

_Hic_.--"But what was his name? May the devil take her, to have gone off with a base-born groom. What was his name?"

_Illa_ (weeping).--"What did he think of her, that she should love a common groom? truly, he had the t.i.tle of equerry, but then he was nothing better than a common burgher carl. What could she do, when they turned her by night and cloud out of the castle? She must thank G.o.d for having had even this groom to protect her, but that he was her lover--fie!--no; that was, indeed, to think little of her."

_Hic_.--"He would strike her dead if she did not answer. Who was the knave? Where did he come from?"

_Illa_.--"He was called Johann Appelmann, and was son to the burgomaster of Stargard."

Here the knight raved and chafed like a wild beast, and drew his sword to kill Sidonia, but she fled away down to her paramour in the cabin. However, he had heard the whole conversation, and flew at her to beat her, crying, "Am I then a base-born groom? Ha! thou proud wanton, didst thou not run after me like a common street-girl? I will teach thee to call me a groom!"

And as the knight listened to all this, the sword dropped from his hands and fell into the hold, so that he could not get it up again. Then he was beside himself for rage, and seized a stone of the ballast, to rush down with it to the cabin.

But, behold! a rocket shot up from St. Mary's Tower, and poured its clear light upon the deepening twilight, like a starry meteor, and, at the same instant, the deep bay of ten or twelve blood-hounds resounded fearfully across the meadow where the horses were grazing, and the dogs flew on them, and tore some of them to the ground, and bit others, so that they dashed nearly to their masters, who were lying round the wine-cask, and others fled into the wood bleeding and groaning with pain and agony, as if they had been human creatures.

Then all the fellows jumped up from their wine-cask, and screamed as if the last day had come, and Otto let the stone fall from his hand with horror; but still called out boldly to his men to know what had happened. "Was the devil himself among them that accursed evening?"

Then they shouted in return, that he must hasten to land, for the Stargardians were upon them, and had killed all their horses.

"Strike them dead, then; kill all, and himself the last, but he would go over and help them."

So he jumped into the boat with his companions, but had not time to set foot on sh.o.r.e, when the Stargardians, horse and foot, with the burgomaster at their head, dashed forth from the wood, shouting, "So fall the Stargardians upon Stramehl!"

At this sight the knight could no longer restrain his impatience, but jumped out of the boat; and although the water reached up under his arms, strode forward, crying--

"Courage, my brave fellows; down with the churls. Kill, slay, give no quarter. He who brings me the head of the burgomaster shall be my heir! His vile son hath brought my daughter to shame. Kill all--all! I will never outlive this day. Ye shall all be my heritors--only kill! kill! kill!"

Then he jumps on land and goes to draw his sword, but he has none--only the scabbard is hanging there; and as the Stargard men are already pressing thick upon them, he shouts--

"A sword, a sword! give me a sword! My good castle of Stramehl for a sword, that I may slay this base-born churl of a burgomaster!"

But a blood-hound jumped at his throat, and tore him to the ground, and as he felt the horrible muzzle closer to his face, he screamed out--

"Save me! save me! Oh, woe is me!"

And at the same moment, Sidonia's voice was heard from the vessel, shrieking--

"Father, father, save me! this groom is beating me to death--he is killing me!" while a loud roar of laughter from the crew accompanied her cries.

No one, however, came to save the knight; for the Stargardians were slaying right and left, and Otto's followers were utterly discomfited. So the knight tried to draw his dagger, and having got hold of it, plunged it with great force into the heart of the ferocious animal, who fell back dead, and Otto sprang to his feet.

Just then, however, a tanner recognised him, and seizing hold of him by the arms, carried him off to the other prisoners.

Now, indeed, might he call on the mountains to fall on him, and the hills to cover him (Hosea x.); and now he might feel, too, what a terrible thing it is to fall into the hands of the living G.o.d (Hebrews x.); for the Jesu wounds, I'm thinking, burned then like h.e.l.l-fire in his heart.

_Summa_, as the wretched man was brought before the burgomaster, who sat down upon a bank and wiped his sword in the gra.s.s, the latter cried out--

"Well, sir knight, you would not heed me; you have worked your will. Now, do you understand what retaliation means--'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'?"

And as the other stood quite silent, he continued--

"Where is your charter for the Jena dues? Perchance it is contained in this letter, which I have received to-day from her Grace of Wolgast, addressed to you. Hand a lantern here, that the knight may read it! If the charter is not therein, then he shall be flung into prison this night with his followers, until my lord, Duke Barnim, p.r.o.nounces judgment upon him."

The ferryman advanced and held a light; but Otto had scarcely looked over the letter when he began to tremble as if he would fall to the ground, and then sighed forth, like the rich man in h.e.l.l--

"Have mercy on me, and give me a drink of water!"

They brought him the water, and then he added--

"Jacob, hast thou, too, had any tidings of our children?"

"Alas!" the other answered; "Ulrich has written all to me."

"Then have mercy on me. Listen how your G.o.dless son there in the vessel is beating my daughter to death, and how she is shrieking for help."

As the burgomaster heard these unexpected tidings, he sent messengers to the vessel, with orders to bring the pair immediately before him.

Meanwhile the other prisoners besought the burgomaster to let them go, for they were feudal va.s.sals of Otto Bork, and must do as he commanded them. Besides, he told them that Duke Barnim had given him the dues, and therefore they held it their duty to a.s.sist him in collecting them.

And as Otto confirmed their words, saying that he had indeed deceived them, the burgomaster turned to his party, and cried--

"How say you then, worthy burghers and dear friends, shall we let the va.s.sals run, and keep the lord? for, if the master lies, are the servants to be punished if they believe him? Speak, worthy friends."

Then all the burghers cried--

"Let them go, let them go; but keep the knight a prisoner."

Upon which all the retainers took to their heels, not forgetting, though, to hoist the cask of wine upon their shoulders, and so they fled away into the wood.

Now comes a great crowd from all the vessels, accompanying the infamous pair, mocking, and gibing, and laughing at them, so that no one can hear a word for the tumult. But the burgomaster bids them hold their peace, and let the guilty pair be placed before him.

He remained a long while silent, gazing at them both, then sighing deeply, addressed his son--

"Oh, thou lost son, hast thou not yet given up thy dissolute courses? What is this I hear of thee in Wolgast? Now thou must needs humble this n.o.ble maiden, and bring dishonour on her house--flinging all thy father's admonitions to the wind--"

Here the son interrupted--

"True; but this n.o.ble maiden had thrown herself in his way, like a common girl, and he was only flesh and blood like other men. Why did she follow him so?"