Lewald_Hulda.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
from
the ohaos of thought within. " heard yesterday what pro-
posals have been made to you. could anything that
have to offer, to entreat of you, attract you for one instant,
compared with the brilliant prospect opening before you ?"
" entreat of me?" cried , and for the first time
he heard the unfoigotten ring in her voice.
" saw you, admired you, last evening," he said. "
have beoome a great artist. will see the whole world of
at your feet "
" " she gasped, with trembling lips.
"," he continued, "? can offer you?
dare ask when f^led to keep what once
- speechless rapture, not daring to trust her senses, she
raised her clasped hands as if in prayer. " this real ?
this be?" she said, in a scarcely audible whisper.
", oh " he continued, seizing her hands and pressing
them passionately between his own, "if you could forget, if
you could forgive, if you still loved me "
an instant she was in his arras. " have done
but ioveyouall these long years?" she cried. " comfort
83*
have had in many an hour of bitter trial save in the thought
that you once loved me?''
neither spoko. supreme moment blotted out the
memory of years of separation and sorrow.
they raised their heads and the strong throbbing of their
hearts began to subside, a bright raj of sunlight came shining
through the window into the room.
" is so long since have seen the spring in the country,"
.
were standing at the window, his arm around her
waist.
" will yield you no laurels in my home," said .
" there are cornflowers, cornflowers in plenty, and you
will weave wreaths again."
gave him an enchanting smile, and again they were
silent. bliss was so new and strange to them.
were so unchanged to each other, and yet so different from
their former solves.
looked around him with loving curiosity.
was where she had lived all these years. contract lay
upon the table. asked what it was. handed it
to him to read ; she could not deny herself that small satis-
faction.
" are making an immense sacrifice," he said.
" you knew the world from which you save me, you
would call it a deliverance," she replied. " , in my
childish fancy, once fondly imaged that could be your
deliverer "
" were you not? you not my deliverer at this
moment?" he said. " not your fidelity, your love, which
have not deserved, my deliverance from the sin of which
was guilty towards you, and from the remorse that assailed
me whenever thought of yon? thought of you
always, even when tried to deceive myself and foi^et you.
attempt was fruitless ; you were always before me."
took the little ring from his . " you wear i{
again, , the poor little ring that you rejected ? it
be really true, the beautiful old ' and me shall no one
" one " she cried, as he placed the little talisman upon
her finger. " one again "
knocked at the door. " " she an-
, looking in surprise as disengaged herself
from 's arm. " are severed alreadj, lie said.
" not for long," she made answer; "and our manager
is so fond of dramas with happy conclusions that he shall be
the first to leara of my happiness."
" will he the first to grudge you to me," said ,
3 the manager presented himself; and in truth he was not
waa very unwilling to lose , and at first would
not hear of releasing her from the two 'months that still
remained of her engagement with him.
was lavish in his ofiers, and the manager
knew how to put the hest face upon the inevitable. all
events he would rather, he concluded, that she should leave
the stage alti^ether than go to another theatre. , however,
made one condition, which was that she should appear once
more upon the stage to bid ferewell to her audience ; and
herself was not averse to this.
consented, but they stipulated that there should
be no theatrical fitrewell scene, as in 's case, and that
should select the character in which to appear. -
genia was the pMl. chosen, the part in which was
most willing to appear before her future husband, -
genia's last words were her own farewell.
report that was to leave the stage was in circu-
lation among the actors that veiy evening, and the papers the
next day announced her approaching marriage with
von . few hints that in her
joy had given the manager with regard to her former be-
trothal to were the groundwork for a very pretty
romance, which ran from mouth to mouth, and was, after ail,
not very wide of the truth.
countess was paying a visit to the prince and
"" " ' ' ler his betrothal to . -
rissa declared herself delighted with the tidingB. called
the prince to witness that aha had foi-eseen it during their
vi^it at falkenhorst, and that she had offered to lay a small
wager with regard to it. "," she said, "that wretched
old legend will be fulfilled, the evil spell will be broken, and
this fresh young creature's entrance into the &mily will
appease the elf-king's wrath."
" the young creature makes no 'sacrifice " said the.
countess.
" sacrifice there will be, however," said the prince, ." and
not a small one. , by this marriage, yields all right to
the entailed estates."
" expre^y mentions that," said the countess, " although
it could not be otherwise. estates, he says, will come
au his death to my son or grandson in a very improved con-
dition ; and meanwhile, if he should have children of his
own, he hopes to found for them a home that will be hardened
with no enj^il. and sounds very
well," she said; "and looks very trell," she added, writing it
in i)enoil iu clear, distinct chairaetera upon the maigin of ner
brother's letter.
advantages whioh were to accrue to 's nephew
from bis marri^a helped considerably to reconcile his ster to
the inequality of birth between himself and his bride ; and as
expressed a wish to be married in her father's church,
and the prince and highly approved the plan, the
countess invited her to come to the " castle by the soa," and
promised, with her daii^hter and son-in-law, to be present at
the marriage.
'amselle felt as if the skies had fellen when
the bailiff one morning brought from the post a letter an-
nouncing 's betrothal to the pastor's daugbtCT.
could not believe it, could not understand it. came too
suddenly, all at once, as it were, although she still boasted
of always having " her senses about" her.
castle people had never eome to the castle so early in
the year, almost before the winter was over ; and now here was
coming, and the snite of rooms nest to the
's was to be arranged for her, and there was so much
to be done that she really hardly had time to wonder that -
moneua's daughter, the pastor's , was to be a barone&s,
and sister-in-law to the , and aunt to the
. was inconceivable that her brother should take
it all so quietly, only saying that when a man of honour had
behaved badly he ought to come to his senses and keep his
word. would not speak at all of 's leaving them to
join the play-actors ; he only said that if the baron manied
her it was a sure sign that she was ail right; aad, besides, he
declared that it was not entirely her &ult that she had gone
away from her native place, "for between ourselves, sister,"
he added, tapping her good-humouredly upon the shoulder,
" a long life with you is no joke; that can vouch for."
pretended to be vexed, but she laughed. would
be fine doings.at the castle, and she was very curious to know
how it had all happened. had written a long letter
about it to the , and his young wife had brought
it up to the bailiff's and read it aloud to them, and it was all
very grand and noblo. what wanted to know was
not in it; she wanted to hear all about the stage and the
actors, and how they lived, and that must tell her
herself, if she had not grown too proud and grand.
when arrived at the castle with the countess
and , she won every heart by her gentleness and kind-
in a fiury-stoty one word will transform and create ail
things anew, so now everything seemed to conspire to do her
honour and smooth her path through life. first day of
spring was to he her marriage-day, and the previous evening
brought a letter by a courier to from and
tJie prince, containing their congratulations.
" that was wanting," wrote the , "
our own happiness was the knowlei^ of yours. send
you our warmest wishes for the future; let us hope that
before long we may renew an intercourse to which wo surely
owe many happy hours.'
was a dear, bright morning when the bridal party drove
fom the castle to the village church. breeze came fresh
from the sea, and the spring sunshine quickened the buds
upon the trees and in the fields.
" have driven along this road together once before,"
said , thinking of the stormy night when had
taken her to her home and her mother had perished.
" that night heralded the day that now dawns for us,"
replied, wishing to dispel sad memories in her mind.
" love that will illumine ur lives was born that night."
sound of the church-bells, heard from afar,
pronounced a blessing upon his words.
lovelier, happier bride ever stood before the altar.
the countess could not contradict 's assertion that her
tmcle's choice had a most regal presence. admitted that
was " certainly very presentable."
" to think that she has been a play-aetresa " 'am-
selie whispered to her brother. " , she wears that spray
of diamonds and enamelled cornflowers on her breast just as
if she liad always been used to it ! her father and mother
could see her now can hardly believe my eyes will
any one tell me that was not r^ht to teach her to take good
care of the 'little folk'? , that brings luck and sunshine
on a wedding-day !"
" " muttered the bailiff, as the young baroness
extricated herself from the embraces of her new relatives and
came towards him. made her a low bow ; but she threw
her arms around his neck and kissed him.
" is a jewel, " he said, as came
up to shake his hand. ' " is a jowei " he repeated, his
emotion depriving him of other words.
" is more than that to me" said
was and is my deliverer."