Tales from the German. Volume I.

by C. F. van der Velde

CHAPTER XXIX.

Directly northward, by the west coast of the gulf of Bothnia, through Gestrikland, Helsingland, Medelpat, and Angermannland, Arwed rapidly pursued his expiatory journey, until he reached the southern boundary of the province of West Bothnia, in which Nicodemus, count Gyllenstierna, the counsellor's elder brother, presided as governor. On arriving at the broad river Umea, which here empties its floods into the gulf of Bothnia, Arwed reined in his horse, and, while his groom made a signal for the ferry-boat stationed on the opposite side, reviewed the scenery which had always remained impressed upon his memory, and which now called up a thousand reminiscences of his early childhood. To the right, on the sea-shore, and at the mouth of the broad stream, lay the capital of the poor, depopulated province, the little town of Umea, to which only its harbor with its clustering masts, gave any importance. To the left arose the lofty Gyllensten, the old ancestral castle of the house of Gyllenstierna throned proudly upon its massive rocks, and bordered by a forest of dark pines. The broad plain which intervened between the higher elevations and the river, exhibited evidence of unusual fruitfulness for these northern regions. The magnificent, clear, blue arch, which, in the west rested upon Lapland's distant snow-clad mountains, and in the east upon the dark mirror of the sea, completed the picture which nature, rich even in her poverty and gorgeous in her simplicity, offered to the eye of the observer.

'My fatherland is every where beautiful!' exclaimed he with emotion; 'and this solitary nook, how well suited to my feelings! Yes, I feel that here I can again be happy!'

The ferry-boat came, and Arwed sprang upon the floating bridge. The groom carefully led up the spirited horses, which were somewhat frightened, and made a vigorous resistance when they heard the hollow sound of their footsteps upon the boards. Arwed seized the bridle of his gallant steed, caressed him into a state of quietude, and leaning upon the glossy neck of the animal, extended his view over the waves of the stream upon which the boat was now moving to Gyllensten, whose old, gothic walls and towers were every moment more and more distinctly seen between the lofty pines and rocks in the intermediate distance.

'That is the balcony,' said he to Knut, the faithful old boatman, 'from which I and my little cousin Christine used formerly to watch the ships as they entered the port. The child will be much pleased to see me again. She was always very much attached to me.'

'The child!' exclaimed Knut laughing. 'She was at that time eight years old, as well as yourself, major. Eleven years have passed since then. Do you think that you alone have increased in stature during that long period? The child must have become a stately young lady.'

'You are right,' said Arwed with a melancholy smile, 'I have experienced so many vicissitudes lately, that my computation of time is a little disturbed.'

Leaning his head upon his arm, and resting the latter upon his horse's saddle, he sank into a profound reverie. 'I shall find a grown up daughter in my uncle's house,' said he to himself. 'Possibly a right beauteous maiden, with whom my near relationship must bring me into familiar intercourse. Did this really enter into my father's plans? Did he hope that I should here sever old ties and form new ones? If so, he has deceived himself! But one Georgina blooms for me in this world! while she lives, lives also my hope, and the mere remembrance of her is sufficient to steel my heart against the attractions of all the women upon earth.'

The sudden shock with which the boat struck the shore aroused the youth from his contemplations. He threw himself upon his horse and briskly trotted towards Gyllensten. When he had reached its base, and was slowly riding up the steep and rocky ascent, a little flag, displaying the golden star, the escutcheon of Gyllenstierna, suddenly waved from the pinnacle of the tower. Two falconets then exploded so briskly to the right and left from the walls, that his horse made three powerful leaps; and a flourish of trumpets and kettle drums followed.

'Is it possible that this can be intended for me?'--and putting his horse to a quick gallop, he soon sprang through the high gothic arched gateway into the court of the castle. Again was heard a merry trumpet blast, a window of the castle hall was opened, and a massive silver goblet was extended towards the new comer by the old governor.

'Welcome, brave Swede!' cried he joyously to the guest below; 'welcome to Gyllensten! Down from your horse and come up and pledge me in the hall of our forefathers!'

Arwed, obeying, soon entered the long, high-vaulted, echoing knight's hall, in whose niches on either side of the worthy old Gyllenstierna, stood colossal statues, in complete armor chased in copper. The shining metal reflected upon him the last rays of the setting sun so brightly, that he was compelled to protect his eyes with his hand from their blinding red brilliancy.

Meanwhile the uncle, who Was afflicted with the gout, had trundled his movable chair toward his nephew. 'Aha!' exclaimed he, laughing, 'the old lords shine a brilliant greeting upon thee, as they should upon so worthy a descendant of their house. So is it also my duty to do; and if I do not perform it with quite so much grace, the fault must be attributed to this rascally gout, which rages in my bones as if the whole Russian army were marauding there.'

Arwed, kissing the old count's hand, protested against all ceremony; the latter, however, would not be persuaded, but slowly raised himself from his chair, suppressing the pain it gave him, until he stood upright before his nephew. His purple velvet cap, from under which his thin white locks escaped, his sharply delineated, intelligent, good humored, and withal bold face, which the lines of age and experience had but ennobled, his tall and powerful frame, set off with an ermine-lined green hunting dress, altogether gave him the appearance of one of the old Norman princes of long forgotten times, and Arwed involuntarily started back before the noble figure.

'My dear nephew!' said the old man with his deep and thrilling voice, and holding aloft the silver goblet with solemn dignity, 'once again I welcome thee to the castle of our ancestors, and from this goblet I drink to thy welfare and to our common lineage.'

He drank, and then handed the goblet to the youth, who, after draining it, tenderly embraced his worthy uncle. Sinking back into his chair, the old man pointed to the window, where stood a table replenished with wine and drinking cups.

Arwed wheeled him to it, and, sitting down, filled his goblet afresh.

'Now, what news do you bring, captain?' asked the uncle with a hearty shake of the hand; 'or perhaps a yet higher title--hey?'

'I am dismissed, with the rank of major,' answered Arwed, with a slight shrug of the shoulders.

'I understand,' cried the uncle. 'Punishment and reward, wound and balsam, all in a breath. One may see by this, that a woman governs in Sweden. She holds to the doctrine according to the excellent German proverb, of washing the fur without wetting it. With Charles XII you would not have escaped so easily! All that has occurred redounds to your credit, and the 'out of service,' attached to your rank of major, is as honorable to you as would be the order of the seraphim.'

'Where is cousin Christine?' asked Arwed, to interrupt his uncle's praises, which covered his cheeks with blushes.

'She rode out to meet you,' answered the old man, 'I should have accompanied her, but my gouty feet forbade it. The king's death and my anxiety for its consequences, have so pulled me down that I came this time very near going, and shall never entirely recover from the shock. I cannot imagine how the maiden could have missed you.'

'May she not have met with some accident?' cried Arwed apprehensively. 'I will mount my horse again and seek her.'

'Do not trouble yourself,' said his uncle smilingly, and holding him back. 'She is no timid maiden, who needs protection. She is a virago, who can take care of herself in every exigence. Beasts of prey and robbers fear her, not she them. Besides, she is not alone. A military comrade of your's accompanies her.'

'A military comrade of mine?' asked Arwed with astonishment. 'Who can it be?'

'That I may the better enjoy your surprise, I shall not name him to you. He is a good soldier,--so much I will say for him,--and especially valued by me as a witness of the heroism of our king. We made his acquaintance when I was at the coronation at Upsala with Christine. Appearing to feel an interest for the maiden, he has availed himself of the short truce to obtain a furlough, and will spend some weeks with us. You will be much pleased to meet him. He speaks of you with great respect, and has related to us your warlike deeds in so vivid a manner that we feel as though we had been present during their performance.'

'Singular!' said Arwed,--and at that moment the rapid footsteps of a horse resounded in the court. He hastened to the window. A slender maiden, almost as tall as Arwed himself, in a dark green riding-habit, her face partly concealed by a plumed casque, was just then reining in her foaming courser.

'Send to the wolf den in the cluster of fir-trees to the left of the road, and bring the venison which lies there,' said she to the groom who was running to meet her; then, throwing herself from the saddle with the grace of a riding-master, and with her hand wafting a greeting up to the windows of the hall, she hastened into the castle.

'You will hardly recognise the girl,' said the uncle. 'She has much changed, and not altogether according to my wishes. Men are incapable of rearing and educating women properly, as I have learned too late.'

The amazon now entered the hall. The removal of her casque, which she held in her hand, permitted a full view of a blooming face of classic beauty, which her rich golden locks surrounded like a glory. A bold spirit flashed from her magnificent blue eyes, and her cheeks glowed with the heat of violent exercise.

Without noticing Arwed she strode hastily past him, and, precipitating herself upon her father's bosom, impetuously embraced him.

'Madcap girl!' said the latter with evident pleasure, to his beautiful and lively daughter; 'do you not see who is with me in the hall?'

She drew up her beautiful form to its full height, and measured the youth with a searching glance, in which no expression, other than that of maiden pride, accompanied by a slight appearance of displeasure, was discoverable, and Arwed looked in vain for that joy with which he had expected to be received by his little cousin Christine.

'Is not this the guest whom you have been expecting, my father?' she asked, after a long pause,--and, as her father nodded assent, she turned to Arwed, saying with great coldness, 'I am happy to see you at Gyllensten, captain.'

'Shame upon you, Christine!' said the old man, angrily. 'Is that a reception for so near a kinsman, or for the playmate of your childhood? Fall directly upon his neck, give him a hearty kiss, and say, welcome cousin Arwed!'

The beauteous prude started back with a sinister expression, and, spoiled by indulgence, she suffered it to be plainly seen that she had no desire to obey the parental command.

'Do not annoy my cousin, uncle,' said Arwed, offended by her uncourteous manners. 'Christine may already have seen many fops who have availed themselves of their relationship to intrude upon ladies. Since I have not the honor to be known to her, I cannot blame her for thus taking care to insure herself against so disagreeable an occurrence at the outset.'

Christine tossed her head and bit her lips.

'You have deserved this,' said her father, 'and may congratulate yourself that your cousin has let you off with so mild a punishment. Tell us now how it was you failed to encounter him on his way to the castle.'

'We saw a wolf in a thicket,' answered Christine, 'and I could not deny myself the pleasure of hunting him.'

'Only two of you--without hounds?' said the father with asperity. 'That was another of those hazardous undertakings to which you have accustomed me.'

'He appeared to be hungry and made a stand,' said Christine, by way of excuse. 'My saddle pistols were ready loaded, and I hit him directly in the head.'

'You know I do not like these Nimrod tricks,' murmured the old man. 'Why hazard your life in a contest with such an animal?'

'What would life be, father,' cried Christine with thoughtless levity, 'if one never dared gaily and joyfully to hazard it?'

'I would willingly hear such a sentiment from Arwed,' answered her father, shaking his head; 'but it does not sound well from your lips. What has become of your companion?'

'On our way back, he offered me a wager,' said Christine, laughing, 'as to which of us would be first at Gyllensten; I gave my horse a loose rein, and have not seen the good colonel since.'

'You ought to have been a Cossack,' said the old man chidingly; and at that moment a Swedish officer entered the now darkening hall.

'Megret!' exclaimed Arwed with amazement.

'You have lost, colonel!' cried Christine, to the new comer.

'A second Thalestris,' answered Megret, gallantly kissing her hand. 'I yield myself in disgrace to your mercy. Once have I ridden with you upon a wager, but never will I again! Though, at all events, I know how to ride, I have never yet learned to fly.'

'I have the pleasure to present my nephew to you, colonel,' said the governor, interrupting them.

'What a happy encounter!' said Megret, pretending to derive much pleasure from the meeting, and embracing the youth. 'How delightful it is to me, to greet my dear brother in arms, in a kinsman of this dear family!'

A sensation of the deepest disgust oppressed Arwed's bosom at the embrace of the insincere and suspected man. He could not so far control himself as to repay the dissembler in the same coin, and only answered with a silent bow.

'As we shall probably have the pleasure of seeing you here for a long time, my worthy friend,' said Megret, jestingly, and familiarly pointing to Christine, 'you will consider it the friendly service of a true knight when I warn you against this lady.'

'How so?' asked Arwed, and Christine satirically added, 'the colonel probably wishes to inform you, how inexhaustible is his fund of sweet phrases, which mean nothing and which he himself does not believe.'

'How beautiful she is,' continued Megret gaily, 'I need not remark to a blooming youth like you. Her mind, nourished by the manna of the old classics, is a giant that would find its pleasure in storming heaven, and yet she does not lack the graces. Whenever she is in the humor to be amiable, she is irresistible. In short she has every quality requisite to set a man's heart in a flame, and yet I advise every brave man to guard against her, watchfully, as against something which is at the same time the most beautiful and dangerous in all the three kingdoms of nature,--for one all-important quality she lacks!'

'Now this is enough!' suddenly exclaimed Christine, in a tone of great irritation.

'She lacks a heart!' continued Megret, laughing and without suffering himself to be interrupted. 'She can only wound, not heal. She is a female Charles the XIIth. She holds the amiable weakness of loving in utter detestation, and if Hymen does not perform a miracle upon her, the epitaph must some day be inscribed upon her grave-stone, which England's Elizabeth desired for herself--Here rests the virgin....'

'Shameful!' exclaimed Christine in anger, and striking a heavy blow upon Megret's cheek, the amazon disappeared.

'The girl is mad!' exclaimed the governor. 'Excuse the impropriety, colonel; you shall receive full satisfaction.'

'Never mind, governor,' answered Megret with a courtly smile and rubbing his cheek. 'A cavalier must be content to receive the like from a lady's hand. I shall occasionally take opportunities to revenge myself upon the little savage.'

'The table is served,' announced the steward, and two huntsmen placed themselves behind the wheeled chair of the lord of the castle. 'Follow me, dear gentlemen and friends,' cried the old man, and then, commanding his men to move him forward, he led the way to the dining room.

Megret, however, remained behind, still rubbing his flaming cheek, and conceitedly smiling at his own reflections.

'I am glad you take the ill-behaviour of my cousin so lightly,' said Arwed; 'but I wonder at it, almost as much as at the blow itself, struck so suddenly, and without sufficient cause.'

'It is even that,' said Megret, interrupting him, 'which makes me so tolerant. An entirely indifferent person would not have caused so violent, a passion. A girl like her must be allowed to behave somewhat rudely when she is angry. That is perfectly as it should be. If she supposed that my penetration had discovered her feelings, my jest must have been considered by her as a bitter mockery. Under these circumstances I take the angry blow as a declaration according to the custom of the country, and have only to regret that the ladies of the north have such heavy hands.'

He proceeded towards the dining-room. 'Happy self-conceit!' cried Arwed, following him; 'to what may not thy genius give a favorable construction!'