—“Ah! dear good lady!” said the little mourner, while she sank on her knees before me, and kist my hand; “I entreat you, do what this knight requests of you! My mother and myself are alone in a gloomy castle, where there are none but stern-looking men, with great beards and heavy swords; and my mother is so very ill! and she asked so anxiously, ‘was there no lady who would comfort and assist her in her sickness!’ and then this knight who saved us from dying in the forest, answered, that he knew a lady whom he loved as his sister, and that he would bring her to my mother, if she could be persuaded to follow him; and then he took me along with him, that I might help to prevail on you to come and be kind to my poor mother: and now I am here, you will be prevailed on; I am sure of it, because you look on me so kindly! Come, dear good lady! Come!”—
I kist the pretty suppliant without thoroughly comprehending what it was that she requested me to do, and cast an inquiring look upon Ethelbert. He related his adventure with the Countess of Mayenfield in so interesting a manner, that it was impossible for me to hesitate a moment longer, as to what course I should pursue. Indeed, the history of this unfortunate lady was not unknown to me, when Ethelbert mentioned her name: her misfortunes had for some time been the general subject of conversation, and had already cost me many a sympathising tear, and many an ardent wish to find some means of giving her assistance.
I was deaf to all the suggestions of prudence, and threw myself into the litter, wishing that I could have given the horses wings, so eager was I to reach the illustrious sufferer. My nurse accompanied me; a discreet and benevolent woman, who was likely to be of much more use to the Countess than myself. So completely was I occupied by my anxiety for the poor lady, that I scarcely paid any attention to Ethelbert’s tender expressions of gratitude, or to the representations of my nurse, who hinted to me with some appearance of discontent, that I had acted with rather too much rashness in this business; she assured me, that her presence at the Castle of Carlsheim would be quite sufficient without my giving myself the trouble to go there; and she confest, that she thought Count Venosta would have good reason to be offended at finding on his return home, that I had quitted his house during his absence with a young knight, in spite of darkness and an heavy fall of snow.
We reached the Castle; the sight of us served to give new life to the exhausted lady, who surrounded by none but men had met with but sorry attendance. She embraced me, and called me by the tender name of sister. I soon confided her to the care of my nurse, and quitted her chamber for the purpose of making arrangements for her treatment; and I gave my directions in a tone of as much earnestness, as had I been in my uncle’s castle. Anxiety about the Countess made me take the whole business upon my own hands; I saw nothing extraordinary in what I was doing, and could by no means conceive, why Count Ethelbert’s people examined me with looks of such surprise; nor why he was himself always by my side, expressing the most excessive delight and satisfaction at every thing that I did, and loading me with such a profusion of thanks, that it was utterly impossible for me to ascribe them all to the interest, which he felt about his unfortunate guest.
Before day-break, Edith became the mother of a boy; and never did any other mother feel equal rapture with hers, when for the first time she prest him to her bosom. In this new-born babe she embraced not merely her child, but the future conqueror of her foes, and the preserver of her family. Nothing more than the birth of this boy was necessary to destroy every claim of the avaricious Abbot of St. Gall upon Mayenfield, and reduce him to the condition of a feudal dependent. Count Ethelbert on his part neglected not to spread abroad the news of the birth of a young Count of Mayenfield, and to invite through his heralds both friends and foes to convince themselves by their eyes of the existence of this infant nobleman.
Count Venosta had experienced no trifling anxiety on being informed of my midnight excursion, the motive of which no one was able to explain to his satisfaction. He determined to examine into the real nature of the transaction himself; accordingly the first sunbeams saw him cross the draw-bridge of Ethelbert’s castle, accompanied by his whole train of hunters, whom he had ordered to hold themselves prepared for a serious engagement, in case the nature of things should make it necessary to come to hostilities.
The Count of Carlsheim was already abroad, employed in business which regarded the adventure of the past night. My uncle found me sitting by the bed-side of the newly-delivered Countess, whose ardent thanks for the assistance, which I had afforded her, instantly removed every trace of anger from his brow; and the severe lecture which he intended to bestow on me, was softened into a gentle remonstrance against my acting in general with too much precipitation.
Ethelbert returned; he shared with my uncle and myself the office of presenting the new-born heir of Mayenfield at the baptismal fount, and we gave the child its father’s name, Ludolf. From motives of propriety, we were all anxious to remove the invalid (who earnestly entreated me not to abandon her) to my uncle’s castle; but she was at first too weak to bear the journey, and I was under the necessity of submitting for some time longer to act as the mistress of Count Ethelbert’s castle.
Now then affairs wore that appearance, which I am convinced it had always been my lover’s plan to give them. Doubtless had he thought proper, he might have contrived to show his fair guest all the duties of hospitality without any interference of mine: but he eagerly made use of the opportunity which presented itself, to draw me into a more intimate connection. He endeavoured to convince me by his reliance on my humanity of the esteem which he entertained for my character; and at the same time he hoped to inspire me with a favourable opinion of his own, by making me a daily witness of the noble treatment which he afforded to a stranger, who had no claim to his protection except her need of it, and who could make him no other return for his kindness, except the involving him in her own difficulties and dangers.
Ethelbert’s plan succeeded with me completely, and even my uncle began to view him in a more favourable light. Both were equally interested about the Countess, and swore to exert themselves to the utmost in endeavouring to reinstate her and her new-born son in the rights, which were still detained from them by the Abbot of St. Gall; the similarity of their objects naturally induced a sort of confidence between them; and Ethelbert lost no opportunity of turning this confidence to the best account. Perhaps he already reckoned himself on the point of obtaining that, which had long been the mark at which he aimed, though he had never acknowledged it in words; namely, the possession of my hand: but my uncle soon gave a fresh proof, that at present he by no means looked forward to, or desired a connection between the families of Carlsheim and Venosta.