'Let me first accompany you to your asylum,' said Arwed. 'Before that, I cannot leave you in peace.'
'God knows how great a consolation your attendance upon me would be,' answered Georgina: 'but the question now is not of my consolation or your peace, dear Arwed,--but of my father's rescue. An hour's delay may be death to him. Therefore go at once, Arwed, fly, save, and there is no reward which you may not demand of me in exchange for the life of my beloved parent.'
Saying this, she threw her white arms about his neck, printed a fervent kiss upon his lips, and gently thrust him out of the door.
CHAPTER XIII.
The wearied Arwed pushed the little gothlander, which he had purchased at the Rakalse inn instead of his overridden Norman, into a smart trot upon the high road to Stroemstadt. The rider was almost exhausted, but his determined spirit, animated by love and generosity, impelled the obedient body to renewed exertions of its diminishing powers. At length lie caught a glance of a fast rolling carriage, relieved against the border of a snow-clad forest. 'Now is the crisis!' cried he, burying his spurs so unmercifully in his horse's flanks that he flew with him in furious career over the frozen ground. After a hard ride of a quarter of an hour he overtook the carriage. In it sat baron Goertz, wrapped in a fur cloak, and so attentively reading some papers that he did not perceive the approaching horseman. 'I bless my fate,' called out the latter, as he reached the carriage, 'that I have found your excellency in good time. I bring you important intelligence.'
'Who are you, sir?' asked Goertz, disturbed in his occupation, with a tone of displeasure.
'Captain Gyllenstierna,' answered Arwed. 'I have ridden after you from Stockholm to give you warning and save you from a great misfortune.'
'Gyllenstierna!' cried Goertz with a friendly smile, leaning back that he might hear his voice above the rattling of the carriage. 'Then you bring me news from my daughter, or a message from her. You cannot well deliver it from your saddle; therefore be pleased to hitch your horse to mine and take a seat by me in the carriage.'
'I accept your invitation with thanks,' answered Arwed, and attaching his reins to the collar of a saddle-horse, he sprang into the carriage. 'Have the goodness,' said he, 'to change the direction of your journey immediately, and on the way I will tell you the cause.'
'What are you dreaming of?' asked Goertz with an angry brow.