“When the stranger entered the close, he addressed Nicholas—‘Come,’ said he, ‘you must leave off and go with me.’—‘Truly not I,’ said Nicholas, ‘for I have not quite done.’—‘No matter, thou must go to the cottage. I have good news to tell thee.’—‘Nay, if that be the case,’ said Nicholas, ‘it is worth half a day’s work; so here’s pack up.’—Nicholas proceeded with the stranger, and the boy Henry followed.
“On their arrival at the cottage, Gertrude welcomed her husband home, and prepared a place for the stranger, who prefaced what he had to say with some remarks on the extraordinary changes and vicissitudes of human life; and then inquired if they remembered a stranger, of more than common appearance, who had visited them one stormy night, about a twelvemonth before?
“Nicholas and Gertrude both answered him, and told him of the present they had received from that person.
‘Now,’ cried the stranger to Nicholas, ‘I know that thou art truly the man whom I seek; prepare to go with me to the castle of La Braunch, thou, and thy wife and family.’—‘Indeed, sir, you’ll excuse me there,’ cried Nicholas; ‘I shall not stir out any more to-day.’—‘Do not be so obstinate,’ replied the stranger, ‘for know, that he who gave you the money a twelvemonth since, was the Baron de la Braunch.—He is dead, and you are heir to all his rich demesnes.’—‘I don’t rightly understand you,’ answered the wood-cutter.—‘The castle, the lands, all his real and personal estate, is thine.’—‘My dear, don’t you understand the gentleman?’ cried Gertrude.—‘Not I, in good faith,’ answered Nicholas.—‘Why, don’t you know that you have come to be a rich man, and that the rich Baron has left you all that he was worth in the world?’—‘It is true, indeed,’ answered the stranger; ‘I am witness to the will. When the Baron was dying, he desired a scroll of parchment to be brought out of his library: his order was instantly obeyed—“This scroll,” said he, fixing his eye steadily upon it, “is my will. Thou wilt find,” said he, “in the forest of Dean, a solitary cottage, inhabited by a wood-cutter and his wife. The name of the wood-cutter is Nicholas; the name of his wife is Gertrude. These people are poor; they wish for riches, and they shall be rich; they shall be the heirs of the Baron de la Braunch; who knows, perhaps to them riches may be a blessing.”—The Baron affixed his seal to the parchment, and soon after expired in the arms of father Benedict.
‘Well,’ cried Nicholas, ‘and what will become of me? What can I do with all these riches?’—‘Do with them; leave that to me,’ said Gertrude, quite overjoyed.—‘I don’t want to be put out of my way,’ said Nicholas.—Poor Gertrude, in the innocence of her heart, stopped the mouth of her husband—‘Dear Nicholas, do not affront the gentleman; I am sure that I should like to be a lady very much; and to be sure I did think that there was something very odd in the stranger’s behaviour to us that night, and took it into my head that he would do something for us, though to be sure I did not think that he would die and leave us all his wealth; but this gentleman would not say so if it was not true; so, Nicholas, if you must be a rich man after all, why you must not mind a little trouble.’—‘Well,’ replied Nicholas, ‘if it must be so, there’s no help for it.’
“The stranger had provided a cloak, with a hat and a sword, with which he accoutred the poor wood-cutter; and also a decent robe, which he threw over the shoulders of Gertrude.
“Nicholas would not go without the boy Henry; so they shut up the cottage, and set out together. It was late when they arrived at the castle; they were conducted to a room provided for them, by the direction of the stranger, who was the Baron’s esquire Hathbrand, when having caused one of the wardrobes of the Baron to be opened, he selected such of the plainest dresses as he thought would best become Nicholas, Gertrude, and the young boy Henry. Gertrude was, however, very desirous of being fine, and was also much pleased with the attention of Ranetrude, the waiting-woman appointed to attend on her.
“Doric the old steward, Jonas the butler, and all the rest of the servants, were ordered to get themselves in readiness the next morning, to attend the reading of the Baron’s will, and to receive their new master.
“The story was already spread abroad, that the Baron had left his immense wealth to a poor wood-cutter; and numerous were the remarks and low witticisms on the subject, from old Doric, Jonas, and the other servants, as they waited in the hall, among the numerous tenantry of the Baron, to hear the will read, and to receive their new lord.
“At length Nicholas and Gertrude, attended by Hathbrand the squire, and Ranetrude, entered the hall.—Nicholas saluted the domestics and tenants without awkwardness, and stept forward without dismay.