The moonlight shining like silver upon the still water, the dark trees and bushes casting deep, mysterious shadows upon the margin, the fresh evening air, and the showers of diamonds falling from the oars, all combined to carry Franzchen, keenly alive to every thing picturesque, into the seventh heaven. Unable to contain herself, she broke forth with her clear voice into a little river song, in which she was quickly joined by her companions. Then Count Hugo begged for another, and another—and so they floated on, making the echoes resound with sweet sounds until they came to a little island, where the count moored the boat to the shore, and springing out, offered them his hand.
They made the circuit of the island, and then sat down on the craggy roots of some old trees, looking toward the dark woods on the opposite side of the river.
“This little island reminds me of a story you were telling me the other day, Franzchen,” said Magda.
“Oh, tell it us! tell it us again!” said the count, seating himself opposite to them. “This is the very time and place for it; and that alone is needed to make the evening perfect!”
Franzchen thought it quite perfect already, but she readily consented, on condition that they also should relate something in their turn. She then commenced a little anecdote concerning a prince, who once possessed a large province, with a small island upon the coast, to which his predecessors had been so greatly attached, on account of its extreme beauty, that they had built a palace upon it, and held there their court during the fairest months of the year. There, one by one, his ancestors had been gathered to their rest—and tradition associated with that spot the fate of their line. Year by year the king grew more attached to his island heritage; and through many sorrows and misfortunes, he clung to it as a reminiscence of the past, and a safeguard for the future. At length a powerful and ambitious neighbor made war upon him, defeated him, and drove him to take refuge upon this one small island, the last of his possessions. As long as he could retain it he was not without hope; but when this also was taken from him, the unfortunate king wandered, exiled and broken-hearted, in a foreign land, and at length returned in disguise, old and friendless, to die upon the ground consecrated to his race.
Franzchen always entered with her whole heart into every thing she related, however insignificant; and she now described with great effect the loveliness of the island, and the despair of the exiled monarch. Her eyes beamed, and her voice rose as she told of the conflict, and fell again into sadness, as she spoke of the defeat, the exile, and the sad return.
Count Hugo moved nearer as she proceeded, and looked at her with increasing interest and pleasure; and Magda smiled, for she had often experienced the living interest which Franzchen threw, like a magic web, over all her recitals. Then she and Count Hugo must also relate something; and though they could not pretend to compete with Franzchen, yet the eager interest she took in all that was said, acted almost like inspiration; and the tales and traditions went round, until Magda, startled by the lateness of the hour, rose to return.
After that the count liked nothing better than to prevail upon Franzchen to draw upon her retentive memory for the stories and anecdotes in which she delighted; and then they would enter into airy and mystical conversations, and such abstract philosophical questions, that Magda declared she was fast taking leave of her seven senses, and running the risk of colds, chills, and all kinds of disasters, by sitting upon the grass, and walking through the park at all hours of the day.
So passed the time for days and for weeks; for Count Hugo prolonged his stay, and, indeed, he seemed very unwilling to take his departure at all; and the baroness, triumphant in the success of her plans, would not hear of Magda’s leaving.
Day after day Count Hugo walked out with them, read to them, and seemed to take increasing interest in their society.