FRIENDLY MEETING OF THE WARRIORS--MUTUAL FORGIVENESS--THEOBALD'S DESIRE
FOR INSTRUCTION--RETURN OF GOTTFRIED--THE BIBLE--LESSON OF LOVE TO
ENEMIES.
Arnold did not at first reply to Ethbert. His mind was troubled; but
having sent away his son, he said to the servant, "Ethbert, God has
given you wisdom. Go, therefore, now, to the chevalier, and bear him, in
the name of the Lord, the salutation of Arnold. You will also say to
him, that my great desire, my true and cordial desire, is to come to
him. But say nothing of my father."
Ethbert entered the chamber of Theobald, who said to him, as soon as he
saw him, "Ethbert, I have not yet seen your master to-day. Is he sick?"
"My master," said Ethbert, "is not now in the castle. But, my lord, you
must know that God is now displaying his goodness--"
_Theobald_. To me, you would say, Ethbert. I know that Arnold is living;
that he is here; that he is near me.
_Ethbert_. And my lord knows also that a disciple of Christ can love
even an enemy?
_Theobald_. I was ignorant of it; but I have learned it here. Ethbert,
do not fear to tell me all. Do you know whether Erard carried to his
father a flower?
_Ethbert_. I know that his father blessed God when he received it, and
that the desire of his soul is that the Baron of Rothenwald----
_Theobald_. Say, simply, Theobald--and you may also say, his friend, his
humbled and repentant friend.
_Ethbert, (respectfully.)_ The father of Erard says to the chevalier
Theobald, that the cordial desire of his heart is to visit him, without
delay.
"Arnold! Arnold!" exclaimed the chevalier; "do you hear my voice? O, why
can I not come to you, and ask your pardon?"
"Theobald," was heard through the partition, "I am coming! Ethbert!
Ethbert!"
The domestic immediately went out, and Theobald remained, with his eyes
fixed on the door, until he heard the steps of Arnold and of his
servant. Then his heart failed him, and he covered his face with his
hands, while Arnold entered, and approached the bed, beside which he sat
down, saying, "O, Theobald! I must give way to my joy! It is beyond my
strength. May God support us at this hour!" At these words Ethbert left
the room, saying, "Amen."
"It was I--it was I who struck you!" exclaimed Theobald, bathing with
tears the hands with which he had covered his face. "Arnold, it was my
sword that made this still bleeding wound! Pardon! pardon! in the name
of God alone! Arnold, forgive! O forgive one who would have been your
murderer!"
"And let our tears and our hearts mingle," said Arnold, rising, and
embracing Theobald, "to bless this great God who sees us and who has
brought me to you!"
"To me!" exclaimed Theobald, looking at Arnold, and coloring. "Ah, that
bandage! that wound!"--and he began again to weep.
"But for this wound," replied Arnold, with energy, "would you be here,
and would Theobald ever have been my friend?"
"Yes, thy friend, noble and charitable soul!" repeated Theobald. "You
said to me, Arnold, when I advanced to kill you, 'Why would you shed my
blood and take my life?' To-day, here is my blood and my life! It
belongs to you. I call God, who now hears me, to witness."
"O, how wonderful are his ways!" said Arnold. "What an admirable
Providence has united us--you, the Iron-Hearted, and me, the Lion!"
added he, smiling. "Did the Baron of Rothenwald think, three days since,
that he would be lying in the bed of the Earl of Winkelthal, and
peacefully smiling at the words of a Calixtan?"
Theobald reddened: this last word had surprised and disturbed him; and
it was only by controlling the secret indignation of his soul, that he
said, "I did not know that peace and charity entered these lofty towers
and innumerable battlements. I had been told, Arnold--and I believed
it--that impiety alone made its dwelling here."
"No, Theobald--it is not impiety; it is the word of the Lord, and the
love of Jesus, we trust, which directs and consoles our hearts."
_Theobald_. Yours! yes: I believe it; for I see it hourly. But these
Taborites, Arnold--this ferocious and cruel Ziska--do they know the name
of Jesus--they who persecute the Holy Church?
_Arnold_. You have seen them only at a distance, Theobald; and you do
not even suspect that it was for the cause of Jesus and for his holy
gospel that John Huss ended his days at the stake.
_Theobald, (surprised.)_ Were not this Huss and his friend Jerome
infidels?
_Arnold_. Ah, Theobald! was that John Huss an infidel, who, when the
sentence that condemned him to be burned was read to him, immediately
threw himself on his knees, exclaiming, "O, Lord Jesus, pardon my
enemies! Pardon them, for the love of thy great mercy and goodness?"
_Theobald, (affected.)_ Arnold! did John Huss, indeed, speak thus?
_Arnold_. He did! John Huss knew Jesus, and, like Jesus, prayed for his
murderers. No, Theobald; he who loves--who loves unto death, and who can
pray for his executioners--is not an infidel.
"O, Hildegarde! Hildegarde!" exclaimed Theobald, groaning; "what hast
thou done, and what have I done! Poor prisoners! What injustice!"
_Arnold_. Your heart is oppressed, Theobald; some sorrowful remembrance
distresses you.
The chevalier was about to reply, when a noise was heard at the door,
which was opened by Gottfried, holding Erard by the hand.
"Here they both are!" said the old man to the child. "Look, Erard, and
see whether the chevalier hates thy father. See, if what Ethbert told me
was not true!
"This dear child," added he, "had some fears for his father: for he
knows all, Theobald."
_Theobald, (with tenderness.)_ Come, then, Erard, and give me your hand.
Come, my child, and also pardon me. O, how I need pardon from every
heart here! Say, Erard, will you not forgive me?
_Erard, (giving his hand to the chevalier.)_ I love you much, since my
father loves you.
"Well, my son!" said Gottfried. "Go now to Ethbert, and tell him to be
in readiness to accompany me."
_Theobald_. Shall you leave us again? Will it be for many hours?
_Gottfried_. It is on your behalf, chevalier, that I must now act. The
express which we expected, did not come, and I feared that my message
had not reached your dear Hildegarde. I, therefore, went myself to tell
her of your welfare.
_Theobald_. Is it possible! O, tell me if all is well with her!
_Gottfried_. Thanks to God, Hildegarde and her precious children are
well--very well. She has been very anxious until last night. My message
did not reach her until then; and her express, who did not start until
day-break, was detained on the way. I met him, and bring you more than
he would have said himself.
_Theobald_. She knows, then, that her husband is---- with the Count of
Winkelthal?
_Gottfried_. Hildegarde knows that her husband is with his friends, and
she blesses God with us.
"Theobald," added Gottfried, "there should be no difference between us.
Jesus will unite us by his grace."
_Theobald_. As he has already done, has he not? The old father, after
having bound up with his trembling hands the wounds of a stranger--of an
enemy--afterwards to bestow all the treasures of his kindness, and more
than paternal charity, on him whose hands he supposed to be stained
with the blood of his son! O, may this Jesus, who makes us love, reveal
himself in my soul also! Arnold, my dear Arnold! teach me to know him!
"Theobald," replied Arnold, "he who desires to know Jesus is no longer a
stranger to his love."
_Theobald_. And yet, my true friends, how far am I still from that
charity which flows in your hearts like a river! You have pardoned even
me; and you can love, pity, succor, and console your enemies! Arnold, it
is to Hildegarde that your father is going--to her who, shall I tell
you? caused the eyes of two of your brethren to be put out!
_Arnold_. No, Theobald, no; you could not have done that!
_Theobald, (with a groan.)_ O, what was our injustice!--our cruelty!
(_He weeps._) And when their eyes were pierced, they stretched out their
hands on all sides, saying, "Where are you, lord of Rothenwald, that we
may take your hand and pardon you in the name of Jesus!"
_Gottfried, (with solemnity.)_ Theobald, these two blind men are now
with me; they knew, last evening, who was the chevalier brought here
from the forest, and they have already prayed God for you many times!
They have even asked Ethbert to assure you of their sincere love, before
God their Saviour.
_Theobald_. O, withdraw from me!--leave me! I am stained with blood! God
of heaven, how severely hast thou punished me!
_Arnold_. Is that to say, Theobald, that you believe us to be better
and more charitable than God? Rash and blind man that you are! You see,
that, by his grace in our hearts, we can forget and forgive an
injury--an offence; and through the same grace of the same God, show
mercy and love to our enemies,--you see that, you are affected by it,
you admire it; then, when you look towards that God who teaches his
children to be charitable or merciful, you see only an angry Judge--an
implacable avenger--an enemy, about to strike you! Theobald, do you
comprehend your mistake?
"But, Arnold," resumed Theobald, with humility, "by what right, wicked
as I am, can I ask God to pardon me?"
"By the right," replied Gottfried, taking from among his books a Bible,
which he placed on Theobald's bed, "yes, by the right that every man,
every sinner has, who reads and believes the word of God, to receive its
precious invitations and promises."
_Theobald, (laying his hand on the Bible.)_ Tell me, my friends, is it
by reading and believing this Bible that you learned to love your
enemies?
_Gottfried and Arnold, (together.)_ Yes, Theobald.
_Theobald_. I will then read it also; and, if God enables me, I will
believe it: for, if men have called me the Iron-Hearted, I need now that
God should soften my heart and make me his child--his ransomed one; and
that his Spirit should teach me, like you, my noble friends, to imitate
Jesus, in pardoning injuries and loving those who hate me!
THE END.