A countless multitude exultingly met the returning victors. The prophet
Johannes Bockhold at their head, in white festival garments, with green
branches of fir in their hands, the maidens of the city sang to them in
loud, joyful hosannas. It pleased the gallant, good humored Alf
uncommonly well to receive praise from such beautiful lips. As he
reflected, however, that this song of praise was intended as much for
Matthias as for himself, there came over Alf a silent vexation, instead
of the pleasure of flattered vanity, and he strode on gloomily in front
of his troops. The army halted upon the market place, and the booty,
being common property, was secured in St. Lambert's church; the two
pages were given over to the orator Rothman, preparatory to their
baptism; the soldiers having been praised and dismissed, and the
evening having already approached, Alf with his surviving journeymen,
half their number having fallen either in the first battle or in the
storming of the camp, proceeded toward Trutlinger's house.
As he approached the house door, which was surmounted by a triumphal
arch covered with pine boughs, he was met by the bewitching smiles of
the beautiful Eliza, who was still clad in her white festival garments.
'Welcome from battle and victory, brave soldier of the Spirit!' cried
she; and, casting aside all maidenly bashfulness and constraint, she
spread wide her arms toward the youth.
'Dear maiden!' stammered he, most agreeably surprised by this second
and dearest triumph. He pressed the charming girl to his mailed bosom,
when, notwithstanding his unaccommodating helmet, they sought and found
each other's lips, and united them with the double glow of fanaticism
and sensuality, which both in their blindness mistook for the fire of
pure love.
At that moment out stepped from the parlor door a little, withered,
yellow man, whose tattered garments were covered by a ragged black
mantle. With friendly simpers he squinted out of his little, gray,
malicious eyes upon the pair, and then, stretching his meager,
death-like hand towards Alf, cried with a hoarse howl, 'Thee have I
this day seen in my dreams, brother, contending and conquering in God's
cause, and lo! my eyes have verified it, and the Lord has achieved
great things through thee, his servant. Wherefore be glad, because God
has chosen thee for yet greater things, and through thee shall his name
become glorified in Zion!'
The little hobgoblin with ridiculous pomposity then strode out of the
house. Alf looked after him with his hand over his forehead, and said,
'sometimes, though in my native city, it appears to me as if I were in
a residence of madmen, where all the fools go at large. Who was that
strange man?'
'John Tuiskoshirer,' answered Eliza, reprovingly, 'an impoverished
goldsmith; but a great man since the spirit has come upon him. Often,
already, has he edified the public by his elevated discourses and
divine prophecies; and, next to our great Matthias and Johannes, he is
now the first prophet in Munster.'
'Good God! what a multitude of prophets,' sighed Alf; and by this time
Eliza had led him into the room.
Behind a table illuminated with wax tapers and decorated as for a
festival, sat the fair Clara. Her loose golden locks flowed down over
her white gala dress. Her right arm supported her pale, sad face, and
bright tears were falling from her eyes upon her white bosom.
'Do you not bid me welcome, lovely little Clara?' Alf kindly asked of
the sorrowing girl. 'Do you celebrate our victory with such bitter
tears?'
Clara lifted up her eyes toward the youth with gentle sorrow. 'Be not
angry with me for it, dear Alf,' she begged in a soft, subdued tone;
'every drop of blood shed in this unhappy war of opinion, falls
envenomed upon my heart. Never shall I lose the remembrance of my poor
uncle. He also was butchered for the new faith, of which I do not yet
rightly understand whether it is the genuine worship of God, or a
hellish sacrifice.'
'Leave the foolish girl!' cried Eliza, handing a goblet to Alf. 'Her
spirit is not yet born again to the light. She still lies bound in the
chains of darkness. She is not able to offer every feeling joyfully
upon the altar of the holy God.'
'May He preserve me from such joy!' sighed Clara, almost inaudibly; and
Eliza with a quick warm pressure of the hand drew the youth upon a seat
near herself. His fellow soldiers seated themselves opposite the
beautiful couple, and the ceremonies of the repast began. With the
pleasing narration of the conquering warriors and the sweeter praises
of the fair Eliza, the generous Rhenish of old Trutlinger glided
swiftly and deliciously down, and gradually extinguished in Alf all
thoughts of the movements in Munster, which his right worthy head and
heart had from time to time obtruded upon him. Deeper glowed the flush
upon the blooming faces of the youth and maiden; constantly brisker and
more radiantly moved their eyes; with constantly increasing warmth were
their kisses given and received. The journeymen, rejected by the
grieving Clara, could only keep to the goblet, until, overcome by
Bacchus, they staggered one after the other to their places of rest.
Alf and Eliza remained quietly sitting at table, as much occupied with
each other as if there had been nobody else in the world. Leaning sadly
upon her arm, Clara looked through her tears upon the happy pair. Now
and then a half suppressed sigh stole from her bosom, and she then
placed her hand upon her heart as if she felt a sudden pain there.
Already had the second hour after midnight struck upon St. Lambert's
tower. Finally Clara rose from her seat, took one of the low-burnt
tapers from the table, and remarked with assumed tranquillity, 'it is
late, and I am now going to bed,--wilt thou not go with me, sister?'
No answer came, and the poor maiden sorrowfully retired to her own
sleeping room.