About mid-day some time afterwards, Alf came from his workshop to the
parlor. The dinner already smoked upon the table; but his two elected
brides were standing at the window eagerly examining some pieces of
money which Tuiskoshirer was showing to them. Alf approached the group.
'The gold and silver money which the new king has caused to be coined,'
said Tuiskoshirer in a friendly and honied tone, laying a couple of
pieces in his hand. Alf read on the reverse:
'The Word has become flesh and dwells amongst us. Whosoever is not born
of water and of the Spirit cannot enter into the kingdom of God. One
king over us, one God, one Faith, one Baptism. At Munster, 1534.'
'That is God's government, may it soon extend over the whole world!'
sighed Tuiskoshirer, most religiously rolling up his eyes.
'Under these kings we shall soon arrive at the pinnacle of prosperity!'
exclaimed Eliza, turning over the money in Alf's hand. On the other
side, the wild inspired face of the prophet, in his kingly dress,
boldly cut and well resembling the original, presented itself to the
eyes of the beholder.
Alf looked upon the wild and passionate eyes of the presentment, which
seemed almost to roll in the masterly impression, and, mentally
recurring to the pitiless human butchery with which the prophet had
commenced the exercise of power, shudderingly cast the money upon the
table.
Eliza hastily took up the largest piece to gaze once more upon the
crowned figure. 'Yes,' she finally exclaimed, forgetting herself, 'that
is a king for the whole world or none.'
'What is the matter with you, Eliza?' asked Alf, with surprise. 'You
have never before spoken of the prophet with such partiality.'
'Crowns make beautiful!' whispered Tuiskoshirer, with a malicious
laugh, and at that instant lord steward Dilbek rushed into the room.
'To the windows, children, if you wish to see something very
particularly magnificent. The king is making his first tour through the
city on horseback, and will immediately pass this way.'
'The king?' asked Eliza with joyful surprise, a deeper and more
beautiful crimson suffusing her face as she hastened out of the room.
'What can all this mean?' sighed Alf, looking a moment after her, and
then stepping to the window.
Nearer and nearer sounded the cry, 'Hail king of Zion!' from the dense
multitude who preceded the royal procession through the streets.
'Now give attention,--here comes the procession,' cried Dilbek.
Already were heard the snorting and neighing of the first of the king's
horses. At the head of the procession came four pages, in costly
gold-embroidered velvet garments; a naked sword with a golden hilt,
Tuiskoshirer's crown upon an open bible, the golden globe (emblem of
imperial power), and two crossed swords, borne by lords and gentlemen,
followed.
'That beautiful, light-haired boy who bears the great sword, is the
bishop's own son,' whispered Dilbek to Alf, who recognized in the two
foremost pages the victims he had torn from the tiger claws of the
ferocious Matthias.
'Poor youths,' said he, 'hardly may I rejoice that I saved your
miserable lives, since this compulsory servile duty rendered to your
father's deadly enemy, must destroy the Spirit; which is a far greater
evil than the destruction of the body.'
Now came, snorting and prancing, the dapple-grey charger that bore the
king. The fair youth, who found himself quite at home in his high
station, presented in his princely attire a truly majestic appearance.
High white ostrich feathers waved over the jeweled ornaments of his
purple cap. Through the slashed folds of his gold-embroidered
over-dress appeared the under garment of purple velvet, trimmed with
gold lace. The ermine mantle which floated down upon the golden saddle
cloth of the noble steed, completed the beautiful _tout-ensemble_, and
Alf himself, notwithstanding his inward dislike of the prophet, could
hardly conceal his admiration.
'Is it not true, that dress makes the man?' triumphantly whispered the
lord steward to him. 'All this is the work of my ingenious needle. For
three nights I have not been in bed,--in which time I directed the
execution of all the difficult portions of the work. Now, God be
praised! every thing has prospered with me, and I want to see, who will
recognize the mass-dress out of which I have put it all together.'
Meanwhile the king had passed by. Behind him came governor
Knipperdolling and treasurer Kippenbrock, superbly mounted. Twelve
yeomen of the guard, clothed in the royal livery, ash-color and green,
upon princely horses with golden saddles, brought up the rear. The
procession now halted a moment. Alf leaned farther out of the window to
see what had occurred. He just then perceived that the king was bowing
with indescribable grace to the fair Eliza, who, to see the better, had
stationed herself before the house door. In sweet confusion the
graceful girl returned the royal greeting, and, as the prince finally
rode on after the bearers of the regalia, looked long and earnestly
after him.
'This is a sudden and wonderful change!' exclaimed Alf, angrily. 'I see
well that I must celebrate my nuptials to-morrow; if, indeed they are
ever to be celebrated.'
'Hadst thou accepted my offer, brother,' said Tuiskoshirer, in a tone
of friendly reproach, 'thou wouldst have spared thyself this, and who
knows how many more afflictions.'
Followed by Dilbek, he went forth. Alf remained, in a pensive mood,
thoughtlessly playing with the coins which had been left upon the
table. 'Yes, truly,' murmured he at length, with bitterness, 'he who
dares to coin money is held in higher consideration than he who is
obliged to receive it in the way of business.'
The gentle Clara then approached him. 'Do not be angry with my sister,'
said she, entreatingly, in her kind way. 'Her heart is good in the
main, and she will soon repent of an error into which she has been led
by her vanity and pride.'
'Good hearted child!' exclaimed Alf, affected by the faithful
intercession of the rejected one; 'why has not that ungrateful girl thy
heart and soul, or thou her beautiful exterior? Then nothing would have
been wanting to my happiness!' He went out; and Clara retired to her
chamber, where she secretly and bitterly wept over the well intended
but deeply wounding eulogium of the beloved youth.