On the following night Alf, installed in his new office and fully
equipped, sat in an arm chair before the door of the royal sleeping
apartments. He was even lightly slumbering, and a well known trio of
beautiful women led by the god of dreams were dancing around him, when
he was dazzled by a ray of light which fell suddenly upon his face. He
awoke, sprang upon his feet and drew his sword.
'Put up your sword, brother,' whispered a hoarse voice to him; and the
worthy Tuiskoshirer, in his traveling cloak, with his bundle swung over
his back and a dark lantern in his hand, stood before him.
'What do you want here?' quickly asked Alf. 'Ought you not, according
to the king's command, to have been already on your way to Osnabruck
with your companion?'
'Yes,' answered Tuiskoshirer, with a bitter smile, 'so has the great
king who has become a severe and mighty lord over our heads commanded;
and the leaders who faithfully placed him upon the summit, he
scornfully thrusts from him, now that he no longer needs their aid.
Luckily, he has allowed me to delay my departure a few hours, and a
skilful head can accomplish much in that time.'
'Tell me briefly what you want of me,' said Alf, 'and then take
yourself hence, that your chattering may not awaken the king.'
'God forbid!' hissed Tuiskoshirer. 'Who would awaken the sleeping
tiger? While he sleeps, at least, he murders not. Rather would I
prolong his sleep into eternity.'
'Man, what is your design?' exclaimed Alf, partly guessing his horrible
intentions.
'Thou hast already once rejected my good will,' answered Tuiskoshirer;
and, since this ungrateful bedlamite has been placed upon the throne to
which I would have raised thee, thou must more than once have regretted
thy folly. I have this day closely watched thee, and know the magnet
with which thy apparently insensible and rugged nature is to be moved.
Wherefore I have taken my life in my hand, and once more ventured into
this den of murderers, to offer to thee life's sweetest blossoms, which
none but a fool would leave unplucked when they fell in his path
radiant with exhaling beauty. Oppose me not now,' begged he, as Alf was
about to reply. 'Thou shalt go with me, and see and hear for thyself,
and then decide as may seem good to thee.'
'Whither wouldst thou lead me?' asked Alf, drawing back.
'Do you not suspect?' asked Tuiskoshirer, smiling; and Alf, on whom a
light suddenly began to dawn, delightedly followed the tempter, who led
him through the dark, silent passage toward the apartments of the
queen.
'We have attained our object,' said Tuiskoshirer, on arriving before a
room the door of which he opened with a false key. They entered and
passed through the anti-chamber, where the waiting women were sleeping,
to the bed-chamber of the first queen.
'Behold!' said Tuiskoshirer, impressively, as he directed the rays from
his lantern upon the bed in which the beauteous woman was sleeping.
Alf drew nearer. A heavenly smile played upon the sweet face of the
queen, to which a sound sleep gave a yet lovelier tint of rose. Alf was
about to rush forward, when Tuiskoshirer forcibly dragged him back.
'Wilt thou mar all?' whispered the prophet to him; 'and deprive thyself
of the greatest earthly happiness through thy impetuosity? That
beauteous woman shall indeed be thine; but now is not the time. Such
ware is to be purchased only at a price about which we must have some
conversation. As yet you have only seen, now I must be heard; and when
you have decided, act with the speed and energy which become a man
about to attain the accomplishment of all his dearest wishes.'
During this conversation he drew the youth through the rooms, closed
the last with his false key, and they went both together back to the
royal anti-chamber. Tuiskoshirer, in whose little dull eyes twinkled a
hellish triumph, bolted the outer door on the inner side, motioned to
Alf to walk softly, and cautiously opening the door of the king's
bed-chamber entered on tiptoe, making a sign to Alf to follow.
Alf obeyed, and both now stood before the bed of the king, near which,
upon velvet cushions, lay the crown and other emblems of royalty.
Tuiskoshirer drew aside the heavy, purple, gold-embroidered silk
curtains, and disclosed the sleeper lying there with open staring eyes,
large drops of sweat upon his forehead, froth about his mouth, and
clenched fists,--a shocking sight.
'The king is ill and must soon awaken,' said Alf, apprehensively.
'Oh no,' said Tuiskoshirer, calmly. 'Since sleep always flies the night
couch of the murderer, he never goes to bed without his sleeping
draught. He cannot escape the dreams which then torment him
undisturbedly; and it is well, that in this life he should learn
something of that world of spirits, which darkly and heavily rules over
him with arm already outstretched for his terrible reward.'
'Kneel down!' the slumberer now cried. 'Down! I must see blood, blood!'
and he swung his right arm as if his death-dealing sword was at its
usual occupation.
'I have first shown you the reward,' said Tuiskoshirer, to Alf,--'here
is the deed which is to merit it. Here sleeps the cowardly, sensual,
cold, murderous, inhuman monster. Thousands more will he yet destroy,
if life and power remain to him. Can another word be necessary to
determine your course? Reject not again, for the third time, the good
fortune which twice you have thrust from you. Here lies the king's
sword drunk with innocent blood,--one determined thrust therewith,--we
can bruit it abroad that he has committed suicide,--Munster will be
relieved from his tyranny,--thou wilt mount the vacant throne, thine
will be the glorious Gertrude, the false Eliza, and the other beauteous
wives,--and that the crown shall stand firmly upon thy head, leave to
the care of old Tuiskoshirer, who will give it to thee in the presence
of the assembled multitude.'
Alf stood there upon the narrow passage way, glanced with flashing eyes
upon the sleeping tyrant, and his hand already moved towards the
weapon.
'Now strike!' urged Tuiskoshirer. 'Every moment's delay will be at the
expense of human life. Thou wilt take upon thyself all the crimes which
this wretch may in future commit, if now thou sparest him, through
foolish tenderness.'
The true German honesty had soon conquered in the pure mind of the
youth. 'He has my pledge,' said he to himself. 'Confiding in my faith
he laid him down to sleep.' Then Alf turned to the venomous little man
with all the fury which the latter, to satisfy his own revenge, had
kindled in his breast; suddenly seizing him by the nape of his neck, he
dragged him sprawling through all the apartments and down the stairs,
until he reached the outer door of the palace, when he roughly sat him
down. 'Go thy ways thither!' cried the youth, pointing the way towards
Osnabruck, 'and if thou art in Munster at sunrise, I will expose thee
to the king, that he may execute justice upon thee.'
Gasping for breath and groaning with anguish, the foiled tempter
staggered forth into the midnight darkness of the streets.