"'We do,' said the one to the right. 'We are bent on a far errand.'
"'Indeed! may I ask its nature?'
"'To hear the bat flutter and the owlet scream. Wilt also listen to the
music?'
"'I understand you not, sirs. What mean you?'
"'We are the guardians of the Red Earth. The guilty tremble at our
approach; but the innocent need not fear!'
"'Two of the night patrole!' thought I. 'Very mysterious gentlemen,
indeed; but I have heard that the Austrian police have orders to be
reserved in their communications. I must get rid of them, however.
Good-evening, sirs.'
"I was about to spur my horse, when a cloak was suddenly thrown over my
head as if by some invisible hand; I was dragged forcibly from my
saddle, my arms pinioned, and my sword wrested from me. All this was the
work of a moment, and rendered my resistance useless.
"'Villains!' cried I, 'unhand me--what mean you?'
"'Peace, cavalier!' said a deep low voice at my ear; 'speak
not--struggle not, or it may be worse for you; you are in the hands of
the Secret Tribunal!'"
During the course of his narrative, Mr Mandeville, as I have already
hinted, by no means discontinued his attentions to the brandy and water,
but went on making tumbler after tumbler, with a fervour that was truly
edifying. Assuming that the main facts of his history were true, though
in the eye of geography and politics they appeared a little doubtful, it
was still highly interesting to remark the varied chronology of his
style. A century disappeared with each tumbler. He concentrated in
himself, as it appeared to me, the excellencies of the best writers of
romance, and withal had hitherto maintained the semblance of strict
originality. He had now, however, worked his way considerably up the
tide of time. We had emerged from the period of fire-arms, and
Mandeville was at this stage mediaeval.
Some suspicion of this had dawned even upon the mind of Cutts, who,
though not very familiar with romance, had once stumbled upon a
translation of Spindler's novels, and was, therefore, tolerably up to
the proceedings of the _Vehme Gericht_.
"Confound it, Mandeville!" interrupted he, "we shall be kept here the
whole night, if you don't get on faster. Both Fred and I know all about
the ruined tower, the subterranean chamber--which, by the way, must have
looked deucedly like a tunnel--the cord and steel, and all the rest of
it. Skip the trial, man. It's a very old song now, and bring us as fast
as you can to the castle and the marriage. I hope the Margravine took
Fritchen with her. That little monkey was worth the whole bundle of them
put together!"
The Margrave made another tumbler. His eye had become rather glassy, and
his articulation slightly impaired. He was gradually drawing towards the
chivalrous period of the Crusades.
"Two days had passed away since that terrible ride began, and yet there
was neither halt nor intermission. Blindfold, pinioned, and bound into
the saddle, I sate almost mechanically and without volition, amidst the
ranks of the furious Hulans, whose wild huzzas and imprecations rung
incessantly in my ears. No rest, no stay. On we sped like a hurricane
across the valley and the plain!
"At last I heard a deep sullen roar, as if some great river was
discharging its collected waters over the edge of an enormous precipice.
We drew nearer and nearer. I felt the spray upon my face. These, then,
were the giant rapids of the Danube.
"The order to halt was given.
"'We are over the frontier now!' cried the loud harsh voice of Duke
Albrecht; 'Stanislaus and Slavata! unbind that English dog from his
steed, and pitch him over the cliff. Let the waters of the Danube bear
him past the castle of his lady. It were pity to deny my delicate cousin
the luxury of a coronach over the swollen corpse of her minion!'
"'Coward!' I exclaimed; 'coward as well as traitor! If thou hast the
slightest spark of manhood in thee, cause these thy fellows to unbind my
hands, give me back my father's sword, stand face to face against me on
the greensward, and, benumbed and frozen as I am, thou shalt yet feel
the arm of the Mandeville!'
"Loud laughed he of Kalbs-Braten. 'Does the hunter, when the wolf is in
the pit, leap down to try conclusions with him. Fool! what care I for
honour or thy boasted laws of chivalry? We of Wallachia are men of
another mood. We smite our foeman where we find him, asleep or awake--at
the wine-cup or in the battle--with the sword by his side, or arrayed
in the silken garb of peace! Drag him from his steed, fellows! Let us
see how lightly this adventurous English diver will leap the cataracts
of the Danube!'
"Resistance was in vain. I had already given myself up for lost. Even at
that moment the image of my Amalia rose before me in all its beauty--her
name was on my lips, I called upon her as my guardian angel.
"Suddenly I heard the loud clear note of a trumpet--it was answered by
another, and then rang out the clanging of a thousand atabals.
"'Ha! by Saint John of Nepomuck,' cried the Duke, 'the Croats are upon
us--There flies the banner of Chopinski! there rides Conrad of the
Thirty Mountains on the black steed that I have marked for my second
charger! Hulans! to your ranks. Martinitz, bring up the rear-guard, and
place them on the right flank. Slavata, thou art a fellow of some
sense'----
"'Ay, you can remember that now,' grumbled Slavata.
"'Take thirty men and lead them up that hollow--you will secure a
passage somewhere over the morass--and then fall upon Chopinski in the
rear. Let two men stay to guard the prisoner. Now, forward, gentlemen;
and if you know not where to charge, follow the white plume of
Kalbs-Braten!'
"I heard the cavalry advance. Maddened by the loss of my freedom at such
a moment, I burst my bonds by an almost supernatural exertion, and tore
the bandage from my eyes. To snatch a battle-axe from the hand of the
nearest Hulan, and to dash him to the ground, was the work of a
moment--a second blow, and the other fell. I leaped upon his horse,
shouted the ancient war-cry of my house--'Saint George for Mandeville!'
and dashed onwards towards the serried array of the Croats, which
occupied a little eminence beyond.
"'For whom art thou, cavalier?' cried Chopinski, as I galloped up.
"'For Amalia and Kalbs-Kuchen!' I replied.
"'Welcome--a thousand times welcome, brave stranger, in the hour of
battle! But ha!--what is this?--that white rose--that lordly mien--can
it be? Yes! it is the affianced bridegroom of the Margravine!'
"With a wild cry of delight the Croats gathered around me. 'Long live
our gracious Margravine!' they shouted 'long live the noble Mandeville!'
"'By my faith, Sir Knight,' said the Count Rudolf of Haggenhausen, an
old warrior whose seamed countenance was the record of many a fight--'By
my faith, I deemed not we could carry back such glorious tidings to our
lady--nor, by Saint Wladimir, so goodly a pledge!'
"'May I never put lance in rest again,' cried Conrad of the Thirty
Mountains, 'but the Margravine hath a good eye--there be thewes and
sinews there. But we must take order with yon infidel scum. How say you,
Sirs--shall this cavalier have the ordering of the battle? I, for one,
will gladly fight beneath his banner'----
"'And so say I,' said Chopinski, 'but he must not go thus. Yonder, on my
sumpter-mule, is a suit of Milan armour, which a king might wear upon
the day he went forth to do battle for his crown. Bring it forth,
knaves, and let the Mandeville be clad as becomes the affianced of our
mistress.'
"'Brave Chopinski,' I said, 'and you, kind sirs and nobles--pardon me if
I cannot thank you now in a manner befitting to the greatness of your
deserts. But there is a good time, I trust, in store. Suffer me now to
arm myself, and then we shall try the boasted prowess of yonder giant of
Kalbs-Braten!'
"In a few moments I was sheathed in steel, and, mounted on a splendid
charger, took my station at the head of the troops. Again their applause
was redoubled.
"'Lord Conrad,' said I to the warrior of the Thirty Mountains, 'swart
Slavata has gone up yonder with a plump of lances, intending to cross
the morass, and assail us on the rear. Be it thine to hold him in
check."
"'By my father's head!' cried Conrad, 'I ask no better service! That
villain, Slavata, oweth me a life, for he slew my sister's son at
disadvantage, and this day will I have it or die. Fear not for the rear,
noble Mandeville--I will protect it while spear remains or armour holds
together!'
"'I doubt it not, valiant Conrad! Brave Chopinski--noble
Haggenhausen--let us now charge together! 'Tis not beneath my banner you
fight. The Blue Boar of Mandeville never yet fluttered in the Wallachian
breeze, but we may give it to the winds ere-long! Sacred to Amalia, and
not to me, be the victory! Advance the Red Falcon of Kalbs-Kuchen--let
it strike terror into the hearts of the enemy--and forward as it pounces
upon its prey!'
"With visors down and lances in rest we rushed upon the advancing
Hulans, who received our charge with great intrepidity. Martinitz was my
immediate opponent. The shock of our meeting was so great that both the
horses recoiled upon their hams, and, but for the dexterity of the
riders, must have rolled over upon the ground. The lances were shivered
up to the very gauntlets. We glared on each other for an instant with
eyes which seemed to flash fire through the bars of our visors--each
made a demi-volte"----
"I say, Cutts," said I, "it occurs to me that I have heard something
uncommonly like this before. Our friend is losing his originality, and
poaching unceremoniously upon Ivanhoe. You had better stop him at once."
"I presume then, Mandeville, you did for that fellow Martinitz?" said
Cutts.
"The gigantic Hulan was hurled from his saddle like a stone from a
sling. I saw him roll thrice over, grasping his hands full of sand at
every turn."
"That must have been very satisfactory. And what became of the duke?"
"Often did I strive to force my way through the press to the spot where
Kalbs-Braten fought. I will not belie him--he bore himself that day like
a man. And yet he had better protection than either helm or shield; for
around him fought his foster-father, Tiefenbach of the Yews, with his
seven bold sons, all striving to shelter their prince's body with their
own. No sooner had I struck down one of them than the old man
cried--'Another for Kalbs-Braten!' and a second giant stepped across the
prostrate body of his brother!
"Meanwhile, Conrad of the Thirty Mountains had reached the spot where
Slavata with his cavalry was attempting the passage of the morass. Some
of the Hulans were entangled there from the soft nature of the ground,
the horses having sunk in the mire almost up to their saddle-girths.
Others, among whom was their leader, had successfully struggled through.
"Conrad and Slavata met. They were both powerful men, and well-matched.
As if by common consent, the soldiers on either side held back to
witness the encounter of their chiefs.
"Slavata spoke first. 'I know thee well,' he said; 'thou art the
marauding baron of the Thirty Mountains, whose head is worth its weight
of gold at the castle-gate of Kalbs-Braten. I swore when we last met
that we should not part again so lightly, and now I will keep my oath!'
"'And I know thee, too,' said Conrad; 'thou art the marauding villain
Slavata, whose body I intend to hang upon my topmost turret, to blacken
in the sun and feed the ravens and the kites!'
"'Threatened men live long,' replied Slavata with a hollow laugh; 'thy
sister's son, the Geissenheimer, said as much before, but for all that I
passed this good sword three times through his bosom!'
"'Villain!' cried Conrad, striking at him, 'this to thy heart!'
"'And this to thine, proud boaster!' cried Slavata, parrying and
returning the blow.
"They closed. Conrad seized hold of Slavata by the sword-belt. The
other"----
"He's off to Old Mortality now," said I to Cutts. "For heaven's sake
stop him, or we shall have a second edition of the Bothwell and Burley
business."
"Come, Mandeville, clear away the battle--there's a good fellow. There
can be no doubt that you skewered that rascally duke in a very
satisfactory manner. I shall ring for the broiled bones, and I beg you
will finish your story before they make their appearance. Will you mix
another tumbler now, or wait till afterwards? Very well--please
yourself--there's the hot water for you."
"They led me into the state apartment," said Mandeville, with a kind of
sob. "Amalia stood upon the dais, surrounded by the fairest and the
noblest of the land. The amethyst light, which streamed through the
stained windows, gorgeous with armorial bearings, fell around her like a
glory. In one hand she held a ducal cap of maintenance--with the other,
she pointed to the picture of my great ancestor--the very image, as she
told me, of myself. I rushed forward with a cry of joy, and threw myself
prostrate at her feet!
"'Nay, not so, my Leopold!' she said. 'Dear one, thou art come at last!
Take the reward of all thy toils, all thy dangers, all thy love! Come,
adored Mandeville--accept the prize of silence and fidelity!' And she
added, 'and never upon brows more worthy could a wreath of chivalry be
placed.'
"She placed the coronet upon my head, and then gently raising me,
exclaimed--
"'Wallachians! behold your PRINCE!'"
Mr Mandeville did not get beyond that sentence. I could stand him no
longer, and burst into an outrageous roar of laughter, in which Cutts
most heartily joined, till the tears ran plenteously down his cheeks.
The Margrave of Wallachia looked quite bewildered. He attempted to rise
from his chair, but the effort was too much for him, and he dropped
suddenly on the floor.
"Well," said I, after we had fairly exhausted ourselves, "there's the
spoiling in that fellow of as good a novelist as ever coopered out three
volumes. He would be an invaluable acquaintance for either Marryat or
James. 'Tis a thousand pities his talents should be lost to the public."
"There's no nonsense about him," replied Cutts; "he buckles to his work
like a man. Doesn't it strike you, Freddy, that his style is a great
deal more satisfactory than that of some other people I could name, who
talk about their pedigree and ancestors, and have not even the excuse of
a good cock-and-bull story to tell. Give me the man that carves out
nobility for himself, like Mandeville, and believes it too, which is the
very next best thing to reality. Now, let's have up the broiled bones,
and send the Margrave of Wallachia to his bed."
_Edinburgh, Printed by Ballantyne and Hughes, Pauls Work._