The huntsman now came back with several people, and made preparations
for carrying away the wounded youth. He had persuaded the parson of the
place to receive the "young couple" into his house; Philina's trunk was
taken out; she followed with a natural air of dignity. Mignon ran
before; and, when the patient reached the parsonage, a wide couch, which
had long been standing ready as guest's bed and bed of honor, was
assigned him. Here it was first discovered that his wound had opened,
and bled profusely. A new bandage was required for it. He fell into a
feverish state: Philina waited on him faithfully; and, when fatigue
overpowered her, she was relieved by the harper. Mignon, with the
firmest purpose to watch, had fallen asleep in a corner.
Next morning Wilhelm, who felt himself in some degree refreshed,
learned, by inquiring of the huntsman, that the honorable persons who
last night assisted him so nobly, had shortly before left their estates,
in order to avoid the movements of the contending armies, and remain,
till the time of peace, in some more quiet district. He named the
elderly nobleman, as well as his niece, mentioned the place they were
first going to, and told how the young lady had charged him to take care
of Wilhelm.
The entrance of the surgeon interrupted the warm expressions of
gratitude our friend was giving vent to. He made a circumstantial
description of the wounds, and certified that they would soon heal, if
the patient took care of them, and kept himself at peace.
When the huntsman was gone, Philina signified that he had left with her
a purse of twenty _louis-d'or_; that he had given the parson a
remuneration for their lodging, and left with him money to defray the
surgeon's bill when the cure should be completed. She added, that she
herself passed everywhere for Wilhelm's wife; that she now begged leave
to introduce herself once for all to him in this capacity, and would not
allow him to look out for any other sick-nurse.
"Philina," said Wilhelm, "in this disaster that has overtaken us, I am
already deeply in your debt, for kindness shown me; and I should not
wish to see my obligations increased. I am uneasy so long as you are
about me, for I know of nothing by which I can repay your labor. Give me
what things of mine you have saved in your trunk; join the rest of the
company; seek another lodging; take my thanks, and the gold watch as a
small acknowledgment: only leave me; your presence disturbs me more than
you can fancy."
She laughed in his face when he had ended. "Thou art a fool," she said:
"thou wilt not gather wisdom. I know better what is good for thee: I
will stay, I will not budge from the spot. I have never counted on the
gratitude of men, and therefore not on thine; and, if I have a touch of
kindness for thee, what hast thou to do with it?"
She staid accordingly, and soon wormed herself into favor with the
parson and his household; being always cheerful, having the knack of
giving little presents, and of talking to each in his own vein; at the
same time always contriving to do exactly what she pleased. Wilhelm's
state was not uncomfortable: the surgeon, an ignorant but not unskilful
man, let nature have sway; and the patient was soon on the road to
recovery. For such a consummation he vehemently longed, being eager to
pursue his plans and wishes.
Incessantly he kept recalling that event, which had made an ineffaceable
impression on his heart. He saw the beautiful Amazon again come riding
out of the thickets: she approached him, dismounted, went to and fro,
and strove to serve him. He saw the garment she was wrapped in fall
down from her shoulders: he saw her countenance, her figure, vanish in
their radiance. All the dreams of his youth now fastened on this image.
Here he conceived he had at length beheld the noble, the heroic,
Clorinda with his own eyes; and again he bethought him of that royal
youth, to whose sick-bed the lovely, sympathizing princess came in her
modest meekness.
"May it not be," said he often to himself in secret, "that, in youth as
in sleep, the images of coming things hover round us, and mysteriously
become visible to our unobstructed eyes? May not the seeds of what is to
betide us be already scattered by the hand of Fate? may not a foretaste
of the fruits we yet hope to gather possibly be given us?"
His sick-bed gave him leisure to repeat those scenes in every mood. A
thousand times he called back the tone of that sweet voice: a thousand
times he envied Philina, who had kissed that helpful hand. Often the
whole incident appeared before him as a dream; and he would have
reckoned it a fiction, if the white surtout had not been left behind to
convince him that the vision had a real existence.
With the greatest care for this piece of apparel, he combined the most
ardent wish to wear it. The first time he arose, he put it on, and was
kept in fear all day lest it might be hurt by some stain or other
injury.