It was in the early grey of the morning: all was silent and solemn;
the beleaguered city lay in its brief repose; the cannon on the hills
and at the gates were still: the camp of the assailants slumbered,
except where the tired sentinel paced up and down, longing for relief,
or where the wounded lay on the feverish beds of the crowded
hospitals. Quietly and silently on foot, with their horses left behind
at the village, and in the dress of the Palatinate peasantry, the
servant and the page plodded on as if going from Siegelhausen to
Neunheim. Ere they had gone far, they saw the tents which now thickly
covered the slopes towards the Heiligberg, the huts of the Croats, and
the breastworks which had been thrown up; while six pieces of
artillery appeared stretched out upon a battery some three hundred
yards up the hill. Still they walked on, however, plodding along, and
affecting the heavy step and swinging air of the boor.
They were within a hundred paces of the bridge, when suddenly, from
the neighbouring field, they heard the call to stand; and the next
instant several Austrian soldiers, in their white uniforms, sprang
down into the road. One seized Tony by the arm, and the others were
running up, when the page gave a look to the Neckar, and jumped down
the bank. The water, fortunately, was low, and the boy's heart stout.
"In, Frill! in!" cried Tony; and, without more ado, the youth dashed
into the stream.
Two shots were instantly fired at him, but in haste and ill aimed. He
was seen, too, from the bridge; and several arquebuses were discharged
amongst the Austrians with very little reverence for poor Tony, who
had nearly suffered severely, held as he was in the midst of the
enemy.
Protected by the fire from the bridge, the boy hurried on for some
way, up to his middle in water. Then climbing on some rocks, he at
length plunged boldly in where the tide was deep and strong. He was a
good swimmer; but the force of the stream was great, and the water
deadly cold. He was borne down, notwithstanding every effort, carried
through one of the arches of the bridge, and though he struck for the
shore as long as he could, yet nothing but the town wall presented
itself dipping in the river. His strength began to fail, when a little
sally-port and landing-place at length came in sight; but the poor
lad's heart sunk, for it was distant, and he felt no power within him
to reach it. The last thing he saw was a man running quickly along on
the top of the wall; then all became dim and green, with a rushing
sound in the ears, bewildered thoughts, and, at length, dull
forgetfulness.
When the page opened his eyes again, he was in a small room and laid
undressed upon a bed, with an old man of a mild and venerable aspect
gazing at him. His whole frame tingled; his breathing was heavy and
difficult: it seemed as if there was a world upon his chest; and, for
several minutes, he recollected nought of what had happened. There
were sounds in the air, however, which soon recalled him to a sense of
where he was. Every minute or two a loud explosion shook the house and
made the casements clatter as if the whole building were coming down;
and, raising himself upon his arm, he tried to speak; but the old man
gave him a sign to be silent, and, going to a table near, brought him
a small quantity of wine.
It was long ere the stranger would permit him to converse, and longer
ere he would allow him to rise, although the page explained that he
had come to bring some intelligence of importance to his lord the Earl
of Hillingdon.
"Your lord is quite safe and well," replied old Dr. Alting, (to whose
house the youth had been taken,) in answer to his anxious inquiries,
"and you can go to him by-and-by. At present you are not fit. There
will be no assault to-day, for there was one yesterday; so you will
have time enough."
But Frill was impatient, and about three o'clock he was permitted to
go forth, with directions as to where he was likely to find his
master. The poor boy, however, had somewhat miscalculated his
strength; for he found to climb the hill a weary task; and when he had
obtained admission into the castle, he was sent from place to place in
search of Algernon, till at length he sat down at the foot of the
second casemate, and wept from very weariness.
While there, a young officer passed with his hand bound up, and paused
to enquire what ailed him. The matter was soon explained, and the lad
was once more directed onward, but with better assurance.
"The Earl is at the blockhouse which you see just peeping up yonder,"
said the officer; "I left him there five minutes ago; but go by those
lower paths, for the fire is somewhat hot, and you may chance to get
hurt as I have done, or worse."
The page rose again and walked on, passed through the park of the
Friesenberg, and approached the edge of the Carmelite wood. The
cannonade as he went became every moment fiercer, and the balls
whistled more than once over his head, while the roar of the artillery
was mingled at intervals with the rattling fire of small arms. Not
only in front and to the right was heard the sullen sound of the heavy
ordnance; but, rolling round and round, the deep voice of the cannon
from the walls, and then, farther off again, from the Imperial
batteries, was heard like thunder in a forest; and still the mountains
and rocks surrounding the narrow valley of the Neckar echoed and
re-echoed the terrific noise. He was a brave lad, but his nerves were
shaken, and he looked round from time to time to right and to left
expecting to see the enemy forcing their way in.
At length, however, he reached the foot of the little hill on which
the blockhouse stood, and, gazing up, saw two or three men whose faces
he knew well, standing above, before a small palisade. "Is my lord
here, Halford?" he cried. "Is my lord here?"
"Yes, yes!" cried the man. "Come up, Frill;" and the page with a
lightened heart ran up the steps of the mount. Before he reached the
top Algernon Grey came forth himself, saying to the man to whom Frill
had spoken, "Go round to Colonel Herbert, Halford, as fast as
possible. Say there is not even demonstration here--that I have too
many men, and we are doing nothing.--Ah Frill! is that you? Welcome
back, my good boy. How in Heaven's name got you in? Where is Tony?"
"In the hands of the enemy," replied the boy. "I swam the Neckar, and
was nearly drowned, but he was caught."
"What news from England?" asked Algernon Grey eagerly. "Did the Lady
Catherine give you or Tony a letter for me?"
"None, my noble lord," answered the page. "She intended, I believe,
but was prevented."
"That is most unfortunate!" cried his lord bitterly. "All is going
wrong here, and one word might have been of vast importance--"
"I have something to tell, sir," said Frill, in a low tone, "if you
would move down a little, for it is not fitted for all ears."
Algernon took a few steps down the hill, saying, "Speak, speak!" and
the boy went on, in a voice raised little above a whisper, to detail
all that had occurred since he had left his lord. When he came to the
catastrophe, Algernon Grey turned deadly pale, shocked and horrified
beyond expression. For several minutes he did not utter a word, but
gazed upon the ground in sad and bitter silence. He was free--the
heavy bond which had weighed upon him for so many years was
broken--his liberty was restored; but how dark and terrible were the
means! and with these his mind busied itself in gloomy thoughts ere it
could rest on aught else.
"Who was the man?" he asked at length,--"the person you say came in by
the window?"
"I did not see his face, my lord," replied the boy; "but I heard the
voice of Sir William Ifford!"
"My lord, my lord!" cried the soldier Halford, coming back as fast
as he could run. "Colonel Herbert desires you to advance to the
pheasant-garden without a moment's delay, leaving nothing but a guard
here."
Algernon Grey hurried up, called out the English and Dutch troops from
the blockhouse and a small detached trench in front, arrayed them on
the slope, and, telling the page to remain with the guard he left
behind, ordered the men to advance at the charge by the winding path
through the wood. The roll of musketry was now heard sharp and near,
mingled with drums beating; and, falling back to the side of the man
Halford, the young Earl demanded what he had seen and heard.
"There were full two thousand men, sir, advancing to storm the works
in the pheasant-garden," he replied. "I counted ten Austrian ensigns
myself; and there were a number of Bavarian troops behind."
"Were they near?" asked Algernon Grey.
"Half-way between the Crane's Nest and the Cavalier," replied the
soldier.
The young Earl ran on again to place himself at the head, murmuring,
"No time is to be lost, indeed."
The way was heavy and circuitous, interrupted by frequent flights of
steps, which greatly delayed the men; but there was no cutting across;
for the trees and the rocks of the Friesenberg in that part which had
not yet been levelled, interrupted the straight course which might
otherwise have been taken; and the firing was heard nearer and nearer,
till even the sound of the guns did not drown the cries and shouts
with which it was mingled; whilst still the beating drum and the blast
of the trumpet was heard urging the men on either side to deadly
strife. The young Earl's heart beat vehemently to get forward, but a
full quarter of an hour elapsed ere he came in sight of the point of
attack, approaching the works assailed by the rear of a fortified
terrace which led to the Cavalier. This terrace, originally designed
for ornament, was, perhaps, the weakest point in the whole defences of
the castle; and, though commanded by the guns of the Cavalier above,
it formed a sort of step, as it were, to the attack of the stronger
work. The parapets, too, had been terribly shattered by the enemy's
fire; and, when the young Englishman first caught sight of it, a
terrible and an alarming scene presented itself to his eyes. An
Austrian flag was already upon the terrace; the fight was going on
hand to hand in several places; and, at the farther angle, driven
almost under the guns of the Cavalier, he caught sight of Colonel
Herbert, with a Bohemian flag in his hand, rallying his men to charge
the enemy in the hope of clearing the platform.
No consideration was necessary; the only course to be pursued was
plain and straightforward; and though at the risk of encountering the
fire of friends as well as of enemies, Algernon Grey sprang up the
steps to the top of the terrace, arrayed his men with a wide front,
and gave the order to charge. There was no hesitation either on the
part of the English or the Dutch. All saw that, without a great
effort, the fort was lost; and, rushing on in a compact body, they
swept the whole length of the terrace, driving the assailants before
them at the point of the pike. Attacked in front and rear at the same
time, the Imperial troops, who were establishing themselves on the
platform, gave way; many threw down their arms; and many either leaped
over the parapet into the midst of their comrades below, or rushed to
the tops of the ladders, and cast themselves upon those who were
climbing up to support them.
The outwork was regained; and, waving his hand to Herbert, whom he saw
a little in advance, the young Earl was turning his head to give
orders for a part of his men to fall back and line the parapet again,
when suddenly he beheld Agnes' father stagger, drop the flag, and fall
forward on the platform.
With a few brief words as to the defence of the work, Algernon Grey
sprang forward to Herbert's side. Two of his men had already raised
him in their arms; but his head hung heavily on his shoulder; and a
ghastly wound on the right temple, passing along the whole side of the
head and evidently injuring the skull, "bade hope itself despair."
"He is dead, sir, he is dead!" said one of the men who held him in his
arms.
"I think not," replied Algernon, watching his countenance sadly; "the
brain may not be injured. Throw a cloak over him and carry him down
into the garden; I will come in a minute, when I have spoken with the
captain of the Cavalier--Get him some water."
The men took him up and bore him down the steps; but the news had
spread already amongst the men, and it was evident that they were
greatly discouraged. Although rapid means were taken by Algernon Grey
and the officer now in command of the outwork for its defence, it is
probable that it would have been taken that night, as it was on the
following morning, had not the Imperial officers, smarting from severe
loss and discouraged by an unexpected repulse at the very moment when
they thought themselves victorious, ordered the drums to beat a
retreat.
A furious cannonade followed the enemy as they retired; and, seeing
that all was safe for the time in that quarter, Algernon Grey left his
men under the command of the Dutch officer associated with him, and
turned to ascertain the fate of his friend. At the top of the steps,
however, his eye ran over the town of Heidelberg; and he beheld with
consternation fire and smoke arising in large volumes from three
different parts of the town. Springing down, he hurried to a spot
where, under some trees, he saw several men grouped together around
another lying on the ground; and, as he advanced, one of them, a young
German officer, came forward to meet him, saying, "He is living, my
lord. He has spoken--he has mentioned your name."
In another instant Algernon was by Herbert's side, and saw, with a
gleam of hope, that his eyes were open, and the light of life and
intellect still therein. They turned upon him, indeed, with a faint
sad look, and the lips moved for a moment ere a sound issued forth.
"My child!" he said, at length, "my child?"
"Shall I send for her?" asked Algernon Grey, kneeling by his side, and
bending down his ear.
"No, no!" answered the wounded man, quickly; "but her fate, young
man--her fate?"
"Fear not, fear not," answered the Earl; "I will defend, protect her
with my life--die for her should need be."
"I believe you," said Herbert; "I will trust you!--Oh God! Yet swear
to me that you will deal with her honestly; swear by all that you hold
most sacred--by your faith in Christ--by your honour as an English
gentleman, that you will be to her as a brother."
"I will be more," answered Algernon, in a low, but firm voice, "I will
be her husband. I swear to you, by all I hold most sacred, that, as
soon as she herself will consent, she shall be my wife; till then, my
sister."
"Your wife!" said Herbert, sternly; "have you not another wife, young
lord?"
"No," answered Algernon Grey, pressing his hand; "that impediment is
removed--that bond broken. If you had read the letter which I wrote
you, you would have seen that the marriage was but in name. It is now,
however, altogether at an end. I have received the tidings this
day--within this hour. She whom men called my wife is dead."
"Dead!" cried Herbert, in a stronger voice; "death is busy just now;"
and then he paused, and raised his hand feebly to his head. But the
fingers rested upon the bloody hair, and he drew them back, and
pressed Algernon's hand in his. "I trust you," he said at length, "I
trust you, Algernon. Oberntraut's news, that you were already married,
frightened--shocked me. I found confirmation in your letter, and I
have been very sad ever since--but I trust you. Love her--oh, love
her, and make her happy, for she deserves it well. An hour more, and
the father's arm will be cold and powerless. Be you all to her.--What
wants that man? Ask him whence he comes?--I would fain die in quiet."
"The town has fallen, sir," said an officer who had come up in haste.
"In two places they have forced a way; and Governor Merven has
retreated to the castle with the garrison. He sent me up to call
Colonel Herbert to instant council."
"Tell him," said Herbert, raising his head, "that Colonel Herbert is
removed from his command by a higher power than any of the earth. Tell
him what you have seen, and that I say, God protect him, and bless his
arms in a just cause! Now, Algernon, one word more--there are not many
left for me to speak: the town is taken--the castle must fall. We have
no stores, no means. Good God! let not my child be in this place,
if it must fall by storm! Heaven and earth!--it makes this poor
shattered brain reel. Swear,--swear you will take her hence.
There are the passages below;--she knows them all. There is the way
out--there;"--and he pointed with his hand.
"I will, if it be possible," answered Algernon Grey.
"Possible, possible!" said Herbert, his mind evidently wandering; "oh,
yes, it is quite possible. You hear, he swears that he will take her
hence," continued the dying man, with his faint eyes rolling over the
bystanders; "he swears--remember--keep him to his oath."
"What, my gallant friend!" said an English voice behind Algernon Grey,
"brought to this at last?"
"Ay, Merven, ay, even so," answered Herbert; "we must all come to
this.--Bring me some water. I will speak with you, Merven. He swears
he will take her hence before they storm the place. Send him forth,
for I know him--know him well. He will remain to fight; and then she
is without father, husband, friend--Oh, God! have mercy on me! how my
brain reels!"
"Let some one fetch a litter," said Merven, kneeling down by his side;
"we must bear him home."
"I have sent for one already," said Algernon Grey; "yonder it comes, I
think."
"My child; my sweet child!" said Herbert, gazing still in Merven's
face; "she can close my eyes, and then away--you will not let him
linger?"
"No," answered the Governor, "I will send him forth, upon my word. If
my command is of any power, he shall go. He can be of little service
here, I fear."
"Thanks, thanks!" said Herbert, and fell into silence, closing his
eyes.
A few minutes after, a litter was brought up from the castle; it was
one which the Princess Elizabeth had often used,--and Herbert was
placed upon it, and the curtains drawn. Four stout soldiers, taking it
upon their shoulders, carried it down, and Algernon Grey followed,
conversing sadly with Merven, and informing him of all that had taken
place of the assault on their side.
"You have been more fortunate than we have," answered the Governor.
"Trutzkaiser was taken early in the day; and the fools, forgetting to
shut the gates as our soldiers rushed in, the enemy came pell mell
amongst them. I rallied them, barricaded the street by the Spire's
door, and kept them at bay till four, when came the news that the
bridge was likewise forced; and it became needful at once to retire
into the castle, lest I should be taken in front and rear at once. But
even here I find," he added in a low voice, "there is but provision
and ammunition for four days. Tilly has already sent to offer terms;
but I have referred him to Vere, in Mannheim; and most likely we shall
have another assault to-morrow.--Hark! Do you hear those shrieks? 'Tis
from the town. The bloody villains are at their work!" and he looked
sternly down upon the ground, setting his teeth hard. Algernon Grey
made no reply; and Merven continued, "You have promised to go, my
friend, and take the sweet girl with you; but how is it to be done?"
"I know not," answered the young Earl; "but my promise was only
conditional. If we could send her forth in safety all would be well: I
cannot--ought not to quit the place while you remain to defend it."
"He knew you, you see," said Merven; "but if there be a means I must
send you; for I have promised unconditionally; and you must obey me,
my young lord--how, is the only question."
"Herbert seemed to think Agnes knew of some means," said Algernon
Grey; "but yet--"
"No buts, my lord," replied Merven. "If there be a means you must take
it, when and how you can. I desire, I command you to do so; it will be
two mouths less in the castle, and that is always something.--Stay, I
will ask him what he meant. Perhaps we could dress her as a page, and
send you under a flag of truce to confer with Vere on the terms of
capitulation--but no, it would not do. Tilly is such a brute--you
would almost be as safe within the walls; and his men are not the most
famous for keeping terms, even when solemnly sworn to. I should not
wonder if we were all massacred marching out. But I will ask Herbert
if he knows any other means;" and, taking a step or two forward to the
side of the litter, he drew back the curtain. The moment after, he
turned his face sadly towards Algernon Grey, shaking his head, and
saying, "He can give no answer now."
Herbert's eyes were open, but they were fixed and meaningless. The jaw
had dropped; the hand grasped tight the side of the litter, but it was
already cold as ice.
"Halt, my men," said Merven; "'tis useless bearing him any farther.
Carry him to the gardener's house there;" and he pointed up to a small
stone building lying between the outer and the inner works, some fifty
paces on the left. Then grasping the Earl's hand, he added, "Hasten
down to her and break the tidings; then ask her if she knows any means
of flying from this place; and, if she does, remember it is my most
express command that you guard her safely on the way. They tell me
some one got into the town to-day from without; and if so, there must
be a way hence also."
"It was my poor page, who swam the Neckar," answered Algernon, with a
sad smile; "but I will go and bear my heavy story to poor Agnes."
"Do, do," said Merven; "and I will hasten back into the castle and
send a messenger to Tilly, calling on him as a man and a Christian to
stop the atrocities going on there below. Those shrieks wring my very
heart."
The unfeeling reply to Merven's message is well known; and every
reader of history is aware that for three whole days the town of
Heidelberg was given up to a brutal soldiery.
Algernon Grey walked sadly on, and slowly too; for he shrunk from the
terrible task before him. He did wrong, though unintentionally; for he
calculated not how fast rumour travels, knew not that the utmost speed
was needful to outstrip the winged messengers of evil tidings. He
paused for a moment at the foot of the stairs leading to Agnes's
apartments, which were still in what is called the Electress's
lodging. Then, having made up his mind how to act, and laid vain plans
for breaking the tidings gently, he ascended with a quick step and
opened the door.
Agnes was seated at a table, with her hands pressed over her eyes and
her bosom heaving with heavy sobs; but the moment he entered she
raised her head, started up and cast herself upon his bosom,
murmuring, "Oh, Algernon, Algernon!"
He saw that all had been told; and for his sole reply he pressed her
to his heart in silence.
"Where have they taken him?" she asked at length, wiping away the
tears, which flowed fast again as soon as dried.
"To the gardener's house," he answered, "to the right of the great
casemate."
"I must go thither," she said, "I must go thither. Come with me, dear
Algernon; I have none but you to support me now." And she moved
towards the door, dressed as she was at the moment.
"Nay, throw this veil over you, my love," he said, taking up one that
lay near and putting it over her head. Then, drawing her arm through
his own, he led her down, and, choosing the least frequented paths,
proceeded towards the gardener's house.
The sun was setting: in the mellow evening of an early autumn day; the
sky was clear and bright; the aspect of all nature sparkling and
beautiful; peace and tranquillity breathed forth from the fair face of
all inanimate things; while the tiger in man's heart was defiling with
blood the noblest work of the Creator. The contrast rendered that
whole day more dark, more sad, more terrible, than if heavy
thunderclouds had brooded over the devoted city, or storm and tempest
had swept the valley, overrunning with massacre and crime.
They met several of the soldiery, as they walked on; but, with an
instinctive reverence for sorrow, the men made large way for them to
pass; and Agnes, with trembling steps and weeping eyes, approached the
house where her father's body lay, and entered the room of death. For
an instant she clung almost convulsively to her lover's bosom, when
the fearful sight of the inanimate clay, streaked with the dark blood
of the death-wound, appeared before her; but then, loosening her hold,
with a wild gasp she crept towards the bed, as if afraid to wake him;
and, kneeling down, kissed the cold hand and cheek. She knelt there
long, till the daylight faded, and Algernon gently laid his hand upon
her arm, saying, "Rouse yourself, dearest Agnes! We have his last
commands to obey.--He has given you to me for ever; but has charged me
to convey you hence, if it be possible, before a new assault is made
upon the place, hinting that you could point out the means of flight.
Come, then, into another room, and let us speak of these things."
Agnes rose more calm than he had expected, and, laying her hand on
his, she answered, "Whatever you ask me, I will do, Algernon; but you
must let me watch here this night; I will come now, but it will be to
return again soon; and I will try to clear my thoughts, and tell you
what were the wishes and intentions of him who lies there so sadly
still."
She turned her head from the bed, and, with her eyes cast down,
withdrew into the outer room of the gardener's dwelling, where there
was no one but an old servant; for the chief gardener himself had
removed some weeks before to a more secure abode; and there, seating
herself near the window, she seemed to watch with eyes half
overflowing the last faint streaks of light which hung upon the
western sky.
"He felt that it would end thus, Algernon," she said at length, "and
often talked to me of such evil chances, as if he would prepare my
mind for the event. But it went worse with him lately; for
something--I know not what--had disturbed and grieved him. He spoke
then of sending me to the Electress mother, and seemed doubtful and
anxious; whereas before he had always seemed to feel that, if it were
God's will he should fall, you would protect and defend me."
"It was, my love, that he heard suddenly, and from one who knew not
all the facts," Algernon replied, "that, which he would not listen to
from me."
"I fear it embittered his last hour," said Agnes, gloomily; "for he
left me this morning more sad and careworn than ever. I fear that
doubts and apprehensions for his child, troubled him in the hour of
death."
"Not so, dear one," replied her lover;--"by a happy chance, my page
found means this morning to force his way into the town, having been
sent by me to England; and thus I was enabled to assure him that every
obstacle between me and you was removed for ever. It is a sad and
horrible tale, Agnes, not fitted for ears so pure as yours to hear;
but of this, at all events, be assured, that on that score, at least,
your father's heart was at rest, and that our union has his blessing."
"Oh, thank God!" said Agnes, with a deep-drawn breath, as if the
bitterest part of her sorrow was withdrawn. "These are balmy tidings,
indeed, Algernon. But I recollect not what I was saying.--Yes; it was
that he wished me to go to the Electress Louisa; but, ere his
messenger could return, the passage from the other side was cut off;
and then he would have sent me forth by the passages which lead out
through the rock towards the Wolf's Well, beyond the enemy's posts.
But I could not go alone, and there was no single person with whom he
would trust my safety. If many went, we were sure to be discovered and
stopped, and the peril seemed too great for the occasion."
"Such is not the case, now," answered Algernon, the meaning of
Herbert's words breaking upon him. "You are in far more peril here
than anywhere in the open country. There we should only be made
prisoners. But the storming of a fortress is an awful thing, Agnes,
and there are fates worse than death. However," he continued, as she
bent down her head with a pale cheek, "it is well to be prepared for
any event. Know you the way, dear one? Have you the keys?"
"This is all that is needful," answered Agnes, drawing a key from her
bosom. "He has made me wear this ever since the siege began; and long
ago he taught me all the ways, with a prophetic warning that I might
one day need them."
"I remember your telling me so when first we met," answered her lover;
and they went on to speak of many things connected with their past,
their present, and their future fate, with that desultory
discursiveness in which the mind is fond to indulge in moments of deep
grief. The old servant of the gardener came in upon them to light a
lamp, and recalled them to the present; and the night-drum beating
reminded Algernon Grey that his men were probably still in the
outworks. He loved not to leave Agnes there alone; but she herself was
the first to propose it. "I must go and take my place in that room,"
she said; "and there I will spend the night in prayer. You will leave
me, dear Algernon, for you must be sadly weary. You were in arms all
last night, I know."
"I will leave you for an hour, Agnes, for I must visit the posts," he
answered; "but then I will return and keep watch beside you:--or in
this room, if you would be alone, though there are no feelings between
you and me that the living eyes of him whom we shall watch in death,
might not have seen and sanctioned."
"No," she said; "no; you shall stay here, if you will, when you
return. I own that to have you near me will be a comfort and a
support; but for the time I am there, I would fain be alone. Yet come
with me to the door. I am very weak and foolish; but it is the first
sight of the cold and motionless clay of those we once loved so
dearly, that unnerves the heart."
Algernon Grey took the lamp and guided her to the door, paused when
she hesitated for an instant, gazing forward, and then, when she
advanced steadily carrying the lamp which he had given her, he closed
the door and left her, telling the old man to remain in the outer room
till he returned.
With a quick step the young Englishman hurried up first to the
blockhouse, and thence, by the same paths he had pursued in the
morning, to the terrace and the Cavalier. Everywhere he found the
soldiers dull, heavy, and dispirited. They seemed to mourn for Herbert
as if he had been a father, and to look upon the defence of the castle
as hopeless without him to lead and guide them. In a brief
conversation, the officer commanding in the Cavalier mentioned the
facts which he had himself observed, and besought Algernon to return
to the castle and tell the Governor the state of things at the
outworks.
"It would be better," he said, "to relieve the men at once, and send
troops that have not been accustomed to fight under the poor Colonel's
command. If need be, we can serve elsewhere, but the men are much
fatigued."
There was much reason in what he said; and Algernon, speeding back to
the castle, made his report to the Governor in person. Merven saw at
once the expediency of the arrangements proposed, and promised they
should be made, adding, "Tilly has allowed me to send an officer to
Horace Vere to state exactly our situation, and to ask his commands;
but this fierce Bavarian would not grant a suspension of arms even
till our messenger's return, thinking, I believe, to wear us out with
watching and anxiety, without any intention of renewing the assault at
present. Nevertheless I beg that you would escort the lady hence at
once if you can find means."
Some officers came in at this moment with reports; and Algernon Grey
withdrew to return to the gardener's house. All was quiet and still
within; and, advancing to the door of the room, where he had left
Agnes, he opened it partially, saying, "I have returned, dear girl."
He saw that she was kneeling and in prayer: and, closing the door
again, he dismissed the old man to bed, wrapped his cloak round him,
and seated himself to think.
For more than an hour he remained in meditation; but he was wearied
with long watching and great exertion for the last few days. His eyes
felt heavy; and, ere he had power to resist the influence, he slept.
He was awoke by a quick, sharp, measured tramp; and, turning his ear
he listened. "Fresh men going down to relieve the people at the
outworks," he said--"I cannot have slept long;" and, seating himself
again in the chair from which he had risen, he began to meditate once
more upon his situation. Three minutes had scarcely elapsed when the
report of a cannon made him start up again. Then came a rattling fire
of small-arms, and then a peal of ordnance from the inner works of the
castle. Springing to the door, he ran out, and ascended an outer
staircase which led to a high balcony above. There the view was clear
over the young, lately planted trees of the garden towards the castle;
and, though the night was somewhat dark, it was soon brightened by a
long line of fire that ran along between him and the great casemate.
At the same instant he heard shots and shouts from the side of the
cavalier; and the terrible truth burst upon his mind, that he was
there alone with her he loved best on earth, between two large parties
of the enemy's troops. By some means the imperialists had passed the
outworks, and gained the very foot of the inner defences. All return
to the castle was cut off; and it was vain to hope, that, though they
might be repulsed from the walls of the castle itself, the enemy could
ever be dislodged from the advantageous position they had gained.
Thought was vain. There was no room for exertion. Courage and daring
could do nothing; and all that remained was to save Agnes by flight,
if flight were yet possible.
Hurrying down as speedily as possible, he re-entered the house and
found her he loved in the outer room. "What is it?" she cried, with
eyes full of terror.
"The enemy have gained the home gardens," answered Algernon Grey;
"they are between us and the castle on the one side, and in the
Pheasant-garden on the other. Instant flight, dear Agnes, is our only
chance. You must not hesitate, dear girl--life is but a small
consideration in comparison with what may happen, if we stay--you must
not hesitate."
"Not for an instant," she answered; "it was his command, it is your
wish, and I am ready;--one last look, and I go."
She returned to the room where her father's body lay; and then, after
pressing her lips upon his, came forth, and joined her lover. She wept
not, she trembled not--she was calm and firm; and they issued forth
together, gazing on into the darkness. "This way," said Agnes, in a
low tone; "it is not far.--Hark! how fiercely they are firing; they
will not mind us. Let us pass through the labyrinth of clipped
hornbeam. Under the arches we shall escape all eyes."
Hurrying on through narrow rows of shrubs cut into the form of
arcades, without missing one path or turning, they came to the top of
a large flight of steps, where the whole magnificent scene of a night
attack upon a fortress was displayed to their eyes, by the continual
flashing of the cannon from the bastions, and the long, sudden blaze
of the small-arms discharged by the regiments of arquebusiers below.
Ever and anon the vast masses of the castle started out from the
darkness, illuminated by the broad glare, and then were covered with a
black veil again; while the thunder of the artillery broke, with awful
grandeur, the stillness of the night. The fugitives paused only for a
moment, however; but Agnes whispered, "Let us make haste--day will
soon break;" and the castle clock, almost at the same moment, struck
the hour of four. Algernon Grey counted but three, for the cannon
interrupted the sound; but, hurrying down the steps, they walked along
in the direction of the great terrace till, in the front of the rock
which had been hewn away nearly into a wall, they came to a niche,
before which was placed the statue of a water-god in the midst of a
marble basin.
"Here," said Agnes, "here is the place. Let me feel, where is the
lock?" and she ran her hand over the face of the niche. For nearly a
minute she could not find the key-hole, but at length succeeded; and
the stone door at once gave way, opening the mouth of a narrow
passage.
"Take the key, and lock it," she said, passing in first. Algernon Grey
followed, and closed the door.
"You are safe; I trust you are safe, my beloved!" he cried, throwing
his arms round her.
Agnes made no answer; but he could feel her sob violently upon his
bosom, now that the extreme peril which had roused all her energies
had ceased. He soothed and consoled her to the best of his power; and
then, to engage her mind with other things, inquired, "Whither does
this lead, dear girl?"
"Up into the hills," she answered, "above the Wolfs-well. It was
intended for an aqueduct, I believe, to bring the waters of the stream
down to the castle; but it has never been so used.--Let us on,
Algernon, the bitter parting is over."
Gently and kindly he led her on, feeling the way before him with his
sheathed sword, and supporting the gentle being by his side with his
left arm passed round her. The way was steep, and in some places
rugged; and for full half an hour they went slowly on, hearing from
time to time the tramp of men above them, and the constant roar of the
artillery, showing the castle had not yet fallen. Sometimes the air
was close; but very frequently a spot of dim light was seen on the
left just above the level of their heads; and the cool air blew in
from without. At length the grey dawn could be distinguished streaming
in through the apertures made to ventilate the conduit; and in a
quarter of an hour after, a door presented itself before them--was
easily unlocked--and Agnes and her lover stood upon the side of the
mountain out of sight of Heidelberg.
The fresh grey morning rested soberly upon the hills. The cannonade
had ceased. No sounds broke the stillness of the scene around. The
green Neckar flowed glistening on below. All bore the aspect of peace
and tranquillity; and, pressed in each other's arms, they thanked God
for deliverance, allayed by some sorrow, but still merciful and sweet.
---------------
LETTER FROM AGNES, COUNTESS OF HILLINGDON, TO AMELIA, PRINCESS OF
SOLMS.
Madam,
Not knowing where to address her Majesty, I enclose to you the account
which she required of the events which have befallen me since the 23d
of August last; and I beg that your Highness will present it to her
Majesty, with my humble duty, as soon as an opportunity shall offer.
The signature of this letter will show you that I have not failed to
obey her Majesty's command, conveyed to me by Mr. Carleton, to give my
hand to my Lord the Earl of Hillingdon, sooner than I had myself
proposed.
I trust that your Highness will receive the assurances of unalterable
attachment with which I am
Your Highness's most faithful servant,
AGNES HILLINGDON.
The Hague,
_This_ 29_th October_, 1622.
_Post Scriptum_.--I forgot to mention in the enclosed that the page
joined us three days since, by the boat from Rotterdam, and the ransom
of the old servant who was taken, has been agreed upon for two hundred
French crowns.
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 1: By some authors it is stated that Craven was not at this
time at the electoral court; but of course the chronicle which we copy
is the better authority.]
[Footnote 2: By some historians he is called Baron de Dohna.]
[Footnote 3: Some letters, from a person who pretended to be an
eyewitness, state that Frederic accompanied the Queen and the rest of
the court from Heidelberg to Amberg, in a train of eighteen carriages;
but it is beyond all doubt that he, and the gentlemen who accompanied
him, rode the whole way. The King himself performed the journey to
Altdorf, near two hundred miles, on one horse; there the poor beast
fell dead, and the stuffed skin was to be seen for many years in the
library of that place.]
[Footnote 4: This last secret visit of Frederic to Heidelberg is now I
fancy placed beyond doubt.]
[Footnote 5: This is fact, not romance.]
THE END.
London: Printed by Stewart and Murray, Old Bailey.