The young girl clung still closer to Waldrun, but the latter started up
in alarm and hastily pressed her hand upon Bissula's heart.
"How it throbs!" she murmured. Then, raising her left hand, as if to
keep the youth back, her right drew the folds of her ample cloak over
the brushing girl's sweet face. "Go," she said warningly. "Suspicion
seizes me also. It is ignoble for you to dare utter the words of wooing
to two defenceless women, confusing the girl, and inspiring vain, idle
thoughts. That is not the honorable custom of our people. If your suit
was serious you ought first to have spoken to Suomar, the guardian: he
gives my granddaughter's hand, not she herself. Whoever means marriage
deals with the guardian; whoever seeks mere amusement and dallying
coaxes the girl. Go! I doubt you!"
Adalo laid his hand upon his breast with a gesture of protest, but ere
he could speak Bissula glided from beneath the shelter of her
grandmother's cloak. Her cheeks were glowing; her red locks fairly
bristled; it seemed as if one could almost hear them crackle; her angry
eyes blazed, and springing forward, she pushed the youth with both
hands, but had no power to stir the tall figure.
"Yes, go!" she cried. "I do not doubt. Even Waldrun, who always speaks
in your behalf, distrusts you, and she cannot see your arrogant face,
the victorious smile on your proud lips, the light in your sparkling
eyes! There--see how the feigned expression of good-will vanishes from
your features; how resentfully you rear your head! Ay, that is the
noble, the swift, strong, handsome man, who believes that the god of
wishes must grant every whim, every caprice of his favorite. _You_ mate
with a poor girl! _you_ lead red-haired Bissula to your home! Besides,
I am called Bissula only by my friends; to strangers my name is
Albfledis. Waldrun is right: the blind woman has seen. If you were in
earnest you would have gone to the guardian."
She drew back and seized her grandmother's arm. "Come! let us return to
the house."
But Adalo, his tall figure drawn up to its full height, barred their
way. Grief and anger were contending for the mastery in the expression
of his handsome face.
"I was in earnest, the deepest earnest. Freya knows it. Soon Frigga
will know also. I did not speak to Suomar, because I did not wish, like
most men, to obtain the girl solely by her guardian's command; I
desired not only her hand and her person, but her heart, her love. I
was sure of Suomar."
"Do you hear his arrogance, grandmother?"
"It is not arrogance. What can your uncle bring against me? Nothing!
And we have always been friendly neighbors. He would not have refused
me; but I did not want you as a gift from another, you defiant
creature. I wanted the playmate of my childhood to give herself to me.
Yes, I confess I hoped that she retained from those childish days a
little--just a little affection."
"Presumptuous fellow!"
"And now the hour and the danger loosed my tongue. The Romans are
approaching. Who knows what they may bring us? But you have repulsed me
with undeserved suspicion, disdained my loyal aid. True,"--here his
brow contracted with mingled grief and anger,--"perhaps the foe will
not injure _you_."
"What do you mean?" asked Waldrun. Her tone expressed dread of some
fresh cause for contention between the two young people. Bissula,
without speaking, darted a flashing glance at him.
"For years," Adalo went on with suppressed indignation, "you have had
friends among these hated enemies--at least one friend. Perhaps he will
return hither with the cohorts now threatening us--the wise, eloquent,
and wealthy Senator! Of course a German noble, a 'Barbarian,' cannot
vie with him in gifts of jewels, rare fruit, and foreign flowers. That
I belong to your own people and he to our mortal foes--what care you?
You need, nay perchance you desire, neither marsh nor mountain as a
defence against your--friend!"
"Silence, Adalo! She was then only thirteen. The noble Roman might be
her father, nay, almost her grandfather."
"But he was so clever! He understood how to choose his words so
skilfully that usually I could not comprehend them at all. And
Albfledis was so fond of listening to the language of the foe!"
"At least," the girl hastily retorted, "Ausonius never used the
language of insolent mockery to the child. And since you have provoked
me to it, I tell you: yes, if the noble, kindly Roman should ever come
again and wish, as he did then, to take me with him as his child to his
beautiful country, his splendid pillared mansion,--listen,--I would
rather go with him, his daughter, than listen to you and your
contemptuous suit."
"Stay, Albfledis," said the youth, drawing himself up proudly, "Enough!
My suit? It is ended forever. Never will I repeat it--I swear by this
spear. You have scorned me--have openly preferred the Roman. Hear my
vow, in the presence of your ancestress and the all-seeing sun: Never
again will Adalo woo you. Though the ardent longing of my heart should
consume me, I will die ere I approach you again with words of
entreaty."
"Alas!" wailed the blind woman, "alas for my dearest wish! Is it never
to be fulfilled?"
"If it should be. Mother Waldrun, Albfledis must first come to me in my
hall, and say: 'Adalo, here I am! Take me for your wife!'"
"Oh, what shameless insolence!" cried Bissula, frantic with grief and
rage. Seizing one of the blocks of stone which formed the rude table
before the oak, she tried to hurl it at the hated man. Her little hands
tore at the jagged rock without avail, till the fingers bled, but the
heavy block remained unmoved, and bursting into tears of helpless rage,
she flung herself upon the ground.
The old woman bent over her, listening anxiously to her sobs, but Adalo
had neither seen nor heard aught of these things. Even as he uttered
the last words, he turned his back upon the women, his face dark with
pride and anger, and throwing his spear over his shoulder, leaped down
the slope so swiftly that his yellow locks floated wildly around his
handsome head.