when they stopped Gotz rose, and then presently all the others vanished
from the chamber. Yet were we not long suffered to enjoy each other's
fellowship, inasmuch as he himself had ordered his horse, to the end that
he might ride forth spite of the lateness of the hour to the forest. His
servingman, himself the son of a forester, had been there already to
desire Grubner, the headman, to bid my uncle to his dwelling early on the
morrow, and the good son purposed there to gladden himself by meeting his
father, after that he had greeted the house unseen in the darkness.
But how hard it was to part after so brief a meeting from this newly-
found and best-beloved lover, and to see the weary traveller fare forth
once more into the dark night. And how few words in secret had we as yet
spoken, how little had we discussed what might befall on the morrow, and
how he should demean himself to his mother!
To my humble entreaty that he would set aside the unnatural and sinful
oath which forbade him to enter his parents' house he had turned a deaf
ear. Yet how lovingly had he given me to understand his stern refusal,
which I justly deserved, inasmuch as I knew full well the meaning of an
oath; and yet I besought him with all my heart to send away his horse,
and bid me not farewell when welcome had scarce been spoken. On the
morrow it would be a joy to me to ride forth with him, and my uncle could
never chafe at a few short hours' delay.
All this poured from my lips smoothly and warmly enough, and he calmly
heard me to the end; but then he solemnly declared to me that, sweet as
he might deem it to have me by his side to keep him company, it might not
be; and he set forth clearly and fully how he had ordered the matter
yestereve, and I looked up at him as to a general who foresees and
governs all that may befall, to the wisest ends. So steadfast and clear
a purpose I had never met; howbeit, Mother Eve's part in me was ill-
content. It was too much for me to suffer that he should depart, and,
like the fool that I was, the desire possessed me to bend to my will this
man of all men, whose stiff-necked will was ever as firm as iron.
I began once more to beseech him, and this time he broke in, declaring
that, say what I would, he must depart, and therewith he pulled the hood
of his cloak over his head so that his well-favored, honest brown face,
with its pointed beard, framed as it were in the green cloth, looked down
on me, the very image of manly beauty and mild gravity.
My heart beat higher than ever for joy and pride at calling the heart of
such a man mine own, and therewith my desire waxed stronger to exert my
power. And I knew right well how to get the upper-hand of my lovers. My
Hans had never said me nay when I had entreated him with certain wiles.
And whereas I had in no wise forgotten my tricks, I took Gotz by the hem
of his hood and drew his dear head down to my face. Then I rubbed my
nose against his as hares do when they sniff at each other, put up my
lips for a kiss, stood on tip-toe, offered him my lips from afar, and
whispered to him right sweetly and beseechingly:
"And, in spite of all, now you are to be my good, dear heart's treasure,
and will do Margery's bidding when she entreats you so fondly and will
give you a sweet kiss for your pains."
But I had reckoned vainly. The reward for which my Hans modestly served
me, this bold warrior cared not to win. His bearded lips, to be sure,
were ready enough to meet mine, nor was he content with one kiss only;
but, as soon as he had enjoyed the last, he took both my hands tight in
his own, and said solemnly but sweetly:
"Do you not love me, Margery?" And when I had hastily declared that I
did, he went on in the same tone, and still holding my bands: "Then you
must know, once for all, that I could refuse you nought, neither in great
matters nor small, unless it were needful. Yet, when once I have said,"
and he spoke loud, "nothing can move me in the very least. You have
known me from a child, and of your own free will you have given yourself
over to this iron brain. Now, kiss me once more, and bear me no malice!
Till to-morrow. Out in the forest, please God, we will belong to each
other for many a long day!"
Therewith he clasped me firmly and truly in his arms, and I willingly and
hotly returned his kiss, and or ever I could find a word to reply he had
quitted the chamber. I hastened to the window, and as he waved his hand
and rode off down the street facing the snow-storm, I pressed my hand to
my breast, and rarely has a human being so overflowed with pure gladness
at being twice worsted in the fray, albeit I had forced it on myself.
How I returned home I know not; but I know that I had rarely knelt at my
prayers with such fervent thanksgiving, and that meseemed as though my
mother in Heaven and my dead Hans likewise must rejoice at this which had
befallen me.
As I lay in bed, or ever I slept, all that was fairest in my past life
came back to me as clearly as if it were living truth, and first and
chiefest I saw myself as little Red-riding-hood, under the forest-trees
with Gotz, who did me a thousand services and preferred me above all
others till, for Gertrude's sake, he departed beyond seas, and set my
childish soul in a turmoil.
Then came the joy and the pain I had had by reason of the loves of
Herdegen and Ann, and then my Hans crossed my path, and how glad I was to
remember him and the bliss he had brought me! But or ever I had come to
the bitterest hour of my young days, sleep overcame me, and the manly
form of Gotz, steeled by much peril and strife for his life, came to me
in my dreams; and he did not, as Hans would have done, give me his hand;
Oh no! He snatched me up in his arms and carried me, as Saint
Christopher bears the Holy Child, and strode forward with a firm step
over plains and abysses, whithersoever he desired; and I suffered him to
go as he would, and made no resistance, and felt scarce a fear, albeit
meseemed the strong grip of his iron arm hurt me. And thus we went on
and on, through ancient mountain-forests, while the boughs lashed my face
and I could look into the nests of the eagles and wood-pigeons, of the
starlings and squirrels. It was a wondrous ramble; now and then I gasped
for breath, yet on we went till, on the topmost bough of an oak, behold,
there was Lorenz Abenberger, and the evil words he spoke made me wake up.
After this I could sleep no more, and in thought I followed Gotz through
the snow-storm. And in spirit I saw Waldtrud, the fair daughter of
Grubner, the chief forester, bidding him welcome, and giving him hot
spiced wine after his cold ride, and sipping the cup with her rosy lips.
Hereupon a pang pierced my heart, and methought indeed how well favored
a maid was the forester's daughter, and not more than a year older than
I, and by every right deemed the fairest in all the forest. And the evil
fiend jealousy, which of yore had had so little hold over me that I could
bear to see my Hans pay the friendliest court to the fairest maidens, now
whispered wild suspicions in mine ear that Gotz, with his bold warrior's
ways, might be like enough to sue for some light love-tokens from the
fair and mirthful Waldtrud.
Howbeit, I presently called to mind the honest eyes of my new heart's
beloved, and that brought me peace; and how I was struck with horror to
think that I had known the sting of that serpent whom men call jealousy.
Must it ever creep in where true love hath found a nest? And if indeed
it were so, then--and a hot glow thrilled through me--then the love which
had bound me to Hans Haller had been a poor manner of thing, and not the
real true passion.
No, no! Albeit it had worn another aspect than this brand new flame,
which I now felt burning and blazing up from the early-lighted and long
smouldering fire, nevertheless it had been of the best, and faithful and
true. Albeit as the betrothed of Hans Haller I had been spared the pangs
of jealousy, I owed it only to the great and steadfast trust I had gladly
placed in him. And Gotz, who had endured so much anguish and toil to be
faithful to his other sweetheart, was not less worthy of my faith, and it
must be my task to fight against the evil spirit with all the strength
that was in me.
Then again I fell asleep; and when, as day was breaking, I woke once more
and remembered all that had befallen me yestereve, I had to clutch my
shoulders and temples or ever I was certain that indeed my eyes were open
on another day. And what a day! My heart overflowed as I saw, look
which way I might, no perils, none, nothing, verily nothing that was not
well-ordered and brought to a good end, nothing that was not a certainty,
and such a blessed certainty!
I rose as fresh and thankful as the lark, my Cousin Maud was standing,
as yet not dressed and with screws of paper in her hair, in front of the
pictures of my parents, casting a light on their faces from her little
lamp; and it was plain that she was telling them, albeit without speech,
that her life's labor and care had come to a happy issue, and I was
irresistibly moved to fly to her brave and faithful heart; and although,
while we held each other in an embrace, we found no words, we each knew
full well what the other meant.
After this, in all haste we made ready to set forth, and the Magister
came down to us in the hall, inasmuch as my cousin had called him. He
made his appearance in the motley morning gabardine which gave him so
strange an aspect, and to my greeting of "God be with 'ee !" he gaily
replied that he deemed it wasted pains to ask after my health.
Then, when he had been told all, at first he could not refrain himself
and good wishes flowed from his lips as honey from the honey-comb; and he
was indeed a right merry sight as, in the joy of his heart, he clapped
his arms together across his breast, as a woodhewer may, to warm his
hands in winter. On a sudden, however, he looked mighty solemn, and when
Cousin Maud, bethinking her of Ann, spoke kindly to him, saying that
matters were so in this world, that one who stood in the sun must need
cast a shadow on other folks, the Magister bowed his head sadly and
cried: "A wise saying, worthy Mistress Maud; and he who casts the shade
commonly does so against his will, 'sine ira et studio'. And from that
saying we may learn--suffer me the syllogism--that, inasmuch as all
things which bring woe to one bring joy to another, and vice-versa, there
must ever be some sad faces so long as there is no lack of happy ones.
As to mine own poor countenance, I may number it indeed with those in
shadow--notwithstanding"--here his flow of words stopped on a sudden.
Howbeit, or ever we could stay him, he went on in a loud and well-nigh
triumphant voice. "Notwithstanding I am no wise woeful--no, not in the
least degree. I have found the clue, and who indeed could fail to see
it: Your shadow can fall so black on me only by reason that you stand in
the fullest sunshine! As for me, it is no hard matter for me to endure
the blackness of night; and may you, Mistress Margery, for ever and ever
stand in the glory of light, henceforth till your life's end."
As he spoke he upraised his eyes and hands to heaven as in prayer, and
without bidding us "Vale," or "Valete," as was his wont, he gathered his
gaudy robe and fled up-stairs again.
The storm was yet as heavy as it had been yestereve; howbeit, though
Bayard sank into the snow so deep that I swept it with the hem of my
kirtle, yet the ride to the forest-lodge meseemed was as short as though
I had flown. Cousin Maud would ride slowly in the sleigh, so I suffered
her to creep along, and presently outstripped her.
Gotz and I had yestereve agreed that I should first see Aunt Jacoba, and
then meet him at Grubner's lodge to report of what mind she might seem to
be. Ann had no choice but to stay at home, inasmuch as she must be in
attendance at the Cardinal's homecoming.
No one in all the dear old forest home was aware of my coming save the
gate warden. My uncle had ridden forth at an early hour, and was not yet
returned, but my aunt I found below stairs, strange to say, against her
wont, dressed and in discourse with the chaplain. Peradventure then her
husband had already made known to her what had taken him forth to
Grubner's dwelling, and if so he had lifted a heavy task from me, for
indeed my whole soul yearned to this dearly-beloved aunt, yet meseemed it
was no light matter to prepare her, who was so feeble and yet so self-
willed, for the joy and the strife of soul which awaited her. The board
was spread for them as it were, and yet she and Gotz, by their baleful
oath, had barred themselves from tasting of that bread and that cup.
I crossed the threshold in trembling, and as soon as she beheld me she
cried out, with burning cheeks, which glowed not so, for sure, from the
blaze in the chimney: "Margery, Margery! And so happy as she looks!
You have seen your uncle, child, and can tell me wherefor he is gone
forth?"
I told her truly that I had not; and then bid her rejoice with me,
inasmuch as that all the price of Herdegen's ransom had been paid and,
best of all, that we had good tidings of our brothers' well-being.
Then she was fain to know when and through whom, and made enquiry in such
wise as though she had some strong suspicion; and I answered her as
calmly as I might, that a pilgrim from the East had come to us yestereve,
a right loyal and worthy gentleman, whom, indeed, I hoped to bring to her
knowledge.
But I might say no more by reason that her eyes on a sudden flashed up
brightly, and she vehemently broke in:
"Chaplain, Chaplain! Now what do you say? When the old man rode forth
so early this morning, and bid me farewell in so strange a wise, then--
hear me, Margery--he likewise spoke to me of a messenger from the East
who rode into the city yestereve--just as you say. But it was not of
Herdegen that he brought tidings, but of him--of him--of Gotz that he
had sure knowledge. And when the old man told me so much as that, for
certain somewhat lay behind it.--And now, Margery--when I see you--when I
consider. . . ." Here, as I cast a meaning glance at the Chaplain, on
a sudden she shrieked with such a yell as pierced my bones and marrow;
and or ever I saw her, her weak, lean hand had clutched my wrist, and she
cried in a hoarse voice:
"Then you, you have hid somewhat from me! The look wherewith you warned
the Chaplain, oh! I marked it well.--And you hesitate--and now--you--
Margery--Margery! By Christ's wounds I ask you, Margery. What is it?--
What of Gotz? Has he.... out with it--out with the truth.... Has he
written?--No.--You shake your head.... Merciful Virgin! He--he--Gotz is
on his way Home wards." And she clapped her hands over her face. I fell
on my knees by her side, dragged first her left hand and then her right
hand away from her eyes, covered them with kisses, and whispered to her:
"Yes, yes, Aunt, Mother, sweet, dear little mother! Only wait--You shall
hear all. Gotz is weary of wandering; he had not forgotten his father
and mother, nor me, his little Red-riding-hood--I know it, I am sure of
it. Patience! only a little patience and he will be here--in Germany, in
Franconia, in Nuremberg, in the forest, in the house, in this hall, here,
here where I am kneeling, at your feet, in your arms!"
Then the deeply-moved dame, who had listened to me breathless, flung her
hands high in the air as if she were seeking somewhat, and it was as
though her eyes turned inside out; and I was seized with sudden terror,
inasmuch as I deemed that she had drunk death out of the overfull cup of
joy that my hand had put to her lips. Howbeit, it was but a brief swoon
which had come upon her, and as soon as she had come to herself again and
I had told her the whole truth, little by little and with due caution,
even that Gotz and I had found each other and both fervently and
earnestly longed for her motherly blessing, she gave it me in rich
abundance.
Now was it my part to make known to her that her returned son held fast
to his oath; and I had already begun to tell her this when she waved her
hands, and eagerly broke in: "And do you think I ever looked that he, who
is a Waldstromer and a Behaim both in one, should ever break a vow? And
of a truth he hath given me time enough to consider of it!--But to-day,
this very day, early in the morning I found the right way out of the
matter, albeit it is as like a trick of woman's craft as one egg is like
another.--You know that reckless oath. It requires me never, never to
bid Gotz home again; but yet,"--and now her eyes began to sparkle
brightly with gladness--"what my oath does not forbid is that I should go
forth to meet Gotz, and find him wheresoever he may be."
Hereupon the Chaplain clapped his hands and cried:
"And thus once more the love of a woman's heart hath digged a pit for
Satan's craft."
And I ran forth to bid them harness the sleigh, whereas I knew full well
that no counsel would avail.
And now, as of yore when she had fared into the town for love of Ann, she
was wrapped in a mountain of warm garments, so we clothed her to-day in a
heap of such raiment, and Young Kubbeling would suffer no man but himself
to drive the horses. Thus we went at a slow pace to Grubner's lodge, and
all the way we rode we met not a soul save Cousin Maud, and she only
nodded to me, by reason that she could not guess that a living human
creature was breathing beneath the furs and coverlets at my side. Young
Kubbeling on the box, and the ravens and tomtits and redbreasts in the
woods had not many words from us. While I was thinking with fear and
expectation of the outcome of this meeting of the mother and son, I
scarce spoke more than a kind word of good cheer now and again to my
aunt, to which Kubbeling would ever add in a low voice: "All will come
right!" or "God bless thee, most noble lady!" And each time we thus
spoke I was aware of a small movement about my knees, and would then
press my lips to the outermost cover of the beloved bundle by my side.
At about two hundred paces from the Forester's but the path turned off
from the highway, so that we might be seen from the windows thereof; and
scarce had the sleigh turned into this cross-road, when the door of the
lodge was opened and my uncle and Gotz came forth.
The son had his arm laid on his father's shoulder and they gazed at us.
And indeed it was a noble and joyful sight as they stood there, the old
man and the young one, both of powerful and stalwart build, both grown
strong in wind and weather, and true and trustworthy men. The slim young
pine had indeed somewhat overtopped the gnarled oak, but the crown of the
older tree was the broader. Such as the young man was now the old man
must have been, and what the son should one day be might be seen--and I
rejoiced to think it--in his father's figure and face. Howbeit, as a
husband Gotz gave no promise of treading in his father's footsteps, and
when I thought of this, and of the lesson I had yestereve received, my
cheeks grew redder than they had already turned in the sharp December
air, or under the gaze of my new lover.
Howbeit I had no time for much thought; the sleigh was already at the
door, and or ever I was aware the old man had me in his arms and kissed
my lips and brow, and called me his dear and well-beloved daughter. Then
the younger man pressed forward to assert his claims, and when he bent
over me I threw my arms round his neck, and he lifted me up, for all that
I was none of the lightest in my winter furs and thick raiment, out of
the sleigh like a child, and again his lips were on mine. But we might
not suffer them to meet for more than a brief kiss. Uncle Conrad had
discovered my aunt's face among all her wrappings, and gave loud
utterance to his well-founded horror, while my aunt cried out to her
long-lost son by name again and again, with all the love of a longing
and long-robbed mother's heart.
I gladly set my lover free, and at the next minute he was on his knees in
the snow and his trembling hands removed wrap after wrap from the beloved
head, Kubbeling helping him from the driving-seat with his great hands,
purpled by the cold.
And again in a few minutes the mother was covering her only son's head
with tender kisses, so violently and so long that her strength failed her
and she fell back on the pillows, overdone.
Hereupon Gotz bowed over her, and as he had erewhile lifted his
sweetheart out of the sleigh, so now he lifted his mother; and while he
held her thus in his arms and bore her into the house, not heeding the
kerchiefs which dropped off by degrees and lay in a long line covering
the ground behind her, as coals do which are carried in a broken scuttle,
she cried in a trembling voice: "Oh you bad, only boy, you my darling and
heart-breaker, you noble, wicked, perverse fellow! Gotz my son, my own
and my All!"
And when she had found a place in the warm room, in the head forester's
wife's arm-chair by the fire, I removed her needless raiment and Gotz
sank down at her feet, and she took his head in her hands, and cried:
"I did not wait for you to come, but flew to meet you, my lad, by reason
that, as you know--I took a sinful oath never to bid you to come home.
But oath and vow are nought; they are null and void! I have learned from
the depths of my heart that Heaven had nought to do with them--that it
was pure pride and folly; and I bid you home with my whole heart and
soul, and beseech your forgiveness for all the sorrow we have brought
upon each other, and I will have and keep you henceforth, and nought
else here on earth! Ah, and Gertrude, poor maid! She would have been
heartily, entirely welcome to me as at this day, were it not that there
is another maiden who is dearest to my heart of all the damsels on
earth!"
Then was there heartfelt embracing and kissing on both parts, and, as I
saw her weep, I made an unspoken vow that if the eyes of this mother and
her son should ever shed tears again I would be the last to cause them,
and that I would ever be ready and at hand to dry them carefully away.
I mind me likewise that I then beheld fair Waldtrud, the forester's
daughter, inasmuch as she full heartily wished me joy; yet I remember
even better that I felt no pang of jealousy, and indeed scarce looked at
the wench, by reason that there were many other matters of which the
sight gave me far greater joy.
It was a delightful and never-to-be-forgotten hour, albeit over-short;
by my uncle's desire we ere long made ready to go homewards. Now when
Gotz was carrying his mother from the hot chamber to the sleigh,
and I was left looking about me for certain kerchiefs of my aunt's,
I perceived, squatted behind the great green-tiled stove, Young Kubbeling
in a heap, and with his face hidden in his hands. He moved not till I
spoke to him; then he dried his wet eyes with his fur hood, and when I
laid my hand on his shoulder he drew a deep breath, and said:
"It has been a moving morning, Mistress Margery. But it will all come
right. It has come upon me as a sharp blow to be sure; and I have no
longer any business here in the forest, all the more so by reason that I
have children and grandchildren at home who have looked over-long for the
old man's home-coming. I will set forth to-morrow early. To tell the
truth to none but you, I cannot endure to be away from the old place a
longer space than it takes to go to Alexandria and back. My old heart
is grown over-soft and weary for an absence of two journeys. And yet
another matter for your ear alone: You will be the wife of a noblehearted
man, but mind you, he has long been free to wander whithersoever he
would. Take it to heart that you make his home dear and happy, else it
will be with you as it is with my old woman, who hath never mastered that
matter, and who lives alone for more days in the year than ever we
dreamed the morning we were wed."
Hereupon we went forth together; and I took his counsel to heart, and
Gotz never left me for any long space of time, save when he must.
As for Kubbeling, he kept his word and departed from us on the morrow
morning; yet we often saw him again after that time, and the finest
falcon in our mews is that he sent us as a wedding gift; and after our
marriage Ann received a fine colored parrot as a gift from old Uhlwurm,
and the old man had made it speak for her in such wise that it could say
right plainly: "Uhlwurm is Ann's humble servant."
We now spent two days at the forest lodge in bliss, as though paradise
had come down on earth; and albeit it is a perilous thing to rejoice in
the love of a man who has wandered far beyond seas, yet has it this good
side: that many matters which to another seem far away and out of reach,
he deems near at hand, and half the world is his as it were. And how
well could Gotz make me to feel as though I shared his possession!