"Body of Saint Fridolin!" Lady Adelaide cried in scandalized horror. "Thou art a changeling. Thou wert never born of our blood; the elf-folk in the forest changed thee in thy cradle. And yet thou art enough of a Von Rittenberg to have thine own way," she muttered under her breath, giving up the vain discussion.
So far as the emperor was concerned, Lady Adelaide was really not much disquieted5 at heart, since with feminine wit she reasoned that when once the thing was done, there was little likelihood that Charlemagne, busy with his wars and the cares of state, would take the trouble of breaking it. She took it upon herself to order that a messenger be ready to set out for Aix-la-Chapelle, where the emperor might perhaps be found at this season, to bear to his Majesty7 the announcement of the alliance and to tender the homage8 of Baron9 Albrecht. It had been suggested that Herr von Zimmern be entrusted10 with this mission, but he refused it.
"I have had you on my hands from your cradle," he said to Albrecht with that strange mingling11 of respect and scorn with which he was wont12 to address his master, "and now that you are disposed of I am to be free. Was not that our bargain?"
"Truly," the baron returned, smiling; "I promised thee thy freedom on my wedding day."
Greatly did Herr von Zimmern seem interested in this marriage, perhaps from this reason, albeit13 his service did not appear to be so irksome that he had great reason to complain of it. He set himself to do whatever might come within the compass of his station to hasten it onward14; and yet it came into the mind of Lady Adelaide, who had not lived the better part of a century without learning something, and who whatever her natural short-comings was still a woman, and thus understood many things which do not appear upon the surface,—it being the kind provision of Nature that women, who cannot compass reason, shall be gifted with intuition,—that he was not in his secret heart so pleased as he took pains to seem. She pondered somewhat upon this contradiction, but she could come to no conclusion in regard to it, and so in the end she ceased troubling herself about it, the rather as she had just at this time many other things with which to cumber15 her head.
There was not long delay in the setting out of the bridal train when the hour had come. At high noon the sound of rebecs and pipes and tambours made merry all the castle as the bridal train moved toward the chapel6. Even as far as the solemn, moaning pine-tops that murmured ever the strange secrets of the wood, the blithe16 strains sounded; and if indeed the wood-folk concerned themselves with the doings of the people in the castle they must this day have understood that the mood of the dwellers17 at Rittenberg was a jocund18 one.
And after the musicians came the pages, all in brave attire19; and after the pages walked the damsels, shining and glowing in raiment bright and gay, and decked with many a gaud of gold and jewel; and behind the damsels came the bride herself in all her state and all her fairness. The Countess Erna was clad all in white, her long robe, which was trimmed with the snowy down from the breasts of swans, borne behind her by a pair of pretty pages, scarce large enough for even that weight. About her neck were wound strings20 of pearls, so large and so many that the ivory throat was scarcely to be seen because of them. In her hair was the tuft of white heron's feathers which marked her rank as head of the Von Rittenbergs, held in place by a single pearl so large and so round and of so silvery lustre21 that it was a wonder to see. The gem22 had been given to her father by a Greek whose life he had saved long ago in one of the emperor's campaigns in Italy, and never before had Erna worn it.
After the countess followed Lady Adelaide and those of the damsels of the castle who pertained23 rather to her than to her niece, although, to say sooth, so little state had Erna kept hitherto that all the maidens24 had seemed to belong to her aunt more than to her; and behind, at a proper distance, came those of the household who were not of consequence to walk with the bridal train itself.
The Baron Albrecht, for his part, was on this day clad in green velvet25 of the color of a beech-leaf in the shade, slashed26 with samite of the hue27 of the same foliage28 when the sun shines upon it. Richly was his raiment wrought29 in gold with curious devices of leaf and blossom, and set thickly with gems30 which made the eyes blink to look at them, so bright was their radiance. The clasps of his mantle31, and even those of his sandals were of precious stones, while about his neck was a collar of jewels such as had never before been seen at Rittenberg. On his cap of marten's fur was fastened a carbuncle as large as the egg of the wood-pigeon and as red as the heart's blood of a rock-dove when it is spilled upon the bird's white breast.
All of the retainers of the castle were there to witness the marriage, and even some of the serfs crept unrebuked to the doors of the chapel, where they could hear most of the service and haply see a little, albeit it was not to be expected that they could understand if they did hear, although under the pious32 rule of Countess Erna they were commanded to attend Mass.
The solemn words were said at last, and with an emotion which was unusual, Father Christopher united the maid whose guardian33 he had been from her earliest infancy34 to the knight. Even at the altar there came upon the priest a dim and nameless fear what might be the results of this marriage. In the elevation35 of that hallowed moment he seemed to catch some faint glimpse of startling possibilities which were to depend upon the union, of momentous36 consequences which transcended37 the bounds of ordinary experiences, and of some mystery that thrilled him without his being able to grasp or to understand it. He felt for the instant a wonderful uplifting, as of one called to take part in some mighty38 conflict, of which the outcome was doubtful, but in which the cause was glorious. It was as if he were seized upon by some mystic power such as thrills the heart of a seer in the moment of his ecstasy39; as if his hand almost touched some profound and mighty secret upon which depended the fate of mankind. As if in a vision he felt about him the might of the forest and the terror of its witchery; the powers of night and of hell seemed to surge around him in awful conflict with those of light; he was as if for the moment rapt away from the holy place in which he stood, and encompassed40 by the blackness in which the wild and dread41 beings of the wilderness42 worked their sinful spells against mankind.
Only an instant did the vision, if vision it were, hold him, and then the candles upon the altar shone again upon him; but the soul of Father Christopher was filled with wild surmise43 and strange questionings what this might mean. He pronounced the nuptial44 benediction45 with lips that hardly knew what they said, and with eyes which scarcely saw the pair kneeling before him in all the glory of youth and beauty and the bravery of their splendid attire.
It was to be expected that Erna should be deeply affected46 by the rite47 which bound her for life and death to the knight by her side. Her religious nature was keenly susceptible48 to all the offices of the Church, and although she might at this moment be strongly swayed by passion and by personal sentiment, the occasion was one of too much solemnity to fail of touching49 her profoundly. What most impressed the good priest was the reverential bearing of the groom50 during the rite. There was in the mien51 of Albrecht a gravity and a respect which was to Father Christopher surprising, accustomed as he was to the levity52 and joyousness53 of the knight. The baron seemed even more serious and religious in his attitude than the bride, so that the priest could not but wonder at this reversal of their usual attitudes.
After the ceremony there was a feast in the great hall of the castle, and not a little wine was drunk, albeit the most of it was consumed below the salt. Never had Albrecht been so gay. The seriousness which Father Christopher had noted54 in the chapel had vanished, and he was like a roistering, jocund woodland god, overflowing55 with merriment. His mirth was contagious56, and as he jested and sang, and in gleeful wise teased the Lady Adelaide, even the priest was constrained57 to laugh until the tears ran down upon his wrinkled cheeks.
It was after the feast was over, and the torches had been lighted, that Herr von Zimmern approached Erna.
"Gracious lady," he said, "I have ventured to provide a pastime for your wedding day. As we came hither through the forest the other day, we met a band of wandering gypsies from the South. They are skilful58 in the song and the dance, and I ventured to bid them to be here to-night. They are in the courtyard, and await your presence to begin their sports."
Erna hesitated a little, even while she thanked him; but Albrecht sprang up joyously59.
"Oh, the gypsies!" he cried. "They are almost as good as the wood-folk themselves, for they live in the open air and love the forest."
Seeing that her husband was pleased, Erna yielded despite whatever secret disinclination she may have felt, and the company went out upon a balcony that overlooked the courtyard. There in a gay and picturesque60 group under the flaring61 torches were the wandering band, their tawdry finery showing in the wavering and uncertain light like real bravery of attire. The jugglers tossed the glittering balls; the dancers twined themselves lightly through the measures of their strange dances, and the poor tame bear was made to go clumsily through his uncouth62 antics. The serfs were clustered in wondering knots in the shadows; the torches flamed, and the quaint63 instruments of the vagrant64 musicians sounded weirdly65 on the night air in the plaintive66 tunes67 of the wild folk. Erna felt an unknown feeling stealing over her, as if some incantation were being performed which was to transform her into a new creature. She fancied that secretly Herr von Zimmern watched her steadily68; and half in pleasure and half in fear she shrank close to her husband's side, as if in him were strength and reliance.
At length a gypsy girl came forward into the ring which her fellows made for her, and after a short prelude69 on the instruments of the musicians, began to sing. Her voice was of passionate70 sweetness, full of the languor71 of the South, the luxurious72 sensuousness73 which is as sweet as love and as enervating74. Erna's whole body trembled with a sensation such as she had never known, and she seemed to herself at once to cling closer to Albrecht and to desire to flee from him. The song was one of the gypsy's life and love.
"When day is breaking,
The gypsy, waking,
His way is taking
Through thicket75 and thorn.
No bird upward sailing
On glad wing prevailing76,
More jocund is hailing
The gay, laughing morn.
"No walls may cage him,
No cares engage him,
No wars enrage77 him,
No castles can hold;
He roams with the breezes,
He loves where he pleases,
Ambition ne'er teases
His heart free and bold.
"The gypsy lover
From dreams that hover78
Awakes to discover
His loved one nigh;
Oh, the joy of the hour
When hid in some bower79
His passion's full power
No word can deny!
"Then lip to lip meeting,
Gives love's fullest greeting,
And hearts hotly beating
Respond each to each.
Then breast to breast straining
Fresh raptures80 is gaining,
And past all restraining
Love's ecstasies81 reach!"
Despite herself, Erna felt the hot blushes chasing one another over her face. She leaned backward to be in the shadow, while Albrecht bent82 over to touch under the chin the damsel Elsa, who stood close by behind the chair of the Lady Adelaide.
"By my sword!" he cried gayly; "but the gypsy maid's song is of warmer stuff than thine."
Herr Frederich chuckled83, and Erna flushed more deeply still.
"Come," she said, rising, "we have had enough. The night air is becoming chill."
"And besides," Herr Frederich said softly, "it is time that the bride were conducted to her chamber84."
She turned away from him, giving no sign if she heard; and the little party returned to the great hall, where indeed the maidens of the castle soon assembled to lead Erna to the bridal chamber, to the white and perfumed bride-bed which Father Christopher had blessed with prayer in his soul no less than upon his lips.
All white and blessed, like a blossom of the hawthorne over whose snow the flush of early morn casts a rosy85 tint86, Erna lay to await the quick coming of the bridegroom, while the unknown world of married love stretched out before her, mystic, enticing87, yet not without dread. One by one the steps of her maidens died down the corridor, and ringing upon its stone floor she heard the footsteps of Albrecht, swift with eagerness. And as if with an instinct half prophetic she almost comprehended that this marriage meant the saving or the wrecking88 of souls; so that when her husband came into the chamber and bent over to kiss her, warm and flushed, and glowing with love and with laughter, she threw her arms about his neck with sudden and inexplicable89 tears.
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1
savoring
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| v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的现在分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝 | |
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impiety
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| n.不敬；不孝 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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disquieted
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| v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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15
cumber
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| v.拖累，妨碍；n.妨害；拖累 | |
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16
blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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17
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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18
jocund
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| adj.快乐的，高兴的 | |
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19
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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21
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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22
gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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23
pertained
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| 关于( pertain的过去式和过去分词 )； 有关； 存在； 适用 | |
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24
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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25
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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26
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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27
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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28
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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29
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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30
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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31
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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32
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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33
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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34
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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35
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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36
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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37
transcended
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的过去式和过去分词 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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38
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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39
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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40
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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41
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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42
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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43
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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44
nuptial
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| adj.婚姻的，婚礼的 | |
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45
benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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46
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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47
rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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48
susceptible
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| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
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49
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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50
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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51
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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52
levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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53
joyousness
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| 快乐，使人喜悦 | |
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54
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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55
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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56
contagious
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| adj.传染性的，有感染力的 | |
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57
constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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58
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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59
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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60
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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61
flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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62
uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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63
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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64
vagrant
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| n.流浪者，游民；adj.流浪的，漂泊不定的 | |
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65
weirdly
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| 古怪地 | |
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66
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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67
tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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68
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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69
prelude
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| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
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70
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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71
languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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72
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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73
sensuousness
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| n.知觉 | |
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74
enervating
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| v.使衰弱，使失去活力( enervate的现在分词 ) | |
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75
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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76
prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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77
enrage
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| v.触怒，激怒 | |
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78
hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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79
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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80
raptures
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| 极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 ) | |
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81
ecstasies
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| 狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 )； 出神； 入迷； 迷幻药 | |
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82
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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83
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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84
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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85
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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86
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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87
enticing
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| adj.迷人的；诱人的 | |
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88
wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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89
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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