Erna sighed as she leaned half over the stone ledge9 upon which the sun lay warmly. The doves were preening10 themselves almost within reach of her touch, and she waved her hand impatiently to frighten them away, since in her untoward11 mood their soft reiterated12 coo vexed13 her ears. She had learned in these days, during which she had been seeking pleasure as she had never sought it before, the meaning of ennui14. She was restless with the awakened15 stir of a hundred desires which demanded continual gratification. She longed for excitement, for the movement of crowds, for the delights of the eye and the lusts16 of the flesh which once would not have awakened in her heart a throb17 of interest. She wanted continually fresh diversions, new sports, strange revels18, rich viands19, all the alluring20 joys of the senses to which she had of old in her innocence21 and ignorance been so indifferent.
This morning she had been urging her husband to take her to court. Charlemagne was at Mayence, and there were echoes of the gay doings there forward which reached even as far as Rittenberg. The countess longed to see the brave shows, the rich pageants22, the gorgeous raiment; to sit at the banquets, and to dazzle the eyes of the gallants with her beauty and her jewels, finer than the queen's own. She had urged upon Albrecht the propriety23 of paying his respects in person to his sovereign; but her entreaties24, her arguments, and her protestations had been alike unavailing. Albrecht was kind in the manner of his refusal, but he was still persistent25 in it, and in the end Erna had found herself utterly26 powerless to change his determination not to leave Rittenberg.
"They tell strange tales of the court," he said in reply to her pleading. "There is more license27 there than it becomes a modest woman to see, and over-much worldliness as well. Surely it were not well to put one's self in a place like this needlessly, beloved."
Erna had answered nothing, but she had left him with a feeling almost like anger in her heart. She knew why he wished to stay at Rittenberg. It was that he might go on with his tiresome28 studies with Father Christopher, to which Albrecht gave more and more time every day. As for the wickedness of the court, she was a married woman, and with a husband to protect her, and one moreover of a bearing so knightly30 as that of Von Waldstein, it was not to be supposed that she could come to any harm. She sighed with fresh impatience31 as she reflected how deeply immersed in the study of spiritual things her husband had become since their marriage. She was not, she assured herself, less fond of him than of old, but it was to the last degree provoking that just as she had learned to appreciate the delight of life, Albrecht should devote so much thought to things which she had laid aside as dull.
As she mused32 in this fashion, looking out of the window as she had looked when Albrecht rode gallantly33 out of the pine forest at the foot of the castle hill on that day when Erna first saw him, once more she heard the note of a bugle-horn in the valley, and once more a knight29 rode out of the covert34 into sight, followed by his men-at-arms. With eager curiosity Erna peered out at the new-comer, and almost instantly her eye caught sight of the pennon of the Von Rittenbergs of Schaffhausen, and understood that the visitor was her cousin, Count Stephen, who was probably on his return from Strasburg, and who had accepted her invitation to repeat his visit to Rittenberg.
For an instant her cheek flushed with vexation, her old dislike of the count reawakening, but instantly her changed taste asserted itself, and she smiled. She watched the train as it rode up to the gate, and then she turned back into her chamber with joyous35 haste. It came into her mind that she could make an impression upon her guest, and she began straightway to consider how she should array herself to go to meet him. She chose from her jewel-case a string of rubies36, and quickly bound it upon her head like a fillet; and as she did so her woman, Fastrade, came to announce to her the arrival of Count von Rittenberg.
The Lady Adelaide reached the great hall before her, and Count Stephen was speaking with the old dame37 with his back to the stairway by which Erna descended38. The countess was already close to him before he perceived her. Then he wheeled suddenly, almost turning his back upon Lady Adelaide in his astonishment39 at the beauty of the woman before him. Erna did not lose one shade of the look of amazement40 and admiration41 which came into his face as he looked at her.
"God's blood!" he cried. "What has come to thee, Cousin? Indeed, this marriage of which they told me at Mayence has made a new creature of thee. I greet thy ladyship, and that I did not send congratulations on thy marriage is no fault of mine, since it was all over before I knew of it."
"It is no matter," replied Erna, giving him her hand and smiling upon him with a pleased sense of companionship which she had never experienced in his presence before; "since thou hast come in person to bring them, we consent to overlook the fact that thou art somewhat tardy42. But hast thou been at Mayence as well as to Strasburg? I did not know that was in thy mind."
"It was not when I left here," he answered, regarding her with so undisguised a look of admiration that she blushed under it and turned aside her eyes; "but being in the way of travelling I pushed on to Mayence, and there I saw the court, and there I heard of thy marriage."
"Fain would we hear of the court," Lady Adelaide said, leading the way to a seat in the broad recess43 of a window. "Sit thee down here, and tell us what thou canst of the doings and the braveries there, while the page brings thee a cup of wine. I hope too, on my soul, that thou hast more wit in speech of woman's apparel than have most of the knights44 I have known, for we would know of the raiment of the queen and her damsels, and in good sooth it is seldom that a knight is cunning enough to tell anything of that sort rightly, albeit45 so simple is it that the most foolish kitchen wench that had but seen the royal train ride past could describe it all."
"And therein is it to be seen that a knight's head is not like that of a foolish kitchen wench," laughed Count Stephen, seating himself comfortably among the cushions beside the two ladies.
"But tell me," Erna said, "from whom didst thou hear of the marriage? It is not likely that it is a topic which is greatly discussed at court."
"The court concerns itself with many a matter that is of less moment," replied he, gallantly; "but it was from a certain Herr von Zimmern that I had the tidings. He was at an inn where I lodged46, and when he heard my name he made bold to speak to me. He is an ill-favored knave47 enough, but a shrewd and a witty48."
"I like him not," Erna answered.
A brief silence followed this remark. Erna was confused by the fact that the count, whom she had found so little to her taste before, should now seem to her so agreeable. It was impossible for her not to see from his admiring looks that he was pursuing a somewhat similar train of thought in regard to her, and at the reflection she blushed faintly once more, with a thrill of gratified vanity.
"But where," Count Stephen broke the silence to ask, "is the Baron49 von Waldstein? I am anxious to meet my new relative, and," he added, with a look into the face of Erna, "my successful rival."
"My husband," she replied, vainly trying to appear as if she had not heard the latter part of his remark, "is with Father Christopher. They study together sometimes."
"God's blood!" cried Von Rittenberg, with a burst of laughter, "hast thou then married a clerk, Cousin? Fain would I see this new master of Rittenberg that studies with a priest. If the Huns come, thou mayst have to call upon the younger branch of the family to defend thee," he added, turning to the Lady Adelaide. "At least we can bear swords if we be only the 'Schaffleute.' We are not to be looked for in the cells of priests."
"Body of Saint Fridolin!" cried Lady Adelaide, in angry return. "It is not to outsiders that we have been forced to look for defence in the past, and it were well that thou seest the new lord before thou speakest scorn of him so lightly. Belike it were not so well were he to hear thee!"
"My husband is here to speak for himself," Erna interposed, rising with great dignity as Albrecht, summoned by a page, came into the hall.
The count looked at the superb figure which advanced toward him, and for an instant he stood struck dumb with astonishment.
"God's blood!" he cried out so loudly that Albrecht heard him half-way across the wide hall. "That is not a man; it is a god!"
"It is the lord of our poor castle!" returned Lady Adelaide, sweeping50 him a sarcastic51 courtesy. "Accept our thanks that thou hast promised to defend it and him from the Huns when they come."
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1
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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3
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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hazes
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| n.（烟尘等的）雾霭( haze的名词复数 )；迷蒙；迷糊；（尤指热天引起的）薄雾v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的第三人称单数 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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8
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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10
preening
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| v.（鸟）用嘴整理（羽毛）( preen的现在分词 ) | |
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untoward
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| adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的 | |
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reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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14
ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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lusts
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| 贪求（lust的第三人称单数形式） | |
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throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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revels
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| n.作乐( revel的名词复数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉v.作乐( revel的第三人称单数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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pageants
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| n.盛装的游行( pageant的名词复数 )；穿古代服装的游行；再现历史场景的娱乐活动；盛会 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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25
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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knightly
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| adj. 骑士般的 adv. 骑士般地 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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32
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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rubies
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| 红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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38
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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39
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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41
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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42
tardy
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| adj.缓慢的，迟缓的 | |
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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44
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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45
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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46
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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47
knave
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| n.流氓；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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48
witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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49
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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50
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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51
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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