CHAPTER XV
THE LITTLE PLAYMATE SETTLES ACCOUNTS
But I admit that the smile discouraged me. Nevertheless I proceededgallantly.
"Ah, Jungfrau Texel," said I, "you cannot know how your presencebrightens our lives here in the Red Tower. Wherefore will you not comeoftener to our grim abode?"
I thought that, on the whole, pretty well; but, looking up at Helene, Isaw that her smile (so different from that of the Io-Cow Katrin) hadbecome a whole volume of scathing satire. God wot, it is not easy to makelove to a lass when your "Little Sister" is listening--especially to awoman-mountain set on watch-springs like Katrin Texel.
But, after all, Katrin was no ways averse to love-making of any kind,which, after all, is the main thing. And as for the Little Playmate, Idid not mind her a bonnet-tag. She had brought it upon herself.
Michael Texel indeed!
So I went on. It was excellent sport--such a jest as may not be playedevery day. I would show Mistress Helene (so I said to myself) whether shewould like it any better if I made love to Katrin than if I went over onan occasional wet day to clean pistolets and oil French musketoons inChristian's guard-house.
So I began to tell Katrin how that woman was the sacredest influence onthe life of men, with other things as I could recollect them out of abook of chivalry which I had been reading, the fine sentiments of whichit was a pity to waste. For our Helene would have stamped her foot andboxed my ears for coming nigh her with such nonsense (that is, at thistime she would, doubtless--not, however, always). And as for the lassover the way--Christian's Elsa--she knew no more of letters than herfather knew of the mathematics. Plain kissing was more in her way--as Ihave been told.
So I aired my book of chivalry to Katrin Texel.
"Fair maid," said I, "have you heard the refrain of the song that I loveso well? It is like sweet music to me to hear it. I love sweet music.This is the latest catch:
"'My true love hath my heart and I have his.'
"How goes it, Helene?" I asked, turning to her as she stood smilingbitterly by the window. For I knew that it would annoy her to be referredto. "Goes it not something like this?"
And I hummed fairly enough:
"'My true love hath my heart and I have his.'"***"And if it goes like that," said she, quickly, "it goeth like a tomcatmollrowing on the tiles in the middle of the night."
Now this being manifestly only spiteful, I took no notice of her work."Helene does not love good music," said I; "'tis her only fault. But Itrust that you, dear Katrin, have a greater taste for angelic song?"
"And I trust you love to scratch upon the twangling zither as catssharpen their claws upon the bark of trees? You love such music, _dear_Katrin, do you not?" cried Helene over her shoulder from the window.
But Katrin, the divine cow, knew not what to make of us. I think she wasof the opinion that Helene and I, with much study upon books, hadsuddenly gone mad.
"I do indeed love music," she said at last, uncertainly, "but, MasterHugo, not the kind of which my gossip, Helene, speaks. I love best of alla ballad of love, sung sweetly and with a melting expression, as from alover by the wall to his mistress aloft in the balcony, like that of himof Italy, who sings:
"'O words that fall like summer dew on me.'
"How goes it?
"'O breath more sweet than is the growing--the growing--'"
She paused, and waved her hand as if to summon the words from theempty air.
"'_The growing garlic,'_ if it be a lover of Italy," cried Helene, stillmore spitefully. "This is enough and to spare of chivalry, besides whichHugo hath his lessons to learn for Friar Laurence, or else he will repentit on the morrow. Come, sweetheart, let us be going. I will e'en convoythee home."
So she spoke, making great ostentation of her own superiority andemancipation from learning, treating me as a lad that must learn hishorn-book at school.
But I was even with her for all that.
"And so farewell, then, dear Mistress Katrin," said I. "The delicatepleasure of your presence shall be followed by the still more tenderremembrance which, when you are gone, my heart shall continue tocherish of you."
That was indeed well-minded. A whole sentence out of my romance-bookwithout a single slip. Katrin bowed, with the airy grace of the GrandDuke's monument out in the square. But the little Helene sweptmajestically off, muttering to herself, but so that I could hear her: "'Owondrous, most wondrous,' quoth our cat Mall, when she saw her Tombetwixt her and the moon."
The application of which wise saw is indeed to seek.
So the two maids went away, and I betook me to the window to see if Icould catch a glimpse of Christian's Elsa.
But I only saw Katrin and Helene going gossiping down the street withtheir heads very close together.
At first I smiled, well pleased to think how excellently I had played mycards and how daintily I had worked in those gallant speeches out of thebook of chivalry. But by-and-by it struck me that the Little Playmate wasabsent a most unconscionable time. Could it be--Michael Texel? No, thatat least was plainly impossible.
I got up and walked about. Then for a change I paused by the window.
I had stood a good while thus moodily looking out at the casement, when Ibecame aware of two that walked slowly up the street and halted togetherbefore the great iron-studded door which led to the Red Tower.
By the thirty thousand virgins--Helene and Michael Texel!
And then, indeed, what a coil was I in; how blackly deceitful I calledher! How keenly I watched for any token of understanding and kindnessmore than ordinary that might chance to pass between them. But I couldsee none, for though the great soft lout of a ruddy beer-vat tried oftento look under the brim of her hat, yet she kept her eyes down--only once,that I could observe, raising them, and that was more towards the RedTower than in the direction of Michael Texel.
I think she wished to see whether I was watching. And when she had notedme it I wot well that she became much more animated, and laughed andspoke quickly, with color in her cheeks and a flash of defiance on hercountenance, which were manifestly wasted on such a boastful, callowblubber-tun as Michael Texel.
Then it was: "Adieu to you, Master Texel!" "Farewell to you, fair maid!"
And Helene dipped a courtesy to him, dainty and sweet enough to conqueran angel, while the great jelly-bag shook himself almost to pieces inhis eagerness to achieve a masterly bow. All this made me angry, notthat I cared though Helene had coquetted with a dozen lads, an it hadliked her. It was only the poverty of taste shown in being seen in theopen High Street of Thorn along with such an oaf as Michael Texel. Hehad first been my friend, it is true, but then at that time I had notfound him out.
By-and-by Helene came up the stairs, tripping light as a feather that thewind blows. Perhaps, though, she had turned in the doorway, where I couldnot see her, to throw the lout a kiss--so I thought within me, jealously.
"You have convoyed your gossip Katrin home in safety, I trust," said I,sweetly, as she came in.
"Yes," said she; "but I fear she has left her heart behind her. Sowondrously rapid a courtship never did I see!"
"Save on the street," answered I; "and with a pale, soft jack-puddinglike Michael Texel! That was a sight, indeed."
At which Helene laughed a merry little laugh--well-pleased, too, theminx, as I could see.
"What are courtships on the street to you, Sir Hugo," she returned,"with your 'Twinkle-Twankle' singing-women over the way, and--Lord,how went it?
"'My true love hath my heart and I have his.'
"Ha! ha! Sir Gallant, what need you with more? Would you have as manyloves as the Grand Turk, and invent new love-makings for each of them?Shall we maidens petition Duke Casimir to banish the other lads of thetown and leave only Hugo Gottfried for all of us?"
And then she went on to other such silly talk that I think it not worthreporting.
Whereupon I was about to leave the room in a transport of justindignation, and that without speaking, when
Helene called to me.
"Hugo!" she said, very softly, as she alone could speak, and that onlywhen it liked her to make friends.
I turned me about with some dignity, but knowing in my heart that it wasall over with me.
"Well, what may be your will, madam?" said I.
Helene came towards me with uplifted, petitionary eyes.
"You are not going to be angry with me, Hugo!" she said. And she liftedher eyes again upon me--irresistible, compelling, solvent of dignities,and able to break down all pride.
O all ye men who have never seen my Helene look up thus at you--but onlycommon other eyes, go and hang yourselves on high trees for very envy.Well, as I say, Helene looked up at me. She kept on looking up at me.
And I--well, I hung a moment on my pride, and then--clasped her in myarms.
"Dear minx, thrice wicked one!" I exclaimed, "wherefore do you tormentme--break my heart?"
"Because," said she, escaping as soon as she had gained her pretty,rascal way, "you think yourself so clever, Hugo, such an irresistibleperson, that you must be forever returning to this window and gettingthis book of chivalry by heart. Now you are going to be cross again. Oh,shame, and with your little sister--
"'That never did you any harm, But killed the mice in your father's barn.'"
With such babyish words she talked the frowns off my face, or, when theywould not go fast enough, hastened them by reaching up and smoothing themaway with her finger.
"Now," she said, setting her head to the side, "what a nice sweet GreatBrother! Let him sit down here on the great chair."
So I sat down, well pleased enough, not knowing what mischief thepranksome maid had now in her head, but judging that the matter mightturn out well for me.
Then Helene stole round to the back of the chair, and, taking me by theears, she gave first one and then the other of them a pull.
"That," she said, pulling the right, "is for listening to the little catover the way that squalls on the tiles! And _that_" (giving the other asound tug) "is for being a dandiprat when my gossip Katrin was here!"
She paused a moment as if to summon courage, and then she stooped quicklyand kissed me on the neck.
"And _that_ for Michael Texel!" she cried, and ran out of the room beforeI could get clear of the wide arms of the chair, and so run after andcatch her.
She turned in the doorway and wafted me a kiss from her finger-tips,airily and a little mockingly.
"That for Hugo Gottfried!" she said, and was off to her own chamber withthe _frou-frou_ of a light skirt, the slam of a door, and the shootingof a bolt.
And after all this, it was heart's pity that ever anything should havecome between us again, even for a moment.
Though, indeed, it was but for a moment.
The Red Axe Page 14