Anne of Geierstein; Or, The Maiden of the Mist. Volume 1 (of 2)

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER XI.

  DONNERHUGEL'S NARRATIVE.

  These be the adept's doctrines--every element Is peopled with its separate race of spirits. The airy Sylphs on the blue ether float; Deep in the earthy cavern skulks the Gnome; The sea-green Naiad skims the ocean-billow, And the fierce fire is yet a friendly home To its peculiar sprite--the Salamander. ANONYMOUS.

  I told you (said Rudolph) that the Lords of Arnheim, though fromfather to son they were notoriously addicted to secret studies, were,nevertheless, like the other German nobles, followers of war and thechase. This was peculiarly the case with Anne's maternal grandfather,Herman of Arnheim, who prided himself on possessing a splendid stud ofhorses, and one steed in particular, the noblest ever known in thesecircles of Germany. I should make wild work were I to attempt adescription of such an animal, so I will content myself with sayinghis colour was jet black, without a hair of white either on his faceor feet. For this reason, and the wildness of his disposition, hismaster had termed him Apollyon; a circumstance which was secretlyconsidered as tending to sanction the evil reports which touched thehouse of Arnheim, being, it was said, the naming of a favourite animalafter a foul fiend.

  It chanced, one November day, that the Baron had been hunting in theforest, and did not reach home till nightfall. There were no guestswith him, for, as I hinted to you before, the castle of Arnheim seldomreceived any other than those from whom its inhabitants hoped to gainaugmentation of knowledge. The Baron was seated alone in his hall,illuminated with cressets and torches. His one hand held a volumecovered with characters unintelligible to all save himself. The otherrested on the marble table, on which was placed a flask of Tokay wine.A page stood in respectful attendance near the bottom of the large anddim apartment, and no sound was heard save that of the night wind,when it sighed mournfully through the rusty coats of mail, and wavedthe tattered banners which were the tapestry of the feudal hall. Atonce the footstep of a person was heard ascending the stairs in hasteand trepidation; the door of the hall was thrown violently open, and,terrified to a degree of ecstasy, Caspar, the head of the Baron'sstable, or his master of horse, stumbled up almost to the foot of thetable at which his lord was seated, with the exclamation in hismouth,--

  "My lord, my lord, a fiend is in the stable!"

  "What means this folly?" said the Baron, arising, surprised anddispleased at an interruption so unusual.

  "Let me endure your displeasure," said Caspar, "if I speak not truth!Apollyon"----

  Here he paused.

  "Speak out, thou frightened fool," said the Baron; "is my horse sick,or injured?"

  The master of the stalls again gasped forth the word, "Apollyon!"

  "Say on," said the Baron; "were Apollyon in presence personally, itwere nothing to shake a brave man's mind."

  "The devil," answered the master of the horse, "is in Apollyon'sstall!"

  "Fool!" exclaimed the nobleman, snatching a torch from the wall; "whatis it that could have turned thy brain in such silly fashion? Thingslike thee, that are born to serve us, should hold their brains on afirmer tenure, for our sakes, if not for that of their worthlessselves."

  As he spoke, he descended to the court of the castle, to visit thestately range of stables which occupied all the lower part of thequadrangle on one side. He entered, where fifty gallant steeds stoodin rows, on each side of the ample hall. At the side of each stallhung the weapons of offence and defence of a man-at-arms, as bright asconstant attention could make them, together with the buff-coat whichformed the trooper's under garment. The Baron, followed by one or twoof the domestics, who had assembled full of astonishment at theunusual alarm, hastened up to the head of the stable, betwixt the rowsof steeds. As he approached the stall of his favourite horse, whichwas the uppermost of the right-hand row, the gallant steed neitherneighed, nor shook his head, nor stamped with his foot, nor gave theusual signs of joy at his lord's approach; a faint moaning, as if heimplored assistance, was the only acknowledgment he gave of theBaron's presence.

  Sir Herman held up the torch, and discovered that there was indeed atall dark figure standing in the stall, resting his hand on thehorse's shoulder. "Who art thou," said the Baron, "and what dost thouhere?"

  "I seek refuge and hospitality," replied the stranger; "and I conjurethee to grant it me, by the shoulder of thy horse, and by the edge ofthy sword, and so as they may never fail thee when thy need is at theutmost!"

  "Thou art, then, a brother of the Sacred Fire," said Baron Herman ofArnheim; "and I may not refuse thee the refuge which thou requirest ofme, after the ritual of the Persian Magi. From whom, and for whatlength of time, dost thou crave my protection?"

  "From those," replied the stranger, "who shall arrive in quest of mebefore the morning cock shall crow, and for the full space of a yearand a day from this period."

  "I may not refuse thee," said the Baron, "consistently with my oathand my honour. For a year and a day I will be thy pledge, and thoushalt share with me roof and chamber, wine and food. But thou too mustobey the law of Zoroaster, which, as it says, Let the Stronger protectthe weaker brother, says also, Let the Wiser instruct the brother whohath less knowledge. I am the stronger, and thou shalt be safe undermy protection; but thou art the wiser, and must instruct me in themore secret mysteries."

  "You mock your servant," said the strange visitor; "but if aught isknown to Dannischemend which can avail Herman, his instructions shallbe as those of a father to a son."

  "Come forth, then, from thy place of refuge," said the Baron ofArnheim. "I swear to thee by the sacred fire which lives withoutterrestrial fuel, and by the fraternity which is betwixt us, andby the shoulder of my horse, and the edge of my good sword, I will bethy warrand for a year and a day, if so far my power shall extend."

  IN THE STABLE. Drawn and Etched by R. de los Rios.]

  The stranger came forth accordingly; and those who saw the singularityof his appearance, scarce wondered at the fears of Caspar, thestall-master, when he found such a person in the stable, by what modeof entrance he was unable to conceive. When he reached the lightedhall to which the Baron conducted him, as he would have done a welcomeand honoured guest, the stranger appeared to be very tall, and of adignified aspect. His dress was Asiatic, being a long black caftan, orgown, like that worn by Armenians, and a lofty square cap, coveredwith the wool of Astracan lambs. Every article of the dress was black,which gave relief to the long white beard, that flowed down over hisbosom. His gown was fastened by a sash of black silk network, inwhich, instead of a poniard or sword, was stuck a silver case,containing writing-materials, and a roll of parchment. The onlyornament of his apparel consisted in a large ruby of uncommonbrilliancy, which, when he approached the light, seemed to glow withsuch liveliness as if the gem itself had emitted the rays which itonly reflected back. To the offer of refreshment the stranger replied,"Bread I may not eat, water shall not moisten my lips, until theavenger shall have passed by the threshold."

  The Baron commanded the lamps to be trimmed, and fresh torches to belighted, and, sending his whole household to rest, remained seated inthe hall along with the stranger, his suppliant. At the dead hour ofmidnight, the gates of the castle were shaken as by a whirlwind, and avoice, as of a herald, was heard to demand a herald's lawful prisoner,Dannischemend, the son of Hali. The warder then heard a lower windowof the hall thrown open, and could distinguish his master's voiceaddressing the person who had thus summoned the castle. But the nightwas so dark that he might not see the speakers, and the language whichthey used was either entirely foreign, or so largely interspersed withstrange words, that he could not understand a syllable which theysaid. Scarce five minutes had elapsed, when he who was without againelevated his voice as before, and said in German, "For a year and aday, then, I forbear my forfeiture;--but coming for it when that timeshall elapse, I come for my right, and will no longer be withstood."

  From that period, Dannischemend, the Persian, was a cons
tant guest atthe castle of Arnheim, and, indeed, never for any visible purposecrossed the drawbridge. His amusements, or studies, seemed centred inthe library of the castle, and in the laboratory, where the Baronsometimes toiled in conjunction with him for many hours together. Theinhabitants of the castle could find no fault in the Magus, orPersian, excepting his apparently dispensing with the ordinances ofreligion, since he neither went to mass nor confession, nor attendedupon other religious ceremonies. The chaplain did indeed professhimself satisfied with the state of the stranger's conscience; but ithad been long suspected that the worthy ecclesiastic held his easyoffice on the very reasonable condition of approving the principles,and asserting the orthodoxy, of all guests whom the Baron invited toshare his hospitality.

  It was observed that Dannischemend was rigid in paying his devotions,by prostrating himself in the first rays of the rising sun, and thathe constructed a silver lamp of the most beautiful proportions, whichhe placed on a pedestal, representing a truncated column of marble,having its base sculptured with hieroglyphical imagery. With whatessences he fed this flame was unknown to all, unless perhaps to theBaron; but the flame was more steady, pure, and lustrous than anywhich was ever seen, excepting the sun of heaven itself, and it wasgenerally believed that the Magian made it an object of worship in theabsence of that blessed luminary. Nothing else was observed of him,unless that his morals seemed severe, his gravity extreme, his generalmode of life very temperate, and his fasts and vigils of frequentrecurrence. Except on particular occasions, he spoke to no one of thecastle but the Baron; but, as he had money and was liberal, he wasregarded by the domestics with awe indeed, but without fear ordislike.

  Winter was succeeded by spring, summer brought her flowers, and autumnher fruits, which ripened and were fading, when a foot-page, whosometimes attended them in the laboratory to render manual assistancewhen required, heard the Persian say to the Baron of Arnheim, "Youwill do well, my son, to mark my words; for my lessons to you aredrawing to an end, and there is no power on earth which can longerpostpone my fate."

  "Alas, my master!" said the Baron, "and must I then lose the benefitof your direction, just when your guiding hand becomes necessary toplace me on the very pinnacle of the temple of wisdom?"

  "Be not discouraged, my son," answered the sage; "I will bequeath thetask of perfecting you in your studies to my daughter, who will comehither on purpose. But remember, if you value the permanence of yourfamily, look not upon her as aught else than a helpmate in yourstudies; for if you forget the instructress in the beauty of themaiden, you will be buried with your sword and your shield, as thelast male of your house; and further evil, believe me, will arise; forsuch alliances never come to a happy issue, of which my own is anexample.--But hush, we are observed."

  The household of the castle of Arnheim having but few things tointerest them, were the more eager observers of those which came undertheir notice; and when the termination of the period when the Persianwas to receive shelter in the castle began to approach, some of theinmates, under various pretexts, but which resolved into very terror,absconded, while others held themselves in expectation of somestriking and terrible catastrophe. None such, however, took place; andon the expected anniversary, long ere the witching hour of midnight,Dannischemend terminated his visit in the castle of Arnheim, by ridingaway from the gate in the guise of an ordinary traveller. The Baronhad meantime taken leave of his tutor with many marks of regret, andsome which amounted even to sorrow. The sage Persian comforted him bya long whisper, of which the last part only was heard--"By the firstbeam of sunshine she will be with you. Be kind to her, but not overkind." He then departed, and was never again seen or heard of in thevicinity of Arnheim.

  The Baron was observed during all the day after the departure of thestranger to be particularly melancholy. He remained, contrary to hiscustom, in the great hall, and neither visited the library nor thelaboratory, where he could no longer enjoy the company of his departedinstructor. At dawn of the ensuing morning, Sir Herman summoned hispage, and, contrary to his habits, which used to be rather careless inrespect of apparel, he dressed himself with great accuracy; and as hewas in the prime of life, and of a noble figure, he had reason to besatisfied with his appearance. Having performed his toilet, he waitedtill the sun had just appeared above the horizon, and, taking from thetable the key of the laboratory, which the page believed must havelain there all night, he walked thither, followed by his attendant. Atthe door the Baron made a pause, and seemed at one time to doubtwhether he should not send away the page, at another to hesitatewhether he should open the door, as one might do who expected somestrange sight within. He pulled up resolution, however, turned thekey, threw the door open, and entered. The page followed close behindhis master, and was astonished to the point of extreme terror at whathe beheld, although the sight, however extraordinary, had in itnothing save what was agreeable and lovely.

  The silver lamp was extinguished, or removed from its pedestal, wherestood in place of it a most beautiful female figure in the Persiancostume, in which the colour of pink predominated. But she wore noturban or headdress of any kind, saving a blue riband drawn throughher auburn hair, and secured by a gold clasp, the outer side of whichwas ornamented by a superb opal, which, amid the changing lightspeculiar to that gem, displayed internally a slight tinge of red likea spark of fire.

  The figure of this young person was rather under the middle size, butperfectly well formed; the Eastern dress, with the wide trousersgathered round the ankles, made visible the smallest and mostbeautiful feet which had ever been seen, while hands and arms of themost perfect symmetry were partly seen from under the folds of therobe. The little lady's countenance was of a lively and expressivecharacter, in which spirit and wit seemed to predominate; and thequick dark eye, with its beautifully formed eyebrow, seemed to presagethe arch remark to which the rosy and half-smiling lip appeared readyto give utterance.

  The pedestal on which she stood, or rather was perched, would haveappeared unsafe had any figure heavier than her own been placed there.But, however she had been transported thither, she seemed to rest onit as lightly and safely as a linnet, when it has dropped from the skyon the tendril of a rose-bud. The first beam of the rising sun,falling through a window directly opposite to the pedestal, increasedthe effect of this beautiful figure, which remained as motionless asif it had been carved in marble. She only expressed her sense of theBaron of Arnheim's presence by something of a quicker respiration, anda deep blush, accompanied by a slight smile.

  Whatever reason the Baron of Arnheim might have for expecting to seesome such object as now exhibited its actual presence, the degree ofbeauty which it presented was so much beyond his expectation, that foran instant he stood without breath or motion. At once, however, heseemed to recollect that it was his duty to welcome the fair strangerto his castle, and to relieve her from her precarious situation. Hestepped forward accordingly with the words of welcome on his tongue,and was extending his arms to lift her from the pedestal, which wasnearly six feet high; but the light and active stranger merelyaccepted the support of his hand, and descended on the floor as lightand as safe as if she had been formed of gossamer. It was, indeed,only by the momentary pressure of her little hand that the Baron ofArnheim was finally made sensible that he had to do with a being offlesh and blood.

  "I am come as I have been commanded," she said, looking around her."You must expect a strict and diligent mistress, and I hope for thecredit of an attentive pupil."

  After the arrival of this singular and interesting being in the castleof Arnheim, various alterations took place within the interior of thehousehold. A lady of high rank and small fortune, the respectablewidow of a Count of the Empire, who was the Baron's blood relation,received and accepted an invitation to preside over her kinsman'sdomestic affairs, and remove, by her countenance, any suspicions whichmight arise from the presence of Hermione, as the beautiful Persianwas generally called.

  The Countess Waldstetten carried her complaisa
nce so far as to bepresent on almost all occasions, whether in the laboratory or library,when the Baron of Arnheim received lessons from, or pursued studieswith, the young and lovely tutor who had been thus strangelysubstituted for the aged Magus. If this lady's report was to betrusted, their pursuits were of a most extraordinary nature, and theresults which she sometimes witnessed were such as to create fear aswell as surprise. But she strongly vindicated them from practisingunlawful arts, or overstepping the boundaries of natural science.

  A better judge of such matters, the Bishop of Bamberg himself, made avisit to Arnheim, on purpose to witness the wisdom of which so muchwas reported through the whole Rhine-country. He conversed withHermione, and found her deeply impressed with the truths of religion,and so perfectly acquainted with its doctrines, that he compared herto a doctor of theology in the dress of an Eastern dancing-girl. Whenasked regarding her knowledge of languages and science, he answered,that he had been attracted to Arnheim by the most extravagant reportson these points, but that he must return confessing "the half thereofhad not been told unto him."

  In consequence of this indisputable testimony, the sinister reportswhich had been occasioned by the singular appearance of the fairstranger were in a great measure lulled to sleep, especially as heramiable manners won the involuntary good-will of every one thatapproached her.

  Meantime a marked alteration began to take place in the interviewsbetween the lovely tutor and her pupil. These were conducted with thesame caution as before, and never, so far as could be observed, tookplace without the presence of the Countess of Waldstetten, or someother third person of respectability. But the scenes of these meetingswere no longer the scholar's library, or the chemist's laboratory;--thegardens, the groves, were resorted to for amusement, and parties ofhunting and fishing, with evenings spent in the dance, seemed toannounce that the studies of wisdom were for a time abandoned for thepursuits of pleasure. It was not difficult to guess the meaning ofthis; the Baron of Arnheim and his fair guest, speaking a languagedifferent from all others, could enjoy their private conversation,even amid all the tumult of gaiety around them; and no one wassurprised to hear it formally announced, after a few weeks of gaiety,that the fair Persian was to be wedded to the Baron of Arnheim.

  The manners of this fascinating young person were so pleasing, herconversation so animated, her wit so keen, yet so well tempered withgood nature and modesty, that, notwithstanding her unknown origin, herhigh fortune attracted less envy than might have been expected in acase so singular. Above all, her generosity amazed and won the heartsof all the young persons who approached her. Her wealth seemed to bemeasureless, for the many rich jewels which she distributed among herfair friends would otherwise have left her without ornaments forherself. These good qualities, her liberality above all, together witha simplicity of thought and character which formed a beautifulcontrast to the depth of acquired knowledge which she was well knownto possess--these, and her total want of ostentation, made hersuperiority be pardoned among her companions. Still there was noticetaken of some peculiarities, exaggerated perhaps by envy, which seemedto draw a mystical distinction between the beautiful Hermione and themere mortals with whom she lived and conversed.

  In the merry dance she was so unrivalled in lightness and agility thather performance seemed that of an aerial being. She could, withoutsuffering from her exertion, continue the pleasure till she had tiredout the most active revellers; and even the young Duke ofHochspringen, who was reckoned the most indefatigable at that exercisein Germany, having been her partner for half an hour, was compelled tobreak off the dance, and throw himself, totally exhausted, on a couch,exclaiming he had been dancing not with a woman, but with an _ignisfatuus_.

  Other whispers averred that while she played with her young companionsin the labyrinth and mazes of the castle gardens at hide-and-seek, orsimilar games of activity, she became animated with the samesupernatural alertness which was supposed to inspire her in the dance.She appeared amongst her companions, and vanished from them, with adegree of rapidity which was inconceivable; and hedges, treillage, orsuch like obstructions, were surmounted by her in a manner which themost vigilant eye could not detect; for, after being observed on theside of the barrier at one instant, in another she was beheld closebeside the spectator.

  In such moments, when her eyes sparkled, her cheeks reddened, and herwhole frame became animated, it was pretended that the opal claspamid her tresses, the ornament which she never laid aside, shot forththe little spark, or tongue of flame, which it always displayed, withan increased vivacity. In the same manner, if in the half-darkenedhall the conversation of Hermione became unusually animated, it wasbelieved that the jewel became brilliant, and even displayed atwinkling and flashing gleam which seemed to be emitted by the gemitself, and not produced in the usual manner, by the reflection ofsome external light. Her maidens were also heard to surmise that whentheir mistress was agitated by any hasty or brief resentment (the onlyweakness of temper which she was sometimes observed to display), theycould observe dark-red sparks flash from the mystic brooch, as if itsympathised with the wearer's emotions. The women who attended on hertoilet further reported that this gem was never removed but for a fewminutes, when the Baroness's hair was combed out; that she wasunusually pensive and silent during the time it was laid aside, andparticularly apprehensive when any liquid was brought near it. Even inthe use of holy water at the door of the church she was observed toomit the sign of the cross on the forehead, for fear, it was supposed,of the water touching the valued jewel.

  These singular reports did not prevent the marriage of the Baron ofArnheim from proceeding as had been arranged. It was celebrated in theusual form, and with the utmost splendour, and the young couple seemedto commence a life of happiness rarely to be found on earth. In thecourse of twelve months, the lovely Baroness presented her husbandwith a daughter, which was to be christened Sybilla, after the Count'smother. As the health of the child was excellent, the ceremony waspostponed till the recovery of the mother from her confinement. Manywere invited to be present on the occasion, and the castle wasthronged with company.

  It happened that amongst the guests was an old lady, notorious forplaying in private society the part of a malicious fairy in aminstrel's tale. This was the Baroness of Steinfeldt, famous in theneighbourhood for her insatiable curiosity and overweening pride. Shehad not been many days in the castle, ere, by the aid of a femaleattendant, who acted as an intelligencer, she had made herselfmistress of all that was heard, said, or suspected, concerning thepeculiarities of the Baroness Hermione. It was on the morning of theday appointed for the christening, while the whole company wereassembled in the hall, and waiting till the Baroness should appear, topass with them to the chapel, that there arose between the censoriousand haughty dame whom we have just mentioned, and the CountessWaldstetten, a violent discussion concerning some point of disputedprecedence. It was referred to the Baron von Arnheim, who decided infavour of the Countess. Madame de Steinfeldt instantly ordered herpalfrey to be prepared, and her attendants to mount.

  "I leave this place," she said, "which a good Christian ought never tohave entered; I leave a house of which the master is a sorcerer, themistress a demon who dares not cross her brow with holy water, andtheir trencher companion one who, for a wretched pittance, is willingto act as match-maker between a wizard and an incarnate fiend!"

  She then departed, with rage in her countenance and spite in herheart.

  The Baron of Arnheim then stepped forward, and demanded of the knightsand gentlemen around if there were any among them who would dare tomake good with his sword the infamous falsehoods thrown upon himself,his spouse, and his kinswoman.

  There was a general answer, utterly refusing to defend the Baroness ofSteinfeldt's words in so bad a cause, and universally testifying thebelief of the company that she spoke in the spirit of calumny andfalsehood.

  "Then let that lie fall to the ground which no man of courage willhold up," said the Baron of Arnheim; "only, al
l who are here thismorning shall be satisfied whether the Baroness Hermione doth or dothnot share the rites of Christianity."

  The Countess of Waldstetten made anxious signs to him while he spokethus; and when the crowd permitted her to approach near him, she washeard to whisper, "Oh, be not rash! try no experiment! there issomething mysterious about that opal talisman; be prudent, and let thematter pass by."

  The Baron, who was in a more towering passion than well became thewisdom to which he made pretence--although it will be perhaps allowedthat an affront so public, and in such a time and place, was enough toshake the prudence of the most staid, and the philosophy of the mostwise--answered sternly and briefly, "Are you, too, such a fool?" andretained his purpose.

  The Baroness of Arnheim at this moment entered the hall, looking justso pale from her late confinement as to render her lovely countenancemore interesting, if less animated, than usual. Having paid hercompliments to the assembled company, with the most graceful andcondescending attention, she was beginning to inquire why Madame deSteinfeldt was not present, when her husband made the signal for thecompany to move forward to the chapel, and lent the Baroness his armto bring up the rear. The chapel was nearly filled by the splendidcompany, and all eyes were bent on their host and hostess, as theyentered the place of devotion immediately after four young ladies, whosupported the infant babe in a light and beautiful litter.

  As they passed the threshold, the Baron dipped his finger in thefont-stone, and offered holy water to his lady, who accepted it, asusual, by touching his finger with her own. But then, as if to confutethe calumnies of the malevolent lady of Steinfeldt, with an air ofsportive familiarity which was rather unwarranted by the time andplace, he flirted on her beautiful forehead a drop or two of themoisture which remained on his own hand. The opal, on which one ofthese drops had lighted, shot out a brilliant spark like a fallingstar, and became the instant afterwards lightless and colourless as acommon pebble, while the beautiful Baroness sank on the floor of thechapel with a deep sigh of pain. All crowded around her in dismay. Theunfortunate Hermione was raised from the ground, and conveyed to herchamber; and so much did her countenance and pulse alter, within theshort time necessary to do this, that those who looked upon herpronounced her a dying woman. She was no sooner in her own apartmentthan she requested to be left alone with her husband. He remained anhour in the room, and when he came out he locked and double locked thedoor behind him. He then betook himself to the chapel, and remainedthere for an hour or more, prostrated before the altar.

  In the meantime, most of the guests had dispersed in dismay, thoughsome abode out of courtesy or curiosity. There was a general sense ofimpropriety in suffering the door of the sick lady's apartment toremain locked; but, alarmed at the whole circumstances of her illness,it was some time ere any one dared disturb the devotions of the Baron.

  At length medical aid arrived, and the Countess of Waldstetten tookupon her to demand the key. She spoke more than once to a man, whoseemed incapable of hearing, at least of understanding, what she said.At length he gave her the key, and added sternly, as he did so, thatall aid was unavailing, and that it was his pleasure that allstrangers should leave the castle. There were few who inclined tostay, when, upon opening the door of the chamber in which the Baronesshad been deposited little more than two hours before, no traces of hercould be discovered, unless that there was about a handful oflight-grey ashes, like such as might have been produced by burningfine paper, found on the bed where she had been laid. A solemn funeralwas nevertheless performed, with masses, and all other spiritualrites, for the soul of the high and noble Lady Hermione of Arnheim;and it was exactly on that same day three years that the Baronhimself was laid in the grave of the same chapel of Arnheim, withsword, shield, and helmet, as the last male of his family.

  * * * * *

  Here the Swiss paused, for they were approaching the bridge of thecastle of Graffs-lust.