CHAPTER VI.
The old captain blew the dust from the wine flagon and carefully removedthe seal. His presence prevented Wolf from renewing the interruptedconversation.
Reflection doubtless warned him that it would be a dangerous venture toenter the same life-boat with this woman, yet how bewitchingly beautifulshe had seemed to him in her proud superiority, in the agitation of soularoused by the yearning for a fairer fate! Have her he must, even thoughhe was permitted to call her his own but for a year, a month, an hour.
Many of her words had been harsh and apparently unfeeling, yet how noblemust be the soul of this young creature who, for the sake of being loyalto truth, the pure source of everything grand and lofty, paid no heed tomuch that is usually sacred to human beings!
But Barbara's conduct during the next hour appeared to belie thisopinion of the man who loved her, for scarcely had her father sat downwith the knight before the venerable wine flagon than she flung down thesmoothing iron, hastily piled the finished articles one above another,and then, without heeding the parchment on which Wolf's verses werewritten, rolled up the ruby velvet. Directly after, with the packageunder her arm, she wished the men a merry drinking bout, and added thatpoor Ursel might need her. Besides, she wanted to show her the beautifulmaterial, which would please the faithful soul.
Then, without even pausing at the rooms in the second story, she hurriedswiftly down the stairs into the street.
She was carrying Wolf's gift to Frau Lerch, her dressmaker.
The Grieb, where the latter lived as wife of the keeper of the house,was only a few steps distant. If the skilful woman, who was indebted toher for many a customer, began the work of cutting at once, her cousins,the Wollers, could help her the next day with the sewing. True, thesewere the very girls who would "turn yellow with rage" at the sight ofthe velvet, but precisely because these rich girls had so many thingsof which she was deprived she felt that, in asking their aid, she wascompelling Fate to atone for an injustice.
Haste was necessary for, at the first glance at the velvet, she haddetermined to wear it at the next dance in the New Scales, and she alsosaw distinctly in imagination the person whose attention she desired toattract.
True, the recruiting officer sent to Ratisbon, of whom she was thinking,was by no means a more acceptable suitor, but a handsome fellow, a scionof a noble family, and, above all, an excellent dancer.
She did not love him--nay, she was not even captivated by him likeso many others. But, if his heart throbbed faster for any one, it wasBarbara. Yet perhaps his glances strayed almost as frequently to oneother maiden. The velvet gown should now decide whether he gave thepreference to her or to pretty Elspet Zohrer--of course, only in thedance--for she would never have accepted him as a serious suitor.
Besides, the young noble, Pyramus Kogel, himself probably thought of nosuch folly.
It was very different with Wolf Hartschwert. She had been told the smallamount of his inheritance long before, and on that account she wouldhave been obliged to refuse him positively at once, yet the affectionaterelations existing between them must not be clouded. He might stillbecome very useful to her and, besides, the modest companion of herchildhood was dear to her. She would have sincerely regretted anirreparable breach with him.
Her father indulged her in every respect, only he strictly forbade hisbeautiful child to leave the house alone after sunset. Therefore Barbarahad not told him the real object of her visit. She now had no occasionto fear his following her.
Yet she made all possible haste, and, as she found Frau Lerch at home,and the skilful little woman was instantly at her service, she crowdedinto the space of an hour the many points about the cutting which wereto be discussed.
Then she set out on her way home, expecting to traverse the shortdistance swiftly and without delay; but, when she had gone only a fewpaces from the Grieb, a tall man came toward her.
To avoid him she crossed nimbly to the other side of the dark littlestreet, but just where it turned into Red Cock Street he suddenly barredher way. She was startled, but the oft-proved courage of the Blombergrace, to which she had just alluded, really did animate her, and, withstern decision, she ordered her persecutor to stand aside.
He, however, was not to be intimidated, but exclaimed as joyously asthough some great piece of good fortune had befallen him:
"Thanks for accosting me, Jungfrau Barbara, for, though the words areharsh, they prove that, in spite of the darkness here, my eyes did notdeceive me. Heaven be praised!"
Then the girl recognised the recruiting officer and excellent dancerof whom she had just been thinking in connection with the velvet upperrobe, and answered sharply:
"Certainly it is I; but if you are really a nobleman, Sir Pyramus, takecare that I am not exposed by your fault to evil gossip, and can notcontinue to hold my head erect as I now do."
"Who will see us in this little dark street?" he asked in low,persuasive tones. "May all the saints guard me from assailing the honourof a modest maiden, fairest Barbara; yet, if you fear that I mightprevent your remaining in the future what the favour of the Most Highpermits you to be, I shall rather accuse you of having inflicted upon mewhat you fear may befall you; for, since the last dance, I am really nolonger myself, and can never become so until I have received from yourbeautiful lips the modest consolation for which this poor, tortured,loyal soul is yearning. May I not linger at your side long enough to askyou one question, you severe yet ardently beloved maiden?"
"Certainly not," replied Barbara with repellent harshness. "I never gaveyou a right to speak to me of love; but, above all, I shall not seek thesharer of a game of question and answer in the street."
"Then name a place," he whispered with passionate ardour, tryingmeanwhile to clasp her hand, "where I may be permitted, in broadsunlight and before the eyes of the whole world, to say to you what robsme of rest by day and sleep by night. Drop the cruel harshness whichso strangely and painfully contradicts the language of your glances theevening of the last dance. Your eyes have kindled these flames, and thispoor heart will consume in their glow if I am not suffered to confessto you that I love you with more ardour than was ever bestowed on anymaiden. This place--I will admit that it is ill-chosen--but what otherwas open to me? After all, here, too, a bit of the sky with its manystars is looking down upon us. But, if you still unkindly refuse me,or the dread of crossing the barrier of strict decorum forbids you tolisten to me here, you can mercifully name another spot. Allow me to goto your father and beg him for the clear hand which, in a happier hour,by not resisting the pressure of mine, awakened the fairest hopes in myheart."
"This is too much," Barbara indignantly broke in. "Make way for me atonce, and, if you are well advised, you will spare yourself the visit tomy father; for, even if you were in earnest with your love and came asan honest suitor to our modest house, it might easily happen that youwould descend the staircase, which is very steep and narrow, in assorrowful a mood as you climbed it secure of victory."
Then Pyramus Kogel changed his tone, and said bitterly:
"So your victorious eyes were only carrying on an idle game with myunsuspecting heart? You laugh! But I expected to find in my Germannative land only girls whose chaste reserve and simple honesty couldbe trusted. It would be a great sorrow if I should learn through you,Jungfrau Barbara, that here, too, it would have been advisable to armmyself against wanton deception. True, the French chansons you singsound unlike our sincere German songs. And then you, the fairest of thefair, can choose at will among men; but the Emperor's service carries mefrom one country to another. I am only a poor nobleman--"
"I care not," she interrupted him here with icy coldness; "you might bejust good enough for the daughter of another nobleman, who has littlemore to call his own than you, Sir Knight, but nevertheless far toolittle for me to grant you permission to load me with unjust reproaches.Besides, you wholly lack the one advantage which the man to whom I amwilling to betroth myself must possess."
"And what is that?" he asked eagerly.
"Neither gold nor lands, rank nor splendour," she answered proudly, "butchangeless fidelity of the heart. Remember your fluttering from lovelyElspet Zohrer to me, and from me to Elspet, Sir Pyramus, and askyourself what reason you would give me to expect the fulfilment of sucha demand. Your fine figure and gay manner please us girls very well at adance, but, though you should possess the wealth of the Fuggers and thepower of the Sultan, it would be useless trouble to seek my consent.Stand out of my path at once! There come the Emperor's body guards, and,if you do not obey me, as surely as I hope for salvation I will callthem!"
The last words had escaped her lips in a raised voice, and vibratedwith such honest indignation that the recruiting officer yielded; but atriumphant smile flitted over her beautiful face.
Had she known before how complete a victory he had already won overpretty Elspet Zohrer, her most dangerous rival, this late errand wouldhave been unnecessary.
Yet she did not regret it; true, she cared no more for Pyramus Kogelthan for any one else--the certainty that he, too, had succumbed tothe spell of her beauty was associated with a feeling of pleasure whosecharm she knew and valued.