The sun., 1894-05-06
CHAPTER XVI.

After this IL Jared with us as ~ fares at las
with the drlftwood that chance or the wood
mans axe has given 10 forest stream In Her
Itzburc After rIppllnR over the shadows and
shooting RIddlly down slopes or perchance ~
ing coopsd for days In some dark bend until
the esplnsh Of the otheror the spring freshet hai
sent it dancing on In sunshine and shadow-it
reached at last the werra II Goats out on the
bosom OF tho great stream. and. no longer
tossed and chnfed by each tiny pebble. fsell
the force Of wind and stream the great forces
OF tho world. The banks rscede from sight
and one of a million atoms. IL is borne on
gently and irresistlbiy whittier It knows not
So 1t was with Us. From the day we fell In
with Count Leuchtonsteiu and set our fares
toward Nuremberg. and In a greater degree
after we reached that city we embarked on q
wider current OF adventure q fuller and less
selfish life. II we had still our own cares and
griefa. hopes and pers--as must be the case
Isuppose, until we dle-we had other comm on
ones which we shared with tens Of thousands.
rich and poor. gentle and simple. We had to
dread sack and storm; we prayed for relief
sndissrety In company with all who rose and
lay down within the walls. When n hundred
wagons OF corn slipped through the Croats and
came in. or Duke Bernard OF weimsr beat up
q corner OF the Burgstall and gave Wallenstein
q bad night. we ran out into the streets to tell
and hear the news Similarly. when tid-
inRs came that Tzerclas with his 1000
rufnans had burned tho King Of Swe-
dens colors put on green sashes. and
marched into the enemy's camp. we
were not alone in our gloomy anticipations.
We still had our private adventures. and Am
going to tell them. But besides these. It should
be remembered that we San the risks and rose
every morning fresh to the fears OF Nurem-
berg. When bread rose to ten. to fifteen. to
twenty times Its normal price; when the city.
where many died every day OF famine. plague.
and wounds. began to groan and heave in its
misery; when through all tho country round
the peasants crawled and died among the
dead; when Wallenstein. that dark man. heed
less OF the fearful mortality in his own camp.
still sat implacable on the heights and refused
alf the Kings invitations to battle. we grew
pale and gloomy. stern-eyed. and thin checked
with the rest We dreamed OF Magdeburg as
they did and as the hot August days passed
slowly over the starving city and still no end
appeared. but only with each day some addi-
tion OF misery. we felt our hearts sink in uni
son with theirs.
And we had to share. not their lot only. but
their labors We had not been In tho town
twenty-four hours before Steve. Jacob. and
Franz were enrolled in the town militia; to
me. either out Of respect to my lady or on ac-
eount OF my stature a commission as Lieutep-
from o'clock till . in the fields outside tho
Vow Cato; the others went again at sunset to
rractlse their weapons / was exempt from
iis drill that tho women might not bo left
lone. At all times We had our app ointed rem
devious in case OF alarm or assault Tho
Swedi ish veterans strolled out OF tho cam n and
stood to laugh at our clumsiness. But the ex-
celloDt order which prevailed among them
made them favorites. and We let them laugh.
and laughed again.
The Waidgrave who had long had Duke
Bernardo promise. received q regiment OF
horse. so that he lay in the camp and should
have been q contentsd man. since his strength
had come back to him. But to my surprise he
showed signs OF lukewarmness He seemed
little interested In the service. and was often
at my lady's house In the Ritter Strasse when
he would have been better at his post. At
first set this down to his passion for my lady.
and It seemed excusnble; hut within n week
stood convinced that this no longer troubled
him. He paid scant attention to her. but
would sit 'ov hours looking moodily into the
street And land not I alono-began to
watch him closely.
I soon found that Co unit Hugo was right.
The once gallant and splendid young fellow
was a changed man. He was still comely and
q bravo figure. but the spirit in him was
auenched. He was nervous. absent, irritable.
His eyes had wild look: on strangers he
made an unfavorable impression. Doubtless
though his wounds had healed. there re-
mained some subtle injury that spoiled the
man; and often I caught my lady looking at
him sadly. and knew that l was not the only
one with cause for mourning.
But how strange he was We did not know un-
I'll q certain day. whom my lady and were en-.
gagged together over some accounts. II was
evening. and the three men were away drill
Ing. The house was very quiet He flung in
upon us with great noise. bis color high. his
eyes glitterinR. His first action was to ding
his feathered hat on one chair and himself into !
another.
i've seen him" he said. "Himmel he is |
. clever fellow. He will worst you. cousin. |
yet-ses II he does not. oh. he is clever onew |
Who% my lady said. looking at him In
"Wi0f TEorciAs. to bo sure" he answered.
"99a 9 ai have seen him. she exclaimed rising
He was not drunk
s,a .s h shs tSGsd sitter pause Where
In the street-whers you soc other men"
rot be there. but Who Is to Keep him oSt7
as d is S toe seisyer sG asSSill get his way in the
Rupert" my lady cried. In wrathful amaze
msnt 70 near you. one would suppose you
admired MIN.
30 do" he replied. coolIy. why not He
has all the wits Of the family He is as Gun.
yourself on the right side. He will win in the
,ndl" Andthe Waldgrave rose restlessly from
lis chair. and going to the window. began to
Ny lady came swiftly to me, and it grlsvsd
ne to see the pain and woe IL her face.
i shook my head.
Do you think he has really seen him 2" she
whispered, We both stood with our eyes on
:. fear so. my lady" / said with reluctance.
But II would cost him his life" she NUT.
cred eagerly, ~ he were found here"
:. lie Is bold man" answered,
An SO was he-once." she replied In a pecu-
lar tone. and she pointed stealthily To the un-
'onseio1s man 10 the window. "A month ago
10 would have taken him by the throat any
Fhere., What has come to himF
God knows" answered IeverentIy.
Grant only ne may do US no harm"
He turned round at that hummIng Rayly
md went out seeming almost unconscious OF
'ur presence. and made as light OF the matter
2 2 nv " LADY as could. But Tzsrelas in tls city
md last. but not least, the strange light IN |