He
found out long ago that we cared for each other, and he is very fond
of you, for if he had not had you with them when he was running
off with Fraeulein Flora they would both have been caught before the
Countess had become reconciled to him, and everything would have been
spoiled." "Good heavens! fairest, sweetest Countess," I cried out,
"my head is fairly spinning with all this unexpected and amazing
information; are you talking of Herr Lionardo?" "Yes, yes," she
replied; "that is what he called himself in Italy; he owns all that
property over there, and he is going to marry our Countess's daughter,
the lovely Flora. But why do you call me Countess?" I stared at her.
"I am no Countess," she went on. "Our Countess took me into the castle
and had me educated under her care when my uncle, the Porter, brought
me here a poor little orphan child."
Ah, what a stone fell from my heart at these words! "God bless the
Porter," I said in an ecstasy, "for being our uncle! I always set
great store by him." "And he would be very fond of you," she replied,
"if you would only comport yourself with more dignity, as he expresses
it. You must dress with greater elegance." "Oh," I exclaimed,
enchanted, "an English dress-coat, straw hat, long trousers, and
spurs! And as soon as we're married we will take a trip to Italy--to
Rome--where lovely fountains are playing, and we'll take with us the
Prague students, and the Porter!" She smiled quietly, and gave me a
happy glance, while the music echoed in the distance, and rockets flew
up from the castle above the garden in the quiet night, and the Danube
kept murmuring on, and everything, everything was delightful!
ADALBERT VON CHAMISSO
* * * * *
THE CASTLE OF BONCOURT[37] (1827)
I dream of the days of my childhood,
And shake my silvery head.
Pages:
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413