Sidonia, the Sorceress Volume I Part 8

They were well when she ran away, but she had been wandering now for fourteen days on the road, living upon roots and wild berries, or what the herds gave her out of their knapsacks for charity.

_Haec_.--"What crime wast thou suspected of, girl, to be condemned to so terrible a death?"

_Illa_.--"She had a lover named Albert, who followed her everywhere, but as she would not listen to him he hated her, and pretended that she had given him a love-drink."

Here Sidonia laughed aloud, and asked if she knew how to brew the love-drink?

_Illa_.--"Yes; she learned from her elder sister how to make it, but had never tried it with any one, and was perfectly innocent of all they charged her with."

Here Clara shook her head, and wished to get rid of the witch-girl; for she thought, truly if Sidonia learns the brewing secret, she will poison and destroy the whole castleful, and we shall have the devil bodily with us in earnest. So she pushed away the girl, who still clung to her, weeping and lamenting. Hereupon Sidonia grew quite grave and pious all of a sudden, and said--

"See the hypocrite she is! She first sets before me the example of Christ, and then treats this poor sinner with nothing but cross thorns! Has not Christ said, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy'? But only see how this bigot can have Christ on her tongue, but not in her heart!"

The pious Clara grew quite ashamed at such talk, and raising up the wretch who had again fallen on her knees, said--

"Well, thou mayest remain; so get thee to my maid, and she will give thee food. I shall also write to my father for thy pardon, and meanwhile ask leave from her Grace to allow thee to remain here until it arrives; but if thou art guilty, I cannot promise thee my protection any longer, and thou wilt be burned here, in place of at Daber."

So the witch-girl was content, and importuned them no further.

CHAPTER X.

_How Sidonia Wished to learn the mystery of love-potions, but is hindered by Clara and the young Prince._

When Prince Ernest returned home after an absence of some days, Sidonia had changed her tactics, for now she never lifted up her eyes when they met, but pa.s.sed on blus.h.i.+ng and confused, and in place of speaking, as formerly, only sighed. This turned his head completely, and sent the blood so quickly through his veins that he found it a hard matter to conceal his feelings any longer. For this reason he determined to visit Sidonia in her own room as soon as he could hit upon a favourable opportunity, and bring her then a beautiful lute, inlaid with gold and silver, which he had purchased for her at Grypswald.

Now, it happened soon after, that her Grace and Clara went away one day into the town to purchase a jerkin for the little Prince Casimir, who accompanied them. Sidonia was immediately informed of their absence, and sought out Clara's maid without delay, put a piece of gold into her hand, and said--

"Send the strange girl from Daber to my room for a few minutes; she can perhaps give me some tidings of my dear father and family, for Daber is only a little way from Stramehl. But mind," she added, "keep this visit a secret, as well from her Grace as from your mistress Clara; otherwise we shall all be scolded."

So the maid very willingly complied, and brought the witch-girl directly to Sidonia's little apartment, and then ran to Clara's room to watch for the return of her Grace in time to give notice.

The witch-girl was quite confounded (as she afterwards confessed upon the rack) when Sidonia began--

"Thou knowest, Anne, that my entreaties alone obtained thee a shelter here, for I pitied thee from the first; and from what I hear, it is certain that her Grace means to deal no better with thee than thy judges at Daber, therefore my advice is--escape if thou canst."

_Illa_, weeping.--"Where can I go? I shall die of hunger, or they will arrest me again as an evil-minded witch, and carry me back to Daber."

"But do not tell them, stupid goose, that thou hast come from Daber."

_Illa_.--"But what could she say? Besides, she had no money, and so must be lost and ruined for ever."

"Well, I shall give thee gold enough to get thee through all dangers. I give it, mind, out of pure Christian charity; but now tell me honestly--canst thou really make a love-drink?"

_Illa_.--"Yes; her sister had taught her."

"Is the drink of equal power for men and women?"

_Illa_.--"Yes; without doubt, it would make either mad with love."

"Has it ever an injurious effect upon them? does it take away their strength?"

_Illa_.--"Yes; they fall down like flies. Some lose their memory, others become blind or lame."

"Has she ever tried its effects upon any one herself?"

_Illa_.--"But will the lady betray me?"

"Out, fool! When I have promised thee gold enough to insure thy escape! I betray thee!"

_Illa_.--"Then she will tell the lady the whole truth. She did give a love-drink to Albert, because he grew cross, and spent the nights away from her, and complained if she idled a little, so that her master beat her. Therefore she determined to punish him, and a rash came out over his whole body, so that he could neither sit nor lie for six weeks, and at night he had to be tied to a post with a hand-towel; but all this time his love for her grew so burning, that although he had previously hated and beaten her, yet now if she only brought him a drink of cold water, for which he was always screaming, he would kiss her hands and feet even though she spat in his face, and he would certainly have died if his relations had not found out an old woman who unbewitched him; whereupon his love came to an end, and he informed against her."

That must be a wonderful drink. Would the girl teach her how to brew it?

But just then our Lord G.o.d sent yet another warning to Sidonia, through His angel, to turn her from her villainy, for as the girl was going to answer, a knock was heard at the chamber-door. They both grew as white as chalk; but Sidonia bethought herself of a hiding-place, and bid the other creep under the bed while she went to the door to see who knocked, and as she opened it, so there stood Prince Ernest bodily before her eyes, with the lute in his hand.

"Ah, gracious Prince, what brings you here? I pray your Highness, for the sake of G.o.d, to leave me. What would be said if any one saw you here?"

"But who is to see us, my beautiful maiden? My gracious mother has gone out to drive; and now, just look at this lute that I have purchased for you in Grypswald. Will it please thee, sweet one?"

_Illa_.--"Alas, gracious Prince, of what use will it be to me, when I have no one to teach me how to play?"

"I will teach thee, oh, how willingly, but--thou knowest what I would say."

_Illa_.--"No, no, I dare not learn from your Highness. Now go, and do not make me more miserable."

"What makes thee miserable, enchanting Sidonia?"

_Illa_.--"Ah, if your Highness could know how this heart burns within me like a fire! What will become of me? Would that I were dead--oh, I am a miserable maiden! If your Highness were but a simple n.o.ble, then I might hope--but now. Woe is me! I must go!

Yes, I must go!"

"Why must thou go, my own sweet darling? and why dost thou wish me to be only a simple n.o.ble? Canst thou not love a duke better than a n.o.ble?"

_Illa_.--"Gracious Prince, what is a poor count's daughter to your princely Highness? and would her Grace ever consent? Ah no, I must go--I must go!"

Here she sobbed so violently, and covered her eyes with her hands, that the young Duke could no longer restrain his feelings. He seized her pa.s.sionately in his arms, and was kissing away the crocodile tears, when lo, another knock came to the door, and Sidonia grew paler even than the first time, for there was no place to hide the Prince in, as the witch-wench was already under the bed, and not even quite hidden, for some of her red petticoat was visible round the post, and one could easily see by the way it moved that some living body was in it, for the girl was trembling with the most horrible fear and fright. But the Prince was too absorbed in love either to notice all this or to mind the knock at the door.

Sidonia, however, knew well that it was over with them now, and she pushed away the young Prince, just as the door opened and Clara entered, who grew quite pale, and clasped her hands together when she saw the Duke and Sidonia together; then the tears fell fast from her eyes, and she could utter nothing but--"Ah, my gracious Prince--my poor innocent Prince--what has brought you here?" but neither of them spoke a word. "You are lost," exclaimed Clara; "the d.u.c.h.ess is coming up the corridor, and has just stopped to look at her pet cat and the kittens there by the page's room. Hasten, young Prince--hasten to meet her before she comes a step further."

So the young lord darted out of the chamber, and found his gracious mother still examining her kittens, whereupon he prayed her then to descend with him to the courtyard and look also at his fine hounds, to which she consented.

The moment Prince Ernest disappeared, Clara commenced upbraiding Sidonia for her evil ways, which could not be any longer denied--for had she not seen all with her own eyes?--and she now conjured her by the living G.o.d to turn away from the young Duke, and select some n.o.ble of her own rank as her husband. This could easily be done when so many loved her; but as to the Prince, as long as her Grace and Ulrich lived, or even one single branch of the princely house of Pomerania, this marriage would never be permitted, let the young lord do or say what he chose.

"Ah, thou pious old priest in petticoats," exclaimed Sidonia, "who told thee I wanted to marry the Prince? How can I help if he chooses to come in here and, though I weep and resist, takes me in his arms and kisses me? So leave off thy preaching, and tell me rather what brings thee spying to my room?"