Withered Leaves Volume Iii Part 13

"Then, I will belong only and wholly to you," cried Giulia, amid kisses and embraces, "and even the fame which I conquered shall fade away like visions in the air."

"I feel better every day," said Blanden, "I shall soon go to Kulmitten, and make all preparations for our marriage."

Giulia, as usual, trembled when the eventful day was named.

"If only Beate would return," said she to herself, "perhaps I should be calmer."

Once more before setting out for his estate Blanden made a speech in the Citizen a.s.sembly; he did not wish to break the thread which he had attached here, an active political life should be closely united to the domestic happiness he had ensured. Unfortunately, however, he must learn that his popularity in those circles had suffered seriously.

Theatrical adventures and duels were something that the citizen mind could not deem compatible with a pioneer of political liberty. While they suddenly discovered a Don Quixote in him, he found himself at variance with the sentiments of the free citizens. Mutual estrangement ensued: his speech met with a lukewarm reception, the matadors of the a.s.sembly, the political doctor, the picturesque humourist, gave no token of approval, and therefore the crowd also remained silent.

Not without a feeling of bitterness did Blanden leave the _Gemeinde-garten_; a slight veil was spread over his political dreams of the future; should he always remain bound to a life of vagrancy, never be able to raise himself to citizen-like activity, to statesman-like distinction?

Spring was in the air, as he drove home with his foaming team, but an autumnal sensation at his heart he could not suppress.

CHAPTER VIII.

IN THE CHURCH ON SAN GIULIO.

About eight days might have elapsed since Blanden's departure. Giulia meanwhile had dissolved her agreement with the managers, and at home denied herself to all visitors. She was in a state of excitement which she could conceal with difficulty. Whenever a carriage drove up in her vicinity she rushed to the window. She watched for Beate with dread expectancy. At last the carriage stopped before the house, and her friend's first words were, "Be calm! All is well."

After having shaken off the dust of her journey, Beate soon appeared in Giulia's drawing-room with the unfailing cunning smile upon her lips, and with a calm gladsomeness, such as follows the execution of a good deed; she stirred the crackling fire in the stove, seated herself comfortably upon the sofa, poured as much arack as possible into her tea, to warm herself, and then began to relate the events of her journey:

"Oh, our beautiful south! How melancholy to drive over these plains of ice, through the snow-laden pine forests, through these districts where sleepy Nature never seems to open her eyes, how terribly wearisome all the world here appears to one! And those pa.s.sengers in mail coaches, those Polish Jews, those people from the small towns with their boxes, their baggage, their stupid faces! Thus it went on night and day, day and night. People have given themselves the trouble to find names for all these heaths, these towns through which one drives, and yet one looks like another, it is most immaterial what they are called! Even a little rocky nest in our Italy at least looks picturesque, here they are always the same barns, the same bad pavement, over which the mail coach rattles.

"A long row of extra carriages followed the princ.i.p.al one, in which a most unpleasant company seemed to be congregated. In the dark corners of the pa.s.sengers' room I saw figures which resembled brigands, one pa.s.senger especially, with a black bandage over one eye, and a dark beard, clings to my recollections. I saw him creep past me several times, wrapped up in his cloak. I had an eerie feeling as if he had cast an evil eye upon me, it seemed sometimes as if he were staring piercingly at me out of the dark with his only sound one. I had to rest in the capital, for three days and three nights I had not left the rattling coach, and, at last, from over fatigue, had fallen into an unrefres.h.i.+ng sleep. I had hardly looked after my baggage and put my large box into the charge of a postal official in order to seek my long missed rest at an hotel, before I saw a special post-chaise drive up and the man in the cloak, with the bandage over his eye, get in.

"He must be in great haste to proceed, for the post-chaise had four horses.

"I travelled slowly, I rested several times in large towns. I am nervous too, although I am no actress, but daily intercourse with a _prima donna_ upsets one's nerves. Do not be offended, dear child, but even the finest particles of dust, which one swallows in your theatre, are like _aqua toffana_. I remained one day in Berlin, in Nuremberg, in Augsburg!

"How I rejoiced when I saw the Alps again, dangerous as was the drive through the snow pa.s.ses.

"Then I felt the mild soft spring breath of Italy when the steamboat carried me across the glorious lake. From Stresa I went over the mountains to Orta--how my heart beat, when the waves of the lake surged at my feet, and the little island with the rocky castle lay before me.

"I had had leisure enough on my way to think of a plan as to how I could best execute my task, a task that was full of danger for body and soul; but for the soul there is always absolution. Many plans that rose in my mind I rejected as too daring, as impracticable, much I must leave to chance and circ.u.mstances. I then made enquiries for the two witnesses to the marriage, whose names you wrote down for me. Signor Bonardo has long been dead, and the beautiful Orsola eloped with a Greek, and was quite lost sight of. No danger is threatened from that quarter.

"I visited the chaplain of the little church of San Giulio, he was a young man not unsusceptible to my charms. His predecessor, the old priest, had just died. For a long time he had been in confinement in the cloister, and under examination. In the nearest diocese a trial was to be inst.i.tuted against him for forgery, of which he had been guilty.

The chaplain himself conducted me up the high steps by the lake into the sacristy of the church, where he searched through the registry to reply to my question as to your marriage day. If ever I exerted my eyes I did so then. Eagerly I followed his movements, noted the book, the number of the page, the entrance to the sacristy. I thanked the chaplain, the good man even became tender towards me, and when he bestowed his blessing upon me he kissed me upon my brow.

"It was still early morning, and a long day of twelve hours lay before me. People might, perhaps, have taken me for a love-sick dreamer if they had seen me wander upon the woodland paths behind the little town.

I could not remain long in the _Leone d'oro_, feverish restlessness had taken possession of me.

"I scrambled up the path with its numerous chapels leading to the pilgrims' church of San Franciscus. I prayed here and there. I did penance for that which I was about to begin. I felt as if I belonged not to the bright day, not to this glorious nature! How exquisite was the view over the lake from the Sacro Monte, upon the chestnut and walnut woods of Pella, upon the high Alps of Monte Rosa, what a breath of Spring quivered yonder in the fruit hedge and made the lake ripple!

With my sinister purpose I seemed to be out of place in this bright world!

"How sleepily the hours crept on. How long it was before the sun declined into the west and cast its more slanting rays into the waves of the lake and upon the house roofs of the little town. And much as I had longed for this hour with feverish impatience, I became proportionately alarmed again at the approach of fatal night.

"Like an incendiary I had provided myself with a tinder-box that was sufficiently well supplied to contain ample provision, even for many vain attempts.

"The windows of the little church of San Giulio were brightly illuminated, it was the hour of evening service. My boat glided over the lake in the moonlight, and landed at the tall granite stairs.

"I ascended the steps. The moon was just hiding its light in a cloud; and looking back upon the lake, in a boat that seemed to be circling round the little rocky island, like an eagle round his eyrie, I perceived a closely enveloped figure, which reminded me of that man with the bandage.

"My sight is keen, but it was too dark to recognise the figure more accurately, and I soon came to the conclusion that I had become the victim of a morbid delusion. The skiff disappeared behind a rocky promontory which rose up steeply to the summit, upon which stood the old tower of Berengarius.

"I entered the church, but neither could I join in the devotions of the congregation nor examine the pillars of porphyry, the image of the Madonna of Ferrari, nor the mosaics of the floor. I only looked about for some place of concealment in which I could hide myself, and believed I had discovered one behind a small tomb.

"I took advantage of a moment in which the sacristan, like the rest of the congregation, was occupied with the service, to creep behind the door of the sacristy, and quickly as lightning drew out the key, then I descended the stairs, and unperceived cast it into the lake.

"The service was over, the sacristan made his round of the church once more, and convinced himself that the devout throng had entirely left it. Having pa.s.sed my youth amongst bands of smugglers, I am used to creeping, crawling, and slipping into crevices like lizards, and thus I succeeded in deceiving the custodian of the church by first gliding after him and then suddenly disappearing behind the tomb. He sought long in vain for the key of the sacristy, and at last relinquished the effort, shaking his head, while he left the door standing open. He shut the church behind him: I was alone.

"The first sensation which overcame me was one of undefined dread. A few lingering moonlight rays still fell through the tall church windows, and shed a light upon the pictures on the wall, so that they seemed to move like ghosts. But then the darkness became intense, either the moon had set or was concealed behind heavy clouds. My solitary footsteps made a hollow echo upon the floor. I shuddered when I remembered that about the midnight hour spirits might rise out of the tombs and keep me company. It was still too early for my undertaking.

Below all was still awake in the island town and upon the lake, a gleam of light too early would have betrayed me.

"But from dread of the echo of my footsteps, which rumbled away through the empty s.p.a.ce as if something besides myself were stirring here, I sat down motionlessly upon a bench, folded my hands, tried to pray, and then to fall asleep.

"And a short sleep did overcome me, but I started up from it with a loud cry. Had I dreamed it? It seemed as if at the other end of the church something that pa.s.sed gently over the steps, stumbled over the benches.

"But all was still again, the dread of a living being besides myself in this place had fled to my dreams, and on awaking the delusion still clung to me.

"It must have been midnight already; deep silence reigned without, not a sound from the houses by the lake penetrated to my ears, not even the dim radiance of the lightly veiled moonlight forced its way through the windows. Impenetrable heavy clouds must have enveloped the heavenly orb, because the blackest obscurity filled the church.

"My sense of locality came to my a.s.sistance. I had impressed the plan of the interior of the church sharply into my memory, estimated all distances correctly; I knew exactly where the chairs stood, and in how many rows, where the steps began to ascend to the altar, where was the entrance to the sacristy.

"Thus I felt my way from one row to another, measured with careful feet the distance to the altar steps, and was already placing my foot upon the lowest one when an invisible hand behind my dress drew me back.

"I was seized with unutterable horror; my heart beat audibly; it could be no delusion; I was not alone here; was I in the power of an invisible enemy; or did a spectre persecute me?

"I put my hand out behind; I grasped the empty air; the hand had released my dress; I cried in a strong voice, so as to inspire myself with courage, 'Who is here?' But nothing replied, excepting one loud echo from the walls of the empty church.

"Nevertheless my heart is full of courage, and I said to myself, why this fear and alarm? What concerns you is that you have pledged your honour to save your friend; now see that you succeed whether you live or die, even if h.e.l.l send its ghosts against you!

"Indeed, it seemed more probable that some spectre hand had seized me, than that any human being besides myself lingered in the gloomy place, but if it were a mortal, then I must try to deceive and out-man[oe]uvre him.

"Like lightning this flashed through my mind. I did not ascend any more steps; softly as possible I glided into a corner, there I drew off my shoes, and crept once more to the altar steps, which this time I could pa.s.s up undisturbed. I felt about the altar until I had hold of one of the candelabra, and had convinced myself that a candle was in it. With nervous anxiety I avoided the least sound.

"The candlestick in one hand, I went down again from the high altar, held my dress closely together with the other, so that it might not sweep the steps. I did not dare to breathe.

"Then something in the corner stumbled over my shoes, which I had left there. This time I was not alarmed. I was thankful that the ghost was on the other side of the church; in all haste I sped into the sacristy through the door, which was only slightly ajar.

"I knew that the light would attract the bats, which hopped after me, and yet I could not shut the door without betraying myself. I groped for the desk where I had seen the registry lie, there it was still in the same place. I turned over the leaves and counted the pages, of which, in the morning, I had taken note. I must gain as much time as possible before I should burn the tell-tale light.

"At last the moment had arrived, it must be done. My tinder-box did its duty; the altar candle burned; the holy light illuminated my unholy task.

"For the duration of a second the sensation of sacrilege overcame me, but time pa.s.sed.