andreas hofer-第112章
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here？〃
〃I await you here； sir；〃 said a low； tremulous voice。
Ulrich looked up； and stared at her who stood before him with
clasped hands and gazed at him with beseeching eyes。
〃Eliza！〃 he exclaimed； starting back with a cry of horror； 〃Eliza；
you are here？〃
〃Yes； I am here；〃 she said； 〃I am here to implore your forgiveness。〃
〃My forgiveness？〃 he asked； trembling； and pressing both his hands
to his temples。 〃My God！ my head swimsI believe I shall go mad！
Eliza is here； she stands before me in her peasant costume； and she
left me only a few moments ago in a white bridal dress； and with a
myrtle…wreath on her head。 What does this quick transformation mean；
and how was it possible？〃
〃It is no transformation； sir；〃 said Eliza； bashfully。 〃I am Eliza
Wallner； the peasant…girl； and she who left you in the chapel is
your wedded wife； the young Baroness von Hohenberg〃
〃You are my wedded wife； you alone？〃 he cried； impetuously。
〃No； sir； I am not！〃
〃You are not？〃 he cried； vehemently。 〃And who is she who went from
me there？〃
〃She is your wife； who loves you with all her heart；〃 said Eliza；
solemnly； 〃she is the wife whom your parents selected for you from
your earliest youth； she is Elza von Hohenberg。〃
Ulrich uttered a cry of rage and despair； and rushed upon Eliza with
uplifted hand； pale as a corpse； and with flashing eyes。
She bent her head and whole form before him。 〃Strike me； I deserve
your anger；〃 she said； humbly。
Ulrich dropped his arm with a groan。 〃Then you have cheated me；
wretched girl！〃 he cried； furiously。 〃You wished to revenge yourself
on me； you lied to me； you betrayed me； you enmeshed me with
hypocritical falsehoods； and played an infamous game with me！ Well；
why do you not laugh？ Your efforts were successful； you have
revenged yourself。 Oh； I am in despair； my rage and grief will break
my heart。 Why do you not laugh？〃
〃I do not laugh； sir； because I see that you grieve； and because God
knows that I would give up my heart's blood to spare you an hour of
suffering。〃
He burst into scornful laughter。 〃And yet you have treated me so
infamously？ You have played a miserable comedy with me； and perjured
yourself？〃
〃Sir； I have not perjured myself；〃 cried Eliza。 〃I have fulfilled
faithfully the oath I swore to you when you took leave of me and
went to procure my Elza's release。〃
〃You have fulfilled it？ False girl！ repeat your oath to me； that I
may convict you of perjury。〃
〃I said that if you would bring back Elza； you should receive your
bride； who loved you with infinite tenderness； at the hands of the
priest； whether it was early in the morning or late at night！〃
〃Well； then； have you fulfilled your oath？ Have you not perjured
yourself？〃
〃I have fulfilled my oath； I have not perjured myself。 Elza loves
you； sir； she loves you with infinite tenderness。〃
〃Oh； what miserable； insidious sophistry！〃 cried Ulrich； sinking
despairingly on a chair。 〃Your words were as full of duplicity as
your heart is； and I； poor； short…sighted dupe； believed your words！
And not you alone； but Elza； too； has cheated meshe whom I loved
as a sister； and whom I should have loved even better； if you had
not stepped in between us； if I had not seen you。 Elza has betrayed
me too； she did not shrink from playing so unworthy a part！ Oh； it
will break my heart； it will break my heart； I lose in this hour all
that I loved！ Nothing remains to me but contempt； scorn； and
dreadful loneliness！〃
He buried his face in his hands and wept bitterly。
〃Sir；〃 exclaimed Eliza； with a cry of despair； kneeling down before
him； 〃you weep？〃
〃Yes； I weep；〃 he sobbed； 〃I weep for my fallen angels； my lost
paradise！ I am a man； therefore I am not ashamed of my tears。〃
Eliza lifted her eyes and clasped hands to heaven。 〃Holy Virgin；〃
she exclaimed； 〃give strength to my words； that he may hear and
understand me！〃
She rose from her knees； stepped close up to Ulrich； and laid her
hand on his shoulder。 〃Sir；〃 she said； 〃do you remember yet what I
said to you on taking leave of you on the mountain？ I reminded you
of it the other day； but you forgot it again。 I said to you： 'You
are a nobleman； and I am a peasant…girl； you are a Bavarian； and I；
thank God； am again an Austrian。 We do not suit each other； and can
never become husband and wife。' That is what I said to you； and I
repeated it to you the other day； but you would not understand it。〃
〃Because I loved you； Eliza； because I felt that my love would be
strong enough to surmount all obstacles！〃
〃Was your love strong enough to prevail on you； sir； to go to my
father； Anthony Wallner； and ask him to bless you； his son…in…law？
See； I asked you to do so； because I knew that you would refuse； and
because I thought it would convince you that we could never become
man and wife and ought to part。 For without the blessing of my
parents I could never follow a husband into the world； nor would you
want a wife who did not bring with her either the blessing of her
parents or that of your own； for you are a good and excellent man。
That was the reason； sir； why we could not become man and wife； even
though it should break our hearts。〃
〃Our hearts？〃 he cried； impetuously。 〃Do not speak of your heart； it
is cold and hard。〃
〃What do you know of my heart？〃 she asked。 〃I do not bear it on my
lips； nor in my eyes either。 It rests deep in my bosom； and God
alone sees and knows it。 But I； sir； know another heart； I gazed
deeply into it； and discovered in it the most fervent love for you；
sir。 This other heart is that of my Elza： Elza loves you！ And you
know that I love Elza； and therefore you must believe me； even
though you distrust me in other respects。 I shall love my Elza as
long as I live； and I swore to her never to abandon her； never to
deceive her。 She confides in me； sir； she did not conceal from me a
single fold of her heart。 Should I have told her； 'Captain Ulrich；
whom you love； and whom your father wants to become your husband；
loves me； and I； whom you call your best friend； although she is but
a peasant…girl； while you are the daughter of a nobleman； will take
your lover from you and make him my husband？' No； sir； never could I
have said so； never should I have been capable of breaking Elza's
heart： I preferred to break my own！〃
〃She does not know that I love you？ She ought to have known it；
inasmuch as she consented to play this unworthy part and take your
place before the altar。〃
〃She did not know any thing about it； I deceived her。 I told her you
sent me as a love…messenger to her； and that I had taken it upon
myself to obtain her consent to a clandestine marriage with you；
because you were obliged to set out for Munich this very night； and
because you wished to take with you the certainty that she would be
yours forever； and that you might have the right of protecting her
after God had taken her father from her and made her an orphan。 Sir；
Elza loves you； and therefore she consented； and became your wife。〃
〃And her father？ Did he； too； consent to the deception？〃
〃Her father； sir； is very sick； and I believe he is on his death…
bed。 Elza told him nothing of it； for the excitement； the joy might
have killed him。 I told her it was your will that she should be
silent； and because she loves you and would comply with all your
wishes； she was silent； obeyed your call； and came all alone to the
altar to become your wife。〃
〃My wife！ she is not my wife！ The marriage is null and void； and I
shall never acknowledge it。〃
〃Elza is your wife； sir； your wife before God and man。 A priest
married you； and you swore before the altar to love and cherish her。
Oh； sir； I beseech you； do not repudiate my Elza； for she loves you；
and by repudiating Elza you will repudiate me； for Elza is the
better half of my heart。 In making her happy； think that you make me
happy； and in loving her； think I feel that you love one me！〃
〃Oh； Eliza；〃 cried Ulrich； gazing at her as she stood before him
with a glowing countenance； 〃Eliza； you angel； why can I not possess
you？〃
〃Because it is not God's will； sir！ 'The blessing of the parents
builds houses for the childre
