Amaury

“ And Amaury said to her:
“Fair and dear cousin, and my good lady, we give you for your husband slain the body of him that slew my cousin; make the best cheer that you may, and comfort yourself that he has found a good death and a good friend to do justice on his slayer; for this man was a good knight, and I that have revenged him account myself none of the worst.” ”

“ Messire de Montluc sent his own signet as a token to Count Raymond—which ring the Count knows well. Guy has ordered us all to pack up, and return without loss of time to the Holy City, where he will take the command till Count Raymond arrives.
"Now, Elaine!—how wouldst thou like a siege?" triumphantly asks Amaury.
May all the holy saints avert such a calamity!
But there is, if possible, even worse behind: inasmuch as a foe without the gates is less formidable than a traitor within them. ”

“ Old Manz, who was employed to break stones on the road, never spoke a word to Amrie. He went sadly from one heap of stones to another, and the sound of his pick was incessant as the tapping of the woodpecker, or the shrill chirp of the grasshoppers in the meadows and clover-field.
Notwithstanding all these human influences, Amrie was often borne into the kingdom of dreams. Freely soared her childish soul upwards and cradled itself in unlimited ether. ”

“ Amrie was too old to look for support in the outward world, and it was long since she had asked the service-tree for advice. She now tried to turn her thoughts from all surrounding objects; and yet she must look at the fields that would soon be her own, and she could not help thinking of what was to come; of her entrance and reception, question and answer; the confusion of a thousand possibilities whirled around, and the Silver-trot waltz played itself in her head. She said at last, half aloud, “What is the use of all this thinking? When the music plays I must dance, be it hop or waltz. ”

“ The Chief examined him in silence, fixing on him his deep black eye with an expression of suspicion which did not escape the monk.
"My father has been a long time," he at length said, harshly.
"I could not be any quicker," the monk answered.
"Wah! My father returns alone; the great Pale warrior was afraid; he did not accompany my father."
"You are mistaken, Chief; the man you call the great Pale hunter, and whom I call Tranquil, was not afraid, and did not refuse to accompany me."
"Och! Blue-fox is a Sachem; his eye pierces the thickest darkness; though he may look he sees nothing." ”

“ Amael now touched his hundredth year. His great age and his somewhat portly stature notwithstanding, he still looked full of vigor. He handled with dexterity the black horse that he rode and whose spirit seemed no wise abated by the long road it had traveled. From time to time, Amael turned round upon his saddle in order to cast a look of paternal solicitude upon his grandson Vortigern, a lad of hardly eighteen years, who was accompanied by the other of the two Frankish warriors. ”

“ I cannot advise."
"Allow me to speak," said Oliver, "I am wholly disinterested in the matter. I can therefore speak with that calmness which suits neither of you at this moment."
"Speak!" cried the two young men.
"My advice is, to start at daybreak for the village. The father of Bright-eye may have reasons for refusing explanations to the chief. Family matters are sacred. But the brother of Evening Dew has a right to demand a full explanation. I am certain it will be given to him by his father, who can have no reason for being mysterious with him. Let us then away to the village. ”

“ Yet never in a village was a poor child so much respected as the little Amrie. But as she grew to womanhood, she excited less attention; for men observe the blossom and the fruit with a sympathizing eye, but not the long ripening process from one stage to the other. Before Amrie left school, destiny gave her a riddle to guess whose solution was very difficult.
The children had an uncle who lived about seven hours’ journey from Holdenbrunn, a wood-hewer in Fluorn. They had seen him once, at the funeral of their parents ”

“ Oliver shrugged his shoulders, as if yielding to a foolish whim, and went in to find himself face to face with Durand.
"Now," said the outlaw, "I have not told all; I have left out certain matters which personally concern yourself. One moment, and you shall judge for yourself. Excuse me if I have to touch upon a very tender topic—that of love."
"Captain!" cried George.
"Pardon me. You love a charming girl, whom you have followed into the desert with as much devotion as men show in the search of gold. To this I have only to add that the girl is as beautiful and as good as an angel." ”

“ Ammaby, joining the Rector as he sat at breakfast, “to beg you, in the interests of the village, to check the flow of that fount of benevolence which springs eternal in the clerical pocket. You will ruin us with your shillings and half crowns.”
“Bless my soul, Ammaby,” said the Rector, pausing with an eggshell transfixed upon his spoon, “shillings and half crowns don’t go far in the present condition of our households. There are not ten families whose beds are not burnt. What do you propose to do?” ”

“ The horseman upon the white horse had ridden back, and the horse was pressing with both fore feet upon her breast.
It was only a dream. Amrie looked around as though she had suddenly fallen from heaven. She scarcely knew where she was, but the sound of the music quickly aroused all her faculties, and she went with new strength back to the village where increased gayety inspired every one. ”

“ But the night soon sank into the room, and as Amrie fastened her dress in the darkness, her joy vanished and timidity returned. She said to herself, “that as she dressed herself to do honor to John, she would show that she prized his family also,” and she put on the necklace, the present from his mother.
So Amrie came down from her chamber adorned as she was at the dance in Endringen. Rose cried, “What is this? Why have you dressed yourself thus? Why have you put your whole fortune on your back? Is it a servant who puts on a necklace? ”

“ Oh, Amrie, my John must wait till thou art grown. I say no more. Why dost thou not speak?”
Amrie felt as though deprived of breath, her throat was dry. It seemed to her as though the dead stood there—a spectre. The secret was upon her lips. She might betray it, and the roof fall in and all be buried.
Sometimes Mariann was talkative in another manner, although all related to the one subject, the remembrance of her son. Heavily came upon Amrie the dark questions of the order of Providence.
“Why does a child die for which the mother has waited, trembling—with her whole soul has waited? ”

“ The Major eagerly seized it.
"But," he objected, "how can I be certain that you are not deceiving me?"
"An affecting confession," the stranger observed laughingly.
"Business is business, I risk my soul in serving you."
"As for your soul, my dear sir, reassure yourself; in that quarter you have nothing to risk. But I will give you the satisfaction you desire."
And taking a dark lanthorn from under his cloak, he let the light play on the diamond.
The Major only required one glance to assure himself of the value of the rich reward offered him. ”

“ The camp of the Guaycurus was not more than half a league from the spot where the partisan had established himself for the night; the distance, then, could be accomplished in very little time.
"Well!" asked the painter, "What shall we do now, chiefs?"
"What you like, señor," answered the Cougar; "the skins are prepared; it only remains for us to shoulder them."
"That shall devolve on me," said the young man; "I have already given you sufficient trouble."
The old chief smiled gently. ”

“ Of me you can certainly take something. Is not Farmer Rodel your guardian?”
“Yes. Well?”
“He should have known better than to make you a goose-herd. God bless thee!”
The carriage rolled on, and Amrie held the money in her hand. “‘Of me you can certainly take something!’ Who, then, is the man who said that, and why did he not make himself known? Eh! This is a groschen. There is the bird upon it. Well, it will not make him poor, nor me rich.”
The whole day long, Amrie did not offer her cup to a single passenger. She felt a secret timidity lest she should have another present. ”

“ Governor? What was it, if you please?"
"Zounds! you appear to be dressed as if for a journey."
"It is that ass of La Grenade, who, I know not for what reason, obliged me to put on my hat, and insisted on bringing my cloak here."
"He was right."
"How so?"
"My lord, I have the honour to inform you that you are a free man."
"I free!" the Count exclaimed, turning pale with joy and emotion.
"The King has deigned to sign your liberation, and I received the orders on landing at Antibes."
"At last!" the Count burst forth, but then immediately recovered himself. "Can you show me the order, sir?" ”

“ Amrie, from Siebenhöfen, the niece, who by all the neighborhood was called proud and haughty, was so wonderfully friendly and condescending to our Amrie, that Amelia said to her, “It is a [137] pity you are not a young man, for I believe Amrie would marry you at once, and not send you off as she does all her other suitors.” ”

“ Again Amrie soared, “Look! there fly the birds. No bird in the air goes astray; even the swallows, in their continually crossing flight, are always safe, always free! Oh! could we only fly! How must the world look above where the larks soar. Hurrah! always higher and higher, farther and farther! Oh, could I fly! I would fly into the wide world and to the Landfried, and see what she does, and ask her whether she ever thinks of me.
‘Thinkest thou of me in distant lands?’”
Thus she sang herself suddenly away from all the noise and from all her thoughts. ”

“ One is called John.”
Amrie stood by the mountain-ash tree, and laid her hand upon its stem and said,—
“Thou! why then dost thou not go forth? Why [47] do not men call upon thee to wander away? Perhaps it would be better for thee in another place? But thou didst not place thyself here. Who knows whether thou didst not come from another place. Stupid stuff! Yes, if he were my father I must go with him. He would not ask me. He who asks much, goes often wrong. Nobody can advise me—not even Mariann, and with our uncle it will be thus. If he does thee good, thou must pay him again. ”

“ My master has sent us away from his service," added he, slightly altering the truth; "we therefore ask your permission to leave the camp, and to go where we think proper."
"Aha!" cried Arnal, with a disdainful smile, "Is that it?"
"Nothing else, honourable cap—"
"Go, go; be off as quick as possible," cried the chief, interrupting him; "the sooner we are rid of you, the better we shall like it." ”

“ How strangely in life things are connected together. Through this occurrence Amrie experienced both joy and sorrow; for the parental house was again opened to them. Mariann moved into it. Amrie, although in the beginning full of fear, accustomed herself to go in and out; and, when she had kindled the fire, and drawn the water, she believed her father and mother must come again. [78] At last she felt herself wholly at home. She spun day and night, till she earned enough to re-purchase from Mathew the cuckoo clock which had belonged to her parents. ”

“ One evening he called Amrie to him and said, “Look, my girl, you are brave and sensible, but you do not know what men are. My John, indeed, has a good heart, but it may yet sometimes vex him that you came to him with nothing of your own. ”

“ That is a very decent number," the Count replied, involuntarily interested.
"They would be too many if there were not among the ten men seven of whom I am certain, which reduces the number of those we have to fear to three. I have been running after you for a long time, my lord," he added, with a laugh, "and all my precautions are taken: through some excuse, easy to be found, we will pass through Toulon, and on arriving there, we will stop for an hour or two at a hostelry I know. You will disguise yourself as a mendicant monk, and leave the inn unnoticed. ”

“ I have it still. She then addressed herself to me, telling me what it had never entered my head to think of before—namely, that I was inferior in rank to Amabel, and must probably be content to take a lower place. (French people cannot understand that commoners have any rank at all, more than French bourgeois.) While I was trying to take in and understand this new idea, Amabel spoke in her gentle decided voice. ”

“ Still he would not for anything in the world have questioned his sister about the obscure parts of this narrative, or merely let her know that he was aware of her relations with the filibusters of St. Kitts.
The two men had entered the savannah territory, and talking of indifferent topics; but as the Count could not get rid of the recollection of what the Major-domo had told him, he turned sharply toward him at a certain moment.
"By the way," he asked him sharply, "I have not yet seen my sister's confessor. How do you call him?"
"Fray Arsenio, Excellency; he is a Franciscan monk." ”

“ Mathew, the coal-burner, had bought it; in the evening they went and stood near the house and waited till the clock cried cuckoo,—then they looked at each other and laughed.
The children continued every morning to go to their parents’ house, knock at the door, call and wait. Then they played at the fish-pond, as we have seen them to-day. Afterwards they listened to a call which they used not to hear at this season of the year, for the cuckoo at Mathew’s called eight times.
[15] “We must to the school,” said Amrie, and hastened with her brother through the garden paths into the village. ”