burlesques-第79部分

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rather　alarmed。



〃Oh；　the　parson！　that's　the　easiest　thing　in　the　world！　　I　say；

bishop！〃　said　the　lady；　stooping　down。



Stooping　downand　to　what？　　Why；　upon　my　word　and　honor；　to　a

great　brass　plate　on　the　floor；　over　which　they　were　passing；　and

on　which　was　engraven　the　figure　of　a　bishopand　a　very　ugly

bishop；　toowith　crosier　and　mitre；　and　lifted　finger；　on　which

sparkled　the　episcopal　ring。　　〃Do；　my　dear　lord；　come　and　marry

us；〃　said　the　lady；　with　a　levity　which　shocked　the　feelings　of　her

bridegroom。



The　bishop　got　up；　and　directly　he　rose；　a　dean；　who　was　sleeping

under　a　large　slate　near　him；　came　bowing　and　cringing　up　to　him；

while　a　canon　of　the　cathedral　（whose　name　was　Schidnischmidt）

began　grinning　and　making　fun　at　the　pair。　　The　ceremony　was　begun；

and　。　。　。　。





As　the　clock　struck　twelve；　young　Otto　bounded　up；　and　remarked　the

absence　of　his　companion　Wolfgang。　　The　idea　he　had　had；　that　his

friend　disappeared　in　company　with　a　white…robed　female；　struck　him

more　and　more。　　〃I　will　follow　them；〃　said　he；　and；　calling　to　the

next　on　the　watch　（old　Snozo；　who　was　right　unwilling　to　forego　his

sleep）；　he　rushed　away　by　the　door　through　which　he　had　seen

Wolfgang　and　his　temptress　take　their　way。



That　he　did　not　find　them　was　not　his　fault。　　The　castle　was　vast；

the　chamber　dark。　　There　were　a　thousand　doors；　and　what　wonder

that；　after　he　had　once　lost　sight　of　them；　the　intrepid　Childe

should　not　be　able　to　follow　in　their　steps？　　As　might　be　expected；

he　took　the　wrong　door；　and　wandered　for　at　least　three　hours　about

the　dark　enormous　solitary　castle；　calling　out　Wolfgang's　name　to

the　careless　and　indifferent　echoes；　knocking　his　young　shins

against　the　ruins　scattered　in　the　darkness；　but　still　with　a

spirit　entirely　undaunted；　and　a　firm　resolution　to　aid　his　absent

comrade。　　Brave　Otto！　thy　exertions　were　rewarded　at　last！



For　he　lighted　at　length　upon　the　very　apartment　where　Wolfgang　had

partaken　of　supper；　and　where　the　old　couple　who　had　been　in　the

picture…frames；　and　turned　out　to　be　the　lady's　father　and　mother；

were　now　sitting　at　the　table。



〃Well；　Bertha　has　got　a　husband　at　last；〃　said　the　lady。



〃After　waiting　four　hundred　and　fifty…three　years　for　one；　it　was

quite　time；〃　said　the　gentleman。　　（He　was　dressed　in　powder　and　a

pigtail；　quite　in　the　old　fashion。）



〃The　husband　is　no　great　things；〃　continued　the　lady；　taking　snuff。

〃A　low　fellow；　my　dear；　a　butcher's　son；　I　believe。　　Did　you　see

how　the　wretch　ate　at　supper？　　To　think　my　daughter　should　have　to

marry　an　archer！〃



〃There　are　archers　and　archers；〃　said　the　old　man。　　〃Some　archers

are　snobs；　as　your　ladyship　states；　some；　on　the　contrary；　are

gentlemen　by　birth；　at　least；　though　not　by　breeding。　　Witness

young　Otto；　the　Landgrave　of　Godesberg's　son；　who　is　listening　at

the　door　like　a　lackey；　and　whom　I　intend　to　run　through　the〃



〃Law；　Baron！〃　said　the　lady。



〃I　will；　though；〃　replied　the　Baron；　drawing　an　immense　sword；　and

glaring　round　at　Otto：　but　though　at　the　sight　of　that　sword　and

that　scowl　a　less　valorous　youth　would　have　taken　to　his　heels；　the

undaunted　Childe　advanced　at　once　into　the　apartment。　　He　wore

round　his　neck　a　relic　of　St。　Buffo　（the　tip　of　the　saint's　ear；

which　had　been　cut　off　at　Constantinople）。　　〃Fiends！　　I　command　you

to　retreat！〃　said　he；　holding　up　this　sacred　charm；　which　his　mamma

had　fastened　on　him；　and　at　the　sight　of　it；　with　an　unearthly　yell

the　ghosts　of　the　Baron　and　the　Baroness　sprung　back　into　their

picture…frames；　as　clowns　go　through　a　clock　in　a　pantomime。



He　rushed　through　the　open　door　by　which　the　unlucky　Wolfgang　had

passed　with　his　demoniacal　bride；　and　went　on　and　on　through　the

vast　gloomy　chambers　lighted　by　the　ghastly　moonshine：　the　noise　of

the　organ　in　the　chapel；　the　lights　in　the　kaleidoscopic　windows；

directed　him　towards　that　edifice。　　He　rushed　to　the　door：　'twas

barred！　　He　knocked：　the　beadles　were　deaf。　　He　applied　his

inestimable　relic　to　the　lock；　andwhiz！　crash！　clang！　bang！

whang！the　gate　flew　open！　the　organ　went　off　in　a　fuguethe

lights　quivered　over　the　tapers；　and　then　went　off　towards　the

ceilingthe　ghosts　assembled　rushed　away　with　a　skurry　and　a

screamthe　bride　howled；　and　vanishedthe　fat　bishop　waddled　back

under　his　brass　platethe　dean　flounced　down　into　his　family

vaultand　the　canon　Schidnischmidt；　who　was　making　a　joke；　as

usual；　on　the　bishop；　was　obliged　to　stop　at　the　very　point　of　his

epigram；　and　to　disappear　into　the　void　whence　he　came。



Otto　fell　fainting　at　the　porch；　while　Wolfgang　tumbled　lifeless

down　at　the　altar…steps；　and　in　this　situation　the　archers；　when

they　arrived；　found　the　two　youths。　　They　were　resuscitated；　as　we

scarce　need　say；　but　when；　in　incoherent　accents；　they　came　to　tell

their　wondrous　tale；　some　sceptics　among　the　archers　said〃Pooh！

they　were　intoxicated！〃　while　others；　nodding　their　older　heads；

exclaimed〃THEY　HAVE　SEEN　THE　LADY　OF　WINDECK！〃　and　recalled　the

stories　of　many　other　young　men；　who；　inveigled　by　her　devilish

arts；　had　not　been　so　lucky　as　Wolfgang；　and　had　disappearedfor

ever！



This　adventure　bound　Wolfgang　heart　and　soul　to　his　gallant

preserver；　and　the　archersit　being　now　morning；　and　the　cocks

crowing　lustily　round　aboutpursued　their　way　without　further

delay　to　the　castle　of　the　noble　patron　of　toxophilites；　the

gallant　Duke　of　Cleves。





CHAPTER　X。



THE　BATTLE　OF　THE　BOWMEN。





Although　there　lay　an　immense　number　of　castles　and　abbeys　between

Windeck　and　Cleves；　for　every　one　of　which　the　guide…books　have　a

legend　and　a　ghost；　who　might；　with　the　commonest　stretch　of

ingenuity；　be　made　to　waylay　our　adventurers　on　the　road；　yet；　as

the　journey　would　be　thus　almost　interminable；　let　us　cut　it　short

by　saying　that　the　travellers　reached　Cleves　without　any　further

accident；　and　found　the　place　thronged　with　visitors　for　the

meeting　next　day。



And　here　it　would　be　easy　to　describe　the　company　which　arrived；

and　make　display　of　antiquarian　lore。　　Now　we　would　represent　a

cavalcade　of　knights　arriving；　with　their　pages　carrying　their

shining　helms　of　gold；　and　the　stout　esquires；　bearers　of　lance　and

banner。　　Anon　would　arrive　a　fat　abbot　on　his　ambling　pad；

surrounded　by　the　white…robed　companions　of　his　convent。　　Here

should　come　the　gleemen　and　jonglers；　the　minstrels；　the

mountebanks；　the　party…colored　gipsies；　the　dark…eyed；　nut…brown

Zigeunerinnen；　then　a　troop　of　peasants　chanting　Rhine…songs；　and

leading　in　their　ox…drawn　carts　the　peach…cheeked　girls　from　the

vine…lands。　　Next　we　would　depict　the　litters　blazoned　with

armorial　bearings；　from　between　the　broidered　curtains　of　which

peeped　out　the　swan…like　necks　and　the　haughty　faces　of　the　blond

ladies　of　the　castles。　　But　for　these　descriptions　we　have　not

space；　and　the　reader　is　referred　to　the　account　of　the　tournament

in　the　ingenio