burlesques-第84部分

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they　would　raise　her　up　a　defender。



But　how　did　the　noble　girl's　heart　sinkhow　were　her　notions　of

the　purity　of　man　shaken　within　her　gentle　bosom；　by　the　dread

intelligence　which　reached　her　the　next　morning；　after　the　defiance

of　the　Rowski！　　At　roll…call　it　was　discovered　that　he　on　whom　she

principally　reliedhe　whom　her　fond　heart　had　singled　out　as　her

champion；　had　proved　faithless！　　Otto；　the　degenerate　Otto；　had

fled！　　His　comrade；　Wolfgang；　had　gone　with　him。　　A　rope　was　found

dangling　from　the　casement　of　their　chamber；　and　they　must　have

swum　the　moat　and　passed　over　to　the　enemy　in　the　darkness　of　the

previous　night。　　〃A　pretty　lad　was　this　fair…spoken　archer　of

thine！〃　said　the　Prince　her　father　to　her；　〃and　a　pretty　kettle　of

fish　hast　thou　cooked　for　the　fondest　of　fathers。〃　　She　retired

weeping　to　her　apartment。　　Never　before　had　that　young　heart　felt

so　wretched。



That　morning；　at　nine　o'clock；　as　they　were　going　to　breakfast；　the

Rowski's　trumpets　sounded。　　Clad　in　complete　armor；　and　mounted　on

his　enormous　piebald　charger；　he　came　out　of　his　pavilion；　and　rode

slowly　up　and　down　in　front　of　the　castle。　　He　was　ready　there　to

meet　a　champion。



Three　times　each　day　did　the　odious　trumpet　sound　the　same　notes　of

defiance。　　Thrice　daily　did　the　steel…clad　Rowski　come　forth

challenging　the　combat。　　The　first　day　passed；　and　there　was　no

answer　to　his　summons。　　The　second　day　came　and　went；　but　no

champion　had　risen　to　defend。　　The　taunt　of　his　shrill　clarion

remained　without　answer；　and　the　sun　went　down　upon　the　wretchedest

father　and　daughter　in　all　the　land　of　Christendom。



The　trumpets　sounded　an　hour　after　sunrise；　an　hour　after　noon；　and

an　hour　before　sunset。　　The　third　day　came；　but　with　it　brought　no

hope。　　The　first　and　second　summons　met　no　response。　　At　five

o'clock　the　old　Prince　called　his　daughter　and　blessed　her。　　〃I　go

to　meet　this　Rowski；〃　said　he。　　〃It　may　be　we　shall　meet　no　more；

my　Helenmy　childthe　innocent　cause　of　all　this　grief。　　If　I

shall　fall　to…night　the　Rowski's　victim；　'twill　be　that　life　is

nothing　without　honor。〃　　And　so　saying；　he　put　into　her　hands　a

dagger；　and　bade　her　sheathe　it　in　her　own　breast　so　soon　as　the

terrible　champion　had　carried　the　castle　by　storm。



This　Helen　most　faithfully　promised　to　do；　and　her　aged　father

retired　to　his　armory；　and　donned　his　ancient　war…worn　corselet。

It　had　borne　the　shock　of　a　thousand　lances　ere　this；　but　it　was

now　so　tight　as　almost　to　choke　the　knightly　wearer。



The　last　trumpet　soundedtantara！　tantara！its　shrill　call　rang

over　the　wide　plains；　and　the　wide　plains　gave　back　no　answer。

Again！but　when　its　notes　died　away；　there　was　only　a　mournful；　an

awful　silence。　　〃Farewell；　my　child；〃　said　the　Prince；　bulkily

lifting　himself　into　his　battle…saddle。　　〃Remember　the　dagger。

Hark！　the　trumpet　sounds　for　the　third　time。　　Open；　warders！

Sound；　trumpeters！　and　good　St。　Bendigo　guard　the　right。〃



But　Puffendorff；　the　trumpeter；　had　not　leisure　to　lift　the　trumpet

to　his　lips：　when；　hark！　from　without　there　came　another　note　of

another　clarion！a　distant　note　at　first；　then　swelling　fuller。

Presently；　in　brilliant　variations；　the　full　rich　notes　of　the

〃Huntsman's　Chorus〃　came　clearly　over　the　breeze；　and　a　thousand

voices　of　the　crowd　gazing　over　the　gate　exclaimed；　〃A　champion！　a

champion！〃



And；　indeed；　a　champion　HAD　come。　　Issuing　from　the　forest　came　a

knight　and　squire：　the　knight　gracefully　cantering　an　elegant

cream…colored　Arabian　of　prodigious　powerthe　squire　mounted　on　an

unpretending　gray　cob；　which；　nevertheless；　was　an　animal　of

considerable　strength　and　sinew。　　It　was　the　squire　who　blew　the

trumpet；　through　the　bars　of　his　helmet；　the　knight's　visor　was

completely　down。　　A　small　prince's　coronet　of　gold；　from　which　rose

three　pink　ostrich…feathers；　marked　the　warrior's　rank：　his　blank

shield　bore　no　cognizance。　　As　gracefully　poising　his　lance　he　rode

into　the　green　space　where　the　Rowski's　tents　were　pitched；　the

hearts　of　all　present　beat　with　anxiety；　and　the　poor　Prince　of

Cleves；　especially；　had　considerable　doubts　about　his　new　champion。

〃So　slim　a　figure　as　that　can　never　compete　with　Donnerblitz；〃　said

he；　moodily；　to　his　daughter；　〃but　whoever　he　be；　the　fellow　puts　a

good　face　on　it；　and　rides　like　a　man。　　See；　he　has　touched　the

Rowski's　shield　with　the　point　of　his　lance！　　By　St。　Bendigo；　a

perilous　venture！〃



The　unknown　knight　had　indeed　defied　the　Rowski　to　the　death；　as

the　Prince　of　Cleves　remarked　from　the　battlement　where　he　and　his

daughter　stood　to　witness　the　combat；　and　so；　having　defied　his

enemy；　the　Incognito　galloped　round　under　the　castle　wall；　bowing

elegantly　to　the　lovely　Princess　there；　and　then　took　his　ground

and　waited　for　the　foe。　　His　armor　blazed　in　the　sunshine　as　he　sat

there；　motionless；　on　his　cream…colored　steed。　　He　looked　like　one

of　those　fairy　knights　one　has　read　ofone　of　those　celestial

champions　who　decided　so　many　victories　before　the　invention　of　gun

powder。



The　Rowski's　horse　was　speedily　brought　to　the　door　of　his

pavilion；　and　that　redoubted　warrior；　blazing　in　a　suit　of

magnificent　brass　armor；　clattered　into　his　saddle。　　Long　waves　of

blood…red　feathers　bristled　over　his　helmet；　which　was　farther

ornamented　by　two　huge　horns　of　the　aurochs。　　His　lance　was　painted

white　and　red；　and　he　whirled　the　prodigious　beam　in　the　air　and

caught　it　with　savage　glee。　　He　laughed　when　he　saw　the　slim　form

of　his　antagonist；　and　his　soul　rejoiced　to　meet　the　coming　battle。

He　dug　his　spurs　into　the　enormous　horse　he　rode：　the　enormous

horse　snorted；　and　squealed；　too；　with　fierce　pleasure。　　He　jerked

and　curveted　him　with　a　brutal　playfulness；　and　after　a　few

minutes'　turning　and　wheeling；　during　which　everybody　had　leisure

to　admire　the　perfection　of　his　equitation；　he　cantered　round　to　a

point　exactly　opposite　his　enemy；　and　pulled　up　his　impatient

charger。



The　old　Prince　on　the　battlement　was　so　eager　for　the　combat；　that

he　seemed　quite　to　forget　the　danger　which　menaced　himself；　should

his　slim　champion　be　discomfited　by　the　tremendous　Knight　of

Donnerblitz。　　〃Go　it！〃　said　he；　flinging　his　truncheon　into　the

ditch；　and　at　the　word；　the　two　warriors　rushed　with　whirling

rapidity　at　each　other。



And　now　ensued　a　combat　so　terrible；　that　a　weak　female　hand；　like

that　of　her　who　pens　this　tale　of　chivalry；　can　never　hope　to　do

justice　to　the　terrific　theme。　　You　have　seen　two　engines　on　the

Great　Western　line　rush　past　each　other　with　a　pealing　scream？　　So

rapidly　did　the　two　warriors　gallop　towards　one　another；　the

feathers　of　either　streamed　yards　behind　their　backs　as　they

converged。　　Their　shock　as　they　met　was　as　that　of　two　cannon…

balls；　the　mighty　horses　trembled　and　reeled　with　the　concussion；

the　lance　aimed　at　the　Rowski's　helmet　bore　off　the　coronet；　the

horns；　the　helmet　itself；　and　hurled　them　to　an　i