Part 18 (2/2)

”They laid Him down limb-weary They stood at the lifeless head.”

that the son might rest once more in the mother's lap.

She clasped in her arms the wounded body of the son born in anguish the second time.

Magdalene knelt beside it. ”Let me kiss once more the hand which has so often blessed me.” And with chaste fervor the Penitent's lips touched the cold, pierced hand of the corpse.

Another woman flung herself upon Him. ”Dearest Master, one more tear upon Thy lifeless body!” And the sobbing whisper of love sounded sweet and soothing like vesper-bells after a furious storm.

But the men stood devoutly silent:

”Gazing at Heaven's Lord, And He there rests awhile Weary after his mickle death-fight.”

CHAPTER VIII.

FREYER.

The Play was over. ”Christ is risen!” He had burst the sepulchre and hurled the guards in the dust by the sight of His radiant apparition.

He had appeared to the Penitent as a simple gardener ”early in the morning,” as He had promised, and at last had been transfigured and had risen above the world, bearing in His hand the standard of victory.

The flood of human beings poured out of the close theatre into the open air. Not loudly and noisily, as they had come--no, reverently and gravely, as a funeral train disperses after the obsequies of some n.o.ble man; noiselessly as the ebbing tide recedes after flood raised by a storm. These were the same people, yet they _returned_ in a far different mood.

The same vehicles in which yesterday the travelers had arrived in so noisy a fas.h.i.+on, now bore them away, but neither shouts nor cracking of whips was heard--the drivers knew that they must behave as if their carriages were filled with wounded men.

And this was true. There was scarcely one who did not suffer as if the spear which had pierced the Saviour's heart had entered his own, who did not feel the wounds of the Crucified One in his own hands and feet!

The grief which the people took with them was grand and G.o.dlike, and they treasured it carefully, they did not desire to lose any portion of it, for--we love the grief we feel for one beloved--and to-day they had learned to love Christ.

So they went homeward.

The last carriages which drew up before the entrance were those of the countess and her friends. The gentlemen of the diplomatic corps were already standing below, waiting for Countess Wildenau to a.s.sign them their seats in the two landaus. But the lady was still leaning against the pillar which supported one end of the box. Pressing her handkerchief to her eyes, she vainly strove to control her tears. Her heart throbbed violently, her breath was short and quick--she could not master her emotion.

The prince stood before her, pale and silent, his eyes, too, were reddened by weeping.

”Try to calm yourself!” he said firmly. ”The ladies are still in their box, the d.u.c.h.ess seems to expect you to go to her. A woman of the world, like yourself, should not give way so.”

”Give way, do you call it?” repeated Madeleine, who did not see that Prince Emil, too, was moved. ”We shall never understand each other.”

At this moment the ladies left their box and crossed the intervening s.p.a.ce. They were the last persons in the theatre. The d.u.c.h.ess, without a word, threw her arms around Countess von Wildenau's neck. Her ladies-in-waiting, too, approached with tearful eyes, and when the d.u.c.h.ess at last released her friend from her embrace, the baroness whispered: ”Forgive me, I have wronged you as well as many others--even yesterday, forgive me.” The same entreaty was expressed in Her Excellency's glance and clasp of the hand as she said: ”Whoever sees this must repent every unloving word ever uttered; we will never forget that we have witnessed it together.”

”I thank you, but I should have borne you no ill will, even had I known what you have now voluntarily confessed to me!” replied the countess, kissing the ladies with dry, burning lips.

”Shall we go?” asked the d.u.c.h.ess. ”We shall be locked in.”

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