Volume I Part 11 (1/2)
During this delightful talk, the wine, like a balmy oil, glided down the knights' throats, sweet and powerful; but its effects were manifested in the two with a very striking difference. While Ra.s.selwitz grew continually sulkier and charier of his words, and at last became downright sleepy, Tausdorf's spirits were more and more awakened and joyful. A flippant coquetry, at other times hateful to him and foreign to his disposition, now prevailed in his manners to the fair stranger, who knew how to turn the well-polished diamond of her spirit so nimbly to and fro, that from its hundred points the flashes struck blindingly upon Tausdorf's eyes, and flung into shadow the image of the lovely, but simple and grave Althea. To complete the impression which she had visibly made upon him, the Circe, at a fitting turn of the conversation, took up a harp which lay beside her, and sang, accompanying herself a lullaby to her heart, than which nothing could be sweeter or more alluring. While now Tausdorf kindled more and more at her burning looks, the soft tones of her song, instead of the heart which should have been lulled, soothed the good Ra.s.selwitz into a sound slumber. The knight considered the sleeper with approving eyes, and then cast them, full of voluptuous desire, on the fair stranger.
”Cease, beautiful siren!” he exclaimed at last, seizing her white hand, and holding it firmly upon the strings; ”your magic song disturbs me in my gazing on you. A woman, created for love, as you are, cannot lull her heart to sleep without committing a deadly sin against my s.e.x.”
With a heavenly smile, in which, however, lurked a strange glance, Bona looked at him, and her hand returned a gentle pressure. Then casting a look of inquiry at the sleeping Ra.s.selwitz, she on a sudden sighed out softly and anxiously--”Oh, heavens!”
”What is the matter, n.o.ble lady?” cried Tausdorf, starting up, and caught her in his arms as she fell.
”A sickly oppression which will soon pa.s.s over,” stammered Bona, while her bosom heaved mightily against his breast. ”Help me up to my chamber, dear Tausdorf.”
Alarmed, anxious, thrilled through by strange forebodings, he obeyed her mandate; and half gliding, half carried, the lady reached her room with the knight. A dull lamp burnt on a table by the bed, around which flowed curtains of green silk, flinging a secret mysterious shadow. He let her down softly on the couch, and would have withdrawn, to call the maid to her a.s.sistance, but she raised herself up again, and winding her fair arms about his neck, murmured softly--”Dear man!”--and her kisses quivered on his lips like a kindling flash of lightning.
”Fairest creature!” he stammered, in the double intoxication of wine and pa.s.sion. Wildly throbbed his pulses as if they would burst their veins,--and the lamp went out.
It was towards the morning when Tausdorf awoke from a heavy slumber.
When on opening his eyes he found the sleeping Bona by his side, his recollection returned with the consciousness, and he sprang up in horror.
”Then it was not merely a wild dream,” he exclaimed painfully. ”How could I so forget myself! Never shall I forgive myself this error!”
He paced up and down the room with vehemence for a time, and then paused before the fair sleeper.
”The sin is beautiful which has seduced me from the right path; but that does not excuse a man from whom principles are to be expected, and who has taken upon himself important duties. Poor Althea! is this the reward of your love and truth? I never could have believed that to be possible which now rises to my revolted senses in disgusting reality.
Ah! let no one boast of his virtue! It is often the prey of the most involuntary accident!--Of _accident_?--Was indeed all that happened to me yesterday no more than accident? I can answer for myself--my soul was pure when I entered this house; and not till I was allured by the siren's song, and the voluptuous spirits of the wine had painted her fair form in glowing colours, not till then was the evil pa.s.sion kindled in me. Could a few gla.s.ses have changed me so much? Could they have lighted up the wild glow that raged in my veins, and the dregs of which still lie heavy on my head and heart? The advances too of the stranger and her feigned sickness, which tightened the noose about my neck,--at the bottom of all this is some secret plan which I must unravel.”
He left the room quickly, and soon returned with horror in his looks, and in his hands two half-full goblets, which he placed on the table by the bed, and had already raised his arm to wake the sleeper. At this moment the first sunbeams flamed through the darkness of the green curtains, and cast a warm glow upon her lovely features. Bona opened her eyes, which immediately sought and found her beloved, and rested upon him with bewitching tenderness; but she soon perceived the cold disdain that flashed from his, and she started up from the bed in terror.
”For heaven's sake,” she exclaimed, ”what has happened to you? What do you mean by these fierce looks?”
”To ask you how we so soon became familiar with each other--how you so soon succeeded in seducing an honourable knight into disgraceful infidelity towards the mistress of his heart.”
”This is a common injustice of you men to lay on the weaker s.e.x the blame of the evil caused by your sensuality, that you may afterwards despise your victim, and so have a pretence for denying all satisfaction.”
”You are right, but it does not apply here. We will not, however, say any more about which of us is the victim; only I must know whether some h.e.l.lish arts were not employed in the adventures of last night, and therefore you must give me an account of these goblets.”
”Gracious heavens! I am lost!” exclaimed Bona, without looking at the goblets, and clasping her hands together. Tausdorf went on:--
”This, with the white sediment at the bottom, stood before Ra.s.selwitz, who still lies motionless on the seat, bound up in a death-like slumber. This, with the black dregs, I emptied, and I can now well explain the ebullition which threw me into your arms. Strumpet! have we drank poison at your hands?”
The beautiful sinner started up proudly, glanced at the knight with n.o.ble anger, and exclaimed, ”Contemptible suspicion!” and s.n.a.t.c.hed at the goblet with intent to empty it; but Tausdorf put back her hand--
”No! I would not place any soul before the judgment-seat ere the Creator calls for it.”
He took the goblet from the table, and having flung it out of the window, walked up and down the room in silence; Bona wept.
”You would drink of it?” he continued. ”There was then no poison in the goblet? But what else? For, by heaven, all is not right with this wine.”
Bona hid her face in the pillows of the bed, and was silent.
”A love-draught, perhaps, for the chosen victim of your desires, and an opiate for the troublesome witness--is it not so?”