Part 9 (2/2)
The daughter of Joel blushed with modesty at the words of her mother and brothers; but Stumpy insisted:
”But who is that third human sacrifice that is to appease Hesus and deliver us from war? Who is it, Hena, who is it to be sacrificed this evening?”
”I shall tell you, Stumpy,” answered the young maid rising; ”I shall tell you after I have once more looked at the dear little chamber where I used to sleep when, having grown unto maidenhood, I came here from the Isle of Sen to attend our family feasts.” And stepping towards the door of the chamber, she stopped for a moment at the threshold and said:
”What sweet nights have I spent there after retiring for the evening, regretful of leaving you! With what impatience did I not rise in the morning to meet you again!”
Taking two steps into the little chamber, while her family felt ever more astonished at hearing Hena, still so young, thus dwell upon the past, the young maid proceeded, taking up several articles that lay upon a little table:
”This is the sea-sh.e.l.l necklace that I entertained myself making in the evening sitting beside my mother.... These are the little dried twigs that resemble trees, and that I gathered from our rocks.... This is the net which I used when the tide was going out to catch little fishes with; how the sport used to amuse me!... There are the rolls of white skin on which, every time I came here, I recorded my joy at meeting my relatives and again seeing the house of my birth.... I find everything in its place. I am glad of having gathered these young girl's treasures.”
Stumpy, however, whom these mementoes did not seem to affect, again repeated in his sour and impatient voice:
”But who is to be the third human sacrifice that is to appease Hesus and deliver us from war? Who, Hena, is to be sacrificed this evening?”
”I shall let you know, Stumpy,” answered Hena smiling. ”I shall let you know after I shall have distributed my little treasures among you all,--you among them, Stumpy.”
Saying this, the daughter of the brenn motioned to her relatives to enter the chamber, and in the midst of the silent astonishment of all she gave a souvenir to each. Each, even of the little ones who loved her so much and also Stumpy received something. In order to make her gifts reach around, she loosened the sea-sh.e.l.l necklace and split up the dry twigs, saying in her sweet voice to each:
”Keep this, I pray you, out of friends.h.i.+p for Hena, your relative and friend.”
Joel, his wife and his three children, to all of whom Hena had not yet given aught, looked at one another all the more astonished at what she did, seeing that towards the end tears appeared in her eyes although the young maid gave no other token of sadness. When all the others were supplied, Hena took from her neck the garnet necklace that she wore and said to Margarid while kissing her hand:
”Hena prays her mother to keep this out of love for her.”
She then took the little rolls of white skin that had been prepared for writing on, handed them to Joel and kissing his hand said:
”Hena prays her father to keep this roll out of love for her; he will there find her most cherished thoughts.”
Detaching thereupon from her arm her two garnet bracelets, Hena said to the wife of her brother Guilhern, the laborer:
”Hena prays her sister Henory to wear this bracelet out of love for her.”
And giving the other bracelet to her brother the mariner she said:
”Your wife, Meroe, whom I love as much for her courage as for her n.o.ble heart, is to keep this bracelet as a souvenir from me.”
Hena then took from her copper belt the little gold sickle and crescent that hung from it. She tendered the former to Guilhern the laborer, the second to Albinik the mariner, and taking a ring from her finger she gave it to Mikael the armorer, saying to the three:
”I wish my brothers to preserve these keepsakes out of love for their sister Hena.”
All those present remained astonished and holding in their hands the gifts that the virgin of the Isle of Sen had delivered to them. They all remained standing and so speechless with astonishment that none could utter a word, but looked uneasily at one another as if threatened by some unknown disaster. Hena finally turned to Stumpy:
”Stumpy,” said she, ”I shall now let you know who is to be the third sacrifice of this evening;” and taking the hands of Joel and Margarid she gently led them back into the large hall, whither all the others followed. Arrived there, Hena addressed her parents and a.s.sembled relatives:
”My father and mother know that the blood of a cowardly murderer is an expiatory offering to Hesus, and that it might appease him--”
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