Part 54 (2/2)

”May G.o.d and the Holy Virgin preserve me from committing such a crime,” murmured Andreas Hofer, crossing himself devoutly. ”Ah, my friend, why did you not come to me ere this, and tell me all about it? I should have gladly a.s.sisted you in recovering what was due to you.”

”And yet it is your fault that I cannot recover what is due to me.”

cried the old man, mournfully. ”Why should I have come hither ere this, and robbed you of your precious time? I confided in my good and just cause; I knew that the good G.o.d would not abandon me, and that He would not take from me, after losing innocently most of my property by the cruelty of the enemy, who burned down my house and outbuildings, the last remnant of my little fortune, the thousand florins which I lent to my friend, and which his rich wife engaged in her own handwriting to pay back ten years after date. The ten years had expired; the good G.o.d did not abandon me; for He caused the judges to grant me justice and adjudge the thousand florins to me.”

”And I took them from him again,” murmured Andreas Hofer, with tears in his eyes; ”and it is my fault that he will die with a grief- stricken heart. Cajetan, I have ruined the old man; tell me, advise me how to make amends for it.”

”You reversed the decision of the judges,” said Doeninger, slowly; ”you possess the power of reversing all decisions.”

Andreas Hofer was silent for a moment, and gazed thoughtfully into vacancy, as if to fathom the meaning of an obscure oracle; all at once his face brightened, and a joyous smile played round his lips.

”I know it now, Cajetan,” he exclaimed. ”I have the power to reverse all decisions, and therefore my own also.”

Cajetan Doeninger nodded with silent satisfaction. The old man clasped his hands and gazed at Hofer with an expression of ardent grat.i.tude.

”Will you really do so, Andreas Hofer?” he asked tremblingly. ”Will you reverse your own decree for the sake of justice?”

”Yes, I will,” exclaimed Hofer, joyfully; ”and I will do it immediately. Cajetan, take up your pen and write what I am going to dictate to you. There I now write as follows: 'I, the undersigned, confess by these presents that I committed a mistake yesterday, and violated the laws. To confess mistakes and avow faults is no disgrace; hence, I do so now, and beg pardon of the good G.o.d and the judges for doing wrong. I hereby reverse the decision which I made yesterday. Friedel Hofmeier is to receive the thousand florins which the supreme court adjudged to him, and the decision of the judges is to be valid, notwithstanding my decree issued yesterday.' Now give me the pen and let me sign the doc.u.ment.”

”Oh, dear commander-in-chief,” exclaimed the delighted old man, ”what a n.o.ble and kind-hearted man you are, and--”

”Hus.h.!.+” interrupted Andreas, looking up from the paper; ”if I make a mistake now, the whole doc.u.ment will be invalid, and we must commence anew. Now I tell you it is hard work to write one's name with such a pointed pen on the paper, and my name, moreover, has such a long-tailed t.i.tle. Therefore, keep quiet and let me write.

There, it is done now--'Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol.' Now, my dear old friend, your doc.u.ment is valid. Take it to the city hall, and permit me to congratulate you on having recovered your thousand florins. Say nothing about it now, but hasten to the city hall. There are outside a great many persons who wish to see me.”

He handed the paper to the old man, and conducted him to the door, which he himself opened for him. He was about to follow him, when he suddenly drew back and closed the door after him.

”Cajetan,” he whispered, anxiously, ”I saw something dreadful!”

”What was it, commander-in-chief?”

”Cajetan, I saw the woman whom Friedel Hofmeier sued, and to whom I gave the decree yesterday. Cajetan, I was not afraid when we were on Mount Isel and at Brixen, but I am afraid of that woman and her dreadful lamentations. I do not know what to do, Doeninger, if she should have found out what I have done, and come in here to reproach me with it.”

”We shall not admit her, commander-in-chief,” said Doeninger, laughing.

”But, Cajetan, I made a vow never to refuse admittance to any one, and not, as many princes do, to allow distressed persons to wait in my anteroom and send them away without listening to them and comforting them.”

”But you heard, Andreas, that the woman is not in distress, for she is rich and very avaricious. She told you the most impudent falsehoods; hence, she must not be admitted; for, if you allow her to come in again, she would lie as she did yesterday.”

”You are right, Cajetan, she must not come in; and now, my friend, pray go and admit the next applicant, but not that bad woman.”

Doeninger went to the door, and, opening it, beckoned to the person standing nearest to it.

A young woman, dressed plainly, but very neatly, came in, and remained at the door, in visible confusion and grief.

”Well, madame,” said Andreas to her, ”do you come to tell me that all is right, and that your husband and you, his pretty young wife, live together in happiness and content? Well, it was heavy work to reconcile you two, and persuade you to remain together and love each other, as it behooves a Christian couple. It cost me a whole forenoon, but I do not regret it, for I accomplished my task, and reconciled you, and all was right again between you. And I made you promise to return in two weeks and tell me how you got along with each other. The two weeks are up to-day, and here comes the pretty young wife to tell me that Andreas Hofer did his work well, and that her husband is now faithful, tender, and good. Is he not?”

”Alas, he is not!” sobbed the young wife, bursting into tears.

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