Part 57 (2/2)
”Repeat the oath to me,” he said, imperatively.
”My oath was as follows: 'I swear by the Holy Virgin that, if you bring my Elza to me here, you shall receive your bride, who loves you with infinite tenderness, at the hands of the priest.'”
”You have not forgotten the words, Eliza. But will you fulfil them now?”
”You insist on it?” she asked, looking up to him timidly and mournfully.
”Yes, I do,” he said, with a blissful smile.
”Well, then,” she whispered, almost inaudibly, ”I shall keep my oath.”
He uttered a joyous cry, pressed her hand to his lips, and gazed with an expression of infinite tenderness into her blus.h.i.+ng, quivering face.
”Oh, do not tremble, love,” he said; ”do not look anxiously into the future. I shall know how to protect my wife from grief and humiliation. To make you happy shall be my sweetest joy; to see you honored and recognized by society will be my incessant effort, as it will be my bounden duty. You will fulfil your oath, and you must do it this very day. Let me go, then, and get a priest; and you, my sweet girl, place a myrtle-wreath on your head, for I shall call for you soon and conduct you triumphantly to the great church of Innspruck; for our marriage shall take place publicly and in the face of the whole population.”
”No, sir,” she said, shaking her head gently. ”I will redeem my promise, but I beg, nay, I implore you, permit me to make all necessary arrangements, and let me have for once my own way.”
”And what do you wish, then, beloved?”
”I wish that no one should learn of our plan, and that you should conceal it all day long from every one, and speak of it to no one, neither with your uncle, nor with Elza, nor with Andreas Hofer.”
”But how am I to get a priest to marry us?”
”Leave it all to me, sir. I will get a priest. I have confided only to my dear old friend Joachim Haspinger, the Capuchin, who was lately in Innspruck, what would take place in case you should return with my Elza, and he promised that he himself would marry us.
Accordingly, on being informed this morning by the courier of your speedy arrival, I sent at once a mounted messenger to Father Haspinger, and I am sure that he will come to Innspruck to-day.”
”You intended, then, to redeem your promise of your own accord!”
exclaimed Ulrich, joyfully; ”you thought of it without being reminded of it. Oh, I thank you, my Eliza, for I see now that you really love me.”
”Yes, sir, I really love you,” said Eliza, solemnly. ”You will find it out this very day. Will you promise me now to conceal our plan from every one, and let me make all necessary arrangements?”
”I do, my sweet girl. Tell me what I am to do, and I will obey you silently and unconditionally.”
”Well, then, dear Ulrich,” she said, in a tremulous voice, ”come to- night, at nine o'clock, to the chapel here in the imperial palace.
As a witness, I hope you will find there our dear commander-in- chief, Andreas Hofer. Father Haspinger will stand before the altar, and your betrothed will kneel before the altar too, ready to become your wife, and love and serve you all her life.”
”And I shall find there my betrothed, to whom I shall plight my faith before the altar, and whom I will love and cherish all my life!” exclaimed the captain, in profound emotion.
She bent her head gently, as if to accept his solemn vow. ”Then you will come to the chapel at nine?” she asked.
”I will,” he said, smilingly, ”and you may be sure that I shall be promptly on hand. I shall be as punctual as the digger after a hidden treasure, who must disinter it at the stated hour, if he does not want to lose it entirely. I shall be at the chapel at nine o'clock.”
”Very well, at nine o'clock. And now farewell until then, sir. I have a great deal to attend to yet in getting up the bridal dress and ornaments, for I do not want you to be ashamed of me to-day, Ulrich. Your bride must not look like a peasant-girl. She must be dressed up beautifully, like an aristocratic lady--like Elza, for instance.”
”Dress as you please,” he said, smilingly, ”but do not believe that I shall ever be ashamed of the peasant-girl, and try to conceal the descent of my sweet, lovely wife.”
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