Part XIII

That very day he met the maiden's Sire.
Quite different the interview with him.
The proud lord of the manor sent £pr him,
Gave him a tongue-lashing most merciless,
Accused him of having his vassals led
Astray, made rebels dangerous of them;
That if he dared with such work to proceed
He'd drive him from the village in disgrace.

With dignity the young man thus replied:
"Sir! I forbid you thus to lecture me,
No schoolboy I, but even not at school
Did I permit thus to be spoken to.
If I have sinned, if to rebellion I
Incited men, — there is the law! the law
Can punish me. Did I commit no crime
Who gives to you the right to chastise me!
I do not heed your threat to drive me off,
It does not frighten me; to earn my bread
I can go anywhere. I shall not leave
This place howe'er, because I feel at home,
I know I am of use, I fill my place.
You will not drive me off for your own good.
If you did the people would follow me
Or they would turn on you and from your home
And hearth would exile you. This is not said
To threaten you, but as a sound advice.
I know the populace, I know they love
And honor me and what they'd do for me!''

Thus spoke the youth, then bowed and went away.

Upon the Sunday following, the priest
Preached to his congregation in this wise:
"This man is awful, and he should be feared,
An atheist and agitator he.
If you allow him to remain with you
You're lost in this and in the world to come.
Those who remain his friends forfeit their lives
To our good king and on the gallows die,
Nor can their souls e'er heaven's Kingdom reach,
Eternally are damned their souls and lost."
Besought and warned them to heed his words
Ere it is late. With tearful eyes he prayed:
"Oh save your lives, your heavenly bliss oh save!
•Death and perdition should not be your choice
But choose a happy life and heaven's rewards."
Their ire aroused, the people left the church, —
The House of God, the House of Peace 'tis called, —
Like wild beasts wounded in the hunt, they ran
To him whom yesterday "our father'' named,
Made to him known: "tomorrow by this time
You must be gone or stoned to death you'll be."
The youth addressed them in his own bold way,
And how he spoke! He spoke inspiringly,
As ne'er before; alas, it was in vain,
For where the priest once had a word to say
Truth had no chance, there truth was crucified.
The priest's each word calls forth a devil to rise,
And though the devil' is not mightier than God,
He surely is more eloquent, he can't
Conquer with deeds but he can lead astray.
With threatening curses they then left the youth.

Just for a moment his spirit was wrenched
Thoughts of despair would flit within his brain
As ravens flit around" a carcass found.
"These are the people" — he cried in despair,
These are the people whom I had adored,
For whom I lived, for whom I would have died.
But thus it was a thousand years ago.
And what of it? A thousand years from now
It will be otherwise. Mankind is young,
With ease 'tis fooled. To ripe manhood when grown
' It shall be otherwise. Because still young
It must be nursed with care. 'Twas ever thus:
Since ancient days the kings and priests would strive
In mental blindness and in ignorance
The populace to keep; these demigods
Had but one aim: to rule! and well they knew,
That only such,— the mental blind, — submit
To kind 'and priest-craft reign." He pitied them.
"Poor people", — mused he— "but what do I care?
I fought for them till now, henceforth I'll fight
With force and vigor new, they shall be free!"

The eve has set, the night came in, to him
The last night he would spend in his old home,
He stands within the shadow of the trees,
Looks up toward the window where at times
To see her he was wont. The window 's bare
No light, no maiden there, yet he looks up,
Intently gazing, he looks like a ghost
That into stone had turned. His deep felt woe
Together with the moon spread o'er his face
A veil of ghastly white. When all at once,
He felt his hand by someone grasped. He turned,
And he beheld her at his side for whom
He had so hopelessly been waiting there.
"For you I waited here." then. .said the youth.
"For you I waited here. I dared to hope
Once more to see you in that window there,
A mute farewell I sent up from my eyes,
And then to go, fore'er to go away.
Beyond all hope my fate is kind to me,
My lips can now convey my last farewell, ,
My hands rest in your hands. Sweet maid:
Farewell! Good-bye you sweetest of the fair. ;
In all the world you were the only one
Who called me friend, whom I my friend could call.
I have no keepsakes, but your picture fills
My heart, as in some poor man's hut's bare wall
The Saviour's picture hangs, before which he
Each eve in adoration bends his knee.
But if the costliest keepsakes filled my heart,
I'd cast them all away and only keep
The memory of this blissful parting hour.
Farewell! If ever you shall hear of me,
That I achieved great fame, believe me, girl,
The merit will be yours, for your sake I
Shall strive great, good and famous to become.
So that you may never regret to have
Befriended me; but rather feel some pride
To have enclosed me in your golden heart.
Farewell! You were my guardian angel here.

He started then to go, but he was stopped.
As if in chains the maiden holds his arm.
She tried to speak but could not speak one word,
Until amidst heart-rending- sobs she said:
"Farewell, good-bye! And God be with you, dear.
Farewell, you noblest of the youth. Farewell!
If I could only go, Fd gladly go with you,
Shall we two nevermore each other see?
Go! Go! My star is fallen from on high.
Farewell, my love! Your's is my heart's best love.
I had to tell you this, it flowed from here.
My heart, as flows the Vesuv's burning flame.
'Tis you I love; And hear my solemn vow:
If I cannot become your own true wife.
By Heaven above I swear, I'll never wed!
Here, take this ring, 'tis our engagement ring,
And sooner will its pure gem turn to dust
Ere faithless I become. Farewell my friend!
Fair dream of my poor youthful life, Farewell!"

The richest bliss and gift of heaven are his.
He fell upon his knees and kissed her feet.
When on the morn he had left the place,
And on the highway trod, a hundred times
He looked upon the ring, for then he knew
That last night's scene was not his fever's dream,
AVas not the fancy of an insane mind.

He took the road, — himself he knew not why, —

Towards the capital, the city where
At one time he .had stolen, begged and worked.
He found a .garret room which suited him,
And there he lived. He knew not what to do,
While pondering o'er what to undertake,
A knock is heard upon his door, it opes,
A lady veiled comes in. — the veil is raised.
The youth stands petrified, his mind stands still,
He recognizes her, she is his friend.

"I've followed you!" the girl then said to him,
"I've followed you!! though if a burden I,
Just drive me hence. I shall then take my seat
Upon the threshold of the "door and wait
Untill my heart shall break. Eve followed you.
Because without you I don't want to live.
I am now here, what will you do with me?"
The youth fell on her breast, and then they wept
The while their hearts o'erflowed with blissful joy.
"You do not drive me hence?" the maid then said.
I can remain with you? I can stay here?
Half of your woes and sorrows are now mine
And all my happiness henceforth is yours.
Each care of yours is mine, if ever I
Complain, then lose all faith in me and know
That false were all the vows of love I made.