This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
We reached the forest lodge that evening with red faces and half-frozenhands and feet. The ride through the deep snow and the bitter Decemberwind had been a hard one; but the woods in their glittering wintershroud, the sharp, refreshing breath of the pure air, and a thousandtrifling matters—from the white hats that crowned every stock and stoneto the tiny crystals of snow that fell on the green velvet of my fur-lined bodice—were a joy to me, albeit my heart was heavy with care. Theevening star had risen or ever we reached the house; and out here, underGod's open heavens, among the giants of the forest and its sturdy,weather-beaten folk, it scarce seemed that it could be true that I shouldsee my bright, young Ann sharing the sorry life of the Magister, an alienfrom all this world's joys. Those who dwelt out here in these wildsmust, methought, feel this as I felt it; and so in truth it proved.After I had taken my place at the hearth by my aunt's side, and she hadmingled some spiced wine for us with her own feeble hands, she bid mespeak. When she heard what it was that had brought me forth to theforest so late before Christmas, which we ever spent with our grand-uncleIm Huff she at first did but laugh at our Magister's suit; but as soon asI told her that it was Ann's earnest purpose to wed with him, she sworethat she would never suffer such a deed of mad folly.
Master Peter had many times been her guest at the lodge; and she, thoughso small and feeble herself, loved to see tall and stalwart men, so thatshe had given him the name of "the little dry Bookworm," hardly accountinghim a man at all. When she heard of his newly-gained wealth, she said:"If instead of being the richer by these thousands he could but be thesame number of years younger, lift a hundredweight more, and see ahundred miles further out into the world, I would not mind his seekinghis happiness with that lovely child!"
As for my uncle, he did but hum a burly bass to the tune of the "Littlewee wife." But, being called away, he turned to me before closing thedoor behind him, and asked me very keenly, as though he had beenrestraining his impatience for some space: "And how about your brother?How is it that this matter has come about? Was not Herdegen pledged tomarry Ann?"
Thereupon I told my aunt all I knew, and gave her Herdegen's letter toread, which I had taken care to bring with me; and even as she read ither countenance grew dark and fearful to look upon; she set her teethlike a raging hound, and hit her little hand on the table that stood byher couch so that the cups and phials standing thereon danced andclattered. Nay, she forgot her weakness, and made as though she wouldspring up, but the pain was more than she could bear and she fell back onher pillows with a groan.
She had never loved my grand-uncle Im Hoff, and, as soon as she hadrecovered herself, she vowed she would bring his craft to nought andlikewise would let her nephew, now in Paris, know her opinion of hisknavish unfaith to a sacred pledge.
I then went on to tell her how hard and altogether insufferable Ann'slife had become, and at length took courage to inform her who the man waswhom she now called step-father. To this she at first said not a word,but cast down her eyes as thoug