Frederick the Great and His Family [335]
light and left the room. Fifteen minutes had just elapsed when he entered his daughter's chamber. The nurse advanced to meet him, the child and a bundle of clothes in her arms, and received the promised gold piece.
"Now, we must hasten," said he, stepping into the hall.
They passed silently through the house, down the steps, and into the court-yard. Lord Elliot walked hastily on, followed by the wondering nurse. He stopped at the stable door, calling loudly upon the coachman to get up and prepare the horses. At twelve o'clock the coachman was to go for his mistress; he was therefore dressed, and had only laid down for a short nap.
"Put the horses to the carriage," repeated Lord Elliot.
The coachman, raising his lamp, threw a full glare of light upon the stranger.
"I do not know you," said he, roughly; "I receive orders from no one but my mistress."
For answer, Lord Elliot drew from his breast a pocket pistol.
"If you are not ready in five minutes, I will shoot you through the head," said Lord Elliot, quietly, tapping the trigger.
"For God's sake, obey him, John," cried the nurse; "it is his excellency Lord Elliot!"
In five minutes the carriage was ready, owing much more to the loaded pistol still in Lord Elliot's hand than to the conviction that this strange, angry-looking man was his master.
"To the depot!" cried Lord Elliot, placing the child and nurse in the carriage, then jumping in after them--" to the depot in all haste!"
They reached the building in a few minutes. There stood the horses in readiness, and beside them Lord Elliot's servant, with his baggage. He sprang from the carriage, and, giving the coachman a douceur, ordered him to loosen the horses and return home with them.
"But, your honor," stammered the mystified coachman, "how am I to call for my lady if you take the carriage?"
"My lady can wait," said Lord Elliot, jeeringly. "If she reproaches you, tell her that Lord Elliot wishes to be remembered to her; that he will return in eight days with her carriage."
"But she will dismiss me from her service, my lord."
"Wait patiently for eight days, and then you shall enter mine. And now, away with you!"
The coachman dared not answer, and soon disappeared with his horses.
The fresh horses were put to the carriage, the servant swung himself up to his seat; Lord Elliot stood in front of the carriage with his friend Dr. Blitz.
"All has happened as I desired," said he. "I take my child away with me, and, with God's will, she shall never know but that death deprived her of her mother. Poor child! she has no mother, but I will love her with all the strength of a father, all the tenderness of a mother, and I have a noble sister who will guard and watch over her. She awaits me at Kiel. I accompany my child so far, but as soon as she is in the faithful hands of my sister, as soon as I have placed them upon the ship sailing for Copenhagen, I return here."
"Why should you return, my lord?" said the doctor, in terror. "Is it not sufficient that you have deprived the mother of her child? that you have branded the woman with shame before the whole world? What more would you do, my lord?"
With a strange smile, Lord Elliot laid his hand upon the doctor's shoulder.
"Flows there milk instead of blood in your veins, man? or have you forgotten that I have been hit by a poisoned arrow? I must be revenged, if I would not die of this wound."
"Let your wounds bleed, my lord--the longer they bleed, the sooner they will heal. But why destroy the arrow that wounded you? Will you recover the sooner or suffer the less?"
"Again I ask you, is there milk instead of blood in your veins? My honor is stained--I must cleanse it with the blood of my enemy."
"A duel, then, my lord? You will suffer chance to decide your most holy and sacred interests--your honor and life? And if chance is against you? If you fall, instead of your adversary?"
"Then, my friend, God will have decided it, and I shall thank Him for relieving me from a life which will from henceforth be a heavy burden
"Now, we must hasten," said he, stepping into the hall.
They passed silently through the house, down the steps, and into the court-yard. Lord Elliot walked hastily on, followed by the wondering nurse. He stopped at the stable door, calling loudly upon the coachman to get up and prepare the horses. At twelve o'clock the coachman was to go for his mistress; he was therefore dressed, and had only laid down for a short nap.
"Put the horses to the carriage," repeated Lord Elliot.
The coachman, raising his lamp, threw a full glare of light upon the stranger.
"I do not know you," said he, roughly; "I receive orders from no one but my mistress."
For answer, Lord Elliot drew from his breast a pocket pistol.
"If you are not ready in five minutes, I will shoot you through the head," said Lord Elliot, quietly, tapping the trigger.
"For God's sake, obey him, John," cried the nurse; "it is his excellency Lord Elliot!"
In five minutes the carriage was ready, owing much more to the loaded pistol still in Lord Elliot's hand than to the conviction that this strange, angry-looking man was his master.
"To the depot!" cried Lord Elliot, placing the child and nurse in the carriage, then jumping in after them--" to the depot in all haste!"
They reached the building in a few minutes. There stood the horses in readiness, and beside them Lord Elliot's servant, with his baggage. He sprang from the carriage, and, giving the coachman a douceur, ordered him to loosen the horses and return home with them.
"But, your honor," stammered the mystified coachman, "how am I to call for my lady if you take the carriage?"
"My lady can wait," said Lord Elliot, jeeringly. "If she reproaches you, tell her that Lord Elliot wishes to be remembered to her; that he will return in eight days with her carriage."
"But she will dismiss me from her service, my lord."
"Wait patiently for eight days, and then you shall enter mine. And now, away with you!"
The coachman dared not answer, and soon disappeared with his horses.
The fresh horses were put to the carriage, the servant swung himself up to his seat; Lord Elliot stood in front of the carriage with his friend Dr. Blitz.
"All has happened as I desired," said he. "I take my child away with me, and, with God's will, she shall never know but that death deprived her of her mother. Poor child! she has no mother, but I will love her with all the strength of a father, all the tenderness of a mother, and I have a noble sister who will guard and watch over her. She awaits me at Kiel. I accompany my child so far, but as soon as she is in the faithful hands of my sister, as soon as I have placed them upon the ship sailing for Copenhagen, I return here."
"Why should you return, my lord?" said the doctor, in terror. "Is it not sufficient that you have deprived the mother of her child? that you have branded the woman with shame before the whole world? What more would you do, my lord?"
With a strange smile, Lord Elliot laid his hand upon the doctor's shoulder.
"Flows there milk instead of blood in your veins, man? or have you forgotten that I have been hit by a poisoned arrow? I must be revenged, if I would not die of this wound."
"Let your wounds bleed, my lord--the longer they bleed, the sooner they will heal. But why destroy the arrow that wounded you? Will you recover the sooner or suffer the less?"
"Again I ask you, is there milk instead of blood in your veins? My honor is stained--I must cleanse it with the blood of my enemy."
"A duel, then, my lord? You will suffer chance to decide your most holy and sacred interests--your honor and life? And if chance is against you? If you fall, instead of your adversary?"
"Then, my friend, God will have decided it, and I shall thank Him for relieving me from a life which will from henceforth be a heavy burden