Ekkehard. Vol. II (of II).

on and

him. In the morning he found himself on the top of the Hohenkr?hen, which was silent and deserted since the woman of the wood had left it. The remains of the burnt hut, formed now but a confused mass. O

tone, and then mounted the rock on the top of the hill. There, he threw himself down, pressing his forehead against the cool ground, which had once been touched

oking hot and excited, and having an unsteady gait. Bl

as if ill-luck had set her seal on his forehead. In other t

ou, to try the effect of healing medicine, but I fear that his illness is too deeply rooted," was what he read. He laughed. The arched ceiling threw back an echo, which made him jump up, as if he wanted t

l recollection he thought of the blind old man! "Serving women is an evil thing for h

too late. Whole floods of holy water will not extinguish the inward fire, unless one dive

ile he fancied that he heard the pigeons swarming round his head, as they did on the day when he firs

tals adorned with leaf-work, supported the vault. A faint streak of daylight fell in through the narrow window. The depth of the niche in which the altar was placed, was but faintly illuminated; the golden background of the mosaic picture of the Redeemer alone shone with a s

h thou, that hast taken the sins and sufferings of the whole world on thyself, send out one ray of thy grace on me, unwort

p! Save me, oh Lord! save me as thou didst him, when thou walkedst over the raging billows,

h sign was

brain was

n's garments, now became audibl

late husband recurred oftener to her inward mind. This was but natural. As the one receded into the background, the other must come

sandstone stood near it, resting on small clumsy pillars, with ionic headpieces, which again rested on quaint ugly stone-animals. This stone coffin, Dame Hadwig had had made for herself. Every year, on the anniv

grave. The reigning twilight concealed Ekke

oft yet piercing struck her ear. She knew the voice well. Ekk

hat oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me ab

us tone. It was no mor

ould gladly have placed another, to hide her from Ekkehard's view. She

e bound,--quicker than that which in later days St. Bernard had made, when the madonna had beckoned to him, in the cathedral at Speier--he stood before the Duchess. He cast a long and penetrating look at her.

or one prays for them," said Ek

wig made

my skull, and when you take another monk away from the monastery of St. Gallus, you must offer him the welcome draught in it,--and give

the Duchess, "you

ght hand up t

has gnawed them all through, and is now rushing and roaring onwards; carrying everything before it, in its glorious newly won liberty!... And God

long repressed feeling, she had not expected. But

ill," s

in solemn procession out of the cloister, and a woman threw herself on the ground before me. 'Get up,' cried I, but she remained prostrate in the dust. 'Walk ov

threw himself at Dame Hadwig's feet, clasping the hem of

as if from the hem of her garment, a feeling of u

other things. You still owe us a story. Y

laughed thro

his clenched hand; "shall not prevent me! If he, the old man should come, I would not let you go, and we will float up to the tower again, and sit where we sat before, and we will read the ?ne?d to the end, and you must wear the rose under your head-band, as if nothing whatever had happened. The gate we will keep well locked against the Duke, and we will laugh at all evil backbiting tongues, and folks will say, when sitting at their fire-places of a winter's evening: 'that is a pretty tale of the faithful Ekkehard, who slew the Emperor Ermenrich for hanging the Harlungen brothers, and who afterwar

iled with low weeping. Dame Hadwig had stood immovably all this time. It was as if a

not speak of death. This is ma

nd on his burning forehead. This touch sent a

cried he. "We bot

his arms round her proud form, he fiercely pressed her to his bosom,

ut to make, he cried out to the dark and solemn looking picture, "why dost t

he frenzied man back, and to free herself at least partly from his embrace. He had still got one arm round her waist, when

ped over the threshold, whilst other figures be

nger. A tress of her long dark hair had bec

om the Reichenau, with grinning poli

say!--yes you have seen a madman, who has forgotten himself and God, ... I should b

bly cold hauteur, that sh

an to understand

f those, to whom wise men have applied the words of St. Hieronymus, when he says, that

hed out in the air, like Odysseus when he wanted to embrace the

have only come to deliver a note into your hands. St. Gallus can no longer allow the wisest of all his disciples, to remain out in this shilly-shallying world. You are called

taunting words,--all these overwhelmed him at once. He made a few steps towards the Duchess; but the

he had said to the cellarer. It was easy enoug

hem. "He has laid his wanton hand on

swung the heavy vessel over his head. The light went out, and the moment after, a hollow groan was heard, and the cellarer lay with bleeding head on the stone-flags. The lamp lay beside him. Then there f

woe, resembling the broken-winged eagle. His eyes sent one mournful,

d she to the Abbot, sweeping proudly

e, made up of resinous pine-branches, was burning. The servants of the castle danced around it, throwing flowers into the flames, and at that

from?" asked Dame Hadwig of Prax

ummer-day!" sai

he Duchess had locked herself up in her b

is chamber, there was a damp, dark vault, the floor of which had fragments of old tombstones lying about; they had been brought there, whe

heads together, eagerly whispering, and gossiping, as if the hundred-tongued Rumour had been sitting on the roof, spreading her falsehoods about. "He tried to murder the Duchess,

ng the clear water flow over his head. Ekkehard had given him a sharp c

he prisoner. On seeing the cellarer, she ran into the garden, tore up a blue cornflower with the roots, and then bringing it to him, said:

rer shook

'"Tis not the first time that I have been

o she fetched some linen, upon which he allowed his wound

to let Ekkehard out

e leading horse of Satan's car, whom you have petted and spoiled up here, as if he were the darling son Benjamin himself?

d. "What then do you i

here are scarcely names enough for all his nefarious acts; but thank God, there are yet means for their expiation!" He made a motion with his h

Praxedis, "for h

e pillar for an hour or so, and half a dozen rods have been flogged to piec

!" exclaimed th

y will cut off the hair of his head, which will make it a deal cooler; and if you feel inclined to undertake a pilgrimage to St. Gall, in a year hence, you will see on Sundays and holidays, somebody standing barefooted

ocent!" sa

ing out of the kettle of boiling water with unburnt arm, our Abbot himself will give him the blessing; and I will say that it was al

enerable Master Rudiman

ith pinched lips: "So it will be. I might however pe

ed Praxed

ber-door open to-night, so that I could com

of his tightly laced waist became visible, he assumed a complacent and expecta

d man!" she cried tur

ng of Praxedis's eyelids, and the angry frown on her forehead, that her chambe

till any commands?" asked

iting is easier then, and will not fade away so soon. I have as yet never had the good for

r compassion for Ekkehard on her knees; but the door remained locked against her. Dame Hadwig was deeply hurt. If the monks of the Reichenau had not come in upon them, she might have pardoned Ekkehard

ed not only the outward forms of a monastic life, but the self-denial of heart and soul, which form

into the hands of his antagonists, she knew quite well. Yet she was determined to do n

r moth," sai

gleams of light falling in from above. Now and then, he shivered as with cold. By degrees a melancholy smile of resignation

over, the surge is yet stronger and more impetuous than before, and now and then, some

n to reflect on his position. The view into the future was not very cheering. He

row space. "Great God, whom we may invoke in

tting on his high stone chair, with the hooked staff in his hand, in sign of his sitting in judgment, and then they would read out a long bill of complaints against him, ... all this in the same courtya

d bubbles. Then, the Abbot draws off the golden ring from his finger. They push up the right sleeve of his habit, whilst solemn penitential psalms are chaunted around them. "I conjure thee, spirit of the water, that the Devil quit thee, and that thou

He believed in himself and his good cause, but his faith was less strong in the dre

itle: "Against the inveterate error of the belief, that through fire,

ich were an inheritance from the ancient Heathen time, it was as the excellent Godfrey of Strassbur

no miracle i

guilty and to be flogged,--whilst she perhaps would stand on the balcony looking on, as if it

mantle drove his tormentors away, as the Saviour drove out the usurers from the temple. And then, when all were gone, she presents him both her hand and lips to receive the kiss of reconciliation.--Long and ardently his ph

aid a voice to the lay-brother on guard, "for on St. John's night, all sorts of unearthly visitors people the air and pas

ard did not understand what she wanted. "Then s

enish idols at Rome; for which they had suffered martyrdom. With his heavy sandal-clad foot, he kept beating time on the stone-flags. Ekkehard heard that another jug of wine was brought in. The singing became always louder and

when he heard the bolts of the door softly withdrawn. He remained lying where he was. A muff

red Praxedis,

nd woman's cunning always finds some way and means to accomplish its schemes. Wrapping herself up in a grey cloak, she had stolen down on tip-toe. No special artifices were nece

to Ekkehard. "They mean t

," replied

e th

prefer to submit and

you, into the bargain? As if they had a right to drag you away and to flog you! And you will let them have the pleasure of witnessing your humiliation?... it would be

I go to?" as

a hiding-place left in this world." She was getting impatient, and seizing Ekkehard b

e courtyard, where the fountain was splashing merrily. Ekkehard

ow," said he.

by the doorway;" said Praxedis, "but you can get down between the roc

was rocking the branches of the maple-tree, to

ther, along the dusky sky; weird uncouth shapes, resembling two bears pursuing a winged dragon. After a while, the fantastic forms united into one shapeless m

your way," s

uld not express the feelings of gratitude which pervaded his whole being. Suddenly he felt her cheek pressed against h

ory. May God lead your steps back again to this place

loud clatter and booming amongst the cliffs. A piece of rock had become loosened, and fell noisily down into the valley. Another followed somewhat sl

courtyard, Praxedis spied a basket filled with ashes, which she seized, and softly stealing back into Ekkehard's dungeon,

avily, most reverend broth