CHAPTER XI.

The day following the adventure which took place in front of the Baptist's house in the Kreuzgrund, Magister Paul strode through the woods as if in a dream, and lost himself among the trees. It was no longer a gloomy conception but the pure naked truth; a just but coa.r.s.e hand had torn aside the veil from the well guarded secret of his inmost self, and before the very people who looked on him as a saint, he had stood a convicted criminal, a perverter of the young, a juggler who mis-used the Holiest of Holies to indulge his pa.s.sions. The fettered witch, for whom the stake now waited, appeared to him worthy of envy in comparison to the _role_ which he had played, and the outcast woman had herself felt this, so joyously did her eyes sparkle, as she shrieked out his secret to the world at large. The heretical Baptist had treated him as a miserable sinner and he could give him no reply.

Moreover Erastus his benefactor had sunk down before him as if pierced to the heart by the treacherous bullet which he had fired in ambush at the man, who had ever done him kindness. "O my G.o.d!" stammered Paul as he stumbled among the bushes and underwood, "that did I not will. Thou art my witness; I wished to injure no one, it was some baneful spell, which hurried her and me to destruction." As if to escape his own thoughts he rushed breathless up the mountain. "A spell," whispered the spirit of self extenuation to him. "Was it a spell?" Might not the witch have kindled in his breast this sinful flame, in which all his good resolutions were ever consumed. As if he had eaten mad-wort had he hastened in blind rage to his own downfall. Or perhaps indeed this beautiful child was herself a creation of Satan, who had staked his honor, to seduce the _primus omnium_ of the college at Venice from the right path? Who but Satan had prompted him to make an appointment with Lydia on the most disreputable of the cross-roads, when hundreds of less suspicious places might have been chosen.

But how, by all the Saints, did Lydia manage to comply with his bidding? Was she in reality as well acquainted with the Holtermann, as the witch a.s.serted? "Whence moreover does she get this supernatural beauty?" Oh, now was it clear to him why his heart burnt with those flames. But suddenly he laughed ironically to himself: "And the fool's daughter at the Hirsch was she also a witch? and how about the young girls in the Chapel?" Buried in such thoughts he reached a solitary footpath, and sank down wearily on the stump of a tree. With his head in his hands in a profound melancholy he gazed about him. "I was bewitched," he sighed aloud.

"Every man is tempted, when excited and allured by his own wicked pa.s.sions," said a grave voice near him. The timid fugitive jumped up terrified; he feared for his own safety. But near him stood the Baptist. The Priest thoroughly cowed gazed at the weather-beaten face of the dread heretic. The latter continued calmly: "Nevertheless when pa.s.sion has conceived, it begets sin, and the wages of sin, is death."

The young man covered his pale face with his hands and sank down again on his seat, bowing his head before the strange old man.

"I grieve for you, Magister Laurenzano," continued the Baptist. "I have always looked on you as a brave man, who might do much good in the service of our Lord G.o.d with the talents bestowed on him, if he would only throw aside the cowl, which has encircled him, and if he only had the courage to abjure the vows in which he has been ensnared. Bid _valet_ to the papists, take a wife, as you have not the strength to live as monk, and live well or ill from the labor of your hands, or the productions of your brain."

Laurenzano shook his head sorrowfully, and a choked sob was his only answer.

"I cannot tarry here longer," said the old man, "and wisdom does not proceed from weeping men. The officers of justice, whom you have brought on me, are now already perhaps at my heels, and my son is waiting for me. But this I will say to you: In case that danger should arise for Erastus' daughter, owing to the charge made by Sibylla, you must surrender yourself and tell the judges, that the poor child was not then seeking Satan, but you, her teacher, her priest, her pastor.

If you have not the courage to do this, the Lord will require this soul of you on the day of Judgement. And secondly, we are all flesh and blood and should therefore not judge one another, but if you remain in that dress, recollect your duties better than you did in the Stift, and when you again appear before the little ones, remember the words: 'Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.' And now farewell."

When Paul raised his head he found himself sitting alone in the woods.

Had his guardian angel appeared to him in the garb of the heretic, or had power been given to this child of the devil to read his heart and to decipher his innermost thoughts? The evasions in which he had concealed himself, the veil, with which he had wished to cover his shame, the pretexts, with which he would clothe the abomination, had all fallen before the heavy blow of this coa.r.s.e peasant, he stood there disclosed to himself the miserable sinner, that he was. Nothing more remained to be said or to be excused. He was convicted. He rose up with a sigh, wiped his eyes, so that none should see that he had wept, and hastened in silent sorrow by the side of the lofty oaks and beeches of the high-road which he now reached. What should he do? Should he again appear among the people who now all knew his shame and would point their fingers at him? Should he escape once more to Speyer and continue in the crypt of the cathedral the _exercitia_ which had restored to him his peace of mind for a couple of weeks? Then he found himself near the deep pond at the entry of the place, out of which more than one young creature had been drawn out, who preferred this humid death to sitting on the stool of penitent sinners or to church discipline. "It were better for him that he were drowned," the man had told him in the wood.

With fixed look he gazed at the deep dark surface. "It were better for him," he murmured, "better, very much better." He would first let the small girl approaching that way pa.s.s by, then he would follow the advice of the Baptist, "New scandals must succeed this one, therefore better is better."

The child whom he had noticed sprang joyfully towards him. "Ah!

Reverend Sir," it cried, "how well it is that I find you, mother has a worse attack of fever and has wept and again begged that we should send for the clergyman to pray with her." And the small child seized his hand and dragged him towards the village. He followed her unwillingly till she led him to a small low house. "Oh Herr Pfarrer," a voice said from a narrow room, "things will now be better." And the tall pale man knelt by the side of the sick woman and began a prayer. "The Lord wills not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live." His own sorrow did he lay before the Lord. He whispered into the ear of the sick woman as if telling himself, that G.o.d's Grace was boundless like the waters of the sea, and that he sustaineth our feet even in the day of trouble when we think we are sinking. When he had finished he felt more inwardly calm and he remained for a while sitting in silence near the afflicted woman. Then he shook himself together in order to fetch the necessary medicine from the monastery, and to visit the other sick, and after that he had spent many hours in heavy self sacrificing labor, the beauteous message of peace was borne to him in the cool breezes of the evening wind whilst the moon rose calm and tranquil above the pine forests, that we do not atone for our sins by a few hours of repentance full of anguish and sleepless nights, but in the real practice of works of charity and care for the well-being of others, so that the wounds we have healed, are greater in number than those we have caused.

Paul had spent several days in this earnest restless fulfilment of duty, joyless but still more peaceful, when a message from the town awoke once more all the terrors of his conscience. He received a summons through the bailiffs of the place marked down for the first day of the following week, in the which he was requested to testify before the Amtmann in the Chancellory of the Palatinate, as a former friend of Erastus' family, all he knew as regarded the relations of the former Counsellor with Parson Neuser and the other Arians, moreover that he should testify as to the belief and general habits of Lydia daughter of Erastus, who was about to be placed on her trial _in crimine malefacii_. The peace so laboriously acquired left him at once. The brand of Cain burnt once more on his forehead, but he cared little for any insult or disgrace which might accrue to him during these public trials, in comparison with the horrible fear, that he might have been the means of bringing to the most fearful of ends the pure young creature, towards whom he had raised his sinful glance. He knew but too exactly the procedure of the trial with which Lydia was threatened, it haunted his mind at every instant. No sacrifice and self-negation, no earnest prayer in the house of G.o.d, nor even in his own closet was able to allay this spectre, and the altered appearance of the parson attracted even the remarks of the plain country people, who up till then had believed stedfastly in him. The report of the affair on the Kreuzgrund spread, and when on the last Sunday of the time allotted for his duties, he addressed as warm a farewell to his congregation as he could in his frame of mind, the feeling of mistrust among his audience was stronger than the recollection of the good which he had done them, and on visiting at mid-day for the last time one or the other, he reaped in many a house chilly thanks and a cold farewell, for the women whispered among themselves, that he had performed his miracles in pact with the Evil One, and that he was going about looking so miserable, because the Devil had appeared to him on the previous night, to demand his soul as the reward stipulated. A feeling of unspeakable bitterness seized him. Had he not watched over these people as their guardian angel, his wisdom had saved them when raging against one another, his love had kept guard whilst they slept, his self-sacrifice had raised them up when they wearied. And their grat.i.tude consisted in whispering: he is in league with the Evil One. But who indeed had bidden him perform miracles? The means had been efficacious, but with the effectiveness of the first impression he had had his reward. Such were the thoughts that pa.s.sed through his restless and aching heart, as he tossed that last night sleepless on his bed, and even before break of day he arose, and without any companion began his wearied way towards Heidelberg. He found himself deceived in thinking that he would be able to get over the distance in silent solitude. Groups of country people pa.s.sed him in the wood; they were all pressing towards the town. Some sight was evidently to be seen there, for the peasants were hurrying as if to pa.s.s one another, and from their conversation Laurenzano made out that they were disputing among themselves, from what place one could best look on at the proceedings so well worth seeing. An uncertain fear overwhelmed him, they might be alluding to Lydia's execution. Tortured by evil presentiments he likewise hastened his pace, and yet he dared not ask any of the numerous excursionists, what was taking place in Heidelberg, for he feared that they would laugh in his face and answer: "Who should know that better than thou, devilish Priest?" Then he became aware that a tall figure dressed in black was d.o.g.g.i.ng his footsteps and remained close to him. Did he walk fast so did the stranger likewise, did he slow his pace his pursuer broke into a slower step. Paul looked back several times at the stranger who followed him and beheld a man of military bearing dressed in black velvet, wearing a black biretta and a full black beard. Was this an emissary of Pigavetta, or had the magistrate sent this soldier after him to watch that he did not escape? The thought aroused his pride, he raised his head on high and proceeded with measured tread towards Heidelberg whose towers already loomed before him from the bend of the road. On arriving at the road by the river, Laurenzano noticed that the crowd of country people increased, and as his pursuer did not let him out of his sight, his annoyance over-mastered him, and stopping he asked the stranger in as indifferent a voice as he could a.s.sume: "Is the witch to be burnt in the town to-day, that the people thus flock thither?" A look from under the bushy black brows of the soldier, familiar and yet not recognized by him, met his own, as the latter answered with scorn: "You must have a good conscience, young man, that you carry your head higher than most people dare do. I am glad of it. As regards the witch, she is to-day to be racked and to-morrow burnt; to-day only a heretic is to be executed, the Inspector Sylva.n.u.s, who has blasphemed against G.o.d and Christ....

but you turn pale, young man, is anything the matter?"

"Nothing, nothing," stammered Paul, "it will pa.s.s over."

"Well, there are some sorrows which do not pa.s.s over, a worm which dieth not, and a fire which is not quenched. The clergyman at Ladenburg was a bold sinner and a weak man, but nevertheless I would rather exchange with him than with the man who delivered him up to the scaffold and forestalled the Judge, before giving the man an opportunity for repentance or conversion. What think you?"

Paul walked as in a dream; the ground seemed to roll and undulate under his feet, as if he were treading on clouds, he saw the Stift on the left and the Schloss on his right dancing before him, there was a murmuring, buzzing and singing in his ears, as if he were in the depths of the sea. "I know not," he whispered, as an eagle glance from his companion imperiously seemed to demand an answer.

"You know not, in that case I can aid you," replied the stranger. "The man who is to be executed to-day, laid bare his thoughts to some boon companions in a tavern and in their intoxication they said things which they did not mean. Near them however sat a disguised Jesuit, who had listened to them, and reported to the Kurfurst, so as to find favor in the eyes of the Sovereign. The Counsellor Erastus, who had had nothing to do with these offences, they managed to involve by means of a forged letter introduced among Neuser's papers, which he had never written.

Thus half a dozen men with their wives and children have been hurried to destruction. What think you of the spy?"

"He will repent," stammered Paul.

"Repent," answered the other. "To make amends is the only repentance.

But the traitor seems far from doing this for he carries his head high, and yet has another burden to bear, compared to which his betrayal of the clergy is but child's play. Did anything of this sort ever happen to your knowledge, young man?" and again a withering glance was cast at the young Priest who tottered at his side as if in a dream. "The Jesuit whom you know not, played the part of a protestant clergyman; he stole away the heart of a young inexperienced child, and enticed her to meet him at night on a cross-road. She was seized in this disreputable place, set down for a witch, and now awaits torture and death. He, the wretch, however instead of obtaining an audience from the Prince and saying, 'the child is innocent, I am the traitor, I enticed her thither, not the devil, I only am Satan, torture me, burn me'--instead of doing what conscience and honor required, goes about with uplifted head, and merely asks the first-comer, with an indifferent look: is the witch to be burnt to-day?"

Paul reeled like one drunk. "I will indeed, I was on my way" ... he stuttered.

"You will, you are on your way," rejoined the other, "then is the case altered. No one would think so who heard your inquiry; but I forgot, that from your earliest youth you have been taught, how one should go about dissembling. I thought you might be on the road to Speyer as formerly." Paul looked up terrified at the stranger.

"Who are you, who know everything?" he asked as a shudder of superst.i.tion pa.s.sed over him.

"I will prove to you, that I believe in your resolutions to lead a better life. Perhaps your determination will be steeled by the confidence I repose in you." The biretta was removed, the black beard was held in the hand, the Baptist Werner stood before Laurenzano, in whose eyes stood tears.

"Do not weep, young friend," said the old man in a milder tone. "To do what is demanded of you, requires you to become hard as iron. And to prove to you that I only encourage you to do what I am ready myself to perform, call on me, should my testimony be of any use to the poor girl. You have only to send the watch word to old Else on the haymarket: 'He who testifies in water requires him,' she will send for me and I will come, even should my head be endangered." Paul reached out his hand to this singular man. "Pardon me that I attacked you so harshly. Sir, but your question cut me to the quick. Now I know, that you will not sacrifice Lydia."

"You also have I driven from house and home," stammered Laurenzano.

"Do not let that distress you. Whosoever is homeless finds a home everywhere, and the harder it rains the sooner it leaves off. For the present I am going to the brethren across the Rhine, but think that by the time the grapes are ripe, I shall be once more within my own walls." Paul warmly pressed the h.o.r.n.y hand of the old man, who pointed to the bridge, whilst he himself continued the road along the side of the river.

Paul had scarcely crossed the bridge-gate, when a bell began to toll from the tower of the Heiligengeist. It had a curious dull sound as if cracked, and yet could be heard at a great distance; it did not announce G.o.d's greeting of peace in mild accents, but rather cut through to the heart like a knife, and the young Priest covered his ears with his hands, so as not to hear it, for he recognized the knell of criminals, announcing Sylva.n.u.s' last pilgrimage on this earth. Then he composed himself and deadly pale strode on towards the marketplace, which he had to pa.s.s to reach the Castle, before the proceedings against Lydia began. But once at the marketplace it was no use thinking of further progress. Endeavouring to force his way Paul found himself in the midst of the throng, and was pushed on forward nearer and nearer to the block between the Church and the town-hall; there the peasantry of the surrounding villages had been ma.s.sed under the guidance of their clergymen, and a company of infantry kept the ground; he could no longer retrace his steps, there was no escape. He must look on at the horrible spectacle, of which he himself was the prime mover. The deafening noise of drums and the shrill notes of the fife, announced the arrival of the criminal. "Is that long haggard figure in penitent's dress who stands next to the stout Parson, the handsome man, the jovial inspector of Ladenburg, and by all the saints, why is that child, that nine-year old boy there?" The persons between whom Paul stood wedged looked in astonishment at the rapidly speaking Priest who raised his arms in despair towards the scaffold, as if he would render aid.

"Well Sir," answered one of the townspeople. "Nothing will be done to the boy, but as he was permitted to keep company with his heretic father to the last, the members of the Council have ordered, that he shall attend the execution so as to see, to where false doctrine leads, in case he should be secretly inoculated with it." Paul would have returned an answer, but the band played a sacred tune and the congregations led by their clergy began the hymn: "Now pray we to the Holy Ghost to grant us true belief." Then the loud tones of the clergyman were heard, beseeching G.o.d, to maintain his congregations in the veritable doctrine. "Your veritable doctrine," hissed the Italian.

Moreover the spiritual gentleman testified to the fact that Sylva.n.u.s repented his blasphemies and died as a good Christian, to avenge with his blood the honor of G.o.d, which he, tempted by Satan, had trodden under foot. It was to be hoped that G.o.d would forgive him his sins, and as he had already here below atoned in the flesh, that his soul would be saved on the Day of Judgement.

"Judge not, judge not," murmured Laurenzano talking to himself like one possessed.

He next saw Sylva.n.u.s led forward to acknowledge before all the people his repentance, but the once so powerful speaker spoke to-day in a weak intelligible voice; then he kissed his boy who clung despairingly to him. The clergyman now pulled the child towards him, the executioner forced Sylva.n.u.s down on the block--Paul shut his eyes. He could no longer witness the horrible spectacle. "I have robbed this child of its father," he cried aloud, "I have slain this child." A cry from the crowd, a murmur among the thousands announced that the blow had fallen.

When Laurenzano looked up, he saw only the fainting child being carried from the scaffold. At the same moment the band burst out anew. "Thou blessed light shine down," sang the peasants l.u.s.tily. Laurenzano remained in sheer despair. "Thou, thou alone art guilty of this,"

resounded in his ears. "Cain, Cain," reechoed the tiles on the roofs.

He scarcely noticed, how the ranks around him broke up. Without knowing it, he stood alone before the block which was being cleansed of the blood, in the midst of a group of the most villainous, and blood-thirsty ruffians. A feeling of dumb despondency deprived his limbs of their use. Crime had heaped itself mountain high over his head, whilst he had only thought to serve G.o.d. Who had spilt this blood, which the executioner was washing away? Who had driven Erastus to jail? Who had hurried Klytia to the witches' tower? He and he alone.

Wherever he might turn, this Medusa grinned at him. To whatever he listened, he heard only of the misery which he had caused. The whole town spake of nothing but of himself and of his dues. Alas, why had he not had the courage that day to drown himself at Schonau.--He again heard the knell of the bell of the penitent sinners tolling in his ear, the words of the Baptist came thronging uppermost to his mind ... now, in the Hirsch yonder they are playing the beauteous Gabrielle. "Down, down to the Neckar, there is peace," he cried to himself But the shout of a drunken lout that reached his ear roused him like a clap of thunder out of his gloomy brooding.

"Come, Maier, let us go and hear the witch sing out."

"What next," replied the other, a red-haired repulsive looking ruffian, "that's not worth the trouble."

"Yes indeed it's fine when they laugh and squeal through agony."

The young Priest shook himself together, he cast a wild despairing look towards heaven, then he followed the hard-hearted youth, who quickly chose the shortest path leading to the witches' tower. A small alley led up to the old town wall, the so-called Zwinger, in which behind the Augustine monastery rose high the Witches' Tower. In front of this Paul saw various groups of people a.s.sembled who were gazing up at a window in the Tower. A shriek like that of some wild beast was heard followed by a piteous whimpering. "O, can the angelic child have come to this, to this," Paul's conscience spake in despairing tones.

"Hear how she sings," Maier said coa.r.s.ely joking, and his companions laughed; the rough blackguards felt themselves suddenly pushed and jostled aside by a furious thrust, a tall man dressed in black rushes up the steps of the Tower, and shoves past the guards placed at the door with the strength of a madman. He presses forwards guided by the dolorous cry which pealed down from above. He has reached the door. All is now deadly still. He knocks--no answer,--he shakes the lock with violence. "Immediately, immediately," says a coa.r.s.e voice from within.

Finally the door is opened. Paul made out in the semi-dark room the half-naked figure of the executioner and his a.s.sistants. "She is innocent, I will testify in her favor, where are the judges?" stammered the breathless young man.

"Then you come too late, the Devil has just taken the witch to himself," answered Master Ulrich with a coa.r.s.e laugh, and pushing the shutters open Paul was enabled to see stretched on the bench of torture a shrivelled brown corpse. The executioner roughly seized the head and turned the face towards him, Paul recognized the pale contracted features of the herb picker on the crossroads.

"Where is Lydia?" he stammered.

"She sits in the Castle near her father," said the executioner grinning. "She was too fine a t.i.t-bit for us. The members of the commission on witchcraft are now at lunch. It is paid for out of the witches' money. If you think of testifying in favor of that bread and b.u.t.ter miss, wait an hour or two and then lay your deposition before them."

At that moment the door opened and Pigavetta walked in. He looked in astonishment at Laurenzano. "You here, Magister," he said with quick composure. "I waited for you in the Castle. So much the better," and then he whispered approaching close to him: "I will tell you in a few words what you have to say, and if necessary swear to."

"Get thee behind me, Satan," cried Paul aiming a violent blow at the traitor's breast. But the active Italian moved to one side, and Paul himself tumbled up against the wall.

"Are matters thus!" muttered Pigavetta. "Master Ulrich, place this man at once in the press and take care, that no one gains admittance to him."

"What, traitor!" cried out Paul, madly rushing at Pigavetta. But at that instant he felt himself seized from behind, Pigavetta himself closing his mouth with his hand. He was pulled across a beam, his feet thrust into two slits and imprisoned by another beam, which fell across. Then his arms were pressed down in a similar beam, which likewise closed of itself. "Good, now gaze at the witch there," said Pigavetta with a cold intonation, "and the various agreeable instruments round about here and consider what the consequences of your witchcraft and jugglery at Schonau will be, if you do not become more reasonable." Then he coldly turned his back on him. The executioner closed the blinds of the witches' prison and left Paul alone with the body of the old woman.