. jftaryfec.-.- ■- -""t^T-SJ"-^ ^ f=-c^2=rf: i r---:'-.-:-v=ii.-E:-: ■'■ If "■"■- '■ -'-' « • ■ — « " - 1 1 i jin.j ii -M i .i. i . !■ ••; i . i .h. ' Y, i '. .'.":'. ■ ' . . ..: .■■;■:■■ .:' ' ■; UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROUNA School o i Library Science / ^1 t / fc* \ . ^fr'? J h p J Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://archive.org/details/sintramhiscompanlamo LEAVITT & ALLEN BROTHERS, N. Y SINTRAM AND HIS COMPANIONS. FROM THE GERMAN DE LA MOTTE FOTTQTTE, Ifrftr i&bition, foiilj |lltistraiions. PUBLISHED BY ALLEN BROTHERS, ISTETW YORK. 1870. NOTICE OF SINTEAM. (from the author's preface to HIS SELECTED "WORKS.) " Folko of Montfau their way silently in the moon- light. and Hid Companions. 145 CHAPTER XVIII. SOUNDS of wailing were heard from the castle as they approached, the chapel was solemnly lighted np ; within it knelt Gabri- elle, lamenting for the death .of the knight of Montfaucon. But how quickly was the scene changed, when the noble baron, pale indeed, and wounded, yet having escaped the dangers that beset his life, stood smiling at the en- trance of the holy building, and said in a low, gentle voice, " Look up, Gabrielle, and be not affrighted ; for by the honor of my race your knight still lives." Oh ! with what joy did Gabrielle's eyes sparkle, as she turned to her knight and then raised them again to heaven ; the tears which still stream- ed from them having now their source in the deep joy of thankfulness ! "With the help of two pages, Folko knelt down beside her, and they both offered up a silent prayer of thanksgiving for their present happiness. When they all left the chapel, the wound- ed knight being tenderly supported by his 13 146 Si nt ham, lady, Sintram was standing without in the darkness, himself as gloomy as the night, and like a bird of the night shunning the sight of man. Yet he came trembling for- ward into the torch-light, laid the bear's head and claws at the feet of Gabrielle, and said : " The noble Folko of Montfaucon pre- sents the spoils of to-day's chase to his lady." The Norwegians burst forth with shouts of joyful surprise at the stranger knight, who in the very first hunting expediton had slain the most fearful and dangerous beast of their mountains. Then Folko looked around with a smile as he said : " And now none of you must jeer at me, if I stay at home for a short time with my timid wife." Those who the day before had talked to- gether in the armorer's forge, came out from the crowd, and bowing low, they replied : u Noble baron, who could have thought that there was no knightly exercise in the whole world, in which you would not show yourself far above all other men 2" " The pupil of old Sir Hugh may be some- what trusted," answered Folko kindly. " But now, you bold northern warriors, bestow some praises also on mj deliverer, who saved me and his Companions. 14T from the claws of the she-hear, when I was lying under the rock wounded by my fall." He pointed to Sintram, and the general shout was again raised, and old Rolf, his eyes dim with tears of joy, bent his head over his foster-son's hand. But Sintram drew back shuddering. " Did you but know," he said, " whom you see before you, all your spears would be aimed at my heart ; and perhaps that would be the best thing that could befall me. But I spare the honor of my father and of his race, and for this time I will not make a con- fession. Only this much must you hear, no- ble warriors." " Young man," interrupted Folko, with a reproving look, " already again so wild and fierce ? I desire that you will hold your peace about your dreaming fancies." Sintram was silent for a moment, but hardly had Folko begun to move towards the steps of the castle, than he cried out : " Oh no, no, noble wounded knight, stay yet awhile ; I will serve you in every thing that your heart can desire ; but this once I can- not obey you. Brave warriors, you must and shall know so much as this : I am no longer worthy to live under the same roof 148 SlNTEAM, with the noble baron of Montfaucon and his angelic lady Gabrielle. And you, my aged father, farewell : take no further heed of me. I intend to live in the stone fortress on the Rocks of the Moon, until a change of some kind comes over me." There was that in his way of speaking against which no one dared to urge any op- position, not even Folko himself. The wild Biorn bowed his head humbly, and said : " Do according to your pleasure, my poor son ; for I much fear that you are right." Then Sintram walked solemnly and silently through the castle gate, followed by the good Rolf. Gabrielle led her exhausted lord up to their apartments. and his Companions. 149 CHAPTER XIX. THAT was a mournful journey on which the youth and his aged foster-father went towards the Rocks of the Moon, through the wild tarrgled paths of the snow-covered valleys. Rolf from time to time sang some verses of hymns, in which comfort and peace were promised to the penitent sinner, and Sintram thanked him for them with looks of grateful sadness. Otherwise neither of them spoke a word. At length, when the dawn of day was ap- proaching, Sintram broke silence by saying : " Who are those two, sitting yonder by the frozen stream ? A tall man, and a little one. Their own wild hearts must have driven them also forth into the wilderness. Rolf, do you know them ? The sight of them makes me shudder." " Sir," answered the old man, "your dis- turbed mind deceives you. "Where you are looking, there stands a lofty fir-tree, and the old weather-beaten stump of an oak, half- covered with snow, which gives them a 13* 150 SlNTBAM, somewhat strange appearance. There are no men sitting yonder.'.' " But, Rolf, look there ! Look again care- fully ! Now they move, they whisper toge- ther." " Sir, the morning breeze moves the branches, and whistles in the sharp pine- leaves, and in the yellow oak-leaves, and rustles the crisp snow." " Rolf, now they are both coming towards us. Now they are standing before us ; they are quite close." " Sir, it is we who get nearer to them as we walk on, and the setting moon throws such long giant-like shadows over the plain." " Good evening !" said a hollow voice, and Sintram knew it was the crazy pilgrim, near to whom stood the malignant dwarf, looking more hideous than ever. " Tou are right, sir knight," whispered Rolf, as he drew back behind Sintram, and made the sign of the Cross on his breast and forehead. The bewildered youth, however, advanced towards the two figures, and said : " You have always taken wonderful pleasure in being my companions. What do you ex- pect will come of it ? And do you choose to and his Companions. 151 go now with me to the stone fortress? There I will tend you, poor- pale pilgrim ; and as to you, frightful Master, most evil dwarf, I will make you shorter by the head, to re- ward you for your deeds yesterday." " That would be a fine thing," sneered the Little Master ; " and perhaps you imagine that you would be doing a great service to the whole world ?" And indeed who knows ? Something might be gained by it ! Only, poor wretch, you cannot do it." The pilgrim meantime was waving his pale head to and fro thoughtfully, saying : k ' I believe truly that you would willingly have me, and I would go to you willingly, but I may not yet. Have patience awhile ; you will yet surely see me come, but at a distant time ; and, first, we must again visit your father together, and then also you will learn to call me by my right name, my poor friend." " Beware of disappointing me again !" said Little Master to the pilgrim in a threat- ening voice ; but he, pointing with his long, shrivelled hand towards the sun, which was just now rising, said : " Stop either that sun or me, if you can !" Then the first rays fell on the snow, and 152 Si NT RAM, Little Master ran down a precipice, scolding as he went ; but the pilgrim walked on in the bright beams, calmly and with great solemnity, towards a neighboring castle on the mountain. It was not long before its chapel bell was heard tolling for the dead. " For Heaven's sake," whispered the good Rolf to his knight, "for Heaven's sake, Sir Sintram, what kind of companions have you here ? One of them cannot bear the light of God's blessed sun, and the other has no sooner set a foot in a dwelling than the pass- ing-bell is heard from thence. Could he have been a murderer?" " I do not think that," said Sintram. " He seemed to me the best of the two. But it is a strange wilfulness of his not to come with me. Did I not invite him kindly? I believe that he can sing well, and he should have sung to me some gentle lullaby. Since my mother has lived in a cloister, no one sings lullabies to me any more." At this tender recollection his eyes were bedewed w T ith tears. But he did not himself know what he had said besides, for there was wildness and confusion in his spirit. They arrived at the Rocks of the Moon, and his Companions. 153 they mounted up to the stone fortress. The castellan, an old, gloomy man, who was all the more devoted to the young knight from his dark melancholy and wild deeds, hast- ened to lower the drawbridge. Greetings were exchanged in silence, and in silence did Sintram enter, and those joyless gates closed with a crash behind the future re- cluse. 154 SlNTRAM, CHAPTER XX. YES, truly, a recluse, or at least some- thing like it, did poor Sintrain now become ! For towards the time of the approaching Christmas Festival his fearful dreams came over him, and seized him so fiercely, that all the esquires and servants fled with shrieks out of the castle, and would never venture back again. No one remained with him except Rolf and the old castellan. After awhile, indeed, Sintram became calm, but he went about looking so pallid and subdued, that he might have been taken for a wandering corpse. No comfort- ing of the good Rolf, no devout soothing lays, were of any avail; and the castellan, with his fierce, scarred features, his head almost entirely bald from a huge sword-cut, his stubborn silence, seemed like a yet darker shadow of the miserable knight. Rolf often thought of going to summon the holy chaplain of Drontheim, but how could he have left his lord alone with the gloomy castellan, a man who at all times raised in and his Companions. 155 him a secret horror. Biorn had long had this wild strange warrior in his service, and honored him on account of his unshaken fidelity and his fearless courage, without the knight or any one else knowing whence the castellan came, or indeed exactly who he was. Very few people knew by what name to call him, but that was the more needless since he never entered into discourse with any one. He was the castellan of the stone fortress on the Rocks of the Moon, and nothing more. Rolf committed his deep heartfelt cares to the merciful God, trusting that he would soon come to his aid, and the merciful God did not fail him. For on Christmas eve the bell at the drawbridge sounded, and Rolf, looking over the battlements, saw the chap- lain of Drontheim standing there, with a companion indeed that surprised him, — for close beside him appeared the crazy pilgrim, and the dead men's bones on his dark man- tle shone very strangely in the glimmering starlight ; but the sight of the chaplain filled the good Rolf too full of joy to leave room for any doubt in his mind — for, thought he, whoever comes with him, can- not but be welcome ! And so he let them 156 SlNTRAM, both in with respectful haste, and ushered them up to the hall where Sintram, pale and with a fixed look, was sitting under the light of one flickering lamp. Rolf was obliged to support and assist the crazy pilgrim up the stairs, for he was quite benumbed with cold. " I bring you a greeting from your mother," said the chaplain, as he came in, and imme- diately a sweet smile passed over the young knight's countenance, and its deadly pallid- ness gave place to a bright, soft glow. " Oh Heaven !" murmured he, " does then my mother yet live, and does she care to know any thing about me ?" " She is endowed with wonderful presenti- ment of the future," replied the chaplain, " and all that you -ought either to do or to leave undone is pictured in various ways in her mind, during a half-waking trance, but with most faithful exactness. !Now she knows of your deep sorrow, and she sends me, the Father Confessor of her convent, to comfort you, but at the same time to warn you, for, as she affirms, and as I am also in- clined to think, many strange and heavy trials lie before you." Sintram bowed himself towards the chap- lain with his arms crossed over his breast, and his Companions. 151 and said with a gentle smile : " Much have I been favored, more, a thousand times more, than I could have dared to hope in my best hours, by this greeting from my mother, and your visit, reverend sir ; and all after falling more fearfully low than I had ever fallen be- fore. The mercy of the Lord is great, and how heavy soever may be the weight and punishment which he may send, I trust with His grace to be able to bear it." Just then the door opened, and the castel- lan came in with a torch in his hand, the red glare of which made his face look the color of blood. He cast a terrified glance at the crazy pilgrim, who had just sunk back in a swoon, and was supported on his seat and tended by Rolf ; then he stared with astonishment at the chaplain, and at last murmured : " A strange meeting ! I believe that the hour for confession and reconcilia- tion is now arrived." " I believe so, too," replied the priest, who had heard his low whisper ; " this seems to be truly a day rich in grace and peace. That poor man yonder, whom I found half frozen by the way, would make a full confession to me at once, before he followed me to a place of shelter. Do as he has done, my dark- 14 158* SlNTRAM, browed warrior, and delay not your good purpose for one instant." Thereupon lie left the room with the cas- tellan, who gave a sign of compliance, but he turned back to say : " Sir knight, and your esquire ! take good care the while of my sick charge." Sintram and Rolf did according to the chaplain's desire, and when at length their cordials made the pilgrim open his eyes once again, the young knight said to him with a friendly smile : " Do you see ? you are come to visit me after all. Why did you refuse me when a few nights ago I asked you so earnestly to come? Perhaps I may have spoken wildly and hastily. Did that scare you away ?" A sudden expression of fear came over the pilgrim's countenance, but soon he again looked up at Sintram with an air of gentle humility, saying : " Oh my dear lord, I am most entirely devoted to you — only never speak to me of former passages between you and me. I am terrified whenever you do it. For, my lord, either I am mad and have for- gotten all that is past, or that being has met you in the wood, whom I look upon as my all-powerful twin-brother." and his Companions. 159 Sintram laid his hand gently on the pil- grim's mouth, as he answered : " Say nothing more about that matter. I most willingly promise to be silent." Neither he nor Rolf could understand what appeared to them so awful in the whole matter ; but both shuddered. After a short pause, the pilgrim said : " I would rather sing you a song, a soft, comfort- ing song. Have you not a lute here ??' Rolf fetched one, and the pilgrim, half- raising himself on the couch, sang the fol- lowing words : " When death is coming near, When thy heart shrinks in fear, And thy limhs fail, Then raise thy hands and pray To him who smooths thy way Through the dark vale. Seest thou the eastern dawn, Hear'st thou in the red morn The angel's song ? O lift thy drooping head, Thou who in gloom and dread Hast lain so long. Death comes to set thee free, O meet him cheerily As thy true friend, 160 SlNTRAM, And all thy fears shall cease, And in eternal peace Thy penance end." " Amen," said Sintram and Rolf, folding their hands; and whilst the last chords of the lute still resounded, the chaplain and the castellan came slowly and gently into the room. " I bring a precious Christmas gift," said the priest. "After many sad years, hope of reconciliation and peace of con- science are returning to a noble, but long disturbed mind. This concerns you, beloved pilgrim ; and do you, my Sintram, with a joyful trust in God, take encouragement and example from it." " More than twenty years ago." began the castellan, at a sign from the chaplain, " more than twenty years ago I was a stout and active herdsman, and I drove my flock up the mountains. A young knight follow- ed me, whom they called Weigand the Slen- der. He wanted to buy of me my favorite little lamb for his fair bride, and offered me much red gold for it. I sturdily refused. The over-boldness of youth carried us both away. A stroke of his sword hurled me senseless down the precipice." and his Companions. 161 " Not killed ?" asked the pilgrim, in a scarcely audible voice. "I am no ghost," replied the castellan, somewhat morosely ; and then, after an earnest look from the priest, he continued, more humbly : " I recovered slowly and in solitude, with the help of remedies which were easily found by me, a herdsman, in our productive valleys. When I came back into the world, no man knew me with my scarred face, and my head which had be- come bald. I heard a report going through the country, that, on account of this deed of his, Sir Weigand the Slender had been re- jected by his fair betrothed Yerena, and how he had pined away, and she had wish- ed to retire into a convent, but her father had persuaded her to marry the great knight Biorn. Then there came a fearful thirst for vengeance into my heart, and I disowned my name and my kindred, and my home, and entered the service of the mighty Biorn as a strange wild man, in order that Weigand the Slender should always be deemed a mur- derer, and that I might feed on his anguish. So have I fed upon it for all these long years. I have reveled frightfully in his self-imposed banishment, in his cheerless return home, in 162 SlNTKAM his madness. But to-day " — and hot tears gushed from his eyes — " but to-day God has broken the hardness of my heart ; and dear Sir "Weigand, look upon yourself no more as a murderer, and say that you will forgive me, and pray for him who has done you so fearful an injury, and" — sobs choked his words. He fell at the feet of the pilgrim, who with tears of joy pressed him to his heart, in token of forgiveness. and his Companions. 163 CHAPTER XXI. THE joy of the hour passed from its first overpowering brightness, to the calm, thoughtful aspect of daily life, and Weigand, now restored to health, laid aside the mantle with dead men's bones, saying: "I had chosen for my penance to carry these fearful remains about me, in the idea that perhaps some of them might have belonged to him whom I have murdered. Therefore I used to search for them round about in the deep beds of the mountain torrents, and in the high nests of the eagles and vultures. And while I was searching, I sometimes — could it have been only an illusion ? — I seemed to meet a being who was very like myself, but far, far more powerful, and yet still paler and more haggard." — An imploring look from Sintram stopped the flow of his words. With a gentle smile, Weigand bowed towards him, and said : " You know now all the deep, un- utterably deep sorrow which prayed upon me. My fear of you, and my yearning love 164 SlNTRAM, for you, are no longer without explanation to your kind heart. For, dear youth, though you may be like your fearful father, you have also the kind gentle heart of your mother, and its reflection brightens your pallid, stern features, like the glow of a morning sky which lights up ice-covered mountains and valleys. But alas ! how long have you lived alone even amidst your fellow-creatures ! And how long is it since you have seen your mother, my dearly-loved Sintram ?" " I feel, too, as though a spring were gush- ing up in the barren wilderness of my heart," replied the youth ; "• and I should perchance be altogether restored, could I but keep you long with me, and weep with you, dear friend. But I have that within me which says that you will very soon be taken from me." " I believe, indeed," said the pilgrim, " that my song the other day was very nearly my last, and that it contained a prediction full soon to be accomplished in me. But, as the soul of man is always like the thirsty ground, tlie more blessings God has bestowed on us, the more earnestly do we look out for new ones, so would I crave for one more ere my life closes, as I would fain hope, in happi- and his Companions. 165 ness. Yet indeed it cannot be granted me," added he with a faltering voice, " for I feel myself too utterly unworthy of such high grace." " But it will be granted !" said the chap- lain joyfully. " He that humbleth himself shall be exalted, and I fear not to take him who is now cleared from the stain of murder, to receive a farewell from the holy and for- giving countenance of Yerena." The pilgrim stretched both his hands up towards Heaven, and an unspoken thanks- giving seemed to pour from his beaming eyes, and to brighten the smile that played on his lips. Sintram looked sorrowfully on the ground, and sighed gently to himself: "Alas! happy he who dared go also !" " My poor, good Sintram," said the chap- lain in a tone of the softest kindness, " I un- derstand you well, but the time is not yet come. The powers of Evil will again raise up their wrathful heads within you, and Yerena must check both her own and your longing desires, until all is pure in your spirit as in hers. Comfort yourself with the thought that God looks mercifully upon you, and that 166 SlNTRAM, the joy so earnestly sought for, will not fail to come — if not here, most assuredly beyond the grave." But the pilgrim, as though awaking out of a trance, rose with energy from his seat, and sa*id : " Do you please to come forth with me, reverend chaplain % Before the sun ap- pears in the heavens, we could reach the convent-gates, and I should not be far from Heaven." In vain did the chaplain and Rolf remind him of his weakness : he smiled, and said that there could be no question about it, and he girded himself, and tuned the lute which he had asked leave to take with him. His decided manner overcame all opposition, al- most without words : and the chaplain had already prepared himself for the journey, when the pilgrim looked with much emotion at Sintram, who, oppressed with a strange weariness, had sunk half asleep on a couch, and he said: "Wait a moment. I know that he wants me to give him a soft lullaby." The pleased smile of the youth seemed to say yes, and the pilgrim, touching the strings with a light hand, sang these words : — and his Companions. 167 " Sleep peacefully, dear boy, Thy mother sends the song That whispers round thy couch, To lull thee all night long. In silence and afar, For thee she ever prays, And longs once more in fondness Upon thy face to gaze. And when thy waking cometh, Then in thy every deed, In all that may betide thee, Unto her words give heed. O listen for her voice, If it be yea or nay, And though temptation meet thee, Thou shalt not miss the way. If thou canst listen rightly, And nobly onward go, Then pure and gentle breezes Around thy cheeks shall blow. Then on thy peaceful journey Her blessing thou shalt feel, And though from thee divided, Her presence o'er thee steal. O safest, sweetest comfort ! blest and living light ! That strong in Heaven's power All terrors put to flight 1 Rest quietly, sweet child, And may the gentle numbers Thy mother sends to thee Waft peace unto thy slumbers." 168 SlNTRAM, Sintram fell into a deep sleep, smiling and breathing softly. Rolf and the castellan re- mained by his bed, whilst the two travellers pursued their way in tbe quiet starlight. and his Companions. 169 CHAPTER XXII. THE dawn had almost appeared, when Rolf, who had been asleep, was awoke by low singing ; and as he looked round, he perceived with surprise that the sounds came from the lips of the castellan, who said, as if in explanation : " So does Sir "Weigand sing at the convent-gates, and they are kindly opened to him." Upon which old Rolf fell asleep again, uncertain whether what had passed had been a dream or a reality. Af- ter awhile the bright sunshine awoke him again, and when he rose up he saw the coun- tenance of the castellan wonderfully illumin- ated by the red light of the morning sun, and altogether those features, once so fear- ful, were shining with a soft, nay, almost child-like mildness of expression. The mys- terious man seemed to be the while listening to the motionless air, as if he were hearing a most pleasant discourse ; and as Rolf was about to speak he made him a sign of en- treaty to remain quiet, and he continued in his eager, listening attitude. 15 170 SlNTRAM At length he sank slowly and contentedly back in his seat, whispering : " God be praised ! She has granted his last prayer ; he will be laid in the burial-ground of the convent, and now he has forgiven me from the bottom of his heart. I can assure you that he is having a peaceful end." Rolf did not dare ask a question, or awake his lord ; he felt as if one already departed had spoken to him. The castellan remained still for a long space of time, always with a bright smile on his face. At last he raised himself up a little, again listened, and said : " It is over. The sound of the bells is very sweet. "We have overcome. Oh ! how soft and easy does the good God make it to us !" And so it came to pass. He stretched himself back as if weary, and his soul was freed from his care-worn body. Rolf now gently awoke his young knight, and pointed to the smiling face of the dead. And Sintram smiled too ; he and his good esquire fell on their knees and prayed to God for the departed spirit. Then they rose up, and bore the cold body to the vaulted hall, and watched by it with holy candles until the return of the chaplain. That the pilgrim and his Companions. Ill would not corne back again, they very well knew. Towards mid-day, accordingly, the chap- lain returned alone. He could scarcely do more than confirm what was already known to them. He only added a comforting and hopeful greeting from Sintram's mother to her son, and told that the blissful Weigand had fallen asleep like a tired child, whilst Yerena with calm tenderness held a crucifix before him. " And in eternal peace our penance end !" sang Sintram gently to himself, and they prepared a last resting-place for the now so peaceful castellan, and laid him therein with all the due solemn rites. The chaplain was obliged soon afterwards to depart, but when bidding Sintram fare- well, he again said kindly to him, "Your dear mother knows assuredly how gentle and calm and good you are now become 1" 112 SlNTRAM, CHAPTER XXIII. I~N the castle of Sir Biorn of the Fiery Eyes, Christmas eve had not passed so brightly and happily, but yet there too all had gone visibly according to God's will. Folko, at the entreaty of the lord of the castle, had allowed Gabrielle to support him into the hall, and the three now sat at the round stone-table whereon a sumptuous meal was laid. On either side, there were long tables, at which sat the retainers of both knights, in full armor, according to the cus- tom of the north. Torches and lamps lighted the lofty hall with an almost dazzling bright- ness. The deepest shades of night had now gathered around, and Gabrielle softly re- minded her wounded knight to withdraw. Biorn heard her and said, " You are right, fair lady, our knight needs rest. Only let us first keep up one more old honorable custom." And at his sign four attendants brought in with pomp a great boar's head, which looked and his Companions. 173 as if cut out of solid gold, and placed it in the middle of the stone-table. Biorn's re- tainers rose with reverence, and took off their helmets ; Biorn himself did the same. "What means this?" asked Folko very gravely. "What your forefathers and mine have done on every Tule Feast," answered Biorn. " We are going to make vows on the boar's head, and then pass the goblet round to their fulfilment." " We no longer keep what our ancestors called the Yule Feast," said Folko ; " we are good Christians, and we keep holy Christ- mas-tide." "We may observe the one without leaving off the other," answered Biorn. " I hold my ancestors too dear to forget their knightly customs. Those who think otherwise may act according to their wisdom, but that shall not hinder me. I swear by the golden boar's- head" And he stretched out his hand towards it. But Folko called out, " In the Name of our Holy Saviour, forbear. Where I am, and still have breath and will, none cele- brate the rites of the wild heathens." Biorn of the Fiery Eyes glared angrily at 15* 174 SlNTRAM, him. The men of the two barons separated from each other, with a hollow sound of rat- tling armor, and ranged themselves in two bodies on either side of the hall, each behind its leader. Already here and there helmets were fastened and visors closed. " Bethink thee yet what thou art doing," said Biorn. " I was about to vow an eternal union with the house of Montfaucon, nay, even to bind myself to do it grateful homage, but if thou disturbest me in the customs which have come to me from my forefathers, look to thy safety, and the safety of all that is dear to thee. My wrath no longer knows any bounds." Folko made a sign to the pale Gabrielle to retire behind his followers, saying to her: " Be of good cheer, my noble wife, weaker Christians have borne, for the sake of God and of His holy Church, greater dangers than now seem to threaten us. Believe me, the lord of Montfaucon is not so easily over- come." Gabrielle obeyed, something comforted by Folko's fearless smile, but this smile inflamed yet more the fury of Biorn. # He again stretched out his hand towards the boar's head, as if about to make some dreadful and his Companions. 115 vow, when Folko snatched a gauntlet of Biorn's off the table, with winch he, with his nnwounded left arm, struck such a powerful blow on the gilt idol that it fell crashing to the ground, shivered to pieces. Biorn and his followers stood as if turned to stone But soon swords were grasped by armed hands, shields were taken down from the walls, and an angry threatening murmur sounded through the hall. At a sign from Folko, one of his faithful retainers brought him a battle-axe ; he swung it high in the air with his powerful left hand, and he stood looking like an avenging angel as he spoke these words through the tumult with awful calmness: " What seek ye, O ye deluded Northmen ? What wouldst thou, sinful lord? Tou are indeed become heathens, and I hope to show you that it is not in my right arm alone that God has put strength for victory. But if you can yet hear, listen to my words. Biorn, on this same accursed, and now, by God's help, shivered boar's head, thou didst lay thy hand when thou didst swear to sacrifice any inhabitants of the German towns that should fall into thy power. And Gotthard Lenz came, and Budlieb came, driven on these 176 SlNTRAM, shores by the storm. What didst thou then do, savage Biorn ? What did you do at his bidding you who were keeping the Yule- feast with him % Try your fortune on me. The Lord will be with me as he was with those holy men. To arms ! and — (he turned to his warriors)— let our battle-cry be Gott- hard and Rudlieb !" Then Biorn let drop his drawn sword ; then his followers paused, and none among the Norwegians dared lift his eyes from the ground. By degrees they one by one began to disappear from the hall ; and at last Biorn stood quite alone opposite to the baron and his followers. He seemed hardly aware that he had been deserted, but he fell on his knees, stretched out his shining sword, .pointed to the broken boar's head, and said, " Do with me as you have done with that ; I deserve no better. I ask but one favor, only one ; do not disgrace me, noble baron, by seeking shelter in another castle while •you remain in Norway." " I do not fear you," answered Folko, after some thought, " and as far as may be, I freely forgive you." Then he drew the sign of the Cross over the wild form of Biorn, and left the hall with G-abrielle. The retainers of the and his Companions. 117 house of l\lontfaucon followed him proudly and silently. The high spirit of the fierce lord of the castle was now quite broken, and he watched with increased humility every look of Folko and Gabrielle. But they withdrew more and more into the happy solitude of their own apartments, where they enjoyed in the midst of the sharp winter a bright springtide of love and happiness. The wounded con- dition of Folko did not hinder the evening delights of songs and music and poetry — but rather a new charm was added to them when the tall, handsome knight leant on the arm of his delicate lady, and they thus, changing as it were their deportment and duties, walked slowly through the torch-lit halls, scattering their kindly greetings like flowers among the crowds of men and women. All this time little or nothing was heard of poor Sintram. The last wild outbreak of his father had increased the terror with which Gabrielle remembered the self-accusations of the youth; and the more resolutely Folko kept silence, the more did she fear that some dreadful mystery lay beneath. Indeed a secret shudder came over the knight when he thought on the pale, dark-haired youth. 178 SlNTRAM, Sintram's repentance had bordered on set- tled despair ; no one knew even what he was doing in the fortress of Evil-Report on the Rocks of the Moon. Strange rumors were brought by the retainers who had fled from it, that the Evil Spirit had obtained complete power over Sintram, that no man could stay with him, and that the fidelity of the dark and mysterious castellan had cost him his life. Folko could hardly drive away the fearful imagination that the lonely young knight was become a wicked magician. And perhaps indeed evil spirits did flit about the banished Sintram, but it was with- out his calling them up. In his dreams he often saw the wicked enchantress Yenus, in her golden chariot drawn by winged cats, pass over the battlements of the stone fort- ress, and heard her say, mocking him : " Fool- ish Sintram, foolish Sintram, hadst thou but listened to the Little Master's words ! Thou wouldst now be in Helen's arms, and the Rocks of the Moon would be called the Rocks of Love, and the stone fortress would be the garden of roses. Thou wouldst have lost thy pale face and black tangled hair, — for thou art only enchanted, dear youth, — and his Companions. 179 and thine eyes would have beamed more softly, and thy cheeks bloomed more freshly, and thy hair would have been more golden than that of prince Paris, when men won- dered at his beauty. Oh ! how Helen would have loved thee I" Then she showed him, in a mirror, his own figure kneeling before Gabrielle, who sank into his arms blushing as the morning. When he awoke from such dreams, he would seize in eager haste the sword and scarf which his lady had given him, as a shipwrecked man seizes the plank which is to save him, and while the hot tears fell upon it, he would murmur to himself: " There was indeed one hour in my sad life when I was happy, and deserved it." Once he sprang up at midnight, after one of these dreams, only this time with a more thrilling horror than usual ; for it had seemed to him that the features of the Enchantress Yenus had changed towards the end of her speech, as she looked down upon him with marvelous scorn, and she appeared to him almost to assume those of the hideous Little Master. The youth had no better means of calming his distracted mind than to throw the sword and scarf of Gabrielle over his shoulders, and to hasten forth under the sol- 180 SiNTSAjr, emn starry canopy of the wintry sky. He walked in deep thought backwards and for- wards under the leafless oaks, and the snow- laden firs, which grew on the high ramp- arts. Then he heard a sorrowful cry of distress sound from the moat ; it was as if some one were attempting to sing, but was stopped by excess of grief. Sintram exclaimed, " Who's there?" and all was still. When he was silent and again began his walk, the fright- ful groanings and moanings were heard afresh, as if they came from a dying person. Sintram overcame the horror which seemed to hold him back, and began in silence to climb down into the deep dry moat, which was cut in the rock. He was soon so low down that he could no longer see the stars shining ; he saw a shrouded form move be- neath him, — and sliding rapidly down the remainder of the steep descent, he stood near the groaning figure ; it ceased its lamenta- tions, and began to laugh like a maniac from beneath its long folded female garments. " Oh, ho, my comrade ! Oh, ho, my com- rade ! You are now going a little too fast : well, well, it is all right : and see now, you stand no higher than I, my pious valiant and his Companions. IS, youth ! Take it patiently, — take it pa- tiently !" " What do you want with me ? Why do you laugh ? why do you weep ?" asked Sin- tram impatiently. li I might ask you the same question," an- swered the dark figure, " and you would he less able to answer me, than I to answer you. Why do you laugh ? why do you weep ? — Poor creature ! But I will show you a re- markable thing in your fortress, of which you know nothing. Give heed !" And the shrouded figure began to scratch and scrape at the stones till a little iron door opened, and showed a long passage which led into the deep darkness. " Will you come with me ?" whispered the strange being : " it is the shortest way to your father's castle. In half an hour we shall come out of this passage, and we shall be in your beauteous lady's apartment. King Menelaus shall lie in a magic sleep, — leave that to me, — and then you will take the slight delicate form in your arms, and you will bring her to the Rocks of the Moon ; so you will recover all that you lost by your former wavering." Then Sintram might have been seen to 16 182 SlNTBAM, stagger. He was shaken to and fro by the fever of passion and the stings of conscience ; but at last pressing the sword and scarf to his heart, he cried out : " Oh ! that fairest most glorious hour of my life ! If I lose all other joys, I will hold fast that brightest hour !" " A bright, glorious hour !" said the figure from under its veil, like an evil echo. " Do you know whom you then conquered ? A good old friend, who only showed himself so sturdy in order to give you the glory of over- coming him. Will you convince yourself? Will you look ?" The dark garments of the little figure flew open, and Sintram saw the dwarf warrior in strange armor with the gold horn on his hel- , met, and the curved spear in his hand ; the very same whom Sintram thought he had slain on JSTiflung's Heath, now stood before him, and grinned as he said : " You see, my friend, everything in the wide world is made up of dreams and froth ; wherefore hold fast the dream which delights you, and sip up the froth which refreshes you? Hasten to that underground passage, it leads up to your angel Helen. Or would you first know your friend yet better V and his Companions. 183 His visor opened, and the hateful face of the Little Master glared upon the knight. Sintram asked, as if in a dream : " Art thou also that wicked enchantress Yenus ?" " Something like her," answered the Little Master, laughing, " or rather she is some- thing like me. And if you will only get disenchanted, and recover the beauty of prince Paris, — then, O prince Paris," and his voice changed to an alluring song, " then, O prince Paris, I shall be fair like you !" At this moment the good Polf appeared above on the rampart ; a consecrated taper in his lantern shone down into the moat, as he sought for the young knight. " In God's name, Sir Sintram," he called out, " what have you to do there with the spectre of him whom you slew on Niflung's Heath, and whom I never could bury ?" " Do you see ? do you hear ?" whispered the Little Master, and drew back into the darkness of the underground passage. " The wise man up there knows me well. You see your heroic feat came to nothing. Come, take the joys of life while you may !" But Sintram sprang back with a strong effort into the circle of light made by the shining of the taper from above, and cried 184 Sin tram, out : " Depart from me, unquiet spirit ! I know well that I bear a name on me, in which thou canst have no part." Little Master rushed, in fear and rage, into the passage, and, yelling, shut the iron door behind him. It seemed as if he coulcj. be still heard groaning and roaring. Sintram climbed up the wall of the moat, and made a sign to his foster-father not to speak to him — he only said : " One of my best joys, yes, the very best, has been taken from me — but by God's help, I am not yet wholly lost." In the earliest light of the following morn- ing he and Rolf stopped up the entrance to the perilous passage with huge blocks of stone. and his Companions. 185 CHAPTER XXIV. THE long northern winter was at last ended ; the fresh, green leaves rustled merrily in the woods, patches of soft moss appeared amongst the rocks, the valleys were clothed with grass, the brooks sparkled, the snow melted from all but the highest moun- tain-tops, and the bark which was ready to carry away Folko and Gabrielle danced on the sunny waves. The baron, who was now quite recovered, and strong and fresh as though his health had sustained no injury, stood one morning on the shore with his fair lady, and, full of glee at the prospect of re- turning to their home, the noble pair looked on with satisfaction at their attendants, who were busied in the ship with preparations for the voyage. Then said one of them, in the midst of a confused sound of talking : " But what has appeared to me the most fearful and the most strange thing in this northern land, is the stone fortress on the Rocks of the Moon : I have never indeed been inside it, but when 16* 186 SlNTRAM, I used to see it in our huntings, towering above the tall fir-trees, there came a tight- ness over my breast, as if some unearthly- beings were dwelling in it. And a few weeks ago, when the snow was yet lying hard in the valleys, I came unawares quite close upon the strange building. The young knight Sintram was walking alone on the ramparts as the shades of twilight stole on, like the spirit of a departed knight, and he drew from the lute which he carried such soft melancholy tones, and he sighed so deep- ly and sorrowfully — " The voice of the speaker was drowned in the noise of the crowd, and as he also just then reached the ship with his package, which had been hastily fastened up, Folko and Gabrielle could not hear the rest of his speech. But the fair lady looked on her knight with eyes dim with tears, and sighed : "Is it not behind those mountains that the Rocks of the Moon lie ? The unhappy Sin- tram makes me sad at heart." " I understand you, sweet gracious lady, and the pure compassion which fills your heart," replied Folko, and instantly ordered his swift-footed steed to be brought. He placed his noble lady under the charge of and his Companions. 1ST Ills retainers, and leaping into the saddle, lie pursued his way, followed by the grateful smiles of Gabrielle, along the valley which led towards the stone fortress. Sintram was seated near the drawbridge touching the strings of the lute, and shed ding some tears on the golden chords, almost exactly as Montfau con's esquires had de- scribed him. Suddenly a cloudy shadow passed over him, and he looked up, expect- ing to see a fiio-ht of cranes in the air : but the sky was clear and blue. While the young knight was still wondering, a long bright spear fell at his feet from a battle- ment of the armory turret. " Take it up, — make good use of it ! your foe is near at hand ! Near also is the downfall of your cherished hopes of happiness !" Thus he heard it distinctly whispered in his ear; and it seemed to him that he saw the shadow of the Little Master glide close by him to a neighboring cleft in the rock. But at the same time, also, a tall, gigantic, haggard figure passed along the valley, in some meas- ure like the departed pilgrim, only much, very much larger ; and he raised his long, bony arm with an awfully threatening air, then disappeared in an ancient tomb. 188 SiNTRAM, At the very same instant Sir Folko of Montfaucon came swiftly as the wind up the Rocks of the Moon, and he must have seen something of those strange apparitions ; for, as he stopped close behind Sintram, he looked rather pale, and he asked low and earnestly: "Sir knight, who are those two with whom you were just now holding con- verse here ?" " The good God knows," answered Sin- tram. " I know them not." " If the good God does but know I" cried Montfaucon. " But I fear me that he knows you not, nor your deeds." '* You speak strangely harsh words," said Sintram. " Yet ever since that evening of misery — alas ! and even long before — I have no right to complain of any thing you may say or do. Dear sir, you may believe me, I know not those fearful companions ; I call them not ; and I know not what terrible curse it is which binds them to my footsteps. The merciful God, as I would hope, is mind- ful of me the while, as a faithful shepherd does not forget even the worst and most widely-strayed of his flock, but calls after it with an anxious voice in the gloomy wilder- ness." and his Companions. 189 Then the anger of the baron was quite melted. The tears stood in his eyes, and he said : " No, assuredly, God has not forgotten yon ; only do you not forget your gracious God. I did not come to rebuke you — I came to bless you in Gabrielle's name and in my own. The Lord preserve you, the Lord guide you, the Lord lift you up. And, Sin- tram, on the far-off shores of Normandy I shall bear you in mind, and I shall hear how you struggle against the curse which darkens your unhappy life ; and if you ever obtain the victory over it, and overcome in the evil day, then you shall receive from me a token of love and reward, more precious than either you or I can understand at this mo- ment." The words flowed prophetically from the baron's lips ; he himself was only half-con- scious of what he said. "With a kind saluta- tion he turned his noble steed, and again flew down the valley towards the sea shore. " Fool, fool, thrice a fool !" whispered the angry voice of the Little Master in Sintram's ear; but old Rolf was singing his morning hymn in clear tones within the castle, and the last lines were these : 190 SlNTRAM, " Whom worldlings scorn, Who lives forlorn, On God's own word doth rest ; With heavenly light His path is bright, His lot among the blest." Then a holy joy took possession of Sin- tram's heart ; and he looked around him yet more gladly than in the hour when Gabrielle gave him the scarf and sword, and Folko dubbed him knight. and his Companions. 191 CHAPTER XXV. THE baron and his lovely lady were sail- ing across the broad sea with favoring gales of spring, — nay, the coast of Normandy had already appeared above the waves, — but still was Biorn of the Fiery Eyes sitting gloomy and speechless in his castle. He had taken no leave of his guests. There was more of proud fear of Montfaucon, than of rever- ential love for him in his soul, especially since the adventure with the boar's head ; and the thought was bitter to his haughty spirit, that the great baron, the flower and glory of their whole race, should have come in peace to visit him, and should now be de- parting in displeasure, in stern reproachful displeasure. He had constantly before his mind, and it never failed to bring fresh pangs, the remembrance of how all had come to pass, and how all might have gone other- wise ; and he was always fancying he could hear the songs in which after-generations would recount this voyage of the great Folko, and the worthlessness of the savage Biorn. 192 SlNTEAM, At length, full of fierce anger, he cast away the fetters of his troubled spirit, he burst out of the castle with his horsemen, and began to carry on a warfare more fearful and more lawless than any in which he had yet been engaged. Sintram heard the sound of his father's war-horn, and committing the stone fortress to old Rolf, he sprang forth ready armed for the combat. But the flames of the cottages and farms on the mountains rose up before him, and showed him, written as if in char- acters of fire, what kind of war his father was waging. Yet he went on towards the spot where the army was mustered, but only to offer his mediation, affirming that he would not lay hand on his good sword in so ab- horred a service, even though the stone fort- ress, and his father's castle besides, should fall before the vengeance of their enemies. Biorn hurled the spear which he held in his hand against his son with mad fury. The deadly weapon whizzed past him. Sintram remained standing with his visor raised, he did not move one limb in his defence, when he said : " Father ! do what you will ; but I join not in your godless warfare." Biorn of the Fiery Eyes laughed scorn- and his Companions. 193 fully : " It seems that I am always to have a spy over me here ; my son succeeds to the dainty French knight!" But nevertheless he came to himself, he accepted Sintram's mediation, made amends for the injuries he had done, and returned gloomily to his castle. Sintram went back to the Rocks of the Moon. Such occurrences were frequent after that time. It went so far that Sintram came to be looked upon as the protector of all those whom his father pursued with relentless fury; but nevertheless, sometimes his own wildness would carry the young knight away to ac- company his fierce father in his fearful deeds. Then Biorn used to laugh with hor- rible pleasure, and to say : " See there, my son, how the flames we have lighted blaze up from the villages, as the blood spouts up from the wounds our swords have made ! It is plain to me, however much you may pre- tend to the contrary, that you are, and that you will ever remain, my true and beloved heir !" After such terrible wanderings, Sintram could find no comfort but in hastening to the chaplain of Drontheim, and confessing to him his misery and his sins. The chap- 17 194 SlNTRAM, lain would freely absolve Mm after due penance had been performed, and again raise up the broken-hearted and repenting youth ; but he would often say : " Oh ! how nearly had you reached your last trial and gained the victory, and looked on Verena's countenance, and atoned for all ! Now you have thrown yourself back for years. Think, my son, on the shortness of man's life; if you are always falling back anew, how will you ever reach the summit on this side the grave ?" Years came and went, and Biorn's hair was white as snow, and the youth Sintram had reached the middle age ; old Rolf wa3 now scarcely able to leave the stone fortress ; aud sometimes he said : " I feel it a burden that my life should yet be prolonged, but also there is much comfort in it, for I shall think that the good God has in store for me here below some great happiness ; and it must be something in which you are con- cerned, my beloved Sir Sintram, for what else in the whole world could rejoice my heart ?" But, nevertheless, everything remained as it was, only Sintram's fearful dreams at Christmas time each year rather increased and his Companions. 195 than diminished in horror. Again, the holy season was drawing near, and the mind of the sorely afflicted knight was more troubled than ever before. Sometimes, if he had been reckoning np the nights which were yet to elapse before it, a cold sweat would stand on his forehead, while he said : " Mark my words, dear old foster-father, this time some- thing most awfully decisive lies before me." One evening he felt an overwhelming anx- iety about his father. It seemed to him that the Prince of Darkness was going up to Biorn's castle ; and in vain did E,olf remind him that the snow was lying deep in the val- leys, in vain did he suggest that the knight might be overtaken by his frightful dreams in the lonely mountains during the night- time. " Nothing can be worse to me than remaining here would be," replied Sin tram. He took his horse from the stable, and rode forth in the gathering darkness. The noble steed slipped and stumbled, and fell in the trackless ways, but his rider always rais- ed him up and urged him only more swiftly and eagerly towards the object which he longed and yet dreaded to reach. Neverthe- less, he might never have arrived at it, had not his faithful hound Skovmark kept with 196 SlNTKAM, him. The dog sought out the lost track for his beloved master, and invited him into it with joyous barkings, and warned him by his howls against hidden precipices and treach- erous ice under the snow. Thus they ar- rived about midnight at Biorn's castle. The windows of the hall shone opposite to them with a brilliant light, as though some great feast were being kept there,— and confused sounds, as of singing, met their ears. Sin- tram gave his horse hastily to some retainers in the courtyard, and ran up the steps, whilst Skovmark stayed by the well-known horse. A good esquire came towards Sintram within the castle, and said : " God be praised, my dear master, that you are come, — for surely nothing good is going on above. But take heed to yourself, also, and be not delud- ed. Your father has a guest with him, — and, as I think, a very evil one." Sintram shuddered as he threw open the doors. A little man in the dress of a miner was sitting with his back towards him ; the armor had been for some time past again ranged round the stone table, so that only two places were ever left empty. The seat opposite the door had been takeD by Biorn of the Fiery Eyes ; and the dazzling light of and his Companions. 197 tlie torches fell upon his features with such a red glare, that he most fully established his right to that fearful surname. " Father, whom have you here with you ?" cried Sintram ; and his suspicions rose to certainty as the miner turned round, and the detestable face of the Little Master grinned from under the dark hood he wore. " Yes, just see, my fair son," said the wild Biorn ; " you have not been here for a long while, — and so to-night this jolly comrade has paid me a visit, and your place has been taken. But throw one of the suits of armor out of the way, and put a seat for yourself instead of it, — and come and drink with us, and be merry. " " Yes, do so, Sir Sintram," said the Little Master, with a laugh. " Nothing worse could come of it than that the broken pieces of armor might clatter somewhat strangely one against the other ; or, at most, that the disturbed spirit of him to whom the suit be- longed, might look over your shoulder ; but he would not drink up any of our wine — ghosts have nothing to do with that. So now fall to !" Biorn joined in the laughter of the hide- ous stranger with wild mirth ; and while 17* 198 SlNTRAM, Sintram was mustering up his whole strength not to lose his senses at such terrible words, and was fixing a calm steady look on the Little Master's face, — the old man cried out : " Why do you look at him so ? Is it that you fancy there is a mirror before you? Now that you are together I do not see it so much ; but a while ago I thought that you were like enough to each other to be mis- taken." "God forbid!" said Sintram; and he walked up close to the fearful apparition, saying, "I command you, detestable stranger, to depart from this castle, in right of my authority as my father's heir, as a consecrated knight, and as a Christian man !" Biorn seemed as if he wished to oppose himself to this command with all his savage might. The Little Master muttered to him- self, " You are not by any means the master in this house, pious knight ; you have never lighted a fire on this hearth." Then Sintram drew the sword which Ga- brielle had given him, held the cross formed by the hilt before the eyes of his evil guest, and said calmly, but with a powerful voice, "Worship, or fly!" And he fled! the frightful stranger — he and his Companions. 199 fled with such lightning speed that it could scarcely be seen whether he had sprung through the window or the door. But in going he overthrew some of the armor — the tapers went out — and it seemed that the pale blue flame which lighted up the hall in a marvellous manner, gave a fulfilment to the Little Master's former words ; and that the spirits of those to whom the armor had be- longed were leaning over the table grinning fearfully. Both the father and the son were filled with horror, but each chose an opposite way to save himself. Biorn wished to have his hateful guest back again ; and the power of his will was seen when the Little Master's step resounded anew on the stairs, and his hard brown hand shook the lock of the door. On the other hand, Sintram ceased not to say within himself, " We are lost, if he comes back! We are lost to all eternity, if he comes back!" And he fell on his knees, and prayed fervently from the depth of his troubled heart to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then the Little Master left the door ; and again Biorn willed him to return, and again Sintram's prayers drove him away. So went on this strife of wills throughout the 200 SlNTRAM, long night ; and fierce whirlwinds raged the while around the castle, till all the household thought the end of the world was come. At hngth the dawn of morning appeared through the windows of the hall — the fury of the storm was lulled — Biorn sank back power less in slumber on his seat — peace and hope were restored to the inmates of the castle — and Sintram, pale and exhausted, went out to breathe the dewy air of the mild winter's morning before the castle-gates. and his Companions. 201 CHAPTER XXVI. THE faithful Skovmark followed bis mas- ter, caressing him ; and when Sintram fell asleep on a stone seat in the wall, he lay at his feet, keeping watchful guard. Sud- denly he pricked up his ears, looked round with delight, and bounded joyfully down the mountain. Just afterwards the chaplain of Drontheim appeared amongst the rocks, and the good beast went up to him as if to greet him, and then again ran back to the knight to announce a welcome visitor. Sintram opened his eyes, to feel the pleas- ure of a child whose Christmas-gifts have been placed at his bedside to surprise him. For the chaplain smiled at him as he had never yet seen him smile. There was in it a token of victory and blessing, or at least of the near approach of both. " You have accomplished much yesterday, very much,"' said the holy priest, and his hands were joined and his eyes full of bright tears. " I thank God on your behalf, my noble knight. Verena knows all, and she too blesses God. 202 SlNTRAM, I do indeed now dare hope that the time will Boon come when you may appear before her. But Sintram, Sir Sintram, there is need of haste — for the old man above requires speedy aid, and you have still a heavy — as I hope the last — yet a most heavy trial to undergo for his sake. Arm yourself, my knight, arm yourself even with temporal weapons. In truth, this time only spiritual armor is needed; but it always befits a knight as well as a monk to wear, in the decisive moments of his life, the entire solemn garb of his sta- tion.' If it so please you, we will go directly to Drontheim together. You must return thence to-night. Such is the tenor of the hidden decree, which has been dimly un- folded to Yerena's foresight. Here there is yet much that is wild and distracting, and you have great need to-day of calm preparation." "With humble joy Sintram bowed his as- sent, and called for his horse and for a suit of armor. " Only," added he, " let not any of that armor be brought which was last night overthrown in the hall." His orders were quickly obeyed. The arms which were fetched, adorned with fine engraved work, the simple helmet, formed rather like that of an esquire than a knight. and his Companions. 203 the lance of almost gigantic size, which be- longed to the suit, — on all these the chaplain gazed in deep thought, and with melancholy emotion. At last, when Sintram, with the help of his esquires, was well-nigh equipped, the holy priest spoke : " Wonderful are the ways of God's providence ! See, dear Sin- tram, this armor and this spear were formerly those of Sir Weigand the Slender, and with them he did many mighty deeds. When he was tended by your mother in the castle, and when even your father still showed him- self kind and courteous, he asked, as a favor, that his armor and his lance should be al- lowed to hang in Biorn's armory — Weigand himself, as you well know, intended to build a cloister and to live there as a monk, — and he put his old esquire's helmet with it, in- stead of another, because he was yet wearing that one when he first saw the fair Yerena's angelic face. How wondrously does it now come to pass, that these very arms which have so long been laid aside, should have been brought to you for the decisive hour of your life ! To me, as far as my short-sighted human wisdom can tell, to me it seems truly a very solemn token, but one that is full of high and glorious promise." 204 S I N T R A M , Sintram stood now in complete array, com- posed and stately; and from his tall slender figure might have been supposed still in early youth, had not the deep lines of care which furrowed his countenance shown him to be advanced in years. " Who has placed boughs on the head of my war-horse ?" asked Sintram of the es- quires with displeasure. " I am not a con- queror, nor a wedding-guest. And besides, there are no boughs now, but these red and yellow crackling leaves of the oak, dull and dead like the season itself." " Sir knight, I know not myself," answer- ed an esquire, " but it seemed to me that I could not do otherwise." " Let it be," said the chaplain. " I feel that this is also sent as a token full of mean- ing from the right source." Then the knight threw himself into his saddle ; the priest went beside him ; and they both rode slowly and silently towards Drontheim. The faithful dog followed his master. When the lofty castle of Drontheim appeared in sight, a gentle smile spread it- self over Sintram 's countenance, like a gleam of sunshine on a wintry valley. " God has done great things for me," said he. " 1 and his Companions. 205 once rushed from here, a fearfully wild boy ; I now come back, a penitent man. I trust that good is yet in store for my poor troubled life." The chaplain assented kindly, and soon afterwards the travellers passed under the echoing vaulted gateway into the castle-yard. At a sign from the priest, the retainers ap- proached with respectful haste, and took charge of the horses ; then he and Sintram went through long winding passages, and up many steps, to the remote chamber which the chaplain had chosen for his own — far away from the noise of men, and near to the clouds and the stars. There the two passed a quiet day in devout prayer, and earnest reading of Holy Scripture. "When the evening began to close in, the chaplain arose and said: "And now, my knight, get ready your horse, and mount and ride back again to your father's castle. A toilsome way lies before you, and I dare not go with you. But I can, and I will call upon the Lord for you, all through the long, fearful night. Oh, beloved instrument of the Most High, you will yet not be lost !" Thrilling with strange forebodings, but nevertheless strong and vigorous in spirit, 18 206 SlNTRAM, Sintram did according to the holy man's de- sire. The sun set as the knight approached a long valley, strangely shut in by rocks, through which lay the road to his father's castle. and his Companions. 201 CHAPTER XXVII. BEFOEE entering the rocky pass, the knight, with a prayer and thanksgiving, looked back once more at the castle of Dron- theim. There it was, so vast and qniet and peaceful, the bright windows of the chap- lain's high chamber yet lighted np by the last gleam of the sun, which had already dis- appeared. In front of Sintram was the gloomy valley, looking as if prepared to be his grave. Then there came towards him some one riding on a small horse, and Skovmark, who had gone up to the stranger as if to find out who he was, now ran back with his tail be- tween his legs and his ears put back, howl- ing and whining, and he crept terrified under his master's war-horse. But even the noble steed appeared to have forgotten his once so fearless and warlike ardor. He trembled violently, and when the knight would have turned him towards the stranger, he reared and snorted and plunged, and be- gan to throw himself backwards. It was 208 Si NT RAM, only with difficulty that Sintram's strength and horsemanship got the better of him, and he was all white with foam when Sintram came np to the unknown traveller. " You have cowardly animals with you," said the latter, in a low smothered voice. Sintram was unable, in the ever-increas- ing darkness, rightly to distinguish what kind of being he saw before him ; only a very pallid face, which at first he had thought was covered with freshly fallen snow, met his eyes from amidst the long hanging garments in which the figure was clothed. It seemed that the stranger carried a small box, wrapped up ; his little horse, as if wearied out, bent his head down towards the ground, whereby a bell, which hung from the wretched torn bridle under his neck, was made to give a strange sound. After a short silence, Sintram replied : " Noble steeds avoid those of a worse race, because they are ashamed of them ; and the boldest dogs are attacked by a secret terror at sight of forms to which they are not accustomed. I have no cowardly animals with me." " Good, sir knight, then ride with me through the valley." and his Companions. 209 " I am going through the valley, but I want no companions." " But perhaps I want one. Do you not see that I am unarmed \ And at this season, at this hour, there are frightful, unearthly beasts about." Just then, as if to confirm the awful words of the stranger, a thing swung itself down from one of the nearest trees covered with hoar-frost — no one could say if it were a snake or a lizard — it curled and twisted itself, and appeared to be going to slide down upon the knight or his companion. Sin tram levelled his spear, and pierced the creature through. But with the most hideous con- tortions it fixed itself firmly on the spear- head, and in vain did the knight endeavor to rab it off against the rocks or the trees. Then he let his spear rest upon his right shoulder, with the point behind him, so that the horrible beast no longer met his sight, and he said with good courage to the stranger, " It does seem indeed that I could help you, and I am not forbidden to have an unknown stranger in my company ; so let us push on bravely into the valley !" " Help !" so resounded the solemn answer. " Not help. I, perhaps, may help thee. But 18* 210 SlNTRAM, God have mercy upon thee, if the time should ever come when I could no longer help thee. Then thou wouldst be lost, and I should be- come very frightful to thee. But we will go through the valley, I have thy knightly word for it. Come !" They rode forward, Sintram's horse still showing signs of fear, the faithful dog still whining, bat both obedient to their master's will. The knight was calm and steadfast. The snow had slipped down from the smooth rocks, and by the light of the rising moon could be seen various strange twisted shapes on their sides, some looking like snakes, and some like human faces ; but they were only formed by the veins in the rock, and the half bare roots of trees which had planted themselves in that desert place with capricious firmness. High above, and at a great distance, the castle of Drontheim, as if to take leave, appeared again through an opening in the rocks. The knight then looked keenly at his companion, and he almost felt as if "Weigand the Slender were riding beside him. " In God's name," cried he, " art thou not the shade of that departed knight who suffered and died for Yerena ?" " I have not suffered, I have not died, but and his Companions. 211 ye suffer and ye die, poor mortals!" mur- mured the stranger. " I am not TVeigand. I am that other one, who was so like him, and whom thou hast also met before now in the wood." Sintram strove to free himself from th terror which came over him at these words. He looked at his horse ; it appeared to him entirely altered. The dry, many-colored oak- leaves on its head were waving like the flames around a sacrifice, in the uncertain moon- light. He looked down again to see after his faithful Skovmark. Fear had likewise most wondrously changed him. On the ground in the middle of the road were lying dead men's bones, and hideous lizards were crawling about, and, in defiance of the wintry season, poisonous mushrooms were growing up all around. " Can this be still my horse on which I am riding," said the knight to himself in a low voice ; " and can that trembling beast which runs at my side be my own dog?" Then some one called after him, in a yell- ing voice, " Stop ! stop ! Take me also with you !" Looking round, Sintram perceived a small frightful figure, with horns, and a face partly 212 SlNTRAM, like a wild-boar and partly like a bear, walk ing along on its bind legs, wbicb were tbose of a borse, and in its band was a strange hideous weapon sbaped like a book or a sickle. It was tbe being who bad been wont to trouble him in his dreams, and alas! it was also tbe wretched Little Master himself, who, laughing wildly, stretched out a long claw towards tbe knight. Tbe bewildered Sintram murmured: "I must have fallen asleep ! and now my dreams are coming over me !" " You are awake," replied the rider of the little horse, " but you know me also in your dreams. For behold ! I am Death." And his garments fell from him, and there ap- peared a mouldering skeleton, its ghastly head crowned with serpents ; that which he had kept hidden under his mantle was an hour-glass, with the sand almost run out. Death held it towards the knight, in his flesh- less hand. The bell at the neck of the little horse gave forth a solemn sound. It was a passing-bell. " Lord, into Thy hands I commend my spirit !" prayed Sintram; and full of earnest devotion he rode after Death, who beckoned him on. and his Companions. 213 " He has not got you yet ! He has not got you yet !" screamed the fearful fiend. " Give yourself up to me rather. In one in- stant, — for swift are your thoughts, swift is my might, — in one instant you shall be in Normandy. Helen yet blooms in beauty as when she departed hence, and this very night she would be yours." And once again he began his unholy praises of Gabrielle's love- liness, and Sintram's heart glowed like wild- fire in his weak breast. Death said nothing more, but raised the hour- glass in his right hand yet higher and higher, and as the sand now ran out more quickly, a soft light streamed from the glass over Sin- tram's countenance, and then it seemed to him as if eternity in all its calm majesty were rising before him, and a world of con- fusion dragging him back with a deadly grasp. " I command thee, wild form that follow- est me," cried he, " I command thee, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to cease from thy seducing words, and to call thyself by that name by which thou art recorded in Holy Writ !" A name, which sounded more fearful than a thunder-clap, burst despairing- ly from the lips of the Tempter, and he dis- appeared. 214 SlNTBAM, " He will return no more," said Death, in a kindly tone. " And now I am become wholly thine, my stern companion ?" " Not yet, my Sintram. I shall not come to thee till many, many years are past. But thou must not forget me the while." " I will keep the thought of thee steadily before my soul, thou fearful yet wholesome monitor, thou awful yet loving guide !" " Oh ! I can truly appear very gentle." And so it proved indeed. His form became more softly defined in the increasing gleam of light which shone from the hour-glass, the features which had been awful in their stern- ness wore a gentle smile, the crown of ser- pents became a bright palm-wreath, instead of the horse appeared a white misty cloud on which the moonbeams played, and the bell gave forth sounds as of sweet lullabies. Sin- tram thought he could hear these worda amidst them : " The world and Satan are o'ercome, Before thee gleams eternal light. "Warrior, who hast won the strife, Save from darkest shades of night Him before whose aged eyes All my terrors soon shall rise." and his Companions. 215 The knight well knew that his father was meant, and he urged on his noble steed, who now obeyed his master willingly and gladly, and the faithful dog also again ran beside him fearlessly. Death had disappeared, but in front of Sintram there floated a bright morning cloud, which continued visible after the sun had risen in the clear winter sky, to cheer and warm the earth. 216 SlNTRAM, CHAPTER XXVIII. W T"T"E is dead ! tlie horrors of that fearful XX night of storm and tempest have killed him!" Thus said, about this time, some of Biorn's retainers, who had not- been able to bring him back to his senses since the morning of the day before ; they had made a couch of wolf and bear skins for him in the great hall, in the midst of the armor which still lay scattered around. One of the esquires said with a low sigh : " The Lord have mercy on his poor wild soul." Just then the warder blew his horn from his tower, and a trooper came into the room with a look of surprise. " A knight is com- ing towards here," said he; "a wonderful knight. I could have taken him for our lord Sintram — : but a bright, bright morning-cloud floats so close before him, and throws over him such clear light, that one could fancy red flowers were showered down upon him. Besides, his horse has a reddish wreath of flowers on his head, which was never a cus- tom of the son of our dead lord." and his Companions. 217 " It was exactly such a one," replied an- other, " that I wove for him yesterday. He was not pleased with it at first, but after- wards he let it remain." " But why did you do that ?" " It seemed to me as if I heard a voice singing again and again in my ear : k Victo- ry ! victory ! the noblest victory ! The knight rides forth to victory !' And then I saw a branch of our oldest oak tree stretched towards me, which had kept on almost all its red and yellow leaves in spite of the snow. So I did according to what I had heard sung; and I plucked some of the leaves, and wove a triumphal wreath for the noble war-horse. At the same time Skov- mark, — you know that the faithful beast had always a great dislike to Biorn, and there- fore had gone to the stable with the horse, — Skovmark jumped upon me, fawning and seeming pleased, as if he wanted to thank me for my work ; and such noble animals understand well about good prognostics." They heard the sound of Sintram's spurs on the stone steps and Skovmark's joyous bark. At that instant the supposed corpse of old Biorn sat up, — looked around with roll- ing, staring eyes, — and asked of the terrified 19 218 SlNTKAM, retainers in a hollow voice : " Who comes there, ye people ? who comes there ? I know it is my son. But who comes with him ? On the answer to that hangs the decision of my fate. For see, good people, Gotthard and Rudlieb have prayed much for me : yet if the Little Master comes with him, I am lost in spite of them !" " You are not lost, my beloved father !" Sintram's kind voice was heard to say, as he softly opened the door, and the bright red morning-cloud floated in with him. Biorn joined his hands, cast a look of thankfulness up to Heaven, and said, smil- ing : " Tes, praised be God ! it is the right companion ! It is sweet gentle Death !" And then he made a sign to his son to ap- proach, saying : " Come here, my deliverer ; come, blessed of the Lord, that I may relate to you all that lias passed within me." As Sintram now sat close by his father's couch, all who were in the room perceived a remarkable and striking change. For old Biorn, whose whole countenance, and not his eyes alone, had been wont to have a fiery aspect, — was now quite pale, almost like white marble : while, on the other hand, the cheeks of the once deadly-pale Sintram glow* and his Companions. 219 ed with a bright bloom like that of early youth. It was caused by the morning-cloud which still shone upon him, and the presence of which in the room was rather felt than seen ; but it produced a gentle thrill in every heart. " See, my son," began the old man, softly and mildly, " I have lain for a long time in a death-like sleep, and have known nothing of what was going on around me ; but with- in, — ah ! within, I have had but too entire consciousness ! I thought that my soul would be destroyed by the eternal anguish ; and yet again I felt with much greater horror, that my soul was undying like that anguish. Beloved son, your cheeks that glowed so brightly are beginning to grow pale at my words. I refrain from more. But let me relate to you something more cheering : far, far away, I could see a bright, lofty church, where Gotthard and Rudlieb Lenz were kneeling and praying for me. Gotthard had grown very old, and looked like one of our mountains covered with snow, on which the evening sun is shining; and Budlieb was also an elderly man, but very vigorous and very strong; and they both, with all their strength and vigor, were calling upon 220 SlNTRAM, God to aid me, their enemy. Then I heard a voice like that of an angel, saying : ' His Bon does the most for him ! He must this night wrestle with Death and with the Fall- en One ! His victory will he victory, — and his defeat will he defeat, for the old man as v, ell as for himself.' Thereupon I awoke ; and I knew that all depended upon whom you would bring with you. You have con- quered. Next to God, the praise be to you !" " Gotthard and Budlieb have helped much," replied Sintram ; " and, beloved father, so have the fervent prayers of the chaplain of Drontheim. I felt, in the midst of temptation and deadly fear, how the heaven-directed prayers of good men floated round me and aided me." " I am most willing to believe that, my noble son, and everything you say to me," answered the old man : and at the same mo- ment the chaplain also coming in, Biorn stretched out his hand towards him with a smile of peace and joy. And now all seem- ed to be surrounded with a bright circle of unity and blessedness. " But see," said old Biorn, "how the faithful Skovmark jumps upon me now, and tries to caress me. It is and his Companions. 221 not long since he used always to howl with terror when he saw me." " My dear lord," said the chaplain, " there is a spirit dwelling in good beasts, although they are unconscious of it." As the day wore on, the stillness in the hall increased. The last hour of the aged knight was drawing near, but he met it calmly and fearlessly. The chaplain and Sintram prayed beside his couch. The re- tainers knelt devoutly around. At length the dying man said: "Is that the vesper- bell in Yerena's cloister ?" and Sintram made a sign to express his undoubting belief that it was, while warm tears fell on the colorless cheeks of his father. A gleam shone in the old man's eyes, — the morning-cloud stood close over him, and then the gleam, the morning-cloud, and life with them departed from him. 19* 222 SlNTRAM, CHAPTER XXIX. A FEW days afterwards Sintram stood in the parlor of the convent, and waited with a beating heart for his mother to appear. He had seen her for the last time, when, a slumbering child, he had been awoke by her tender, farewell kisses, and then had fallen asleep again to wonder in his dreams what his mother had wanted with him, and to seek her in vain the next morning in the castle and in the garden. The chaplain was now at his side, rejoicing in the chastened rapture of the knight, whose fierce spirit had been overcome, on whose cheeks a soft reflec- tion of that solemn morning-cloud yet lingered. The inner doors opened. — In her white veil, stately and noble, the lady Yerena came forward, and with a heavenly smile she beckoned her son to approach the grating. There could be no thought here of any pas- sionate outbreak, whether of sorrow or of joy.* The holy peace which had its abode * " In whose sweet presence sorrow dares not lower, Nor expectation rise, Too high for earth." Christian Tear. and his Companions. 223 within these walls, would have found its way to a heart less tried and less purified than that which beats in Sintram's bosom. Shed- ding some placid tears, the son knelt before his mother, kissed her flowing garments through the grating, and felt as if he were in Paradise, — where every wish and every care is hushed. " Beloved mother," said he, " let me become a recluse like you. Then I will betake myself to the cloister yonder ; and perhaps I might one day be deemed worthy to be your confessor, if illness or the weekness of old age should keep the good chaplain within the castle of Drontheim." " That would be a sweet, quietly-happy life, my good child," replied the lady Yere- na ; " but such is not your vocation. You must continue to be a bold, powerful knight, and you must spend the long life which is almost always granted to us, children of the north, in succoring the weak, in keeping down the lawless, and in yet another more bright and honorable employment which I now rather dimly foresee, than clearly know." " God's will be done I" said the knight, and he rose up full of self-devotion and firm- ness. 224 Si nt ram, " That is my good son," said the lady Ve« rena. "Ah! how many sweet calm joys spring up for us ! See, already is our long- ing desire of meeting again satisfied, and you ,vill never more be so entirely estranged from ne. Every week on this day you will come Dack to me, and you will relate what glori- ous deeds you have done, and take back with you my advice and my blessing." " Am I not once more a good and happy child !" cried Sintram joyously ; " only that the merciful God has given me in addition the strength of a man in body and spirit. Oh ! how blessed is that son to whom it is allowed to gladden his mother's heart with the blossoms and the fruit of his life !" Thus he left the quiet cloister's shade, joy- ful in spirit and richly laden with blessings, to enter on his noble career. He was not content with going about wherever there might be a rightful cause to defend, or evil to be averted ; the gates of the now hospit- able castle stood always open also to receive and shelter every stranger, — and old Rolf, who was almost grown young again at sight of his lord's excellence, was established as seneschal. The winter of Sintram's life set in bright and glorious, and it was only at and his Companions. 225 times that he would sigh within himself and say : " Ah ! Montfaucon, ah ! Gabrielle, if I could dare to hope that you have quite for- given me !" SlNTRAM, CHAPTER XXX. HHHE spring had come in its brightness to -*- that northern land, when one morning Sintram turned his horse homewards after a successful encounter with one of the most formidable disturbers of the peace of his neighborhood. His horsemen rode after him, singing as they went. As they drew near the castle they heard the sound of joy- ous notes wound on the horn. " Some wel- come visitor must have arrived," said the knight, and he spurred his horse to a quicker pace over the dewy meadow. While still at some distance, they descried old Rolf busily engaged in preparing a table for the morn- ing meal, under the trees in front of the castle gates. From all the turrets and bat- tlements floated banners and flags in the fresh morning breeze. Esquires were run- ning to and fro in their gayest apparel. As soon as the good Rolf saw his master, he clapped his hands joyfully over his gray head, and hastened into the castle. Imme- diately the wide gates were thrown open, and his Companions. 227 and Sintram, as lie entered, was met by Rolf, whose eyes were filled with tears of joy as he pointed towards three noble forms that were following him. Two men of high stature,— one in extreme old age, the other gray-headed, and both re- markably alike, — were leading between them a fair young boy, in a page's dress of blue velvet, richly embroidered with gold. The two old men wore the dark velvet dress of German burghers, and had massive gold chains and large shining medals hanging round their necks. Sintram had never before seen his honored guests, and yet he felt as if they were well known and valued friends. The very aged man reminded him of his dying father's words about the snow-covered mountains lighted up by the evening sun ; and then he remembered, he could scarcely tell how, that he had heard Folko say that one of the highest mountains of that sort in his southern land was called the St. Gotthard. And at the same time he knew that the old but yet vigorous man on the other side was named Rudlieb. But the boy who stood between them, — ah ! Sintram's humility dare scarcely form a hope as to who he might be, however 228 SlNTRAM, much his features, so noble and soft, called up two highly honored images before his mind. Then the aged Gotthard Lenz, the prince of old men, advanced with a solemn step, and said : " This is the noble boy Engeltram of Montfaucon, the only son of the great baron ; and his father and mother send him to you, Sir Sintram, knowfng well your holy and glorious knightly career, that you may bring him up to all the honorable and valiant deeds of this northern land, and may make of him a Christian knight, like yourself." Sintram threw himself from his horse. Engeltram of Montfaucon held the stirrup gracefully for him, checking the retainers, who pressed forward, with these words : " I am the noblest born esquire of this knight, and the service nearest to his person belongs to me." Sintram knelt on the turf to offer a silent prayer ; then lifting up the image of Folko and Gabrielle in his arms, towards the rising sun, he cried : " With the help of God, my Engeltram, you will become glorious as that sun, and your course will be like his I" And Kolf said, as he wept for joy, " Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace." and his Companions. 229 Gotthard Lenz and Eudlieb were pressed to Sintram's heart; the chaplain of Dron theim, who just then came from Yerena's cloister, to bring a joyful greeting to her brave son, stretched out his hands to bless them alL THK BBOb NEW AND BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN'S BOOKS, All profusely illustrated, and bound in bright-colored cloth, full gilt back and sides, published and for sale by LEAVITT & ALLEN BROS., 8 Howard St., New York City. For sale by all Booksellers, or sent, post-paid, by the publishers on receipt of tha price. Our complete Catalogue of Children's Books, containing over 500 kinds, n»ay be had on application. 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Sherman and his Battles, i vol. i6mo, cloth, 350 pages, illustrated #1 25 A Boys' Life of Major-General W. T. SHERMAN. Sheridan, the Soldier and Hero, i vol. i6mo, cloth, 368 pages, illustrated 1 25 A Boys' Life of Major-General P. H. SHERIDAN. FARRAGUT— ERICSSON— MITCHELL. Farragut, First in Rank and First in Battle, i vol. i6mo, 350 pages, illustrated I 25 A Boys' Life of Vice-Admiral FARRAGUT. The Miner Boy and his Monitor, i vol. i6mo, cloth, 300 pages, illustrated 1 i» A Boys' Life of Captain ERICSSON, the Inventor of the Famous Monitor. The Patriot Boy. i vol. i6mo, cloth, 300 pages, illus- trated I 2f, Being the Life of Major-General O. M. MITCHELL, the Astronomer and Hero. No Household should be without them. Girls of the Bible By P. C. Headley. Cloth, gilt, 1 25 Mothers of the Bible. By Mrs. Ashton. ditto, 1 25 The Katie Story Books. 4 vols, small i6mo, each volume pro- fusely illustrated, handsomely bound in extra cloth, gilt back, in a handsome case, new style, with illuminated cover. Per set, $225 The Rich and the Poor, eta Skipping Hard Words, etc The Cruel Landlord, etc. The Little Story Teller, etc. A series of pretty books, good reading, and full of pictures. The Willie Story Books. 4 vols, small i6mo, handsomely bound in extra cloth, gilt back, and put up in a handsome case' new style, with illuminated cover. Per set . . .$225 Pretty Stories for Willie. The Good Son, etc. Little Painter and Spruce Johnnie. Pretty Stories for Good Boys. A series of short and pretty stories, each volume full of illustrations. Leavitt & Allen Bros.' Juvenile Publications. 5 The Good Story Book. 4 vols, small i6mo, handsomely bound in extra cloth, gilt back, and put up in a handsome case, new style, with illuminated cover. Per set . . . . $2 25 Juvenile Sports. Good Little Stories. Little Rhyme Book. Reward of Kindness. Short and good stories for girls and boys. Little Ones' Library. 6 vols. 481110, with pictures, bound in extra cloth, gilt back, and in handsome box, new style, illumi- nated cover. Per set $1 50 The Summer House. Kriss Kringle. The Robins. The Bird's Nest. The Skating Party. The Omnibus. The Bird's Nest Series. 3 vols. 4Smo, with pictures, extra cloth, in a neat box. Per set $1 00 Same as Little Ones' Library, bound in 3 volumes. Little Pet Library. 6 vols. 64mo, full of pictures, bound in extra cloth, gilt back, and in a handsome box, new style, illumi- nated cover. Per set $1 25 The Girl and her Pets. The Boy and his Pony. The Sailor Boy. Book of Stories. Book of Sports. Book of Trades. Child's Pet Books. 3 vols. 64mo, full of pictures, bound in extra cloth, gilt back, and in a neat box. Per set . . . . 75c Same as Little Pet Library, bound in 3 volumes. Little Child's Keepsake, i vol. 481110, full of brightly-colored pictures, extra cloth, full gilt and gilt edges . . . $1 00 Little Pet Keepsake, i vol. 481110, full of pictures, extra cloth, full gilt and gilt edges 75c The " Child's Own Book Series." 6 vols. i6mo, in neat case, each volume illustrated and handsomely bound in clolh extra, $1 25 The cheapest set of Juveniles published, 2,500 pages of reading for $6.25 retail. 6 Leavitt & Allen Bros.' Juvenile Publications. Child's Own Book of Merry Tales. Boys' Own Book of Sports, Birds, and Animals. Child's Own Book of Fairy Tales and Rhymes. Child's Own Book of Pictures and Stories. Boys' and Girls' Own Story Book. Child's Own Fable Book. The above are six of the best books of the kind for children pub- lished. Comprise all the popular Juvenile Fairy Tales, besides a profuse amount of interesting and entertaining matter. Little Girls' and Boys' Library. 6 vols, small i6mo, hand- somely bound in extra cloth, gilt back, and put up in a handsome case, new style, with illuminated cover. Per set . . $3 38 Minnie, the Broom Girl. Two Bad Boys, etc. Walter O'Neil. My Menagerie — Birds. Stuart and Helen Bruce. My Menagerie — Animals. Stories in Rhyme. Interesting, useful, and good stories, profusely illustrated. Ugly Duckling Story Books. 3 vols, square i2mo, handsomely bound in extra cloth, all bright colors, and in a neat case. Per set , . $2 50 The Ugly Duckling. Puss in Boots. Little Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe. Little Bo-Peep. Dan Drake's Rhymes. Children's Fables. A series of very beautiful books, in new square i2mo size, printed on the finest paper, and filled with very prettily-colored engravings ; very cheap popular books. A remarkably cheap and beautiful set of books. The Lillie Story Books. i6mo, full of illustrations. Lillie's Day. A new set of Juveniles, 6 vols. i6mo, printed on elegant paper and handsomely bound in cloth extra, and in neat case. Per set . $2 50 Lillie's Day. Lillie's People Abroad. Lillie's Bird Garden. Lillie's Pigeon House. Lillie's Visit to the Menagerie. Lillie's Stories about Indians. L.eavitt & Allen Bros.' Juvenile Publications. 7 Lillie's Evening. A new set of Juveniles, 6 vols. i6mo, full of illustrations, printed on elegant paper and handsomely bound in cloth extra, and a neat case. Per set $2 50 Lillie's Evening. Lillie's Grandfather. Lillie's Aunt Lucy. Lillie's Little Housewife. Lillie's Canary. Lillie's Naughty Brother. The orget-me-not Library. 3 vols. i6mo, in handsome case, new style, illuminated cover, and illustrated with fine steel en- gravings, and handsomely bound in extra cloth, new and beautiful style for presents. Per set $3 00 Juvenile Forget-me-not. The Rosebud. The Violet. A handsome series of books adapted for presents. The Keepsake Library. 3 vols. i6mo, in neat case, new style, illuminated cover, and handsomely bound in extra cloth, new and beautiful style for presents. Per set $3 00 The Youth's Keepsake. The Humming Bird. The Pet Annual. Three handsome volumes, bound in a new and beautiful style. The Kriss Kringle Story Books. 3 vols, square i6mo, hand- somely bound in extra cloth, gilt back, new and beautiful style for presents, in handsome case, new style, illuminated cover. Per set $3 00 The Same. Elegantly bound in fine cloth, gilt sides, gilt edges, 3 vols, in handsome case. Per set $4 00 Kriss Kringle's Story Book. St. Nicholas' Story Book. Santa Claus' Story Book. A series of charming books for youths, girls, or boys, illustrated with fine steel engravings, and bound in a new and very handsome style. 8 Leavitt & Allen Bros.' Juvenile Publications. Santa Claus' Fairy Story Books. 6 vols, square i6mo, hand- somely bound in cloth extra, in neat case. Per set . . $5 00 Arabian Nights. Gulliver's Travels. Fairy Godmother. Fable Land. iEsop's Fables. Fairy Tales. Beautiful editions of standard Juvenile Books. Aunt Fanny. — The Sock Stories. 6 vols, square i6mo, illus- trated and bound in cloth extra, in neat case. Per set . $5 oc Blue, White, and Red Socks. Part I. Funny Little Socks. Blue, White, and Red Socks. Part II. Funny Big Socks. German Socks. Neighbor Nellie's Socks. The most popular of writers for the amusement of children. Aunt Mary's Story Books. 6 vols. i6mo, handsomely illustrated and bound in cloth extra. Pei set $4 50 Aunt Mary's Stories. - Gift Story Book. Frank and Fanny. Parley's New York. Peep at Birds. Peep at Beasts. Mother Goose's Melodies. Squaie i6mo, stiff paper cover. Per copy 20 The Same. Bound in cloth extra. Per copy . . 50 Best and pure edition of Mother Goose. o CHEAP AND ATTRACTIVE BOOKS. Pretty Pictures and Pleasant Rhymes. Large 4:0, 150 colored engravings, fancy boards . .• . . . $1 OO Child's Scrap Book. Large 4to, 150 colored engravings, fancy boards . . . I 00 Pictorial Gift for Little Ones. Large 4to, 150 colored engravings, fancy boards I 00