This eBook was produced by David Widger
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
On the way home Barbara often pressed her left hand with her right toassure herself that she was not dreaming.
This time she found her husband in the house. At the first glancePyramus saw that something unusual had happened; but she gave him no timeto question her, only glanced around to see if they were alone, and thencried, as if frantic: "I will bear it no longer. You must know it too.But it is a great secret." Then she made him swear that he, too, wouldkeep it strictly, and in great anxiety he obeyed.
He, like Barbara's father, had supposed that the Emperor's son hadentered the world only to leave it again. Barbara's "I no longer have achild; it was taken from me," he had interpreted in the same way as theold captain, and, from delicacy of feeling, had never again mentioned thesubject in her presence.
While taking the oath, he had been prepared for the worst; but when hiswife, in passionate excitement, speaking so fast that the words fairtumbled over one another, told him how she had been robbed of her boy;how his imperial father had treated him; how she had longed for him;what prayers she had uttered in his behalf; how miserable she had beenin her anxiety about this child; and, now, that Dona Magdalena's letterpermitted her to cherish the highest and greatest hopes for the boy,the tall, strong man stood before her with downcast eyes, like a detectedcriminal, his hand gripping the edge of the top of the table whichseparated her from him.
Barbara saw his broad, arched chest rise and fall, and wondered why hismanly features were quivering; but ere she had time to utter a singlesoothing word, he burst forth: "I made the vow and will be silent; butto-morrow, or in a year or two, it will be in everybody's mouth, andthen, then My good name! Honour!"
Fierce indignation overwhelmed Barbara, and, no longer able to controlherself, she exclaimed: "What did it matter whether Death or his fathersnatched the child from me? The question is, whether you knew that I amhis mother, and it was not concealed from you. Nevertheless, you cameand sought me for your wife! That is what happened! And—you know this—you are as much or little dishonoured by me, the mother of the livingchild, as of the dead one. Out upon the honour which is harmed bygossip! What slanderous tongues say of me as a disgrace I deem thehighest honour; but if you are of a different opinion, and held it whenyou wooed me, you would be wiser to prate less loudly of the proud word'honour,' and we will separate."
Pyramus had listened to these accusations and the threat with tremblinglips. His simple but upright mind felt that she was right, so far as hewas concerned, and she was more beautiful in her anger than he had seenher since the brilliant days of her youthful pride. The fear of losingher seized his poor heart, so wholly subject to her, with sudden powerand, stammering an entreaty for forgiveness, he confessed that thesurprise had bewildered him, and that he thought he had showed in thecourse of the last ten years how highly, in spite of people's gossip,he prized her. He held out his large honest hand with a pleading lookas he spoke, and she placed hers in it for a short time.
Then she went to church to collect her thoughts