Aslaugas Knight | Page 9

truth.
"The hero, by his deeds, Both bliss and fame had won, And still, with
heartfelt joy, The faithful child looked on."
But Froda took the lute from his hands, and said, "No, Edchen, I will
teach you another song; listen!--
"'There's a gleam in the hall, and like morning's light Hath shone upon
all her presence bright. Suitors watch as she passes by-- She may
gladden their hearts by one glance of her eye: But coldly she gazeth
upon the throng, And they that have sought her may seek her long. She
turns her away from the richly clad knight, She heeds not the words of
the learned wight; The prince is before her in all his pride, But other the
visions around her that glide. Then tell me, in all the wide world's space,
Who may e'er win that lady's grace? In sorrowful love there sits apart
The gentle squire who hath her heart; They all are deceived by fancies
vain, And he knows it not who the prize shall gain.'"
Edwald thrilled. "As God wills," said he, softly to himself. "But I

cannot understand how such a thing could be." "As God wills,"
repeated Froda. The two friends embraced each other, and soon after
fell into a peaceful slumber.
Some days afterwards Froda sat in a secluded bower of the castle
garden, and was reading in the ancient book of his lovely mistress
Aslauga. It happened at that very time that Hildegardis passed by. She
stood still, and said, thoughtfully, "Strange union that you are of knight
and sage, how comes it that you bring forth so little out of the deep
treasures of your knowledge? And yet I think you must have many a
choice history at your command, even such as that which now lies open
before you; for I see rich and bright pictures of knights and ladies
painted amongst the letters."
"It is, indeed, the most surpassing and enchanting history in all the
world," said Froda; "but you have neither patience nor thoughtfulness
to listen to our wonderful legends of the north."
"Why think you so?" answered Hildegardis, with that pride which she
rejoiced to display towards Froda, when she could find courage to do
so; and, placing herself on a stone seat opposite, she commanded him at
once to read something to her out of that fair book.
Froda began, and in the very effort which he made to change the old
heroic speech of Iceland into the German tongue, his heart and mind
were stirred more fervently and solemnly. As he looked up from time
to time, he beheld the countenance of Hildegardis beaming in
ever-growing beauty with joy, wonder, and interest; and the thought
passed through his mind whether this could indeed be his destined
bride, to whom Aslauga herself was guiding him.
Then suddenly the characters became strangely confused; it seemed as
if the pictures began to move, so that he was obliged to stop. While he
fixed his eyes with a strong effort upon the book, endeavouring to drive
away this strange confusion, he heard a well-known sweetly solemn
voice, which said, "Leave a little space for me, fair lady. The history
which that knight is reading to you relates to me; and I hear it gladly."

Before the eyes of Froda, as he raised them from his book, sat Aslauga
in all the glory of her flowing golden locks beside Hildegardis, on the
seat. With tears of affright in her eyes, the maiden sank back and
fainted. Solemnly, yet graciously, Aslauga warned her knight with a
motion of her fair right hand, and vanished.
"What have I done to you?" said Hildegardis when recovered from her
swoon by his care, "what have I done to you, evil- minded knight, that
you call up your northern spectres before me, and well-nigh destroy me
through terror of your magic arts? "Lady," answered Froda, "may God
help me, as I have not called hither the wondrous lady who but now
appeared to us. But now her will is known to me, and I commend you
to God's keeping."
With that he walked thoughtfully out of the bower. Hildegardis fled in
terror from the gloomy shade, and, rushing out on the opposite side,
reached a fair open grass-plot, where Edwald, in the soft glow of
twilight, was gathering flowers, and, meeting her with a courteous
smile, offered her a nosegay of narcissus and pansies.
CHAPTER IV.

At length the day fixed for the tournament arrived, and a distinguished
noble, appointed by the German emperor, arranged all things in the
most magnificent and sumptuous guise for the solemn festival. The
field of combat opened wide, and fair, and level, thickly strewn with
the finest sand, so that, both man and horse might find