Memorials and Other Papers, vol 2 | Page 7

of coaches arrived; and, as the danger from Holkerstein
commenced about this point, they were immediately applied to the
purpose of strengthening their encampment against a night attack, by
chaining them, together with all the baggage-carts, in a triple line,
across the different avenues which seemed most exposed to a charge of
cavalry. Many other preparations were made; the yagers and dragoons
made arrangements for mounting with ease on the first alarm; strong
outposts were established; sentinels posted all round the encampment,
who were duly relieved every hour, in consideration of the extreme
cold; and, upon the whole, as many veteran officers were amongst them,
the great body of the travellers were now able to apply themselves to
the task of preparing their evening refreshments with some degree of
comfort; for the elder part of the company saw that every precaution
had been taken, and the younger were not aware of any extraordinary
danger.

Waldenhausen had formerly been a considerable village. At present
there was no more than one house, surrounded, however, by such a
large establishment of barns, stables, and other outhouses, that, at a
little distance, it wore the appearance of a tolerable hamlet. Most of the
outhouses, in their upper stories, were filled with hay or straw; and
there the women and children prepared their couches for the night, as
the warmest resorts in so severe a season. The house was furnished in
the plainest style of a farmer's; but in other respects it was of a superior
order, being roomy and extensive. The best apartment had been
reserved for the Lady Paulina and her attendants; one for the officers of
most distinction in the escort or amongst the travellers; the rest had
been left to the use of the travellers indiscriminately.
In passing through the hall of entrance, Paulina had noticed a man of
striking and farouche appearance,--hair black and matted, eyes keen
and wild, and beaming with malicious cunning, who surveyed her as
she passed with a mixed look of insolence and curiosity, that
involuntarily made her shrink. He had been half reclining carelessly
against the wall, when she first entered, but rose upright with a sudden
motion as she passed him--not probably from any sentiment of respect,
but under the first powerful impression of surprise on seeing a young
woman of peculiarly splendid figure and impressive beauty, under
circumstances so little according with what might be supposed her
natural pretensions. The dignity of her deportment, and the numbers of
her attendants, sufficiently proclaimed the luxurious accommodations
which her habits might have taught her to expect; and she was now
entering a dwelling which of late years had received few strangers of
her sex, and probably none but those of the lowest rank.
"Know your distance, fellow!" exclaimed one of the waiting-women,
angrily, noticing his rude gaze and the effect upon her mistress.
"Good faith, madam, I would that the distance between us were more; it
was no prayers of mine, I promise you, that brought upon me a troop of
horses to Waldenhausen, enough in one twelve hours to eat me out a
margrave's ransom. Light thanks I reckon on from yagers; and the
payments of dragoons will pass current for as little in the forest, as a

lady's frown in Waldenhausen."
"Churl!" said an officer of dragoons, "how know you that our payments
are light? The emperor takes nothing without payment; surely not from
such as you. But _à propos_ of ransoms, what now might be
Holkerstein's ransom for a farmer's barns stuffed with a three years'
crop?"
"How mean you by that, captain? The crop's my own, and never was in
worse hands than my own. God send it no worse luck to-day!"
"Come, come, sir, you understand me better than that; nothing at
Waldenhausen, I take it, is yours or any man's, unless by license from
Holkerstein. And when I see so many goodly barns and garners, with
their jolly charges of hay and corn, that would feed one of Holkerstein's
garrisons through two sieges, I know what to think of him who has
saved them scot-free. He that serves a robber must do it on a robber's
terms. To such bargains there goes but one word, and that is the
robber's. But, come, man, I am not thy judge. Only I would have my
soldiers on their guard at one of Holkerstein's outposts. And thee,
farmer, I would have to remember that an emperor's grace may yet
stand thee instead, when a robber is past helping thee to a rope."
The soldiers laughed, but took their officer's hint to watch the motions
of a man, whose immunity from spoil, in circumstances so tempting to
a military robber's cupidity, certainly argued some collusion with
Holkerstein.
The Lady Paulina had passed on during this