下载辰思小说免费APP
"No，myfriend，no，wewillnotdoso，"whisperedAndreas，drawinghimback。"OurfaithfulandbravebrotherRed—beardhasbeensolongawakeandatworkthatwemustlethimrest，anditwouldbeverywronginustoarousehimfromhissleep。Letusdeferdinner，therefore，untilSpeckbacherishere，anduntilHaspingerhassleptenough。"
"Butyousaidyouwerehungry，Andreas——Whydoyouwanttowait，then？Whydoyounotdinenowandlettheothertwodineafterward？
Youarecommander—in—chief，thehighestofficerofall，andtheymustdoasitsuitsyou，andyoumustnotdoasitsuitsthem。"
"Donotrepeatsuchnonsense，"criedAndreas，vehemently。
"Iamcommander—in—chiefonlybecauseitisnecessarythatthereshouldbeonetoholdthewholetogetherlestitshouldfallasunder。ThatiswhatFatherHaspingersaid，anditistrue。ButeventhoughIamcommander—in—chiefoftheTyrol，Iamnotcommander—in—chiefofmyfriendsinmyintimateintercoursewiththem。Allthreeofushaveworkedtothebestofourpowerforthefatherland，andIhavenotdonemorethanSpeckbacherortheCapuchin。Itistrue，Iamhungry，butIshallnotgotodinnerwithoutmyfriends;moreover，itisgoodthattheyarenothereyet，andthatIhavealittletimeleft。ThecravingsofmystomachmademealmostforgetmydutytoGod，andbytheabsenceofmyfriendsHeremindsmethatIoweHimsomethingandmustcometoHim。Keepyourfinesoup，therefore，alittlewhile，Niederkircher;Iwill，inthemeantime，gotothechurchoftheFranciscanstoreporttheretotheLordasHisfaithfulservantandsoldier。"
HetookhisblackTyrolesehat，descendedhastilythestaircase，andwentintothestreet。HehadnotnoticedthedissatisfiedairofNiederkircher，andthefactthattheinnkeeperhadnoteventhankedhimforhisgreeting;forallhisthoughtswerenowfixeduponGod，andhereproachedhimselfcontritelywithalmostforgettingGod，owingtothecravingsofhisstomach。
"Forgiveme，myLordandGod，"hemurmured，onenteringthegloomynaveofthechurch，"fornotcomingtoTheeatonce！"
Hewalkeduptheaislewithanoiseless，hurriedstep，inordernottodisturbtheworshippers，tooneofthesmallaltars，beforewhichhekneltdowndevoutly。
"HereIam，myLordandGod，"hemurmured，claspinghishands，"torenderhomagetoTheeandthankTheefordeliveringusfromtheenemyandgrantingvictorytous。IthankTheeforitfromthebottomofmyheart，forThymercywaswithus，andThoudidstleadusasatruegeneral。Guideushenceforthlikewise，myLordandGod，andstandbyThyfaithfulservant，thathemaynotfailinthedifficulttaskwhichhehasnowtakenuponhimself。Lord，ThouknowestthatvanityandpridedonotpromptmetobecomemorethanI
oughttobe;ThouknowestthatIwouldratherbequietlyathomewithmywifeandchildren，thanplaythedistinguishedgentlemanhereandassumeanaristocratictitle。ButtheCapuchin，whoiswiserthanI，saysitmustbeso，andImustbecommander—in—chief。
Hence，Isubmitpatiently，andconsenttoplaytherulerhereuntilThou，myLordandGod，allowestmeagaintobeThyhumbleandsimpleservant，andtoreturntomybelovedAnnaGertrude，mythreelittledaughters，andmydearlittleboy。OHolyVirgin，watchwithmaternalcareovermydearonesathome;protectthem，andgrantpeacetotheirhearts，thattheymaynottrembleformysafety。
Grantpeacetousall，HolyMotherofGod，and——"
"Look，look，thereheis！"shoutedaloudvoicebehindhim，interruptinghiminhisprayer。"See，thereisthegreathero！Howhumblyheiskneelingbeforethealtar！LookatAndreasHofer。"
AndreasHoferturned，indignantattheinterruptionandthewordssoloudlyutteredinthatsacredplace。Hesawseveralhundredpersonsthrongingtheaisleandfixingtheireyesuponhim。AllcrowdedforwardandraisedtheirheadstoseeAndreasHofer，admirehisfinebeard，andexaminehiswholeappearance。Theybadfollowedhimquietly，andasthenewsthatAndreasHofer，commander—in—chiefoftheTyrol，hadgonetothechurchoftheFranciscans，spreadrapidly，allhadhastenedthithertoseehimandrenderhimhomage。
ButAndreasHoferthoughtthishomagedecidedlyirksome，andhewasangrythatthespectatorshaddisturbedhisprayer。He，therefore，madeabitter—sweetfaceinresponsetotheenthusiasticdemonstrationsandaffectionategreetingsofthepeople，andelbowedhiswayhastilytowardthedoor。
"Ithankyouforyourattachment，"hesaidtothosewhowereclosetohim，"butIshouldhavebeenbetterpleasedifyouhadallowedmequietlytopursuemyway，andhadnotinterruptedmyprayer。Butnowprayletmegohomealone，anddonotfollowme。Itmaybebecomingforaristocraticgentlementohavealargesuitebehindthem，butI
amonlyasimpleTyroleselikeyouall，anddonotwanttobeanythingelse。Moreover，Iamaveryordinary—lookingman，andthereisnoreasonwhateverwhyyoushouldstareatmeinthismanner。Pray，therefore，donotgowithme，butletthereturnquietlytoNiederkircher\'stavern，whereIamgoingtodine。"
Theyobeyed，ofcourse，andopenedapassageforhimtostepoutofthechurchdoor。Butthereupontheyrushedouttolookafterhimandshout，"LongliveAndreasHofer，thepiouscommander—in—chiefoftheTyrol！"Butnooneventuredtofollowhim;allgazedaffectionatelyandreverentiallyafterhistallform，ashewalkedwithaslowanddignifiedstepdownthestreet。
"Therearestrangepeopleinthesecities，"murmuredHofertohimself，whilewalkingalong;"theydonotevenletmeprayquietly，andareascuriousasswallows。Theyfollowmeeverywhere，andstareatmeasthoughIwereawildbeast。Ifthatisbeingafamousman，Idonotcareforfame;andforthewholeworldIwouldnotbeanaristocraticorfamousmanallmylifetime。Whenpeacehasbeenrestoredtothecountry，andthereisnolongeranenemytofight，theywillforgetmyhumbleservices，andIshallliveagainquietlyatmyinninthePasseyrvalley。NoonewillthenrunaftertheSandwirthwhenhecomestoInnsprucktosellhorses;andIshallsitagaininNiederkircher\'sbackroom，eatdumplings，anddrinknativewine。Ah，HolyVirgin，letitsoonbesoagain，thatthecommander—
in—chiefmaybeagainSandwirthAndreasHofer。"
"Hurrah，longlivethecommander—in—chiefoftheTyrol！"shoutedatthismomentsomemenwhohadrecognizedhim，andstoodstilltodohomagetohimasthoughhewereasovereignprince。
AndreasHoferacceleratedhisstep，andwasverygladonreachingthetavernsoonafterward。
CHAPTERXXXIII。
ANDREASHOFER，THEEMPEROR\'SLIEUTENANT。
Andreasascendedthestaircasehastily，andenteredthebalcony—
room。
TheCapuchinhadnowrisenfromthecarpet;JosephSpeckbacherwaswithhim，andbothhastenedtomeetAndreasHofer。
"Youhavekeptuswaitingalongwhile，brother，"saidtheCapuchin，indignantly;"yououghttohaveborneinmindthatwehavenoteatenanything，andare，therefore，veryhungry。"
"Yes，FatherAndy，"exclaimedSpeckbacher，smiling，"youhungourbread—basketveryhigh;wearequiteweakfromwaitingandhunger。"
"NowtheyblameMEforkeepingTHEMwaiting，"saidAndreasmildly。
"AndyetIthinktheykeptmewaiting，andhungerdrovemetothechurch。Well，nevermind，mydearfriendsandcomrades;wearetogethernow，andIamverygladofit。LookatNiederkircherandhislargedish！Howsplendidlyitsmokesandsmells，andhowgooditwillbetoeat！Well，Niederkircher，putthedishonthetablehere，andsitdownanddinewithus。"
"No，no，commander—in—chief，itismydutyto—daytowaitonyou，foryouarenowahighlydistinguishedgentleman，andsoaretheothertwo;hence，itwouldnotbehoovemetodinewithyou。"
"Ifyourefusetodoso。Ishallnoteatatall，"criedAndreasHofer。
"AndIshallrunaway，"saidSpeckbacher，jumpingupfromhischair。
"Ishallsitstill，"growledtheCapuchin，"butIshallhenceforthturnmybackuponNeiderkircherifheallowsoursouptobecomecoldinsteadofsittingdownatonceanddiningwithus。"
"Iwilldoso，"criedNiederkircher，movingachairtothetable，andseatinghimselfonit。"Butnowmyfriends，permitmeatleasttofillyourplates。"
"Wewillnotobjecttothat！"exclaimedthethreefriends，laughing;
"andprayfillthemwell，Niederkircher。"
Therewasalongpausenow;nothingwasheardbuttherattlingofthespoonsontheplates。Allatoncethiscomfortablesilencewasbrokenbydeafeningcheersandshoutsutteredonthestreet。
Hoferdroppedhisspoon，frowned，andlistened。"Ibelievetheyarecallingmeagain，"hesighed，dolefully。
Hewasnotmistaken。HundredsofyouthfulvoiceswereheardshoutingAndreasHofer\'sname，andtheircheerswerefollowedbyaloud，ringingflourishofviolins，fifes，bugles，andtrumpets。
"Theyhavemusicianswiththem，"exclaimedHofer，anxiously。"HolyVirgin，justlistenhowtheyareroaring！Itseemsasiftheywereintentonupsettingthehouse。"
"Theyarecallingyou，theywanttoseeyou，"saidNiederkircher，whohadsteppedtothewindow。"Theyarethestudentsoftheuniversity;theyhavecomeintheirholidayattiretoserenadeyou。"
"AndwhydotheywanttoserenadeME？"askedAndreasHofer，almostindignantly。"WhynotSpeckbacher，ortheCapuchin，orPeterMayer，orAnthonyWallner？TheyalldidjustasmuchasIdid，andperhapsevenmore。"
"Butyouarethepeople\'sfavorite，brother，"saidtheCapuchin，smiling;"thepeoplebelieveinyou，anditwouldbecruelandshort—sightedinustoshaketheirfaithinyou。Everythingmustcomefromyou;youmusthavedoneandaccomplishedeverything。"
"Andwhatweothersdid，wedidonlyinyourname，FatherAndy！"
exclaimedSpeckbacher;"thepeopleandthesharpshooterswouldnothaveobeyedussowell，hadtheynotbelievedthatyouhadissuedalltheordersandinstructionswhichwegavethem。Onhearingyournametheyobeyed，foughtwell，andwereconfidentthatwesh
