第34章

Wallnerlaiddownhisrifleandhastenedtothedoor。"MayGodprotectmeiftheydeceiveme，butIbelieveitisLizzie。"

Hethrewopenthedoor;thelittleTyroleseladrushedin，embracedhimtenderly，kissedhimwithhiscoldlips，andwhispered，"Myfather！thankGod，Iamwithyou！"

"ItisLizzie！"criedWallner，inaringingvoice。"Shehascometomethroughnightandstorm！Itismydaughter，mydear，deardaughter！Oh，joyofmyheart，howwereyouabletogetuphereinthisterriblenight？Nomanwouldhavedaredtoattemptit。"

"ButIdaredit，father，forIamyourchild，andloveyou。"

"Youloveme，andIthankGod！"heexclaimed，foldinghertenderlyandanxiouslytohisheart;"IthankGodforsavingyou，and——"

Hefalteredandburstintotears，whichhedidnottrytoconceal。

Heweptaloudandbitterly，andElizaweptwithhim，andneitherofthemknewwhethertheyweptforjoyorgrief。

Elizawasthefirsttoovercomeheremotion。"Father，"shesaid，raisingherheadquickly，"theenemyisonyourtrack，andearlyto—

morrowmorningtheFrencharegoingtooccupythemountaininordertoarrestyou。ThatisthereasonwhyIhavecomeuptoyou，foryoumustfleethisveryhour。"

"Flee？"hecried，mournfully。"HowcanI？ThefirstBavarianorFrenchgendarmeonthefrontier，whomeetsmeandasksmeformypassport，willarrestme。Ihavenopassport。"

"Hereisapassport，"saidEliza，joyfully，handinghimthepaper，"Siebermeiersendsittoyou。"

"Thefaithfulfriend！Yes，thatishelpinneed。NowIwilltrywithGod\'saidtoescape。You，Lizzie，willreturntomother，andbringherathousandgreetingsfromme;andassoonasIamacrossthefrontier，youshallhearfromme。"

"Imustgowithyou，father，"saidEliza，smiling。"ThepassportisvalidforSiebermeier，thecarpet—dealer，andhisson。Nowyousee，dearfather，Iamyourson，andshallfleewithyou。"

"No，"criedherfather，indismay;"no，youshallneverdoso，Lizzie。ImustjourneythroughthewildestandmostsecludedAlps，andyouwoulddieintheattempttofollowme，Lizzie。"

"AndeventhoughIknewthatIshoulddie，father，Ishouldgowithyou，"saidLizzie，joyfully。"Youcannotfleewithoutme，andIdonotlovemylifeverydearlyifitcannotbeusefultoyou，dearfather。Therefore，saynomoreaboutit，anddonotrejectmyofferanylonger;forifyoudo，itwillbeinvain，becauseIshallfollowyouforallthat，andnoroadistooprecipitousformewhenIseeyoubeforethe。Therefore，come，dearfather;donothesitateanylonger，butcomewithyourlittleboy。Youcannotfleewithoutme;therefore，letustryitcourageouslytogether。"

"Well，Iwilldoso，mybravelittleboy;IbelieveImustcomplywithyourwish，"exclaimedWallner，foldinghertenderlytohisheart。"Youshallaccompanyme，youshallsaveyourfather\'slife。

Oh，itwouldbegloriousifGodshouldgrantmethesatisfactionofbeingindebtedformylifetomydeardaughterLizzie！"

"Come，now，father，come;everyminute\'sdelayincreasesthedanger。"

"Iamready，Lizzie。Letmeonlyseeifmyrifleisingoodorderandputonmypowder—pouch。"

"Youcannottakeyourriflewithyou，noryourpowder—poucheither。

YouarenolongerthebravecommanderofthesharpshootersofWindisch—Matrey，butSiebermeier，thecarpet—dealer，averypeaceableman，whodoesnottakehisrifleandpowder—pouchwithhimonhistravels。"

"Youareright，Lizzie。Butitishardindeedtofleewithoutarms，andtobedefencelessevenincaseofanattackbytheenemy。AndI

donotwanttoletmyriflefallintothehandsoftheFrenchwhentheycomeuphere。Iknowaholeintherockcloseby;Iwilltakeitthereandconcealittillmyreturn。Come，now，Lizzie，andletusattempt，withGod\'said，toescapefromtheenemy。"

Hewrappedhimselfinhiscloak，tooktherifle，andbothleftthehut。

Daywasnowdawning:somerosystreaksappearedalreadyintheeasternhorizon，andthesummitsoftheglacierswerefaintlyilluminated。Elizasawit，butshedidnotrejoicethistimeatthemajesticbeautyofthesunrise;itmadeheronlyuneasyandsad，andwhileherfatherconcealedhisriflecarefullyintheholeintherock，Elizaglancedaroundanxiously，murmuringtoherself:"Theyintendtostartatdaybreak。Itisnowafterdaybreak;thesunhasrisen，andtheyhavedoubtlesssetoutalreadytoarresthim。"

"Nowcome，"saidherfather，returningtoher;"wehavealongjourneybeforeusto—day，forwemustpasstheAlpsbyhunters\'

pathsuptotheIsel—Tauerkamm。Weshallpassthenightattheinnthere:inthemorningweshallcontinuethejourney，and，ifitpleaseGod，weshallreachtheAustrianfrontierwithinthreehours。"

Andtheydescendedthemountain，handinhandandwithfirmsteps，andenteredtheforest。

Nothingwastobeheardallaround;notasoundbrokethepeacefulstillnessofawakingnature;onlythewindhowledandwhistled，andcausedthebranchesofthetreestocreak。Thesunhadrisenhigherandhigher，andshedalreadyitsgoldenraysthroughtheforest。

"Iwouldwehadpassedthroughthethicketandreachedtheheightsagain，"saidAnthonyWallner，inalowvoice。"Wewereobligedtodescendinordertopassroundtheprecipiceandthesteepslope;weshallafterwardsascendthemountainagainandremainontheheights。ButifthesoldiersfromWindisch—Matreymeetushere，wearelost，fortheyknowmeandwillnotpayanyattentiontomypassport。"

"Godwillnotpermitthemtomeetus，"sighedLizzie，acceleratinghersteps。Theykeptsilentalongwhile，andnotasoundwastobeheardaroundthem。Allatoncebothgaveastart，fortheyhadheardthenoiseofheavyfootstepsandtheclangofarms。Theyhadjustpassedthroughtheclearingintheforestandwerenowagainclosetothethicket，bythesideofwhichtherewasasmallchapelwithalargecrucifix。Theyturnedandlookedback。

"Theenemy！theenemy！"criedAnthonyWallner，pointingtothesoldierswhowerejuststeppingfromtheothersideoftheforest。

"Lizzie，wearelost！Ah，andIhavenotevengotmyrifle！Imustallowmyselftobeseizedwithoutresistance！"

"No，wearenotyetlost，father;lookatthechapel。Maybetheyleavenotyetseenus。Letusenterthechapelquickly。Thereisroomenoughforustwounderthealtar。"

Withoutgivingherfathertimetoreply，Elizahastenedintothechapelanddisappearedbehindthealtar。InasecondWallnerwaswithher，and，clingingclosetoeachotherandwithstifledbreath，theyawaitedthearrivaloftheenemy。

Nowtheyheardfootstepsapproachingrapidlyandvoicesshoutingoutaloud。Theycamenearerandnearer，andwerenowclosetothechapel。ItwasaBavarianpatrol，andthetwo，therefore，couldunderstandeverywordtheyspoke，andeverywordfrozetheirhearts。

TheBavarianshadseenthemtheywereconvincedthattheymustbecloseby;theyexhortedeachothertolookdiligentlyforthefugitives，andalludedtotherewardwhichawaitedthemincasetheyshouldarrestAnthonyWallner。

Bothlayunderthealtarwithheartsthrobbingimpetuously，andalmostsenselessfromfearandanguish;Elizamurmuringaprayerwithquiveringlips;AnthonyWallnerclinchinghisfists，andfirmlyresolvedtosellhislifedearlyanddefendhimselfandhischildtothelastdropofblood。

Theenemieswerenowclosetothem;theyenteredthechapelandadvancedtothealtar。Eliza，paleandalmostfaintingfromterror，leanedherheadonherfather\'sshoulder。

TheBavariansstrucknowwiththebutt—endsoftheirmusketsagainsttheclosedfront—sideofthealtar;itgaveadull，hardsound，forthefugitivesfilledthecavity。

"Thereisnooneinthere，forthealtarisnothollow，"saidoneofthesoldiers。Thefootstepsthereuponmovedawayfromthealtar，andsoonallwassilentinthechapel。WallnerandLizzieheardonlyfootstepsandvoicesoutside，theymovedawayfartherandfarther，andafterafewsecondsnotasoundbrokethesilence。

Thefugitiveslaystillbehindthealtar，motionless，listening，withheartsthrobbingimpetuously。Couldtheydaretoleavetheirplaceofconcealment？Wasitnot，perhaps，amerestratagemoftheenemytokeepsilent？Hadthesoldierssurroundedthechapel，andweretheywaitingmerelyforthemtocomeout？Theywaitedandlistenedforhours，buttheircoweringpositionbenumbedtheirblood;itstiffenedtheirlimbsandmadetheirheadsache。"Father，Icannolongerstandit，"murmuredEliza;"Iwilldieratherthanstayhereanylonger。"

"Come，Lizzie，"saidWallner，raisinghimselfupandjumpingoverthealtar，"come！I，too，thinkitisbetterforustodiethanhidethuslikethieves。"

Theyjoinedhandsandleftthechapel，lookinganxiouslyinalldirections。Buteverythingremainedsilent，andnotaBavariansoldiermadehisappearance。

"Theyaregone，indeedtheyaregone，"saidWallner，triumphantly。

"Nowwemustmakehaste，mygirl;weshallascendtheheight;thefootpathleadsuphereintherearofthechapel;withintwohoursweshallreachthesummit，and，ifourfeetdonotslip，ifwedonotfallintothedepth，ifnoavalancheoverwhelmsus，andifthestormdoesnotfreezeus，IthinkweshallreachtheIsel—Tauerkammto—night，andsleepattheinnthere。MaytheHolyVirginprotectus！"

AndtheHolyVirgindidseemtoguardtheintrepidwanderers——toenablethemtocrossabyssesonfrailbridges;topreventthemfromsinkingintoinvisiblecleftsandpitscoveredwithsnow;tomakethemsafelyescapetheavalanchesfallingdownhereandthere，andprotectthemfromfreezingtodeath。

TowarddusktheyreachedatlengththeinnontheIsel—Tauerkamm，utterlyexhaustedbyfatigue，hunger，andfrost，andenteredthebar—roomontheground—floor。Nobodywastherebutthelandlord，agloomy，morose—lookingman，whoeyedthenew—comerswithevidentdistrust。

Whenthetwowanderers，scarcelyabletoutteraword，seatedthemselvesonthebenchatthenarrowtable，theland—lordsteppeduptothem。

"Iamnotallowedtoharboranyonewithoutseeinghispassport，"hesaid。"ThereareallsortsoffugitivevagabondsprowlingaroundheretohidefromtheBavarians，whoaresearchingthewholedistrictto—day。Givemeyourpassport，therefore。"

Wallnerhandedhimthepaperinsilence。Thelandlordreaditattentively，andseemedtocomparethetwowiththedescriptioninthepassport。"H\'m！"hesaid，"thecarpet—dealerandhisson——thatcorrespondstowhatthepassportsays;butwhereisthebundleofcarpets？"

AnthonyWallnergaveaslightstart;herecoveredhispresenceofmindimmediately，however，andsaidcalmly，"Thecarpetsareallsoldalready;weareonourreturntoWindisch—

Matrey。"

"See，seehowluckyyouhavebeen，"saidthelandlord，laughing;

"thepassportsaysyoustartedonlyyesterdaymorning，andto—dayyouhavealreadysoldallyourcarpets。Well，inthatcase，youarecertainlyjustifiedinreturningtoyourhome。Yourpassportisingoodorder，andtheBavarians，therefore，willnotmolestyou。"

"Asmypassportisingoodorder，Isupposeyouwillgiveusbeds，and，aboveallthings，somethingtoeatanddrink。"

"Youshallhaveeverything，thatistosay，everythingthatIcangiveyou。Iamallalonehere，andhavenothingbutapieceofham，bread，andcheese，andaglassofwine。Asforbeds，Ihavenotgotany;youmustsleeponthebenchhere。"

"Well，wewilldoso;butgiveussomethingtoeatnow，"saidWallner，"andaddalittlefueltothefire，thatwemaywarmourselves。"

Thelandlordaddedsomebrushwoodandafewbilletstothefire，fetchedtheprovisions，andlookedonwhilethewandererswerepartakingofthefoodwitheagerappetite。Allatoncehesteppedquicklyuptothem，seatedhimselfonthebenchoppositethem，anddrewapaperfromhispocket。"Iwillreadsomethingtoyounow，"hesaid。"TherewereBavariansoldiershereto—day;theygavemeanewdecree，andorderedmetoobeyitunderpainofdeath。Listentome。"

Andheread，inaloud，scornfulvoice"Knowallmenbythesepresents，thatanyinhabitantoftheGermanorItalianTyrol，whodarestoharborAnthonyWallner，calledAichberger，latecommanderofthesharp—shootersofWindisch—Matrey，orhistwosons，shalllosehiswholepropertybyconfiscation，andhishouseshallbeburneddown。"[Footnote:Loritza，p。130。]

"Didyouhearit？"askedthelandlord，afterreadingtheproclamation。

"Idid，"saidWallner，withperfectcomposure，"butitdoesnotconcernus。"

"Yes，itdoes。IbelieveyouareAnthonyWallner，andtheladthereisoneofyoursons。"

AnthonyWallnerlaughed。"Forsooth，"hesaid，"ifIwereWallnerI

shouldnotbesostupidastoshowmyself。Ibelieveheishidingso