FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  
d face. "We interrupt here," said Tausdorf to Rasselwitz, struck by her appearance, "and must seek some other place." "You do not interrupt me, gentlemen," said Bona, rising with graceful kindness. "A woman, who knows how to maintain her female dignity, has no occasion to be afraid of men. But perhaps you wish to have a private conversation with your companion, in which case I give way to you, although I should have willingly enjoyed this splendid evening for a quarter of an hour longer." "You love then the charms of nature?" asked Tausdorf, whose sympathy had been won by the first words of the stranger, and who now thought no more of going. "What being of head and heart but must love them?" replied Bona warmly. "Nature ever reflects herself, and yet is ever new, nor has any mortal hitherto succeeded in imitating the least of her wonders: so has she gone on for centuries, silent and beautiful, clear and sublime, benevolent in creating and maintaining as in destroying." "Nature," said Tausdorf with warmth, "has always seemed to me like a perfect woman in the arms of the all-powerful--in the arms of a beneficent master and loving husband." "You are probably married, sir knight," observed Bona roguishly, "by this image in particular striking your fancy?" "Not yet," replied Tausdorf, colouring. "But already promised and bound by indissoluble chains," interrupted Rasselwitz, to whom this brief conversation grew much too animated. "You have become so rapidly acquainted with the knight, fair Bona, that I must hasten to inform you, you are talking with the Herr Sparrenberger von Tausdorf, the betrothed of the Frau von Netz; and now take your place, my old friend, that the noble wine may not grow vapid, and pledge me to the health of your fair intended." "I regret to-day, for the first time, that I have for ever renounced wine," said Bona, while the knights touched their glasses. "A toast to the health of so noble a lady would be well in place now." "You know my Althea?" asked Tausdorf. "No," replied Bona with lovely frankness; "but I have heard so much good of you, sir knight, that I believe you could have chosen none but a noble being for the companion of your life." "Pray, lady," said Rasselwitz, breaking in upon them with vexation,--"did you not tell me to-day that you had a relation in Prague, of whom you had long heard nothing? Herr Tausdorf lived there a considerable time, and perhaps will be ab
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Tausdorf

 

replied

 

Rasselwitz

 

knight

 

Nature

 

interrupt

 

health

 

companion

 
conversation
 

animated


rapidly

 

Sparrenberger

 

hasten

 
inform
 

Prague

 
talking
 
acquainted
 
chains
 

roguishly

 
observed

considerable

 

married

 

striking

 

indissoluble

 

betrothed

 

promised

 

colouring

 

interrupted

 

knights

 
touched

renounced
 
chosen
 
regret
 

glasses

 

Althea

 

lovely

 
intended
 
breaking
 
vexation
 

relation


frankness
 

friend

 

pledge

 

maintaining

 

enjoyed

 

splendid

 

evening

 

willingly

 

quarter

 

nature