menu_book Chapter 8

book one chapter eight of lisbeth a tale of the dutch by h rider haggard this librivox recording is in the public domain chapter eight the mayor's stable when lysbeth's reason returned to her in that empty room her first sense was one of wild exultation she was free she was not montalvo's wife never again could she be obliged to see him never again could she be forced to endure the contamination of his touch that was her thought she was sure that the story was true were it not true who could have moved the authorities to take action against him moreover now that she had the key a thousand things were explained trivial enough in themselves each of them but in their sum amounting to proof positive of his guilt had he not spoken of some entanglement in spain and of children had he not in his sleep but it was needless to remember all these things she was free she was free and there on the table still lay the symbol of her bondage the emerald ring that was to give him the means of flight of flight from his charge which he knew was hanging over him

she took it up dashed it to the ground and stamped upon it next she fell upon her knees praising and blessing god and then worn out crept away to rest the morning came the still and beautiful autumn morning but now all her exultation had left her and lysbeth was depressed and heavy-hearted she rose and assisted the one servant who remained in the house to prepare their breakfast taking no heed of the sidelong glances that the woman cast at her afterwards she went to the market to spend some of her last florins in necessaries here and in the streets she became aware that she was the object of remark for people nudged each other and stared at her moreover as she hurried home appalled her quick ear caught the conversation of two coarse women while they walked behind her she's got it now said one serve her right too answered the other for running after and marrying a spanish don marrying broke in the first it was the best that she could do she couldn't stop to ask questions some corpses must be buried quickly

glancing behind her lysbeth saw the creature nip her nostrils with her fingers as though to shut out an evil smell then she could bear it no longer and turned upon them you are evil slanderers she said and walked away swiftly pushed by the sound of their loud insulting laughter at the house she was told that two men were waiting to see her they proved to be creditors clamouring for large sums of money which she could not pay lysbeth told them that she knew nothing of the matter thereupon they showed her her own writing at the foot of deeds and she remembered that she had signed more things than she chose to keep count of everything indeed that the man who called himself her husband put before her if only to win an hour of blessed freedom from his presence at length the duns went away vowing that they would have their money if they dragged the bed from under her after that came loneliness and silence no friend appeared to cheer her indeed she had no friends left for by her husband's command she had broken off her acquaintance with all who after the strange circumstances connected with her marriage were still inclined to know her

he said that he would have no chattering dutch vows about the house and they said and believed that the countess de montalvo had become too proud to associate with those of her own class and people midday came and she could eat no food indeed she had touched none for twenty-four hours her gorge rose against it although in her state she needed food now the shame of her position began to come home to lysbeth she was a wife and no wife soon she must bear the burden of motherhood and oh what would that child be and what should she be its mother what too would dirk think of her dirk for whom she had done and suffered all these things through the long afternoon hours she lay upon her bed thinking such thoughts as these till at length her mind gave and lysbeth grew lightheaded her brain became a chaos a perfect hell of distorted imaginations then out of its turmoil and confusion rose a vision and a desire a vision of peace and a desire for rest but what rest was there for her except the rest of death

well why not die god would forgive her the mother of god would plead for her who was shamed and broken-hearted and unfit to live even dirk would think kindly of her when she was dead though doubtless now if he met her he would cover his eyes with his hand she was burning hot and she was thirsty how cool the water would be on this fevered night what could be better than to slip into it and slowly let it close above her poor aching head she would go out and look at the water in that at any rate there could be no harm she wrapped herself in a long cloak and drew its hood over the head then she slipped from the house and stole like a ghost through the darkling streets and out of the marin or sea port where the guard let her pass thinking that she was a countrywoman returning to her village now the moon was rising and by the light of it lysbeth recognised the place here was the spot where she had stood on the day of the ice carnival when that woman who was called martha the mare and who said that she had known her father had spoken to her on that water she had galloped in montalvo's sledge and up yonder canal the race was run she followed along its banks remembering the reedy mere some miles away

spotted with islets that were only visited from time to time by fishermen and wild fowlers the great harlemer mere which covered many thousands of acres of ground that mere she felt must look very cool and beautiful on such a night as this and the wind would whisper sweetly among the tall brushes which fringed its banks on lisbeth went and on it was a long long walk but at last she came there and oh the place was sweet and vast and lonely for so long as her eye could reach in the light of the low moon there was nothing but glimmering water broken here and there by the reed wreathed islands hark how the frogs croaked and the bitterns boomed among the rushes look where the wild ducks swam leaving behind them broad trails of silver as their breasts broke the surface of the great mere into rippling lines there on an island not above shot from her grew tufts of a daisy-like marsh bloom white flowers such as she remembered gathering when she was a child

a desire came upon her to pluck some of these flowers and the water was shallow surely she could wade to the island or if not what did it matter then she could turn to the bank again or she might stay to sleep awhile in the water what did it matter she stepped from the bank how sweet and cool it felt to her feet now it was up to her knees now it reached her middle and now the little wavelets beat against her breast but she would not go back for there ahead of her was the island and the white flowers were so close that she could count them eight upon one bunch and twelve upon the next another step and the water struck her in the face one more and it closed above her head she rose and a low cry broke from her lips then as in a dream lysbeth saw a skiff glide out from among the rushes before her she also saw a strange mutilated face which she remembered dimly bending over the edge of the boat

and a long brown hand stretched out to clasp her while a hoarse voice bade her keep still and fear nothing after this came a sound of singing in her ears darkness when lysbeth woke again she found herself lying upon the ground or rather upon a soft mattress of dry reeds and aromatic grasses looking around her she saw that she was in a hut reed roofed and plastered with thick mud in one corner of this hut stood a fireplace with a chimney artfully built of clay and on the fire of turfs boiled in earthen pot hanging from the roof by a string of twisted grass was a fish fresh caught a splendid pike and near to it a bunch of smoked eels over her also was thrown a magnificent rug of otter skins noting these things she gathered that she must be in the hovel of some fisherman now by degrees the past came back to lisbeth and she remembered her parting with the man who called himself her husband remembered also her moonlight flight and how she had waded out into the waters of the great mere to pluck the white flowers and how as they closed above her head a hand had been stretched out to save her lysbeth remembered and remembering she sighed aloud

the sound of her sighing seemed to attract the attention of some one who was listening outside the hut at any rate a rough door was opened or pushed aside and a figure entered are you awake lady asked a hoarse voice yes answered lysbeth but tell me how did i come here and who are you the figure stepped back so that the light from the open door fell full upon it look carlos von haunt's daughter and juan montalvo's wife those who have seen me once do not forget me lysbeth sat up on the bed and stared at the gaunt powerful form the deep-set grey eyes the wide-spread nostrils the scarred high cheek-bones the teeth made prominent by some devil's work upon the lips and the grizzled lock of hair that hung across the forehead in an instant she knew her you are martha the mare she said yes i am the mare none other and you are in the mare's stable what has he been doing to you that spanish dog that you come last night to ask the great water to hide you and your shame lysbeth made no answer the story seemed hard to begin with this strange woman then martha went on

what did i tell you lysbeth von haunt did i not say that your blood should warn you against the spaniards well well you saved me from the ice and i have saved you from the water ah who was it that led me to row round by that outer isle last night because i could not sleep but what does it matter god willed it so and here you lie in the mare's stable nay do not answer me first you must eat then going to the pot she took it from the fire pouring its contents into an earthen basin and at the smell of them for the first time for days lysbeth felt hungry of what that stew was compounded she never learned but she ate it to the last spoonful and was thankful while martha seated on the ground beside her watched her with delight from time to time stretching out a long thin hand to touch the brown hair that hung about her shoulders come out and look said martha when her guest had done eating and she led her through the doorway of the hut lysbeth gazed round her but in truth there was not much to see the hut itself was hidden away in a little clump of swamp willows that grew upon a mound in the midst of a marshy plain broken here and there by patches of reed and bulrushes

walking across this plain for a hundred yards or so they came to more reeds and in them a boat hidden cunningly for here was the water of the lake and not fifty paces away what seemed to be the shore of an island the mare bade her get into the boat and rowed her across to this island then round it to another and thence to another and yet another now tell me she said upon which of them is my stable built lysbeth shook her head helplessly you cannot tell no nor any living man i say that no man lives who can find it save i myself who know the path there by night or by day look and she pointed to the vast surface of the mere on this great sea are thousands of such islets and before they find me the spaniards must search them all for here upon the lonely waters no spies or hound will help them then she began to row again without even looking round and presently they were in the clump of reeds from which they had started i must be going home faltered lysbeth no answered martha it is too late you have slept long look the sun is westering fast this night you must stop with me

oh do not be afraid my fare is rough but it is sweet and fresh and plenty fish from the mere as much as you will for who can catch them better than i and water-fowl that i snare yes and their eggs moreover dried flesh and bacon which i get from the mainland for there i have friends whom sometimes i meet at night so lysbeth yielded for the great peace of this lake pleased her oh after all that she had gone through it was like heaven to watch the sun sinking towards the quiet water to hear the wild fowl call to see the fish leap and the halcyons flash by and above all to be sure that by nothing short of a miracle could this divine silence broken only by nature's voices be defiled with the sound of the hated accents of the man who had ruined and betrayed her yes she was weary and a strange unaccustomed languor kept over her she would rest there this night also so they went back to the hut and made ready their evening meal and as she fried the fish over the fire of pete's verily lisbeth found herself laughing like a girl again then they ate it with appetite and after it was done

mother martha prayed aloud yes and without fear although she knew lisbeth to be a catholic read from her one treasure a testament crouching there in the light of the fire and saying see lady what a place this is for a heretic to hide in where else may a woman read from the bible and fear no spy or a priest remembering a certain story lysbeth shivered at her words now said the mare when she had finished reading tell me before you sleep what it was that brought you into the waters of the haarlemer meer and what that spanish man has done to you do not be afraid for though i am mad or so they say i can keep counsel and between you and me are many bonds carlos von haunt's daughter some of which you know and see and some that you can neither know nor see but which god will weave in his own season lysbeth looked at the weird countenance distorted and made unhuman by long torment of body and mind and found in it something to trust yes even signs of that sympathy which she so sorely needed

so she told her all the tale from the first word of it to the last the mayor listened in silence for no story of evil perpetrated by a spaniard seemed to move or astonish her only when lysbeth had done she said ah child had you but known of me and where to find me you should have asked my aid why mother what could you have done answered lysbeth done i would have followed him by night until i found my chance in some lonely place and there i would have then she stretched out her bony hand to the red light of the fire and lisbeth saw that in it was a knife she sank back aghast why are you frightened my pretty lady asked the mare i tell you that i live on for only one thing to kill spaniards yes priests first and then the others oh i have a long count to pay for every time that he was tortured a life for every groan he uttered at the stake a life yes so many for the father and half as many for the son well i shall live to be old i know that i shall live to be old and the count will be discharged ay to the last stiver

as she spoke the outlawed water wife had risen and the flare of the fire struck full upon her it was an awful face that lysbeth beheld by the light of it full of fierceness and energy the face of an inspired avenger dread and unnatural yet not altogether repulsive indeed that countenance was such as an imaginative artist might give to one of the beasts in the book of revelation amazed and terrified lysbeth said nothing i frighten you gentle one went on the mare you who although you have suffered are still full of the milk of human kindness wait woman wait till they have murdered the man you love till your heart is like my heart and you also live on not for love's sake not for life's sake but to be a sword a sword a sword in the hand of god cease i pray you said lysbeth in a low voice i am faint i am ill ill she was indeed and before morning there in that lonely hovel on the island of the mere a son was born to her

when she was strong enough her nurse spoke will you keep the brat or shall i kill it she asked how can i kill my child said lysbeth it is the spaniard's child also and remember the curse you told me of your own curse uttered on this thing before ever you were married if it lives that curse shall cling to it and through it you too shall be accursed best let me kill it and have done how can i kill my own child touch it not answered lysbeth sullenly so the black-eyed boy lived and throve somewhat slowly lying there in the island hut lysbeth won back her strength the mare or mother martha as lysbeth had learned to call her tended her as few midwives would have done food too she had in plenty for martha snared the fowl and caught the fish or she made visits to the mainland and thence brought eggs and milk and flesh which so she said the boers of that country gave her as much as she wanted of them also to while away the hours she would read to her out of the testament

and from that reading lysbeth learnt many things which until then she had not known indeed before it was done with catholic though she was she began to wonder in what lay the wickedness of these heretics and how it came about that they were worthy of death and torment since sooth to say in this book she could find no law to which their lives and doctrines seemed to give offence thus it happened that martha the fierce half-crazy water-dweller sowed the seed in lysbeth's heart that was to bear fruit in due season when three weeks had gone by and lysbeth was on her feet again though as yet scarcely strong enough to travel martha told her that she had business which would keep her from home a night but what the business was she refused to say accordingly on a certain afternoon having left good store of all things to lysbeth's hand the mare departed in her skiff nor did she return till after midday on the morrow

now lysbeth talked of leaving the island but martha would not suffer it saying that if she desired to go she must swim and indeed when lysbeth went to look she found that the boat had been hidden elsewhere so nothing loth she stayed on and in the crisp autumn air her health and beauty came back to her till she was once more much as she had been before the day when she went sledging with juan de montalvo on a november morning leaving her infant in the hut with martha who had sworn to her on the bible that she would not harm it lysbeth walked to the extremity of the island during the night the first sharp frost of late autumn had fallen making a thin film of ice upon the surface of the lake which melted rapidly as the sun grew high the air too was very clear and calm and among the reeds now turning golden at their tips the finches flew and chirped forgetful that winter was at hand

so sweet and peaceful was the scene that lysbeth also forgetful of many things surveyed it with a kind of rapture she knew not why but her heart was happy that morning it was as though a dark cloud had passed from her life as though the blue skies of peace and joy were spread about her doubtless after clouds might appear upon the horizon doubtless in their season they would appear but she felt that this horizon was as yet a long way off and meanwhile above her bent the tender sky serene and sweet and happy upon the crisp grass behind her suddenly she heard a footfall a new footfall not that of the long stealthy stride of martha who was called the mare and swung round upon her heel to meet it oh god who was this oh god there before her stood dirk van goorl dirk and no other than dirk unless she dreamed dirk with his kind face wreathed in a happy smile dirk with his arms outstretched towards her

lysbeth said nothing she could not speak only she stood still gazing gazing gazing and always he came on till now his arms were round her then she sprang back do not touch me she cried remember what i am and why i stay here i know well what you are lysbeth he answered slowly you are the holiest and purest woman who ever walked this earth you are an angel upon this earth you are the woman who gave her honour to save the man she loved oh be silent be silent i have heard the whole story i know it every word and here i kneel before you and next to my god i worship you lysbeth i worship you but the child she murmured it lives and it is mine and the man's dirk's face hardened a little but he only answered we must bear our burdens you have borne yours i must bear mine and he seized her hands and kissed them yes and the hem of her garment and kissed it also so these two plighted their troth afterwards lysbeth heard all the story montalvo had been put upon his trial and as it chanced things went hard with him

among his judges one was a great netherlander lord who despised to uphold the rights of his countrymen one was a high ecclesiastic who was furious because of the fraud that had been played upon the church which had been trapped into celebrating a bigamous marriage and a third was a spanish grandee who as it happened knew the family of the first wife who had been deserted therefore for the luckless montalvo when the case had been proved to the hilt against him by the evidence of the priest who brought the letter of the wife's letters and of the truculent black meg who'd now found an opportunity of paying back hot water for cold there was little mercy his character was bad and it was said moreover that because of his cruelties and the shame she had suffered at his hands lysbeth von haunt had committed suicide at least this was certain that she was seen running at night towards the haerlemer mere and that after this search as her friends would nothing more could be heard of her so that an example might be made although he writhed and fenced his best the noble captain count juan de montalvo was sent to serve for fourteen years in the galleys as a common slave

and there for the while was an end of him there also was an end of the strange and tragic courtship of dirk van goorl and lysbeth van haunt six months after they were married and by dirk's wish took the child who was christened adrian to live with them a few months later lysbeth entered the community of the new religion and less than two years after her marriage a son was born to her the hero of this story who is named foy as it happened she bore no other children chapter eight book the first