The Nameless Castle by Mór Jókai
CHAPTER III
Tradition maintained that many years before, during the precedingcentury, the tongue of land now occupied by the Nameless Castle was partof the lake; and it may have been true, for Neusiedl Lake is a verycapricious body of water. During the past two decades we ourselves haveseen a greater portion of the lake suddenly recede, leaving dry landwhere once had been several feet of water. The owners of what had oncebeen the shore took possession of the dry lake bottom; they used it formeadows and pastures; leased it, and the lessees built farm-houses andsteam-mills on the "new ground." They cultivated wheat and maize, andfor many years harvested two crops a year. Suddenly the lake took anotion to occupy its old bed again; and when the water had resumed itsformer level, fields and farms had vanished beneath the green flood;only here and there the top of a chimney indicated where a steam-millhad been. Magic tricks like this Neusiedl Lake has played more than onceon trusting mortals.
On either side of the peninsula on which stood the Nameless Castle was alittle cove. One of these the count had spoken of to Marie; the otherseparated the castle from the village of Fertoeszeg.
The manor, the habitation of the owner of the Fertoeszeg estate, stood onthe slope of a hill at the eastern end of the village, and fronted, asdid the neighboring castle, on the lake.
In the second half of the month of August, in the year 1806, one mighthave seen from the veranda of the manor, after the sun had gone down andthe marvelous tints of the evening sky were reflected in the water, asmall boat speed out from the cove on the farther side of the NamelessCastle, trailing after it a long silvery streak on the parti-coloredsurface of the lake. A solitary man sat in the boat.
But what could not be seen from the veranda of the manor was that agirlish form swam a little in advance of the boat.
Marie had proved an excellent scholar in the school of the hydriads.Already after the fourth lesson she could swim alone, and sped over thewaves as lightly and gracefully as a swan.
She did not need to wear a hat on these evening swimming excursions; herlong hair floated unbound after her on the waves. When the twilightshadows deepened, the swimmer would speed far ahead of the accompanyingcanoe. She had lost all fear of the water. The waves were herfriends--they knew each other well. When she wished to rest, she wouldturn her face to the sky, fold her arms across her breast, and lie onthe waves as among swelling cushions like a child in a rocking cradle.And here she was allowed the full privileges of a child. She shouted;called to the startled wild geese; teased the night-swallows, and thebats skimming along the surface of the lake in quest of water-spiders.Here she even ventured to sing, and gave voice to charming melodies,which floated over the water like the sounds of an AEolian harp.
Many hours were spent thus on the lake. The little maid never wearied ofthe water. The protecting element restored to her nerves the strengthwhich the stepmotherly earth had taken from them. A promenade of ahundred steps would tire her so that she would have to stop and rest.She had become unused to walking. But here in the water she moved aboutlike a Naiad; her whole being was transformed; she lived! Then, when herguardian would call her, she would swim back to the canoe, clamber intoit, and spread her long hair over his knees to dry while they rowed backto the shore. Poor little maid! She declared she had found happiness inthe water.
* * * * *
One evening, after the waning moon had risen, Ludwig's canoe, as usual,followed Marie, who was swimming a considerable distance ahead. Amongthe peculiarities of Neusiedl Lake are its numerous islets, the shoresof which are thickly grown with rushes, and covered with broom and talltrees. Such an island lay not far from the shore in front of theNameless Castle; it had frequently aroused Marie's curiosity.
The little maid was now permitted to swim as far out into the open worldof waves as she desired, only now and again signaling her whereaboutsthrough a clear-toned "Ho, ho!"
During this time Ludwig reclined in his boat, and while the waves gentlyrocked him, he gazed dreamily into the depths of the starry sky, andlistened to the mysterious voices of the night--the moaning, murmuring,echoing voices floating across the surface of the water.
Suddenly a piercing scream mingled with the mysterious voices of thenight. It was Marie's voice.
Frantic with terror, Ludwig seized his oars, and the canoe shot throughthe water in the direction of the scream.
The trail of light left behind her by the swimmer was visible on thecalm surface of the lake. Suddenly it made an abrupt turn, and began toform a gigantic V. Evidently the little maid was impelled by desperateterror to reach the protecting canoe. When she came abreast of it sheuttered a second cry, convulsively grasped the edge of the boat, andcast a terrified glance backward.
"Marie!" cried the count, greatly alarmed, seizing the girdle about herwaist and lifting her into the canoe. "What has happened? Who isfollowing you?"
The child trembled violently; her teeth chattered, and she gasped forbreath, unable to speak; only her large eyes were still fixed with anexpression of horror on the water.
Ludwig looked searchingly around, but could see nothing. And yet, aftera few seconds, something rose before him.
What was it? Man or beast?
The head, the face, were head and face of a human being--a man, perhaps.The cheeks and head were covered with short reddish hair like the fur ofan otter. The long, pointed ears stood upright. The mouth was closed sotightly that the lips were invisible. The nose was flat. The eyes, likethose of a fish, were round and staring. There was no expressionwhatever in the features.
The mysterious monster had risen quite close to the boat.
Ludwig seized an oar with both hands to crush the monster's head; butthe heavy blow fell on the water. The creature had vanished underneaththe boat, and only the motion of the water on the other side indicatedthe direction it had taken. Terror and rage had benumbed Ludwig'snerves.
What was it? Who had sent this nameless monster after his carefullyguarded treasure? Even the bottom of the lake concealed her enemies! Hecould think of nothing but intrigues and malignant persecutions. Rageboiled in his veins.
He enveloped the maid in her bath-mantle, and took up his oars.
"I will come back here to-morrow," he muttered to himself, "hunt upthis creature, and shoot it--be it man or beast."
Marie murmured something which sounded like a remonstrance.
"I will shoot the creature!" repeated Ludwig, savagely.
The young girl withdrew trembling to the stern of the boat, and saidnothing further; she even strove to suppress her nervous terror, like achild that has behaved naughtily.
When the boat reached the shore, Ludwig bade Marie in a stern voice tomake haste and change her bathing-dress, and became very impatient whenshe lingered longer than usual in the bath-house. Then he took her armand walked rapidly with her to the castle.
"Are you really going to shoot that creature?" asked Marie, stilltrembling.
"Yes."
"But suppose it is a human being?"
"Then I shall certainly shoot him."
"I will never, never again venture into the lake."
"I am certain of that! If you once become frightened in the water, youwill always have a dread of it."
"My dear, beautiful lake!" sighed Marie, casting backward a sorrowfulglance at the glittering expanse of water, at the paradise of herdreams, which the rising wind was curling into wavelets.
"Go at once to bed," said Ludwig, when he had conducted his charge tothe door of her room. "Cover yourself up well, and if you feel chilly Iwill make you a cup of camomile tea."
All children have such a distaste for this herb tea that it was not tobe wondered at if Marie declared she did not feel in the least chilly,and that she would go at once to bed.
But she did not sleep well. She dreamed all night long of thewater-monster. She saw it pursuing her. The staring fish-eyes rosebefore her in the darkness. Then she saw Ludwig with his gun searchingfor the monster--saw him shoo
More than once she awoke from her restless slumber and called softly:
"Ludwig, are you there?"
But no one answered the question. Since her last birthday Ludwig had notoccupied the lounge in her room. Marie had discovered this. She hadplaced a rose-leaf on the silken coverlet every evening, and found itstill there in the morning. If any one had slept on the lounge, therose-leaf would have fallen to the floor.
The following day Ludwig was more silent than usual. He did not speakonce during their drive, and ate hardly anything at meals.
One could easily see how impatiently he waited for evening, when hemight go down to the lake and search for the monster--a sorry object fora fury such as his! An otter, most likely, or a beaver--mayhap anabortion of the Dead Sea, which had survived the ages since the days ofSodom! All the same, it was a living creature, and must become food forfishes. Marie, however, prayed so fervently that nothing might come ofLudwig's fury that Heaven heard the prayer. The weather changed suddenlyin the afternoon. A cold west wind succeeded to the warm Augustsunshine; clouds of dust arose; then came a heavy downpour of rain.Ludwig was obliged to forego his intention to row about on the lake inthe evening. He spent the entire evening in his room, leaving Marie tocomplain to her cats; but they were sleepy, and paid no attention towhat she said.
The little maid had no desire to go to bed; she was afraid she mightdream again of horrible things. The heavy rain beat against the windows;thunder rumbled in the distance.
"I should not like to venture out of the house in such weather," saidMarie to her favorite cat, who was dozing on her knee. "Ugh-h! justthink of crossing the lonely court, or going through the dark woods!Ugh-h! how horrible it must be there now! And then, to pass thegraveyard at the end of the village! When the lightning flashes, thecrosses lift their heads from the darkness--ugh-h!"
The clock struck eleven; directly afterward there came a hesitatingknock at her door.
"Come in! You may come in!" she called joyfully. She thought it wasLudwig.
The door opened slowly, only half-way, and the voice which began tospeak was not Ludwig's; it was the groom.
"Beg pardon, madame!" (thus he addressed the little maid).
"Is it you, Henry? What do you want? You may come in. I am still up."
The groom entered, and closed the door behind him. He was a tall,gray-haired man, with an honest face and enormously large hands.
"What is it, Henry? Did the count send you?"
"No, madame; I only wish he were able."
"Why? What is the matter with him?"
"I don't know, indeed! I believe he is dying."
"Who? Ludwig?"
"Yes, madame; my master."
"For God's sake, tell me what you mean!"
"He is lying on his bed, quite out of his mind. His face is flushed,his eyes gleam like hot coals, and he is talking wildly. I have neverseen him in such a condition."
"Oh, heaven! what shall we do?"
"I don't know, madame. When any of us gets sick the count knows what todo; but he does n't seem able to cure himself now; the contents of themedicine-chest are scattered all over the floor."
"Is there no doctor in the village?"
"Yes, madame; the county physician."
"Then he must be sent for."
"I thought of that, but I did not like to venture to do so."
"Why not?"
"Because the count has declared that he will shoot me if I attempt tobring a stranger into his room, or into madame's. He told me I mustnever admit within the castle gate a doctor, a preacher, or a woman; andI should not think of disobeying him."
"But now that he is so ill? and you say he may die? Merciful God! Ludwigdie! It cannot--must not--happen!"
"But how will madame hinder it?"
"If you will not venture to fetch the doctor, then I will go myself."
"Oh, madame! you must not even think of doing this!"
"I think of nothing else but that he is ill unto death. I am going, andyou are coming with me."
"Holy Father! The count will kill me if I do that."
"And if you don't do it you will kill the count."
"That is true, too, madame."
"Then don't you do anything. _I_ shall do what is necessary. I will puton my veil, and let no one see my face."
"But in this storm? Just listen, madame, how it thunders."
"I am not afraid of thunder, you stupid Henry. Light a lantern, and armyourself with a stout cudgel, while I am putting on my pattens. IfLudwig should get angry, I shall be on hand to pacify him. If only thedear Lord will spare his life! Oh, hasten, hasten, my good Henry!"
"He will shoot me dead; I know it. But let him, in God's name! I do itat your command, madame. If madame is really determined to go herselffor the doctor, then we will take the carriage."
"No, indeed! Ludwig would hear the sound of wheels, and know what wewere doing. Then he would jump out of bed, run into the court, and takea cold that would certainly be his death. No; we must go on foot, asnoiselessly as possible. It is not so very far to the village. Go now,and fetch the lantern."
Several minutes afterward, the gates of the Nameless Castle opened, andthere came forth a veiled lady, who clung with one hand to the arm of atall man, and carried a lantern in the other. Her companion held overher, to protect her from the pouring rain, a large red umbrella, andsteadied his steps in the slippery mud with a stout walking-stick. Thelady walked so rapidly that her companion with difficulty kept pace withher.