"Unfortunately I do," sighed Siebermeier, stepping hastily into the sitting-room and shaking hands with Eliza's mother. "Mrs. Wallner,"he said, in breathless hurry, "your husband is in the greatest danger, and only speedy flight can save him."Mrs. Wallner uttered a piercing cry, sank back into her chair, wrung her hands, and wept aloud. Eliza did not weep; she was calm and courageous. "Tell me, Siebermeier, what can we do for father? What danger threatens him?""A bad man. I believe, the clerk of the court, has informed the French that Anthony Wallner is still on one of the heights in this neighborhood. General Broussier intends to have him arrested. Awhole battalion of soldiers will march to-morrow morning to the mountain of Ober-Peischlag and occupy it.""Great God! my husband is lost, then!" cried Eliza's mother, despairing; "nothing can save him now.""Hush, mother, hush!" said Eliza, almost imperatively; "we must not weep now, we must think only of saving him. Tell me, friend Siebermeier, is there no way of saving him?""There is one," said Siebermeier, "but how shall we get up to him? Afriend of mine, who is acquainted with the members of the court, informed me quite stealthily that, if Aichberger could be saved yet, it should be done this very night. Now listen to the plan I have devised. I intended to set out to-morrow morning to peddle carpets and blankets, for money is very scarce in these hard times. Iprocured, therefore, a passport for myself and my boy, who is to carry my bundle. Here is the passport--and look! the description corresponds nearly to Wallner's appearance. He is of my stature and age, has hair and whiskers like mine, and might be passed off for myself. I am quite willing to let him have my passport, and conceal myself meanwhile at home and feign sickness. The passport would enable him to escape safely; of course he would have to journey through the Alps, for every one knows him in the plain. However, the passport cannot do him any good, for there is no one to take it up to him. I would do so, but the wound which I received in our last skirmish with the Bavarians, in my side here, prevents me from ascending the mountain-paths; and, even though I could go up to him, it would be useless, for we two could not travel together, the passport being issued to two persons, Siebermeier, the carpet-dealer, and the boy carrying his bundle. The boy is not described in the passport; therefore, I thought, if one of your sons were in the neighborhood, he might go up to his father, warn him of his danger, and accompany him on his trip through the mountains.""But neither of the boys is here," said Mrs. Wallner, despairingly;"Schroepfel took them to the Alpine but near Upper Lindeau, and is with them. We two are all alone, and there is, therefore, no way of saving my dear husband.""Yes, mother, there is," cried Eliza, flushed with excitement. "Iwill go up to father. I will warn him of his danger, carry him the passport, and flee with him.""You!" cried her mother, in dismay. "It is impossible! You cannot ascend the road, which is almost impassable even for men. How should a girl, then, be able to get over it, particularly in the night, and in so heavy a snow-storm?""You will be unable to reach your father, Lizzie," said Siebermeier;"the road is precipitous and very long; you will sink into the snow;your shoes will stick in it, and the storm will catch your dress.""No road is too precipitous for me if I can save my father,"exclaimed Eliza, enthusiastically. "I must reach him, and God will enable me to do so. Wait here a moment, I will be back immediately.
I will prepare myself for the trip, and then give me the passport.""She will lose her life in the attempt," said Mrs. Wallner, mournfully, after she had hastened out of the room. "Alas! alas! Ishall lose my husband, my sons, and my daughter too! And all has been in vain, for the Tyrol is ruined, and we have to suffer these dreadful misfortunes without having accomplished anything!""And the enemy acts with merciless cruelty in the country," said Siebermeier, furiously; "he sets whole villages on fire if he thinks that one of the fugitives is concealed here; he imposes on the people heavy war-taxes, which we are unable to pay; and if we say we have no money, he takes our cattle and other property from us. Wails and lamentations are to be heard throughout the valley; that is all we have gained by our bloody struggle!"At this moment the door opened, and Eliza came in, not however in her own dress, but in the costume of a Tyrolese peasant-lad.
"Heavens! she has put on her brother William's Sunday clothes,"cried her mother, with a mournful smile; "and they sit as well on her as if they had been made for her.""Now, Siebermeier," said Eliza, holding out her hand to him, "give me the passport. The moon is rising now, and I must go,""But listen, my daughter, how the wind howls!" cried her mother, in deep anguish. "It beats against the windows as if to warn us not to go out. Oh, Lizzie, my last joy, do not leave me! I have no one left but you; stay with me, my Lizzie, do not leave your poor mother! You will die in the attempt, Lizzie! Stay here; have mercy upon me, and stay here!""I must go to father," replied Eliza. disengaging herself gently from her mother's arms. "Give me the passport, friend Siebermeier.""You are a brave girl," said Siebermeier, profoundly moved; "the good God and the Holy Virgin will protect you. There, take the passport; you are worthy to carry it to your father.""And I shall carry it to him or die on the road," cried Eliza, enthusiastically, waving the paper. "Now, dear mother, do not weep, but give me your blessing!"She knelt down before her mother, who had laid her hand on her head.
"Lord, my God," she exclaimed, solemnly, "protect her graciously in her pious effort to save her father. Take your mother's blessing, my Lizzie, and think that her heart and love accompany you."She bent over her, and imprinted a long kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"I must go now, it is high time," said Eliza, making a violent effort to restrain her tears. "Farewell, friend Siebermeier; God and the saints will reward you for the service you have rendered us.""My best reward will be to learn that Wallner is safe," said Siebermeier, shaking hands with her.
"Now, a last kiss, dearest mother," said Eliza. She encircled her mothers neck with both her arms, and kissed her tenderly. "Pray for me and love me." She whispered; "and if I should not come back, if Ishould lose my life, mother, write it to Elza and to HIM, and write that I died with love and fidelity in my heart. Farewell!"She disengaged herself quickly and hastened out of the room, regardless of the despairing cries of her mother, and not even looking back to her. It was high time for her to set out.
She was in the street now. The snow rushed furiously into her face;the bowling storm dashed madly against her cheeks until they became very sore, but the moon was in the heavens and lighted her path. It was the same path which she had ascended with Ulrich when saving him. She was alone now, but her courage and her trust in God were with her; strengthened and refreshed by her love for her father, she ascended the steep mountain path. At times the piercing wind rendered her breathless and seized her with such violence that she had to cling to a projecting rock in order not to fall from the barrow path into the abyss yawning at her feet. At times avalanches rolled close to her with thundering noise into the depth and enveloped her in a cloud of snow; but the moon shed her silver light on her path, and Eliza looked up courageously.
Forgetful of her own danger, she prayed in her heart only, "God grant that I may save my father! Let me not die before reaching him!"