--- title: A Historical Tale., part 1 — Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains · full text with trees · page 2 description: A Historical Tale., part 1, «Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains» by Toofie Lauder: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: On one of the border mountains, on the western slopes of the Harz, in gloomy desolation, rise the grey ruins of the old Schlos --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/18/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/) / A Historical Tale., part 1 # A Historical Tale., part 1 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/18/) **2** "My tears are not childish, Henry, only useless.[52](../../52/ "tree and pragmatics") But the world will discover our dreadful secret, the Duchess and her powerful father will complain to Kaiser and Pope, your visits will be forbidden--and what will become of me and my boy?"[53](../../53/ "tree and pragmatics") "Eva, I will do what I before proposed, before you came here.[54](../../54/ "tree and pragmatics") I will seek a divorce from the Duchess, and we will be married in the face of the empire, and your boy, my favourite son, shall be my heir to the ducal throne."[55](../../55/ "tree and pragmatics") "God forbid!" cried Eva in feverish, wild excitement, clasping her hands and looking up to heaven, in which attitude she presented such an enchanting grace and beauty that Henry caught her in his arms and covered her face and hair with kisses, calling her by every endearing name he could think of.[56](../../56/ "tree and pragmatics") "No, Henry; never, never will I be guilty of such a gigantic wrong.[57](../../57/ "tree and pragmatics") My son shall never be your heir, shall never supplant your first-born son and lawful heir.[58](../../58/ "tree and pragmatics") My noble Eitel\[2\] is noble in character as in name; he would never consent no more than I. But I live in constant terror of discovery."[59](../../59/ "tree and pragmatics") \[2\] \_Eitel\_--noble.[60](../../60/ "tree and pragmatics") "Do not fear that, my darling; every servant here is bound by a solemn oath; your faithful nurse Magda is the only one who is permitted to leave the castle, and she does so in the deepest disguise.[61](../../61/ "tree and pragmatics") The priest at Gandershein who united us at the convent altar is bound by his priestly vows, and the heavy bribe I gave him, to silence.[62](../../62/ "tree and pragmatics") The Abbess, too, who managed the details of your funeral, and the artistic priest who made your wax effigy and the plague-spots with ink on your white face and hands, are both bound by the most solemn oaths.[63](../../63/ "tree and pragmatics") None of these will ever betray us, and no one else knows our secret--we are safe."[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") Henry was right.[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") Though this relation continued seven years, and ended only through Eva's death, no one discovered the secret; he himself revealed it in his partial love for her only son, whom he sought to make his heir.[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") But the lovers little imagined that one person knew Eva was not lying in the damp vaults of the convent, and that they would be at the mercy of this discoverer.[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of the little Eitel Henry, a princely boy, who inherited his mother's striking beauty, his long brown curls, falling over his shoulders.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") "Come, \_Mütterchen\_, coffee is ready, and I have put some white roses for you, and Babette has brought mountain strawberries: come--come, Papa," and the little fellow put up his mouth for a kiss.[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") The mother stooped and covered his head and face with passionate kisses, and Henry, springing forward, enclosed them both in a tender embrace.[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") Behind came nurse Gretchen in snowy cap and apron, with a lovely babe in her arms, and both parents sprang forward as if each would be the first to seize the child.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") To a stranger who had not been behind the scenes it was an innocent and pure family scene, betraying nothing of the wrong and bitterness these relations had caused.[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") To explain further, we must go back in our history to Eva's childhood, and her introduction to the court of Henry the Younger, Duke of Brunswick and his Duchess Maria von Wurtemberg.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") A lovely spring morning dawned joyously over the castle of the Marshal Adam von Trotta--or Troth--of Brandenburg, but sorrow housed within it, for the lady of the castle must die.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") The invalid reclined on a huge old-fashioned sofa, propped up with silken cushions, surrounded by her husband, her two sons, and her young and only daughter Eva.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") It was a large and richly-furnished chamber, hung with rare paintings, but the most charming pictures of all were the views its windows commanded.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") The dying mother kissed and dismissed her children, knowing it was for the last time.[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") The manly youths kissed the mother's emaciated hand and silently retired, but Eva flung herself sobbing on her breast, and refused to be comforted.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") At last the Marshal led her from the room.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") "We are alone for the last time," said the invalid, as the Marshal returned, putting her hand in his. "[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") Move me nearer the window, that I may look once more on the park I love so well."[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") After a pause she exclaimed, "My poor motherless Eva!--as she will be before this morning's sun goes down.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") I can leave my sons with more resignation, for they are noble youths, and able to fight the world's battles; but Eva has the dangerous gift of an unusual beauty, and the world is full of snares and traps for such as she promises to be."[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") "She is your image when I brought you home a young wife.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") \[3\] She has your eyes, your brown curls, now touched with grey, and to me dearer than ever.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") In her I shall see your form and face every hour."[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") \[2\] In Germany one never says \_Braut\_--bride--after the marriage; but \_die junge Frau\_--young wife.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Braut\_ is employed during the engagement.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") "Nurse Magda has promised me never to leave her, and her foster-sister Alice, who is strongly attached to her, will be of great assistance in watching over her as they both grow older.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") Keep Eva with you as long as you can, but in the event of a campaign send her to your brother."[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") The speaker exhausted, sank into a peaceful slumber, and when the setting sun illuminated the chamber, its golden beams fell upon the face of death.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") They laid the mother in the old family vault; husband and children brought immortelles and roses for her coffin, and left her to her cold but safe repose.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") The Marshal did as his dying wife had counselled, and kept Eva in the parental castle till her sixteenth summer.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") The bud had blossomed into a wonderful flower, the pride of the desolate father's heart.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") But the time has arrived when the soldier must go forth to battle, and Eva is sent to her aunt and uncle for a visit of indefinite length.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") At this period, undecided as to Eva's home, and depressed with fears and anxieties regarding her future, business calls the Marshal to the Court of Brunswick,\[4\] then held in the ancient Castle of Wolfenbüttel,\[5\] and this visit is destined to decide the fate of the youthful Eva.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") \[4\] \_Bruno's Wyck\_--Bruno's settlement, or town.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") \[5\] \_Wolfenbüttel\_--wolf's cave.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") The piety and amiability of the Duchess Maria made such a deep impression on the mind of the statesman and soldier, that he entreated her to become the guardian of his motherless daughter.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") Her Transparency consented, and Eva became first lady-in-waiting to the Duchess.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Little did the father imagine he was thrusting his child into the wolf's den, for a worse example of a false and neglectful husband than Henry the Younger of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel it were not easy to find.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") The Duke and Duchess were in no wise congenial spirits.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") Henry was a handsome man of fiery temper and hot blood, loved both chase and feud, possessed more physical strength and beauty than mind or virtue, troubled himself little with the duties of government or the interests of his subjects, leaving affairs of State to his minister.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/18/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/18/) - next →: [A Historical Tale., part 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/19/) - ↑ back to [Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/)