The Fiery Angel Read Online Free PDF Page B

she penetrated into the confidence of Count Otterheim, a man of most noble family, whose castle is a little below Speier, on the Rhine. She so ensorcelled the young count, who, already in his early childhood, had lost his parents, persons worthy and respected, that instead of taking unto himself a fair wife and serving his master, the Kurfürst of Pfalz, he occupied himself with alchymy, magic and other deeds of blackness. Would you believe it, from the day this besom took up habitation in his castle, each night they altered their shape—he into a were-wolf, she into a were-wolf bitch—and scoured the neighbourhood; how many they slew during that time—children, foals, sheep, it is hard to say. Then they brought evil and blight upon the people, caused the milk of cows to run dry, called up thunder, ruined the crops of their enemies, and committed hundreds of other crimes by means of their magic powers. But suddenly the Saint Crescentia of Dietrich appeared in a vision to the Count and denounced his sinful conduct. The Count then became penitent, accepted his cross, and set off barefoot to the holy grave of God, ordering his servants to drive his concubine from the castle, whence she went, wandering from village to village. If I gave her shelter, Lord Knight, it was only because I then knew nothing of her history, but, seeing how, by day and by night, she now pines and moans for her sinful soul cannot rest, I shall not endure her to stay another four-and-twenty hours, for I do not wish to abet the Enemy of Mankind.”
    This speech of the hostess, who related a great deal more that I do not remember, filled my soul with shame and remorse. I was not of course distressed at the fact that I had spent a few hours in bed with a woman who might really have been guilty of repulsive crimes, for I do not admit the possibility of transmittance of spiritual infection by mere contact and, moreover, I had no reason to believe all that the hostess had told me. But from her words I could at least see without question in how many particulars this lady had deceived me in her nocturnal relation of her life, if only in that she had persuaded me that the castle of her paramour stood in an Austrian archdukedom, when in reality it was here, in the neighbourhood, on our native Rhine. It appeared to me as though my companion of the night, seeing in me a newly arrived and simple sailor, had wanted to befool me, and this thought so fogged my mind with indignation, that I forgot even the obvious signs of possession of the unfortunate creature by the Devil, of which I had myself been recent witness.
    But even while I stood before the hostess as she continued her plaints, not knowing what to do, the door opened and upon the threshold appeared Renata herself. She was attired in a long cape of silk, blue in colour and with a hood that covered her face, and in a pink bodice with white and blue trimmings—as are dressed the noble ladies of Köln. She held herself proud and free as a Duchess, so that I scarcely recognised in her the devil-distracted creature of my night’s vigil. Probably, in the modest attire of a Spanish mariner, I looked to her a pauper and a simpleton. However, finding me with her eyes, Renata walked straight towards me with her light step, that always suggested the flight of a bird.
    I took my hat off before the lady, and she said hurriedly but commandingly:
    “Rupprecht, we must ride away from here at once, immediately. I cannot stay here, not an hour more.”
    It must be thought that the voice of Renata contained some especial charm for me, or that at our very first meeting she had taken the opportunity to attract me by some secret means of witchcraft known to her, for despite that which I had been thinking of her only a few moments ago, I found nothing to say in contradiction of her words, indeed accepted them as an order disobedience of which was impossible. And when the hostess of the hostelry, suddenly changing her polite tone