Andreas Hofer: An Historical NovelMühlbach, L. (Luise)
History
Andreas Hofer: An Historical Novel
Mühlbach, L. (Luise)
Hofer, Andreas, 1767-1810 -- Fiction; Tyrol (Austria) -- History -- Uprising of 1809 -- Fiction
"No, Elza, I must go with them. My honor requires it, and forbids me
to stay at our house with Ulrich von Hohenberg, for whose sake my
father called me publicly to-day a recreant daughter of the Tyrol,
and threatened to disown me forever. I must prove to all the world
that I am a loyal daughter of the Tyrol; and I feel, Elza, that it
will do me good to contribute my mite to the deliverance of the
fatherland. I am not gentle and patient enough to sit quietly at
home and wait until dear Liberty looks into my door and says to me,
'God bless you, Lizzie! I am here now. and you also may profit by
the happiness which will be caused by my arrival.' No, Elza, I must
go with my father, I must help him to find this dear Liberty on the
mountains and in the valleys, and must say to her, 'God bless thee,
Liberty! I am here now, and thou mayst profit by my strength, and I
will help thee that thou mayst rule again over the mountains and
valleys of our dear Tyrol.'"
"Oh, Lizzie, you are a genuine heroine!" exclaimed Elza; "I blush to
think that I shall not accompany you and fight by your side for
Liberty."
"You cannot," said Lizzie, gravely. "You have an aged father who
will stay at home, and whom you must take care of, and the poor and
sick count upon you, for they know that Elza will always be their
good angel. Stay at home and pray for me. But never go down to my
father's house, do not inquire for Ulrich, and do not try to have
him brought to the castle here. He is under Schroepfel's
surveillance, and Schroepfel would shoot him if he should suspect
that all is not as it should be. But if God should decree my death,
Elza, Ulrich would be free at once, and my father would not injure
him, inasmuch as he was his Lizzie's affianced bridegroom. He would
set him free. Ulrich would then come to you, and, Elza, you will
tell him not to think that Lizzie Wallner was a bad girl, and that
she was intent only on getting an aristocratic husband. You will
tell him that my sole object was to save his life, and that I never
thought of marrying him. You will tell him also that I forgave him
the injury which he did me to-day, and that I shall pray to God
Almighty for him. And when you stand before God's altar, and the
priest joins your hands, think of me, and do not forget that I loved
you, dearest Elza, better than any once else on earth. And now,
farewell, Elza; I shall not kiss you again, for it makes my heart
heavy."
"Lizzie, Lizzie!" shouted a powerful voice outside at this moment;
"Lizzie, where are you? 'Tis time to set out!"
"Here I am, dear father!" exclaimed Lizzie, stepping quickly out on
the balcony. "I shall come down to you now. I was only taking leave
of Elza. Now I am ready to set out and fight for the dear Tyrol and
the dear Emperor Francis!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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