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
"God be praised that I am not the husband of this jealous woman. She
will torment her husband to death, and leave him not a moment's
repose before be dies."
"It is true, she does not seem to be very gentle," said Andreas,
smiling. "But then, Cajetan, she loves her husband dearly, is
doubtless a virtuous woman, and will never sin against the seventh
commandment. Well, my friend, do not grumble so much, but go and
admit another person."
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE LOVERS.
Doeninger went to the door and opened it, and a beautiful young girl
slipped immediately into the room. "Hush, hush," she whispered to
Doeninger; "do not say anything to him." And she hastened on tiptoe
to Andreas Hofer, who was reading once more with close attention the
proclamation which he had dictated to Doeninger.
She bent down and kissed the hand in which Hofer held the paper.
"God bless you, dear, great father and liberator of the people!" she
said, in a silver voice.
"Lizzie Wallner!" exclaimed Andreas, joyfully, casting aside the
paper. "Yes, by the Eternal, it is she! It is Lizzie, the dearest
child of my best friend--the most heroic girl in the Tyrol. Come,
Lizzie, embrace your second father, Andy, and give me a kiss for
father and mother, and one for yourself, my dear girl."
Eliza encircled Hofer's neck, and imprinted a tender kiss on his
lips. "God bless you, dear father, for you are the father of the
whole Tyrol," she whispered, "and must not scold me for calling you
my father too."
"On the contrary, it gladdens my heart," exclaimed Andreas, folding
her tenderly to his breast. "It seems to me as though I were holding
one of my own girls in my arms, and as though I heard her dear voice
calling me father. Lizzie, I can tell you I often long for my pretty
daughters and their mother, Anna Gertrude, and sometimes I feel very
lonely indeed."
"And why do you not send for your wife and children, father Andy,
and have them brought here? I am sure there is room enough for them
in this large house."
" No, they shall stay at home," exclaimed Andreas, vehemently. "The
mother must attend to household affairs, and keep every thing in
good order, and the girls must help her do it. Otherwise all would
go amiss, and when I should have no longer to work for the emperor
here, and went back to my home, the inn in the Passeyr valley would
be worthless; we should be destitute, and become beggars. Besides, I
do not want my girls to become proud, and think they are
aristocratic young ladies now, because their father is commander-in-
chief of the Tyrol, and the emperor's lieutenant. We are peasants,
and will remain peasants. However, let us speak no more of myself,
but of you, Lizzie. Where do you come from, what do you want here,
and how did you get into the midst of the crowd in the audience-
room?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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