German fiction -- Translations into English; Germany -- Fiction
Meanwhile she longed more and more eagerly to know the name of the little
creature that had brought so much trouble upon her, and whether she was
still forcing herself between Lienhard and his beautiful wife.
As soon as she was able to talk again, she began her inquiries. The
Sister, who was entirely absorbed in her calling and never left the scene
of her wearisome toil, had little to tell; but the leech and the priest,
in reply to her questions concerning what had happened during the period
of her unconsciousness, informed her that the Emperor had ordered that
she should receive the most careful nursing, and had bestowed a donation
upon the convent for the purpose. He had thought of her future, too.
When she recovered, she would have the five heller pounds which the
generous sovereign had left for her as a partial compensation for the
injuries sustained while employing her rare skill for the delight of the
multitude and, above all, himself. A wealthy Nuremberg Honourable,
Lienhard Groland, a member of the Council, had also interested himself in
her and deposited the same amount with the abbess, in case she should
recover the use of her limbs and did not prefer to spend the remainder of
her life here, though only as a lay sister. In that case he would be
ready to defray the cost of admission.
"That the lofty convent walls might rise between him and the sight of
me!" Kuni said to herself at this information, with a bitter smile.
On the--other hand, her eyes filled with tears of genuine emotion and
sincere shame, when she learned from the leech that Herr Lienhard
Groland's lovely wife had come daily to the convent to inquire about her,
and had even honoured her couch with a visit several times. She did not
remain absent until one day, in the noble lady's presence, Kuni, when her
fever was fiercest, loaded the wearer of the wreath, whom her delirium
often brought before her as a nightmare, with the most savage and
blasphemous curses. The gracious young wife was overwhelmed with horror,
which had doubtless prevented her return, unless her absence was due to
departure from the city. Besides, she had committed the care of
inquiring about her convalescence to an aristocratic friend in Augsburg,
the wife of the learned city clerk, Doctor Peutinger, a member of the
famous Welser family of Augsburg. The latter had often inquired for her
in person, until the illness of her own dear child had kept her at home.
Yet, in spite of this, her housekeeper had appeared the day before to
inform the abbess that, if the injured girl should recover and wished to
lead a respectable life in future, she might be sure of a welcome and
easy duties in her own household. This surely ought to be a great
comfort to Kuni, the physician added; for she could no longer pursue
rope-dancing, and the Peutingers were lavishly endowed with worldly goods
and intellectual gifts, and, besides, were people of genuine Christian
spirit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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