The Adventures of Harry Richmond — Volume 3Meredith, George
General
The Adventures of Harry Richmond — Volume 3
Meredith, George
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction
'And see my little pensioners' poor cottage, who are out up to Lovely
View. Miles round go the people to it. Good, and I will tell you
strangers: sthe Prince von Eppenwelzen had his great ancestor, and his
sister Markgrafin von Rippau said, "Erect a statue of him, for he was a
great warrior." He could not, or he would not, we know not. So she
said, "I will," she said, "I will do it in seven days." She does
constantly amuse him, everybody at de Court. Immense excitement! For
suppose it!--a statue of a warrior on horseback, in perfect likeness,
chapeau tricorne, perruque, all of bronze, and his marshal's baton. Eh
bien, well, a bronze horse is come at a gallop from Berlin; sthat we
know. By fortune a most exalted sculptor in Berlin has him ready,--and
many horses pulled him to here, to Lovely View, by post-haste; sthat we
know. But we are in extremity of puzzlement. For where is the statue to
ride him? where--am I plain to you, sirs?--is sthe Marshal Furst von
Eppenwelzen, our great ancestor? Yet the Markgrafin says, "It is right,
wait!" She nods, she smiles. Our Court is all at de lake-palace odder
side sthe tower, and it is bets of gems, of feathers, of lace, not to be
numbered! The Markgrafin says--sthere to-day you see him, Albrecht
Wohlgemuth Furst von Eppenwelzen! But no sculptor can have cast him in
bronze--not copied him and cast him in a time of seven days! And we say
sthis:--Has she given a secret order to a sculptor--you understand me,
sirs, commission--where, how, has he sthe likeness copied? Or did he
come to our speisesaal of our lake-palace disguised? Oh! but to see, to
copy, to model, to cast in bronze, to travel betwixt Berlin and Sarkeld
in a time of seven days? No! so-oh! we guess, we guess, we are in
exhaustion. And to-day is like an eagle we have sent an arrow to shoot
and know not if he will come down. For shall we see our ancestor on
horseback? It will be a not-scribable joy! Or not? So we guess, we are
worried. At near eleven o'clock a cannon fires, sthe tent is lifted, and
we see; but I am impatient wid my breaths for de gun to go.'
I said it would be a fine sight.
'For strangers, yes; you should be of de palace to know what a fine
sight! sthe finest! And you are for Sarkeld? You have friends in
Sarkeld?'
'My father is in Sarkeld, mademoiselle. I am told he is at the palace.'
'Indeed; and he is English, your fater?'
'Yes. I have not seen him for years; I have come to find him.'
'Indeed; it is for love of him, your fater, sir, you come, and not speak
German?'
I signified that it was so.
'She stroked her pony's neck musing.
'Because, of love is not much in de family in England, it is said,' she
remarked very shyly, and in recovering her self-possession asked the name
of my father.
'His name, mademoiselle, is Mr. Richmond.'
'Mr. Richmond?'
'Mr. Richmond Roy.'
She sprang in her saddle.
'You are son to Mr. Richmond Roy? Oh! it is wonderful.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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