The Vulture Maiden [Die Geier-Wally.]Hillern, Wilhelmine von
General
The Vulture Maiden [Die Geier-Wally.]
Hillern, Wilhelmine von
Tyrol (Austria) -- Fiction
Wally stood still ashamed, and looked down at the floor. The old
gentleman looked at her with a comical expression of wonder, "How much
will it not cost you to subdue that hasty blood? Is that the way you
mean to run off? Did I say I would leave you to your fate because I
cannot keep you with me in my house? First of all, you must have
breakfast with me, for man must eat, and God knows how long it is since
you eat last. Then we will talk farther." He went to a sliding panel
that opened into the kitchen, and called to the old maidservant to get
breakfast for three; then sitting down at his simple desk, he wrote
down for Wally the names of a few peasants whom he knew to be worthy
people.
"See, here is a whole list of honest men and women in the Oetz and
Gurgler valleys," said he to Wally. "Try to find a place with one of
them; over the mountain nothing will be yet known of your fault, and by
the time people hear of it you can have shown yourself to be an honest
girl, so that they will be willing to shut their eyes to it. You must
not appeal to me, but you are as tall and as strong as a man, and they
will gladly take you; you can work with a will and make yourself
useful, if you choose. But you must learn to obey--must give in to
custom and order, else you will do no good. I do not ask you to go back
to your father, and let yourself be locked up in the cellar; that would
be undue punishment, and do you more harm than good. Nor do I ask you
to marry Vincenz out of obedience to your father and make yourself
miserable for life. But I do ask of you that you should curb your wild
spirit in the service of worthy people, in reasonable and regular
activity, and so become again a useful member of human society. Will
you promise me this?"
"I will try," said Wally, in her unwavering honesty.
"That is all I ask of you in the first instance, for I know well that
you cannot with a good conscience promise more. But try to do it with
an honest will, and remember always that God throws away wood that is
too hard. I will go to-day to your father and speak to his conscience,
that he may forgive you and be reconciled to you, or at least not
pursue you any farther. Give me news soon of where you are, that I may
let you know how things stand."
Marianne brought the breakfast, and the pastor said the morning
prayers. Wally, too, devoutly folded her hands, and from her deepest
soul prayed God that he would help her to become good and useful; she
was in such holy earnest--she would so gladly have been good and
useful, if only she had known how.
When prayers were over, all three sat down, she, and the pastor, and
Marianne to breakfast. But scarcely had they begun when a shout was
heard outside. "A vulture! See, up on the roof there, a vulture! shoot
him down, bring guns!"
"Heavens! my Hansl," cried Wally springing up, and would have run out
at the door.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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