第41章 The Wild Swans(6)

When Eliza saw all these things which lay so near her heart,a smile played around her mouth,and the crimson blood rushed to her cheeks.She thought of her brothers,and their release made her so joyful that she kissed the king's hand.Then he pressed her to his heart.Very soon the joyous church bells announced the marriage feast,and that the beautiful dumb girl out of the wood was to be made the queen of the country.Then the archbishop whispered wicked words in the king's ear,but they did not sink into his heart.The marriage was still to take place,and the archbishop himself had to place the crown on the bride's head;in his wicked spite,he pressed the narrow circlet so tightly on her forehead that it caused her pain.But a heavier weight encircled her heart—sorrow for her brothers.She felt not bodily pain.Her mouth was closed;a single word would cost the lives of her brothers.But she loved the kind,handsome king,who did everything to make her happy more and more each day;she loved him with all her heart,and her eyes beamed with the love she dared not speak.Oh!if she had only been able to confide in him and tell him of her grief.But dumb she must remain till her task was finished.Therefore at night she crept away into her little chamber,which had been decked out to look like the cave,and quickly wove one coat after another.But when she began the seventh she found she had no more flax.She knew that the nettles she wanted to use grew in the churchyard,and that she must pluck them herself.How should she get out there?“Oh,what is the pain in my fingers to the torment which my heart endures?”said she.“I must venture,I shall not be denied help from heaven.”Then with a trembling heart,as if she were about to perform a wicked deed,she crept into the garden in the broad moonlight,and passed through the narrow walks and the deserted streets,till she reached the churchyard.Then she saw on one of the broad tombstones a group of ghouls.These hideous creatures took off their rags,as if they intended to bathe,and then clawing open the fresh graves with their long,skinny fingers,pulled out the dead bodies and ate the flesh!Eliza had to pass close by them,and they fixed their wicked glances upon her,but she prayed silently,gathered the burning nettles,and carried them home with her to the castle.One person only had seen her,and that was the archbishop—he was awake while everybody was asleep.Now he thought his opinion was evidently correct.All was not right with the queen.She was a witch,and had bewitched the king and all the people.Secretly he told the king what he had seen and what he feared,and as the hard words came from his tongue,the carved images of the saints shook their heads as if they would say.“It is not so.Eliza is innocent.”