CHAPTER VII.
The Indifference of the Miller of Hofbau.
There is a swift little river running by the village of Hofbau, and onthe river is a mill, kept in the days of King Rudolf III. by a sturdyfellow who lived there all alone; the King knew him, having alighted athis house for a draught of beer as he rode hunting, and it was of himthe King spoke when he said to the Queen, "There is, I believe, but oneman in the country whom Osra could not move, and he is the Miller ofHofbau." But although he addressed the Queen, it was his sister at whomhe aimed his speech. The Princess herself was sitting by, and when sheheard the King she said:
"In truth I do not desire to move any man. What but trouble comes of it?Yet who is this miller?"
The King told her where the miller might be found, and he added: "If youconvert him to the love of women you shall have the finest bracelet inStrelsau."
"There is nothing, sire, so remote from my thoughts or desires as toconvert your miller," said Osra scornfully.
In this, at the moment, she spoke truthfully; but being left alone forsome days at the Castle of Zenda, which is but a few miles from Hofbau,she found the time hang very heavy on her hands; indeed she did not knowwhat to do with herself for weariness; and for this reason, and noneother at all, one day she ordered her horse and rode off with a singlegroom into the forest. Coming, as the morning went on, to a wide road,she asked the groom where it led. "To Hofbau, madame," he answered. "Itis not more than a mile further on." Osra waited a few moments, then shesaid: "I will ride on and see the village, for I have been told that itis pretty. Wait here till I return," and she rode on, smiling a little,and with a delicate tint of colour in her cheeks.
Before long she saw the river and the mill on the river; and, coming tothe mill, she saw the miller sitting before his door, smoking a longpipe. She called out to him, asking him to sell her a glass of milk.
"You can have it for the asking," said the miller. He was a good-lookingfair fellow, and wore a scarlet cap. "There is a pail of it just insidethe door behind me." Yet he did not rise, but lay there, lollingluxuriously in the sun. For he did not know Osra, never having been toStrelsau in his life, and to Zenda three or four times only, and thatwhen the Princess was not there. Moreover--though this, as must beallowed, is not to the purpose--he had sworn never again to go so farafield.
Being answered in this manner, and at the same time desiring the milk,the Princess had no choice but to dismount.
This she did, and passed by the miller, pausing a moment to look at himwith bright curious eyes, that flashed from under the brim of herwide-rimmed feathered hat; but the miller blinked lazily up at the sunand took no heed of her.
Osra passed on, found the pail, poured out a cup of milk, and drank it.Then, refilling the cup, she carried it to the miller.
"Will you not have some?" said she with a smile.
"I was too lazy to get it," said the miller; and he held out his hand,but did not otherwise change his position.
Osra's brow puckered and her cheek flushed as she bent down, holding thecup of milk so that the miller could reach it. He took and drained it,gave it back to her, and put his pipe in his mouth again. Osra sat downby him and watched him. He puffed and blinked away, never so much aslooking at her.
"HE TOOK IT AND DRAINED IT."--_Page 204._]
"What have you for dinner?" asked she presently.
"A piece of cold pie," said he. "There's enough for two, if you'rehungry."
"Would you not like it better hot?"
"Oh, aye; but I cannot weary myself with heating it."
"I'll heat it," said the Princess; and, rising, she went into the house,and made up the fire, which was almost burnt out; then she heated thepie, and set the room in order, and laid the table, and drew a large jugof beer from the cask. Next she placed an arm-chair ready for themiller, and put the jug by it; then she filled the pipe from the bowl oftobacco and set a cushion in the chair. All this while she hummed atune, and from time to time smiled gayly. Lastly, she arranged a chairby the elbow of the miller's chair; then she went out and told him thathis dinner was ready; and he stumbled to his feet with a sigh oflaziness, and walked before her into the house.
"May I come?" cried she.
"Aye, there is enough for two," said the Miller of Hofbau withoutlooking round.
So she followed him in. He sank into the arm-chair and sat there, for amoment surveying the room which was so neat, and the table so daintilylaid, and the pie so steaming hot. And he sighed, saying:
"It was like this before poor mother died." And he fell to on a greatportion of pie with which Osra piled his plate.
When he had finished eating--which thing did not happen for sometime--she held the jug while he took a long draught; then she brought acoal in the tongs and held it while he lit his pipe from it; then shesat down by him. For several moments he puffed, and then at last heturned his head and looked at Princess Osra; she drooped her long lashesand cast down her eyes; next she lifted her eyes and glanced for aninstant at the miller; and, finally, she dropped her eyes again andmurmured shyly: "What is it, sir? Why do you look at me?"
"You seem to be a handy wench," observed the miller. "The pie wassteaming hot and yet not burnt, the beer was well frothed but not shakennor thickened, and the pipe draws well. Where does your father dwell?"
"He is dead, sir," said Princess Osra very demurely.
"And your mother?" pursued the miller.
"She also is dead."
"There is small harm in that," said the miller thoughtfully; and Osraturned away her head to hide her smile.
"Are you not very lonely, living here all by yourself?" she asked amoment later.
"Indeed I have to do everything for myself," said the miller sadly.
"And there is nobody to--to care for you?"
"No, nor to look after my comfort," said the miller. "Have you anykindred?"
"I have two brothers, sir; but they are married now, and have no need ofme."
The miller laid down his pipe and, setting his elbow on the table, facedPrincess Osra.
"H'm!" said he. "And is it likely you will ride this way again?"
"I may chance to do so," said Osra, and now there was a glance ofmalicious triumph in her eyes; she was thinking already how the braceletwould look on her arm.
"Ah!" said the miller. And after a pause he added: "If you do, come halfan hour before dinner, and you can lend a hand in making it ready. Wheredid you get those fine clothes?"
"My mistress gave them to me," answered Osra. "She has cast them off."
"And that horse you rode?"
"It is my master's; I have it to ride when I do my mistress's errands."
"Will your master and mistress do anything for you if you leave yourservice?"
"I have been promised a present if----" said Osra, and she paused inapparent confusion.
"Aye," said the miller, nodding sagaciously, as he rose slowly from thearm-chair. "Will you be this way again in a week or so?" he asked.
"I think it is very likely," answered the Princess Osra.
"Then look in," said the miller. "About half an hour before dinner." Henodded his head again very significantly at Osra, and, turning away,went to his work, as a man goes who would far rather sit still in thesun. But just as he reached the door he turned his head and asked: "Areyou sturdy?"
"I am strong enough, I think," said she.
"A sack of flour is a heavy thing for a man to lift by himself,"remarked the miller, and with that he passed through the door and lefther alone.
Then she cleared the table, put the pie--or what was left--in thelarder, set the room in order, refilled the pipe, stood the jug handy bythe cask, and, with a look of great satisfaction on her face, trippedout to where her horse was, mounted, and rode away.
The next week--and the interval had seemed long to her, and no less longto the Miller of Hofbau--she came again, and so the week after; and inthe week following that sh
e came twice; and on the second of these twodays, after dinner, the miller did not go off to his sacks, but hefollowed her out of the house, pipe in hand, when she went to mount herhorse, and as she was about to mount, he said:
"Indeed you're a handy wench."
"You say much of my hands, but nothing of my face," remarked PrincessOsra.
"Of your face?" repeated the miller in some surprise. "What should I sayof your face?"
"Well, is it not a comely face?" said Osra, turning towards him that hemight be better able to answer her question.
The miller regarded her for some minutes, then a slow smile spread onhis lips.
"Oh, aye, it is well enough," said he. Then he laid a floury finger onher arm as he continued: "If you come next week--why, it is but half amile to church! I'll have the cart ready and bid the priest be there.What's your name?" For he had not hitherto asked Osra's name.
"Rosa Schwartz," said she, and her face was all alight with triumph andamusement.
"Yes, I shall be very comfortable with you," said the miller. "We willbe at the church an hour before noon, so that there may be timeafterwards for the preparation of dinner."
"That will be on Thursday in next week?" asked Osra.
"Aye, on Thursday," said the miller, and he turned on his heel. But in aminute he turned again, saying: "Give me a kiss, then, since we are tobe man and wife," and he came slowly towards her, holding his arms open.
"Nay, the kiss will wait till Thursday. Maybe there will be less flouron your face then." And with a laugh she dived under his outstretchedarms and made her escape. The day being warm, the miller did not puthimself out by pursuing her, but stood where he was, with a broadcomfortable smile on his lips; and so he watched her ride away.
Now, as she rode, the Princess was much occupied in thinking of theMiller of Hofbau. Elated and triumphant as she was at having won fromhim a promise of marriage, she was yet somewhat vexed that he had notshown a more passionate affection, and this thought clouded her brow forfull half an hour. But then her face cleared. "Still waters run deep,"she said to herself. "He is not like these Court gallants, who havelearnt to make love as soon as they learn to walk, and cannot talk to awoman without bowing and grimacing and sighing at every word. The millerhas a deep nature, and surely I have won his heart, or he would not takeme for his wife. Poor miller! I pray that he may not grieve verybitterly when I make the truth known to him!" And then, at the thoughtof the grief of the miller, her face was again clouded; but it againcleared when she considered of the great triumph that she had won, andhow she would enjoy a victory over the King, and would have the finestbracelet in all Strelsau as a gift from him. Thus she arrived at theCastle in the height of merriment and exultation.
It chanced that the King came to Zenda that night, to spend a weekhunting the boar in the forest; and when Osra, all blushing andlaughing, told him of her success with the Miller of Hofbau he wasgreatly amused, and swore that no such girl ever lived, and applaudedher, renewing his promise of the bracelet; and he declared that he wouldhimself ride with her to Hofbau on the wedding-day, and see how the poormiller bore his disappointment.
"Indeed I do not see how you are going to excuse yourself to him," helaughed.
"A purse of five hundred crowns must do that office for me," said she.
"What, will crowns patch a broken heart?"
"His broken heart must heal itself, as men's broken hearts do, brother!"
"In truth, sister, I have known them cure themselves. Let us hope it maybe so with the Miller of Hofbau."
"At the worst I have revenged the wrongs of women on him. It isunendurable that any man should scorn us, be he king or miller."
"It is indeed very proper that he should suffer great pangs," said theKing, "in spite of his plaster of crowns. I shall love to see the stolidfellow sighing and moaning like a lovesick courtier."
So they agreed to ride together to the miller's at Hofbau on the dayappointed for the wedding, and both of them waited with impatience forit. But, with the bad luck that pursues mortals (even though they beprinces) in this poor world, it happened that early in the morning ofthe Thursday a great officer came riding post-haste from Strelsau totake the King's commands on high matters of State; and, although Rudolfwas sorely put out of temper by this untoward interruption, yet he hadno alternative but to transact the business before he rode to themiller's at Hofbau. So he sat fretting and fuming, while long paperswere read to him, and the Princess walked up and down the length of thedrawbridge, fretting also; for before the King could escape from hisaffairs, the hour of the wedding was already come, and doubtless theMiller of Hofbau was waiting with the priest in the church. Indeed itwas one o'clock or more before Osra and the King set out from Zenda, andthey had then a ride of an hour and a half; and all this when Osrashould have been at the miller's at eleven o'clock.
"Poor man, he will be half mad with waiting and with anxiety for me!"cried Osra. "I must give him another hundred crowns on account of it."And she added, after a pause, "I pray he may not take it too much toheart, Rudolf."
"We must try to prevent him doing himself any mischief in his despair,"smiled the King.
"Indeed it is a serious matter," pouted the Princess, who thought theKing's smile out of place.
"It was not so when you began it," said her brother; and Osra wassilent.
Then about half-past two they came in sight of the mill. Now the Kingdismounted, while they were still several hundred yards away, and tiedhis horse to a tree in a clump by the wayside; and when they came nearto the mill he made a circuit and approached from the side, and,creeping along to the house, hid himself behind a large water-butt,which stood just under the window; from that point he could hear whatpassed inside the house, and could see if he stood erect. But Osra rodeup to the front of the mill, as she had been accustomed, and, gettingdown from her horse, walked up to the door. The miller's cart stood inthe yard of the mill, but the horse was not in the shafts, and neitherthe miller nor anybody else was to be seen about; and the door of thehouse was shut.
"He must be waiting at the church," said she. "But I will look in andmake sure. Indeed I feel half afraid to meet him." And her heart wasbeating rapidly and her face was rather pale as she walked up to thedoor; for she feared what the miller might do in the passion of hisdisappointment at learning who she was and that she could not be hiswife. "I hope the six hundred crowns will comfort him," she said, as shelaid her hand on the latch of the door; and she sighed, her heart beingheavy for the miller, and, maybe a little heavy also for the guilt thatlay on her conscience for having deceived him.
Now when she lifted the latch and opened the door, the sight that mether eyes was this: The table was strewn with the remains of a bravedinner; two burnt-out pipes lay beside the plates. A smaller table wasin front of the fire; on it stood a very large jug, entirely empty, butbearing signs of having been full not so long ago; and on either side ofit, each in an arm-chair, sat the priest of the village and the Millerof Hofbau; both of them were sleeping very contentedly, and snoringsomewhat as they slept. The Princess, smitten by remorse at thespectacle, said softly:
"ON EITHER SIDE OF IT SAT THE PRIEST OF THE VILLAGE ANDTHE MILLER OF HOFBAU."--_Page 215._]
"Poor fellow, he grew weary of waiting, and hungry, and was compelled totake his dinner; and, like the kind man he is, he has entertained thepriest, and kept him here, so that no time should be lost when Iarrived. Indeed I am afraid the poor man loves me very much. Well,miller, or lord, or prince--they are all the same. Heigh-ho! Why did Ideceive him?" And she walked up to the miller's chair, leant over theback of it, and lightly touched his red cap with her fingers. He put uphis hand and brushed with it, as though he brushed away a fly, but gaveno other sign of awakening.
The King called softly from behind the water-butt under the window:
"Is he there, Osra? Is he there?"
"The poor man has fallen asleep in weariness," she answered. "But thepriest is here, ready to marry us. Oh, Rudolf,
I am so sorry for what Ihave done!"
"Girls are always mighty sorry, after it is done," remarked the King."Wake him up, Osra."
At this moment the Miller of Hofbau sat up in his chair and gave a greatsneeze; and by this sound the priest also was awakened. Osra cameforward and stood between them. The miller looked at her, and tilted hisred cap forward in order that he might scratch his head. Then he lookedacross to the priest, and said:
"It is she, Father. She has come."
The priest rubbed his hands together, and smiled uncomfortably.
"We waited two hours," said he, glancing at the clock. "See, it is threeo'clock now."
"I am sorry you waited so long," said Osra, "but I could not comebefore. And--and now that I am come, I cannot----" But here she pausedin great distress and confusion, not knowing how to break her sadtidings to the Miller of Hofbau.
The miller drew his legs up under his chair, and regarded Osra with agrave air.
"You should have been here at eleven," said he. "I went to the church ateleven, and the priest was there, and my cousin Hans to act as my groom,and my cousin Gertrude to be your maid. There we waited hard on twohours. But you did not come."
"I am very sorry," pleaded Princess Osra. The King laughed low tohimself behind the water-butt, being much amused at her distress and herhumility.
"And now that you are come," pursued the miller, scratching his headagain, "I do not know what we are to do." He looked again at the priest,seeking counsel.
At this the Princess Osra, thinking that an opportunity had come, tookthe purse of six hundred crowns from under her cloak, and laid it on thetable.
"What is this?" said the miller, for the first time showing someeagerness.
"They are for you," said Osra as she watched him while he unfastened thepurse. Then he poured the crowns out on the table, and counted them oneby one, till he had told all the six hundred. Then he raised his handsabove his head, let them fall again, sighed slightly, and looked acrossat the priest.
"I warned you not to be in such a hurry, friend miller," remarked thepriest.
"I waited two hours," said the miller plaintively, "and you know thatshe is a handy wench, and very fond of me."
He began to gather up the crowns and return them to the purse.
"I trust I am a handy wench," said Osra, smiling, yet still verynervous, "and, indeed, I have a great regard for the miller, but----"
"Nay, he does not mean you," interrupted the priest.
"Six hundred," sighed the miller, "and Gertrude has but two hundred!Still she is a handy wench and very sturdy. I doubt if you could lift asack by yourself, as she can." And he looked doubtfully at Osra'sslender figure.
"I do not know why you talk of Gertrude," said the Princess petulantly."What is Gertrude to me?"
"Why, I take it that she is nothing at all to you," answered the priest,folding his hands on his lap and smiling placidly. "Still, for my part,I bade him wait a little longer."
"I waited two hours," said the miller. "And Gertrude urged me, sayingthat you would not come, and that she would look after me better thanyou, being one of the family. And she said it was hard that she shouldhave no husband, while her own cousin married a stranger. And since itwas all the same to me, provided I got a handy and sturdy wench----"
"What?" cried the Princess Osra; and the King was so interested that herose up from behind the water-butt, and, leaning his elbows on thewindow-sill, looked in and saw all that happened.
"It being," pursued the Miller of Hofbau, "all the same to me, so that Igot what I wanted, why, when you did not come----"
"He married his cousin," said the priest.
A sudden roar of laughter came from the window. All three turned round,but the King ducked his head and crouched again behind the water-buttbefore they saw him.
"Who was that?" cried the priest.
"A lad that came to hold my horse," answered Osra hastily, and then sheturned fiercely on the miller.
"And that," she said, "was all you wanted! I thought you loved me."
"Aye, I liked you very well," said the miller. "You are a handy----" Astamp of her foot drowned the rest. "But you should have come in time,"he went on.
"And this Gertrude--is she pretty?" demanded Osra.
"Gertrude is well enough," said the miller. "But she has only twohundred crowns." And he put the purse, now full again, on the table witha resigned sigh.
"And you shall have no more," cried Osra, snatching up her purse ingreat rage. "And you and Gertrude may----"
"What of Gertrude?" came at this moment from the door of the room wherethe sacks were. The Princess turned round swift as the wind, and she sawin the doorway a short and very broad girl, with a very wide face andstraggling hair; the girl's nose was very flat, and her eyes were small;but her great mouth smiled good-humouredly and, as the Princess looked,she let slip to the ground a sack of flour that she had been carrying onher sturdy back.
"Aye, Gertrude is well enough," said the miller, looking at hercontentedly. "She is very strong and willing."
Then, while Gertrude stood wondering and staring with wide eyes in thedoorway, the Princess swept up to the miller, and leant over him, andcried:
"Look at my face, look at my face! What manner of face is it?"
"It is well enough," said the miller. "But Gertrude is----"
There was a crash on the floor, and the six hundred crowns rolled out ofthe purse, and scattered, spinning and rolling hither and thither allover the floor and into every corner of the room. And Princess Osracried: "Have you no eyes?" and then she turned away; for her lip wasquivering, and she would not have the miller see it. But she turned fromthe miller only to face Gertrude his wife; Gertrude's small eyesbrightened with sudden intelligence.
"Ah, you're the other girl!" said Gertrude with much amusement. "And wasthat your dowry? It is large! I am glad you did not come in time. Butsee, I'll pick it up for you. Nay, don't take on. I dare say you'll findanother husband."
She passed by Osra, patting her on the shoulder kindly as she went, andthen fell on her knees and began to pick up the crowns, crawling afterthem all over the floor, and holding up her apron to receive therecovered treasure. And Princess Osra stood looking at her.
"Aye, you'll find another husband," nodded the priest encouragingly.
"Aye, you'll find another husband," assented the miller placidly. "Andjust as one girl is pretty nearly as good as another--if she is handyand sturdy--so one husband is as good as another, if he can keep a houseover you."
Princess Osra said nothing. But Gertrude, having picked up the crowns,came to her with a full apron, saying:
"Hold your lap, and I'll pour them in. They'll get you a good husband."
Princess Osra suddenly bent and kissed Gertrude's cheek, and she saidgently:
"I hope you have got a good husband, my dear; but let him do some workfor himself. And keep the six hundred crowns as a present from me, forhe will value you more with eight hundred than with two."
The eyes of all three were fixed on her in wonder and almost in fear,for her tone and manner were now different. Then she turned to themiller, and she bit her lip and dashed her hand across her eyes, and shesaid:
"And you, miller, are the only sensible man I have found in all thekingdom. Therefore good luck and a good wife to you." And she gave alittle short laugh, and turned and walked out of the cottage, leavingthem all spellbound in wonder. But the miller rose from his chair andran to the door, and when he reached it the King was just lifting Osraon to her horse; the miller knew the King, and stood there with eyeswide and cheeks bulged in wonder; but he could gasp out no more than"The King, the King!" before Rudolf and Osra were far away. And theycould, none of them, neither the miller, nor Gertrude, nor the priest,tell what the matter meant, until one day King Rudolf rode again to themill at Hofbau, and, having sent for the priest, told the three enoughof the truth, saying that the affair was the outcome of a jest at Court;and he made each of them a handsome pres
ent, and vowed them to secrecyby their fealty and attachment to his person and his honour.
"So she would not have married me, anyhow?" asked the miller.
"I think not, friend," answered Rudolf with a laugh.
"Then we are but quits and all is well. Gertrude, the jug, my lass!"
And so, indeed, it seemed to the King that they were but quits, and sohe said to the Princess Osra. But he declared that she had so farprevailed with the miller as to make him desire marriage as an excellentand useful thing in itself, although she had not persuaded him that itwas of great moment whom a man married. Therefore he was very anxious togive her the bracelet which he had promised, and more than once prayedher to accept it. But Osra saw the laugh that lurked in the King's eye,and would not consent to have the bracelet, and for a long while she didnot love to speak of the Miller of Hofbau. Yet once, when the King onsome occasion cried out very impatiently that all men were fools, shesaid:
"Sire, you forget the Miller of Hofbau." And she blushed, and laughed,and turned her eyes away.
One other thing she did which very greatly puzzled Queen Margaret, andall the ladies of the Court, and all the waiting-women, and all theserving-maids, and, in fine, every person high or low who saw or heardof it, except the King only. For in winter evenings she took herscissors and her needle, and she cut strips of ribbon, each a foot longand a couple of inches broad; on each of them she embroidered a motto orlegend; and she affixed the ribbons bearing the legend to each and everyone of the mirrors in each of her chambers at Strelsau, at Zenda, and atthe other royal residences. And her waiting-women noticed that, whenevershe had looked in the mirror and smiled at her own image or shewn othersigns of pleasure in it, she would then cast her eyes up to the legend,and seem to read it, and blush a little, and laugh a little, and sigh alittle; the reason for which things they could by no means understand.
For the legend was but this:
"_Remember the Miller of Hofbau._"