CHAPTER XXIV
THE SECRET OF THERESA VON LYNAR
"Go down and bring a cup of wine!" commanded Joan as soon as heappeared. And Werner von Orseln, having glanced once at his mistresswhere she stood with the point of her sword to the ground and her elbowon the corner of the mantel, turned on his heel and departed without aword to do her bidding.
Meanwhile the Wordless Man had raised his mistress up from the ground.Her eyes slowly opened and began to wander vaguely round the room,taking in the objects one by one. When they fell on Joan, standing erectby the fireplace, a spasm seemed to pass across her face and she strovefiercely but ineffectually to rise.
"Carry your mistress to that couch!" said the young Duchess, pointing tothe tumbled bed from which a few minutes before she had so hastilylaunched herself.
The dumb man understood either the words or the significant action ofJoan's hand, for he stooped and lifted Von Lynar's mother in his arms.Whilst he was thus engaged Werner came in quickly with a silver cup inhis hand.
Joan took it instantly and going forward she put it to the lips of thewoman on the bed. Her hair had escaped from its gathered coils and nowflowed in luxuriant masses of red-gold over her shoulders and showereditself on either side of the pillow before falling in a shining cataractto the floor.
Putting out her hands the woman took the cup and drank of it slowly,pausing between the draughts to draw long breaths.
"I must have strength," she said. "I have much to say. Then, Joan ofHohenstein, yourself shall judge between thee and me!"
The fluttering of the lightning at the window seemed to disturb her, foras Joan bowed her assent slightly and sternly, the tall woman keptlooking towards the lattice as if the pulsing flame fretted her. Joanmoved her hand slightly without taking her eyes away, and the chiefcaptain, used to such silent orders from his mistress, strode over tothe window and pulled the curtains close. The storm had by this timesubsided to a rumble, and only round the edges of the arras could afaint occasional glow be seen, telling of the turmoil without. But acertain faint tremulousness pervaded all the house, which was the Balticthundering on the pebbly beaches and shaking the walls to their sandyfoundations.
The colour came slowly back to the woman's pale face, and, after alittle, she raised herself on the pillows. Joan stood motionless anduncompromising by the great iron dogs of the chimney.
"You are waiting for me to speak, and I will speak," said the woman."You have a double right to know all. Shall it be told to yourself aloneor in the presence of this man?"
She looked at Von Orseln as she spoke.
"I have no secrets in my life," said Joan; "there is nothing that Iwould hide from him. _Save one thing!_" She added the last words in herheart.
"I warn you that the matter concerns yourself very closely," answeredthe woman somewhat urgently.
"Werner von Orseln is my chief captain!" answered Joan.
"It concerns also your father's honour!"
"He was my father's chief captain before he was mine, and had charge ofhis honour on twenty fields."
Gratefully and silently Von Orseln lifted his mistress's hand to hislips. The tall woman on the bed smiled faintly.
"It is well that your Highness is so happy in her servants. I also haveone who can hold his peace."
She pointed to the Wordless Man, who now stood with the candelabra inhis hand, mute and immutable by his mistress's bedhead, as if watchingthat none should do her harm.
There was an interval of silence in the room, filled up by the hoarsepersistent booming of the storm without and the shuddering shocks of thewind on the lonely house. Then the woman spoke again in a low, distinctvoice.
"Since it is your right to know my name, I am Theresa von Lynar--whohave also a right to call myself 'of Hohenstein'--and your dead father'swidow!"
In an instant the reserve of Joan's sternly equal mind was broken up.She dropped her sword clattering on the floor and started angrilyforward towards the bed.
"It is a lie most foul," she cried; "my father lived unwed for manyyears--nay, ever since my mother's death, who died in giving me life, henever so much as looked on woman. It is a thing well known in theDuchy!"
The woman did not answer directly.
"Max Ulrich, bring the silver casket," she said, taking from her neck alittle silver key.
The Wordless Man, seeing her action, came forward and took the key. Hewent out of the room, and after an interval which seemed interminable hereturned with a peculiarly shaped casket. It was formed like a heart,and upon it, curiously worked in gold and precious stones, Joan saw herfather's motto and the armorial bearings of Hohenstein.
The woman touched a spring with well-practised hand, the silver heartdivided, and a roll of parchment fell upon the bed. With a strange smileshe gave it to Joan, beckoning her with an upward nod to approach.
"I give this precious document without fear into your hands. It is myvery soul. But it is safe with the daughter of Henry the Lion."
Joan took the crackling parchment. It had three seals attached to it andthe first part was in her father's own handwriting.
"_I declare by these presents that I have married, according to the customs of Hohenstein and the laws of the Empire, Theresa von Lynar, daughter of the Count von Lynar of Jutland. But this marriage shall not, by any of its occasions or consequents, affect the succession of my daughter Joanna to the Duchy of Hohenstein and the Principalities of Kernsberg and Marienfeld. To which we subscribe our names as conjointly agreeing thereto in the presence of his High Eminence the Cardinal Adrian, Archbishop of Cologne and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire._"
Then followed the three signatures, and beneath, in another handwriting,Joan read the following:--
"_These persons, Henry Duke of Hohenstein and Theresa von Lynar, were married by me subject to the above conditions mutually agreed upon in the Church of Olsen near to the Kurische Haff, in the presence of Julius Count von Lynar and his sons Wolf and Mark, in the year 14--, the day being the eve of St. John.--Adrian, Archiepiscop. et Elector._"
After her first shock of surprise was over Joan noted carefully thedate. It was one year after her own birth, and therefore the like periodafter the death of her mother, the openly acknowledged Duchess ofHohenstein.
The quick eyes of the woman on the bed had followed hers as they readcarefully down the parchment, eagerly and also apprehensively, likethose of a mother who for some weighty reason has placed her child inperil.
Joan folded the parchment and handed it back. Then she stood silentwaiting for an explanation.
The woman took up her parable calmly, like one who has long comprehendedthat such a crisis must one day arrive, and who knows her partthoroughly.
"I, who speak to you, am Theresa von Lynar. Your father saw me first atthe coronation of our late sovereign, Christian, King of Denmark. And weloved one another. For this cause I moved my brother and his sons tobuild Castle Lynar on the shores of the Northern Sea. For this cause Iaccompanied him thither. For many years at Castle Lynar, and also atthis place, called the Hermitage of the Dunes, Henry of Kernsberg and Idwelt in such happiness as mortals seldom know. I loved your father,obeyed him, adored him, lived only for him. But there came a spring whenmy brother, being like your father a hot and passionate man, quarrelledwith Duke Henry, threatening to go before the Diet of the Empire if Iwere not immediately acknowledged Duchess and my son Maurice von Lynarmade the heir of Hohenstein. But I, being true to my oath and promise,left my brother and abode here alone with my husband when he couldescape from his Dukedom, living like a simple squire and his dame. Thosewere happy days and made up for much. Then in an evil day I sent my sonto my brother to train as his own son in arms and the arts of war. Buthe, being at enmity with my husband, made ready to carry the lad beforethe Diet of the Empire, that he might be declared heir to his father.Then, in his anger, Henry the Lion rose and swept Castle Lynar with fireand sword, leaving none alive but this boy only,
whom he meant to takeback and train with his captains. But on the way home, even as he rodesouthward through the forest towards Kernsberg, he reeled in the saddleand passed ere he could speak a word, even the name of those he loved.So the boy remained a captive at Kernsberg, called by my brother's name,and knowing even to this day nothing of his father."
"I bid you slay me for the evil deed my heart waswilling to do." [_Page 161_]]
And as the woman ceased speaking Werner von Orseln nodded gravely andsadly.
"This thing concerning my lord's death is true," he said; "I waspresent. These arms received him as he fell. He was dead ere we laid himon the ground!"
Theresa von Lynar raised herself. She had spoken thus far reclining onthe bed from which Joan had risen. Now she sat up and for a little spacerested her hands on her lap ere she went on.
"Then my son, whom, not knowing, you had taken pity upon and raised tohonour, and who is now your faithful servant, sent a secret messengerthat you would come to abide secretly with me till a certain dark dayhad overpassed in Kernsberg. And then there sprang up in my heart adreadful conceit that he loved you, knowing young blood and hearing thefame of your beauty, and I was afraid for the greatness of the sin--thatone should love his sister."
Joan made a quick gesture of dissent, but the woman went on.
"I thought, being a woman alone, and one also, who had given all freelyup for love's sake, that he would certainly love you even as I hadloved. And when I saw you in my house, so cold and so proud, and when Ithought within me that but for you my son would have been a mightyprince, a strange terrible anger and madness came over me, darkening mysoul. For a moment I would have slain you. But I could not, because youwere asleep. And, even as you stirred, I heard you speak the name of aman, as only one who loves can speak it. I know right well how that is,having listened to it with a glad heart in the night. The name was----"
"Hold!" cried Joan of the Sword Hand. "I believe you--I forgive you!"
"The name," continued Theresa von Lynar, "was _not that of my son_! Andnow," she went on, slowly rising from the couch to her height, "I amready. I bid you slay me for the evil deed my heart was willing for amoment to do!"
Joan looked at her full in the eyes for the space of a breath. Thensuddenly she held out her hand and answered like her father's daughter.
"Nay," she said, "I only marvel that you did not strike me to the heart,because of your son's loss and my father's sin!"