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daughter, received the greatest number of votes. She was unquestionably the most virtuous maiden in the little community, and everybody loved her because, though an uncommon beauty, she was withal as modest as if she had never looked in a glass. The umpire, therefore, instantly proclaimed her Queen of the Fête. "I protest against it," exclaimed Mr. Muffel, the overwise barber and tooth-extractor of the village. Upon what grounds ?" demanded the umpire. "Pro pri mo," answered Muffel; "Miss Evelina is not a native of the hamlet.". "Who asserts that ?" spake the Minister; the records of the church attest the contrary."

"And were it not so," said the General, falling in, "Mr. Muffel has no authority to make a law which has not yet been thought of. Nevertheless it is but right and just that the Rose-Queen should have been born in the village, and it may, therefore, stand as a law for the future.".

Mr. Muffel, who would fain have seen the election fall on his own little ugly daughter, drew a second arrow from his quiver. "Pro secundo; though I would it were far from me to say any thing ill of the all-be-praised Evelina, yet she is, in point of fact, too charming and attractive to have escaped entirely pure and unspotted, amid the many temptations to which beauty is invariably exposed: since virtue is a fragile glass that is easily cracked, or at least loses its polish."

"How strange and offensive this language!" exclaimed the General with indignation. "Then, in the opinion of Mr. Muffel, beauty and virtue are incompatible with each other? A very false and injurious notion. Who can advance no better arguments may hold his peace."

The barber was silent, other objections were not started; the General appointed the following Sunday for the fête, and the electors dispersed.

"But who is this Evelina ?" inquired von Lindenkron of his cle

rical friend when they were alone. "I have already, General, been in fear of that question," replied the Pastor. "I know the maiden's origin; but it is a secret that was confided to me under the seal of concealment. All I now dare say is this:-About seventeen years ago Evelina's mother was delivered with the utmost privacy, and then went abroad, having first entrusted her infant to the care of the schoolmaster and his wife, depositing with the worthy couple a considerable sum of money to defray the expenses of her nurture and education. She has since maintained a regular episto lary correspondence with them, and her last letter announces her intens tion of coming shortly to claim her daughter." The General contented himself with this half answer, and the Minister rejoiced to come off so easily.

The preparations for the fête were now carried on with alacrity. In order to form an appropriate salle de danse the General caused the grass plot before the castle to be cut and rolled smooth, and the surrounding birch trees hung with an infinite number of lamps; the castle itself was to be illuminated with equal splendour and taste. The cook found himself immersed to the ears in official business; the whole village was to be feasted, and from the neighbouring Residence, which lay only three miles distant, unins vited guests were to be expected; for it might be presumed that the report of the intended novelty would presently reach there, and entice friends and acquaintances of the General to honour him with a visitation on the occasion. Yet he was not much pleased at the thought. He rather feared that the licentious gaiety of the Capitol would ill har monize with the serious tone of the ceremony, and might tend to sophisticate and destroy the natural purity of his happy tenantry. A guest of this description, a nobleman named Saloni, arrived at Lindenkron on the eve of the fète. The General had ridden out for an air

* The name given to the chief town of a petty principality, where the Prince holds his Court, and commonly resides.

ing, so by way of killing time, the great enemy of the profligate, he entered into conversation with the domestics, and inquired very opportunely about the Rose-Queen. They drew a rapturous portrait of Evelina. Burning with desire to behold so perfect a beauty he immediately inquired the road to her dwelling, and posted away thither.

The schoolmaster and his wife were gone to the neighbouring town to provide several necessaries for their foster child on the occasion of her triumph: Evelina was alone in the school-house. Saloni, accustomed to the sight of beauty height ened by coquetry and art, and rendered more dazzling by the accessories of princely pomp and courtly splendour, started involun tarily at the sight of this simple but lovely pattern of it. She too shuddered to behold Saloni, for, in spite of the furrows that fifty years or more had graven on his forehead, there glistened in his eye an unhallowed fire, a something plainly in dicating that he was no saint among the sex. He enquired for the school. master, adding, as a reason, that he was desirous of viewing the church. Evelina replied, that her father was not at home, and that the church did not contain any thing interesting or worthy of the least notice. It rests with you, Miss, to make it interesting.""How so, Sir?"-" By having the kindness to conduct me to it. I am a passionate admirer of churches, and the smallest house of worship is sure to possess some attractions for me." But it is nearly dark." "Your eyes will light us," replied the courtier. In short, she might excuse herself how she would, he had always a ready and complimentary answer to every objection. She found it impossible to rid her self of his importunity. At length, the desire to escape his persecution determined her to comply with his request. She would fain have taken a third person with her as a safeguard, but the solitary situation of the house rendered it impracticable. She was compelled to accompany the dangerous man alone, and too soon her fears were verified: the sanctity of the place, the exposed and defenceless situation of the

timid maid, which alone would have ensured her the protection of every honourable man; all failed to check the impetuous tide of lawless passion. She escaped, however, from his unhallowed touch, sprang out of the church and locked him in. He, the most timid of mortals, was horror-struck to find himself encaged in the still, dark church. The corpses of the interred arose out of their graves before his eyes, and pointed at the hoary sinner; the Apostles ofstone around the walls be came animated, and their eyes flashed indignant at the profanation of the holy sanctuary. His coward heart sickened and shrunk within him as the recollections of past and unavenged offences crowded upon his mind. He flew to the door and thundered until his hands were sore with bruises. But these signals of distress were heard by none but Evelina, who, dreading his importunity and vengeance, formed the resolution to keep him close until her parents returned. This happened not till after a full hour. The schoolmaster heard with consternation the strange and unaccountable noises, as he passed; Evelina ran to meet him with the keys of the riddle and the church.

The good man commended her conduct, sent her home, and opened the prison door himself. Saloni came out imprecating curses, and threatening to complain to the General of the treatment he had received. He did so, but found no compassionate hearer. Von Lindenkron, who had little esteem for him, said, with a smile, "I don't pity you Saloni; you men of fashion and intrigue imagine that every pretty country lass is a fruit cultivated expressly for your eating. I rejoice, therefore, that one rustic beauty at least has undeceived you. She has proved herself, thereby, doubly deserving of the crown which is awarded to her, and I shall add ten to the fifty ducats which I had destined for her promised present, in token of my admiration of her virtue and courage. The Kammerherr was too cowardly to resent this unexpected reproof. He proposed to himself, however, to punish Evelina the following day.

The morning of the important

day broke forth in splendour, and it was still early when the General was surprised by the beating of a drum in front of the castle. Repairing to the window he beheld with astonishment a little troop of the oddest soldiers he had ever seen drawn up before the castle-gate. It consisted of about twenty very old, tottering, bandy-legged little men, a true body-guard of death. They swam in enormous grenadier's coats; wore, all of them, large wigs with bag pigtails, surmounted by lilliputian hats of the Guy Fawkes fashion. Their appearance, nevertheless, was Judicrously formidable, for they were armed in a terrific manner with muskets, naked sabres, pistols, and daggers. A crook-backed ensign supported their colours, inscribed with the words "Conquest or Death," and near him was their Captain, a barrel-shaped dwarf, mounted on a diminutive donkey, richly caparisoned. After surveying this extraordinary regiment for some time, the General sent a servant down with the question, "What their marching into his territories signified?" This paper will explain," replied the leader, drawing a letter from his holster-pipe. Von Lindenkron immediately recognized the hand-writing of his facetious friend, Colonel Solmitz, who wrote him as follows: "Bravo, Comrade! It is well that you are resolved manfully to stand forth in the defence of virtue, while in other places she is trampled under foot. But, however, as it is notorious that she has many and powerful enemies, you will require a considerable force to be present at the ceremony of her coronation, for her protection and the keeping of order and the King's peace. I have therefore selected a handful of choice and trusty fellows, who served with distinction in the army of the Pope some years ago, and, being disbanded, have wandered to Germany; and I promise myself from you, who were always so proud of commanding a regiment of picked men, the most unqualified approbation. Of the cost of enlistment and equip, ment of this band, we will talk in half an hour."

The General had scarcely perused this letter before the Colonel came. The former, out of civility, pre

tended to be amused with his friend's joke, yet forbade, in decided terms, the appearance of the soldiery at the fête, because it must bring the whole into ridicule and contempt. The Colonel insisted, however, that his chosen band,— which he had made up, with the exception of the Captain and Ensign, of the most decrepit objects the invalid house could furnish,— should, at least, mount guard at the castle, and he instantly assumed the command of the garrison. The General was obliged to submit to this, and to witness the field movements of the corps, which the Colonel commanded from the window. He hunted the old warriors about the court-yard in quick and doublequick time, made them fire blank cartridges, and laughed heartily as some of the weakly heroes of the front rank, who had to fall on one knee, were unable to raise themselves from that posture without assistance. The General turned away from the window, saying “ Enough? friend, enough. You give the young people below an example destructive of good morals. They will learn of you to ridicule old age, which they ought to venerate."— The poor soldiers were halted and marched to the kitchen, where the campaign closed much to their satisfaction. Many guests arrived in carriages and on horseback from the residence, and among them several young libertines whom the General welcomed with secret disgust.

A serene sky favoured the fête, which commenced as soon as the sun, having withdrawn his vertical rays from the earth, allowed her to feel the refreshing influence of the western breeze. The villagers formed themselves into a procession to conduct Evelina to the castle.— A simple robe of white muslin, upon which her brown and silken tresses hung down in rich luxuriance, formed her sole attire; and she was wonderfully beautiful. Younger maidens strewed flowers before her; the General and the venerable Pastor supported her on either side, and the former restrained the young townsmen who crowded round with many a severe glance. Arrived at the green plot chosen for the coro

nation, the Minister delivered a short oration in praise of the worth and blessings of virtue. The greater part of the country people were moved to tears; but it excited laughter only in the profligate part of his auditors, and some of them even endeavoured to cajole the prettiest of the village maidens out of the treasure which had just been so highly extolled and recommended to them as their greatest happiness. The General, after a suitable encomium on Evelina's courage and prudence, placed the fragrant crown upon her head, and the Magistrate, a venerable and dignified personage, presented her with the more substantial, and not less honorary reward of sixty ducats on a silver waiter. The procession then entered the castle; the music struck up merrily, and the General danced the first dance with the Rose-Queen. The whole village was content and happy; Muffel and his daughter, only, were absent. However, his assertion, that beauty is beset with temptations and dangers was again verified in the instance of Evelina. She found it necessary to keep as close as possible to the General for protection against the freedoms of his fashionable guests. In this she succeeded pretty well for the first -hour, and she was grieved to see her guardian withdraw to an upper chamber of the castle and seat himself at a card-table, where to stay would be intrusion. Shortly afterwards a servant whispered in her ear that a lady, who was among the visitors, desired a private interview with her for a few moments. She followed him to a distant apart ment on the ground-floor. Here she found a female figure seated on a sopha, who begged her, in a lisping tone, to take a seat beside her. She obeyed, and in an instant, a pair of nervous arms thrust from under the silken mantle grasped her waist. She struggled and uttered a loud scream, when instantly a scuffle ensued between the servants who kept sentry at the door, and Erich, the General's Jager, who loved Eve

lina, and had followed her when she was called away from the com pany. He overpowered his opponents, and, bursting into the room, exclaimed in a voice of thunder, "What is here ?" The lady relinquished her prey and concealed her face. Erich, not satisfied with this, insisted upon an answer, but before he received it he found himself surrounded by ten armed skeletons, whom the servants had called to their assistance. They advanced gallantly to the charge, but the Jager entreated them, compassionately, not to compel him to crush their venerable bones and tumble them one over the other like cardhouses. During this moving representation the commandant of the garrison, having received due notice of the affair, made his appearance. "What is all this?" demanded his powerful and authoritative voice. Erich answered, "That the dumb figure upon the couch had offered violence to the Rose-Queen."—" Is that true?" cried Solmitz to the mask. The figure sprang up and attempted to make his way out; but the Colonel held him fast, and delivered him over as a prisoner to his attendants, who conducted him to an empty apartment, and placed a guard at the door.

Von Lindenkron, informed of the circumstance, rose from the table in anger to examine the criminal. All his male guests followed him; the ladies only were restrained by decorum. Meanwhile the "gentle lady," had become transformed into the ungentle and unmanly Kam merherr Saloni. Disentangled from his masquerade attire he stepped forth with a smiling countenance, as if he had intended nothing but a harmless joke. But the General thought very differently; his brow was knit into a tremendous frown. "You allow yourself, Sir, unwarrantable liberties in my house," said he, "and shew yourself a general disturber of peace and tranquillity. You have given the lie both to the courtier and the gentleman, who never oversteps the bounds of deco

Jager, a soldier, or confidential servant armed, attached to persons of dis tinction.

inevitable. The unhappy lover, called suddenly to the field, presented her with 2,000 dollars, and was compelled to leave her to herself. She turned towards Lindenkron where she had spent the preceding summer with her benefac tress, and had formed a favourable opinion of the schoolmaster's wife. After her recovery she attached herself to a lady of quality as travelling companion. With her Charlotte spent about sixteen years in visiting most of the countries of Europe, and became at length so weary of this unsettled mode of life, that she was glad to accept a favourable offer of marriage that was made to her in one of the capital towns of Germany. She had acknowledged to her husband that she had a daughter, and he joined ..in her desire to have her home.

rum, and shuns every action that can render him troublesome to so> ciety. I now see that it was a foolish attempt to establish a fête of this kind, whose object is the en couragement and reward of virtue, in the vicinity of a large town. Not your conduct alone, Sir, but also, that of other gentlemen present has convinced me of this, who, at the very moment that a just eulogium was being passed on virtue, the chief, the worthiest ornament of the female sex, went round the circle of youthful innocence, with the base at tempt to sow the seeds of vice!"Here he was interrupted by a servant who whispered a message in his ear. "I must leave you for an instant, gentlemen," said the General, “but you shall not lose the remainder of my lecture," added he, smiling and making a sign with his finger.

It was announced to him that a strange lady, travelling across the country, requested an audience. He found, in a chamber to which he was conducted, a veiled female, who answered his inquiries after her name and her commands by raising her veil. The countenance was that of a lady of about five and thirty, bearing evident marks of former beauty; it seemed familiar to him, yet he confessed that he could not recollect who she was. ́,

"Have you quite forgotten Char lotte Walter?" inquired the lady in a tremulous voice. "Charlotte!" exclaimed the General, while a deep blush crimsoned his manly face. "My dear Charlotte!-Is it possi ble? Do we again meet after you have concealed yourself from me for more than seventeen years?" "Shame and remorse," she replied, "drove me into exile from my na tive land, but the anxious longing to see my daughter and you again has brought me back."- "Then the dear pledge of our affection lives?" said Lindenkron, while joy sparkled in his eyes. "She lives, and is called Evelina." Conceive his as tonishment!

Charlotte, the orphan daughter of a poor country curate, had been adopted at the age of fifteen by the General's mother. He saw, loved, and conquered the too charming maid. The Baroness died just as the detection of her crime appeared

This proposition she now made to the General. Let us talk of it tomorrow," said he, "wait the conclusion of the fête without suffering anybody to recognize you; then follow Evelina to the school-house and discover yourself to her there. I have a strong reason for requesting this."

And who does not guess this reason? He dreaded ridicule and derision, because at the very moment that he was reading a moral lecture to his guests, he was himself reminded of a youthful offence. The threatened continuation of the sermon was omitted, and the guests gradually disappeared.

Early the following morning the General surprised the mother and daughter at the school-house, and embraced Evelina with parental tenderness; they seemed, however, rather sorrowful than joyous. He inquired the cause, the maiden was silent, but the mother betrayed her secret." The dear child," said she, "can hardly relish the idea of being the daughter of a nobleman; and, on the other hand, she is fearful lest she should be compelled to abandon a poor friend."" Who is this friend?" inquired Von Lindenkron "Erich, the Jager," answered Char lotte."I rejoice to hear that name," continued the General; "Erich is a noble youth, and worthy of your love, my daughter. He was attached to my person, and

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