Overwhelmed with despair at the wreck of this last hope, he rushed into the street.

CHAPTER XX.

At the council house upon the Suedermalm, in the arched and grated room occupied by Goertz, the pale Georgina sat waiting, her weary head resting upon Arwed's shoulder. With a melancholy glance the youth surveyed the mean table and wooden stool which composed all the furniture in the dwelling-place of the once all-powerful prime minister. At length a confused noise was heard without, and from the midst of the crowd of soldiers by whom he was surrounded, the worthy Goertz entered the room. He was accompanied by lieutenant general Rank and the pastor Conradi, A clerk of the court followed, who remained upon the threshold with a timepiece in his hand, while the gaoler bolted the door behind him on the outside.

Georgina rushed with a loud scream to meet her father, pressing his chained hand to her lips.

'Behold, my Georgina,' said the old man encouragingly, 'a joyful moment after so many sad days! G.o.d disposes all things for the best. But you must not weep, my daughter. Your tears move me powerfully, and I have need of repose. I am hara.s.sed in mind as well as in body. Standing up through a six hours' examination has much weakened me.'

'How!' asked Arwed indignantly, 'did they not allow you to be seated?'

'I requested it,' answered Goertz, sinking down upon his wooden stool, 'but the lords were of opinion that they could not allow a man like me to sit in their presence. The words were yet harder than the refusal itself. But let that pa.s.s. What is your sister about, Georgina? She is well? Why did you not bring her with you?'

'The permission was only allowed to myself and Arwed,' said Georgina.

'They would not allow the child to come in, and I was compelled to send her back from the door.'

'They are very strict with me in every respect,' said Goertz, 'whilst they permit themselves every lat.i.tude to my disadvantage. This day's examination furnishes sufficient proof of this.'

'I must hope, my old friend,' said Rank much moved, 'that the commission will allow you every legal and proper indulgence.'

'A copy of the accusation has never once been laid before me,' answered Goertz. 'I begged that my process might not be overhastened. I begged also for permission to make a written defence. Both were denied me. I begged to be allowed the a.s.sistance of professional counsel. This legal aid also, which every murderer enjoys, was withheld from me.'

'Unheard of!' cried Rank indignantly. 'The queen cannot refuse these requests consistently with her own honor. I will speak to her about it.'

'My good Rank,' said Goertz, extending his hand to him with a smile of grat.i.tude, 'put not yourself to any inconvenience on my account. I am not to be saved. When the blood of my king flowed, the same moment was my sentence p.r.o.nounced. Sweden thirsts for my blood, and it must be drunken. This conviction has its benefits. It raises me above delusive hopes, and confers upon me the quiet repose of resignation.'

'My dear father!' sobbed Georgina, who had sunk down before him, with her head resting upon his knees.

'My good child!' said Goertz, lifting up her face and looking at her with an expression of unutterable tenderness. 'Thou hast thy mother's eyes,' added he, laying his hand softly upon her cheek. 'I must take a long look that every lineament may remain in my memory. For this enjoyment may never again be allowed to me.'

'This is the only interview which I could prevail upon the inexorable Ribbing to grant,' said Rank sadly. 'They will not, however, refuse you a farewell conversation with your daughters after the trial.'

Goertz kissed the tears from his daughter's eyes. But his parental feelings became too strong for him. 'Leave me!' said he springing up: 'this trial is too great for me!' and he walked up and down the room with hasty strides.

'One satisfaction,' resumed he suddenly, as if wishing to divert his thoughts to other objects by the observation: 'one satisfaction have I yet had in those hours when every one seemed to aim at my utter prostration. Fehmann, my accuser, read, as a proof that I had calumniated his subjects to the king, a letter, in which I had complained to Charles of the neglect of his duty by a governor of a province, and recommended his dismission. When he had read thus far he laid the letter aside. I requested that the remainder might be read; the commission decided in my favor, and Fehmann was now compelled to read a description of himself as an able and faithful man whom I recommended to the king for the place.'

'And did not the wretch throw himself at your feet overwhelmed with shame and contrition?' cried Arwed in a rage.

'My good captain,' answered Goertz, 'the minds of the people who pursue me are so perfectly settled, that they are incapable of such emotions.'

'Can I then do nothing, nothing at all, for you?' sobbed Georgina. 'I will go with Magdalena to all your judges, clasp their knees and entreat for mercy; the prayers and tears of innocent children, whom they are about to make orphans, will, perhaps, move their flinty, hearts.'

'I forbid your doing that!' answered Goertz with decision. 'What you could ask for me has already been attempted by true friends, and attempted in vain.'

At this moment the court scribe held out the watch in his hand, and cried, 'the time has expired!'

'My G.o.d! the time has expired!' shrieked Georgina: 'and I had so many things to say, and so many questions to ask you, my father, but your sufferings have put them all out of my head. Have you nothing to charge me with?'

'The crown of Sweden,' answered Goertz with a melancholy smile, 'has relieved me of the care of my earthly possessions. My palace is plundered, my funds and papers are all seized, and will probably be confiscated for the benefit of the royal treasury. What it may be necessary for you to know, in relation to these affairs you will find in my testament, which I hope to be able to finish in the course of the next few days.'

'And have you nothing else to say?' cried she, weeping upon his neck.

'We shall meet once more before my last hour,' answered Goertz with a failing voice. 'Leave me now, my dear daughter.' He gently disengaged himself from her arms and walked to the grated window, concealing his face in his handkerchief.

'Father!' shrieked Georgina with desperation, and, springing after him, again clasped him in her arms.

'Really, two minutes have already elapsed beyond the time, your excellency,' said the clerk importunately, holding up his watch to lieutenant general Rank. 'I shall be made answerable for any further delay.'

'Take her hence!' cried Goertz, placing Georgina in Arwed's arms.

'Obey, my daughter!'--and Arwed bore the fainting sufferer out.

CHAPTER XXI.

The diet of Sweden had a.s.sembled at the capital. To the house of a.s.sembly hastened the Swedish lords, counts and barons, the knights, the lower n.o.bility, and the good men of the kingdom, to deliberate upon her welfare in the _pleno plenorum_. Arwed rode gloomily through the files of carriages and ma.s.ses of people who filled the Ritter square in crowds. His way led him past the statue of the great Gustavus Vasa, which adorned the place. 'Oh that thou wert now alive, n.o.ble hero!'

sighed he, as he came in view of it. 'Then, truly, the despotism of va.s.sals would not dare to deck itself with the robes of righteousness!'

As if desirous of fleeing from the grief which preyed upon him, he gave the spur to his horse, and hastily pa.s.sed the bridge which connects Holy-Ghost island and the city with the Norrmalm, and followed the south bank towards Blasiusholm, the refuge of Georgina. At the door he met the preacher Conradi, in whose countenance he observed with surprise an expression of hope and serenity, mingled with some degree of excitement. They entered the room of the young sufferer together.

'Sister is praying in her chamber,' whispered the little Magdalena to them. 'We must not disturb her.'

'May G.o.d hear the prayer of the pious maiden,' said Conradi. 'Since yesterday a small gleam of hope has arisen.'

'Hope?' asked Arwed. 'You have seen the cold, inimical, hypocritical face of the queen, and dream you yet of hope?'

'If Ulrika remain queen,' answered Conradi, 'then indeed is Goertz lost; but she has received as yet but the allegiance of the senate and army, and not that of the country. Before she obtains the latter many things may happen. I spoke yesterday with the counsellor count Tessin, who is most favorably disposed towards our poor friend. The queen has committed a great political error. She has, in convoking the members of the diet, styled herself hereditary queen. This has injured her cause.

The senate has been severely reproached on account of the readiness with which it acknowledged her hereditary right. They have also sought to awaken dissatisfaction among the people; and in the last sitting of the senate, the president, count Horn, did not hesitate to desire of the queen that she should surrender the conferring of the royal dignity to the decision of the diet. That only would insure her the crown, which she else may lose.'

'Elected or hereditary queen! is it not all one?' asked Arwed.

'Not for the diet,' answered Conradi; 'and as little for the queen. The hereditary king is indebted only to G.o.d and his forefathers; the elected king is the creature of the electors, and must be dependent upon them.'

'And if Ulrika should now stand upon her hereditary right?' asked Arwed further.

'Then,' answered Conradi, 'she would by this exercise of arbitrary power, provoke the diet to inquire into the hereditary right of the duke of Holstein, which would perhaps stand the scrutiny much better than her's.'

'That would little help the good cause!' replied Arwed. 'What can be expected of a prince who is capable of giving up his faithful minister to the rage of his enemies?'

'Or the throne would be declared vacant,' proceeded Conradi, 'and a regent of the empire seated upon it. To that end are many Swedish lords laboring, as I am well informed from good sources. At all events let there be a change in the government, and there may be also a change of feeling in relation to Goertz, to his advantage.'

'I doubt that,' observed Arwed. 'Though the contending parties may oppose each other ever so bitterly on other subjects, all unite in their hatred of the foreigner. He is the common enemy against whom they all, as one man, array themselves.'