Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/75

Rh Conrad gallantly approached towards the cooper's daughter, and said to her with exquisite grace:—"Permit, my beautiful young lady, Conrad to partake of your felicity to-day; deign to tell him that you forget his former outbursts, and that you pardon him as your father has done."

And as Rosa stood disconcerted, and master Martin and the guests were looking on in astonishment, the elder Mr. Spangenberg spoke to end this embarrasment.

"You think that you are dreaming!" said he. "But this is my son Conrad, and there is his ravishing affianced wife whose name is Rosa, like master Martin's pretty daughter. Remember then, dear master, the other day that, talking with you over a flagon of your old wine, I asked if you would refuse your daughter to everybody, even to my son. I had good reasons, for speaking thus. My rash son was in love with her, to such a point that it was necessary, in order not to drive him to despair, that I should take upon myself the management of this affair. When I related to him, to cure him, the reception which you had given me, and your strange caprice in the matter of son-in-law, Conrad could think of nothing better than slipping into your house as workman, in order to be near Rosa, and with the design of stealing her away from you some day. Luckily for you, the blow of the stave on his shoulders broke the wings of his love. I congratulated myself on it, and my son, to remain faithful in some degree to his first inclination, fell in love with a noble heiress, who bears like your daughter the name of Rosa, and who very nearly resembles her."

The young lady then approached Rosa, threw around her neck a fine pearl necklace of great value, and taking from her bosom a bunch of faded flowers,—"Here," said she to her, "here is the bouquet which you gave to Conrad, and which he has carefully kept. Are you not angry that he has given it to me? It was, he told me, what he held most precious!" A bright color mounted to the pale cheeks of the cooper's daughter.