Page:Select Popular Tales from the German of Musaeus.djvu/148

134 gnawing jealousy, the bond of union was broken, and as, in general, three happy people can with difficulty reside under one roof, since union is the daughter of mutual necessity, so it fell out with the partnership, the three united inheritors for life separated, only promising to each other not to betray the secret.

Andiol, in order to be beforehand with his rivals, immediately put his pocket coining-machine into operation, and shut himself up in a solitary chamber to twist his copper penny, in order to fill the purse with gold pieces. As soon as he had the necessary funds, he decked himself out as a stately knight, appeared at the court, obtained an appointment, and soon, by his splendour, drew the eyes of all Astorga on himself. The curious inquired his lineage, but he observed, on this point, a profound silence, and let the critics chatter; yet he did not contradict the report which called him a near connexion of Charlemagne’s, and he named himself Childeric. The Princess, by means of her acuteness of sight, discovered this Brabanter, who followed in the vortex of her enchanting allurements, with pleasure, and delayed not to exercise her attractive powers on him;—and friend Andiol, to whom love in the highest circles was yet new and strange, swam with the current, which carried him away, like a light soap-bubble.

The coquetry of the lovely Urraca was not merely temperament, or pride in stringing hearts on the cords of her frivolity, to make a display with this dazzling garniture, which, in the eyes of ladies, is of great value. The amusement of pillaging her suitors, and the malicious pleasure of afterwards mocking them, had a great share in her plans. Her favour was now granted at the highest price which the importunate rivals could offer for it; as soon as an infatuated fool was quite despoiled of his wealth, he was dismissed with scorn and contempt. Of these victims to an unhappy passion, which embittered the honey of enjoyment with sad repentance, Mrs. Fame had had much to relate throughout the kingdom of the Asturias; notwithstanding this, there were not wanting foolhardy moths which flew to the fatal light, in whose flames they found then end.

As soon as Crœsus Andiol was scented out by this covetous lady, she proposed to herself to make use of him as an orange, which one peels to enjoy the sweet marrow. The report of his illustrious descent, and the great expenditure that he made, gave him so much weight and importance at the court, that even the most penetrating eyes did not discover the shield-bearer through this dazzling veil, although his blunt manners often betrayed his former company. These anomalies in polite manners passed at court rather for originality of mind and characteristics of great genius. He succeeded in obtaining the first place amid the favourites of the Princess, and spared neither trouble nor expense to retain it. He daily gave splendid fêtes, tournaments, games