Page:Story of the bitter wedding (1).pdf/21

 21 the enraged Bernhard and his crowd of guests looked terrified after him. ' I am an undone man! at last exclaimed Bernhard. My child and we are all ruined! The wedding feast and the adornments are all unpaid! Oh cursed, horrid miser! bring me a knife---a knife !' ' A fig for a knife!' exclaimed the fiddler. See here is the bridegroom just come, who has brought with him a whole wallet full of gold, ---and the bride loves him with all her heart, and the guests are all together---and my fiddle is in glorious tune! With these words Almerich crippled for- ward to the half bewildered and yet joyful Berthold, and drew him into the circle: he then wiped the paint off his face with the skirts of his coat, and showed to the delighted bride and the astonished guests their well known neighbour, who was dear and wel- come to all. He then ordered the wallet to be dragged forward, and having opened the lock, behold a prodigious quantity of pure red gold tumbled out from it, dazzling the eyes of all with its splendour! Old Bernhard and Gertrude embraced Berthold with tears of repentance, and Berthold by turns em- braced the lovely Siegelind and the ugly dwarf. Almerich took his fiddle and struck up a tune which bewitched them all, and they danced till midnight in joy and glory. The