No
one else wished to inhabit it. The chamber above was filled with the
various appliances for the defence of the castle; and no one would
have ever gone up the turret stairs had not a warder been usually
kept on the roof to watch the roads leading to the Ford. Otherwise
the Adlersteiners had all the savage instinct of herding together in
as small a space as possible.
Freiherrin Kunigunde hardly ever mounted to her daughter's chamber.
All her affection was centred on the strong and manly son, of whom
she was proud, while the sickly pining girl, who would hardly find a
mate of her own rank, and who had not even dowry enough for a
convent, was such a shame and burthen to her as to be almost a
distasteful object. But perversely, as it seemed to her, the only
daughter was the darling of both father and brother, who were ready
to do anything to gratify the girl's sick fancies, and hailed with
delight her pleasure in her new attendant. Old Ursel was at first
rather envious and contemptuous of the childish, fragile stranger,
but her gentleness disarmed the old woman; and, when it was plain
that the young lady's sufferings were greatly lessened by tender
care, dislike gave way to attachment, and there was little more
murmuring at the menial services that were needed by the two maidens,
even when Ermentrude's feeble fancies, or Christina's views of dainty
propriety, rendered them more onerous than before.
Pages:
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98