Burlesques William Makepeace Thackeray

190
whose happiness thou hast ruined; I am the friend of his chaste and virtuous lady, whose
fair fame thou hast belied; I am the godfather of young Count Otto, whose heritage thou
wouldst have appropriated. Therefore I met thee in deadly fight, and overcame thee, and
have wellnigh finished thee. Speak on."
"I have done all this," said the dying man, "and here, in my last hour, repent me. The Lady
Theodora is a spotless lady; the youthful Otto the true son of his father—Sir Hildebrandt is
not his father, but his UNCLE."
"Gracious Buffo!" "Celestial Bugo!" here said the hermit and the Knight of Hombourg
simultaneously, clasping their hands.
"Yes, his uncle; but with the BAR-SINISTER in his scutcheon. Hence he could never be
acknowledged by the family; hence, too, the Lady Theodora's spotless purity (though the
young people had been brought up together) could never be brought to own the
relationship."
"May I repeat your confession?" asked the hermit.
"With the greatest pleasure in life: carry my confession to the Margrave, and pray him give
me pardon. Were there—a notary-public present," slowly gasped the knight, the film of
dissolution glazing over his eyes, "I would ask—you—two—gentlemen to witness it. I
would gladly—sign the deposition—that is, if I could wr-wr-wr-wr-ite!" A faint shuddering
smile—a quiver, a gasp, a gurgle—the blood gushed from his mouth in black volumes . . . .
"He will never sin more," said the hermit, solemnly.
"May heaven assoilzie him!" said Sir Ludwig. "Hermit, he was a gallant knight. He died
with harness on his back and with truth on his lips: Ludwig of Hombourg would ask no
other death. . . . ."
An hour afterwards the principal servants at the Castle of Godesberg were rather surprised
to see the noble Lord Louis trot into the court-yard of the castle, with a companion on the
crupper of his saddle. 'Twas the venerable hermit of Rolandseck, who, for the sake of
greater celerity, had adopted this undignified conveyance, and whose appearance and little
dumpy legs might well create hilarity among the "pampered menials" who are always
found lounging about the houses of the great. He skipped off the saddle with considerable
lightness however; and Sir Ludwig, taking the reverend man by the arm and frowning the
jeering servitors into awe, bade one of them lead him to the presence of his Highness the
Margrave.