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whetting of a scythe, but Bohoraz called to
him to keep his shot for a nobler booty. It
soon appeared, in the shape of a powerful
elk of the size of a war-horse; clumsily it
trotted through the shrubbery, depressing ra
ther than elevating its head, from which rose
two shovel-like antlers. The young hunter
felt the pulse beat even in his temples, as the
animal approached him ; but presently, chan
ging its course, it took the direction where
Bohoraz was stationed, and soon fell howling
to the ground, beneath his unerring shot.
Hardly had Meloknerr run up to take a look
at this noble animal, when something thun
dered behind him like a carriage rolling
through the woods; while the shrubbery and
branches cracked and crashed. It was a bi
son, which came raging onward, though at
too great a distance for a successful shot;
and the young hunter had just time to return
to his stand, when he was startled by a soft
and frequently repeated murmur, attended by
a crashing of the reeds. His attention awa
kened by his companion’s animated move
ments, he looked towards the forest, where
the banners of the reeds increased their
movement at every moment, till presently, a
boar of such size as Miloknerr had never
seen among the woods of Bohemia, advanced
slowly, as if unaware of any other presence,
till when almost arrived at the oak, he stood
still, raised his heavy head, and snuffed to
the right and left. The hunter raised his
bow—and this movement probably excited
the animal's attention; for he deliberately
raised himself on his hind legs, thus offering
his wide breast as a good mark. The shot
w T as an unfortunate one, since instead of the
breast it struck the shoulder, from which spout
ed a stream of blood through the knotted
hair, and with a short bellow and open jaws,
it rushed on Miloknerr, who had scarcely
time to throw aside his bow and seize on his
spear. The boar’s eyes glazed with the
green fire of rage ; two long tusks glittered
from the retreating lips; he was only three
steps from the youth, when, with all his col
lected strength, Miloknerr plunged the spear
into his breast —the boar tottered, and the
hunter was about drawing out his weapon to
repeat the blow, when the movement brought
him nearer than he had intended; and ere he
could foresee, the animal’s tusk caught his
arm, and tore it open from the elbow to the
wrist, while, rushing to his aid, the Bannerer
drove his spear through the boar’s side, into
his heart; and amid streams of black blood
it breathed its last.
In the first moment of excitement, Milok
nerr scarcely noticed his wound; but as
soon as his companion observed his crimson
garments, he exclaimed, “you are injured!
Ah! master boar carries stout weapons, for
the wound is not slight; however, it is not
dangerous, and my daughter will set all
right in a few days. You must know, that
although the women of our land are univer
sally expert in the healing art, yet my de
ceased wife excelled them all: and the same
spirit has descended to her daughter. Nay !
I believe I may say, that Libussa’s spirit is
still at work in the descendant of her favo
rite handmaid, since there is no herb or heal
ing plant among the mountains, with which
Ladika is not acquainted; for, although the
Bulgarian women are equally skilful, yet
they do not understand the exact time when
the root must be planted, the leaves plucked,
and the drink prepared. Then the sayings
which accompany the medicine; my wife
used always to murmur some such, when she
handed me the draught, and I assure you, ere
I was aware, the pain ahd fever disappeared
and I was well as ever. Don’t be cast down!
in two hours you will reach my castle, w hen
Ladika will effect a cure.”
Miloknerr was not exactly of his compan
ion’s opinion, for the tusk of the boar had
torn down to the bone, and his arm was ex
ceedingly painful; neither did he feel in-
a©®ifa ss sa &> qtßs &a ¥
dined to accept the maiden's services, when
he heard of the charms that accompanied her
medicines; since in his father-land, he had
often been told of Libussa’s dangerous arts,
and the pious chaplain, who resided in his
father’s house, had frequently spoken of
them, as devilish and destructive to the soul.
He therefore remained in a state of indecis
ion, until they reached an old gray building,
surmounted by towers, and encompassed by
a moat, while Bohoraz exclaimed, “ here we
are at last,’’ as the warder blew a mournful
trumpet blast to gain them admittance, which,
together with a few shouts from the master
in the Hungarian tongue, caused the draw
bridge to be let down, and the hunters rode
into a dark small court-yard, from whence
Bohoraz led his guest into the armour}', a
spacious but rude looking apartment, whose
w'alls were adorned with the most singular
looking weapons, while a table and chairs of
common oak stood in the middle.
In the huge chimney blazed the half of a
fir-tree, and above it hung the family es
cutcheon, “a maiden mounted on a boar.”
“ Say to my daughter, that she must come and
welcome a guest, and also bind up a small
flesh wound,” said the host to the servant.
In a few moments Ladika entered, and as the
visitor gazed on her noble figure, her dark
hair, blue eyes, and features of perfect beau
ty, he forgot his own sufferings, and scarcely
noticed that a servant accompanied her, bear
ing a monstrous beaker on a silver platter,
along with several strangely formed drinking
vessels. Filling one of them with wine, the
maiden carried it to her lips, and then on
bended knee presented it to the knight, who,
struck with her beauty, hastily drank off its
contents, then retained it empty in his hand,
till her father cried out, “ Ladika! why do
you not salute our guest after the fashion of
the land The maiden bowed modestly, as
she offered her cheek for a kiss: and greatly
pleased with the Bulgarian fashion, the youth
quickly imprinted a kiss on her cheek.
“Now pour him out another draught, La
dika ! and then attend to his wound,” said
the host.
Miloknerr held the cup to have it refilled, but
almost allowed it to fall, as on observing it
closely, he saw it was a skull set in silver.
Perceiving the youth’s alarm, Bohoraz laugh
ingly said, “Oh! daughter, our’guest is a Bo
hemian, and you should have learned from
your mother, that his race like not to drink
from such vessels. Put aside the skull of
Hassan Begs, and bring him another.” A
shudder run through the young man’s frame
—but when he had received another cup from
the hands of his hostess, and had his wound
dressed and bound up with the gentlest care,
he soon forgot his momentary aversion.
The slight flesh wound, as the Bulgarian
styled it, was in fact of a dangerous charac
ter —for, in spite of Ladika’s herbs and cool
ing drinks, a violent fever ensued, which
laid him low for many days. The fashion of
the time required, that those who waited on
the sick, should tend them personally; thus,
during the greater part of everyday, the maiden
lingered at the sufferer’s side; her hand
dressed his wounds; it was she who admin
istered every drink, and her lips alone uttered
words of soothing and encouragement. Was
it then to be wondered at, if in the youth’s
heart sprang up an ardent passion, which
found an answer in Ladika’s innnocent breast,
and which at length ended in a mutual en
gagement, ratified by many a solemn oath
and promise of secrecy, since the Count was
well aware that his proud mother would nev
er willingly consent to his union with the
daughter of the rude Bohoraz.
It was one evening, about twilight, when
Ladika, before quitting the invalid’s apart
ment, placed on the table the lamp, which
had been used during his sickness. It was
of singular form, and ornamented with seven
heads, cut in alto relievo, each of the counte
nances being graduated from ideal beauty to
hateful ugliness. “Ladika,” observed Mi
loknerr, as his eyes rested on the antique,
“ there seems something singular about that
lamp; often during my long nights of suffer
ing, it appeared to me that the figures pos
sessed life; and in my feverish dreams, they
seem to come out from the stone, and make
faces at me as in threat and derision. Tell
me, is there not something peculiar about it
While her lover spoke, the maiden ap
peared perplexed, and seemed unable to frame
a reply, till when he agitatedly cried out,
“For Heaven's sake ! Ladika, tell me, is not
this a magic lamp ?” She answered, “ No,
oh! no; but do not enquire further about it.
It formerly In ’ vnged to my mother, who re
garded it as a valuable treasure; yet it make£
you uneasy; I will put it aside—and I blame
myself for ever allowing you to see it; yet,
if you love me, Miloknerr, ask me no further
about it; nay ! seek to forget the matter al
together,” —and so saying, she hurriedly left
the apartment.
For some minutes, the Baroness ceased
reading, and while Ladislaw examined the
lamp on every side, he smilingly observed,
“this is no doubt Ladislaw’s lamp; brought
from Bulgaria to Castle Dub.' 5
“So it appears,” remarked the Baroness,
“Miloknerr became the possessor of the
lamp, as my tale unfolds, and strange to re
late, the story was well known in the neigh
borhood, previous to the excavations, which
took place in yonder ruins, where this article
was found, which must singularly resemble
Ladika’s lamp, in respect to the alto relievo.”
“Indeed, it is wonderful!” replied her com
panion,—“ But cousin! what seems stranger
still, is, that to me, it really appears to pos
sess some magical qualities, for while I look,
the expression in the several faces appears
constantly changing.”
“Do you find it so?” rejoined the Baroness
smilingly—“ then beware,” she added, with
a searching glance, “ that you yourself do
not become its possessor.” She then contin
ued her reading. “ Day by day elapsed, du
ring which Ladika sought to play the agree
able hostess to her betrothed; but accustomed
to intellectual society, and sighing after the
refinements which belong to a more civilized
region, the unstable Count presently discov
ered that the maiden was deficient in many
of those attributes, which he felt would be
essential to her introduction among his circle
of friends. In some respects, he found her
ignorant and uneducated; her innocence
changed to stupidity; and above all, he
shrank from marrying the daughter of a sor
ceress; for how else could he regard the for
mer possessor of this magical lamp. At
length, he determined to enquire something
about it, at the earliest opportunity, from his
host; and such a one presented itself, when
a few days after, Bohoraz showed him a sin
gular looking sword of Damascus make, and
which had cost him no less than a thousand
pieces of gold. On the table beside the
sword stood the lamp. “Tell me, sir,” said
Miloknerr, raising it as he spoke, “is there
not something mysterious about this article ?
During my sickness, it seemed as if your
daughter had some communication with these
figures, and they appeared at times to move,
as if they possessed life.
“No doubt it is a wonderful thing,’’ re
plied Bohoraz animatedly : “my wife brought
it home with her bridal treasures, and she
used to say, that it had been handed down
from one to another of her ancestors; the
first of whom received it from Libussa’s own
hands. What the figures mean I know not;
but this l do know, that my wife lighted the
lamp on important occasions, and always
appeared much interested in the sculptures.
She would never give me any satisfaction
about it, but w*as accustomed to ascribe to
this lamp, the success which attended every
thing which she undertook. My daughter
inherits her mother’s knowledge of the mat
ter, and doubtless made use of it to aid your
recovery in some way.”
“ Then it certainly must be a magician’s
lamp.”
“ Very probably,” replied his host careless
ly, as he made preparations for the chase.
“ Heaven forbid,” mentally exclaimed Mi
loknerr, “ that I should ever marry a sorcer
ess. No ! a union wfith such a family is not
to be thought of —and although Ladika is my
betrothed, I will delay our nuptials, and in
the meanwhile contrive some way of escape.
Yet it will not do to give her any hint of my
real feelings, since, in such a case she might
break the promise of secrecy, by which I
have bound her, and inform her father of my
broken troth. No! I will only bid her fare
well for three months, under the plea that I
wish to visit my estates, and prepare for her
reception as my bride.”
While Miloknerr was thus reflecting on
the best mode of procedure, the maiden her
self entered the apartment, and with some
thing of anxiety in her mien, handed him a
letter, observing, “ this is directed to you;
my father has also received one, requiring
his immediate attendance at Court.”
“ And I too must leave you,” rejoined the
lover, after glancing through the sheet;
while his deep sigh of regret contrasted
strangely with an expression of ill-concealed
joy.” King Andreas is about to return to
Hungary, and wishes me to accompany’ him ;
afterward, I must go to Bohemia, to see after
my property.”
“ And when will y T ou return ?” enquired
Ladika.”
“ In three or four months at the furthest.”
“ Nay! that is too long; I cannot bear
such a separation,” exclaimed Ladika mourn
fully.
“ It will be impossible to return earlier,”
replied the Knight, “since, as the King's vas
sal, ? cannot refuse to attend him, and as I
already mentioned, must afterwards visit my
home. Yet, look not so sorrowful, Ladika ;
in four months I will surely return.”
“ Miloknerr!” exclaimed the maiden, as
she clasped his extended hand, “my heart
will be broken should you fail in your prom
ise. Nay,” she continued in a tone of deep
dejection, and yet, of unwonted threatening,
‘* I will revenge myself on you even after
death, should y r ou neglect to fulfil the solemn
engagement on which you have entered.”
With loving praise and specious flatteries,
the Knight succeeded in lulling the fears of
the innocent Ladika, and after hurried ar
rangements, he set off on his journey the fol
lowing day, accompanied by the prayers and
tears of the affectionate girl.
After a short sojourn with his King, Mi
loknerr hastened to Bohemia, and at every
day's journey, found himself less and less in
clined to fulfil his engagement with the
daughter of Bohoraz. In the course of a
few weeks, business drew him to the capitol,
where, as one lately returned from Palestine,
he became an object of great interest, and
was flattered and caressed by every lady of
distinction. Among those who smiled upon
him, there was none more rich and beautiful
than Bertha von Thurs, a young widow, and
the mistress of estates bordering on the
Count’s. Enthusiastic praise of her talents
and personal beauty, soon reached the noble
man's ears, prompting him to the wish of a
nearer acquaintance; and with her spirit, her
graceful carriage, her refined education, and
proud beauty, it is not to be wondered at that
Ladika was soon forgotten, or that her lover
shackled himself with new chains. Every
day found him at the side of the beautiful
Bertha. He esteemed it the greatest earthly
bliss to bask in the smiles of this noblest and
wealthiest lady in Bohemia; and when in
the course of a few weeks, she became his
betrothed, his earlier engagement appeared to
him but as a dream, while, in a round of