Volume Ii Part 70 (1/2)

And the spirits chanted:

”When the north Shall kiss the west, Ruin shall end: The girdle seek.”

”Alas!” said Ulenspiegel: ”north, west, and girdle. Ye speak obscurely, ye Spirits.”

And they sang, laughing:

”North, 'tis the Netherland: Belgium is the west; Girdle is alliance Girdle is friends.h.i.+p.”

”Ye are nowise fools, Messieurs the Spirits,” said Ulenspiegel.

And they sang once more, grinning:

”The girdle, poor man Between Netherlands and Belgium Will be good friends.h.i.+p And fair alliance.

”Met raedt En daedt; Met doodt En bloodt.

”Alliance of counsel And of deeds, Of death And blood

”If need were, Were there no Scheldt, Poor man, no Scheldt.”

”Alas!” said Ulenspiegel, ”such then is our life of anguish: men's tears and the laughter of destiny.”

”Alliance of counsel And of death, Were there no Scheldt.”

replied the spirits, grinning.

And a mighty hand seized Ulenspiegel and hurled him into s.p.a.ce.

X

Nele, as she fell, rubbed her eyes and saw naught save the sun rising amid gilded mists, the tips of the blades of gra.s.s all golden also and the sunrays yellowing the plumage of the sea mews that slept, but soon awakened.

Then Nele looked on herself, perceived that she was naked, and clothed herself in haste; then she beheld Ulenspiegel naked also and covered him over; thinking him asleep, she shook him, but he moved no more than a man dead; she was taken with terror. ”Have I,” she said to herself, ”have I slain my beloved with this balsam of vision? I will die, too! Ah! Thyl, awaken! He is marble cold.”

Ulenspiegel did not awake. Two nights and a day pa.s.sed by, and Nele, fevered with anguish, watched by Ulenspiegel her beloved.

It was the beginning of the second day, and Nele heard the sound of a bell, and saw approaching a peasant carrying a shovel: behind him, wax taper in hand, walked a burgomaster and two aldermen, the cure of Stavenisse, and a beadle holding a sunshade over him.

They were going, they said, to administer the holy sacrament of extreme unction to the valiant Jacobsen who was a Beggar by constraint and fear, but who, now the danger was past, returned into the bosom of the Holy Roman Church to die.

Presently they found themselves face to face with Nele weeping, and perceived the body of Ulenspiegel stretched out upon the turf, covered with his clothes. Nele went upon her knees.

”Daughter,” said the burgomaster, ”what makest thou by this dead man?”