THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 SALANDER 
 
 THE DRAGON: 
 
 3 llnninntp of ty* jDarti jprisnn. 
 
 BY 
 
 FREDERIC WILLIAM SHELTON, M.A.. 
 
 RECTOR OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, HUNTINGTON, N. V. 
 
 Never any tiling can come amiss, 
 When simplene59 and duty tender it. 
 
 Midsummer Nighfi Ore 
 
 SECOND THOUSAND. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 SAMUEL HUESTON, 139 NASSAU STREET. 
 
 GEORGE P. PUTNAM, 155 BROADWAY. 
 
 1851.
 
 Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1850, by 
 SAMUEL HUESTON, 
 
 tn the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District 
 of New York. 
 
 BAKER AND FALMEB, 8TF.RKOTVPEBS, NEW i'OKK.
 
 TS 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE following little allegory is intended to illus- 
 trate the danger of uttering or of lending ear to 
 the unkind word or insinuation, a sin which may 
 justly be esteemed as a root of bitterness, and 
 from which, in some shape or other, none but 
 those who are nearly angels are exempt. The 
 application being so general, although a few of the 
 following pages may appear too light for the high 
 moral design which we have desired to convey, it 
 is hoped that this error, if it be one, may be par- 
 doned, because the intention is good. Should this 
 simple offering be the means of drawing attention 
 to the detestable habit of detraction, and of pre- 
 senting it in a just light, its object will be attained. 
 
 1188754
 
 " ALAS I it if strange to consider the depravity of our nature how 
 we delight in other men's sins, and are secretly glad when their mis- 
 carriages give us an occasion to reproach or disgrace them. How 
 many are big with such stuff, and go in pain till they have dis- 
 Imrthened themselves into the ears of others ! And some are such 
 ill dissemblers of their joy, that they do it with open scorn and ir- 
 rision. Others are more artfully malicious, and with a deep sigh, 
 and tlowncasf look, and whining voice, and an urt'i-ctfil soberness, 
 whisper to one, 'Alas! did you not hear of such a gross miscarriage 
 by such a one?' And then whisper the same thing to another, and a 
 third ; and when they have made it as public as they can, hypocrit- 
 ically desire every one to keep it secret, for that they should be loth 
 their neighbor should come to any disgrace or trouble about it. Be- 
 lieve it, sirs, this, though the matter you report be never so true, U 
 notning else but SLANDEB." OLD AUTHOR. 

 
 SALANDER AND THE DRAGON, 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 THERE was a very faithful jailer, who, in the 
 center of the territory where he lived, kept an 
 important fortress, called the Hartz Prison. 
 He held the place under the Lord of Consci- 
 enza, a noble of the purest blood, and very 
 strict toward his vassals. Goodman, who had 
 hitherto been a devoted servant, kept the keys 
 in his own possession, knew every secret access, 
 and placed an especial guard on those places 
 most liable to assault. Never had a prisoner 
 escaped. Every night, before he kneeled down 
 to say his prayers, his examination began, and 
 the red light of his candle streamed into all the 
 apertures of the prison, of which the walls were 
 of clay. Every morning also he made arrange- 
 ments to keep the place, that nothing should 
 enter in or go out without his knowledge. Se- 
 1*
 
 10 SALANDER AND 
 
 cure only while the magic keys were beneath 
 his own girdle, if he betrayed his trust, the 
 Lord alone knew how terrible would be the pen- 
 alty to the keeper of the Hartz Prison. 
 
 One summer night, as sank the sun and cast 
 its golden radiance on the two great, beautiful 
 windows of the castle, sat Goodman on his door- 
 sill, solemnly musing, and asking himself this 
 question : " Have I done all things this day to 
 please the Lord of Conscienza 1". Scarce was 
 the thought conceived, when clattering hoofs 
 were heard upon the pavement of the outer 
 court, and a knight, covered with dust, and 
 breathless with haste, dismounted and stood 
 before him. Goodman took him, by his bustling 
 and important air, to have come on business of 
 tlu- state, and, in fact, he immediately announced 
 himself as Don Officioso,' an officer of high de- 
 gree, who came not willingly or on his own er- 
 rand, but to obey the mandate of the Lord of 
 Conscienza. The first question he asked was 
 whether the castle were in all parts secure. He 
 received answer in the affirmative. 
 
 " Then," said he, " I have a prisoner for 
 you. I have held him myself in custody until 
 it is not safe to keep him longer ; and as you
 
 THE DRAGON. 11 
 
 arc known to be a proper person, and he has 
 been struggling to escape, it has been deemed 
 best to bring him to you, lest, in some unguard- 
 ed moment, when I am asleep or over the was- 
 sail bowl, he might slip away. But if I give 
 him you, guard him with lock and key, bolt and 
 nails. You won't let him peep out of the eye- 
 hole, will you, Goodman'?" 
 
 The jailer's curiosity was excited by this 
 mysterious arrival, and although he felt his 
 pride wounded at having his fidelity questioned, 
 he asked to entertain the prisoner at once. 
 
 " If he escape from your custody," said Don 
 Officioso, " you and I and a third party will be 
 eternally ruined. Do you think that you can 
 be certain, Goodman?" 
 
 The jailer was affronted. 
 
 " There are several ways, sir knight," said 
 he, " by which the Hartz Prison may be enter- 
 ed : there is but one way by which any shall get 
 out, and that is through the ivory portals^which' 
 all the genii in the world can not unlock without 
 my knowledge or consent. See," he said, point- 
 ing with his finger to where the setting sun shone 
 through the dry and leafless boughs of a forest 
 of blasted pines, as if the whole wood were on
 
 12 SALANDER AND 
 
 fire, " let the ax gleam at the root of yon trees 
 pile up the pitchy branches against the Hartz 
 Pi MM in : the clay walls may crumble to a hand- 
 full of dust, the secrets of the prison-house may 
 be destroyed with it, but escape they can not." 
 Ami Goodman placed his hand upon his breast, 
 and smiled. 
 
 " Enough," answered Officioso ; " I can not 
 doubt your good intent. Pardon my suspicions, 
 but in this world nobody knows whom to trust. 
 Not willingly have I come on this disagreeable 
 job. I wish that I could hold the prisoner my- 
 self, and save you the responsibility ; but it is 
 better for all parties that you should have him, 
 as I am now convinced that, under your care, 
 he will go no further, and my own mind will be 
 very much unburdened and relieved. You will 
 be frightened a little at first." Here he lower- 
 ed his tone to a whisper. " He is he is he 
 ia you would hardly think him a creature of 
 flesh and blood a green-eyed, ugly little dwarf, 
 nanird Salander, without bones, who can be 
 doubled into all shapes, like an elastic substance, 
 and >tn-tch himself out like the same." 
 
 Goodman's wife, who heard this for she was 
 listening at the keyhole immediately fell down
 
 THE DRAGON. 13 
 
 with a piercing shriek, and water was thrown 
 upon her face. 
 
 " What do you mean," said she to her hus- 
 band, when she came to, " in harboring such a 
 thing 1 You shan't do it. It will be your ruin. 
 No such shall come into the castle, or else you 
 get some one else to take care of your dairy." 
 
 " Silence, woman," replied Goodman, " we 
 are but the servants of others. The Lord of 
 Conscienza wills it. With that he dismissed 
 her. " Where is your prisoner sir knight *?" 
 said he. 
 
 " I have him with me," replied Officioso. 
 
 Goodman could see from his door the whole 
 country round about, but observed no person 
 or carriage approaching. 
 
 " I suppose," said he, " you have him under 
 guard in the distant thick forest." 
 
 " No," replied the other, " I have him with 
 me." 
 
 " Where is he ?" said the puzzled jailer. 
 
 " Under my coat," shrieked the knight, jump- 
 ing fantastically about the pavement, like one 
 possessed with an unclean spirit. " Quick, quick, 
 he is tearing my intestines. Let me commit him 
 to you, or he will be off into the country."
 
 14 SALANDER AM) 
 
 " Tliis way, this way,'' said the honest jailer, 
 quickening his motions, and forthwith led the 
 way to a winding, ingenious passage called Ear- 
 Ian, connected with the inmost cells of the 
 Hartz Prison. It was a gallery in which a 
 sounding drum was so ingeniously suspended as 
 by its rapid vibrations to give notice of every 
 footstep and every sound. The slightest whis- 
 per roared and reverberated through it like 
 thunder among the mountains. 
 
 " Just put your prisoner here," said Good- 
 man. 
 
 The knight unbuttoned his coat and made a 
 clean breast of it. " Depart from me, Sa- 
 lander," he exclaimed ; and as he spoke the 
 echoes rolled back through the tortuous cham- 
 bers upon his very heart, " Salander ! Salander ! 
 Salander !" when he put spurs to his steed, 
 and, as if he were flying away from his own 
 deeds, rode furiously, and was enveloped in a 
 cloud of dust, and no more seen ; only the 
 sound of his horse's hoofs were for a long time 
 thrown back upon the precincts of the Hartz 
 Prison. As he went, he said to himself, " I 
 have got clear of him at last, and good riddance. 
 If any one comes to me about the li ttle fellow, I
 
 THE DRAGON. 15 
 
 will refer to Goodman, and deny all agency in 
 the matter. He must now father the responsi- 
 bility, and account in the best manner that he 
 can for the possession of Salander." 
 
 As for the jailer, he was so extremely fright- 
 ened at the possession of his new comer, that he 
 hurried him through the passage without even 
 looking at him, and pushing him into an inner- 
 most cell, put the key in his pocket and walked 
 away, trembling like an aspen leaf. Presently, 
 when he had gathered courage, he thought 
 that he would take a little peep at the pris- 
 oner, to see what manner of creature he was. 
 So he crept up softly, taking off his shoes first 
 in the corridor, that his approach might not be 
 perceived, and drawing the slide and applying 
 his eye to the aperture, Goodman was amazed 
 to see a most hideous imp about the size of a 
 large jug. His eyes were green as grass, and 
 flew from side to side like shuttlecocks ; his 
 body was jointless, and black as if an African 
 sun had shone on it for a century ; he had an 
 immense mouth, and his ears stuck far out at 
 the side of his head. Such was Salander. He 
 was lying sulkily crouched in a corner of the cell, 
 like a small bundle, but the moment he saw an
 
 16 SALANDER AND 
 
 eye on him he screamed aloud, and began to 
 dash his head and body against the walls of the 
 cell, to be let out. 
 
 " Silence," exclaimed the jailer, " and make 
 yourself perfectly at home, my boy. The prison 
 is dark, but such as you are not ornamental 
 enough for the light. You certainly can not be 
 ambitious to cut a figure in the world, unless it 
 be to hang on as footman behind the devil's car- 
 riage, or to drive a brimstone cart through the 
 
 streets of . Well, well, dash your brains 
 
 out if you please, darling, but come out you 
 never shall while my name is Goodman." 
 
 So saying he drew the slide, and it was well 
 he did, for a little globule of spittle, aimed with 
 all the precision of a Yangy bowman, struck 
 upon the very spot where his eye had been. 
 Much troubled in mind he walked away, when 
 his wife met him, in a sulky humor. 
 
 " Goodman," said she, " I think that in the 
 affairs of this household I am worthy to be con- 
 sulted. But since you are determined to take 
 this monster to board against my advice, I think 
 that the least which you can do is to let me see 
 him. 
 
 Goodman refused, point blank, for he was a
 
 THE DRAGON. 17 
 
 pretty determined man, and accustomed to have 
 his own way. 
 
 "Not the wife of your bosom?" said she, 
 putting on a look which to the uxorious is irre- 
 sistible. 
 
 " Not if she were an angel which she is 
 not," said the faithful jailer. 
 
 " Upon my word," said she, " you are com- 
 plimentary. Pray take the consequence ;" and 
 she dropped down in an hysteric fit. 
 
 All the people in the castle were set running 
 as soon as the cry was raised that she was going 
 off. It took two hours to recover her, while in 
 the midst of the alarm and confusion occasioned 
 by the scene, one running for a basin to bleed 
 her in, another for bandages to bind up her lily- 
 white arm, the little imp kept kicking violently 
 against the doors of the cell, crying, " Let me 
 out let me out let me out." 
 
 " That sounds like Salander's voice," said 
 the leech, " and if it is so, I don't expect to see 
 the walls of this castle standing much longer ;" 
 and without saying another word, he adminis- 
 tered an opiate and retired. 
 
 This was but the beginning of evils. The 
 jailer was under constant anxiety, and kept upon
 
 18 SALANDER AND 
 
 the watch, with scarce time to eat his meals, or 
 attend to other prisoners who, however, were 
 of a different character. The little dwarf made 
 so great a rumpus, and kicked with such a 
 lusty strength as greatly to damage the walls of 
 his cell, and to interfere with the quiet of the 
 castle. It was especially after the household 
 had retired to bed at night that his cries became 
 outrageous. 
 
 "There he goes again," the jailer's wife 
 would exclaim. " Didn't I tell you not to en- 
 tertain him ?" 
 
 "Bang! bang!" 
 
 "Some of these days, Goodman, you will 
 learn to set a little store by what I say after 
 I'm dead and gone, perhaps." 
 
 " Let me out ! let me out !" 
 
 " Have you made up your mind yet to let me 
 see the wretch ?" 
 
 " Ululu ! Ululu !" 
 
 " Oh, I can't sleep," exclaims the wife, jump- 
 ing out of bed, and sitting bolt upright in the 
 easy chair. " There is no use of making the 
 attempt. I'm worn out. To be just getting 
 into a pleasant doze, and woke out of sleep by a 
 nasty monster. Why don't you wring his neck V 9
 
 THE DRAGON. 19 
 
 " Now you talk sensibly, my dear. I will 
 think of your proposal." 
 
 Goodman's wife got into bed. The anxiety 
 of the jailer continued from day to day. Not 
 only was there reason to suppose that Salander 
 would break out by main force, but that he 
 would squeeze himself through the keyhole, for 
 Goodman doubted whether he were a creature 
 of flesh and blood, and the heart of the little 
 monster seemed to be set on getting loose. It 
 was hardly safe to give him enough room to 
 breathe in, or more food than would keep a dor- 
 mouse. As it was, he waxed mischievous on 
 air. Goodman began to regret that he had not 
 made more inquiries of the knight about the 
 prisoner, or rather that he had not raised some 
 question about the knight himself. He sought 
 him, but he could nowhere be found. He asked 
 a neighbor where he might direct a letter to a 
 person of his description, who told him to seal 
 his package well, and address it to " Nowhere 
 Hall." He immediately sat down, and indited 
 a letter thus : 
 
 " For the Department of State. 
 " To DON OFFICIOSO, GREETING : 
 
 " May it please you, sir, the prisoner com-
 
 20 SALANDER AND 
 
 mitted to my charge gives me a great deal of 
 trouble. It is not this which I complain of, for 
 I am perfectly willing to do my duty, but as his 
 safe keeping is no doubt of the highest moment, 
 could you not commit him to a stronger fortress ? 
 I greatly fear that these walls cannot hold him. 
 He can make himself as large or as small as he 
 pleases, and yesterday he seemed like a little 
 black inkspot. I called to him, and he returned 
 answer in a voice as fine as the point of a needle. 
 Then he can swell out like a toad, with a voice 
 indescribably harsh. It is this mystery of char- 
 acter which puzzles and confounds your poor 
 servant. There is no truth in him, and I suffer 
 much in mind from entertaining such a guest. 
 If Don Officioso can not in duty or justice re- 
 move him, would he inform me who he is, that 
 I may be stimulated to greater endeavors 1 
 " Your humble servant, 
 
 " GOODMAN, 
 " Keeper of the Hartz Prison." 
 
 To this letter, so respectful, no answer was 
 returned, and Goodman set it down to the over- 
 grown, overfed arrogance of superiors. He 
 wight have written letters from morning till
 
 THE DRAGON. 21 
 
 nigiit to Don Officioso, who had other business 
 than to answer letters which he never read, ex- 
 cept to pick out a word here and there to sub- 
 serve his wicked purposes. His time was em- 
 ployed in galloping about the country on sonic 
 business or other which he had made his own, 
 now halting at a cottage, and bringing the wife 
 from the field to get milk for him, now putting 
 a castle in excitement, from the master of the 
 house down to the lowest scullion in the kitchen. 
 As the jailer began to be very unhappy, and 
 serious differences arose betwixt him and his 
 wife, he reflected that he had not yet taken ad- 
 vice of the Lord of Conscienza. He immedi- 
 ately did so, and a correspondence ensued some- 
 what as follows : 
 
 " SIR : A strange knight lately presented 
 himself at the castle, professing to be sent by 
 your lordship, bringing an uncouth and unruly 
 prisoner, to wit, a black or rather greenish mon- 
 ster of a dwarf, named Salander. It has occur- 
 red to me, for the first time, to inquire whether 
 your lordship really sent him ; secondly, what 
 sort of a character he is ; thirdly, if my lord 
 will not think me very impertinent in asking so
 
 22 SALANDER AND 
 
 many questions, what measures I shall take to 
 secure him, as the castle is in need of extra 
 bolts." 
 
 To these most earnest queries, a prompt, de- 
 cisive answer was returned, and almost as quick- 
 ly as voice is answered by echo, a loud knocking 
 \v;is heard at the bars of the Hartz Prison. The 
 jailer took the letter with a trembling hand, 
 and read : 
 
 " GOODMAN : You should have asked the 
 credentials of the messenger before you received 
 the prisoner. I never sent him, and would be 
 the last to meddle with so dirty a thing. Do 
 you know whom you have to take care of? 
 That Don Officioso is a braggart and an impos- 
 tor ; and if you had not been so great a simple- 
 ton, and so ignorant of what is going on in the 
 world, you might have heard something about 
 him. He has brought ruin on a great many 
 families and individuals. He is an illegitimate 
 son, usually going by the name of the Duke 
 d'Envy ; and, marrying at an early age a wo- 
 man of bad disposition, named Gosippa^ he had a 
 large family of children, all monsters, who were
 
 THE DRAGON. 23 
 
 no sooner born than the parents were ashamed 
 of them, and tried to palm them off upon stran- 
 gers. The little imp whom you have is named 
 Salander, the most noted of the progeny, and 
 has thrown the whole province of Gudneiburud, 
 with which I am acquainted, into confusion. 
 Goodman, what have you done? That is one 
 question. But a more important one is, what 
 are you to do? You deserve severe reprehen- 
 sion for receiving the wretch without coming to 
 me. But as you did it in simplicity, and, no 
 doubt, admitted him into Earlan without reflect- 
 ing, I will inform jqu what course of conduct is 
 to be pursued. Keep him as if you held the 
 crown jewels. Watch him night and day, and 
 don't stimulate him with food. If you are de- 
 prived of rest and disturbed in your family, 
 that is your business and not mine, for oh, it 
 was a great mistake in opening the door of Ear- 
 lan. If he gets out, no words can express the 
 punishment which will ensue. Let no eye be- 
 hold him. Shut him up in darkness. Other- 
 wise, they will say that he is your child ; and 
 think think think what a reproach upon 
 that sweet and excellent woman "
 
 24 SALANDER AND 
 
 " What's that?" shouted the wife, who, hav- 
 ing heard that he had a letter, came running in, 
 just in time to hear the last words. 
 
 Goodman stopped reading, folded up the let- 
 ter carefully, and put it in his breast. 
 
 " All the milk may turn sour in the dairy 
 before I churn," said she, and went to bed with 
 a violent, sick headache. 
 
 When she was gone, Goodman soliloquized 
 thus : " A very pretty hobble have I got into by 
 my own folly, and must suffer for it, no doubt. 
 My wife perpetually in tears, my lord offended, 
 my rest broken, all my time taken up in attending 
 to a bastard whom I despise. I find that I can 
 trust my own judgment for nothing. Hereafter 
 I must go to the Lord of Conscienza for every 
 thing I do, or else I shall be sure to go wrong." 
 
 Goodman walked up and down, almost dis- 
 tracted, till, suddenly hearing the smothered 
 cries of the little monster in the cell, he came 
 to a desperate resolve. He would get rid of 
 the nuisance at all hazards. He would not let 
 him bawl any more, but, without saying a word 
 to any one, he would quietly throttle him, and 
 loss him over the battlements into the morass, 
 ere the mud and waters would close over him.
 
 THE DRAGON. 25 
 
 He would not attempt to conceal Salander in a 
 shroud and coffin, saying to the seamstress and 
 carpenter, " Don't tell, don't tell ;" but he 
 would just squeeze his little neck without cere- 
 mony, and lay him out, and preach the sermon, 
 and bear the pall, and handle the shovel, and 
 stand chief mourner, and write the epitaph 
 
 " THE LEAST SAID, THE SOONEST MENDED." 
 
 That was the way to do it. So he marched 
 straight up, with the step of a grenadier, into 
 his wife's chamber, where he found the worthy 
 woman, her head buried in the pillows. 
 
 " My dear," said he, rummaging in the draw- 
 ers, " where is that long leash that we hung 
 Vengeful with *?" No answer was returned ; so 
 he hunted the string until he found it. 
 
 He now went to the door of the cell, and 
 looked in. Salander was asleep. So for the 
 first time he entered in, sat down, put him on 
 his lap, and looked into his face. He never 
 felt more strangely. The creature looked 
 uglier than ever, now that his powers were 
 steeped in oblivion. He pressed open his lids, 
 and his eyeballs were green, green, green as 
 grass, and the whites were suffused with a saf- 
 fron hue. " He has got the jaundice," said he, 
 2
 
 26 SALANDER AND 
 
 " and will soon die a natural death. Shall I 
 kill him?" 
 
 But his better judgment told him that he 
 ought to die. So he took the thong, and made 
 a noose, and put it around his neck, and gave it 
 a pull, when the little creature woke up. He 
 gave it another pull, when the vivacious boy, 
 his eyeballs, almost starting out of his head, and 
 apprehending what was going on, thrust his fist 
 under the thong, his eyes welling over with 
 tears. 
 
 " Oh," said he, " Goodman, don't kill me. I 
 did not beget myself, and was brought into the 
 world without any consent of mine." 
 
 Now, when Goodman saw the tears in Salan- 
 der's eyes, as if he lamented his own existence, 
 he loosened the cord, and took a sudden affection 
 for him. His unique ugliness had the effect of 
 a peculiar beauty, and he could not find in 
 his heart to kill him, but promised, upon his 
 word and honor, that if he would keep content- 
 ed in his cell, and not cry and scream as he did, 
 that he would treat him with kindness. Salan- 
 der promised that, hard as his position was, he 
 would seek to go no further, but take whatever 
 food was given to him, and rest content. So
 
 THE DRAGON. 27 
 
 Goodman looked down upon his ugly face, wiped 
 his tears, almost kissed him, and putting him 
 down in one corner of the cell, went out and at- 
 tended to the other prisoners. As he departed, 
 the little monster grinned from ear to ear, and 
 made a very significant gesture, which those who 
 have seen will understand. 
 
 That night Goodman lay down with every 
 prospect of sleeping very sweetly. All was 
 still in the castle, for Salander, sooner than be 
 put out of the world, chose to stop screaming 
 and making a noise for a time. The jailer put 
 his nightcap on the pillow, and already snored, 
 when he was waked up hy a sensation of great 
 heat directly under his nose. It was his wife, 
 Pryintf brandishing a red-hot poker. 
 
 " Dear," said she, wiping the hair upon his 
 crown, which suddenly blazed up like a volcano. 
 
 " Don't, don't !" shrieked the poor jailer, re- 
 treating to the other side of the bed. 
 
 " Dear, as I was saying, dear husband" here 
 she singed his whiskers. 
 
 " Amicable relations surely should" here 
 she fried the tip end of his nose, upon which he 
 yelled aloud, and, under tte inspiration of the 
 poker, began to hop, skip, and jump about the
 
 28 SALANDER AND 
 
 room. It was not a very graceful minuet, to 
 say the least. It was while standing breathless 
 in a corner of the room, with the point of the 
 hot poker about three quarters of an inch (scant 
 measure) from his nose, that the following train 
 of reasoning passed through his mind : 
 
 " It is a very poor policy, after all, to fall out 
 with one's wife. It is better to sacrifice a little 
 pride than a great deal of comfort. Affection, 
 to say the least, should prompt a man to yield a 
 little to the weaker vessel. It is a great wonder 
 that these things never occurred to me before." 
 
 The poker was lowered when he had cried 
 " quarter ;" and after a little bickering and 
 delay, the following articles of agreement were 
 drawn up and ratified between the parties : 
 
 I. That Mrs. Pryint Goodman should see the 
 little mobster. 
 
 II. That she should assist Mr. Goodman to 
 take care of him. 
 
 III. That she should not let him out of pris- 
 on, or admit a stranger to the secret. 
 
 These preliminaries being over, Goodman said, 
 " Kiss me, my love." 
 
 " Put on your clothes," said she, " and let us 
 gc s,t once to see the prisoner."
 
 THE DRAGON. 29 
 
 " Not now, darling. To-morrow morning will 
 be as well." 
 
 " At once," said she, feeling the end of the 
 poker, which remained hot. 
 
 " Well," said he, " perhaps the darkness of 
 the night will promote secrecy. Pryint, upon 
 your word and honor, if I show you Salander, 
 you will never tell any body that you have seen 
 him, nor give any description of his person?" 
 
 She replied, singing in the words of an ancient 
 distich : 
 
 " I never will, I never will, 
 Upon my word and honor." 
 
 "Then," said he, "follow me; but you will 
 repent of this before long, take my word for it, 
 Pryint. You will have to share with me the 
 labor of guarding him, besides being sorry that 
 your eyes have ever seen him ; for I tell you 
 beforehand that he is an unpleasant object to 
 look on, and, in some cases, the very sight would 
 be dangerous." 
 
 With this caution, which had no effect upon 
 the worthy woman, he led the way to the deep, 
 dark cell, where the dwarf was confined. It 
 was the solemn midnight hour, when a great 
 many fantastic things were wont to be seen
 
 30 SALANDER AND 
 
 around the Hartz Prison, and strange lights 
 sometimes flitted in the upper chambers, and the 
 sheeted ghosts of the past glided through them 
 in a melancholy train, and you heard the sounds 
 of thrilling symphonies, or a wail melancholy as 
 the March winds, and gorgeous pictures were 
 hung out upon the walls ; but all this vanished 
 with the cock-crowing at early dawn. If these 
 things could have been seen by others, it Avould 
 have been said that the castle was haunted, but 
 the great draw-bridge was drawn which sepa- 
 rated it from the outer world, and Goodman and 
 his wife said nothing about them, and in fact 
 forgot them in the business of the day. And 
 now, when you could hear the pulsation of 
 every little wave, and the gurgling of the great 
 Aorta, and all the streams which supplied the 
 moat within the walls of clay, and the measured 
 beating of the great clock, Pryint took from her 
 husband the little key of the particular cell, and, 
 with a dark lantern, they both crept stealthily, 
 looking around to see if any one were abroad. 
 
 " Hark !" said the man. 
 
 " It is nothing but an owl," said the woman. 
 
 " I thought that I heard a mysterious knock- 
 ing," replied he.
 
 THE DRAGON. 31 
 
 " No such tiling," said she ; but hardly were 
 the words out of her mouth when an unmistak- 
 able knocking was heard a sort of muffled 
 knocking, which appeared to be at the outer 
 gate. 
 
 u I'll go," said she ; " stay where you are." 
 So, being a woman of nerve, she sallied forth, 
 and going where the sound came from, " Who's 
 there," said she, u knocking the house down, 
 and disturbing honest people at this hour of the 
 night ?" 
 
 " Does the Lord of Conscienza reside here '?" 
 was the inquiry. 
 
 " No, he does not," replied she ; " how did 
 you get over the bridge ?" 
 
 " I will call again," was the answer. 
 
 Pryint saw nobody, and heard nothing but 
 the rushing of a pair of wings, on which it would 
 appear that the mysterious messenger vanished. 
 She returned to her husband. 
 
 " What was it ?" said he. 
 
 " A large night-hawk, flapping its wings on 
 the gate." 
 
 " Wife," said he, " you are a clever woman, 
 for I should never have had the courage to an- 
 swer to that knock, lest peradventure the Lord
 
 32 SALANDER AND 
 
 of Conscienza had come to bring me to ac- 
 count." 
 
 Goodman now took his wife down to the deep- 
 est cell of the Hartz Prison, where he paused 
 awhile, and much he hesitated, with his hand 
 upon the lock. 
 
 " Oh," said he, " I do deeply regret to make 
 this monster known, even to the wife of my bo- 
 som. Far rather would I have kept him in 
 darkness and oblivion, for something tells me 
 that evil will ensue. But," said he, putting his 
 hand on the crown of his head, and bringing 
 down a shower of ashes into his eyes, " since 
 you will it, draw near, Pryint. Hush ! he is 
 asleep ! Fix your eyes steadily on yon corner, 
 while I make a ray from the dark lantern fall 
 upon him." 
 
 Pryint put her forefinger on her right eye, 
 closing it up, and placing the other eye down 
 close and screwing it up to the proper focus, she 
 cast a look of curiosity around the whole cham- 
 ber. Then turning round to Goodman, with a 
 blank expression, " Why," said she, " there's 
 nothing here !" 
 
 ' Ah," said he, " that's the nature of the 
 beast. Look again. He is nothing at this pros-
 
 THE DRAGON. 33 
 
 ent, but before you are done with him, dearest, 
 he may make liimself as big as a mountain." 
 
 Pryirit put her eye down again. " Ha !" said 
 she, squinting curiously, and her mouth widened 
 into a cunning smile ; "I see him !" She did 
 not speak another word for five minutes, but 
 spent the whole time in gazing. First, her 
 mouth gradually opened ; then her eyeballs 
 bagan to expand, for they encountered the green 
 eyes of Salander. He was not asleep, or had 
 woke up. They were both engaged in a contest 
 to fascinate each other, when he suddenly drew 
 in his breath, and shot out his tongue with a 
 peculiar hissing noise, causing her to start back. 
 " My eyes !" said she, continuing to gaze, and 
 almost swallowing him up with curiosity. " 1 
 never would have believed that such a thing 
 could exist, and now I hardly know whether to 
 credit what I see, or not. Oh, how ugly he is ! 
 What an immense mouth ! What outstretched 
 ears ! I believe he has no legs " 
 
 " Ah ! there you greatly mistake," replied 
 the jailer ; " they are drawn up, but he is the 
 best runner in the country ; if he were only out 
 of prison he would go too fast and too far." 
 
 " I am determined to know his whole history, 
 2*
 
 34 SALANDER AND 
 
 and from his own lips," said she ; " it must be 
 very interesting." 
 
 With this she closed the slide. The worthy 
 couple retired to rest, and Goodman dreamed 
 the whole night of a hot poker. 
 
 The next morning, as they partook of their 
 frugal breakfast, the wife set apart a portion of 
 the meal. " This," said she, " is for Salander, 
 and 1 mean to carry it myself, for why should we 
 starve the poor child to death. We have him 
 under our roof, and he is a prisoner. We ought 
 to feel for his condition. I pity his ugliness, 
 but that shall make no difference in my con- 
 duct ; I will be a mother to him." 
 
 Goodman laughed. 
 
 " It is well," he said ; " I commit him to your 
 charge, and shall give myself no farther trouble 
 about him ; but you must be very judicious in 
 your treatment of him, and don't let him go the 
 length of your apron strings, or tamper with 
 him in any way, for if you do " 
 
 " Leave that to me," said she, wiping her 
 own mouth, and retreating with a nice piece of 
 buttered toast, with which she went into the cell. 
 
 " I've brought you some breakfast," said she, 
 with a patronizing air.
 
 THE DRAGON. 35 
 
 " Put it in here," said he, opening his mouth 
 into a big circle. Down went a bit of crust, 
 and he said it was good. 
 
 " Want s' more," said he, and she began to 
 feed him like a dog. 
 
 " Don't smack so," said she ; " I hate smack- 
 ing." 
 
 " Ugh ! ugh !" 
 
 He ate all she brought him, licked the platter, 
 and looking up, with eyes as big as a saucer, 
 exclaimed, " Want s' more." 
 
 " You've a good appetite," said she. 
 
 " Ugh ! ugh !" 
 
 Pryint laughed, and went and brought him a 
 large plate of mashed potatoes, and after gob- 
 bling it down, he rolled over and went to sleep, 
 without ever saying " I'm much obliged." 
 
 She thought he had a most voracious appe- 
 tite. However, prisoners have nothing to think 
 of except what they shall eat. If the \vhole 
 scenery of a theater is limited to the walls of a 
 gloomy cell, and the only entree is a hand with 
 a platter, is it any wonder that the poor heart- 
 broken spectator should be on the alert when 
 the platter arrives 1 how little knowledge of 
 nature men have ! This argues gluttony, it is
 
 36 SALANLEK AND 
 
 true ; but it is no greater gluttony than nine 
 out of every ten have. It is only the tenth 
 whose prospects lie beyond the prison itself. 
 . Would it be believed that the jailer's wife 
 began soon to feel an affection for the monster. 
 Good offices make the gifted dear to the giver, 
 more than the reverse. " Why," says she to 
 her husband, " I've got his whole history out of 
 him. After he was born, because he was ugly, 
 his parents hated him. Gosippa said he looked 
 like D'Envy, and D'Envy said he resembled 
 Gosippa. A quarrel ensued, in which D'Envy 
 snatched up the child in a rage, and left him at 
 our door." 
 
 " Ah ! " said he, pressing his two fists 
 against his two sides, " ha ! ha ! ha !" 
 
 While he was laughing, Pryint went to the 
 pantry, and in her excess of tenderness, skimmed 
 off the cream from half a dozen pans, and made 
 Salander a whip-syllabub. She went in and 
 presented it to him ; but he tasted it and did 
 not like it. 
 
 " Look here," said he, " grandmama, can't 
 you put a little spirits in this?" and he winked 
 his eye so cunningly that she could not but 
 laugh.
 
 THE DRAGON. 37 
 
 " Don't call me grandmama," said she, al- 
 most convulsed with laughter, and giving him a 
 box on the ear, which sent him to the other side 
 of the cell. 
 
 " I won't call you grandmama," said he, 
 jumping up into her lap, and hugging her 
 around the neck till the blood flew into her 
 cheeks ; " but tell me, aunty, what have you 
 got in those phials with gilt stoppers ?" 
 
 " Rank poison," said she. 
 
 " Yes, yes," he replied. " Go and bring 
 it." 
 
 " Don't ask it, Salander. It is not good for 
 you." 
 
 " Not for your poor little prisoner, shut up 
 in darkness ?" said he, and two large tears roll- 
 ed out of his eyes. " I am ill for want of air 
 and exercise. Indeed I am, kind lady." 
 She could not resist this, so she went and 
 brought the phials. 
 
 " What's this ?" said he, uncorking and smell- 
 ing. " It's a volatile essence," and by the few 
 rays of light which struggled into the cell, he 
 read, Brethuf Smpishun. ' 
 
 " Queer name ! Well," he said, taking a 
 smell, " that does me good. What's this ? A
 
 38 SALANDER AND 
 
 liquor ! Malign well, well, that's good ! Take 
 a little." 
 
 " I don't like it," said she. 
 
 " Yes, you do !" and with that he snatched 
 her thimble from her finger, poured it full, and 
 tilted it into her lips, till she nearly choked. It 
 went right up to her brain. 
 
 " Let's waltz," said he, seizing her round the 
 waist. 
 
 "Oh, Saldi'. Saldi! don't, don't! I can't 
 waltz !" 
 
 " I can," said he ; and with that he whirled 
 her round till she dropped. Then he began to 
 feel in her pocket for the key of the cell, and, 
 having found it, he was just fumbling at the 
 lock when Goodman arrived. The man was in 
 a rage. He snapped Pryint by the arm, led 
 her out, and locked the doer. 
 
 " Wife," said he, " you've been drinking too 
 much. Go to bed !" From that moment Good- 
 man was jealous. He thought that he saw the 
 consequence of such unfortunate familiarity very 
 soon, for his wife's temper became more and 
 more crabbed as she dallied with Salander, and 
 took a positive 'delight in his company. And 
 as this unnatural liking increased by degrees,
 
 THE DRAGON. 39 
 
 her mind became so distorted that she lost the 
 good opinion which she entertained for others. 
 For he himself was a perfect misanthrope, and 
 cursed his own parents because they had not 
 strangled him in the cradle, being born so ugly 
 that looking-glasses were unsafe in his company. 
 They threw him into convulsions. Pryint's tem- 
 per became as bad as his, so that one day, in 
 self-defense, Goodman made a funeral of the 
 poker, and buried it in the sand. 
 
 " Since you are cold," said he, putting his 
 hand upon it, " lie there, and I hope you will be 
 never raised, at least above my head." 
 
 He noticed that his wife, who was once ex- 
 cessively attached to the Hartz Castle, and was 
 never happy any where else, now often went to 
 visit the neighbors, and he conjectured that it 
 was on some matters connected with Salander. 
 The peace of his family was threatened to be 
 destroyed. Do you want to know what business 
 she was about on these visits? We will tell 
 you. Not far from Hartz there was an an- 
 cient place, called Fussom House. It was so 
 situated that if there was any breeze stirring 
 it was sure to get it. Some persons would have 
 thought it out of the world, and it was, in fact,
 
 40 SALANDER AND 
 
 removed from vulgar gaze ; but then the inmates 
 employed a great many servants and couriers, 
 who were kept running to inform them of Avhat 
 was going on in the affairs of the nation, such 
 as Neuspiper', Stimbote, Telgraff, and others, 
 whose names I can not recall. Snapit was the 
 name of the family who kept the lodge, and 
 thither Pryint, on the invitation of Mrs. Snapit, 
 was lati-ly in the habit of running upon social 
 visits to drink a decoction of a very pleasant 
 herb, called Tee. On these occasions she was 
 taken into the garden, and also to investigate 
 every portion of the house of Fussom, except 
 the apartments occupied by the family. In re- 
 turn for these civilities Mrs. Snapit manifested 
 a. desire to make a visit to Hartz Castle, which, 
 she understood, was a very curious place, abound- 
 ing in secret chambers, and with many thing? 
 about it wonderfully made. Above all things, 
 she would like to see the dungeons, in which she 
 was informed that never a ray of light entered, 
 and those who were confined never came forth 
 again to the day. Mrs. Goodman informed her 
 that the place was held by them under strict 
 supervision of the Lord of Conscienza, without 
 .whose consent they were afraid to do any thing,
 
 THE DRAGON. 41 
 
 for he was perpetually sending for papers, and 
 reports, and accounts current, and Goodman 
 was on pins and needles the whole time, lest he 
 should affront his master. Nevertheless, she 
 would ask her lord whether she might be ad- 
 mitted. 
 
 Mrs. Snap it tossed up her head. 
 
 " You need do no such thing, Goodman, for I 
 know all about him, and am very thankful that 
 we are not under his control. Fussom has had 
 nothing to do with him for ten years, although 
 they used to be on good terms. I beg you will 
 think no more about it, Goodman." 
 
 " But," said she, " I will. I wish you to see 
 the place very much, and can assure you that I 
 feel the restrictions, and, in fact, I am itching 
 to break through the rules. I could show you 
 something, Snapit, which would make you open 
 your eyes wide." 
 
 " Ah !" said she, " what's that ?" 
 
 " Something which, if it were known in this 
 part of the world, would make a great talk, but 
 at present the knowledge is confined to the pris- 
 on. Goodman and I are very strict about it ; 
 indeed, so much on the guard that I think it in- 
 jures our health."
 
 42 SALANDER AND 
 
 "I thought that something was preying on 
 your mind, Goodman, and have thought so for 
 some time past, but delicacy prevented me from 
 speaking of it." 
 
 " It is true that I am overburdened, and feel 
 the need of a friend ; but to show you this ob- 
 ject I can not, for I am pledged to my husband, 
 And my husbond is pledged to Conscienza." 
 
 " Oh, I do not wish to see it, Goodman. That 
 is not at all necessary. I would not have you 
 break your word with any one, not even with 
 such a person as Lord Conscienza ; but as you 
 have hinted about it, could you not give me a 
 little description 1 You know what sort of a 
 person I am." 
 
 " Of course ; there will be no harm in telling 
 you thus much, but you must let it go no far- 
 ther, Snapit. You must know w'e've got a new 
 comer at the castle, of the most eccentric char- 
 .acter." 
 
 Mrs. Snapit pricked up her ears. 
 
 " Yes a prisoner." 
 
 " La, me ! what a wicked world it is ! What 
 has he done?-' 5 
 
 " That I don't know, but I suppose that he 
 has been injurious. We only know that his
 
 THE DRAGON. 43 
 
 propensities are bad, and that he must not be 
 let loose, nor exposed to view." 
 
 " What's his name ?" 
 
 " Salander the ugliest little beast the eyes 
 ever looked on. Hold your ear this way, Snap- 
 it for mercy's sake, keep entirely dark he is 
 a monster." 
 
 Mrs. Snapit drew back and opened her 
 mouth in the shape of the letter 0, while her 
 eyes nearly bulged out of her head. 
 
 " You perfectly astonish me, Goodman." 
 
 " Yes, he's black I may say green. We did 
 not want to take him ; he came upon us by ac- 
 cident, and we keep him upon compulsion. He 
 is very troublesome, and sometimes takes all of 
 Goodman's strength and mine to hold him, and 
 eats more than he is worth. If he should get 
 away but we mean to look out for that. I 
 don't know but I have done very wrong in telling 
 you even thus much, but you won't betray me, 
 Snapit ?" 
 
 " Oh, no, of course. I'd give my eyes to see 
 him, you have excited my curiosity so much ; 
 you know all is honorable between friends." 
 
 " Don't tempt me, Snappy. You'd wish you 
 had never seen him, indeed you would."
 
 44 SALANDER AND 
 
 " Oh, I don't believe lie's so ugly as Mrs. 
 Fussom's little boy, whom they do say that they 
 gave corrosive sublimate to, although I don't 
 believe one word of it it's a most cruel re- 
 port" 
 
 " La, me ! I never heard it." 
 
 " You hav'nt 1 I thought every body had 
 heard it. For goodness sake, don't tell it. 
 They called him Mr. Blab, and he killed three 
 nurses. What did you say was the name of 
 your little monster'?" 
 
 " Salander." 
 
 Here the friends parted, Pryint to go back to 
 the castle, and Snapit to visit the gardener's 
 wife at the next neighbor's. 
 
 And the gardener's wife went to see Mrs. 
 Tattleby. 
 
 And Mrs. Tattleby went to see Mrs. Wat- 
 ovit.' ** ' 
 
 I mention this to show that it was, before the 
 arrival of Salander, a very social neighborhood. 
 Oh, the grass never grew on the footpaths, and 
 the roads were dusty all the time. They met 
 with smiles and the shaking of hands, and they 
 parted with repartees and laughter. In the 
 winter time, the "deep winter time, about the
 
 THE PRAGON. 45 
 
 advent of our dear Lord, the tokens of kindness 
 and good fellowship were exchanged freely, and 
 hand grasped hand, and heart responded to 
 heart, while the fires blazed on every hearth, 
 and music was heard in every dwelling. 
 
 When Pryint went home she gave the dwarf 
 his supper. She had awakened him out of a 
 sound sleep, and he was very cross. 
 
 " I was dreaming of green gooseberries," 
 said he ; " I don't Avant your bonny clabber," 
 and he kicked her. 
 
 " Saldi, for shame ! take your supper this 
 instant minute, and go to bed." 
 
 He yawned fearfully, and threw his arms over 
 his head ; then taking the bowl, he smeared his 
 mouth with it, and put it away, in infinite dis- 
 gust. " I don't like it," said he. 
 
 " Good night, Saldi ; I hope you'll be in a 
 better humor to-morrow morning." 
 
 He said nothing, but began to snore aloud, 
 looking as hideous as a little imp. 
 
 " My dear," said Mrs. Goodman, some days 
 after this, for these good people were trying to 
 be reconciled to each other, " I have a piece of 
 news to tell you, for I do not wish to keep any 
 thing from you. Oh, Goodman ! I wish that I
 
 46 SALANDER AND 
 
 could find you acting toward y.mr wife in the 
 same manner, but I regret to say, Goodman, 
 that you treat me more like a slave than a wife 
 a plighted wife indeed you do, Goodman. 
 It is no matter ; I have a little piece of news to 
 tell you, and it is on condition that you will let 
 it go no farther ; but have you ever heard that 
 the Fussom's had a monster born in the 
 family?" 
 
 " No, I never heard it, and don't believe it. 
 You should not listen to such things, Pryint." 
 
 " How can you help it, when it is talked 
 about. I should not believe it, but I have it 
 from one of the household, a friend at the lodge. 
 Yes, they called him Mr. Blab." 
 
 " I am sorry for them. It is a misfortune, 
 not a fault. It might be worse." 
 
 " There you have hit the nail on the head : 
 it is worse." 
 
 Goodman said nothing. 
 
 " Shut the door," said she, looking around 
 warily, and speaking in a whisper ; " it is too 
 horrible to think of, but they killed the child 
 with .corrosive sublimate." 
 
 " Then they ought to be hanged as high as 
 Haman, and I would like to be the sheriff to do
 
 THE DRAGON. 47 
 
 it. But I don't believe it, and shan't bother my 
 head about it." 
 
 " You had better not," said she, " except 
 vou want to get yourself into trouble." 
 
 There was a pause in the conversation. 
 
 " And I have a piece of news to tell you, 
 madam. Do you know do you know " 
 
 Pryint was out of breath. 
 
 "Eh? What 1 ?" 
 
 " A piece of family news which concerns us 
 both." 
 
 " Goodness me !" 
 
 " Perhaps you have heard it ?" 
 
 "Not a word. Why do you torment me, 
 Goodman ?" 
 
 " I don't want to torment you, dearest. Far 
 be it from me to torment you. Did you ever 
 know me to do so 1 On the contrary, you have 
 often tormented me, in one way or another, but 
 let by-gones be by-gones." 
 
 Here he began to fumble in the- ashes to light 
 his pipe, and not succeeding, asked his wife to 
 find him a coal, or a hot poker. 
 
 " Really, Goodman, this is of a piece with 
 your conduct. You try to aggravate me." 
 
 "Shall I tell you," says he, "or shall I 
 
 I
 
 48 SALAXDER AND 
 
 not 1 If I do not tell you, you will be displeased, 
 and if I tell you, you will be more displeased. 
 You are a queer woman, Pryint." 
 
 She stamped her foot. 
 
 " Tease me no more," said she ;" I wish to 
 know, good or bad." 
 
 " Very well, then," said he. " For a day or 
 two past, I have seen a number of persons re- 
 connoitering our house, and every person whom 
 I have met has cast at me a strange look, and 
 some have smiled, and some have whispered, 
 and some have pointed, and I could not for the 
 life of me think what might be the matter now. 
 At last my neighbor comes boldly up to me, 
 takes me by the hand, and says, ' I'm sorry for 
 you, but may you have strength to bear your 
 affliction well.' I was frightened, and said, 
 1 You have the advantage of me.' ' Why,' said 
 he, * I understood your wife had brought you a 
 monster ' ' 
 
 Mrs. Goodman measured her length on the 
 floor, with a piercing shriek. At last, when a 
 little recovered, no words can exj ress her passion. 
 
 " This comes," said she, " from taking this 
 person into your house, ai;d innocent persons 
 must suffer by it."
 
 THE DRAGON. 49 
 
 " Not so," replied he ; " it comes from tramp- 
 ing about the country, Pryint, instead of mind- 
 ing your own business at home. Now, although 
 the child was left with me, I suppose I shall 
 have to father him, or let him go." 
 
 "You shall let him go," said she; "it is 
 downright cruelty to keep the poor little fellow 
 locked up in the Hartz Prison. He mu&t go 
 back to his parents, and the Duke d'Envy must 
 bear the responsibility. This suspicion will kill 
 me." 
 
 " Then you should not have let the secret 
 slip." 
 
 " I have 'been true to my promise, I can let 
 you know, and will not bear these reproaches. 
 I merely stated in perfect confidence to Snapit 
 that we had a prisoner, and in general terms 
 that he was ugly, but entered into no details. 
 Call you that letting the prisoner loose 1" 
 
 " No ; you might better have shown them 
 Salander in the cell, for then they might have 
 asked him whence he came, and what his ob- 
 jects, and they would have seen that he does 
 not resemble us." 
 
 " Very well, then, we had better give him his 
 freedom at once." 
 3
 
 50 SALANDER AND 
 
 " If we do that we can not tell what mischief 
 he will do to us." 
 
 " If he do evil to us, it would be very un- 
 grateful, after we have entertained him kindly, 
 and sent him rejoicing on his way." 
 
 " No confidence can be placed in any moulded 
 in his shape. He may injure us at every step. 
 Now he would fain go, presently he may wish 
 to return and take up his abode with us." 
 
 " Then," said she, " we are no worse off than 
 we are now." 
 
 " Not if he bring others with him 1 But that 
 is not all. Besides this there will be a punish- 
 ment due to us from the Lord of Conscienza, 
 and what it is we do not know, but have reason 
 to suppose that it will be dreadful." 
 
 At that very instant a loud knocking was 
 heard at the gate, and he knew that his lordship 
 had come on a visit to the castle, and trembled. 
 He asked his wife if she did not hear it, and 
 she replied she did not. This time she spoke 
 the truth, for she was becoming deaf. Consci- 
 enza complained that he had several times 
 knocked at the gate, and could not make her 
 hear. During this visit the accounts were 
 overhauled, and the jailer received some re-
 
 THE DRAGON. 51 
 
 proaches, for he acknowledged that he had not 
 in all respects done his duty. On looking over 
 the books, it was found that on some days he 
 had failed to keep a regular account, trusting to 
 memory. This was objected to as slovenly, and 
 contrary to the rules of business. On some 
 pages he had neglected to balance the book. 
 There were entries about which he equivocated, 
 and could not give any satisfactory explanation ; 
 but when his lord questioned him about the safe 
 keeping of Salander, on which the well-being of 
 the Hartz territories, and the whole country 
 round about, did very much depend, we are sorry 
 to say that Goodman told a lie about it. The 
 fact was, he was a coward in the presence of 
 Conscienza ; as one of the more distinguished 
 subjects of that potentate said a good while ago, 
 with a very serious look, " He makes cowards 
 of us all." At the same time, it must be said 
 of him, that when any one did well, his smile of 
 approbation was so sweet and bland that it was 
 worth a day's journey to obtain it. By some 
 things which were said on the present occasion, 
 he was really stung to the quick, and every novr 
 and then he shed tears. " Oh, Salander, Salan- 
 der !" he said, looking into the dungeon, " I
 
 52 SALANDER AND 
 
 wish I had never entertained you. I am afraid 
 you will yet bring upon us a great deal of trou- 
 ble. It is truly painful to me and my wife to 
 keep you in prison. We are afraid we shall 
 have to make the cell darker." 
 
 One day, his wife finding him in tears, asked 
 him what he was continually blubbering about, 
 and he confessed that his feelings had been so 
 hurt by the rebuke of Conscienza that he could 
 not get over it. She replied that Sconcy (so 
 she called him) was an old tyrant, and she 
 would hold up both hands for getting rid of his 
 jurisdiction. 
 
 " The fact is," said she, " we are not ser- 
 vants, but slaves." 
 
 Goodman acknowledged that it was so, for he 
 was somewhat irritated; but "My dear," he 
 said, " you know it is a hard world. The ques- 
 tion is, if we relinquish him, whether we shall 
 not find harder masters, and be greater slaves." 
 
 " I don't know about that," said she ; " but 
 you know well enough, Goodman, that you dare 
 not call your soul -your own. At every step you 
 are held in bodily fear, and are like a galley 
 slave bound to a chain. Were you not well 
 thrashed a year ago for permitting your heart to
 
 THE DRAGON. 53 
 
 yearn after Miss Prettiphella 1 That you 
 richly deserved, and I would not have lifted a 
 finger to save you, for it was an enormous out- 
 rage, by which you forfeited all the respect 
 which I owed you, Goodman. But let that pass. 
 The encroachments of Conscienza are more than 
 you, as a man, ought to submit to. I tell you 
 this as your true wife, forgiving all injuries 
 which you have done to me, and I will tell you 
 a plan which I have conceived pretty soon to get 
 rid of this jurisdiction for a time, without injury 
 to either, and with much benefit to both." 
 
 Goodman said never a word, but he ques- 
 tioned in his own mind very much what the plot 
 might be. That very night she revealed it ; and 
 as he was more and more troubled in his mind, 
 and kept brooding over his cuts and indignities, 
 he was, in an evil hour, brought over to his 
 wife's opinion, that to get a little temporary 
 ease, they would be rid of these reprimands, and 
 yet continue to hold the castle. 
 
 " What is it, Pryint ? Let us hear your 
 plan, and if there is any thing feasible in it, I 
 won't object. I won't object, for oh, I can't 
 get over the sting of his words, and my peace of 
 mind is gone."
 
 54 SALANDER AND 
 
 " Do you know any thing about music "?" said 
 she. 
 
 " Not at all." 
 
 " So I should think, for I have never noticed 
 any melody in you since I knew you. You 
 have no ear at all. Of course, then, you can't 
 dance ?" 
 
 " You know I can't, Pryint ; I never indulge 
 in such follies." 
 
 u Nor I either ; only in the simple contra- 
 dances I can take step. But the more pity for 
 you." 
 
 " And prythee why, good woman V J 
 
 " Because it is now necessary that you should 
 sustain your part. There is to be an entertain- 
 ment" to-morrow night." 
 
 " But we can't go without consulting the Lord 
 of Conscienza." 
 
 " Pooh, pooh ! say nothing about it. He will 
 never know it ; it is in an out-of-the-way place. 
 Will you go ?" 
 
 " Y-y-yes." 
 
 " Enough said. Leave the rest to me. Now 
 let us take a good sleep, for we shall not have 
 much to-morrow night." 
 
 They went to bed, but the jailer could not
 
 THE DRAGON. 
 
 55 
 
 sleep, or he slept badly, dreaming that he saw 
 his lord offended, standing by his bedside. 
 
 But let us follow the couple, and see what ad- 
 venture this new scheme of his wife's contriving 
 will lead to. The next day, before sundown, 
 the little dwarf received a nice sop for his sup- 
 per, some bitters for his health, and had a pros- 
 pect held out of liberty. After that, Goodman's 
 horses were caparisoned and put before the best 
 wagon he had. Also his wife arrayed herself in 
 her best bonnet, and in all the gewgaws which 
 she possessed. They then, drove the carriage 
 over the bridge, taking a by-road, to escape the 
 notice of the Lord of Conscienza. All the 
 country people who saw them start off, wondered 
 what this staid couple could have in their heads, 
 for it was very unusual to see them leaving the 
 castle at that hour. For a long time Goodman 
 did not utter a single word ; at last he said, 
 
 " Wife, I don't like this adventure, and have 
 a mind to turn back." 
 
 " If you do," said- she, " I will never live 
 with you again. But go back you shan't while 
 I have a vote," and she took the reins out of his 
 hand, and gave the horses a whack. In short, 
 she drove them the rest of the way. But per-
 
 56 
 
 haps you would like to know something of the 
 entertainment to which they were going. 
 
 A great baron, named Luvuruv Thewold, ori^* 
 the occasion of the birth of an heir, gave a feast 
 in the village of Drownthort* to all his vassals.**^,* 
 He killed a great many sheep and oxen, and 
 caused to be rolled from his cellars a great many 
 hogsheads of ale and wine. They had spent 
 the whole day in feasting and jollity, and they 
 expected to dance all night at a ball. There 
 would have been no harm in occasional rejoicings 
 of this kind, but Luyuruv never had occupied 
 his mind about more important matters, and he 
 encouraged this spirit so much that many of his 
 attendants were dissipated and unworthy to be 
 trusted, robbing their master of his old wines, 
 neglecting duty, and thinking that the main bus- 
 iness of life was to dance and sing. Lazy and 
 irresponsible, they could not taste the sweetness 
 of that recreation which is purchased by honest 
 toil, and which nerves the arm for noble endea- 
 vors. Like master like man. Luvuruv was 
 not happy, though he spent his whole time in 
 trying to be amused. Many of his vassals be- 
 came bloated and died prematurely, and taking 
 them as a body, he could not surely depend upon
 
 THE DRAGON. 57 
 
 them in case his dominions were subjected to 
 assault. They had more than once deserted his 
 banners, flying into the valleys like sheep. It 
 was a dishonest thing for Goodman to have any 
 thing to do with him or his servants, for he was 
 an enemy to the Lord of Conscienza. 
 
 The shades of night had already fallen when 
 the jailer's equipage entered the town of Drown- 
 thort. There was an air of madness and hilarity 
 in the whole place, for first of all, be it observed, 
 it was in position eminently romantic, the houses 
 perched up very high, and, overlooking an exhil- 
 arating prospect, the air cool and sparkling. 
 
 But on this occasion Drownthort was " beside 
 itself." Every house flashed with illumination; 
 flags hung over the balconies ; fantastically 
 dressed crowds were in the streets ; music 
 abounded. Goodman and his wife wended their 
 way to the great hall, where to the sound of lilt- 
 ing music, drawn from skillful players on the 
 harp, mixed with the notes of flutes, already 
 were the young men and maidens mingling in the 
 dance. The pleasant agreement of the move- 
 ment and the melody, the splendor of so many 
 variegated lamps, the gay dresses, which served 
 *o set forth many a beautiful form, the high tone
 
 58 SALANDER AND 
 
 of enjoyment, and intoxicating effect of the 
 whole spectacle, bewildered Goodman, not ac- 
 customed to such a sight. For a long time he 
 stood in a corner, looking like a fool, but as the 
 night wore on, he plucked up courage, and at 
 last, stimulated by some wine, waxed very bold. 
 Taking a young maiden by the hand, he essayed 
 to lead off in the merry dance, with a great 
 many extravagant grimaces, and he fancied 
 himself to be young again. Pryint caught him 
 coquetting, and was astonished. She herself 
 was delighted to see him in so jovial a humor, 
 because it enabled him to forget for a time the 
 allegiance which he owed to Conscienza. As he 
 showed no disposition to come away, and had 
 given himself up to pleasure, in good season, 
 and before the gray light of the morning dawned 
 upon the revelers, she approached, as he stood 
 with a little group refecting themselves around 
 the rim of a capacious punch-bowl, and tapping 
 him on the shoulder with the slats of her ivory 
 fan, said, 
 
 " Come, Mr. Goodman, it is time to go." 
 " Ay, ay," said he, " coming, my lady. I 
 will order the carriage," for he was very drunk, 
 and his wife drew him by the arm, as he was
 
 THE DRAGON. 59 
 
 helping himself to a little of the raw fluid. Not 
 being able to find his coachman or his footman, 
 for which imaginary characters he stood bawl- 
 ing in the court of the tavern, for he was indis- 
 posed or unable to yoke his own team, his wife 
 took him by the nape of the neck, and leading 
 him to the pump, pumped water on his head till 
 he was almost drowned. 
 
 " Goodman," said she, " don't make a beast 
 of yourself. You are the pest of my life." 
 
 The water revived him, and brought him to 
 his legs, and his first reflection was " All this 
 comes from my own folly. Had I done my duty 
 with reference to an Officioso, then I should not 
 for one moment have taken into keeping a Sa- 
 lander, and then I should not have come here 
 to disgrace myself. What trouble has that one 
 act already brought on me ! and what will it yet 
 bring] Live and learn. Only let me get out. 
 of this scrape come along, wife, let's be going 
 home." 
 
 " Not yet, my dear," said she. " We came 
 on business we have yet attended only to pleas- 
 ure. You have forgotten Conscienza, but no 
 steps have been taken to make him forget you." 
 
 " Good gracious !" exclaimed he, with a
 
 60 SALANDER AND 
 
 look of horror, " you do not intend to commit 
 murder ?" 
 
 " No, indeed, you old fool come along." So 
 Goodman permitted himself to be led. 
 
 Now there lived in the suburbs of the town 
 of Drownthort an old fortune-teller and sor- 
 ceress, much resorted to by all classes, although 
 the latter calling she exercised secretly. It was 
 very strange that she should live in a crazy gar- 
 ret, when by her forecast she might take ad- 
 vantage of coming events ; but it is possible 
 that she enjoyed the confidence of simple folks 
 more than she would the comforts of a fine 
 house and servants. Her name was Python, 
 and it was only known to the populace that she 
 consulted the heavens and foretold destinies, 
 not that she practiced the Black Art, or hex 
 old dwelling would have been pulled down about 
 her ears. Among other things she had a magic 
 potion, which would put one into a profound 
 sleep for a whole year ; and if, perchance, the 
 senses of a good man might be overcome for 
 that length of time, the wicked might revel un- 
 molested. Goodman became very much troubled 
 in his mind, and the image of his master seem- 
 ed to stand before him and frown, when he was
 
 THE DRAGON. 61 
 
 made aware of this mad and perilous scheme ; 
 but it was too late to turn back, for his wife 
 had already knocked at the door of the old en- 
 chantress. 
 
 " Who's there 7" she said, immediately 
 thrusting her head out of a loop-hole above, and 
 interrogating in a harsh scream. 
 
 " A friend,", replied Pryint. " A friend who 
 needs counsel." 
 
 She disappeared, and returning in an instant, 
 as she opened the door, said, angrily, " Why do 
 you come when the very cats are no longer 
 abroad? Walk in." And as they entered, 
 they saw by the light of the taper a hideous 
 hag, toothless, except that two fangs protruded 
 above her upper lip, as if to give her tongue 
 free play between their venomous points. She 
 was all wrinkled and doubled up, and words 
 would fail to convey her exact image. The first 
 thing she did was to shut the door, lock it, and 
 put the key in her bosom. 
 
 " Now," said she," " you are in my house, 
 and can not go out till I tell you ;" and she 
 smiled. 
 
 The jailer and his wife were alarmed. 
 
 " This way," she said, leading them up a
 
 62 SALANDER AND 
 
 narrow staircase, then through many a winding 
 passage, till she brought them to the chamber 
 where she kept her instruments of art. " What 
 is it you want?" she said; "to know future 
 events?" 
 
 " No ; the potion," whispered Pyrint, look- 
 ing around, as if the walls had ears. 
 
 ." The potion?" said she. " Ah ! ha ! that 
 costs more." 
 
 Goodman and his wife became more alarmed. 
 
 '" Yes, yes," said Mrs. Goodman ; " the po- 
 tion, to put a friend of ours asleep for one year, 
 if if if the expense of so doing " 
 
 " Stop, dear," exclaimed the hag, " or you 
 will spoil the draught ; it is now brewing don't 
 you hear it ' bubble over the flame of that 
 lamp ?" 
 
 " I I I say," said Goodman, seizing the 
 old woman's arm. 
 
 She drew back with ferocity, and almost an- 
 nihilated him by her glance ; then she mumbled 
 an incantation, putting in herbs, plucked under 
 the moon's pale light ; then, when she had 
 made the mixture, she uncorked the phial and 
 put it in and sealed it up, and handing it to 
 Pryint, " Dear," said she, " look at him when
 
 THE DRAGON. 63 
 
 you give this approach and hold it to his nos- 
 trils, and when it reaches his brain pour the 
 whole of it down his throat, and Conscienza will 
 be asleep." 
 
 " Dear me !" exclaimed the man and his 
 wife in one breath, " she knows his name ;" 
 and they were afraid. 
 
 " And what's the cost of it ?" said Pryint, 
 "we are poor people, very, very, very poor." 
 
 " Very, very, very poor," shrieked the hag, 
 in a voice approaching a whistle ; "and by the 
 Holy Cross, if ye come here penniless at this 
 hour, ye shall go out poisoned." 
 
 "0 dear! how much 7" said Pryint, fum- 
 bling for a few silver coins in her wallet. 
 
 " A hundred sizentiers," exclaimed the hag. 
 
 " What is to become of us ?" exclaimed both 
 in a breath. " We can't pay it." 
 
 "Ay, but it shall be paid," said Python ; " and 
 until the sizentiers are paid, I will take a mort- 
 gage upon all you have and all you are worth." 
 
 Excessive fear compelled both Goodman and 
 his wife to do as the hag told them ; and they 
 sat down in her apartment and executed a 
 mortgage on their property for the receipt of 
 the potion to put Conscienza asleep for one
 
 64 SALANDER AND 
 
 year. Never did people feel so small as they 
 did after their night's adventure, when in the 
 gray of the morning they reached home, and 
 frightened, wearied, mortified they went to bed 
 and sunk into a sound sleep, from which they 
 were not even awakene 1 by the screams of Sa- 
 lander calling for his breakfast. 
 
 The next day they both felt very badly, and 
 Goodman reproached his wife bitterly. He 
 stated the results of her advice in a series of 
 propositions, thus : 
 
 I. They had left the castle unprotected, and 
 incurred the displeasure of Conscienza. 
 
 II. They had disgraced themselves by late 
 hours and intemperate gayety. 
 
 III. They had encouraged witchcraft. 
 
 IV. They had been swindled. 
 
 The amount of it was, they were totally ruined. 
 They had fled from one master and were in the 
 hands of a sorceress, who at any moment could 
 bewitch them, or administer secret poison. The 
 one hundred sizentiers must be paid ; of that 
 there could be no question. 
 
 " My dear, what a croaker you are," said 
 his wife ; " listen to what I say. As to the 
 sizentiers. dear as the price is, we will manage 

 
 THE DRAGON. 65 
 
 to wring them out of others. I will have them 
 forthcoming." 
 
 " I think you will," said he. 
 
 " Then, again, it is worth a large sum. First, 
 we shall get rid of Salander. He must leave 
 this place. The disturbance is too great, the 
 health of the child suffers, and I am itching to 
 let him go. Our reputation is at stake as long 
 as there is a vague suspicion that we are pos- 
 sessed of a strange being, people don't know 
 what, and they will think he is our own until 
 they see him a rumor which has become rife, 
 owing to the vile tongue of Snapit. But before 
 we can entirely set loose Salander, Conscienza 
 must be put to sleep, and think what comfort 
 we shall have then. None of those perpetual 
 knockings at the door, and tyrannical reproofs, 
 which you have so long submitted to. The cas- 
 tle will be our own." 
 
 " Ay, ay ! you can see through a pine board, 
 woman. Take your own way. The effect of 
 the potion is only temporary, and I should not 
 be surprised if Salander, and the sorceress, and 
 Conscienza, should all come back together, and 
 I should have to pay the sizentiers to the one 
 and the threatened punishment to the othe 

 
 66 SALANDER AND 
 
 " Take your hat, Goodman, and come with me. 
 I mean to administer the potion at once, and I 
 hope he'll never wake up." 
 
 " If he ever does wo be to us, wife." 
 The Lord of Conscienza was sitting in his 
 abode, calm and serene as a monarch on his 
 throne, and as they approached him, both trem- 
 bled and held their heads down, for he gazed at 
 them steadily. He asked them if they had done 
 all things as he directed to the poor and needy 
 within their reach, and when they answered in 
 the affirmative, for they had indeed fed many, 
 his smile of approbation was so bland and sweet 
 that it melted their hearts. But when he in- 
 quired if they had kept the little Salander safe 
 and sound, Goodman stammered, and his wife? 
 seeing that the moment had come, approached 
 and held the phial so that the pungent odor 
 should reach his brain. In a moment his eyes 
 waxed heavy, his head sank upon his breast, 
 and she hastened to apply the liquid to his lips. 
 The deed was done. The subtile essence stole 
 through all his veins, outstripped the blood, and 
 jjeached the very source of life. Stupor possess- 
 ed him, and he who Avas lately so active and 
 lay stretched in his palace in a deep
 
 THE DRAGON. 67 
 
 trance, for the decoction was composed of the 
 most drowsy herbs, such as Think-not, and 
 World's-care, and Never-pray. The influence 
 acted upon Goodman and his wife, for they both 
 became immediately callous, and felt not the 
 least compunction for what they had done, but 
 proceeded to bind the Lord of Conscicnza hand 
 and foot in his own house ; but they little thought 
 of the time when he should wake up in his 
 majesty and strength. 
 
 Great indeed was the comfort of the people 
 who lived in the Hartz Prison, when at last 
 freed from their master's supervision. They 
 went not to ask his advice in the morning, nor 
 to be questioned and examined at the close of 
 day ; and they were not troubled with the te- 
 dious keeping of books or balancing of accounts, 
 living from hand to mouth. They also got rid 
 of certain observances which Conscienza had en- 
 joined upon them, as well as upon all his sub- 
 jects, such as saying their prayers regularly at 
 least twice every day ; for Goodman complained 
 that it wore out the knees of his clothes. They 
 also led a more jovial life, and sent for a cask 
 of malt liquor from the town of Drown th or t, and 
 all the neighbors wondered what could. 
 
 "*
 
 68 SALANDER AND 
 
 brought so great change over them. It was ru- 
 mored that they did not pay their debts. 
 
 Seeing nothing of the sorceress for some time, 
 they forgot all about the tribute of sizentiers, 
 having been informed by a lawyer that the 
 mortgage Avhich they had executed was not 
 worth a single stiver, because their lord (at 
 present in a trance) had a previous mortgage on 
 their whole estate. They would take care not 
 to put themselves again into the clutches of the 
 old lady, and if she dared to injure them by her 
 incantations, or to say one word about the bar- 
 gain they had made, they would expose it to the 
 world that she was a witch, which would entitle 
 her to be burned. 
 
 All things being ready for the much-cherished 
 scheme of letting Saldi go, they went one day to 
 the cell and communicated the intelligence, by 
 which he was overcome with joy, and threw a 
 series of somersets. They then led him out by 
 a chain into the parlor, and tied him to the and- 
 iron, until theytcould make arrangement for his 
 more perfect liberty. When Goodman and his 
 wife gazed at the little dwarf behind and before, 
 they became more struck with his deformity 
 than when they held him a close prisoner in the
 
 THE DRAGON. 69 
 
 cell, for they scarcely permitted their own eyes 
 to gaze on him, and besides the place was so se- 
 cret and so dark. But now, as he danced round 
 the andiron, almost choking himself by the 
 winding of the chain, forcing his tongue out of 
 his mouth, and almost making his green eyes 
 bulge out of his head, Pryint exclaimed, laugh- 
 ing as if she would die, 
 
 " Oh, Saldi, what a beauty you are !" then 
 unwinding the chain, and leading him along, 
 " come and look at yourself in the glass," said 
 she. 
 
 She was several dollars the loser by that piece 
 of folly, for the dwarf no sooner saw himself in 
 the mirror than he kicked it into a thousand 
 fragments ; then touching his chapeau, and bow- 
 ing to the earth, " Excuse rne, "taadam," he 
 said, " but I can not permit .a rival ; neither do 
 I think it right that your ladyship should be 
 burdened by taking my brother to board." 
 Then looking down and seeing a hundred little 
 images of himself in the pieces of the mirror, he 
 began a fantastic dance upon his heels, whereby 
 he smashed them into a fine powder. 
 
 Pryint, in a rage, gave the chain a pull, 
 which squeezed the dwarf's neck into a compass
 
 70 SALANDER AND 
 
 not much larger than the circumference of a 
 wedding ring ; then snatching him up, jammed 
 him down violently into a child's arm chair, 
 where, being corpulent about the loins, he stuck. 
 Goodman added to the infliction by slapping his 
 cheeks, on which he bawled out so tremendously 
 that he could be heard to the distance of one 
 mile. This brought the neighbors to the prison 
 from far and near to see what was to pay. 
 
 " I declare," said Goodman, looking around 
 the room at the ruin, " this is too bad. My 
 little man, "we can't keep you any longer, as you 
 have been a great damage to us, and on some 
 conditions we mean to discharge you this very 
 day." 
 
 " All the better," said Salander ; "give. us 
 the passports." 
 
 " Yes," proceeded Goodman, " we mean to 
 send you to seek your fortune in the world. 
 Upon your word and honor you will do harm to 
 nobody "?" 
 
 "Na !" replied he ; " na, na !" 
 
 Then Goodman directed his attention to a 
 chart which hung up for in his younger days he 
 had been a great traveler a chart of tides, and 
 cuts, and quicksands, and a lively delinea- 
 
 ,,,
 
 THE DRAGON. 71 
 
 tion of the boundaries of all the countries in the 
 known world. 
 
 " See here, my little man," said he, " will 
 you promise to leave this country without delay, 
 and never come back again, and fix your eyes 
 up here will you immediately take ship, cross 
 over the Mare Meditterraneum to Tripoli, so on 
 through the great Sahara, the dominions of 
 Prester John, and the Prince of Abyss} r nia, cross 
 the Mountains of the Moon, and finally settle 
 down at Mozambique ?" 
 
 Salander thumped his liver most emphatically, 
 nodded his head, and ejaculated " Yaw, yaw !" 
 
 " And will you try to reform the savages ?" 
 
 Saldi grinned from ear to ear. That was the 
 very thing which he had been thinking of, and 
 if no objection lay he would like to visit the 
 Thracian Bosphorus, and take the Holy Land 
 in his way, and from Mozambique would cross 
 the channel to the Ethiopian Archipelago ; 
 " The farther the better, only," said he, " you 
 will give me a nice walking stick with a silver 
 head, won't you, papa ?" 
 
 " What shall we do without the little fellow V 9 
 exclaimed Pryint ; and she began to set the table 
 to give him his dinner before he went. She put
 
 72 SALANDER AND 
 
 on a snow-white cloth, and knife and fork, and 
 platter, and a haunch of venison, to be followed 
 by a pudding of wild oats. He took his seat, 
 commanded silence by hammering loudly on the 
 table, arid folding his arms over his bosom, and 
 rolling his eyes up most hypocritically, aifected 
 to say grace. Goodman and his wife would 
 have been displeased at the act once, but now 
 they laughed aloud. In the mean time the 
 neighbors, attracted by his screams, arrived, 
 and were freely admitted. 
 
 "Saldi, Mrs. Snapit." 
 
 "How do? take seat." 
 
 " Saldi, Mrs. Fussom's nurse." 
 
 " How's Mr. Blab ?" , 
 
 " Saldi, Mrs. Goodsoul." 
 
 " Good morning." 
 
 " Saldi, Mrs. Pompus." 
 
 tw I'm happy to see you, Pompus, J? etc. 
 
 It is impossible to express the surprise of those 
 present when they looked at the dwarf, but the 
 remarks were something as follows : 
 
 FIRST LADY. I never could have imagined 
 any thing of the kind. 
 
 SECOND LADY. My ears heard something 
 vague, but I did not credit my ears.
 
 THE DRAGON. 73 
 
 THIRD LADY. Now my eyes behold it, I can 
 hardly credit my eyes ! 
 
 FOURTH LADY. Perfectly horrible ! far worse 
 than I supposed. 
 
 FIFTH LADY. Who would have supposed it ! 
 what is the world coming to '? 
 
 SIXTH LADY. We can't be too thankful that 
 we are not the parents of such. 
 
 SEVENTH LADY. The world will never be- 
 lieve us that there is such a monster in the 
 world. 
 
 SALDI. Hold your tongues. 
 
 While this conversation proceeded, the window 
 was slightly darkened, and the casque and 
 plume of a knight were seen, who looked in upon 
 the company and smiled. Goodman and Pryint 
 both started from their seats, ejaculating, in a 
 breath, " Don Officioso ! Don Officioso !" They 
 ran to the door, but saw nobody, and heard only 
 the clattering of hoofs. 
 
 " Saldi, your papa has been here," said they, 
 returning. 
 
 "Nobody wishes to father Salander," says 
 
 he ; "no matter, those who take me up will 
 
 have to father me, that's all. Want's more j" 
 
 and he swallowed the last mouthful of pudding. 
 
 4
 
 Y4 SALANDER AND 
 
 " This is the last meal you will take here," 
 said Pryint ; " what liquor will you drink ?" 
 
 He winked his eye and crooked his forefinger 
 in the most knowing manner, to beckon her to- 
 ward him. 
 
 " What is it, darling ?" said she, putting her 
 ear down. 
 
 He placed his arm round her neck, and whis- 
 pered loud enough for all the company to hear, 
 " CRAMBAMB." 
 
 She went and procured it. 
 
 " Now," said he, swallowing it at a single 
 gulp, and rising from the table, which he over- 
 turned, " we must be getting ready. Your lit- 
 tle boy wants a pair of silver spurs." 
 
 She went and procured him a pair of silver 
 spurs. 
 
 " And now he wants a sash and small 
 sword." 
 
 She went and procured him a sash and small 
 sword. 
 
 Then the dwarf put them on, and placing his 
 chapeau under his arm, went all round to kiss 
 the company good-by, beginning with the old 
 people first. But the new comers screamed and 
 placed their hands before their faces.
 
 THE DRAGON. 75 
 
 " They make believe not to be fond of me," 
 said lie ; "I could make either one of them fall 
 in love with me." 
 
 After he had taken an affectionate leave of 
 Goodman and his wife, they conducted him into 
 the open air, to a narrow point of land, called 
 and. This was ruddy, and apparently of 
 volcanic origin, and jutted from the headland 
 into the open sea. 
 
 " Now," said they, urging him to the end of 
 this point with a pitchfork, " don't look behind 
 you jump and swim for your life." 
 
 At the word, Salander placed his fingers in 
 his mouth, and produced a piercing whistle, 
 when suddenly a whizzing in the air was heard, 
 and a bat-winged dragon made his appearance, 
 on whose back Salander leaped, and striking his 
 spurs deep, vanished speedily in the clear blue 
 air. 
 
 " Heaven defend us !" said the jailer to his 
 wife, "we have ENTERTAINED AN EVIL SPIRIT."
 
 SALANDER AND THE DRAGON, 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 IN the province of Gudneiburud, high up on 
 an eminence, there stood at the date of this 
 story a beautiful alabaster palace, called Gudf ""- 
 naim. Builded of so pure a material, and glis- 
 tening in the transparent air and sunshine, it 
 looked as if a sculptor had carved it. Its har- 
 monious proportion filled the eye with pleasure, 
 and in the midst of the dreamy and bewildering 
 realm of Beuti/and the richly cultivated fields 
 of Meind, it was the very object which enhanced 
 both the darling inheritance of its lord. From 
 his fathers he had received it, and he desired 
 to bequeath it, beautiful and unimpaired, to 
 those who came after him; and to this end he 
 had kept it free from mortgages, and embellish- 
 ed it with his own hands. Storms and tempests 
 had destroyed the more unsubstantial tenements 
 about it, but they had never dislodged one stone
 
 80 SALANDER AND 
 
 from the well-founded palace of Gudnaim, and 
 afar over the billows of the sea its Corinthian 
 columns could be seen, a shining beacon to the 
 mariner. 
 
 Besides this possession the owner had nothing. 
 I speak this in comparison of that which he once 
 enjoyed, although he still lived as a baron, in 
 the midst of a small and compact manor. Riches 
 had flapped their fiery wings and flown away ; 
 his ships, laden with pearls from Coromandel, 
 had struck upon a coral reef, but from this glo- 
 rious palace of Gudnaim he could see his neigh- 
 bors' argosies sail into port without a sigh, and 
 the waves strewed with the wrecks of his own 
 fortune without a tear. 
 
 " Stella," he said to his fair young wife, 
 whom he loved better than his own soul, " why 
 weep over our losses while we still possess Gud- 
 naim 1 I would not barter it for gold or silver, 
 though I had to toil all my life, and to eat the 
 bread of carefulness. But these few smiling acres 
 are our own, and all which is embraced within 
 this wide horizon of Peace is ours so long as we 
 do not envy its possession by others. For our 
 neighbors' inclosures serve to set off ours, and 
 my bill-top, and table-land, and terraces would 
 

 
 THE DRAGON. 
 
 81 
 
 be nothing without their sloping meadows. For 
 you, dearest," he said, casting on his wife a 
 look of tender love, " why sigh for gaudy trink- 
 ets, when no rude hand can rob you of the richer 
 jewel which remains" for Stella wore upon her 
 brow a more precious gem than ever flashed in 
 the casket of an empress. 
 
 Every one in Guctneiburud, except Duke 
 d'Envy, loved Wurthi^"but because the latter 
 lived in a fine mansion the duke hated him, 
 even with a bitter hatred, and at this very mo- 
 ment his eyes were directed toward Gudnaim, 
 and were displeased with the glare of the ala- 
 baster, which he declared was enough to blind 
 one. At the same time, however, he was struck 
 with the reflection of a light more dazzling even 
 than Stella's jewel, which came from overhead, 
 as if a bit of mirror were suspended, and the 
 long radii flitted and flashed with inconceivable 
 velocity over the plains. This was produced by 
 the sword of Salander, who was thrashing his 
 dragon in mid air. The duke cast his eye up- 
 ward, and a grim smile overspread his counte- 
 nance. " Ha !" said he, bringing his eye-glass 
 to a focus, " there goes my little chicken on the 
 little hobby-horse I gave him." 
 4* 
 
 4
 
 82 SALANDER AND 
 
 After this he mounted a high-mettled charger 
 the same on which he had visited the Hartz 
 Prison to go and ask Lady Somehodie whether 
 she had circulated a report, or insinuated it to 
 Lady Soandso, that he repudiated his own chil- 
 dren. The duke said what he liked about other 
 people, hut he blew a trumpet in his courtyard 
 and called all his vassals to arms, if a lance 
 were thrown toward his own inclosures. 
 
 Little did the good Wurthi, who had so lately 
 congratulated himself on his condition, dream 
 what disasters were impending. On that very 
 night his steward entered the house with alarm 
 on his countenance. " Oh, master !" he said, 
 " pray come without ; there is a large, black ob- 
 ject in the air." 
 
 Stimulated by curiosity, he ran out upon the 
 lawn, but saw nothing. "Fidelio," he said, 
 " you are moonstruck ; go immediately to your 
 chamber, and bring me<*io more stories like 
 this." 
 
 Pity is it that he was so peremptory with Fi- 
 delio, for the object seen was Salarider, who, 
 after leaving Tungland, instead of going on 
 swift pinions to Mozambique, as he had promis- 
 ed, only wheeled about with a few gyrations in
 
 THE DRAGON. 83 
 
 the air, and came with a whizzing sound to 
 Gudnaim. The farmer's wife afterward said 
 that she distinctly heard his sharp cries and 
 objurgations as he reined in his steed, and found 
 a pool of black and clotted blood on the pave- 
 ment, which, from flying too high, might have 
 proceeded from the nostrils of the dragon, or 
 else from his reeking sides, under the spurs or 
 sword of Salander. 
 
 The first thing the dwarf did was to establish 
 himself in safe quarters, that he might survey 
 the premises at leisure. In a dark cave of the 
 mountain, scarcely ever entered, except by the 
 stray foot of a wolf, he stabled Drak so he fa- 
 miliarly called the beast and fed him on green 
 apples. He himself clambered to the top of a 
 haycock, where he excavated a little hole, out 
 of which he could just rise with his head and 
 ears, and peep cunningly about. In this place 
 he could overhear they^onversation of the maid- 
 servants, and learn something of family matters. 
 After sundown, when he saw no one about, he 
 would slide down and creep along under the 
 shadow of the fences like a sly rat, to milk the 
 cows, and to suck eggs ; he also pulled the 
 chickens from their roosts and drank the blood,
 
 84 SALANDER AND 
 
 in consequence of which in a few days he waxed 
 as fat as a little pig. By and by he got so 
 bold that, watching his opportunity, he crept 
 into the house without being perceived, and hid 
 himself in the sideboard. Here he found some 
 good burgundy, of which he consumed two bot- 
 tles, and pronouncing it a very agreeable tipple, 
 went back to the haycock drunk. For shame, 
 Salander ! to be drinking a man's wine and 
 plotting against his house ! 
 
 Being in this situation, and snoozing away on 
 the clover, he had forgotten to feed his dragon 
 with green apples, on which the latter began to 
 drum with his wings, and to roar prodigiously, 
 like a young lion. 
 
 Salander distinctly recognized the sound, al- 
 though smothered by the sides of the mountain ; 
 at the same time he overheard two domestics 
 talking thus : 
 
 " Peter, what's that? ..Did'st hear it?" 
 
 " Ay," replied the other, " and not for the first 
 time either. I doubt there is a wild beast in the 
 mountain. The sheep refuse to leave the pens." 
 
 " If that be so," said Brom, " we must get - 
 up a party to hunt. Peter, I think there's a 
 weasel in that haycock."
 
 THE DRAGON. 85 
 
 Down went the head of Salander, like a 
 sinker. 
 
 "Why so ?" 
 
 " Methought my eyes caught the sight of one 
 yester eve." 
 
 " We must see to that," replied Peter. 
 " John !" he shouted, " bring some pitchforks 
 from the stables." 
 
 The boy brought them, and all three began 
 to stab the pile, striking first at the base. Sa- 
 lander covered up his head and ears, the per- 
 spiration rolled out of his pores, but he lay as 
 still as a mouse, cursing the Duke d'Envy in his 
 heart for exposing him to the point of such per- 
 ils. After searching very thoroughly the lower 
 part of the stack, and finding no weasel there, 
 the pitchforks approached the guilty parts. 
 
 " Bring a ladder," said Peter. 
 
 Salander drew his legs and shoulders and head 
 together into a compass no larger than the ap- 
 parent moon, and much did his gizzard palpitate 
 as he fielt the sharp tines grazing his very cheek, 
 and saw the flashes, like electric light, pass with- 
 in three inches of his eyes. He, had a great 
 mind to bounce out of his hiding-place, jump 
 like an incubus on the shoulders of the men, fly
 
 86 SALANDER AND 
 
 to the cavern, harness Drak, and betake himself 
 to the upper realms. But unfortunates like 
 himself are always in luck. Though spited, 
 they find compensation. Presently the assail- 
 ants retired, and Salander, emerging again at 
 the top of the haystack, looked up into the 
 blessed sun, and sneezed. 
 
 Salander did not go out of his retreat now 
 for some time, except on moonless nights to 
 sharpen a pickaxe on a grindstone, and to force 
 his way through the cellar window to steal more 
 wine^ He also made way with a spade and a 
 few sharp instruments, and made a depository 
 for these things under the haycock. But he was 
 preparing to steal away something far more 
 precious than gold, and to produce a wholesale 
 ruin, which words can not describe. Oh, Good- 
 mnn ! Goodman ! it is well for you that the 
 Lord of Conscienza sleeps soundly, or he would 
 punish you for letting the prisoner go. 
 
 While the dwarf lived in the haystack, he 
 surveyed the premises very carefully to find out 
 if the house of Gudnaim were open to an at- 
 tack ; but its materials were strong and incom- 
 bustible, and it was founded upon a rock. Any 
 open assaults would be abortive, and he made
 
 THE DRAGON. 87 
 
 up his mind that only by great patience it might 
 possibly be undermined, and made to tumble in 
 ruin about the heads of the inmates before they 
 suspected any thing. He selected, as the place 
 of his earliest operation, the great corner-stone 
 on which the house rested. Almost every night 
 the baron's attention was attracted by a slight 
 clicking sound, and his lady requested him to 
 look out of the casement to find out whence it 
 proceeded ; but seeing nothing, he presumed it 
 to be the dews of the night, which, collecting 
 upon the roof of the alabaster palace, -fell 
 down, drop by drop, upon the stones below. It 
 was a pity that he was so guileless and unsus- 
 pecting, for he had entirely mistaken the cause 
 of the sound. It was not the deAv of heaven, 
 but the pickaxe of Salander ! He had put on a 
 pair of mouse-skin slippers, and was nt the 
 corner of the house, trying to nick a little hole. 
 Much he swore and grumbled to himself because 
 the stone was underground, and hard flint, re- 
 quiring his pickaxe often to be sharpened anew. 
 Had the tenants of the baron discovered the 
 little wretch at his work, they would have 
 knocked him over the skull with a bludgeon, 
 and not waited to put him in the donjon-keep.
 
 88 SALANDER AND 
 
 But lie was an active, volatile spirit, always 
 eluding detection, and so he kept making steady 
 and sure progress every day, and always taking 
 care to cover up and conceal the work as he ad- 
 vanced. Time flew pleasantly with him, much 
 more than in the Hartz Prison, where he had 
 nothing to do, and the chance of escape was 
 doubtful. He literally lived in clover, and his 
 drink was burgundy and his food eggs, and by 
 night he would sometimes take an airing to keep 
 his dragon in order. " Gee-up !" he would say, 
 " noAV we are off to Mozambique ;" but he al- 
 ways wheeled round to return to the cavern be- 
 fore the snow-white pinnacles of the palace 
 faded out of view. 
 
 He had snoozed one night upon the haystack 
 until the middle watch, and when he woke up 
 the full, round moon was above him, in whose 
 soft splendor the house of Goodnaim, with its 
 exquisite proportions, seemed like a dream of 
 enchantment. Could any but the heart of 
 a demon meditate to turn such beauty into 
 waste? All the inmates of the palace were 
 asleep not a sound was heard, and not a foot 
 Stirring. 
 
 Salander rubbed his eyes with his knuckles,
 
 THE DRAGON. 89 
 
 and silently slid down to the base of the hay- 
 cock, meditating a new scheme. He had ob- 
 served a ladder placed against a side of the 
 mansion. " Ha !" said he, " this is the very 
 thing we Avant, this ladder ; we will go on an 
 exploring expedition to-night into the upper 
 stories. Hitherto we have been too humble, 
 and confined ourselves too much to the cellar. 
 The lights are all out ; let us see what there is 
 up stairs." 
 
 The ladder was placed against the window of 
 a chamber occupied by Barbara, a maid-servant, 
 who had blown out her candle a little while 
 previous. She was in the habit of reading ro- 
 mances and fairy tales to a late hour, contrary 
 to the regulations of the house, and now she 
 had been reading all about Prince Pretty, and 
 the Magic Mirror, and the Lord of Drechnafels, 
 till she fell asleep, leaving the candle to burn 
 down in the socket, while she dreamed of these 
 things. The dwarf, being on the topmost rung, 
 peeps in, and seeing Barbara snugly nestled, 
 gets in softly, softly, softly, and stands by her 
 bedside, like an incubus of the night. The 
 moon was shining full into the room, by the 
 light of which he takes up the book and reads
 
 90 SALANDER AND 
 
 a page, and pronounces it interesting, but not 
 sufficiently strong food for him. 
 
 " Dear," said he. No answer. 
 
 "My love, don't you hear me? It's only 
 Salander." No answer. 
 
 " He ! he ! he !" said he, inwardly giggling ; 
 "now for a little fun." So he puts his hand to 
 his head, and draws out a straw, which he con- 
 tracted in the haystack, with which he begins 
 to tickle Barbara's nose. 
 
 The maid mistook it, perhaps, for the mou- 
 stache of some knight-errant, who would exact 
 the tribute of a kiss. 
 
 " No, no !" she exclaimed, placing her hand 
 before her face. 
 
 Salander applied the straw to .her ear, with 
 which she woke up, and he hopped behind her 
 couch. She stared wildly around for an instant, 
 but seeing nothing, placed her head again on 
 the pillow, and again he applied the straw. 
 Turning her head suddenly, oh, horrors ! she 
 saw him. Her blood froze ; she lost all strength ; 
 she was like one smitten with death. He sat 
 down beside her and took her hand, which was 
 cold, icy cold, in his. " Dear," said he, " come 
 to. Nobody means to hurt you. As soon as I
 
 THE DRAGON. 91 
 
 tell my errand you will believe it yes, you will. 
 Haven't I been living in tins neighborhood for a 
 long time 1 Haven't I seen you every day, and 
 respect you as if I were a brother? Why, 
 I'm Duke d'Envy's son. I know your name 
 Barbara," said he, placing his hand upon her 
 mouth, " none of that. So surely as you make 
 a noise to rouse up this neighborhood you shall 
 never see daylight.' I will take you up and 
 throw you headlong out of the windows of 
 this alabaster palace to the ground, so that 
 you may be killed by the fall, and I will 
 then drag you to the woods to be devoured by 
 the wolves. Now, if you don't want to be a 
 mouthful, silence in this chamber, so that you 
 can hear the stars wink ! Scream, if you -dare, 
 but if you will listen to me tranquilly, I will do 
 you no injury, not in the least ; on the contrary, 
 I will act as your friend. Look at me," said 
 he, hopping out into the room and dancing a 
 pas seul in the moonbeams ; " look at me and 
 say, do I look as if I would speak false 1 No, 
 I think I hear you say. Now you won't scream, 
 will you, love ? Then kiss me. Hi ! hi ! hi ! 
 hi ! Remember, one single cry, yes, so loud as 
 the bleating of a lamb, will supply the wolf
 
 92 SALANDER AND 
 
 market, and then when your bones are found 
 the sexton will dig a grave for you, and the par- 
 ish bell will be rung, and the young people will 
 go to your funeral all dressed in white, and 
 there will be sobbing, sobbing, sobbing ;" and 
 as he said this, with a diabolic grin, the heart 
 of the poor girl beat so loudly that it could be 
 heard. 
 
 , " Listen to me," he again proceeded ; " I tell 
 you that you are safe. I will not hurt you by 
 every thing which is most sacred. If you will 
 help me to discover something which is in your 
 power, then I will tell you where your true lover 
 is to be found." 
 
 It was many minutes before the girl could 
 speak; but at last, finding no remedy, and 
 summoning up courage, she asked in a feeble, 
 faltering voice, what it was he wanted, at the 
 same time imploring that he would not hurt her. 
 Nor, terrified as she was, was the expression 
 altogether lost on her ear, that he would tell her 
 where her true lover was to be found. 
 
 " Your mistress," said he, " has a very pre- 
 cious gem, which she wears upon her fore- 
 head." 
 
 " Yes."
 
 THE DRAGON. 93 
 
 " And I must have it, for I have set my heart 
 upon it, and I have heard that it flashes more 
 brilliantly than any jewel in the imperial dia- 
 dem." 
 
 " Oh, yes ; my poor mistress would die if she 
 lost it." 
 
 " No, she wouldn't die. It isn't food, or 
 sleep, or clothing, is it ? and I wan't it ; enough 
 said." 
 
 ".Oh, dear! oh, dear!" 
 
 " Don't say oh, dear ! oh, dear ! or out of 
 the window you go, Barbara, and it won't be 
 like throwing out a feather, darling ! A feather 
 has no bones to break as has been well 
 said." 
 
 " Dreadful man, what must I do 1" 
 
 " You must steal that jewel for me." 
 
 " Oh, I can not, can not steal ! I have kept 
 my hands from picking and stealing. What 
 would Father Hennepin say?" 
 
 "Say? Ego te absolve. I don't -care what 
 he says. Will you do what I say?" 
 
 " I will try," whimpered Barbara. 
 
 " Try ! You had better. If you don't, I'll 
 be the death of you ; and if you do I'll tell you 
 where your true lover is to be found."
 
 94 SALANDER AND 
 
 " My mistress always wears the jewel upon 
 her forehead." 
 
 " It is very well. I want it now. I must have it 
 now. My stay is limited. You have not one mo- 
 ment to spare, unless you're a feather, Barbara, 
 or the moonbeams will buoy you up. Rise imme- 
 diately and get that jewel, as has been well said." 
 
 The terrified maid had no alternative, and 
 she rose trembling, and passed into the hall, 
 which led to the chamber where slept the baron 
 and his wife. Salandcr went behind her on tip- 
 toe, dancing and capering, but making no more 
 noise than the muffled feet of a mouse. Pres- 
 ently they came to the door. 
 
 " Now," said he, whispering, " open softly ; 
 don't fall back, dear, or else you might run 
 against this dagger a casualty much to be de- 
 plored as has often been well said. Go, and 
 take the jewel." 
 
 Barbara entered and stood by her mistress' 
 side, while the dwarf peeped in at the door, and 
 there sure enough glittered the envied gem on 
 that brow so pure and beautiful, filling the wide 
 apartment with its multitude of rays. 
 
 Barbara took the gem, leaving a tear in its 
 place, which sparkled for a few moments with
 
 THE DRAGON. 95 
 
 equal brightness, and which then disappeared 
 without hands. She retired afterward to her 
 pillow and wept many of them, for she was very 
 sorry that she had stolen a thing so precious ; 
 yet after all, when her grief abated, she reason- 
 ed that she had been the agent of another, she 
 did not mean any harm, and she hoped no evil 
 would result, and that God would forgive her 
 and so she slept. 
 
 Salander mounted his dragon, calling him, as 
 he seized the reins, by the various endearing 
 titles of Drak, Drag, Draco, Dirk, Dick, Dicky, 
 and directed him on swift wings toward the sea, 
 and as he held up the glistening jewel, he 
 screamed aloud in the air of night ; he had done 
 the deed so slily, so silently, keeping in the 
 background. He also reasoned . that he did not 
 make himself, but was sent upon his errand by 
 others, he acted according to his nature, out of 
 the love of pure mischief, and those who had 
 begotten him, and sent him forth to seek his 
 own fortune, must answer for the consequence. 
 " If there is any consequence I shall refer them 
 to papa," said he, " dear papa ;" and being at 
 that instant over the paternal abode, he took a 
 brickbat out of his pocket and dropped it on
 
 yb SALANDER ANI> 
 
 the roof, to make the old gentleman, he said, 
 pull the strings of his night-cap. When he got 
 out to sea he took the gem in his finger, and 
 kissed it farewell. " This," said he, " will not 
 enrich me, although the loss of it will make that 
 unfortunate lady poor indeed. It is a thing 
 which can not very well be bartered or sold, and 
 to this interesting boy it would not be becoming, 
 would it, Drak ? No you may well say that, 
 Tricky. What then shall I do with it 1 Drop 
 it in the sea. Gemmi, Drak says I must drop 
 you in the sea." With this he let it fall, and 
 it sparkled like a dew-drop through the moon- 
 beams, and it still flashed upon his eye while it 
 sank clear down through the transparent waters, 
 till it reposed with other gems and other treas- 
 ures in the coral caverns of the deep. 
 
 On his return landward, he saw a ship at 
 sea speaking another ship, and with one down- 
 ward swoop he snatched the trumpet out of the 
 captain's hand. 
 
 "What was that?" said the captain to his 
 mate. " Did you see any thing ?" 
 
 "Nothing at all," said the latter, "but I 
 heard a whizzing sound ; there goes something 
 black in the air !"
 
 THE DRAGON. 97 
 
 " It is the devil !" said the mariner, swearing 
 a great oath, and he incorporated it in his long 
 yarns ever after, that the devil came one night, 
 and snatched his speaking-trumpet out of his 
 hand. 
 
 When Salander got it, he blew a loud blast, 
 and so soon as he neared the land, and came with- 
 in sight of houses, he began to speak through it. 
 
 " Hear ye ! hear ye ! Wiklfell House has 
 been robbed. Carline, the burgomaster, did it. 
 Carline's a thief Carline's a thief !" and the 
 hills echoed back the sound, " Carline's a 
 thief!" 
 
 " Bow-wow-wow !" barked the squire's dog. 
 
 " Boos, the squire's dog, kills sheep !" spake 
 Salander through the trumpet. 
 
 " The squire's dog kills sheep !" answered 
 the echo. 
 
 " Heresy ! heresy ! heresy \" shouted he, fly- 
 ing over the cathedral in the little town of Hel- 
 onerth, and the whole town of Helonerth was 
 waked up. 
 
 " Hear ye ! hear ye ! hear ye ! the clergy- 
 man's wife in the parish of Muchlove is a 
 witch !" 
 
 The next day, Carline, the burgomaster, was 
 5
 
 98 SALANDER AND 
 
 imprisoned ; the squire's dog was killed for 
 sheep-stealing ; the bishop was arrested for 
 heresy; the clergyman's wife was mobbed for 
 a witch. As for the trumpet, it was picked up, 
 and all the populace for many leagues round 
 made a pilgrimage to see it, as having belonged 
 to the Angel Gabriel. 
 
 But to return to the poor lady who lost the 
 gem : she did not miss it at first, never suspect- 
 ing in her inmost heart that any would envy her 
 the possession, and until she went into the world, 
 and it began to be whispered and noised abroad, 
 did not know that it was gone. Then, although 
 she had done no evil, and was the same pure 
 being that she was before, and the gem rather 
 represented than possessed intrinsic value, she 
 nearly wept out her eyes. In vain she searched 
 for that which could be recovered no more ; and 
 when she had inquired of the whole household 
 who it was that had robbed her, and received 
 no tidings, she shut herself up in her apart- 
 ment, and refused food ; while the cause of all 
 this evil lay unknown and unmolested in his re- 
 tirement, contriving new mischief, and delighting 
 in what he had already done. At last the house 
 of Gudnahn was shrouded in black, and sorrow
 
 THE DRAGON. 99 
 
 gathered in the faces of the domestics, and the 
 lord of the manor mourned over his irreparable 
 loss, for his lady was the impersonation of all 
 goodness. 
 
 Tenderly the domestics wept over her, but 
 the cold world would not even attend her fune- 
 ral, but stood afar off, and amused themselves 
 with sundry sneers. There was one mysterious 
 thing which struck the bystanders when the last 
 rites were performed. The solemn service took 
 place in the old hallowed cathedral, where she 
 had so often kneeled down to receive the Holy 
 Sacrament, and in the pauses of the sepulchral 
 chant there was heard a continual sobbing, like 
 wind-gusts on a December night. It came from 
 Salander, who had concealed himself behind the 
 pipes of the great organ to behold the spectacle, 
 where, knowing that he could not be found, he 
 pretended to weep like a child. Hypocrite ! 
 
 When the Duke d'Envy heard of this death, 
 he lifted up his hands with an air of surprise, 
 and ordering his groom to have his spurs polish- 
 ed, and his charger at the door by high noon, he 
 rode off to inquire what she died of. that 
 Goodman and his wife, Pryint, could have been 
 present on the occasion! but they had given
 
 100 SALANDER AND 
 
 themselves up to a course of evil living, and 
 were without government, for the Lord of Con- 
 scienza remained in a deep trance, as if laid 
 out in state. The lady was huried, and a pure 
 and beautiful shaft erected to her memory hag 
 on it this inscription : 
 
 SHE HEALED THE HEARTS OF THE 
 
 SORROWFUL WHEN LIVING, 
 AND BROKE THEM WHEN SHE DIED. 
 
 After this, Salander removed his quarters 
 from the haystack, and it was well for him that 
 he did, for on the same day it was razed to the 
 ground, showing how hard it is to ferret out one 
 of his character, whose nature is to skulk. He 
 took permanent refuge in the cellar, carrying 
 thither his spades, and pickaxe, and sapping 
 utensils, where he soon got busily employed. 
 If any one came in, he could easily conceal 
 himself behind the casks, to which he applied 
 his powers of suction every day. So carefully 
 did he conceal his work as he advanced, that no 
 one, from the loose earth, could have appre- 
 hended any thing more than a depredatory rat. 
 The foundation stones on which the building
 
 THE DRAGON. 101 
 
 had rested so many years were hard and flinty, 
 and nothing but a sharp instrument and ex- 
 treme patience could make an impression there- 
 on. But Salander had both, and it seemed to 
 be the object for which he had been born, to 
 make that fair building topple and fall. At 
 last the excavation was made, the props ar- 
 ranged. He unloosed his dragon, and carried 
 on his machinations at a distance. Draco had 
 made such a bellowing in the cave of the mount- 
 ain, when his master, from his own excess of 
 food, forgot to give him his dinner, that the 
 people began to think there was a wolf conceal- 
 ed, and the very next day went after him with 
 dogs and pikes ; and while they did so, a big 
 shadow, as of a vulture, kept following the 
 cavalcade. They hunted in vain ; the wicked 
 creature heard the echoes made by the barking 
 of the dogs and by the horns, 
 
 " As if another chase were in the sky." 
 
 In the mean time he amused himself with a 
 ballad : 
 
 Ride on, ye gallant gentlemen, uprising with the morn, 
 With lance and spear, each fence to clear, and blow your 
 mellow horn ;
 
 102 SALANDER AND 
 
 To chase the wild wolf to his den, to rob him of his prey 
 The wolf is fled, the wolf is dead, ye need not hunt to-day. 
 
 It is not by the mountain-side, it is not in the fen : 
 
 The wildest 'beasts enjoy their feasts among the abodes of 
 
 men. 
 
 There's dungeon foul by wolf and owl inhabited within 
 Your very hearts. Then fire your darts, and raise your 
 
 hellish din. 
 
 The tiger there track to his lair, and take him by the 
 
 throat 
 He howls again, he wants a chain, no more on blood to 
 
 gloat ; 
 
 The hyena's eye is glaring nigh, the leopard hath his lair, 
 He changeth not in any spot go, take him if you dare ! 
 
 What brings you here ? why don't you fear the angry 
 
 sounds which rise 
 Within the domes of your own homes, and to the very 
 
 skies ? 
 
 In vain the flute, in vain the lute, and music of the bird 
 The cursed strife that mars your life would make their 
 
 sounds unheard. 
 
 Look up, ye gallant gentlemen ! my voice ye will not heed, 
 For see ! your prey he rides away, a courser of true speed. 
 On, Drak ! on, Drag ! and do not lag, like those who hunt 
 
 to-day, 
 They leap a gulf to catch a wolf, and hear a wild ass bray ! 
 
 It was with a bitter and sarcastic spirit that 
 tlie little horseman chanted this, making it as
 
 THE DRAGON. 103 
 
 he went along, and as he finished the last stan- 
 za, coming down to the tops of trees to let the 
 dragon graze. He was by nature a good schol- 
 ar, and had he been sent to college to receive a 
 classical education, would have made a clever 
 boy ; but being a foundling, and disowned, he 
 picked up knowledge as he could, but his whole 
 life was spent in doing mischief. 
 
 Shortly after this, the master of the house 
 of Gudnaim received an anonymous letter in 
 these words : 
 
 " Let me warn you to be upon your guard, for 
 without being permitted to reveal myself or 
 others, I have ample reasons for what I tell you, 
 that there is a plot hatched for your injury, it 
 may be, total ruin. The conspirators are in 
 this neighborhood, and the very head and front 
 of the offending is a man of high station, but 
 neither his rank nor riches have hitherto gained 
 him the respect of good men. Do not, I be- 
 seech you, despise this message, or think that it 
 is written by one who would be amused at your 
 expense. The most unintermitted vigilance 
 will alone secure safety to the house of Gud- 
 naim." 
 
 When the baron read this letter it fell from
 
 104 SALANDER AND 
 
 his hand. He "was not aware, until the late mis- 
 fortune in his family, that he had an enemy, 
 having done nothing to excite hatred. In the 
 full consciousness of his innocence, he took up 
 the letter and tore it, and resolved not to think 
 of it again. He never considered those worthy 
 of notice who could not act above-board. But 
 although he had made up his mind to pay no at- 
 tention to the letter, he gathered vague informa- 
 tion from so many different sources, that he was 
 compelled to think that some terrible disaster 
 impended his house. As he sat brooding over 
 it, a servant entered and told him that a lady 
 would speak with him, and he desired her to be 
 shown in. A middle-aged, bustling woman, of 
 masculine figure, forthwith made her appear- 
 ance, when he requested her to be seated, and 
 make her errand known. She announced her- 
 self as Madame Rumor, a widow of universal 
 reputation, who had her residence in a province 
 called Ubiquity. " My lord," said she, " you 
 will excuse me for intruding. My motive is 
 good. They say you have been doing something, 
 although I don't believe it, and don't know what 
 it is, and they say that somewhat is on foot 
 against you and they say and they say and
 
 THE DRAGOX. 105 
 
 they say a great many things which time 
 would fail to tell." And here she was out of 
 breath. 
 
 Gudnaim smiled calmly. " Tell those who 
 say, and who say, and who say," he replied, "to 
 beware of what they say, while I, good woman, 
 will be prepared for what they do ;" and with 
 that lie politely showed her the way out, and as 
 she bustled out of the hall, swept a great many 
 things down with her garments as she passed. 
 Whither she went he could not tell, for the next 
 moment, when he looked after her, she was no- 
 where to be seen. 
 
 On another day, as he came from weeping 
 over his lady's grave, he noticed a black cloud 
 resting immovable over his house. The rest 
 of the sky was spotless, and deepl} r blue. 
 61 Alas !" said he, " do the heavens smile every- 
 where but over my house V He went into his 
 library, kneeled down, and prayed, for he was a 
 devout man. " Lord ! if it is Thy good pleas- 
 ure to afflict me, give me grace to bear with 
 meekness Thy chastening rod, for I have sinned 
 and done evil in Thy sight, and am no more 
 worthy to be called Thy son. In prosperity I 
 have not remembered Thee enough, and my 
 5*
 
 106 SALANDER AND 
 
 heart has not overflowed with gratitude for Thy 
 mercies. My fortitude has not been exercised 
 enough, nor has my patience been tested by ex- 
 treme trial. Whatever shall befall me in Thy 
 pleasure, Thou Most Merciful, for the saki 
 of Christ make me patient, and humble, and 
 brave, that when Thou shalt make up Thy 
 jewels, both those who are dear to me, and I, 
 Thy unworthy servant, may not be found want- 
 ing in one of Thy many crowns." 
 
 When he had said this, he rose from his 
 knees, and read the Word of God, where he 
 lighted upon many passages, which filled his 
 soul Avith resignation, peace, and good-will to- 
 ward all mankind. 
 
 Can it be possible that machinations so de- 
 tested will be permitted to thrive 1 We shal] 
 see. Do we not read in Holy Writ that whom 
 the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth 
 every son whom He receiveth 1 
 
 The little imp, whose biography we are writ- 
 ing, when he left the palace, went about among 
 
 his relations. He had a brother, Avhose name 
 ? 
 
 was Malce, one of that brood of wicked chil- 
 dren belonging to Duke d'Envy, whom he also 
 disclaimed, but no one could fail to discover the
 
 THE DRAGON. 107 
 
 likeness, for it could be traced in every linea- 
 ment. Also, he had another brother, named 
 Maligne, twinned at a birth with Malce, and 
 you could scarcely tell them apart. Salander 
 got himself cheek by jowl with these, and a 
 riotous time they had of it over the stolen bot- 
 tles of burgundy. 
 
 " I tell you what it is," said Malce, smacking 
 his lips, during one of their midnight- orgies, 
 " these grapes are good." 
 
 " They're better than the duke's," said Ma- 
 ligne, taking a deep quaff. 
 
 "You may well say that," said the first, 
 " although he thinks he has the best wine in the 
 neighborhood. This is old, and respect is due 
 to age." 
 
 " Good !" said Maligne, laughing. " We will 
 repeat the imbibition. 'Tisn't malmsey, is it 1 ?" 
 
 " No ; help yourself," said Salander. "-Bur- 
 gundy. Don't you know the difference, you 
 fool?" 
 
 In this way they kept on tippling until the 
 liquor got into their heads, and it was in the 
 heat of this liquor, and by the promise of more 
 of it, that Salander got his brothers to be col- 
 leagues in his plot. They forthwith began to
 
 108 SALANDER AND 
 
 beat up recruits ; and you may judge what kind 
 of persons they must have been to lend their 
 sanction to a Salander. No eye ever beheld 
 such scarecrows. They consisted of the idle, the 
 profane, and the debauched, with scarce a rag on 
 their backs ; and there was so much fighting and 
 pugilism in the camp, that the only salvation 
 for any of them was to bring them all against a 
 common foe. The only thing majestic about 
 them was their numbers, arid the noise which 
 they made got to be so considerable, that they 
 dubbed it vox populi, and from that moment 
 they rose in importance. There was a great 
 deal of art and contrivance necessary to bring 
 them into any thing like order. Salander was 
 up and down among them everywhere, filling up 
 their canteens with good wine, encouraging 
 them, scolding them, putting them under guard 
 for contempt of rules, thrashing them, shooting 
 them down in the ranks. " Ragamuffins ! eyes 
 right ! silence !" He was feared, loved, hated, 
 and his men, who had nothing to lose, and much 
 to hope from the spoils of the alabaster palace, 
 were at last brought into pretty good training 
 for volunteers. When his preparations were 
 finally complete, and all the good-for-nothing
 
 THE DRAGON. 109 
 
 fellows in the country had come in to swell his 
 ranks, he told his aid-de-camp, Sneak, to go to 
 the tent, and ask his secretary, Durtiwork, 
 whether that speech was ready which he was to 
 deliver to the men. He returned with the docu- 
 ment, and the general having perused it atten- 
 tively, and committed it to heart, drew his 
 sword, mounted his dragon, and dashing up and 
 down before the front rank, reviewed them, ex- 
 amined their arms, and finally addressed them 
 thus : 
 
 " You ragamuffins, are you ready ? There 
 is a man living in an alabaster palace not far 
 from here, when there is not a mother's son of 
 you who has got a shed to protect him from the 
 weather. That this isn't fair play must be evi- 
 dent to all of you, and your own fault if you 
 don't have justice. There are enough of you 
 here, in all conscience, to upset Gudnaim;-but 
 there are a thousand others who only wait to see 
 the effects of your courage. The moment that 
 is shown they will be anxious to join in the hue 
 and cry. Quit yourselves like men. Malce, 
 you will take the right wing. Maligne, you will 
 keep on the left. General Backbite's division 
 will stay near me as a reserved guard. Colonel
 
 110 SALANDER AND 
 
 Pique, you will be ready with your sharp -shoot- 
 ers to commence the attack. Messrs. Hint and 
 Ineuendo, you will set yourselves down in the 
 poultry-yard (laughter), and lay in food for the 
 mess, after the day's work is done. If there 
 are any cowards here, now is the time to be 
 drummed out of the ranks. None 1 Then 
 there are no cowards. Comrades, the time has 
 come! Eyes right ! Forward! March!" 
 
 On they went, accoutered as they were, this 
 disorderly rabble, helter-skelter, head over heels, 
 and the noise which they made was like the buzz- 
 ing of a great swarm of locusts over the land. 
 All said who heard it, " That is Salander and 
 his crew." 
 
 What the leader told his men soon turned 
 out to be true. He sometimes spake the truth, 
 supposing it at the time to be a lie. The house 
 of Gudnaim was one of particular note, and from 
 its high position could be seen for leagues around. 
 Though few respectable persons would venture to 
 tear it down, if the melancholy truth must be 
 told, many could secretly rejoice at such an 
 idea. Some thought that its architecture was 
 too ornate, and did not like its Corinthian capi- 
 tals ; some, that the several parts of which it
 
 THE DRAGON. Ill 
 
 was made up did not contribute to harmony ; 
 and the rest, like Duke D'Envy, that it over- 
 shadowed their own inclosures. Not one of 
 these had courage to express his opinion very 
 decidedly until the expedition was upon the 
 march. Then from different quarters might be 
 heard voices, which soon met together in a 
 clamor. 
 
 " Halt !" said the general, suddenly ; " what 
 is that ?" 
 
 " Nothing but a waterfall in the distance," 
 exclaimed Backbite. 
 
 " It is no such thing," replied he. 
 
 " I believe it is the wind murmuring through 
 a forest of pines," said Maligne. 
 
 " Hark !" he said ; " silence in the ranks, 
 while the general puts his ear down." He 
 forthwith threw himself upon his belly, and ris- 
 ing up, exclaimed, " It is the tramp of men. 
 Set the ranks in order. In less than ten min- 
 utes we shall join battle." With that he gave 
 some hasty commands, and his aids were dash- 
 ing about the field to put the troops in order, 
 among whom consternation was clearly visible. 
 They expected to assault the palace, not to be 
 attacked so soon. In a few minutes the sound
 
 112 SALANDER AND 
 
 of martial music was heard, and a splendid troop 
 appeared in sight, while you would have sup- 
 posed that salt and brandy were blazing in the 
 faces of Salander's men, such a ghastly pale- 
 ness overspread them all. What was their 
 surprise, when about to turn on their heels and 
 run away, to see a horseman come bounding to- 
 ward them with a white flag, white as their 
 coward faces, and it appeared that this respect- 
 able troop had come to join their ranks. This 
 seasonable arrival filled them with unspeakable 
 joy ; but it had this effect on their future desti- 
 ny, that they were obliged to get drunk on com- 
 mon grog, as Salander reserved the burgundy 
 for the respectable men. After due ceremonies, 
 they again set forth on the march, and traveled 
 for about a league, when they stopped for re- 
 freshment at the house of a gentleman named 
 LURKING GRUDGE. This person, who had been 
 informed of their object, commended it very 
 highly, and wished them every success. He 
 gave them food and comfort, and detached a 
 dozen of his own domestics to aid the attempt ; 
 after which, the crew gave three cheers for 
 Lurking Grudge, and passed on, trampling down 
 his corn in the way. The general, as he ad-
 
 THE DRAGON. 113 
 
 vanced, was himself surprised to receive encour- 
 agement in an indirect way from men of great 
 respectability, whom he never would have sus- 
 pected of lending encouragement to his design. 
 One said, "Well, well, if so and so is the case, 
 I, for one, sincerely hope that the expedition 
 may be crowned with success." Another said, 
 " I don't know about this matter, but I will 
 wait and see. The end will prove." At any 
 rate, no one molested him by the way, and no 
 public officer came to take him by the throat, 
 for at this stage, had justice only waved her 
 wand, the rabble would have been dispersed. 
 But the ministers of justice are often unworthy ; 
 and although Salander at first knew in his own 
 heart that his scheme was devilish, yet from this 
 conduct of others he began presently to think 
 that it was sacred, and himself a hero, in dan- 
 ger of being a martyr. From this time the 
 more virulent and impertinent he became. He 
 paid more attention to outward looks ; he wore 
 a long cue behind his back, and the sleekness 
 of an arch hypocrite, like the oil of sanctimony, 
 anointed his whole face. He appointed himself 
 chaplain to the regiment, a.nd read prayers in 
 the camp. As he assumed piety, his ragamuf-
 
 114 SALANDER AND 
 
 fins rose to the dignity of knight-crrants, and 
 called their leader Saladdin. As they continued 
 to advance, a messenger came running breath- 
 less to the alabaster palace, crying out, " Oh, 
 my dear lord, the vassals of the Duke d'Envy 
 are in full march, and will soon be at your 
 door !" 
 
 " Pooh !" said he ; "I can scarcely credit 
 what you say." 
 
 " Oh, my lord, it is true, it is true !" 
 
 " Then we will try and be ready, if that is 
 so, my friend. Barbara, go up into the tower, 
 and tell me if you see any thing." 
 
 The girl went up, and returning, said that 
 she saw nothing. 
 
 " Go up again," said her master, " and look 
 in every direction." 
 
 Barbara came back, and said that she saw a 
 cloud of dust in the distance. 
 
 "Go up once more," said he. 
 
 She returned, with a face as pale as ashes. 
 
 " Oh, my dear lord, there is surely an army 
 upon the march. You can see their banners 
 waving, and spears glittering in the sunbeams, 
 and hear the tramp of hoofs, and martial 
 music."
 
 THE DRAGON. 115 
 
 " Good !" said the lord of the mansion. " Fi- 
 delio, sound a trumpet. Call out the tenants. 
 Throw a guard into the lodge. Man the balco- 
 nies. Set a watch on the tower. Let us see 
 if we can teach these varlets a lesson that they 
 may remember. This place is impregnable." 
 
 Scarcely was this command given when there 
 came pouring in the domestics and retainers of 
 every description, each one in the height of his 
 loyalty ready to lay down his life for his lord. 
 They ciine armed with the bow, the cross-bow,, 
 the arquebuse, and the javelin ; some with buck- 
 lers, and some without, for haste hardly allowed 
 armor, much less the choice of it. They met 
 the steward in the hall, who told them that an 
 enemy was at hand, to fight, and die, if need be r 
 and he apportioned them severally on the roof, 
 at the gateway, at the casements, on the balcOr 
 ny, and in the lawn, while Wurthi sat calmly in 
 his library, appending a codicil to his will : 
 
 " And I also, at this time being of sound 
 mind, after the sums given to my faithful serv- 
 ants, do hereby bequeath to the poor of the par- 
 ish, so and so. 
 
 " To the Old Maud, once a faithful and be- 
 loved nurse in my family, the cottage where she
 
 116 SALANDER AND 
 
 now resides, and thirty pounds per annum dur- 
 ing her life. 
 
 " To the Duke d'Envy, my blessing. May 
 the Lord be merciful to him." He also indited 
 the following letter to an old friend, and this 
 correspondence is worthy of particular attention 
 in the history of the house of Gudnaim. There 
 was a noble living not far off, whom he had be- 
 friended in great tribulation. When the house 
 and barns of this man were burned down, and all 
 the crops of a year destroyed, his place being 
 heavily mortgaged, he was threatened to be 
 overwhelmed with ruin. There being none to 
 help, Wurthi sent all his domestics to a man to 
 clear out the ruins ; he provided him with tim- 
 ber from his own woods, turned out his farmer 
 to give the nobleman and his wife place, sent 
 him every week a lamb or a haunch of venison, 
 and provided him day by day from his own lard- 
 er, and when the same person was taken ill in 
 consequence of his troubles, watched over him 
 like a brother. The very next year health and 
 prosperity smiled again, his house was rebuilt, 
 and he came suddenly into possession of great 
 wealth. Now this was the letter which Gud- 
 naim wrote :
 
 THE DRAGON. 117 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND : I am suddenly attacked 
 by the vassals of Duke d'Envy, whom I have 
 never injured. His forces outnumber mine by 
 three to one. Will you send over a few serv- 
 ants to relieve me in my extremity ? 
 " Your old friend, 
 
 " GUDNAIM." 
 
 To this, dispatched by a swift messenger, the 
 following answer was returned, after the fight 
 was joined : 
 
 " SIR : I regret that my men are now employed 
 in the harvest, and our crops must be gathered 
 in before night. At any other time you should 
 be welcome to their assistance." 
 
 Gudnaim smiled an ineffable smile as he read - 
 this, standing on the balcony, in the midst of 
 his true men, and almost at the moment, an t 
 archer, by the name of Ingrat, who had singled 
 him out by his commanding figure, let fly an 
 arrow, which wounded him under the fifth rib, 
 and he was carried off. Nevertheless, he kept up 
 good courage, and cheered the men. " We have 
 troops of friends," said he, " who will surely
 
 118 SALANDER AND 
 
 be on the ground when the sound of the battle 
 reaches them. They will not permit me to be 
 worsted by the crew of this miserable wretch. 
 The Fairweather Guard, who have always been 
 so devoted to me, and who are always with me 
 when the vintage comes in, will be here before 
 noon. Now that I am in trouble, they will not 
 act like Old Friend ; they will vie with one an- 
 other, and be jealous of every laurel which is 
 won on this day. Fight on, my braves. Let not 
 my absence deter you. Defense is a sacred 
 right, though your arrows pierce the heart." 
 
 The enemy were now in full blast before the 
 palace, yelling like demons. They had this 
 disadvantage, that they could not attack from a 
 higher point, and must be content to take their 
 position on the low ground. Nevertheless, at 
 it they went with all the art of warfare which 
 they knew. Blows rang on shield and helmet ; 
 the sun was darkened by spears and arrows; 
 and every now and then plumes and banners 
 fell down in the dust. They soon broke through 
 the outworks, carried the lodge, scaled the 
 chevaux de frise, and, oh sad ! prepared to in- 
 trude into the sacred domicil of that good man. 
 Be it observed, that the house was not castel-
 
 THE DRAGON. 119 
 
 lated ; it was not one of those buildings pur- 
 posely designed either to meet or to provoke at- 
 tack, but stood in a peaceful territory, which its 
 owner did not seek to enlarge, and of which he 
 did not expect to be deprived, for it was his by 
 the prescription of ages in his family so long 
 that the memory of man ran not to the con- 
 trary. It was a palace, an alabaster palace, not 
 a fortress, only so far as the house of every good 
 man is his castle, and innocence is already arm- 
 ed. Many places like it have been doomed to 
 fall when besieged by such weapons as those 
 used by Salander, for he had loads of arrows 
 from the arsenals of D'Envy, poisoned in the 
 gall of bitterness. It had neither moat, draw- 
 bridge, portcullis, buttresses, battlements, dun- 
 geons, engines, nor munitions of war. 
 
 The battle was interesting, and all the neigh- 
 boring prominences and house-tops were filled 
 with those eager to view the spectacle. There, 
 flashing in the sunbeams, stood the palace, port- 
 als, and balconies, and roof and tower manned 
 with faithful servants, bending the bow in the 
 good cause, and as one was shot down another 
 stepped in to fill the breach. Oh ! that cursed 
 Ingrat is doing terrible execution, for his eye is
 
 120 SALANDER AXD 
 
 so accurate that he seldom misses his aim. 
 There, among the adversaries, might be seen 
 the strange figure of Salander on his dragon, 
 lashing him up and down among the ranks, till 
 he was covered from wing to wing with a white 
 foam, and the reeling ranks of knight-er- 
 rants, or ragamuffins, just as you please to call 
 them. 
 
 Hard by in a cottage lay the stricken gentle- 
 man, the lord of the manor, his wound dressed 
 by the h \nd of tender love, and sipping a sweet 
 cordial called GOOD CONSCIENCE. 
 
 " How goes the battle, Fidelio ?" said he ; 
 " does the enemy waver 1 ? Speak the truth." 
 
 " Oh, my lord," replied the other, " the Fair- 
 weather Guard has joined the ranks of assail- 
 ants." 
 
 " That is not astonishing," says he. " Is 
 there any more news ?" 
 
 " Oh, yes. Old Friend, my dear, dear mas- 
 ter, Old Friend has proved false." 
 
 " Pooh ! pooh ! that is nothing. That is only 
 the way of the world," says he, laughing. 
 
 " My lord, they employ weapons to which we 
 are not accustomed in fair warfare. Their ar- 
 rows are poisoned ; they are of brass, covered
 
 THE DRAGON. 121 
 
 with verdigris. They have offered a premium 
 on vipers. Our men die immediately." 
 
 " Never mind," says Gudnaim ; " do not em- 
 ploy the same in return. Go out and do your 
 duty." 
 
 When the sun shone in meridian splendor, 
 the chances of the day appeared equal. Gud- 
 naim had no advantage of Salander, nor Salan- 
 der of Gudnaim. When the sun began to de- 
 cline, and no progress was made, the enemy 
 hold a council of war. 
 
 "I," said Pique, " shall he out of arrows 
 pretty soon that's certain." 
 
 "I," said Malce, "have got the jaundice, 
 and must go home and to bed, if you do not 
 hurry this business through." 
 
 " I," said Backbite, " have done all I could 
 in my way." 
 
 " Hold your tongues !" said Salander ; " you're 
 all of you fit for underground work, and not for 
 open fields or active service. You're fit to tip- 
 ple, lie, steal, and swear. Back to your ranks, 
 ye minions !" 
 
 And back they went, for he had drawn his 
 sword, arid the next moment would have stabbed 
 some of them through the bowels. He now 
 6
 
 122 SALANDER ' AND 
 
 gave orders to the sappers and miners to find 
 their way into the cellar, who were prevailed on 
 to obey his order by the suasion of a company 
 of archers, who were directed to aim at their 
 rear, to pull the arrows up to the barb, and be 
 ready to let fly the moment they showed a dis- 
 position to back out. This useful corps accom- 
 plished their object. They laid bare the props, 
 fastened their ropes, and, in spite of opposition, 
 carried them out among the assailing ranks. 
 Then they all laid hold with a hearty good-will, 
 with a cry of A-E-I-0-0 ! blending their dis- 
 cordant voices in a chorus, which re-echoed from 
 the hills. On the commanding prominences 
 every neck was stretched ; and as when a gi- 
 gantic tree of the forest, which the axe of the 
 woodman has prepared for felling, is ready to be 
 prostrated with all its crown of glory, the mul- 
 titudes stand afar off, and breathless await the 
 fall ; so now they gazed, only with more eager 
 eyes. The ropes were stretched to their utmost 
 tension ; presently the walls cracked from base 
 to dome, as when the ice on the Montalvan 
 Lake parts in a wide fissure ; and amidst a yell 
 of triumph, and a crash which could be heard 
 for leagues around, the delight of all eyes, the
 
 THE DRAGON. 123 
 
 palace, the alabaster palace, toppled and fell. 
 it was a sight which made the eyes of many 
 wet with tears ! The respectable troop turned 
 away in silence, and the Fairweatlier Guard, 
 when the deed was done, put their hands before 
 their faces in shame. Many were killed in the 
 fall of the house, and Barbara, the maid-serv- 
 ant, was crushed to death. The eyes of Salan- 
 der's dragon were red as flame. " He wants 
 drink," said he, and with that he led him to a 
 pool of blood. 
 
 I have now told in a few words the history of 
 that unfortunate house, but must not forget to 
 mention that shortly after the Duke d'Envy had 
 the extraordinary effrontery to dispatch the fol- 
 lowing missive to the baron, as he lay writhing 
 under his wound : 
 
 " MY DEAR LORD : I have heard of your mis- 
 fortunes with regret, and, could I have foreseen, 
 would have lent my assistance to prevent them. 
 You will not consider me lukewarm on this oc- 
 casion, but call on me for what you require. 
 Make my house your home. 
 
 (Signed) " D'ENVY."
 
 124 SALANDER AND 
 
 Wurthi received this message, and having 
 read it attentively, immediately said, " Fidelio, 
 go out and pluck me a gray goose quill, and nib 
 it to a sharp point, that I may give this gentle- 
 man a stroke of penmanship before I die." 
 Then he sat down, and hi a hand which yet fal- 
 tered not wrote : 
 
 " SIR : It must be only after many defeats, 
 like that of to-day, that Gudnaim will consent 
 to take up his quarters with D'Envy. I marvel 
 less at your malignity than at your impudence, 
 and at your curse than at your blessing. Such 
 as they are, however, I consider your curse 
 preferable. Come and look at the ruins of my 
 house, effected by your Salander, and let me tell 
 you that I would rather dwell among my ruins 
 than amidst your splendor. For rest assured 
 that long after I, who forgive you from my in- 
 most heart, shall moulder into dust, the Lord 
 will visit you with vengeance. 
 
 (Signed) " GUDNAIM." 
 
 Shortly after this his mind seemed to wander, 
 and his friends gathered around his bedside with 
 tears. He had often said that he lost all if he
 
 ui<: 
 
 .
 
 THE DRAGON. 127 
 
 lost Gudnaim. Nevertheless, a smile overspread 
 his features, as if occasioned by a pleasant dream, 
 and from the disjointed expressions which escaped 
 his lips, the dream was this. Beyond the dark, 
 dark waste of waters, which divides eternity from 
 time, he saw the light breaking, like the rosy- 
 fingered day, when the sun comes up out of the 
 east ; and far beyond, upon the other shore, " a 
 house of many mansions," more beautiful than 
 the alabastet palace which he mourned ; while 
 above the swelling flood he beheld an angel, in 
 the image of his dear Stella, and, beckoning to 
 him with an air of triumph, she held up, all 
 flashing in the light, the LOST JEWEL.
 
 SALANDER AND THE DRAGON, 
 
 BOOK III. 
 
 A NIGHT of exceeding gloom had gathered 
 around the Hartz Castle. Mephitic vapors, a 
 dense white fog, through which the moon shone 
 dimly, crawled from the low marshes and coiled 
 about it ; and when the moon, which had been 
 visible during the day, hastened to withdraw her 
 pale face below the horizon's edge, neither the 
 earth nor the heavens reflected light, and you could 
 not see as far as one could cast a stone. At 
 times the thunder rolled, and keen flashes clove 
 the darkness, seeming to melt the very panes. 
 The jailer was afraid to look without and afraid 
 to look within, for he heard, or thought he heard, 
 a mysterious voice, crying, " Examine, examine ; 
 look to the vaults !" He dared not examine, 
 for an awe crept over him, because there was a 
 graveyard within the prison, and the ghost of 
 6*
 
 130 SALANDER AND 
 
 Evelthots, buried there for long years, some- 
 times came up, and oppressed him.- Things of 
 this kind he tried to shake off, for he used to be 
 called a man of nerve, but such he was no 
 longer ; so when the clock tolled midnight he was 
 glad of an excuse ; he covered up the embers, 
 and went moodily to bed. But no sleep closed 
 his eyes. He tossed about for hours, and longed 
 for the cock-crowing, and the familiar sounds 
 which denote the coming day. It seemed as if 
 the day would never dawn. 
 
 " Oh, my God !" he at last exclaimed, groan- 
 ing heavily. 
 
 " What is the matter with you?" said Pry- 
 int. But no answer was returned, except an- 
 other groan. She arose alarmed, stirred up the 
 embers, and lighted a wax taper. Looking at 
 him, she perceived that his brow was covered 
 with cold drops, and he moaned convulsively. 
 
 " What ails you, Goodman 1 Why will you 
 not speak 1 Are you ill ?" 
 
 " No," said he, in a hushed whisper ; " not 
 ill, I am afraid afraid." 
 
 "You are full of fears," his wife replied, 
 " and becoming old and childish. Wherefore 
 fear 7"
 
 THE DRAGON. 131 
 
 " Wife," said lie, " something, I know not 
 what, informs me that Conscienza is waking up. 
 I know it ; I know it. Often I have the same 
 feeling concerning those absent or distant. 
 Don't you rememher that I saw Barliff stand 
 before me at table, although he had sailed be- 
 yond the seas, and afterward we learned that on 
 that very day, in Bermoothes, he had died 1 ? 
 Hark ! Hark ! What's that V 
 
 11 Nothing but the shutter." 
 
 " Ha ! say you so ? There it comes again. 
 I know that" sound too well. It is one of his 
 messengers." 
 
 " He is asleep for a year," said she, " and 
 the time is not up. Put your head under the 
 pillows and you won't hear it. 1 " 
 
 " There it is." Tap-tap-tap ! She herself 
 could not deny that she heard it, and knew what 
 it meant. 
 
 " Let us pretend," said she, " that we don't 
 hear it. I, for my part, am determined that I 
 will not." 
 
 " Oh," said he, " you must. You must. 
 You can not help it." 
 
 As he spake, knockings began, violent, reiter- 
 ated, coming from all quarters, and appearing
 
 132 SALANDER AND 
 
 to be supra-inortal. With that energy which 
 distinguished her, causing her thus far in all 
 disputes with her lord to be esteemed, in com- 
 mon phrase, the " better of the two," she at 
 once arose and began to search diligently in the 
 drawers. By and by she drew forth a boll of 
 cotton, and stuffed it in her husband's ears, 
 likewise in her own. It was of no avail. They 
 might as well have tried to exclude lightning 
 with a vail of gauze, or thunder with a piece of 
 rolled cobweb ; and they passed a miserable 
 night. When the day dawned, they Avandered 
 about the prison forlorn, and looked into the va- 
 cant cell of Salander. As much trouble as it 
 had been to keep him, it was nothing to what 
 they suffered since they let him go. At last 
 this uneasy feeling did so prevail that they 
 could stand it no longer, and they resolved to 
 meet this Conscienza face to face ; for they 
 knew that they must do it at some time, and the 
 quicker the better. It was indeed true that the 
 sorceress had been able to lull him but for a 
 little season, for he was by nature too powerful 
 and active for any potion. It was in a solemn 
 frame, and with much trembling and emotion, 
 that they approached the inner chamber, the
 
 THE DRAGON. 133 
 
 throne-room where he reposed. Their faces 
 were haggard and their knees trembled. 
 
 " Hush," they said, " one moment, before we 
 look in ; let us reflect. What shall we do 1 
 What shall we-say ? In the first place we must 
 try to prolong this sleep ; if that be impossible, 
 then we must endeavor to appease our lord Avith 
 some sufficient reasons for our conduct, but oh, it 
 is to be feared that he will not listen, he will not 
 listen ;" and they wrung their hands. Long 
 and anxiously they paused, and were most un- 
 willing to come to the examination, and several 
 times would have turned upon their footsteps, 
 but a magnetic power bound them to the spot. 
 The same power nerved their arm, and forced 
 them to proceed ; and in that gloomy chamber, 
 from which the light of heaven had been studi- 
 ously shut, they drew the black and rustling 
 curtains, and beheld their lord's majestic figure, 
 composed as if in death. 
 
 " It is well," whispered Pryint ; " the potion 
 yet binds him. Let us go hence, for fear that 
 he may be disturbed." 
 
 Goodman squeezed her hand. " Hush ! he 
 moves ! he moves !" and as he spoke, there was 
 a trembling of the lids, and that clear, round
 
 134 SALANDER AND 
 
 eye, purged of its film, opened upon them with 
 a renewed luster, and riveted them upon the 
 very spot. They seized the potion in alarm, 
 and tried to apply it once more. It was of no 
 avail. He arose in the greatness of his power 
 and his strength like a giant refreshed, snapped 
 the cords which bound him like a gossamer's 
 film, and casting sleep aside, with an eye clear 
 as the sun in the heavens, pierced into the deep- 
 est dungeon of their hearts. Then seizing his 
 scepter, he leaped to the throne of sovereignty, 
 and motioned them to stand before him. They 
 could not look at him ; their orbs fell to the 
 earth like balls of lead. 
 
 " What is this that you have done," he said, 
 sternly, " or attempted to do 1 You have rebelled 
 against a firm and just government, which would 
 have made you happy. Have you thought to 
 bind me ? You could not do it with chains and 
 fetters of iron. I am immortal, and because I 
 have slept awhile, I have woke up only to chas- 
 tise and punish you." 
 
 Goodman and his wife fell down and clasped 
 their lord's knees to implore mercy. 
 
 " Rise up," he said ; " it is too late." Then 
 commenced a series of questions and rejoinders,
 
 THE DRAGON. 135 
 
 carried on rather by mutual flashing glances 
 than by word of mouth, and this is the sum of 
 them : 
 
 CONSCIENZA. I gave you the keys of the 
 Hartz Prison to guard the issues of it, and you 
 have not done so. 
 
 GOODMAN (with his hands crossed upon his 
 breast}. Mea culpa ! mea culpa ! mea maxima 
 culpa ! 
 
 CONSCIENZA. You have become depraved in 
 conduct. You have listened to other monitors 
 than my voice, who were too wicked to advise 
 you rightly. You have let the prisoner go free, 
 against express command, and in violation of duty. 
 
 GOODMAN and PRYINT. We strove to keep 
 him, but his presence troubled us. He knocked 
 at the bars continually, and he disturbed the 
 peace and quiet of Hartz. He solicited us for 
 freedom, and at last it was found out that we 
 had something wonderful, and we were impor- 
 tuned from all quarters. 
 
 CONSCIENZA. How was it found out 1 
 
 PRYINT. Yes, my lord, it was found out, it 
 was found out. 
 
 CONSCIENZA. And wherefore were you pre- 
 vailed upon to discharge him 1
 
 136 SALANDER AND 
 
 GOODMAN and PRYINT. Oh, there was such 
 a universal interest and desire to behold him, 
 that at last, from the curiosity which we had 
 the power to gratify, and because it was discov- 
 ered that he was monstrous, and we feared lest 
 he should be regarded as our own child, we fairly 
 burned to let him go, and when we could not 
 for the life of us retain him longer, he escaped 
 from the end of Tungland. 
 
 CONSCIENZA. Dangerous promontory, on 
 which so many have been wrecked ! In escap- 
 ing he has done mischief. 
 
 GOODMAN and PRYINT. Oh, we never dream- 
 ed that one so small and pitiful as he could in- 
 jure any. We are very sorry, and would not 
 for the world have done it, had AVC thought of 
 this. He promised us most strictly to keep out 
 of this dominion, and that his whole desire was 
 to turn the heathen, and be the instrument of 
 doing good. 
 
 CONSCIENZA. Hypocrite that he is ! Are you 
 to be the judge of what is small or pitiful 7 He 
 has assembled an army. He " promised" also ; 
 and did not you? If you have broken your 
 promise, why not he his 1 If he has turned the 
 heathen, he has also destroyed the good.
 
 THE DRAGON. 
 
 13T 
 
 GOODMAN. Alas ! Alas ! 
 
 CONSCIENZA. The safety of families ar.d of 
 neighborhoods, nay, even of the state, depends 
 on keeping such characters in durance. But 
 the fiend committed to you is now at large. 
 Whether the task assigned to you be impossible 
 or not, you will discover. You must go forth 
 and recapture him if you can, in order that he 
 may not go" about the world, and do more mis- 
 chief every day. When you have caught him, 
 bind him hand and foot, put him in irons, and 
 report yourself forthwith. Go, and if your 
 errand is unsuccessful, then your punishment is 
 sure. 
 
 The jailer bowed, and he and his wife 
 breathed more freely, because they were ena- 
 bled to retire a little from the presence of Con- 
 scienza, to do his bidding. But what a difficult 
 errand ! Whither should he go, and of whom 
 should he inquire ? He might wander over the 
 whole world, and never meet Avith the little man 
 any more. Besides, what could he do in pursuit 
 of one who rode upon a dragon and betook him- 
 self to the air 1 In reflecting upon this he be- 
 came very melancholy, and wore a most rueful 
 expression, so that his neighbors observed it, and
 
 138 SALANDER AND 
 
 said one to the other, " What makes Goodman 
 look so? He is much changed of late." Oth- 
 ers replied, " He is, no doubt, smarting under 
 the lash of Conscienza, and we suspect that he 
 deserves it." Men are very good judges of 
 what does not concern themselves ; but " Oh," 
 as one in Scotia has expressed it, " wad some 
 power the giftie gie us, to see oursels as ithers 
 see us !" 
 
 Nevertheless, the jailer, who was convicted 
 of his fault, was at last determined to do his 
 duty. He girded his loins, and with his staff in 
 his hand, and his knapsack on his back, went 
 forth on the dusty thoroughfares, and at every 
 house to which he came he inquired, " Good 
 people, have you seen a little deformed creature 
 come this way, whose name is Salander 1 He is 
 a prisoner escaped from my custody, and I am 
 sent to overtake him by my Lord of Conscien- 
 za." Strange to say, he did not stop at a single 
 house where the culprit had not been. "Yes," 
 they replied, " we have all seen him, but he is 
 off. He was very talkative, his eyes glistened, 
 he opened his budget, and he told us all things 
 whichever we did ; but we can not tell you 
 whither he has gone, for he went in a great hur-
 
 THE DRAGON. 139 
 
 ry." In short, after a wearisome journey, his 
 search was vain. Everywhere he discovered 
 traces of the culprit in the evil which he had 
 done ; and once he made his appearance, and 
 stared him steadily in the face, but he was off 
 like a flash, and catch him he could not. It 
 became manifest that he was one of those spir- 
 its who, if they have tasted the breath of lib- 
 erty, can never be restricted again. He was 
 compelled to retrace his steps, and being re- 
 manded into the presence of his lord, was se- 
 verely questioned. 
 
 " Have you brought back the offender ? Is 
 he secured in irons? Is he deposited in the 
 deepest, darkest cell of the prison? I see by 
 your looks that he is not." 
 
 " Oh, my lord," said the jailer, " I fear that 
 it is a thing impossible. I solemnly declare 
 that I have not been wanting in- duty, but have 
 searched diligently. I have traced him every- 
 where, but he can be arrested nowhere." 
 
 " That was to be expected," was the re- 
 sponse ; " you might as well recapture the 
 smoke that has burst out of the bosom of the 
 flame and is metamorphosed among the hues of 
 the changing cloud, or any thing else which is
 
 140 SALANDER AND 
 
 most fleeting, most volatile. Nevertheless, you 
 are approved, in that you made the attempt. 
 You are aware now that you have released one 
 who can not be recaught. When you are idle, 
 he is not ; when you are asleep, he is vigilant ; 
 while you strive to cure his mischief, he is en- 
 gaged at more. Oh, the task is hopeless ! Good- 
 man, what have you done?" 
 
 'A deep sigh escaped from the jailer's bo- 
 som. 
 
 " But," proceeded his master, "although you 
 must suffer, proceed to do your duty, and inas- 
 much as you can not retake the fugitive, you 
 must set yourself at work to repair the damage 
 which he is known to have done." 
 
 Goodman folded his arms on his breast, bow- 
 ed his head, and said that he would most sin- 
 cerely try. 
 
 " Proceed, " rejoined Conscienza, sternly. 
 " When Salander escaped at the point of Tung- 
 land, he went and robbed a lady of a most 
 precious jewel. Neither Golconda, nor the Ural 
 Mountains, nor all the mines of the world, nor 
 any queenly casket, could supply another like 
 it. You would suppose it rich, did you know 
 how poor the loss of it made the lady, and also
 
 THE DRAGON. 
 
 141 
 
 the pearls which her eyes paid down without 
 stint for a ransom. It would have moved a 
 heart of stone to see her wring her hands, while 
 her disordered hair fell over a face usually so 
 beautiful and tranquil ; and the soothing atten- 
 tions of those whom she loved could not quell 
 the fever which burned in the brain. Nay, it is 
 useless to stand there sobbing. Go and seek the 
 jewel, and if you can recover it, it will be great 
 treasure found. When that is done, there is 
 more for you still to do." 
 
 Upon this, the jailer humbly made inquiry in 
 what direction he was to look for the precious 
 gem, and he learned that Salander dropped it in 
 the sea, and that he was to go to the province 
 of Gudneiburud, near the mansion called the 
 Alabaster Palace of Gudnaim. Forthwith he 
 placed in his wallet a few bludraps (a small 
 gold coin), for which he had labored painfully, 
 and which he had saved up with care. He did 
 not let his wife see him do it, otherwise she 
 would have snatched the bludraps out of his 
 hand, and told him that they were to be saved 
 up against old age, and not to be spent in tap- 
 rooms, nor scattered broadcast upon highways. 
 As it was, when she perceived him bustling
 
 142 SALANDER AND 
 
 about, and putting provisions in his knapsack, 
 she exclaimed, 
 
 " What is the matter, that you can not attend 
 to your business, like other men ? You are the 
 slave of this Conscienza, and I wish that you 
 were under the control of another, or that the 
 potion had killed him. And, prithee, where 
 are you going now ?" 
 
 " This business," he replied, " is not very 
 soon to end, I fear, and for it you are to blame ; 
 so hold your tongue, woman. That very tongue 
 of yours, which is now wagging, persuaded me 
 to do the mischief, which I am afraid can never 
 be undone. I am oft' to the sea-shore to hunt 
 for a diamond, which that little wretch, Salan- 
 der, has stolen, and dropped in the waves, and 
 if I don't find it" 
 
 " You might as well look for a lost star at 
 the bottom of a well," said she. 
 
 The jailer smiled, for he was now acting in 
 obedience to Conscienza, and that consoled him 
 a little. So he took his staff in his hand, and 
 went forth on what appeared a hopeless errand. 
 Yet he reasoned with himself thus : Perhaps 
 God, against whom I have sinned, in disobeying 
 the power set over me, will help me in this mat-
 
 THE DRAGON. 143 
 
 ter, for the cause is righteous. Men often by 
 accident light upon that which is precious : why 
 should not those who seek find, if it be any thing 
 in the way of truth and duty ? 
 
 As the shades of night fell, he was approach- 
 ing the town of Drownthort, which he perceived 
 lit up with an unusual illumination. All the 
 belfries, spires, ^ and cupolas of the town were 
 glowing in a white and lurid flame, and you 
 could read a fine manuscript a mile off. This, 
 thought the jailer, is a bonfire in honor of the 
 birth of a new prince. This dissipated town is 
 glad of an excuse for jollity ; but what makes 
 the bells toll mournfully, instead of ringing a 
 merry peal? That is strange. Toll toll toll 
 toll ! I do not know of any distinguished 
 benefactor who has died, and who is to be 
 buried by torchlight. What mean these con- 
 tradictory signs 1 On approaching nearer, the 
 light waxed more intense ; and when by hard 
 walking he soon reached the great square, Good- 
 man, to his horror, perceived a stake set up in 
 the midst of bursting flames. " Ah !" said he, 
 " a great crime has been committed in this king- 
 dom, no doubt. Some person has had an opinion 
 of his own, which he has dared to divulge. It
 
 114 SALANDER AND 
 
 is to be feared that the woods will not grow fast 
 enough txj furnish faggots to burn up men who 
 are bold enough to think. I, for my part, have 
 been punished enough for that which my hands 
 have done ; but, thank God, I never have had 
 an opinion, otherwise in this persecuting age 
 I should have been burned long ago! Even 
 where they do not pile sticks around you, and 
 kindle the fire, they have a caustic which an- 
 swers the purpose just as well. They starve 
 you, they turn you out of place, they give you a 
 cold shoulder, they set the tide rolling against 
 you, they break your heart with coldness and 
 indignity. You may cut a throat, and escape 
 the gallows, but if you have an opinion, look 
 out lest you be burned. Oh, the world is be- 
 coming Christianized !" 
 
 So thought Goodman, but he took good care 
 not to speak what he thought. He approached 
 the fire, and perceived a woman tied to the 
 stake. It was the sorceress. She writhed in a 
 few convulsions, and was soon suffocated to 
 death. " Ah !" said he, " this is the one to 
 whom I resorted after being fascinated in the 
 halls of pleasure. Her destruction is a sign 
 that pleasure can no longer please. Of what
 
 THE DRAGOX. 145 
 
 avail were her opiates ? They can stupefy no 
 more. All who were engaged with me in that 
 unfortunate business seem destined to perish." 
 With this he left the Grand Square. 
 
 On the next day Goodman had not advanced 
 far when in a by-road which ran down through a 
 woody ravine he met a man of wild appearance, 
 armed with a s,tout stick, who seemed a pilgrim 
 like himself. On coming up, the stranger halt- 
 ed, and addressed our traveler thus : 
 
 " Excuse me, but can you inform me where 
 lives a certain man named Goodman? I wish 
 to find him very much." 
 
 " This," thought the jailer, " is curious, and 
 may turn out for good. What can he want of 
 me ? Perhaps he may assist me in my under- 
 taking, and I in his. Certainly," said he, " I 
 can. As luck will have it, I am that identical 
 
 man. 
 
 a 
 
 Are you indeed ?" replied the other ; " right 
 glad I am to meet you so opportunely, and to 
 have it from your own lips. Providence must 
 have thrown you in my way. And I, let me 
 inform you, am a kinsman of the Baron Wurthi, 
 house of Gudnaim." 
 "I do not know him."
 
 146 SALANDER AND 
 
 " You are a liar, as well as a thief," replied 
 the other, his eyes glaring with animosity. 
 
 " You must mistake me, sir. I have not the 
 honor to be acquainted with one of his high dis- 
 tinction. I am only a poor jailer, and I keep 
 the Hartz Prison." 
 
 " I shall hold you responsible," rejoined the 
 stranger, " because you let a thief go, and I 
 have made an oath to avenge my kinsman." 
 With that he fell to, and inflicted upon Good- 
 man an unmerciful drubbing. The latter had 
 scarcely recovered from the surprise of this en- 
 counter, and was limping off, groaning from the 
 pain of the blows received, when his lord unex- 
 pectedly met him face to face, and the following 
 short dialogue ensued : 
 
 GOODMAN. My lord, I have been suddenly 
 attacked and sore beaten and bruised by a 
 youngster, who says that he is related to the 
 house of Gudnaim. 
 
 CONSCIENZA. You have been punished not 
 more severely than you deserve. 
 
 GOODMAN. I know it. 
 
 As he advanced upon his journey, he found 
 that he was in circumstances of great danger, 
 and ought to have set out armed. He, saw sus-
 
 THE DRAGON. 147 
 
 picious looks cast upon him, and heard one and 
 another whisper as they passed, " That looks 
 like the fellow that Salander was last with be- 
 fore he did the mischief. 'No doubt they ar- 
 ranged the scheme together. Does he not de- 
 serve the hatred and contempt of all good men V 
 He became more uneasy, and slept in the open 
 fields, without a pillow for his head, where the 
 dews of the night fell upon him. He was op-* 
 pressed by nightmare, and thought he saw the 
 dwarf transformed into a giant, stalking over 
 the earth with long strides, till coming to a hor- 
 rid place of rocks, he suddenly turned upon 
 him, seized him by the waist, and lifted him 
 high in mid air, as if to dash him down and 
 transfix him on a sharp fragment of flint stone ; 
 then suddenly unclenching his gripe, he said, 
 " Not now, not now ! There, there ; slip down 
 by my neck and shoulders ;" and as soon as he 
 touched the ground, he was beset by a little 
 phalanx of sharp spears, pointed at him, and 
 could not budge an inch, till he awoke, dripping 
 with perspiration, crying out in a half-smothered 
 voice, " Don't goad me ! don't goad me !" 
 
 That night wrought a great change in his 
 aspect, or at any rate on the next morning he
 
 148 SALANDER AND 
 
 first discovered that a great change had taken 
 place, for when he looked in a polished mirror, 
 which he carried with him, he perceived that 
 his head, hefore that black as the raven's wing, 
 blossomed like the almond tree. 
 
 " Oh, horrible," said he ; " what is coming 
 to pass 7" The poor jailer was indeed unhappy, 
 and so much had his distresses weighed upon 
 ,him in a short time, that he looked like an old 
 man, when weary and dejected he came and 
 sat down by the shores of the far-sounding 
 sea. 
 
 The sublime, expansive prospect revived his 
 soul, and one by one he watched the breakers, 
 and hearkened to the roar, as each successive 
 billow died away upon the sands. And thus he 
 mused, leaning upon his hands, although his 
 thoughts lacked expression : 
 
 " thou deep and dark-blue ocean, how do 
 I long to burst the chains which bind me, and 
 to cross over thee, thou arched and watery 
 bridge, connecting the Near with the Remote ! 
 Perhaps in the distance I might forget my sor- 
 rows, and find the trees whereon the balsam 
 grows. How much more majestic is thy sound 
 than the roar of the lion in the wilderness, yet
 
 THE DRAGON. 149 
 
 how much more lulling thy peaceful murmur 
 than the Eolian harp !" 
 
 Rising up, he began to walk slowly on the 
 ocean's marge, where the compacted sand was 
 moist and pleasant to the feet, searching among 
 the snow-white pebbles and polished shells, to 
 catch a glimpse of the lost gem. He picked up 
 all the particles which seemed to glisten, but 
 drying in the hand, they proved to be pieces of 
 quartz, splintered from some rock, or fragments 
 of a gaudy shell, and he hopelessly hoped that 
 what he sought would yet be found in the belly 
 of some fish which Avould be caught. Forth- 
 with he began to inquire with a rueful counte- 
 nance of those whom he met, " Good people, a 
 jewel, a bright jewel, has vanished in these 
 waves. Can you tell me where I am to look for 
 it 1 I am a servant of Conscienza, and come at 
 his command." 
 
 But they were rude fishermen, and only 
 laughed him to scorn. They had never heard 
 of Conscienza, and were servants of one Diavolo, 
 who lived on the cliffs, and who would no doubt 
 turn them out of his employ, if they had any 
 thing to do with Conscienza. They would not 
 listen to him, nor give him any assistance, and
 
 150 SALANDER AND 
 
 they said that he was a poor crazy old man, and 
 setting their white sails, they shot away over 
 the glassy deep to drag their nets. Peaceful 
 and lovely swelled those circling shores, which 
 clasped the wave, where from the verdant brink 
 the wild rose loved to see its image, and the 
 aspen quivered deep down in the reflection of 
 the heavenly blue. The land and water seemed 
 to love each other. There the beetling promon- 
 tory jutted far into the sea, and here the sea 
 rolled into the sweet haven and was shut up like 
 a romantic lake. Into this paradise, to play 
 their diabolic pranks, had come Salander and 
 the dragon. 
 
 Goodman walked almost despairingly along 
 the shore. Is it not strange, of all whom he 
 met, one only he found to have pity on him 1 
 Yet he might have thanked the others whose 
 disregard made the attention more sweet. The 
 charities of the heart are ever thus proportioned, 
 as one to many. The beggar holds out his 
 weary hand during the li velong day, till the very 
 blood runs out of it, and toward nightfall 
 some one drops into it a little alms. Yet to 
 him who truly needs, that one will surely come 
 along before the sun goes down. Although you
 
 THE DRAGON. 151 
 
 never see him receive any thing, it must he so, 
 or else he would not sit there from day to day. 
 It is true as any chemical analysis. One heart at 
 least will be bosomed in every multitude, and on 
 every highway there will be a Samaritan where 
 a wayfarer is sick. Even those who give no- 
 thing give profusely, because they render up 
 their share of gratitude to the chief almoner. 
 Oh, ye stingy of good Avords and kind affections, 
 how self-denying you are to remit your debt in 
 favor of another ! But it is well. If all things 
 were sweet, then there would be no sweetness, 
 and we prize good treatment at a costly value, 
 only after rebuffs. 
 
 Goodman found one to listen kindly to his 
 story, and as he told it with simplicity, she was 
 even touched to tears. She was habited in sa- 
 ble weeds, and of the order of those who spend 
 their lives in doing good, and whatever their 
 privations here, they will hereafter shine the 
 purest seraphs in the realms of bliss. She 
 knew the poor man's errand was in vain, but 
 she addressed him thus : 
 
 " In yonder cottage in the wood by the water's 
 edge, there lives an aged couple, and they have 
 a young daughter, who is named Undine, a
 
 152 SALANDER AND 
 
 marvelous creature, who almost lives in the sea, 
 which appears to be her element.* She will 
 often leap into it with a wild shriek, and return 
 at night with her garments thoroughly wet. 
 She sometimes brings back treasure which she 
 has found, and she, if any, can assist you. As 
 it is something precious which you are in search 
 of, God speed you on your errand. Farewell. 
 Pray for one who has had sorrow." 
 
 Goodman almost wept for joy when he heard 
 this, and hope revived in his breast, and he 
 wished to kiss the hand of the stranger, and to 
 catch a glimpse of those vailed features, but she 
 had vanished. And now, as the night drew on, 
 and lengthened shadows fell upon the plain, he 
 directed his steps toward the cottage. 
 
 Weary and hungry he knocked at the door, 
 and was hospitably received by the aged people. 
 They offered what their house could afford, but 
 when he told his errand, they shook their heads. 
 
 " Alas ! Alas !" they said, u she is a way- 
 
 * It will be perceived from what lovely romance we have 
 recalled this fairy being. It was one with which the poet 
 Coleridge was entranced, for he declared that it touched 
 him more than any thing produced even by the genius of 
 Scott. Let those who have not done so, peruse Undine.
 
 THE DRAGON. 
 
 ward creature, and gives us no little pain. 
 Sometimes she does not make her appearance 
 for days together, and we can not sleep for fear 
 that she is devoured by wolves or drowned in 
 the sea. At last, as we can not take care of 
 her, we trust her to God, for she seems to be- 
 long to some other planet, rather than to be the 
 child of poor parents. She will sit for hours on 
 the cliff with her lute in her hand, to watch the 
 dolphins, and ere AVC know it, has plunged into 
 the very midst and disappears. We need com- 
 fort, rather than we are able to give it ; but re- 
 fresh yourself with this white bread and this 
 new milk, and we will call our daughter, if she 
 can anywhere be found." 
 
 With that the old woman went upon the 
 threshold, and cried aloud, "Undine ! Undine!" 
 and the promontories and headlands echoed back 
 the sound, "Undine ! Undine!" while those who 
 had ever seen her, and known her sportive na- 
 ture, would have supposed that the voice which 
 imaged her parent's was her own exquisite mim- 
 icry. At last, when the reverberations had died 
 away, and the door was closed, her presence was 
 indicated as usual by a slight rush, like the 
 wings of a zephyr, by a few pattering drops,.
 
 154 SALANDER AND 
 
 and then by a violent swash against the window, 
 when, with a wild shout, she burst in, an appa- 
 rition beautiful to behold. Her luxuriant hair, 
 from her head entangled with sea-weed, fell al-. 
 most to her ankles, over a sylph- like form; her 
 cheeks were rosy with exercise, and her whole 
 countenance glowed with the purple light of 
 youth. 
 
 " Dear parents," she said, " can not 1 be 
 gone from your sight a moment? I am scarcely 
 down among the corals, when I hear the usual 
 cry, ' Undine ! Undine !' ' 
 
 " Child," the old people replied, " if you will 
 indulge that naughty sport of diving in the sea, 
 making the neighbors think that we are un- 
 earthly folks in having such a child, God help 
 you and us. But here is a poor man in distress, 
 and yonder by the islet he knows not exactly 
 where in the very deep, deep water, there is a 
 lost gem, and unless he finds it, very much he 
 fears that he is ruined." 
 
 "A gem?" she said, with emphasis "a 
 gem 1 which ? which 1 which 1 There are 
 many, and many of them. I have walked on a 
 paved way of jewelry, thick-studded as the stars 
 in heaven. There are ingots, and pieces of
 
 THE DRAGON. 155 
 
 eight, rich tankards from which the barons 
 quaff ale, cups of gold, bracelets, and gems of 
 every kind, by the reefs where the galleons 
 sank ; and many a snow-white skull has eyes 
 made of rubies, or pearls, or diamonds. Which 1 
 which 1 ?" and she looked with a serious air. 
 
 Goodman buried his face in his hands, and 
 said, " I don't know what I seek, God help me ; 
 I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." 
 
 " We will try," said Undine. " There goes 
 the sun ; we will go down together, and may we 
 both come up, bringing light and joy." 
 
 At that very moment the slant rays of the 
 setting sun illuminated the windows of every 
 castle in the neighborhood, and made them all 
 appear on fire. A splash was heard, and the 
 sea-nymph had disappeared. 
 
 Goodman sat during the whole evening ab- 
 sorbed in reverie, looking at the few embers, 
 and at last the old people retired, trusting their 
 child to God. He then softly lifted the latch, 
 and went out to the margin of the sea. It was 
 a heavenly night, for the moon was full, and 
 bathed the landscape in a soft splendor, while 
 every dancing wave was like a bejeweled crown, 
 and the evening star still threw a broad and
 
 156 SALANDER AND 
 
 fiery band of light over the waters. But he 
 had no heart for all this beauty; his success 
 was doubtful ; he would go to seek the maiden ; 
 so he dropped into a light skiff, and let it drift 
 seaward. All things seemed to mock his hopes, 
 and when he dipped his oar, the waters flashed 
 and coruscated, as if they held ten thousand 
 jewels like that which he sought; and he saw 
 the silvery fins of fish, whose immense backs 
 were curved on the surface of the waves, or who 
 put their noses above the brine to breathe. He 
 had observed that the waters, now untroubled, 
 were as clear as crystal, and reflected in their 
 depth a profounder deep, where the blue sky 
 and every trembling star hung imaged in a 
 map, and the snow-white sails glancing by 
 without noise made him fancy that he was in 
 the land of spirits ; and while his skiff, slowly 
 wafted by the tide and a gentle breath, neared 
 the islet, he heard a murmur, fine, almost impal- 
 pable, like that of a sea-shell, or the dying note 
 of a stricken harp-string, till it swelled by just 
 degrees into a cloying sweetness and a most be- 
 wildering melody. Ravished with the sound, a 
 smile spread over his features, as with the moon 
 above him, softly, softly, without the least splash,
 
 THE DRAGON. 157 
 
 he let drop the anchor to the pebbly bottom, and 
 putting his ear down to the surface of the wave, 
 listened with all his might. Then he heard 
 plainly a low chant or recitative : 
 
 Oh, ye willows that wave o'er the billows that lave 
 
 The home of the cherished Undine, 
 Do you droop o'er the spot which encircles the grot 
 
 Where a jewel, bright jewel, is seen ? 
 'Tis a stolen gem from a rich diadem, of the purest and 
 rosiest beam, 
 
 And it flashes more far than a silvery star, 
 The jewel of vanished Esteem. 
 
 Mariners .bold have hunted the Golden Fleece o'er the 
 
 pitiless seas, 
 
 And have hearken'd for flocks thro' the clashing rocks 
 Of oerulean Symphlegades. 
 
 But never they found on the wealthiest ground, entranced 
 
 in a golden dream, 
 
 A jewel so bright as we seek for to-night, 
 The jewel of vanished Esteem. 
 
 Oh, where are the eyes that now gaze on the prize, 
 
 Ani tenderly flash back its rays ? 
 Are they smiling above, and beguiling with love, 
 
 Or illuming the watery ways ? 
 
 Ah ! shed on the sight of the hapless to-night one ray of 
 thy exquisite sheen, 
 
 'Twi'.l be caught on the tear of repentance sincere, 
 And lighten the heart of Undine.
 
 158 SALANDER AND 
 
 For many minutes he paused bewildered when 
 the sounds had died away, and was only waken- 
 ed from his reverie by the aerial picture of Un- 
 dine, who leaped from a high cliff into the sea. 
 The circling wavelets subsided, and all was still, 
 save that the night-winds sighed through the 
 branches, which drooped over the brink, and a 
 gentle plash could be heard as the silvery waters 
 kissed the shore. And so the night wore on, 
 and he watched the beautiful procession of the 
 stars as they went down one by one, and others 
 emerged, and certain others shot "from their 
 spheres," as if to hear that sea-maid's music. 
 And as the music had reverberated from cliff to 
 cliff of the little rocky islet, which was itself a 
 gem in the bosom of the deep, so when it had 
 ceased on shore, it still kept on, echo of echo, 
 in unceasing undulations through his brain. He 
 knew not how long he continued hearkening with 
 an acute sense, like a deer in the forest, dread- 
 ing to lose the sound, because he had not inter- 
 preted it, and did not know whether it betoken- 
 ed danger or the reverse, when he was startled 
 with a burst of wild laughter, which made all 
 ring again. Undine had emerged, unobserved 
 by him, and stood erect on the high cliff from
 
 THE DRAGON. 161 
 
 which she had leaped. On her left arm hung 
 a pearl necklace, in her right hand she held 
 something which glistened in the moon with 
 multitudinous rays, as if the rock had been a 
 lighthouse. 
 
 " Joy ! joy ! forever !" exclaimed the jailer. 
 " She has found it ! she has found it !" and, 
 pulling up the anchor, and snatching the oars, 
 he dashed into the cove. When he had reached 
 the top of the hill he was nearly breathless, and 
 trembled so much that he was just ready to tot- 
 ter over the rocks into the sea, when he was ar- 
 rested by the arm of Undine. 
 
 " You have it," he said, with agitation, " me- 
 thinks you have it." 
 
 " Poor earthling," exclaimed the other, gaz- 
 ing full at him with her starlike eyes, which 
 beamed with pity, " I have it not." 
 
 A deep moan burst from his inmost heart, and 
 in one moment the night became dark, and the 
 moon was blotted out, and the stars had lost 
 their luster, and the music of the waves had 
 ceased. 
 
 " This," exclaimed the maiden, holding up 
 the necklace, " has decked the neck of vanity, 
 and been the cause of tears. Let it return into
 
 162 SALANDER AND 
 
 deep waters, where it may no more be found ;" 
 and with that she flung it to a distance, and it 
 disappeared. " And this," she said, holding up 
 a diamond ring, " I know its history well. I 
 give it to you to do with it as you please. It is 
 not the one which you seek. Poor pilgrim, re- 
 turn to your home, for that can no more be 
 found." 
 
 He took the ring in his hand, of which she 
 gave him an account in few words, and as he 
 was gazing listlessly at it, with another wild cry 
 she leaped from the cliff. For a little while her 
 whits shoulders could be seen glancing above the 
 flood, and then, like a vision of beauty, she had 
 passed away. The jailer sought shelter under 
 a cavern made by overarching rocks, and slept 
 until the morning dawned. 
 
 Now this is the history of the diamond ring. 
 Many years before there lived on two opposite 
 sides of the frith two families distinguished for 
 wealth, ancestry, and ennobling virtues. An 
 event was soon to take place, which promised 
 equal satisfaction to each, and already began to 
 awaken in the neighborhood a thrill of joy. 
 Oswald, the sole heir to his father's estates, 
 was to espouse the baron's lovely daughter. A
 
 THE DRAGON. 163 
 
 brighter, merrier Christmas was expected than 
 had been kncwn in that vicinity for many years. 
 The tenantry were to have three days of rejoic- 
 ing, with feasts and all manner of games. On 
 the wedding night the bridegroom started for the 
 festive halls in a light bark, whose variegated 
 lanterns swayed gently to the rowers' song ; and 
 while the castle on the other side blazed with 
 illumination, and the harpers sat with their 
 fingers on the strings, ready to set the wavy 
 dance in motion, and the magnificent bride was 
 arrayed in a vail which set oft' her charms, then 
 the bridegroom, standing up on the prow, his 
 gay feather drooping over his embroidered man- 
 tle, was examining for a moment the luster of 
 the jewel which he held in his fingers, when 
 with a lurch of the light bark he lost his foot- 
 ing and fell into the waves. It was to no pur- 
 pose that a sudden arm was outstretched to 
 grasp his mantle ; it parted at his neck by the 
 breaking of the golden clasp, and he sank with- 
 out a groan. 
 
 In vain the bells rang from the turrets ; in 
 vain a hundred torches Beamed wildly from the 
 shores, and the waves were all in commotion 
 with the splashing of oars, and agonized appeals
 
 164 SALANDER AND 
 
 went up to heaven ; the young, the beautiful, 
 lay low in his last sleep, and one by one the 
 lights were put out in the castle, and a hundred 
 gloomy guests went home, not even exchanging 
 a word. On the next day the young Oswald 
 was stretched out dead on the green-sward in 
 his bridal robes. 
 
 When the jailer awoke in the morning and 
 looked at the ring, in his disappointment he was 
 ready to throw it after the necklace into the sea. 
 He could not think of bartering it, nor did he 
 wish to take it with him, for it was not the one 
 which he had sought, and it would not be a 
 suitable present for his wife. At last a thought 
 struck him, and the execution of it amused his 
 mind for a time. He would present it as a 
 token of gratitude to her who had shown some 
 feeling for his distresses, and who had guided 
 him to Undine. After a little inquiry he found 
 her residence, which was a large stone building 
 with gardens, surrounded by a Avail of stone. 
 Goodman, with a little hesitation, knocked 'at 
 the gate, and made respectful request to see the 
 lady, whom he described. He was kindly ad- 
 mitted, while the one to whom he appealed 
 went to her door and said, " Sister Agnes,
 
 THE DRAGON. 165 
 
 come down ; there is a poor man asking for 
 you." 
 
 Goodman now observed, her vail being re- 
 moved, that she had a winning expression, and 
 bore the marks of former beauty. When in- 
 formed that his search had been unsuccessful, 
 she smiled pensively. 
 
 " It is true that the jewel has not been found, 
 but here is another like it. Take this ring," 
 he said, putting his fingers into a small wallet 
 and drawing it forth, " as the token of a poor 
 man's gratitude, and do not refuse the gift. To 
 me it will be useless." 
 
 The lady received it from his hand, and 
 examining the inscription on the inner rim, and 
 putting it on her finger, suddenly became pale 
 as ashes ; a torrent of tender associations came 
 over her, and he thought that she would have 
 swooned ; but recovering herself, she replied, 
 with a look which went to his heart, 
 
 " I accept the gift with the utmost gratitude, 
 and can only give you the recompense of prayers. 
 I will cherish it as long as I live, and nothing 
 which you could have brought to me would be 
 more precious." 
 
 As he went out he observed the tears starting
 
 166 SALANDER AND 
 
 in her eyes. She had been the destined bride. 
 The jailer had now nothing to do but to return 
 to his lord, and report that he could not find the 
 jewel. 
 
 " And even had you done so," retorted the 
 latter, " it might have beert tarnished, as it is 
 one of those which are too pure to bear hand- 
 ling. You have done nothing as yet to ward off 
 punishment, and it must surely come upon you, 
 notwithstanding your present endeavors. It 
 was a malicious thing to steal it, especially as it 
 would not enrich the thief. The consequences 
 have as yet spent themselves on the innocent, 
 but will be felt more severely as soon as they 
 reach yourself;" and Conscienza smote him. 
 "Nay," he said, "do not wince and groan; 
 there is an infliction hanging over you which I 
 myself dread to think of. There is more work 
 for you. Are you ready to perform it 1 You 
 must be made aware of your fault before you 
 are even fit to receive punishment." 
 
 The jailer bowed his head. 
 
 " That mischievous being, Salarider, has torn 
 down a respectable house over the heads of its 
 inmates. Go and inspect the ruins, and you 
 must either find the means to rebuild it, or pay
 
 THE DRAGON. 167 
 
 the principal and interest of the debt incurred. 
 Be off to the province of Gudneiburud, and in- 
 quire for the Alabaster Palace, as it is called, 
 of Gudnaim." 
 
 And now we are to behold him again on his 
 pilgrimage, toiling through the dust, and looking 
 as anguished as if his neck were writhed about 
 with vipers. " Oh," said he, " the way of the 
 transgressor is hard. Who would have thought 
 that so simple a thing as discharging the little 
 wretch would result thus ? I, for my part, 
 have sinned much, and suffered for it, yet I 
 never remember that any one act has involved 
 me in so much trouble, therefore it must have 
 been very flagrant. There appears to be no 
 end of it. Since that, my morals have become 
 depraved, my best feelings blunted, my pros- 
 perity for life is blighted;" and he sat down by 
 the wayside. 
 
 While there, a beggar in rags came up, and 
 asked if he had food in his knapsack. 
 
 " I have a little for my own wants," replied 
 Goodman, " and a journey before me, and no 
 money in my purse, and no friends j" for he 
 felt as if he had no friends. 
 
 The beggar sighed. " You are in my case,"
 
 168 SALANDER AND 
 
 said he. " I once had a friend, who would 
 let me want for nothing. I was fed with daint- 
 ies from his table, but it no longer dispenses 
 even crumbs. He was despoiled of his inherit- 
 ance, and the vassals of a wicked man attacked 
 his house and left it in ruins." 
 
 " And who was your friend ?" asked the 
 jailer, with misgiving. 
 
 " The good Baron Wurthi, besieged by Sa- 
 lander and his band." 
 
 Goodman turned away his face, which was 
 covered with confusion. He took all the bread 
 which remained in his knapsack, and gave it to 
 the poor man. " Take it," he said, " for some- 
 thing tells me that it is not mine, but of right 
 yours. I must obtain more as I best can, and 
 if God does not give it to me, I deserve to 
 starve." 
 
 " Oh," said the beggar, taking a crust of it, 
 " I am very, very hungry ; I have eaten not one 
 morsel to-day. But why, sir, are you so dis- 
 consolate ?" 
 
 " Because," he replied, " I had a hand in 
 that ruin." 
 
 "You? you!" exclaimed the other, in as- 
 tonishment, " then I'll not touch a morsel of
 
 THE DRAGON. 169 
 
 this bread, though I die ;" and he put the crust 
 from him, and his lip curled with scorn, while 
 he walked away an hungered. 
 
 " Hold !" said Goodman ; " tell me first 
 where I am to look for the spot where your 
 benefactor once dwelt." > 
 
 " There," said he, pointing with his finger ; 
 " go in that direction, and you will find the sad 
 ruin of that which was once beautiful to be- 
 hold." 
 
 Thus they parted. 
 
 Goodman knew long beforehand that he ap- 
 proached the abode of desolation. He trod the 
 realm of barren fields and broken hedges. He 
 saw the rusty sickles hang in trees, and the 
 golden grain pressed down, as if an army had 
 trampled it. He stopped to drink at a fount- 
 ain, and it was choked with weeds and with 
 dead things, which, made the waters foul. He 
 halted at a cottage, and the doors were wide 
 open, and a gigantic creeper had already crush- 
 ed it, as in the coils of a serpent. There was 
 no sound of lowing kine, or piping note of the 
 shepherd, with his crook, guiding the flocks 
 through green pastures. A lamb, half-starved, 
 lay in his path bleeding, and torn to pieces by
 
 170 SALANDER AND 
 
 dogs. Nay, he almost sank upon the earth 
 with horror, when a monster of some kind, who 
 had been mumbling over its entrails, rushed 
 with a loud yell into the covert. A terrible 
 fear came over him as he was just about to 
 gaze on the full result of his folly, for every 
 step which he now took was traced in ruin. 
 " Oh," said he, " Salander is the greatest of 
 all wretches. His triumph is in the breaking 
 of hearts." 
 
 He soon came upon what was once a pleasant 
 garden, and still a wilderness of sweets. But 
 the paths were covered with grass, the fruits 
 stolen, the fountains choked, the flowers trailed 
 in the dust, the vines were mildewed, and the 
 statues were blackened and cast down. 
 
 But what were his feelings when, ascending 
 higher, he came within full view of what was 
 once the alabaster palace. It was a snow-white 
 mass of ruins. The most delicately-chiseled 
 leaves of the acanthus were scattered about 
 profusely. Here lay a broken column, there a 
 Corinthian capital ; and through the apertures 
 of the white blocks, in the lime, and dust, and 
 ashes, a little wild-flower blossomed in the mel- 
 ancholy waste. He stood upon the summit of
 
 THE DRAGON. 171 
 
 these ruins, and saw the land, and sky, and wa- 
 ter blending into one lovely prospect, and the 
 foliage drooping in the empty air, which had 
 once embowered the eaves. The vines which 
 Stella trained beneath the oriel window were 
 wandering far off on the lawn ; but in the brok- 
 en flower-pot the limbs of the rose tree were yet 
 bound by the very knot which her hands had 
 tied. 
 
 He stood where once had been the wide hall 
 of the old mansion. He knew it, because at 
 his feet lay the stag-horns captured in the chase, 
 and the massive armor of the knights who had 
 fought in Palestine. No doubt the beauty of 
 the neighborhood had been here assembled in 
 the dance, which had been kept up to a late 
 hour, while the boats which were to convey the 
 guests homeward lay anchored near the shore. 
 And here were the banisters of the great stair- 
 case, up which the fair maids of the family used 
 to trip with taper in hand when the ball was 
 over, and cousins bade each other a good-night, 
 as they entered into the dormitories. All this 
 he fancied, because he had been a servant in 
 great houses. 
 
 He trod upon the golden frets of an ancient
 
 172 SALANDER AND 
 
 and beautiful harp, now ruined, and as he did 
 so the strings trembled, and the voice of a spit '-^ 
 seemed to whisper in his ear : 
 
 Thou crush'd and broken harp thou only token 
 
 Of better days, of melody gone by, 
 Of hearts now cold, of living hearts now broken, 
 
 Of hopes which bud and blossom but to die ! 
 
 In many and many a night, through winter hoary, 
 When wild winds wailed and whistled o'er the snows, 
 
 A cunning touch iwaken'd summer's glory, 
 And painted bright the color of the rose. 
 
 Whore is the light of Stella's peerless beauty, 
 
 The tear-dash'd eyes, which thoughts of heaven bring, 
 
 The voice which call'd the fainting heart to duty, 
 While Zephyr paus'd to buoy it on his wing ? 
 
 Gone with the melted snow, the rolling river, 
 The sun-drank dew which glistened on the blade, 
 
 As shifting cloud, forever and forever, " 
 
 As color from the soft cheeks of the maid. 
 
 How rich, how rare the golden memories linger, 
 
 Like lasting odor of the perish'd vine ! 
 Can I forget the time when Stella's finger 
 
 Woo'd the warm tear-drops down these cheeks of mine ? 
 
 Thou seraph's music for the broken-hearted, 
 
 Come to me still in echo, sweetest sprite, 
 To soothe the soul with thoughts of the departed, 
 
 Through all the cold and dreary winter night.
 
 THE DRAGON. 173 
 
 That which affected him most was the jams 
 of the parlor fireplace, all blackened with smoke, 
 which recalled the pleasant converse, and the 
 parting kiss at night. Then he stood where the 
 library had once been, for at his feet lay the 
 illuminated page of a beautiful antique volume, 
 whose edges were burned and defaced. He took 
 it up, and read by the decaying light : 
 
 " JTorasmucl) as Bramblyte think y 6 evyle 
 worde was but a lyttyl evill, he did listen to his 
 neiboure entertain hys neighbour with hys ney- 
 bour's fautes, and dyd tell it, which when it 
 was once blayzoned forth, it went like wildfyre, 
 and y e whole countrie in a blaze, whereupon 
 he dyd perceave that hys lyttyl evill a greate 
 wronge, and then he repent in sackcloth, and 
 dydd make confessyon when it too late, and 
 y e priest willed him to crawl on his hands and 
 knees, and lick y 6 dust foure score time in 
 y 6 league, which he dyd right freely, and four 
 score more times of his own accorde. 
 
 " Herein y e first errour that he did consent to 
 receyve y secret in hys eare, and whenn he 
 have it in hys bosom dyd burn to let it go, 
 which whenn he dyd, greate evyle come of it,
 
 174 SALANDER AND 
 
 and he hymself almost destroyed in y 6 commo- 
 tion whych it produced. There was once a 
 gardyner, who, whenn he did buy hys wheat, 
 perceyve in it one lyttyl seed very noxious, and 
 a hunderd-fold bearer, but he sayd it is lyttyl, 
 and did receive it and scatter it with y e rest, 
 and good luck if it had sprung up in hys own 
 wheat field, hut a lyttle byrd didd by accident 
 perceyve it and drop it in hys neighbour hys 
 garden, where it choked up all y e flower beds, 
 wheratt the owner of y 6 garden very angry, 
 and didd charge it upon his neyboure that he 
 planted the seed there by foul design, and whenn 
 he say it was by accident, that he did only re- 
 ceyve the evile seed, and got from Hym he know 
 not how, the other say that he should hold him 
 accountabel." 
 
 The jailer almost wept when he read this, for 
 it touched him very nearly, yet the manuscript 
 had been in existence long before he was born. 
 The shadows of night surprised him while yet 
 reading; he placed the book in his bosom, and 
 turned his back upon the place. But far he 
 had not advanced when a rushing sound, like a 
 whirlwind, passed him, and anon he heard a
 
 THE DRAGON. 175 
 
 confused din of many voices breaking out into 
 a triumphant glee, with the accompaniment of 
 a stringed instrument. He cast back his eye 
 hastily. It was Salander and his crew, who 
 had come to dance and revel by moonlight 
 over the ruins of the alabaster palace of Gud- 
 naim. 
 
 Almost at the same moment his lord met him, 
 for he seemed of late to be very little absent 
 from him. 
 
 " So at last you begin to see the result of your 
 foolhardiness. Peace once dwelt within these 
 courts. What have you done to restore these 
 lamentable ruins 1" 
 
 " Nothing, my lord, unless tears have a power 
 to rebuild." 
 
 " Tears !" exclaimed the other, in anger ; 
 " what recompense have tears ? Is that all 
 which you have to offer for broken hearts and 
 ruined houses? They can do no good. One 
 attempt, perhaps, remains to you, and though 
 it can be no benefit to others, it may allay your 
 own smarts. You can go and ask forgiveness 
 of those whom you have injured nay, ruined. 
 See to what a narrow point is reduced your 
 ability to undo mischief."
 
 173 SALANDER AND 
 
 " Alas !" said Goodman, " I am too happy to 
 have even this ability remaining. This I can 
 certainly do, though it will be a very bitter, 
 mortifying thing to look in the faces of those 
 whom I have injured." 
 
 With this he passed on, meditating how he 
 should, by his words, his looks, his actions, 
 make a favorable impression, especially on that 
 poor lady who had lost the jewel. " When they, 
 see my tears and my regret," he said, " they 
 will, perhaps, be softened, and when they know 
 how much I have been already chastised." So 
 he asked the first one whom he met whether he 
 could inform him where lived the baron and his 
 family, once resident at Gudnaim House. 
 
 " Oh, yes," replied the other, who was a very 
 old man ; " I am already on my way thither, and 
 not a long way cither. He once lived in a largCj 
 sumptuous mansion, but is now content to take 
 up with a very small one. He suffered great 
 persecution, and his beautiful house was de- 
 stroyed, while he was smitten by the arrow of a 
 man named Ingrat. The arrow rankled in his 
 flesh. We all loved him, and his wife was an 
 angel." 
 
 " Where is the dwelling 1" said the jailer, in
 
 THE DRAGON. 177 
 
 alarm, for his guide had conducted him to a 
 well-peopled graveyard. 
 
 " Here !" exclaimed the old man, striking his 
 staff down into the earth, "here! they are 
 dead." 
 
 Goodman sank down on the graves of those 
 whom he had injured. 
 
 Recovering, he arose from the spot, and said 
 not a single word, but returned to the Hartz 
 Prison, and shut himself up a prisoner in one 
 of his own cells. He could neither eat, nor 
 drink, nor sleep, and was soon again distressed 
 by the presence of Conscienza. He looked 
 more stern and forbidding than ever, and did 
 not seem to regard the poignant feeling of the 
 jailer. Not at all, not at all. But again he 
 challenged him with a bitter sarcasm. 
 
 " And what success had you in obtaining for- 
 giveness of the injured 1 Did they receive you 
 scornfully, saying, This is the man who let loose 
 on us the monster, and we may thank him for 
 it ? Or did they come forth to meet you kind- 
 ly, and thus pour coals of fire on your head? 
 Speak !" 
 
 " Oh, my lord, they are dead. Not even the 
 poor satisfaction had I of saying that I am sorry,
 
 178 SALANDER AND 
 
 but my tears have been like rain shed on the 
 desert sand." 
 
 " If this be so, then your hour of tribulation 
 has arrived. You remember what was threat- 
 ened if you let the prisoner go. There is no 
 criminal on earth more injurious than Salander. 
 What you have already suffered is but a fore- 
 taste. Prepare !" 
 
 With that he beckoned to him, and they 
 walked together in a lonely spot, called the Vat- 
 Jey of Lonelimusen. The funereal cypress 
 waved above their heads, and they appeared to 
 commune solemnly. Then Conscienza cried 
 with a loud voice, " Remorse ! Remorse !" and 
 the woods echoed back " Remorse ! Remorse !" 
 Forthwith there appeared upon the scene a 
 slave as black as night, bearing in his hand a 
 knotted thong. 
 
 " Strip him," said Conscienza, " and scourge 
 his back till he almost dies." 
 
 The jailer folded his arms in silent agony, 
 and uttered not a word. The blows descended. 
 Th.ey could be heard far and wide. They were 
 laid on by the minister without stint and with- 
 out mercy. The big, livid tumors bulged out 
 on the flesh, and when the lash was suspended
 
 THE DRAGON. 179 
 
 Goodman only regretted that his life was not 
 taken, and went and flung himself into a dun- 
 geon black as night. For whole days he main- 
 tained a moody silence, and this was succeeded 
 by the most jubilant spirits, and by a ringing 
 laughter for hours. Then he sought for a dag- 
 ger, and raved. " Come, my Damascus ! In 
 what unknown place art thou concealed, as in a 
 scabbard? An enemy has done it." Then 
 again he relapsed into silence and sadness for 
 many hours, and no angel of mercy came near 
 him. 
 
 We must now return for a moment to the 
 Duke d'Envy. The principal fault in this 
 man's character was an excessive selfishness 
 and self-esteem. With all his faults, which 
 were innumerable as the stars of heaven, and 
 flagrant as the tail of a comet, he had no eyes 
 for a single one of them, but was only able to 
 see that which was without himself. There his 
 vision was keen enough to detect motes in the 
 sunbeam, and faults of character appeared 
 hideous. He did not once bring himself to 
 judgment, but let himself leniently slip through 
 his own fingers, and, without leaving his seat, 
 brought in a verdict of "Not Guilty." He
 
 180 SALANDER AND 
 
 exacted homage for his seigniories and ducal 
 possessions, for his parks and forests, which 
 were railed with iron, and filled with deer ; for 
 his house, which was a regular castle of -stone, 
 a thousand years old, with moats and draw- 
 bridge ; for his equipage, which was covered 
 with silver and gold; for his many children, 
 who onty went abroad to do mischief, and yet 
 the duke persuaded himself that they were on an 
 angelic ministry. What kind of children they 
 were may be known from the fact that Salander 
 was one of them. The duke also demanded 
 homage for that which he did not possess, and 
 if those who were not his vassals refused to pay 
 it, he told his servants to shoot them down with 
 cross-bows wherever they met them, without 
 mercy, and tumble them into the ditch, and that 
 he would stand godfather to the undertaking. 
 This same disposition of self-esteem led him to 
 detest those who had possessions or children 
 similar to his own. For this reason one day, in 
 a sly manner, he had released Salander, who 
 before that, for his deformity and evil nature, 
 had been shut up in his father's house, because 
 he well knew that he would go out and do mis- 
 chief, and strike a blow in the very direction
 
 THE DRAGON. 181 
 
 which lie intendel. He committed him in the 
 first instance to Goodman, for two reasons : 
 first, because he was aware that the prison 
 could not hold him, and secondly, he could thus 
 shift the responsibility. The damage would be 
 tracked back to the poor subordinate, and there 
 the blame would rest, and no body would be so 
 bold as to follow it up to Duke d'Envy. 
 
 It was with infinite delight that he had hith- 
 erto watched the success of his schemes, and 
 saw the ruins of the alabaster palace, while 
 his own house remained firm. But he was 
 taken very ill with black tongue or the yellow 
 jaundice, or some such terrible disease, and be- 
 ing apparently near to death's door y his piety 
 began. Much he praised the apostles and holy 
 martyrs, and wished that more such could be 
 found. But persecution had now ceased, and 
 virtue, and especially the Christian graces, 
 waxed dim. He repeated the Lord's prayer 
 many times, and asked the priest whether he 
 thought that he had said it often enough. He 
 rolled his eyes upward with saintly fervor, for 
 in fact he was frightened almost out of his wits, 
 and anxious to make a compromise with Con- 
 cienza, that he might die in peace. But al-
 
 182 SALANDER AND 
 
 though his disposition had not changed for the 
 worse, suddenly his disease took a turn for the 
 better, when his resolution vanished, and he was 
 soon moving about, the same man as before. 
 No change had taken place in him, except that 
 his cheek, always pale from the corrosive effect 
 of passion waxed a little paler from disease. 
 He asked the servant who attended him, to say 
 to him (honor bright), whether he had shown, 
 during illness, any weakness of mind, any flincK- 
 ing, as the craven-hearted sometimes do. The 
 latter told him that he had acted throughout like 
 a man, and had repented of more sins than he 
 had any need to repent of. The duke put his 
 hand in his pocket, and paid the faithful servant 
 a doubloon. 
 
 When the poor jailer, who had been this man's 
 victim, arose from his couch (for he too, like the 
 duke, was prostrated with a fit of illness), and 
 all his efforts to retrieve his error had been of 
 no avail, silent and moody he walked alone in 
 the valley of Lonelimiisen. The winds sighed 
 through the branches, the cypress trees waved 
 over his head, the skies were dark and lower- 
 ing. Would the sunshine never come again? 
 Would he never delight to revisit the spots
 
 THE DRAGON. 1S3 
 
 where the late roses linger'? "Oh, my Lord, 
 my Lord," he said (for Conscienza was near 
 him), " I have for a long time known no plea- 
 sure, and my heart has been a stranger to repose. 
 What I have done occasions all this bitterness ; 
 is there any duty for one in my case which 
 remains undone 1 If tears are worth any thing, 
 I have more ; or if groans, my bosom is full of 
 them." The answer returned was, " are you 
 sorry for that which is past, and will you do dif- 
 ferently for the future?" Goodman replied, " I 
 am sorry for the past, and so help me God, I 
 will amend my life for the future ? As he said 
 this, a pale beam of light struggled through the 
 clouds ; a very pale beam, at first white, after- 
 ward ruddy, and in the reflection of it the 
 Lord of Conscienza smiled very pleasantly. 
 Goodman Avept. " Something remains for you 
 to do," said the former, resuming his stern look. 
 
 " Then," said the other, " I fear that I can 
 not do it. I have accomplished no task which 
 you have set for me." 
 
 " You can do it," said Conscienza, " and you 
 must. In this effort you will be successful. Ask 
 God to forgive you. In injuring your fellow- 
 man, you have offended Him."
 
 184 SALANDER AND 
 
 The jailer fell upon his knees, dropped his 
 head upon his breast, clasped his hands, and 
 prayed. 
 
 From that moment, the clouds which lowered 
 above his house were rifted by a beam of brill- 
 iant sunshine, and the spirit of the scene was 
 changed. Brotherly love was now the ruling 
 passion of his heart. The grated windows were 
 torn away from the Hartz Prison, which became 
 a castle, purged and cleansed of every stain ; 
 and although some sacred things were intrusted 
 to it, the ghost of Evelthots^- had forsaken it 
 forever ; while, as his days passed swiftly, and 
 the shades of night came down, Hope, like the 
 evening star, rose up in the sky, with a trem- 
 ulous and serene luster. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 Urtn ^itfariiil jFnmilq 35ihle. 
 
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 HEADING, comprising the whole Bible in a year. 
 
 The many interesting features which are, for the first time, united 
 in this edition of the Bible will commend it to all, while the low price 
 at which it is sold will, it is hoped, induce thousands to purchase it. 
 The engravings are not mere fanciful decorations, but serve to illus- 
 trate the manners and customs of the East, so as greatly to facilitate 
 the study of the Word of God. 
 
 We subjoin a few notices of the English and American editions : 
 
 "It will form the completes!, compactest, and most convenient one- 
 volume Family Bible that has yet appeared "' Christian Witness. 
 
 " We trust that tens of thousands of our teachers, and hundreds of 
 thousands of their elder scholars, with all Christian families, will at 
 once order the Domestic Bible." Sunday School Magazine. 
 
 " Although the sacred Hooks of the Old and New Testament have 
 been edited in almost every conceivable varietv of form, the mass of 
 English readers have never yet been provided with a Bible so smi-
 
 nently adapted for general use as is the one now before us.'' London 
 Christian Times. 
 
 "This edition ol' the Bible appears to combine a greater amount of 
 needful information, judicious comment, and help, than any one we 
 know of equal size." If. Y. Evangelist. 
 
 ' It is a work which, for the beauty of its execution and the con- 
 densed variety of its contents, run not fail to recommend itself to th? 
 attention of American families." N. Y. Tribune. 
 
 " We cheerfully commend it as one of the most complete and con- 
 venient, as well as one of the cheapest family Bibles that has appear- 
 ed. 1 ' Christian Observer (Philad.) 
 
 ''The edition before us possesses peculiar merits. We d' x ubt not 
 it will obtain, as it deserves, an extensive circulation.'' Chn. Chroni- 
 cle (Philad.) 
 
 " We hope this attempt to make the Scriptures a delight will be 
 suitably encouraged by the religious public at least." Christian Ad- 
 vocate (Richmond, Va.) < 
 
 "We have already mentioned with commendation this reprint ot 
 an illustrated copy of the S cred Scriptures. The poetical parts are 
 printed in metrical form, and in several respects the edition is happily 
 adapted to the family." Presbyterian (Philad.) 
 
 " We deem it superior as a family Bible for ordinary use to any 
 thing we have seen, and commend it to all who would desire a cheap 
 and valuable edition of the Divine Word." Central Christian Herald 
 (Cincinnati.) 
 
 ' It strikes us as the most useful and elegant edition altogether that 
 
 Halloteell (Me.) Gazette 
 
 nuuuwtu ( ivie.j iruzeue. 
 
 " Despite the multiplicity of editions of the Scriptures, which have 
 been projected in this and almost every other country, this edition we 
 conceive pre-eminentlv adapted to the wants of the people. 1 ' Lans 
 
 ingburg (N. Y.) Gazette. 
 
 "No. I. of this new serial gives great promise for the general excel- 
 lence of this work. Many new features will be introduced tending to 
 make it the most desirable of family Bibles." New Englander (Bast.) 
 
 " We like, indeed, the whole plan of the work, and the illustrations 
 add greatly to its attractiveness. We should like to see it in every 
 family." New York Commercial. 
 
 "The plan of the work is worthy of all commendation. We know 
 nothing superior to it for general iamily use." Sartain's Union Mag. 
 
 "Its mechanical execution is superb, and it combines a variety of 
 advantaces in its literary execution, which will render it one of the 
 most convenient as well as eleaant editions of the Scriptures ever 
 offered to the public." Zion's Herald. 
 
 "This is a valuable work. The notes attached to it are worth far 
 more than its whole price, and the engravings are truly elegant." 
 Olive Branch. 
 
 The price of this Bible will be from Seven to Twelve Dollars, c 
 cording to the style of binding. Orders may be addressed to 
 
 SAMUEL HUESTON, 139 NassatHBt., New York.
 
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