Small Catechism 第34章

Yestruly，arecluse，oratleastsomethinglikeit，didpoorSintramnowbecome!FortowardsthetimeoftheapproachingChristmasfestivalhisfearfuldreamscameoverhim，andseizedhimsofiercely，thatalltheesquiresandservantsfledwithshrieksoutofthecastle，andwouldneverventurebackagain.NooneremainedwithhimexceptRolfandtheoldcastellan.Afterawhile，indeed，Sintrambecamecalm，buthewentaboutlookingsopallidandstillthathemighthavebeentakenforawanderingcorpse.NocomfortingofthegoodRolf，nodevoutsoothinglays，wereofanyavail;andthecastellan，withhisfierce，scarredfeatures，hisheadalmostentirelybaldfromahugesword-cut，hisstubbornsilence，seemedlikeayetdarkershadowofthemiserableknight.RolfoftenthoughtofgoingtosummontheholychaplainofDrontheim;buthowcouldhehavelefthislordalonewiththegloomycastellan，amanwhoatalltimesraisedinhimasecrethorror?Biornhadlonghadthiswildstrangewarriorinhisservice，andhonouredhimonaccountofhisunshakenfidelityandhisfearlesscourage，thoughneithertheknightnoranyoneelseknewwhencethecastellancame，nor，indeed，exactlywhohewas.Veryfewpeopleknewbywhatnametocallhim;butthatwasthemoreneedless，sinceheneverenteredintodiscoursewithanyone.HewasthecastellanofthestonefortressontheRocksoftheMoon，andnothingmore.

RolfcommittedhisdeepheartfeltcarestothemercifulGod，trustingthathewouldsooncometohisaid;andthemercifulGoddidnotfailhiForonChristmasevethebellatthedrawbridgesounded，andRolf，lookingoverthebattlements，sawthechaplainofDrontheimstandingthere，withacompanionindeedthatsurprisedhim，--forclosebesidehimappearedthecrazypilgrim，andthedeadmensbonesonhisdarkmantleshoneverystrangelyintheglimmeringstarlight:

butthesightofthechaplainfilledthegoodRolftoofullofjoytoleaveroomforanydoubtinhismind;for，thoughthe，whoevercomeswithhimcannotbutbewelcome!Andsoheletthembothinwithrespectfulhaste，andusheredthemuptothehall，whereSintram，paleandwithafixedlook，wassittingunderthelightofoneflickeringlamp.Rolfwasobligedtosupportandassistthecrazypilgrimupthestairs，forhewasquitebenumbedwithcold.

"Ibringyouagreetingfromyourmother，"saidthechaplainashecamein;andimmediatelyasweetsmilepassedovertheyoungknightscountenance，anditsdeadlypallidnessgaveplacetoabrightsoftglow.

"0Heaven!"murmuredhe，"doesthenmymotheryetlive，anddoesshecaretoknowanythingaboutme?""Sheisendowedwithawonderfulpresentimentofthefuture，"repliedthechaplain;"andallthatyououghteithertodoortoleaveundoneisfaithfullymirroredinvariouswaysinhermind，duringahalf-wakingtrance.Nowsheknowsofyourdeepsorrow，andshesendsme，thefather-confessorofherconvent，tocomfortyou，butatthesametimetowarnyou;for，assheaffirms，andasIamalsoinclinedtothink，manystrangeandheavytrialsliebeforeyou."Sintrambowedhimselftowardsthechaplainwithhisarmscrossedoverhisbreast，andsaid，withagentlesmile，"MuchhaveIbeenfavoured--more，athousandtimesmore，thanIcouldhavedaredtohopeinmybesthours--bythisgreetingfrommymother，andyourvisit，reverendsir;andallafterfallingmorefearfullylowthanIhadeverfallenbefore.ThemercyoftheLordisgreat;andhowheavysoevermaybetheweightandpunishmentwhichHemaysend，Itrust，withHisgrace，tobeabletobearit."Justthenthedooropened，andthecastellancameinwithatorchinhishand，theredglareofwhichmadehisfacelookthecolourofblood.Hecastaterrifiedglanceatthecrazypilgrim，whohadjustsunkbackinaswoon，andwassupportedonhisseatandtendedbyRolf;thenhestaredwithastonishmentatthechaplain，andatlastmurmured，"Astrangemeeting!Ibelievethatthehourforconfessionandreconciliationisnowarrived.""Ibelievesotoo，"repliedthepriest，whohadheardhislowwhisper;"thisseemstobetrulyadayrichingraceandpeace.