Small Catechism 第35章

Thatpoormanyonder，whomIfoundhalf-frozenbytheway，wouldmakeafullconfessiontomeatonce，beforehefollowedmetoaplaceofshelter.Doashehasdone，mydark-browedwarrior，anddelaynotyourgoodpurposeforoneinstant."Thereuponhelefttheroomwiththewillingcastellan，butheturnedbacktosay，"SirKnightandyouresquire!takegoodcarethewhileofmysickcharge."SintramandRolfdidaccordingtothechaplainsdesire:andwhenatlengththeircordialsmadethepilgrimopenhiseyesonceagain，theyoungknightsaidtohim，withafriendlysmile，"Seestthou?thouartcometovisitmeafterall.Whydidstthourefusemewhen，afewnightsago，Iaskedtheesoearnestlytocome?PerhapsImayhavespokenwildlyandhastily.Didthatscaretheeaway?"Asuddenexpressionoffearcameoverthepilgrimscountenance;butsoonheagainlookedupatSintramwithanairofgentlehumility，saying，"0mydear，dearlord，Iammostentirelydevotedtoyou--onlyneverspeaktomeofformerpassagesbetweenyouandme.Iamterrifiedwheneveryoudoit.For，mylord，eitherIammadandhaveforgottenallthatispast，orthatBeinghasmetyouinthewood，whomIlookuponasmyverypowerfultwinbrother."Sintramlaidhishandgentlyonthepilgrimsmouth，asheanswered，"Saynothingmoreaboutthatmatter:Imostwillinglypromisetobesilent."NeitherhenoroldRolfcouldunderstandwhatappearedtothemsoawfulinthewholematter;butbothshuddered.

Afterashortpausethepilgrimsaid，"Iwouldrathersingyouasong--asoft，comfortingsong.Haveyounotalutehere?"Rolffetchedone;andthepilgrim，half-raisinghimselfonthecouch，sangthefollowingwords:

"Whendeathiscomingnear，WhenthyheartshrinksinfearAndthylimbsfail，ThenraisethyhandsandprayToHimwhosmoothsthywayThroughthedarkvale.

Seestthoutheeasterndawn，HearstthouintheredmornTheangelssong?

Oh，liftthydroopinghead，ThouwhoingloomanddreadHastlainsolong.

Deathcomestosettheefree;

Oh，meethimcheerilyAsthytruefriend，Andallthyfearsshallcease，AndineternalpeaceThypenanceend.""Amen，"saidSintramandRolf，foldingtheirhands;andwhilstthelastchordsofthelutestillresounded，thechaplainandthecastellancameslowlyandgentlyintotheroo"IbringapreciousChristmasgift，"saidthepriest."Aftermanysadyears，hopeofreconciliationandpeaceofconsciencearereturningtoanoble，disturbedmind.Thisconcernsthee，belovedpilgrim;anddothou，mySintram，withajoyfultrustinGod，takeencouragementandexamplefromit.""Morethantwentyyearsago，"beganthecastellan，atasignfromthechaplain--"morethantwentyyearsagoIwasaboldshepherd，drivingmyflockupthemountains.Ayoungknightfollowedme，whomtheycalledWeigandtheSlender.Hewantedtobuyofmemyfavouritelittlelambforhisfairbride，andofferedmemuchredgoldforit.

Isturdilyrefused.Over-boldyouthboiledupinusboth.Astrokeofhisswordhurledmesenselessdowntheprecipice.

"Notkilled?"askedthepilgriminascarceaudiblevoice.

"Iamnoghost，"repliedthecastellan，somewhatmorosely;andthen，afteranearnestlookfromthepriest，hecontinued，morehumbly:"Irecoveredslowlyandinsolitude，withthehelpofremedieswhichwereeasilyfoundbyme，ashepherd，inourproductivevalleys.WhenIcamebackintotheworld，nomanknewme，withmyscarredface，andmynowbaldhead.Iheardareportgoingthroughthecountry，thatonaccountofthisdeedofhis，SirWeigandtheSlenderhadbeenrejectedbyhisfairbetrothedVerena，andhowhehadpinedaway，andshehadwishedtoretireintoaconvent，butherfatherhadpersuadedhertomarrythegreatknightBiorn.Thentherecameafearfulthirstforvengeanceintomyheart，andIdisownedmyname，andmykindred，andmyhome，andenteredtheserviceofthemightyBiorn，asastrangewildman，inorderthatWeigandtheSlendershouldalwaysremainamurderer，andthatImightfeedonhisanguish.SohaveIfeduponitforalltheselongyears;Ihavefedfrightfullyuponhisself-imposedbanishment，uponhischeerlessreturnhome，uponhismadness.Butto-day--"andhottearsgushedfromhiseyes--"butto-dayGodhasbrokenthehardnessofmyheart;and，dearSirWeigand，lookuponyourselfnomoreasamurderer，andsaythatyouwillforgiveme，andprayforhimwhohasdoneyousofearfulaninjury，and--"Sobschokedhiswords.Hefellatthefeetofthepilgrim，whowithtearsofjoypressedhimtohisheart，intokenofforgiveness.