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dictate to you。〃
And pacing the room。 and slowly stroking his fine black beard with
his right hand; Andreas Hofer dictated as follows:
〃Every one will perceive that we have good reason to thank the kind
and almighty God for helping us so signally to deliver the
fatherland from a powerful and cruel enemy; and every one will
desire that we should henceforth remain free from this scourge; with
which the Lord; as He punished His chosen people often in the Old
and New Testament; visited and chastised our fatherland; that we
might turn to Him and mend our ways。 We will; therefore; turn to God
with heartfelt thanks for his great mercy; and with the sincere
purpose of improving our morals; and pray Him to protect us from
further persecution。 We must try to gain His paternal love by a
devout; chaste; and virtuous life; and discard hatred; envy;
covetousness; and all vices; obey our superiors; lend as much
assistance as possible to our fellow…citizens; and avoid everything
that might give offence to God and man。 Now; many of my excellent
comrades and defenders of the country have been scandalized at the
neglect of many women to cover their arms and breasts; whereby they
give rise to sinful desires which must be highly offensive to God
and all good Christians。 It is to be hoped that they will repent;
lest God should punish them; but if they do not; it will be their
own fault if they should be covered with mire in an unpleasant
manner。〃 'Footnote: See 〃Gallery of Heroes: Andreas Hofer;〃 p。 135;
and Hormayr's 〃Hofer;〃 vol。 ii。; p。 445。'
〃Shall I really write that?〃 asked Doeninger; looking up from his
paper。
〃Yes; you shall; and you shall not omit a word of it;〃 exclaimed
Andreas Hofer。 〃Give me the paper; Cajetan; I want to see if you
have not scratched out the last words。 No; there it is: 'But if they
do not; it will be their own fault if they should be covered with
mire in an unpleasant manner。' That is rightnow give me the pen;
Cajetan; that I may sign the document。 Then seal it up and send it
to the Official Journal and the Gazette; they are to publish it at
once; that all the women of Innspruck may read it to…morrow and know
what to do。 Now; my dear woman; I hope you will have some rest; and
need not be afraid of the seductive wiles of those ladies。 Go home;
then; and if you will permit me to give you good advice; be very
gentle and kind toward your husband; and for God's sake do not
torment him with jealousy; for that is a bitter herb which even the
best husband cannot digest; and which renders him morose and angry。
Go; then; with God's blessing; and come back a week hence; and tell
me whether my decree has been effectual; and whether your husband
goes any longer to the theatre and ogles the women there。〃
〃May God and the Holy Virgin have mercy on us!〃 sighed the woman;
going to the door; 〃for I shall not bear it if my dear husband ogles
other women; and something dreadful will happen if he does not mend
his ways。〃
〃God be praised!〃 said Doeninger; with a deep sigh; when the woman
had left the room。
〃Why do you say 'God be praised'?〃 asked Andreas; in surprise。
〃God be praised that I am not the husband of this jealous woman。 She
will torment her husband to death; and leave him not a moment's
repose before be dies。〃
〃It is true; she does not seem to be very gentle;〃 said Andreas;
smiling。 〃But then; Cajetan; she loves her husband dearly; is
doubtless a virtuous woman; and will never sin against the seventh
commandment。 Well; my friend; do not grumble so much; but go and
admit another person。〃
CHAPTER XXXVI。
THE LOVERS。
Doeninger went to the door and opened it; and a beautiful young girl
slipped immediately into the room。 〃Hush; hush;〃 she whispered to
Doeninger; 〃do not say anything to him。〃 And she hastened on tiptoe
to Andreas Hofer; who was reading once more with close attention the
proclamation which he had dictated to Doeninger。
She bent down and kissed the hand in which Hofer held the paper。
〃God bless you; dear; great father and liberator of the people!〃 she
said; in a silver voice。
〃Lizzie Wallner!〃 exclaimed Andreas; joyfully; casting aside the
paper。 〃Yes; by the Eternal; it is she! It is Lizzie; the dearest
child of my best friendthe most heroic girl in the Tyrol。 Come;
Lizzie; embrace your second father; Andy; and give me a kiss for
father and mother; and one for yourself; my dear girl。〃
Eliza encircled Hofer's neck; and imprinted a tender kiss on his
lips。 〃God bless you; dear father; for you are the father of the
whole Tyrol;〃 she whispered; 〃and must not scold me for calling you
my father too。〃
〃On the contrary; it gladdens my heart;〃 exclaimed Andreas; folding
her tenderly to his breast。 〃It seems to me as though I were holding
one of my own girls in my arms; and as though I heard her dear voice
calling me father。 Lizzie; I can tell you I often long for my pretty
daughters and their mother; Anna Gertrude; and sometimes I feel very
lonely indeed。〃
〃And why do you not send for your wife and children; father Andy;
and have them brought here? I am sure there is room enough for them
in this large house。〃
〃 No; they shall stay at home;〃 exclaimed Andreas; vehemently。 〃The
mother must attend to household affairs; and keep every thing in
good order; and the girls must help her do it。 Otherwise all would
go amiss; and when I should have no longer to work for the emperor
here; and went back to my home; the inn in the Passeyr valley would
be worthless; we should be destitute; and become beggars。 Besides; I
do not want my girls to become proud; and think they are
aristocratic young ladies now; because their father is commander…in…
chief of the Tyrol; and the emperor's lieutenant。 We are peasants;
and will remain peasants。 However; let us speak no more of myself;
but of you; Lizzie。 Where do you come from; what do you want here;
and how did you get into the midst of the crowd in the audience…
room?〃
〃I came to see you; father Andreas。 I asked the sentinel in the
passage outside where I would find you; as I had to see you on
important business。 The sentinel told me to enter the audience…room。
It was already crowded with persons who wished to see you; and who
told me that one was admitted to you after another; but; on hearing
that I had come all the way from Windisch…Matrey; and had walked two
days and two nights without intermission; they took pity on me; and
would not let me wait until my turn came; but allowed me to advance
close to the door; so as to be the first to enter your room。〃
〃The people of Innspruck are very kind…hearted indeed;〃 exclaimed
Andreas; joyously。 〃Then you have come all the way from Windisch…
Matrey; Lizzie? And where is your father?〃
〃He and his sharpshooters joined Joachim Haspinger and Joseph
Speckbacher; and the united forces of the three commanders marched
against the Bavarians。 Father and his seven hundred sharpshooters
expelled the Bavarians from the Unken valley; and is now encamped
near Berchtesgaden and Reichenhall。 Speckbacher is stationed at
Neuhauser and Schwarzbach; and Haspinger is still at Werfen。 They
are going to reunite their fo