historic girls-第30章

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tangled　light…brown　hair　which；　tied　imperfectly　with　a　simple

knot　of　ribbon；　fell　down　upon　her　neck。　Her　short　dress　of　plain

gray　stuff　hung　loosely　about　a　rather　trim　figure；　and　a　black

scarf；　carelessly　tied；　encircled　her　neck。　In　short；　he　saw　a

rather　pretty；　carelessly　dressed；　healthy；　and　just　now　very

haughty…looking　young　girl；　who　seemed　more　like　a　boy　in　speech

and　manners；and　one　who　needed　to　be　disciplined　and　curbed。



Again　the　question　came：　〃Who　is　this　man；　and　what　seeks　he

here；　Klas？　I　ask。〃



〃　'T　is　a　courier　with　dispatches　for　the　council；　Madam；〃

replied　the　man。



〃Give　me　the　dispatches；〃　said　the　girl；　〃I　will　attend　to　them。〃



〃You；　indeed！〃　The　courier　laughed　grimly。　〃The　dispatches　from

the　Emperor　of　Germany　are　for　no　hairbrained　maid　to　handle。

These　are　to　be　delivered　to　the　Council　of　Regents　alone。〃



〃I　will　have　naught　of　councils　or　regents；　Sir　Courier；　save

when　it　pleases　me；〃　said　the　girl；　tapping　the　floor　with　an

angry　foot。　〃Give　me　the　dispatches；　I　say；I　am　the　King　of

Sweden！〃



〃Youa　girlking？〃　was　all　that　the　astonished　courier　could

stammer　out。　Then；　as　the　real　facts　dawned　upon　him；　he　knelt　at

the　feet　of　the　young　queen　and　presented　his　dispatches。



〃Withdraw；　sir！〃　said　Christina；　taking　the　papers　from　his　hand

with　but　the　scant　courtesy　of　a　nod；　〃we　will　read　these　and

return　a　suitable　answer　to　your　master。〃



The　courier　withdrew；　still　dazed　at　this　strange　turn　of

affairs；　and　Christina；　leaning　carelessly　against　the

council…table；　opened　the　dispatches。



Suddenly　she　burst　into　a　merry　but　scarcely　lady…like　laugh。

〃Ha；　ha；　ha！　this　is　too　rare　a　joke；　Karl；〃　she　cried。　〃Lord

Chancellor；　Mathias；　Torstenson！〃　she　exclaimed；　as　these　members

of　her　council　entered　the　apartment；　〃what　think　you？　Here　come

dispatches　from　the　Emperor　of　Germany　begging　that　you；　my

council；　shall　consider　the　wisdom　of　wedding　me　to　his　son　and

thereby　closing　the　war！　His　son；　indeed！　Ferdinand　the　Craven！〃



〃And　yet；　Madam；〃　suggested　the　wise　Oxenstiern；　〃it　is　a　matter

that　should　not　lightly　be　cast　aside。　In　time　you　must　needs　be

married。　The　constitution　of　the　kingdom　doth　oblige　you　to。〃



〃Oblige！〃　and　the　young　girl　turned　upon　the　gray…headed

chancellor　almost　savagely。　〃Oblige！　and　who；　Sir　Chancellor；

upon　earth　shall　OBLIGE　me　to　do　so；　if　I　do　it　not　of　mine　own

will？　Say　not　OBLIGE　to　me。〃



This　was　vigorous　language　for　a　girl　of　scarce　fourteen；　but　it

was　〃Christina's　way；〃　one　with　which　both　the　Council　and　the

people　soon　grew　familiar。　It　was　the　Vasa＇1＇　nature　in　her；　and

it　was　always　prominent　in　this　spirited　young　girlthe　last

descendant　of　that　masterful　house。



＇1＇　Vasa　was　the　family　name　of　her　father　and　the　ancient　king

of　Sweden。





But　now　the　young　Prince　Karl　Gustavus　had　something　to　say。



〃Ah；　cousin　mine；〃　and　he　laid　a　strong　though　boyish　hand　upon

the　young　girl's　arm。　〃What　need　for　couriers　or　dispatches　that

speak　of　suitors　for　your　hand？　Am　not　I　to　be　your　husband？　From

babyhood　you　have　so　promised　me。〃



Christina　again　broke　into　a　loud　and　merry　laugh。



〃Hark　to　the　little　burgomaster；〃＇1＇　she　cried；　〃much　travel　hath

made　him；　I　do　fear　me；　soft　in　heart　and　head。　Childish

promises；　Karl。　Let　such　things　be　forgotten　now。　You　are　to　be　a

soldierI；　a　queen。〃



＇1＇　Prince　Charles　Gustavus；　afterward　Charles　XI。；　King　of

Sweden；　and　father　of　the　famous　Charles　XII。；　was　cousin　to

Christina。　He　was　short　and　thick…set；　and　so　like　a　little

Dutchman　that　Christina　often　called　him　〃the　little

burgomaster。〃　At　the　time　of　this　sketch　he　had　just　returned

from　a　year　of　travel　through　Europe。





〃And　yet；　Madam；〃　said　Mathias；　her　tutor；　〃all　Europe　hath　for

years　regarded　Prince　Karl　as　your　future　husband。〃



〃And　what　care　I　for　that？〃　demanded　the　girl；　hotly。　〃Have　done；

have　done；　sirs！　You　do　weary　me　with　all　this。　Let　us　to　the

hunt。　Axel　Dagg　did　tell　me　of　a　fine　roebuck　in　the　Maelar

woods。　See　you　to　the　courier　of　the　Emperor　and　to　his

dispatches；　Lord　Chancellor；　I　care　not　what　you　tell　him；　if　you

do　but　tell　him　no。　And；　stay；　where　is　that　round　little

Dutchman；　Van　Beunigen；　whom　you　did　complain　but　yesterday　was

sent　among　us　by　his　government　to　oppose　the　advices　of　our

English　friends。　He　is　a　greater　scholar　than　horseman；　or　I

mistake。　Let　us　take　him　in　our　hunting…party；　Karl；　and　see　to

it　that　he　doth　have　one　of　our　choicest　horses。〃



The　girl's　mischief　was　catching。　Her　cousin　dropped　his　serious

look；　and；　seeking　the　Dutch　envoy；　with　due　courtesy　invited　him

to　join　the　Queen's　hunt。



〃Give　him　black　Hannibal；　Jous；〃　Christina　had　said　to　her　groom；

and　when　the　Dutch　envoy；　Van　Beunigen；　came　out　to　join　the

hunting…party；　too　much　flattered　by　the　invitation　to　remember

that　he　was　a　poor　horseman；　Jous；　the　groom；　held　black　Hannibal

in　unsteady　check；　while　the　big　horse　champed　and　fretted；　and

the　hunting…party　awaited　the　new　member。



But　Jous；　the　groom；　noted　the　Dutchman's　somewhat　alarmed　look

at　the　big　black　animal。



〃Would　it　not　be　well；　good　sir；〃　he　said；　〃that　you　do　choose

some　steadier　animal　than　Hannibal　here？　I　pray　you　let　me　give

you　one　less　restive。　So；　Bror　Andersson；〃　he　called　to　one　of

the　under…grooms；　〃let　the　noble　envoy　have　your　cob；　and　take

you　back　Hannibal　to　the　stables。〃



But　no；　the　envoy　of　the　States　of　Holland　would　submit　to　no

such　change。　He　ride　a　servant's　horse；　indeed！



〃Why；　sirrah　groom；〃　he　said　to　good…hearted　Jous；　〃I　would　have

you　know　that　I　am　no　novice　in　the　equestrian　art。　Far　from　it；

man。　I　have　read　every　treatise　on　the　subject　from　Xenophon

downward；　and　what　horse　can　know　more　than　I？〃



So　friendly　Jous　had　nothing　more　to　say；　but　hoisted　the

puffed…up　Dutch　scholar　into　the　high　saddle；　and　away　galloped

the　hunt　toward　the　Maelar　woods。



As　if　blind　to　his　own　folly；　Van　Beunigen；　the　envoy；　placed

himself　near　to　the　young　Queen；　and　Christina；　full　of　her　own

mischief；　began　gravely　to　compliment　him　on　his　horsemanship；

and　suggested　a　gallop。



Alas；　fatal　moment。　For　while　he　yet　swayed　and　jolted　upon　the

back　of　the　restive　Hannibal；　and　even　endeavored　to　discuss　with

the　fair　young　scholar　who　rode　beside　him；　the　〃Melanippe〃　of

Euripides；　the　same　fair　scholarwho；　in　spite　of　all　her　Greek

learning　was　only　a　mischievous　and　sometimes　very　rude　young

girlfaced　him　with　a　sober　countenance。



〃Good　Herr　Van　Beunigen；〃　she　said；　〃your　Greek　is　truly　as

smooth　as　your　face。　But　it　seems　to　me　you　do　not　sufficiently

catch　the　spirit　of　the　poet's　lines　commmencing



　　　　　。＇1＇



I　should　rather　say　that　　should　be〃



＇1＇　The　commencement　of　an　extract　from　the　〃Melanippe〃　of

Euripides；　meaning；　〃To　raise　vain　laughter；　many　exercise　the

arts　of　satire。〃





Just　what　　should　be　she　never　declared；　for；　as

the　envoy　of　Holland　turned　upon　her　a　face　on　which　Greek

learning　and　anxious　horsemanship　struggled　with　one　another；

Christina　slyly　touched　black　Hannibal　lightly　with　her

riding…whip。



Light　as　the　touch　was；　however；　it　was　enough。　The　unruly　horse

reared　and　plunged。　The　startled　scholar；　with　a　cry　of　terror；

flung　up　his　hands；　and　then　clutched　black　Hannibal　around　the

neck。　Thus；　in　the　manner　of　John　Gilpin；



　〃His　horse；　who　never　in　that　way

　　　　　　Had　handled　been　before；

　　What　thing　upon　his　back　had　got

　　　　　　Did　wonder　more　and　more。



　　　　　〃Away　went　Gilpin；　neck　or　nought；

　　　　　　Away　went　hat　and　wig；

　　He　never　dreamt　when　he　set　out；

　　　　　　Of　running　such　a　rig。〃





Minus　hat　and　wig；　too；　the　poor　envoy　dashed　up　the　Maelar

highway；　while　Christina；　laughing　loudly；　galloped　after　him　in

a