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Page 23
"Speak, sir, without any constraint; on the subject of family history and
chronicles I am entirely at your service. Other matters don't interest
me."
"I desire to learn some particulars respecting the two portraits on each
side of the founder of this race."
"Aha!" cried Knapwurst with a glow of satisfaction lighting up his
hideous features; "you mean Hedwige and Huldine, the two wives of Hugh
Lupus."
And laying down his volume he descended from his ladder to speak more at
his ease. His eyes glistened, and the delight of gratified vanity beamed
from them as he displayed his vast erudition.
When he had arrived at my side he bowed to me with ceremonious gravity.
Sperver stood behind us, very well satisfied that I was admiring the
dwarf of Nideck. In spite of the ill luck which, in his opinion,
accompanied the little monster's appearance, he respected and boasted
of his superior knowledge.
"Sir," said Knapwurst, pointing with his yellow hand to the portraits,
"Hugh of Nideck, the first of his illustrious race, married, in 832,
Hedwige of Lutzelbourg, who brought to him in dowry the counties of
Giromani and Haut Barr, the castles of Geroldseck, Teufelshorn, and
others. Hugh Lupus had no issue by his first wife, who died young, in the
year of our Lord 837. Then Hugh, having become lord and owner of the
dowry, refused to give it up, and there were terrible battles between
himself and his brothers-in-law. But his second wife, Huldine, whom you
see there in a steel breastplate, aided him by her sage counsel. It is
unknown whence or of what family she came, but for all that she saved
Hugh's life, who had been made prisoner by Frantz of Lutzelbourg. He was
to have been hanged that very day, and a gibbet had already been set up
on the ramparts, when Huldine, at the head of her husband's vassals, whom
she had armed and inspired with her own courage, bravely broke in,
released Hugh, and hung Frantz in his place. Hugh had married his wife
in 842, and had three children by her."
"So," I resumed pensively, "the first of these wives was called Hedwige,
and the descendants of Nideck are not related to her?"
"Not at all."
"Are you quite sure?"
"I can show you our genealogical tree; Hedwige had no children; Huldine,
the second wife, had three."
"That is surprising to me."
"Why so?"
"I thought I traced a resemblance."
"Oho! resemblance! Rubbish!" cried Knapwurst with a discordant laugh.
"See--look at this wooden snuff-box; in it you see a portrait of my
great-grandfather, Hanswurst. His nose is as long and as pointed as an
extinguisher, and his jaws like nutcrackers. How does that affect his
being the grandfather of me--of a man with finely-formed features and an
agreeable mouth?"
"Oh no!--of course not."
"Well, so it is with the Nidecks. They may some of them be like Hedwige,
but for all that Huldine is the head of their ancestry. See the
genealogical tree. Now, sir, are you satisfied?"
Then we separated--Knapwurst and I--excellent friends.
CHAPTER V.
"Nevertheless," thought I, "there is the likeness. It is not chance. What
is chance? There is no such thing; it is nonsense to talk of chance. It
must be something higher!"
I was following my friend Sperver, deep in thought, who had now resumed
his walk down the corridor. The portrait of Hedwige, in all its artless
simplicity, mingled in my mind with the face of Odile.
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