It happened that one of the maids at Sonnenberg was about to marry a
peasant, of Meran, part proprietor of a vineyard, and the nuptials were
to be celebrated at the castle. Among those who thronged the courtyard
on the afternoon of the ceremony, Vittoria beheld her faithful Beppo, who
related the story of his pursuit of her, and the perfidy of Luigi;--a
story so lengthy, that his voluble tongue running at full speed could
barely give the outlines of it. He informed her, likewise, that he had
been sent for, while lying in Trent, by Captain Weisspriess, whom he had
seen at an inn of the Ultenthal, weak but improving. Beppo was the
captain's propitiatory offering to Vittoria. Meanwhile the ladies sat
on a terrace, overlooking the court, where a stout fellow in broad green
braces and blue breeches lay half across a wooden table, thrumming a
zither, which set the groups in motion. The zither is a melancholy
little instrument; in range of expression it is to the harp what the
winchat is to the thrush; or to the violin, what that bird is to the
nightingale; yet few instruments are so exciting: here and there along
these mountain valleys you may hear a Tyrolese maid set her voice to its
plaintive thin tones; but when the strings are swept madly there is mad
dancing; it catches at the nerves. "Andreas! Andreas!" the dancers
shouted to encourage the player. Some danced with vine-poles; partners
broke and wandered at will, taking fresh partners, and occasionally
huddling in confusion, when the poles were levelled and tilted at them,
and they dispersed. Beppo, dancing mightily to recover the use of his
legs, met his acquaintance Jacob Baumwalder Feckelwitz, and the pair
devoted themselves to a rivalry of capers; jump, stamp, shuffle, leg
aloft, arms in air, yell and shriek: all took hands around them and
streamed, tramping the measure, and the vine-poles guarded the ring.
Then Andreas raised the song: "Our Lady is gracious," and immediately
the whole assemblage were singing praise to the Lady of the castle.
Following which, wine being brought to Andreas, he drank to his lady,