Section 155 Providence Vindicating the Innocent1
It is (S. 2, N. 1) recorded in history that a beautiful maiden named Blanche, the serf of2 an ancient nobleman, was wooed3 by her master’s son. Not4 admiring his character, she scorned5 his suit. Upon this his course of love turned6 to bitter hatred. Just7 then a precious string of pearls confided (S. 7, N. 3, B) to the maiden’s care was8 lost. Her pseudo-lover9 charged her with the theft, and, in10 accordance with the customs of that rude age, she was doomed to die. On the day of the execution, as the innocent girl knelt to offer11 her dying prayer, a12 flash of lightning struck a statue of Justice, which adorned the market-place, to the dust. From13 a destroyed bird’s nest, built (S. 7, N. 3, A, and S. 48, N. 6) in a crevice of the image14, dropped the lost15 pearls, thus16 declaring the maiden’s innocence. In a moment the exultant crowd rushed to the scaffold, demanding her release. There she knelt beside the block, pale and beautiful, and with a smile of peace upon her lips. They (S. 134, N. 4) spoke17—she answered not. They touched her—she was dead! To preserve her memory they raised a statue there18; and to19 this day, when20 men gaze upon her image, they condemn her oppressor; they praise her for the purity of her character; they recognise the justice of Him whose21 lightning testified her innocence.—W. Smith.
Notes
1 Say, ‘Providence (S. 3, N. 2) protects innocence.’
2 of — nobleman = of a nobleman of an old family (Geschlecht, n.).
3 umwer´ben, insep. comp. str. v.
4 = As his character displeased (mißfallen, insep. comp. str. v., governing the dat.) her.
5 verschmähen, insep. comp. w. v. tr.
6 sich verwan´deln in.
7 Just then = Just at this time.
8 was lost = one missed; care, Obhut, f.
9 = false lover.
10 in — customs = according to the law.
11 = to speak.
12 a — Justice... to the dust = fuhr ein Blitzstrahl in die Statue der Gerechtigkeit... und zerschmetterte sie.
13 Aus.
14 Bildsäule, f.
15 = missed.
16 Say ‘and testified (bezeugen, w. v. tr.) thus the maiden’s innocence’.
17 Supply ‘to her’.
18 daselbst.
19 bis auf den heutigen Tag.
20 Construe thus: ‘those who look at her image (Bildnis, n.) condemn her oppressor’, and consider App. § 14.
21 In order to avoid a repetition of the same form of pronoun, turn the last clause into: ‘who with his lightning testified her innocence’.