CHAPTER X.
THE GOOD HOST.
When a man has laid open his whole history to another, he often seemsto himself emptied, hollow, and void,--what is left of him? how smalland contemptible he appears! But it was quite otherwise with Eric. Froma tower below in the valley rang clear a silver-toned midnight bell,hung there in ancient times by a noble lady, to guide the lost wandererin the forest to a human dwelling. Eric heard it, and saw in fancy theconfessional in the church, with its believers bending before it, orpassing out into the world again made strong by its blessing. He hadconfessed to a man whose life was consecrated by a pure spirit, andfelt himself not impoverished, but elevated and strengthened, armedwith self-knowledge for every relation of life.
He opened the window, and inhaled the cool, fragrant air of night. Overthe valley hung a thin mist; the clocks in the villages struckmidnight, and the Wolfsgarten clock chimed in sweet and low. Ericresigned himself to the influence of nature's life and power as itpresses upward in the tree-trunks, moves in the branches, and refreshesevery bud. In the distance rolled a railway train. The nightingalessang loudly, then suddenly ceased as if overpowered by sleep.
In nebulous forms, familiar and strange figures gathered around Eric.How much he had experienced in this one day, though he had not yetcrossed the threshold of the house where perhaps his future lot wascast! He had reviewed his past life, and had found a home of which hehad not dreamed yesterday. Ah, how great and rich is the world, andtrue comrades live in it waiting only for our summons and the greetingof friendly eyes!
All the fulness of life in the immortality of nature and the humanspirit flooded Eric's being. He felt a blessed elation; he had given uphis life, it was taken from him; he was freed from self, and lived andsoared in the infinite.
The moon rose over the mountains, a whispering thrill rustled throughthe wood, the nightingale sang loud again, the mists rose from thevalley and vanished, and one broad beam glittered on a glass dome inthe distance. There lay Villa Eden.
Only after a vigorous resistance Eric finally yielded to weariness andclosed the window. A black trunk marked with the crest of PrinceLeonhard first attracted his notice, and he smiled to see how Clodwighad shown his household in what honor he held his guest; this room hadbeen occupied by the Prince a few days before. Eric then gazed long ona bust of Medusa, fascinated by the grand, powerful, beautiful face; onthe head with its wildly disordered locks were two wide-spread wings;below the heavy frowning brow gleamed the great death-dealing eyes; themouth was haughtily curved, and on the lips lay scornful, defiantwords; under the chin two snakes were knotted together like a kerchief.The aspect of the head was at once repulsive and fascinating.
Opposite the Medusa stood a cast of the Victory of Rauch, thatwonderful countenance recalling the face of Queen Louisa, the noblehead with its garland of oak-leaves not raised, but bent as if inthought and self-control. A strange pair were those two busts! butthere was no more time to dwell upon them. Eric was overcome by sleep,but woke again after a few hours, when day had scarcely dawned.
There are hours and days of joyous and buoyant feeling, as if we hadfound the key to all hearts; as if we held in our hands the magic wandwhich reveals all living springs, and brings us near to every soul asto a friend and a brother. The world is purified, the soul pervaded bythe deep feeling of unalloyed blessedness, which is nothing butbreathing, living, loving.
Encompassed by such an atmosphere, Eric stood at the window and lookedout over the river to the mountains beyond, the castles, the towns, thevillages, on the banks and on the heights. Everywhere thou art at home,thou art living in a beautiful world. He went at once into the openair, and strode on not as if he were walking, but as if borne onward bysome ineffable power. Drops of rain from the last night's storm hungupon the tender green of the foliage, on the grass and flowers; nobreeze stirred the air, and frequent rain-drops, like a sudden shower,pattered down from the overhanging branches. A ray of sunlight nowgleams upon every leaf and twig, and awakens an inexpressible movement;the blackbird sings in the copse, and with his clear, shrill tone isheard far above all the intermingling, chorus of melodies.
Eric stood motionless near a covered pavilion on the very ridge of themountain, and gazed long at a kite hovering with outspread wings overthe summit, and then letting itself down into the wood on the otherside of the river. What made him think at that moment of HerrSonnenkamp? Was it envy and dread of the little bird, whom evil tonguescalled a bird of prey; and has he not the right to live according tohis might?
Eric's thoughts were wafted toward the boy, longing to mingle in hisdreams, and whisper to him, I am coming to thee. He endeavored for along time to get sight of the glass dome, but it was nowhere visible.He went away from the river to an elevated plain, from which there wasagain a view of valleys, heights, and mountains.
He stood in the midst of an extensive field, and for the first time sawa vineyard which was just being planted. The laborers held implements,like augurs, in their hands, and making with them holes in the looseearth, they set out the young shoots in rows.
He saluted the laborers, and they answered him cheerfully, feeling fromthe sound of his voice that he greeted every stranger as a brother. Heinquired how long it would be before the first vintage, and when an oldman answered clearly all his questions, he felt a new refreshment.
This conversation brought him back from his state of excitement, backfrom his wandering into the infinite, again to the earth. He went awayexpressing his thanks, and realising that he must bring this strain oflofty feeling into subjection to actual life. He met laborers who weregoing to a limestone quarry. He joined them, and learned that this alsobelonged to the count, who had leased all his lands, not retaining forhimself even the management.
Receiving a friendly greeting from the overseer, he was shown amanufactory of cement near by, and saw paving-tiles from excellentpatterns of the time of the Renaissance, which Clodwig had recommended,and which found a ready sale.
Eric returned to the Castle, refreshed by the breath of nature as wellas by this glance into actual human life. A servant told him that thecount was expecting him. Clodwig, already fully dressed for the day,took his guest by the hand, saying, "I shall ask you by and by manyquestions, but only one now:--did your father despair at the last,or--how shall I express it?--did he die in the belief of an orderly andprogressive unfolding of the social and moral world?" Eric thendepicted in vivid language derived from his own recollections, andunder the inspiring influence of his morning's exhilaration, how hisfather, on the last night of his life, congratulated his son that hewas born into the new age, which need no longer exhaust itself againstopposing forms of violence. "My son," he said, "my heart thrills withjoy, when I contemplate how in this century a beauty, a freedom, and abrotherly love unfold themselves which existed to us only in the germ.As one example, my son, see how the State now educates its children,and does it in a way that no Solon, no Socrates, ever could imagine.Thou wilt live in a time when it will hardly be conceived that therewere slaves, serfs, bondmen, monopolies, and the whole trumpery of afalse world."
Eric added how happy it made him, that his father had departed in sucha cheerful mood, and that he, as a son, could so fully enter into hishopes, and carry them out into life. He spoke in such an excitablemanner, that Clodwig placed his hand on his shoulder and said, "We willnot, in the morning, take such a distant flight." He expressed also hissatisfaction that he could enter so fully into the life of the cominggeneration, for he had always been troubled lest he might lose all holdupon the new time.
"We have had our morning devotions, now let us go to breakfast," hesaid, turning round easily as he got up from his seat. "Yet one morequestion: did your father never explain to you what occurred at hissudden--you know what I mean--loss of favor at court?"
"Certainly; my father told me the whole, circumstantially."
"And did he not forbid you to speak of it to any
one?"
"To others, but not to you."
"Did he mention me by name?"
"No, but he expressly enjoined it upon me to inform those whom Ihonored with my whole soul, and so I can tell you."
"Speak rather low," Clodwig enjoined, and Eric went on.
"My father, in that last interview which no one knew anything about,was to have received from the hand of the sovereign a title ofnobility, in order that he might be appointed to an office at court. Hesaid to the sovereign, 'Your highness, you make null the blessing ofthe long years in which I have spent my best strength in the educationof my youthful prince, if you think I accept this on my own account, orthat I regard it as something belonging to the age in which we live.''I do not make a jest of such things,' the prince replied. 'Neither doI,' said my father.
"Years after, his lips trembled as he related this to me, and he said,that that moment, when he stood face to face with his pupil speechless,was the bitterest moment of his life."
A silent pause now ensued between Eric and Clodwig, until the lattersaid finally, "I understand, I understand; let us go."
They went into the breakfast-room on the ground floor, the doors ofwhich were wide open. Bella soon appeared; she thought that Eric lookedat her scrutinisingly, and quickly turning away, she went to a sidetable to prepare the coffee.
"My wife," said Clodwig, "has already sent a messenger, this morning,to Fraeulein Perini, and I have added a message to Herr Sonnenkamp, thatyou, dear Dournay, would present yourself this evening, or, what wouldbe better, early to-morrow morning."
"And I am to ask you to excuse my brother, who has set out, earlythis morning, in company with a young man whom they call here theWine-chevalier, to the horse-market at Mannheim. Will you have coffeeor tea?"
"If you please, coffee."
"That is fine, and on the strength of that we are good friends," saidBella, in a lively way. "It is an abominable excess of politeness, whenpeople reply to such a question, 'It makes no difference to me.' If itmakes no difference to you, dear polite soul, then give some decidedanswer, and don't put off the choice upon me."
A merry key was thus struck, and they seated themselves at table. Bellanoticed that Eric observed her, and she knew that she looked better inher pretty morning-dress, than in full evening costume. Her movementswere very elastic and graceful. She was a tall, noble, well-madeperson; her soft, dark-auburn hair, now partly loose, was confined by afine point-lace kerchief, put on with apparent carelessness, as if onehad not taken a second look in the mirror, and tied under the chin. Hercomplexion was fresh, as if she had just bathed her face in milk; andin fact she did wash her face in milk every morning and evening. Theexpression of her countenance was keen and bright. All was noblyformed, except that she had a thin, compressed upper-lip, which amalicious gentleman at court had once called the lip of a poisoner. Itwas very vexatious to Bella that her voice was so masculine.
Her personal charms, her cordial and at the same time arch manners,showed to great advantage in the light talk at the breakfast table; andwhen at intervals she keenly watched Eric, she was surprised at hisappearance. Yesterday she had seen him first only in the eveningtwilight, and afterwards by candle-light. He was manifestly a person tobe seen in full daylight; and in fact, there was now a brilliantlighting up of his countenance, for the happy excitement of his wholeinner being showed itself in his mien, and he looked at Bella, as if hewould say, 'I have become almost the son of thy husband; let the samenoble union be formed between us.'
Bella was unusually friendly, perhaps because she had already used alittle artifice. A note, written in Italian to Fraeulein Perini,cautioned her in terms as decided in meaning, as they were carefullyworded in expression, of the necessity of subjecting the new-comer to asharp examination.
When Clodwig told the messenger that Eric would make his appearance inthe evening, or the next morning, she felt herself justified and atrest in regard to her previous artifice; for Clodwig had never beforedetained a guest with such determination of his own, and no one couldeven boast of having made it appear that he was not sufficient forhimself.
Clodwig and Bella had promised each other to live only to themselves,and until now they had faithfully kept the promise.
"I am a weary soul," Clodwig had said to Bella when he offered her hishand, and she had answered, that she would refresh the weary one. Shehad cut off every relation with the world, for she knew that friendlyvisits last only for a few hours or days, and make the solitudeafterwards more keenly felt.
Bella was very amiable always, and to everybody, provided everybodyalways did according to her will, and lived to please her. She reallyhad no love for people and no desire for their society; she wantednothing from others, and wished only to be left alone. The manifoldrelations which Clodwig had formerly had with men and women wererepugnant to her, and he accommodated himself to the wish of his wife,who lived wholly for him, so far as to reduce his extensivecorrespondence and his personal intercourse to the smallest possiblelimit. They kept up a periodical connection with only two socialcircles in the neighborhood: one of these was the so-calledmiddle-class circle who were invited to collation, as it was named,which we made acquaintance with yesterday; the other was a selectcircle, of the noble families scattered around, who were invited twicea year. Was this renegade captain now to change all this?
In the triumphant thought that she had banished him, Bella became moreand more talkative. Eric could not refrain from highly extolling thatmirthful excitement, that exuberant humor which pervades the Rhineland,and takes possession of every one who comes within the sphere of itsinhabitants. At last he led the conversation again to Sonnenkamp, byremarking that the manner in which the man was spoken about yesterdaywas very puzzling to him.
Bella in an off-hand manner declared, that she found the man veryinteresting, although this was going counter to the universalPhilistinism; that she regarded him as a conqueror, a bold Berserkir,who had nothing to win for himself in this stock-jobbing age but gold.
There appeared to be a sympathetic attraction between Bella andSonnenkamp's speculative and daring spirit. Clodwig consideratelyadded,--
"I have often noticed, that so long as a man is accumulating wealth,his prosperity seems to give universal satisfaction; men feel pleased,as if they were accumulating too. But when he has attained his end,they turn round and find fault, where before they had commended. Do youunderstand anything of horticulture?"
"No."
"Herr Sonnenkamp is a very considerable horticulturist. Is it notstrange that in the laying out of parks we have wholly supplanted theformal methods of French gardening, which now turn to the culture offruit, and find encouragement in the pecuniary profit that governs allsuch operations? The English excel in swine-raising, their swine beingfat sides of bacon with four feet attached; the French, on the otherhand, having taken to fruit culture, have succeeded in producingfabulous crops.
"Yes!" he concluded, smiling, "Herr Sonnenkamp is a tree-tutor, and,moreover, a tyrannical tree-trimmer. To-day I can speak out morefreely. Sonnenkamp has always been, and will always be, a stranger tome.
"Through all his external polish, and an increasing attention to thecultivation of good manners, a sort of brutishness appears in him, Imean brutishness in its original meaning of an uncultivated state ofnature."
"Yes," Bella remarked, "you will have a difficult position, andespecially with Roland."
"With Roland?" asked Eric.
"Yes, that is the boy's name. He would like to know much, and learnnothing."
Bella looked round pleased with her clever saying. The parrot in hisgreat cage upon the veranda uttered shrill cries as if scolding. As sherose, Bella said, "There you see my tyrant; a scholar who tyrannisesover his teacher in a most shocking manner."
She took the parrot out of his cage, placed him on her shoulder,fondled and caressed him, so that one almost grudged such wastefulprodigality; and her movements were all beautiful, especially thecurving of the throat and
shoulders.
Das landhaus am Rhein. English Page 10