Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER VI.

  THE BREAD OF SERVICE AND THE BLESSING OF THE HUGUENOT.

  When Eric and Roland returned from their ride, they learned that Herrvon Pranken had arrived. Eric's portmanteau had also been carried tohis room. The valet, Joseph, introduced himself as the son of theProfessor of Anatomy's servant, and he mentioned, with perceptibleemotions of gratitude, that Eric's father had given him a FrenchGrammar, out of which he had learned by heart French phrases, in hisspare moments at the Academic billiard-saloon, where he had been anattendant. He had there laid the foundation of his present prosperity,and he expressed his satisfaction at being able to thank the son of hisbenefactor.

  Joseph helped Eric in his arrangements, and gave him informationconcerning the habits of the household; according to these, the nextthing to be done was, that each one, before dinner, which was regardedas a sort of festive occasion, should repair in full dress to thepleasure-ground in summer, and in spring to Nice,--as that part of thecovered walk on the terrace was called which had the best exposure tothe sun.

  Eric laid aside his uniform; he entered the covered walk, and therefound Pranken and Fraeulein Perini promenading up and down together.Pranken approached Eric with a bland smile that flickered upon hisface, disappearing as quickly as it came. In the consciousness of hisrank and his social position, he could afford a perfect courteousnessof demeanor, in which even a certain degree of geniality might beobserved. With a bow he again took a position by the side of FraeuleinPerini, and continued his previous promenade and conversation with her.

  Eric stood apart, and the admonition that he, as one in service, mustnot be sensitive, struggled with his pride. But it might be regarded asvery considerate in Pranken, that he did not ask how it fared with hisapplication for the position of tutor.

  Roland now entered in full dress, and the boy was amazed to see Eric incitizen's clothes. Eric asked him, "Is your sister's name Manna?

  "Yes; Hermanna, in fact, but she is always called Manna. Have you everheard of her?"

  Eric had not time to reply that he had heard that name frequentlymentioned by Pranken and Fraeulein Perini, for Sonnenkamp entered in ablack dress-coat, white neck-tie, and irreproachable yellow gloves. Hewas very gracious to everybody, one might say _appetizing_ in hismanner, as if he would say, "I hope you will all enjoy your dinner."Never was Sonnenkamp in a more cheerful mood, never more buoyant, thanduring the quarter of an hour before dinner.

  They went into the dining-saloon, a cool, square, vaulted room, lightedfrom the roof.

  The carved oak furniture here was very massive. A large side-board, setout with beautiful antique vessels and Venetian glasses, displayed therich silver plate. The whole neighborhood said that Herr Sonnenkamp ateout of golden plates; but this was a gossiping story.

  They waited a few minutes in the dining-room until the folding-doorsopened, when two servants in the coffee-colored livery of the housestood like guards, one on each side, and Frau Ceres, like a princess,stepped between them. At the threshold she courtesied somewhat stiffly;and Pranken, coming forward, conducted her to the table. A servant wasstationed near each person, and drew back the chair whilst he took hisseat; Fraeulein Perini stood up behind her chair and leaned her armsupon the back, held the mother-of-pearl cross in her folded hands, saida prayer, made the sign of the cross, and sat down.

  Frau Ceres, during the dinner, retained her yellow gloves, scarcelytasting any food, and appearing as if she had come to the table merelynot to derange the order of things. She declined every dish, until HerrSonnenkamp said:--

  "Do take something, dear child, do, I pray you."

  In his manner, in making this request, there was a double tone, hard tobe distinguished separately. Sometimes it sounded like the call andsignal of a tamer of wild beasts, who allowed some subdued animal totake the food lying before him; but again it sounded as when a father,fondly and coaxingly, beseeches his peevish child to eat something forhis own good. Frau Ceres ate only a part of a bird, and somesweetmeats.

  Pranken's demeanour at table was that of an honored guest, to whom wasconceded the duty of paying particular attention to the hostess andconversing with her. He gave a humorous account of the horse-market atMannheim, from which he had returned to-day at an early hour, with hiscompanion; he had bought for the fall-races a gray mare, which he wouldbe happy to transfer to Herr Sonnenkamp. And he soon took care to gainthe good will of Frau Ceres. She had a special aversion to the familyof the Wine-chevalier, who were very reserved towards the Sonnenkamphousehold. He proceeded to relate some ridiculous swaggerings of theWine-chevalier, although he had been his own chosen companion.

  He had also great skill in imitating the peculiar manner of speaking ofdifferent persons, and in introducing; facetious anecdotes, whichproduced a movement of the muscles in the weary face of Frau Ceres, andfrequently even a smile.

  The conversation was carried on in Italian, which Pranken spoke prettywell, but in which Eric was not fluent. For the first time in his life,Eric sat at a table where he was obliged to keep as silent as theservants who were in waiting.

  Frau Ceres considered it her place not to leave the stranger whollyneglected, and therefore she asked him in English if his parents werestill living.

  Assuming a patronising tone, Pranken went into an account of Eric'sfather and mother; he did it with marked friendliness of manner, anddwelt with special emphasis upon the fact that Eric's mother belongedto the nobility.

  "Are you a Frenchman, as your name indicates?" Fraeulein Periniinquired.

  Eric once more repeated that his ancestors had immigrated into Germanytwo hundred years before; that he felt himself to be purely a German,and rejoiced to be descended from the Huguenots.

  "Huguenots?--ah, yes! they sing that," Frau Ceres said, taking achildish delight in this knowledge.

  Every one at the table was obliged to restrain himself from laughingaloud.

  "Why was the name Huguenots given to them?" asked Roland, and Ericreplied,

  "Some people think that the name originated in the circumstance oftheir holding their secret religious assemblies at Tours, only bynight, when the ghost of King Hugo appeared; but I am of the opinion ofthose who consider it a German word, originally Eidgenosse, meaningassociates, and changed by the French into Huguenot."

  Pranken nodded to Eric in a very friendly manner, as if he would givehim a testimonial of his excellent qualifications as a tutor.

  "You take pride, then, in your descent from the Huguenots?" askedSonnenkamp.

  "Pride is not precisely the word I should prefer," Eric answered.

  "But you know that the Puritans, who were exiled to the New World onaccount of their religious belief, were the parent-stock of thatsubstantial, conscientious, and courageous middle class; and that theycarried with them and transplanted into their new homes, as the Greeksof old times into Sicily and Italy, a complete civilization."

  The manner in which Eric uttered this, touching upon a great historicalseries of events, suddenly gave to the conversation at table a whollynew direction. They were at once taken out of the light, briefwitticisms, and piquant personalities, into an entirely differentatmosphere. Roland felt this to some extent, looked proudly at Eric,and was glad that his voice and his thoughts so overmastered all.

  Sonnenkamp himself recognised here the serene presence of a highernature, which always breathed in an elevated region; he could not helpfeeling a certain respect for the man, and at last put the question,"How do you associate the Pilgrim Fathers in America with theHuguenots?"

  "Let me briefly explain," answered Eric. "The new age has brokenthrough the stringent lines of demarcation between differentnationalities, as, for example, the Jews have become actual andconstituent parts of the various peoples among whom they have beenscattered. A haughty and tyrannical king drove the Huguenots out ofFrance, and they became Germans. The emigrating Englishmen imprintedtheir culture upon America; the emigrating Huguenots, established amonga peop
le already civilized, were obliged to adopt the social cultus oftheir new fatherland. Permit me, Herr Sonnenkamp, to take you as anexample."

  "Me? what do you mean?"

  "You emigrated to America as a German, and the German emigrants in theNew World become assimilated to their adopted home, and their childrenare completely American."

  Roland's eye glistened, but whether it was that Pranken felt himselfcast in the shade by Eric, or that he endeavored to embarrass him asmuch as possible, he exclaimed, with an odd mingling of humor andpity,--

  "It is very modest in you to place the Huguenots, who almost allbelonged to the gentry, in the same category with the Jews."

  "I regard it as a matter of no consequence," Eric replied, "whether myancestors belonged to the gentry or not; they were engaged in thecommon occupations of business and trade, and my immediate ancestorswere goldsmiths. The resemblance of the Jews with the Huguenots,however, I must maintain. Every community exiled on account of itsreligion, and scattered abroad, incurs thereby a double obligation:first, to keep in view, over and above all nationality, the oneness ofhumanity; and second, to contend against all fanaticism and allexclusiveness. There is no one religion in which alone salvation is tobe found, and no one nationality comprising in itself all excellence."

  Pranken and Fraeulein Perini looked at each other in astonishment. FrauCeres was at a loss to comprehend what all this meant, and Sonnenkampshook his head over this sermon-like style of his guest, whointermingled his world-wide historical views with the light table-talk;and yet he could not get rid of the impression that there was beforehim a nature that had its permanent abode in the region of purethought.

  "You must unfold that to me yet more definitely at some other time," hesaid, seeking to divert the conversation.

  And Roland said:--

  "Louis the fourteenth, who exiled your ancestors, is he the one whodestroyed the castles here on the Rhine?"

  "The same."

  It seemed difficult to draw the conversation away from a subject whichmade it drag heavily, but it was suddenly diverted, for just then ahighly seasoned dish was brought in, of which Roland desired to eat.His father would not permit it. His mother, perceiving it, cried out ina shrill voice, "Do let him eat what he likes."

  A glance from Eric met Roland's eye, and the boy laid down the morselthat he was about putting into his mouth, saying, "I would rather noteat it."

  Sonnenkamp made a sign to the servant to re-fill Eric's glass withRauenthaler. This appeared to be his way of expressing his gratitudefor the glance of Eric.

  No new topics for light conversation came up. Pranken was silent, andit was uncertain whether he had exhausted his material, or whether hewished to make Eric conscious by this reticence how pedantically, andat the same time ostentatiously, he had disturbed the cordial goodfeeling of the table.

  The cloth was removed. Fraeulein Perini again repeated a prayer in a lowtone, all stood motionless, and the servants having quickly drawn backthe chairs, they repaired to the veranda, where coffee was served invery small cups.

  Frau Ceres gave a biscuit to a snow-white parrot, and the parrot calledout, "God bless you, massa." Then she sank down into an easy-chair, andPranken placed himself near her on a low tabouret, sitting almost ather feet.

  Fraeulein Perini selected a seat sufficiently near, if she wished totake part in the conversation, and yet far enough off to allow Prankento speak with Frau Ceres alone.

  Sonnenkamp beckoned to Eric to go with him into the garden. Rolandaccompanied them without being asked.

  The servant came to inform them that the huntsman Claus was with thepuppies, and begged that the young gentleman would come to him.

  "I give you permission to go," the father said.

  "But I would prefer to remain with you here," Roland replied.

  There was an expression of childlike fondness in the tone and gesture,as he grasped Eric's hand.

  "If your father says that you may go, you should go," Eric quietlyanswered.

  Roland departed with lingering steps, halting at intervals, but stillhe went.