Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER VIII.

  BALAAM.

  Pranken found the Justice and Sonnenkamp engaged in generalconversation; the greeting between him and the master of the house wasvery cordial, and he seated himself astride on a chair.

  "I will tell you, honored friend," began Pranken,--he liked to callSonnenkamp "honored friend" before people,--"I will tell you, by andby, about my journey. Now, let me congratulate you on having apparentlyfound the right man for our Roland."

  Herr Sonnenkamp answered that he should hardly keep the Chevalier; hewas only in the house on trial. Something seemed to tell him that thehighly cultivated Swiss would lead Roland's disposition too muchtowards the clergy and the church. Eric was exactly the man whom heshould like the best.

  Pranken looked around, as if to make sure whether the enemy was takingup a new position, and said,--

  "We must undoubtedly estimate the true market-value of this man."

  Sonnenkamp looked at him sharply, as Pranken rattled out the words"market-value." Did the baron think he must adapt his language to him,the merchant? He could not guess that Pranken prided himself on theexpression which he had carefully arranged beforehand; he answered,--

  "The market-value of the man is not small, but this Captain Doctor isan eccentric man, and eccentric men are very agreeable, but one can notrely upon them."

  With the warmth of a new convert Pranken dwelt on Eric's scepticism,and the necessity of Roland's being trusted to the guidance of a trulyreligious man, who might, at the same time, know the world and itsways.

  Sonnenkamp asked, smiling,--

  "Then would you really advise making an ecclesiastic of Roland?"

  "If it were his mission----"

  Pranken played with his moustache, as he noticed Sonnenkamp's watchfullook, bit his lips, and quickly corrected himself.

  "If it were his true vocation, who would take the responsibility ofholding him back? Perhaps it would be the noblest thing for him torenounce the treasures of this world, in order to win eternaltreasure."

  The Justice played, in an embarrassed manner, with his sword-belt;these words of unction from the Captain of the Guards seemed to himincomprehensibly, and yet they could not be spoken in jest. He avoidedmeeting the eye of either of his companions. Sonnenkamp looked serious.It only appeared inconceivable to him that the young man could speak soincautiously, if, not satisfied with the prospect of Manna's richdowry, he wished to appropriate Roland's portion.

  In the consciousness of superiority, and in the triumph of playing withmen, Sonnenkamp stated that Doctor Richard had spoken to him of Eric soenthusiastically, that it would seem that one could not bring the manback fast enough in a coach and six.

  "Ah, the doctor!" exclaimed Pranken, swinging his right hand as if itheld an invisible riding-whip. "The doctor! Of course! Atheists andCommunists stand by each other. Has the doctor also told you that hehad a private conversation with Herr Dournay on Sunday?"

  "No; how do you know it?"

  "By an accident. I heard--through--through a servant: there was apretence of going to give medical advice, then a rubbing of hands, andthe remark that there was no need of Herr Sonnenkamp's knowing thatthey were united by old ties."

  Sonnenkamp thanked him warmly for this information, but inwardly itgrated upon him. A suspicion that one of his servant's was in Pranken'spay, was confirmed. The Pole, to whom Pranken always spoke sopleasantly, must be the man, and he should leave the house.

  Sonnenkamp whistled inaudibly, only from the position of his lips couldit be seen that he was whistling.

  The Justice considered it his duty to permit no attack on the doctor,inasmuch as he was the official district-physician; their positionscalled for mutual support. After he had defended the doctor from anyharsh judgment, while Pranken continually stroked his beard andmustache, he gave the conversation a turn by saying:--

  "Herr von Pranken had the best intentions in recommending him, butmight I express my opinion of the young man?"

  Sonnenkamp replied that he should attach much weight to the opinion ofthe Justice. This was the moment when the strategic movement ought tobe made. Pranken set himself more firmly on his chair, and cheered theJustice on to the charge, crying,--

  "Explain yourself clearly. I ought to reproach myself for not havingconsidered that any connection with this young man would be looked uponas a disrespect to the supreme authorities, even as an act ofhostility."

  "Allow me," answered the Justice, with a tone and manner as if he werein the court-room, remanding the accused into custody, "allow me tokeep within the limits which it behooves me to observe."

  Pranken was beside himself with this Justice; this little,insignificant, almost impotent mannikin maintained a deportment whichwas quite incomprehensible. Pranken had expected that he would workSonnenkamp into a state of great excitement, and would give him anindelible impression of the hatred of the court towards Eric, and whatreally came? An exceedingly mild, most prudently-weighed, amicableconsideration.

  The Justice had called Eric a dangerous person considered only as aman, as a member of society. He said he did not know how rightly toexpress himself; he had meant it only in a moral sense; but heimmediately took back the word _moral_, for Eric was known to be ahighly moral man. And when he now came to the question whether, throughany association with Eric, one would draw upon himself the displeasureof the court, a mild and benignant loyalty beamed from the countenanceof the little man.

  "The princes of our line," said he, "are not vindictive, but, on thecontrary, extremely generous and forgiving; and our present reigningmaster! Good heavens! he has his peculiarities, but they are quiteinnocent, and with them he has inexhaustible kindness of heart, and doyou think he would persecute the son of his teacher and the comrade ofhis brother's youth? I would sooner assert that he would show favor toany one who should assist Herr Eric--this Herr Eric, who has made itimpossible for him to aid him in person."

  Pranken was in despair. He looked at the Justice as if he were ahunting-dog that would not obey. He kept opening and shutting his hand,which seemed to feel a desperate longing for a whip; he made signs tothe Justice, but in vain, and at last he smiled bitterly to himself. Helooked at the Justice's mouth, thinking that his teeth must have grownagain, he spoke fluently and decidedly as he never had done before. Ah,these bureaucrats! thought Pranken, pulling up his top-boots. Yes,these bureaucrats are not to be depended on!

  "I am very glad," he cried at last, with a forced smile, "I amdelighted that our respected Justice dispels all apprehension.Certainly, these official gentlemen understand their businessexcellently."

  The Justice received his stab, but it did not penetrate the uniform.Sonnenkamp seemed to have played with the two men long enough. With anair of triumph, he went to his writing-table, where several sealedletters lay, tore the cover from one which he selected, and gave themthe enclosed sheet, saying,--

  "Read that, Herr von Pranken, and you too, Herr Justice, read italoud."

  And the Justice read,--

  Villa Eden, May--, 186-.

  RESPECTED HERR CAPTAIN DOCTOR DOURNAY,--You will not take it ill of anold and experienced man, honored sir, if he takes the liberty ofquestioning from his one-sided, practical point of view, whether youare not committing an injustice in employing your mind, so richlyendowed by nature, and furnished with knowledge, upon a single boy,instead of a large community. Allow me to say to you that I regard mindand knowledge as capital, and you make of your capital an investment atfar too low a rate of interest. I honor the nobleness of mind and themodesty so manifest in your offer, but feeling assured that youentirely mistake yourself, when you think that you can be satisfied inso limited a sphere. I must, no less decidedly than gratefully, declineyour offer to undertake the education of my son.

  I desire that you would give me the opportunity, by offering you asituation for a year, with no special employment attached to
it, toshow to you how truly I am, most respectfully,

  Your obedient servant, HENRY SONNENKAMP.

  While the Justice was reading, Sonnenkamp whistled to himself, keepingtime with one foot thrown over the other, manifestly very wellsatisfied with the letter.

  He received it back with a triumphant glance, put it in a freshenvelope, and addressed it to Eric. While he was writing the address,he said,--

  "I should like very much to take the man into my house on a differentfooting; he should do nothing but sit at the table and converse. Whyshould not that be had for money? If I were a Prince, I would appointconversation-councillors. Are not the chamberlains something of thissort?" he asked Herr von Pranken, with a slight touch of sarcasm.

  Pranken was disturbed. There was often in this man a height ofpresumption, which did not spare even the sacred precincts of thecourt; but Pranken smiled very obsequiously. Lootz was summoned throughthe speaking-tube, the letter was put into the post-bag, and Lootzdeparted.

  Roland was waiting for Pranken, who now went with him into a retiredplace of the park, and there gave him an account, of his journey, anddelivered to him a second copy of Thomas a Kempis. He pointed out toRoland the place where he was to begin reading that day, and what hewas to read every day; but always secretly, whether his tutor should bea believer or an unbeliever.

  "Isn't Eric coming back any more?" asked Roland.

  "Your father had written to him a decided refusal before I came, andthe letter has been put into the post before this."

  The boy sat upon the bench in the park, and stared fixedly, the bookopen in his hand.