CHAPTER I.
HIGH ABOVE.
The rosebuds in the garden had opened in the spring night, and rareflowers blossomed out in the soul of the youth.
With transcendent delight, Roland welcomed his recovered teacher to thehouse. He went in high spirits to his mother's room, but she was soexhausted that he could not see her. He forgot Fraeulein Perini'sdistant reserve towards him, and announced to her jubilantly, that Ericwas there, and would now remain; she was just to say so to his mother.
"And have you no inquiries to make about the Chevalier?"
"No: I know that he is gone; he was not with me even when he was here.Ah, forgive me, I don't know what I am saying! O, why does not thewhole world rejoice!"
Roland's rejoicing received the first check when Fraeulein Perini said,that no one could estimate correctly the inconsolable distress whichhis mother had suffered from his flight.
The boy stood still, but he felt assured that now all would go well;that everybody must now be well and strong.
He came across Joseph in the court, and joyfully informed him that henow was acquainted with his native city; he nodded to all the servants,he greeted the horses, the trees, the dogs; all must know and rejoicein the fact that Eric was here. The servants looked at Roland inastonishment, and Bertram, the coachman, drew his long beard throughthe fingers of both hands, and said,--
"The young master has got, during these two days, a man's voice."
Joseph smilingly added:--
"Yes, indeed, a single day at the University has made him a differentbeing. And what a being!"
In fact, Roland was wholly different. He returned to his home as from avoyage; yes, even as from another world: he could not comprehend howeverything should appear so changed, illuminated so brightly; he hadbeen alone with himself, and had gained possession of himself insolitude.
Eric had made no definite agreement about his salary, and Sonnenkampsaid to the Major, smiling:--
"These enthusiastic Idealists have a concealed policy. The man does aspeople do when they are invited to dinner; they let themselves beserved by the host and hostess with some nice dish, and so receive alarger stare than they would have helped themselves to."
Eric had only made one demand, that he should inhabit with Roland thehouse-turret, remote from all noise, and furnishing an extensiveprospect. This was granted, and Eric felt himself strangely free inthese handsome, spacious rooms, with their outlook upon the river andthe landscape.
How confined is one's life in those small, close apartments of theUniversity-town, and yet how far the spirit can extend itself beyondthat narrow enclosure! And these carpets, this elegant furniture, howsoon will it become an ordinary thing, forgotten and unconsidered, likethe wide view of the landscape! It seemed to Eric as free, asinspiring, and as commanding, as if--he himself laughed when thecomparison came into his mind--as if he were living on horseback. Wecan go very comfortably over hill and vale with a light walking-staff,but to sit on horseback, and course away, with a double, triplestrength united to our own, and elevating us above the ordinary level,this is a rare exhilaration.
Roland came to Eric, and he expressed to the boy his joy at thebeautiful and peaceful life they would live here; but Roland begged:--
"Give me something to do, something right hard; try and think ofsomething."
Eric perceived the boy's state of excitement; sitting down near him, hetook his hand, and showed him that life seldom furnished a single deedon which one could employ the whole strength of his voluntary powers;they would work quietly and steadily, and make each other wiser andbetter. The boy was contented, and looked at Eric as if he would, withhis eyes, draw him into his soul, and make him his own. Then he lightlytouched Eric's shoulder, as if to be newly assured that he was reallywith him.
Now they put things in order, and Roland was glad to render all kindsof assistance. In spite of his former deliberation, Eric had enteredupon the new relation so unexpectedly, and plunged into it so suddenly,that he had hardly settled upon anything. Then there was so much to bediscussed with his mother, deciding what he would take with him, andwhat he would leave behind, that they postponed all to a futurearrangement by letter.
When temporary order was established, Eric complied with Roland'srequest to go with him upon the platform of the tower. They sat downhere, and looked about, for a long time, in every direction. Eric couldnot restrain himself from telling the boy how new and beautiful alllife appeared to him. They had formerly built castles upon the heights,for strife, for feuds, and for robbery of travellers upon the highway;but we, we work with the powers of nature, we endeavor to gain wealth,and then we withdraw, and place our dwelling upon an elevated site, insome lovely valley, and desire to take in only the eternal beauty,which no one can take away. The great river becomes a highway, alongwhich industrious and noble men erect their habitations. Thegenerations after us will be obliged to say that, at this time, menbegan to pay loyal homage to nature, as had never before been paid inthe history of humanity; this is a new religion, even if it has nooutward form, and shall never acquire any.
"Go on speaking, go on, on further," said Roland, nestling up to Eric;he could not say that he would like to hear just the sound of hisvoice; he closed his eyes and cried again: "Go on speaking!" Ericunderstood the imploring call, and went on to relate, how, when hestood for the first time upon the Righi, looking at the setting sun, hehad been impressed with the thought whether there might not be someform, some service, by which the devotional feelings of these assembledspectators, in this temple of nature, might find expression. He hadlearned that this was impossible, and perhaps was not needful: natureimparts to each one a joy of his own, and joy in nature to each aprivate feeling of devotion, in which no others can share. Thenextolling the happiness of being able thus in one's own house, on atower erected by one's self, to appropriate the world, and the beautyof the earth, he showed how wealth, its pursuit, and its possessionmight be the basis of a grand moral and social benefit. Riches, heexplained, were only a result of freedom, of the unfettered employmentof activities, and must have only freedom as their resultant product.
Roland was happy; he did not comprehend the whole, but he felt, for thefirst time, that wealth was neither to be despised nor to be gloriedin. All his teachers, hitherto, had endeavored to impress upon himeither the one view or the other.
Joseph came to the tower, and asked whether Eric and Roland wished todine together in their room; he was answered in the affirmative. Theywere happy, sitting together, and Roland cried:--
"We two dwell upon an island; and if I ever live in the castle, youmust also live with me. Do you know what one thing more I want?"
"How! you want one thing more?"
"Yes; Manna ought to be with us. Don't you think she is now thinking ofus?"
"Probably not of me."
"Yes, indeed! I have written to her about you, and this evening I amgoing to write again, and tell her everything."
Eric was puzzled, for a moment: he did not know what he ought to do.Ought he to restrain the boy from writing about him? There was noreason for doing so, and he would not disturb Roland's impartialcandor.
Das landhaus am Rhein. English Page 56