Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER III.

  THE OLD UNDER A NEW FACE.

  On the morning, Roland wanted to ride before doing any thing else; butEric, whose maxim was that the day could be consecrated only by takingsome good influence into the soul, made him read aloud the firstchapter of Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. This was the dedicatoryact of their new occupation, and when they were called to breakfast,both were very animated. They could take an equal satisfaction withFraeulein Perini, who returned from mass with Herr von Pranken.

  Eric had not mistaken, Pranken was there. He greeted Eric with a sortof studied respectfulness, but he fulfilled, after his way, the demandsof sincerity; whilst he, as a man who has nothing to conceal, openlyacknowledged that he had frequently thought it would be better thatEric should not enter upon the position, with great decision, and in atone of satisfaction, he added to this, that there were mysteriouspresentiments in the soul, which we must humbly acknowledge; and sothis self-willed act of Roland's was the finger of fate, which laidupon Eric, as upon all the others, the duty of compliance.

  Eric looked at Pranken in utter amazement. He had mistaken this man;Pranken brought forward principles of conduct which he should neverhave supposed, nor would now have attributed to him.

  The breakfast passed off cheerfully; the amusement was at the Major'sexpense, more indeed while absent, than while present. He had naturallynarrated to Pranken the terrors of the extra train, and Pranken knewhow to tell the story again very much to their entertainment; he couldimitate the Major's thick way of talking, and Fraeulein Milch was alwaysspoken of as Fraeulein Milch with the black eyes and the white cap.

  After breakfast, Eric requested Herr Sonnenkamp that he and Rolandmight, for the future, be excused from this breakfasting in common, andmight be left alone together until dinner-time.

  Sonnenkamp looked at him with surprise. Eric explained that he askedthis on the first day, in order that there might be no precedent ofcustom established. It was thoroughly needful to keep Rolandundisturbed, and in a persistent determination; this could only be doneby leaving to them at least half of the day, and the freshness of themorning. Sonnenkamp agreed to it, shrugging his shoulders.

  At breakfast it had been casually mentioned that Bella and Clodwigwould dine with them to-day.

  Eric saw at once the chief difficulty of his calling, which lay in theliability of diversions becoming interruptions. He drew a line ofdemarkation between himself and all the household, especiallySonnenkamp, which was not expressly defined, but yet could not beoverstepped; and this was so much the more difficult, as Eric was nottaciturn, and readily entered into the discussion of all matters. Butwhat was this line? There was a something in him which said to each onethat he must not ask more than Eric was ready, on his part, to answer.He labored with Roland, and found out where the boy was well-groundedin knowledge, where there was only a partial deficiency, and wherethere was total ignorance.

  A carriage drove into the court. Roland looked towards Eric. He did notappear to have heard the rattling wheels.

  "Your friends have arrived," said Roland. He avoided saying that hehimself was very impatient to greet Clodwig and Bella, and, under theform of a reprimand, to receive praise for executing the bold deed. ButEric insisted that they had no friends except duty; that there wasnothing and nobody there for them until they had performed their duty.

  Roland clasped his hands tightly together under the table, andcompelled himself to be quiet.

  Suddenly, in the midst of a mathematical axiom, he said,--

  "Excuse me, they have fastened Griffin by a chain, I know it by hisbark; they must not do it: it spoils him."

  "Let Griffin and everything else alone; all must wait," Eric said,maintaining his stand.

  Roland pranced like a horse who feels the rein and spurs of the rider.

  Soon, however, Eric went with Roland down into the court. Roland wasright; Griffin was chained. He loosed him, and both boy and dog seemedunchained, madly sporting together.

  Bella was with Frau Ceres.

  A servant informed Eric that Count Clodwig was expecting him. Clodwigcame to meet Eric with great cordiality, greeted him as a neighbor, andrejoiced that the boy had exhibited so much energy.

  "If we were living in the ancient times," he added, "the boy would havereceived a new name from this exploit." What Clodwig said of Rolandwas, at the same time, noble in sentiment and good in the manner ofexpression.

  When they were at the dinner-table, Eric heard in what way Bella jestedwith Roland; the boy was beaming with delight, for Bella told him ofthe hero, Roland.

  Eric was greeted in a friendly but measured way, by Bella; she calledhim repeatedly, "Herr Neighbor," and was extremely unconstrained. Itcould seem to her now as a laughable piece of prudery and timidity,that she had endeavored at one time to exert an influence to removeEric from the vicinity. Had then the man made an unusual impressionupon her? It appeared to her now like a dream, like a mistake.

  Eric had thought of this first meeting with a sort of anxiety; now hechided also his vanity.

  "Shall you have the library of your father brought here?" askedClodwig.

  Eric replied affirmatively, and Bella stared at him. He knew now whyBella had been so indifferent and unconcerned; he had received moneyfrom her husband, and he now ranked, therefore, very differently in herestimation.

  At dinner he saw Frau Ceres again, for the first time; and when he wentto her, she said in a very low tone, "I thank you," but nothingfurther; the words were very significant.

  They were in good spirits at table. They thought that the journey wouldbe a benefit to Frau Ceres. It would be a suitable preparation for thejourney to the baths. One and another day was named for setting out.

  Eric did not know what this meant; Roland saw his inquiring look, andsaid to her in a low tone,--

  "We are all going to see Manna, and bring her back to journey with usto the baths. This will be jolly and fine."

  Eric experienced anew that the chief difficulty of a life so aboundingin means and so unconfined by regular duties was, that every one in thefamily, and the boy especially, was living either in the reaction fromsome dissipating amusement, or in the expectation of engaging in it. Hewould wait quietly, until the question was asked him, in order then tomake his resolute decision of some account.

  After dinner it happened, as if by chance, that Bella walked with Eric.She first told him how happy Clodwig was that Eric was to remain now inhis neighborhood, and then suddenly standing still, and with afurtively watchful look, she said,--

  "You will shortly see Fraeulein Sonnenkamp again."

  "I?"

  "Yes. You journey with us, do you not?"

  "No one has so informed me."

  Bella smiled.

  "But surely you will be glad to see Fraeulein Sonnenkamp again?"

  "I did not know that it was she when I met her."

  Bella smiled again, and said,--

  "I have seen enough of the world to have no prejudice. The daughter ofthe house and my brother Otto--Ah, you know well enough what I wish tosay."

  "No, gracious lady, you give me credit for too much wisdom."

  "It should offend me if you are reserved towards me, and are on suchintimate terms with the outside acquaintances of the family. TheMajor's housekeeper boasts of your being her favorite, and yet do youknow nothing of the private betrothal?"

  "Not until this moment. I offer my congratulations, and I am proud,gracious lady, that you initiate me with such confidingness into yourfamily affairs."

  "Do you know," cried Bella quickly, "do you know that I promise myselfa great deal of pleasure from you?"

  "From me? What can I do?"

  "That is not my meaning, to speak in direct terms. I have thought agreat deal about you. You are of an impulsive disposition, but you arestill an enigma to me, and I hope that I also am to you."

  "I had not allowed myself, indeed--"

  "I
allow you to allow yourself. Then, Herr Captain, or Herr Doctor, orHerr Dournay, but, at any rate, Herr Neighbor, we will make a contract.I shall try to resolve for myself the contradictions and oddities ofyour nature, and make such investigations as I am able to; on the otherhand, I allow you to do the same with me. Do you not find thisattractive?"

  "Attractive and dangerous."

  Bella straightened herself up, and Eric continued:--

  "Dangerous for me, for you know what friend Hamlet says, that if ourdeserts are known, 'who can escape a whipping?'"

  "I am glad that you are not polite, but neither should you bediffident."

  "I mean, that it might be dangerous for me, not for you."

  "I am too proud to sell, or to throw away politeness, as the Austrianproverb says."

  "I am glad that you are too proud for it too."

  "And now tell me in what way you saw Manna, and how she appeared toyou."

  Eric narrated the casual meeting, and how he had first learned her namethrough the daughter of the Justice.

  "Ah, indeed, indeed, Lina," said Bella, and her fingers moved veryrapidly, as if she were playing a piano in the air. It was an agreeablerecreation to look upon the playing of this sentimental game, for Linahad a decided penchant for Otto. But the naive Innocence knew very wellthat Otto had a preference for Manna, and it was not so very bad a planto introduce to Manna so handsome a suitor as Eric.

  While Bella was walking with Eric, Pranken had taken Roland veryconfidingly by the hand, and visited with him the stables and the youngdogs; then he led him into an unfrequented part of the park, veryremote from the road. Their talk was very naturally about Eric, andRoland could not find words to tell how all-wise and all-good he was.Pranken rebuked, with a stern countenance, the application of suchwords to a human being, and he impressed very strenuously upon him,that he could learn much from the worldly man that would beadvantageous to him in the world, but there was a highest which he wasnot to entrust to him, and wherein he was to be in no way obedient.

  And now he spoke of Manna. There was an expression of devotion in hiswords, as well as in his tone. He took the book, which he alwayscarried over his heart, out of his breast-pocket, and showed Roland theexact place which Manna reads to-day; by running away, Roland had letseveral days slip without reading the same passages, but he could nowcatch up by diligence. But, more than all, Herr Dournay need knownothing of it, for no one of a different faith should step betweenRoland and his God.

  Pranken seated himself with Roland under a great nut-tree, by the road,and read aloud some expressive passages. The boy looked at him inwonderment. The Wine-chevalier rode by; he called out a greeting toPranken, but the latter returned it with only a friendly wave of thehand, and continued his reading.

  It was like a release to Roland when Bella and Eric came along, engagedin a merry, jesting conversation. He called to them, and shortly afterjoined Eric; and Bella went by the side of her brother, who twirled hismoustaches and surveyed his handsome boots. When Eric and Roland haddeparted, Pranken straightened himself up, and began to appeal directlyto Bella's conscience for coquetting and trifling thus with a youngman.

  Bella stood still, seemingly at a loss whether to laugh at her brotheror sharply reprove him; but she concluded in favor of the formercourse, and ridiculed the new convert.

  "Ah," she cried, "you are very properly afraid that this Herr Dournaywill be pleasing to the glorified Manna, and you suppose the same inregard to me. You have just hit it. The man has something bewitchingfor us women, provided we are shut up in the bonds of wedlock, or in aconvent."

  Pranken did not fall in with this tone; he repeated, that every jest,every act of trifling, bordered upon a sin, and jesting was liable toremove imperceptibly the boundary line. He was so zealous, that he tookthe book out of his breast-pocket, and read aloud to Bella a passagehaving reference to the subject.

  Bella looked with astonishment when Otto exhibited so pious a book: shepointed out to her brother, meanwhile, what impregnable virtue was; shemade fun of the young man, who had a truly revolting self-confidence.Moreover, Otto could be wholly at rest, if there was the appearance ofan understanding between her and Eric; yes, she would willingly make,so far, a sacrifice for him; her virtue would be secure from everymisconstruction, and she would assume this appearance, in order to freeOtto from a dangerous rival.

  "I am, indeed, in earnest," she concluded. "Are the good to deny tothemselves a friendly intercourse, because the bad conceal under thisappearance all kinds of baseness? That would be a world turned upsidedown; that would be the subjection of the good to the evil."

  Bella was not aware, or she did not think it worth while to take noteof it, that she here set forth a remark of her husband. Pranken lookedat her with surprise. Was he, in fact, misled by his newly awakenedzeal, or was this only a nicely-woven veil, a mere outside show ofvirtue? He was in perplexity; he was at a loss what to say in reply tothis jesting and playful tone, to these insinuous and flexible evasionsof his sister.