CHAPTER V.
SECRET, SILENT LOVE.
The parents entered Manna's cell. Manna calmly met them, and said,--
"Welcome, and may God's blessing be with you!" She extended her hand toher father; her hand thrilled as she felt the ring on her father'sthumb. Then she threw herself upon her mother's breast and kissed her.
"Forgive me," she cried, "forgive me! Do not think me heartless; I mustdo so--no, I will to do so. I thank you, that you have granted myrequest."
"Yes, indeed, we put no constraint upon you," said the mother; andSonnenkamp, who had not yet assented, was obliged to comply with herwishes.
Manna's countenance became suddenly lighted up; she said that she wasglad to see her parents looking so well, and that she prayed for themdaily, and that heaven would hearken to her prayer. Manna had a tone ofvoice in which one seemed to feel the repressed tears; this voiceappeared to affect Sonnenkamp, so that he placed his hand upon hisheart, and his posture and look were as if he were making a silent vow.
When Manna asked after Roland, he said, with the mien of one speakingto a person who has been ill and is just convalescent, that Roland wasin the park, and Manna must go with them, and greet the ladies and Herrvon Pranken.
When her father mentioned this name, a slight shudder went over Manna,but she said with immediate composure,--
"I will see no one but you and Roland."
A lay-sister was sent for Roland. Meanwhile, Manna explained, that,according to the regulations, she must return for a year to the world,and then--she hesitated a moment, and ended with the words--if herpresent resolution continued, she would take the veil.
"And will you never tell me, why and how this thought has sprung up inyou?" asked Sonnenkamp in a supplicating tone.
"Indeed I will, father, when it is all over."
"I don't comprehend! I don't comprehend it!" cried Sonnenkamp aloud.Manna hushed the loud tone of her father with her hand, signifying tohim that here in the convent no one spoke so loud.
Roland, after whom they had been looking for a long time, was terrifiedand shrank back, when, awakened suddenly by a form clothed in black, hefound himself in the church. He was conducted to Manna. He embraced hissister heartily, crying out,--? "You good, bad sister!"
He could say no more, from the impetuosity of his feelings.
"Not so violent," said the maiden, soothingly. "Indeed! what a stronglad you have got to be!"
"And you so tall! And you look like him, but Eric, is handsomer thanyou are. Yes, laugh if you will! Isn't it so, mother? Isn't it, father?Ah, how glad he will be when you return home, and how much you willlike him too!"
Roland talked sometimes of St. Anthony, sometimes of Eric, minglingthem together, and telling what an excellent man he had for a teacherand friend: and when Manna said that she should not go home untilspring, Roland ended by saying,--
"You can very well imagine how Herr Eric looks; when you go into thechapel, look at St. Anthony, he looks exactly like him, exactly asgood. But he can also be strict; he has been an artillery-officer."
Again the father made the request, and the mother joined in it, thatManna would accompany them in their journey to the baths, after whichshe would be allowed to come back to the convent.
Manna informed them that she could not interrupt her studies and herretreat.
The strange, thrilling tone of her voice had something saddening in it,and when she now stated how earnestly she hoped to become clear andresolute in her determination to be constant to the religious life,tears came into her mother's eyes. But her father gazed fixedly at her;he hardly saw his child, hardly knew where he was. He heard a voice,which once--it seemed incredible that he was the same person--he hadheard many, many years ago; and as he thus gazed, he saw not his child,not the scenes around him, he saw nothing but a neglected little moundof earth in the churchyard of a Polish village. He passed his broadhand over his whole face, and, as if waking up, he looked now at hischild, and heard her saying,--
"I shall be constant to the life."
He had heard all that had here transpired, and yet his thought and hisinternal eye had been fixed upon a far distant scene, scarcelycomprehensible. Now he repeated his request that Manna would just gowith them into the park, and salute the friends; that she ought not toslight them; but Manna firmly persisted that she could not go.
Manna had requested a sister to send for Heimchen; the child came, andlooked wonderingly at the strangers. Manna pointed out to the child herparents and her brother. The child, scarcely glancing at the parents,nestled up to Roland, when Manna said,--
"This is my brother I have told you of."
"I like you," said the child, "I like you."
She was as confiding with Roland as if she had always played with him."And will you be my brother?" asked the child.
Manna declared how happy it made her, to be able to do so much for thechild.
Sonnenkamp hummed to himself,--
"Yes, yes, that's the way. I know what you are, a child who takes to astranger child. But enough!"
He rose hastily.
The parents and Roland left the cell. Manna remained there withHeimchen.
Upon the steps, Sonnenkamp said to his wife,--
"This is your doing! The child is estranged from me; you have turnedher heart from me, you have said to her----"
A strange laugh, a laugh sounding as if it came from some other person,was uttered by Frau Ceres. Roland stared at her; here is somethingincomprehensible to him.
The parents and the boy rejoined the visitors in the park, andSonnenkamp informed them very calmly that he had given permission tohis daughter, in order not to interrupt and disturb her education byoutside impressions, to remain at the convent until Easter. Prankendarted a strange glance at Sonnenkamp, and then expressed hisadmiration of the imperturbable composure with which Sonnenkampaccomplished everything.
Bella and Fraeulein Perini had walked over the island. They did notreturn for a long time; at last they came from the room of theSuperior.
Evening was approaching, and as they embarked on the boat, Rolandcried, looking towards the convent,--
"Good-night, Manna."
Manna had heard the good-bye, she had slipped into the park, taken afarewell look at the departing visitors, and then went quietly into thechapel.
As they reached the shore, they heard the choir of girls' voicessinging with clear tone at the convent.
"This may sound very fine to him who has no child joining in it," saidSonnenkamp to himself.
In the large inn there was hurrying and commotion, as if a prince hadarrived with his suite, for Sonnenkamp was fond of making a display ofhis wealth. The large garden was festively illuminated, this party oftravellers was served with special consideration, and every otherarrival, on this evening, hardly received any attention. When all wasstill, a boat, in which Pranken sat, rowed over to the convent. Helanded on the island, and heard the music of a harp from an openwindow. That came from Manna, he was sure. Soon a light was visible ina cell, here and there, windows were opened, the heads of girlsappeared and looked out once more into the night; then the windows wereclosed, the lights extinguished, and the harp-playing ceased.
Pranken saw the church open, and entering, he knelt down and prayedsilently. Then he heard a light step, and a sound, as if some one kneltdown before the altar; a thrill passed over him, and yet he did notlook up, and if he had, he could not have recognized any thing in thedarkness lighted only by the solitary, ever-burning lamp. The formarose, and went towards the open church door. The moon cast a broadbeam as far as the middle aisle of the church; now, as the form stoodin the doorway, Pranken approached and said,--
"Fraeulein Manna, a friend. Fear not, a man, who through you has knownsalvation, stands before you. I have not come to shake your holyresolve, I have only come to tell you what I have become by yourinstrumentality. No, I cannot tell you--but you ought to know this,--ify
ou take the veil, then I also will renounce the world; apart from eachother, so long as we live on this earth, we will live for heaven.Farewell, a thousand times farewell, thou pure, thou blessed one!farewell!"
The young man and the maiden looked upon each other as if they were nolonger living creatures of human passions, as if they were transportedabove the world. Manna could not utter a single word; she simply dippedher hand into the vessel of holy water, and sprinkled Pranken's facethree times.
With hasty step, Pranken went to the shore. Manna stood and laid herhand upon her brow.
Has all this been only a vision of her own fancy?
Then she heard the stroke of oars in the river, and a voice againcried:--
"Thou pure, thou blessed one!"
Then all was still.
On the other side a chain rattled, the boat was drawn up to the shore,and no sound was heard; only the waves of the river, which are notheard by day, rippled and plashed and murmured in the still night.Manna thought that she could hear the blood as it flowed through herheart, so full, so oppressed, and yet so blissful.
Das landhaus am Rhein. English Page 60