CHAPTER X.
FIREWORKS AND THEN DARKNESS.
Bella suddenly stood by Eric's side, without his noticing her approach.
"You are unusually grave to-day," she said in a low voice.
"I am not used to the confusion of such a fete."
"I always feel as if you would have something to say to me," shemurmured lower.
Eric was silent, and Bella continued:--
"Does it seem to you as it does to me, when you see your nearest friendin a great assembly, as if you met in a strange land, or as ifstruggling in a river, in which you are drowning?"
"Ah! Bravo!" many voices cried suddenly. A flight of rockets was sentoff, while music was heard, and a trumpet across the river took up thestrain, and echoed it. Far away they saw the people from the towns andvillages about, standing on the river-banks, their faces lighted by theglare.
"Ah," exclaimed Bella, as all was dark again, "we are all nothing butslaves! If we could live like that, that would be life indeed! to burnlike that rocket in the free air, then come, darkness and death; ye arewelcome!"
Eric trembled; he did not know how it happened, but he was holdingBella's hand fast in his.
Again bright fires rose from river and hills. It seemed as if all thosepeople who were looking on from the distant shore must have seen Eric'shand in Bella's. Eric drew back with a start. The Prince came up, andBella immediately took his arm. Eric was left alone, and as he sawBella walking up and down the road before the house, leaning on thePrince's arm, he tried to recollect whether he had not said to her, Ilove you. It seemed to him that he had spoken aloud, and yet it couldnot be. Fire-wheels, the monogram of the bridal-pair, Roman-candles,were exhibited, and at last from a boat on the Rhine rose a greatgolden wine-flask, which burst in the air, and scattered a shower ofsparkling drops of light. Music resounded, and from the shore a shoutwas heard, as if all the waves had found a voice.
Eric's brain reeled; he knew not where he was, nor who he was. Suddenlyhe felt an arm laid on his own: it was Clodwig. Eric would have likedto kneel before him, but he felt unworthy to utter a word, and he couldonly make an inward vow: I will send a bullet through my heart, ratherthan allow it ever again to thrill with this excitement.
Clodwig spoke of Roland, saying that he could not think it right orwise that he should be thrust into a sphere strange to him. Ericanswered at random; Clodwig believed that he must know of the project,while Eric thought he was alluding to the military profession; and heseemed so distracted and inwardly excited, that Clodwig admonished hisyoung friend to exert himself less strenuously, and not to tormenthimself needlessly.
Eric avoided saying good-night to Bella.
It was late when they drove back, in the same manner as they had come,except that the Cabinetsrath and his wife accompanied them, to spendthe night at Villa Eden.
The Minister rode with Sonnenkamp, and the conversation naturally fellon the fete, and on the dissolution of the old and respected firm ofwine dealers, since the Wine-count was now about to sell at auction hiswhole stock. The Minister's lady said that Bella had told her that sheintended to write Eric's mother and aunt for a visit; Pranken pretendedto know of this plan, but was inwardly very much surprised. Now thatthey were alone and need not be reserved with each other, theMinister's lady said emphatically, that no one could bring about theconferring of the new dignity on Herr Sonnenkamp more easily and simplythan the Professor's widow. It was not exactly decided upon, but it washinted to Herr Sonnenkamp, that he might establish the first claim ofhospitality by inviting the ladies to Villa Eden.
Sonnenkamp smiled to himself, for he had a further plan of making FrauDournay useful: the General had said several times that she was atrusted friend of his sister, the Superior of the island convent; herewere the wires to be pulled.
In the third carriage Eric rode again with Roland; they sat silent fora long time, as the carriage rolled slowly on. At last a voice calledout:--
"Good evening, Herr Captain!"
Eric ordered the driver to stop; it was Claus's son, the cooper, whowas walking along the wood. He brought Eric a greeting from MasterKnopf at Mattenheim, and said that he had been there with a messagefrom his father, asking Knopf to appear before the jury the next day,as a witness in his defence. Roland rubbed his eyes, and looked abouthim as if he were in a strange world. He asked the cooper to get intothe carriage with them. The cooper thanked him, but declined, and wenton to say how wonderful it had been, as he came over the hills fromMattenheim, to see, just as he left the woods, the strange firesmounting to heaven from the Rhine far below, and he had stood justwhere the rocks echoed the cannon. He held out his hand to Eric, butnot to Roland.
As the two drove on again, Roland said:
"Then Claus has heard the cannon in his prison, and perhaps he saw thefireworks too. Ah, he has not a single dog to speak to near him. I'veoften been sorry that he had to wander about so constantly through thefields by day and night, but now he must long for that old weariness.And while he sits there in prison, everything is growing outside, andthe thieves of hares and foxes know, that no one knows their burrows sowell as he: and I do believe he is innocent. Ah, why must there bepoor, unhappy men; why can't the whole world be happy?" For the firsttime, Eric saw that he must advise Roland not to say anything to hisfather of these thoughts, about the huntsman, and about the poor andunfortunate.
Eric felt quite satisfied that all the praise Roland had received forhis appearance as Apollo had done no harm.
Das landhaus am Rhein. English Page 86