CHAPTER I.
THE MOTHER IS HERE.
"My mother is here!"
A dewy atmosphere of inexhaustible freshness encompassed Eric; he heardthe voice of a child awakening from a dream, and yet it was he himselfwho had spoken. He closed his eyes, and went back in thought to thedays of childhood; all that had since excited and oppressed his spiritwas torn into fragments, and had sunk out of sight.
"My mother is here!"
This was now a call of duty. Eric stood by Roland's bedside; it wasnever necessary for him to speak in order to waken him, for as soon ashe looked directly upon him, Roland waked up. Now he opened his eyes,and his first words were:--
"Thy mother is here!"
Eric heard these same words, now spoken by another, which he had heardin his own dreamy reverie, and, placing his hand upon the brow of theyouth, he regarded him with a mingled feeling of joy and sorrow. Whyhas this poor rich boy not the blessedness of a mother's love?
The new day received its consecration, for Eric and Roland began it bygoing to give a greeting to the mother.
As they were walking along the river, Roland shouted across it:--
"Father Rhine! Eric's mother is here!"
Eric smiled; the youth's face was all a-glow.
They went to the mother as to a temple, and they came away from her asfrom a temple, for this gentle, peaceful spirit conveyed a benedictionin every word, in every movement of the hand, in every glance of theeye; and she it was who appealed to the sanctity of established rule,and the persistent continuance in duty, for she said to them that sheshould regard it as the most perfect proof of love and loyalattachment, if they would go on with their work to-day just as they didyesterday; in every situation in life, whether in tribulation or ingladness, the appointed duty must be performed.
They were again seated at their work, and they read together, to-day,the return of Ulysses to Ithaca. Eric was somewhat absent, foreverything took the hue of the feeling that he was with his mother; heovercame this,--he would be wholly engaged in what was before him, buthe caught himself unexpectedly drawn away in this direction as helooked at Roland. "Ah! why can you not have the same feeling? The bestrefreshment and blessing for a human being is the mother's love. Everyother love must be sued for, be obtained by conquest, be earned, bestruggled for through obstacles; a mother's love alone one has alwaysunsought and undeserved."
Now Bella came again into his mind. Eric hoped to have annihilatedeverything in himself that was false to human nature and to purity, andsummoning up a greater, strength than ever, a strength obtained by hardwrestling, he devoted himself to the work of instruction, and succeededin projecting himself and the youth into the life of another, so thatthey forgot everything immediately around them.
At noon, the realization of the mother's presence came to them as afresh gift. They were in the garden together; Frau Ceres was notvisible, and she begged, through Fraeulein Perini, to be excused.Sonnenkamp smiled, for he knew that it had never occurred to Frau Ceresto send an excuse, and that Fraeulein Perini had done it of her ownaccord; and it was well for her to do so, he thought, for therefractory disposition of his wife led her to turn away from the guestsintruding upon her privacy and her strong point was in declining; sheallowed nothing to approach her. Fraeulein Perini manifestly took verygreat pains to render herself as agreeable as possible to theProfessor's widow, and was grateful as a child when she was shown howto execute a new piece of handiwork.
The Cabinetsraethin served as a very excellent means of bringing themtogether. There was something exceedingly captivating in the way inwhich she so very modestly placed herself as the inferior of theProfessorin, giving to her the position of honor which she mightperhaps have attained as a right, but which was now conceded to her bysovereign grace; for the Cabinetsraethin repeatedly said, that theProfessorin had been the first lady at the court in her day, and thateven now, if the court circle wanted to specify any exalted excellence,they pointed to her. She found herself, at first, put under some degreeof constraint by being placed upon such an elevated pinnacle, but shewas grateful to the illustrious lady for her evident endeavor toconvert her condition of dependence and poverty into one which wasregarded with respectful homage.
Fraeulein Perini herself was subdued by this character so calmlydignified, this countenance so placid and open, so beaming withyouthful brightness, so benignantly radiant that nothing unworthy orimpure could approach; and in this countenance the heart manifesteditself, always young, full of the inspiration that had been awakened bythe ideal life of her husband, and that was now called forth by thepresence of her son. She said the simplest things with such charminggrace, that they appeared to be of great importance, and with suchfreshness, that it seemed as if this were the first time they had everbeen known.
While they were together at noon, a letter came from Bella. She sent awelcome to the Professor's widow, and appointed the next day for avisit.
Frau Dournay wished to send back an answer by the messenger, but he hadbeen immediately sent off, no one knew why. It was Sonnenkamp who hadgiven the order, and when she despatched her letter through a messengerattached to the house, it strayed first into Sonnenkamp's cabinet, whounderstood how to open it very dexterously, and who read with greatsatisfaction the reply which was no less decided than it was delicatein expression. Sonnenkamp smiled as he read where the lady laid stressupon the fact that she was the guest of the family, received as such inthe kindest manner, and begged that the promised visit might be made tothem, and to herself as their visitor.
Sonnenkamp smiled again and again, for he confidently expected that theProfessor's widow would compel the whole neighborhood to accepthimself, finally, as a member, in full standing, of their social body.
Das landhaus am Rhein. English Page 91