Das landhaus am Rhein. English
Page 95
CHAPTER V.
A DOUBLE GAME.
Like a bit of a home in a foreign land comes a meeting with friendsamong new surroundings, and the visit of Bella and Clodwig was a truepleasure to Frau Dournay; Bella embraced her rather impetuously, whileClodwig took her hand in both of his.
"But where is Eric?" asked Bella very soon, holding the Aunt's handfast, as if she must cling to something.
With an uneasy glance first at Clodwig, then at Bella, the Motheranswered that it was a rule not to allow the study-hours to beinterrupted even by so pleasant a family occurrence as their welcomevisit; she emphasized the word _family_, and Sonnenkamp, acknowledgingit with a bow, said that an exception might be made to-day, but Clodwighimself begged that this should not be. Bella dropped the Aunt's hand,and stood with downcast eyes, while the Professor's widow watched herclosely.
Bella looked fresh and animated; she was in full dress, and wore alarge cape of sky-blue silk, under which her bare arm was seen in allits roundness.
They went into the garden, and Sonnenkamp was pleased to hear FrauDournay explaining his system of horticulture, but he left them inorder to announce their visit to his wife, wishing to use every effortto prevent her declaring herself ill.
Bella walked with the Mother, and Clodwig with Aunt Claudine, with whomhe was soon in animated conversation. The Aunt, who was an accomplishedpiano player, was herself something like a piano, upon which childrenor artists can play, but which, if no one wished to do so, remainsquietly in the background.
Bella asked Frau Dournay many questions as to the impression which allthe family made upon her, but she received only indirect answers: shetalked much herself; her checks glowed, she let her cape fall a little,and her beautiful full shoulders were seen.
"It's a pity that Clodwig didn't know your sister-in-law earlier," shesuddenly said.
"He did know her well, and, unfortunately for herself, she was, as youknow, a much-admired belle at court; but that was long before yourtime."
Bella was silent; Frau Dournay threw a quick searching glance at her.What was passing within her? what did this restless fluttering from onesubject to another mean?
Eric and Roland came; Bella quickly drew her cape over her shouldersagain, and folded her arms tightly under it, hardly giving Eric thetips of her fingers.
Roland was extremely lively, but Eric seemed very serious; whenever helooked at Bella, he turned away his eyes again directly. Shecongratulated him on his mother's arrival, and said,--
"I think if a stranger met you, even in travelling, he would feel thatyou are still happy enough to have a mother; and what a mother she is!A man seems to lose a nameless fragrance when his mother is lost tohim."
Bella said this with a tone of feeling, and yet her mouth wore apeculiar smile, and her eyes seemed to seek applause for these ideas.
Sonnenkamp joined them, and, stroking his chin with an air ofsatisfaction, asked the ladies to come to his wife, who felt quiterevived by a visit from such guests. He proposed that the gentlemenshould drive with him to the castle, to take a view of the progress ofthe building, and of the place where the Roman antiquities had beenfound. Bella merrily upbraided Sonnenkamp for robbing her of herpleasant guests, then she went with the ladies to the garden-parlor,while the gentlemen proceeded to the castle. Frau Ceres was soon readyto go with them to the music-room, where the Aunt readily consented toplay to them; Bella sat between Frau Dournay and Frau Ceres, whileFraeulein Perini stood near the piano.
When the first piece came to an end, Bella asked:--
"Fraeulein Dournay, do you ever play accompaniments for your nephew?"
The Aunt answered in the negative. Again the Mother threw a quick lookat Bella, who seemed to be thinking constantly of Eric, and not to beable, nor indeed to wish, to conceal it. While Fraeulein Dournay wasplaying again, Bella said to the mother:--
"You must give me something of yourself; let me have your sister-in-lawat Wolfsgarten."
"I have no right to dispose of my sister. But, pardon me, a word spokenwhile she is playing annoys her, though she makes no claim for herselfin any other respect."
Bella was silent, and Frau Dournay also; but while listening to arefreshing bit of Mozart's music, their thoughts took very differentpaths. What Bella's were could hardly be defined; her whole being wasthrilling with joy and pain, renunciation and defiance. The Professorinowned that her instinctive perceptions were confirmed, though she feltas if they left a stain upon herself.
When the piece was finished, Bella said:
"Ah, Mozart is a happy being; hard as his life may have been, he washappy always, and he still makes others happy whenever they listen tohim; even his sorrow and mourning have a certain harmonious serenity.Did your husband love music too?"
"Oh, yes; he often said that men in modern times express in music thatimaginative romance of the human heart which the ancients wove intotheir myths. Music transports us into a world far removed from allpalpable and visible existence, and transports us waking into the landof dreams."
They went out upon the balcony, and played with the parrots; Bella toldone of them a marvellous story of a cousin at Wolfsgarten, which livedin a wonderful cage, sometimes flying off into the woods; but it wastoo gentlemanly to get its own living there, and always came back toits golden cage.
Bella's cheeks burned hotter and hotter; her lips trembled, and all atonce it occurred to her that she must settle the matter then. She spoketo Mother and Aunt so earnestly, and yet with such childlikeentreaties, that they at last agreed that the Aunt should go to her,within a few days, and remain as her guest.
"You will see," she said, in low but half triumphant tone to themother, "Fraeulein Dournay will be Clodwig's best friend; they areexactly made for each other."
Frau Dournay looked fixedly at her. Has it come to this, that the wifewishes to give a compensation to her husband!