Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER XI.

  AN EXTRAORDINARY SCHOOL-COMMITTEE.

  Frau Ceres was jealous because the Professorin devoted less time toher, and surprised them by suddenly expressing the desire to be presentat the lessons, saying that she had more need of instruction than therest. And Sonnenkamp also betook himself to Roland's room. He couldnever be idle, and so, when he did not smoke, he had the habit ofwhittling all sorts of figures out of a small piece of wood; and hewas especially fond of cutting into grotesque shapes fragments ofgrape-vine roots. This was the only way he could sit and listen.

  Eric saw that his instruction was interfered with by this heterogeneousassemblage. The Mother understood his disquiet, without a word beingsaid, and staid away from the lessons. Frau Ceres and Herr Sonnenkampsoon did the same.

  While Eric was enabled to banish, by a strict fulfilment of his duties,every trace of the disturbing element introduced by Bella, the Motherwas full of restlessness. She had attained what had been the object ofher strongest wishes, access to a large garden of plants and unlimitedsway therein, and yet she was not quite content.

  One morning, as she was walking early in the park with her son, shesaid:--

  "I have discovered something new in myself: I have no talent for beinga guest."

  Eric interposed no questions, for he knew that she would reach thegoal, even if she took a roundabout way. The Mother continued:--

  "I have the feeling that I must bring something to pass; I cannot beforever a passive recipient; and here is the special danger of riches.The rich look upon themselves as guests in this world; they themselveshave nothing to do, and others must do everything for them. I tellthee; my dear son, that I cannot stand it, I must do something. Youmen, you can work, create, influence, and renew your life by what youdo, while we women can only recreate and restore our life by loving."

  Eric suggested that she accomplished her part by simply being, but theMother very energetically responded:--

  "I am always vexed with Schiller for this: he should not have said, itisn't like him to write, 'Ordinary natures pay with what they do; nobleones with what they are.' That sounds like a carte blanche for alldo-nothings, with or without coronets upon their seals."

  Eric held up to her the satisfaction arising from her influence uponFrau Ceres; but the Mother shook her head without any remark.

  She had placed great hopes in that, but such an enigmatical andincomprehensible person was presented to her view, that she seemed toherself wholly useless. She would not acknowledge to her son that thehouse had something oppressive to her; that the family had all itsglory and pride in external possessions, so that everything hereappeared external, directed by alien hands, and altogether destitute ofany strength developed from within.

  Fraeulein Perini spoke always of Frau Ceres as "the dear sufferer." Fromwhat was Frau Ceres suffering?

  The Professorin had once lightly touched upon the thought how greatlyFrau Ceres must miss her daughter; when, with eyes sparkling like thoseof a snake as it suddenly darts up its head, she sent Fraeulein Perini,who was at hand, into the garden; she then said to the Professorin,looking timidly round:--

  "He is not to blame; I, only I. I wished to punish him when I said thatto my child; but I did not mean she should go away."

  The Professorin begged that she would confide the whole to her, butFrau Ceres laughed like a person wholly beside herself.

  "No, no, I shall not say it again, and certainly not to you."

  The distress which the Professorin had experienced at the firstinterview with Frau Ceres was felt anew. She believed now that she knewthe suffering of the dark-eyed woman, who, sometimes listless, andsometimes restless as a lizard, was troubled by a thought which shecould not reveal, and could not wholly keep back.

  Like a child to whom a story is told, she was urged by Frau Ceres totell her over and over again about the court fetes, which alone seemedto awaken any interest. Frau Ceres was delighted to hear the samethings repeated.

  But the mother took care to show that a princess has a specialemployment for every hour, and that a regular performance of duty wasof great importance. She spoke earnestly, and came back often to theconsideration, that a woman like Frau Ceres, born in a Republic, couldhave not the remotest conception of all this, and that it was likebeing suddenly removed into another century.

  "I understand everything that you and your son say," Frau Ceres stated,"but what other people say, except the Major, I hear it indeed, but Idon't know where I am. Just think, I was afraid of you at first."

  "Of me? No one was ever afraid of me before."

  "I will tell you about it some other time. Ah, I am sick, I am alwayssick."

  The Mother did not succeed in arousing Frau Ceres out of her life ofmere alternate sleeping and waking.

  Sonnenkamp met the Mother with demonstrations of deepest respect, andseemed to practise upon her his airs and attitudes of genteel behavior.He delicately hinted that he had faithfully kept the agreement, and hadnever asked her what his wife said and desired; and now he would onlybeg to be permitted to make one inquiry, whether Frau Ceres had neverspoken of Manna.

  "Certainly, but very briefly."

  "And may I not be allowed to know what this brief communication was?"

  "I don't know myself; it is still a riddle. But, I beseech you, do notlead me to disloyalty and breach of trust."

  "Breach of trust." cried Sonnenkamp with trembling lips.

  "Ah, it was not the right word. Your wife has confided nothing to me,but I believe,--I pray you not to mistake me,--I suspect, she issecretly afraid of Fraeulein Perini, or is vexed or angry with her. As Isaid before, I am very far from meaning to blame Fraeulein Perini, and Ialmost repent of having said as much as I have."

  "You can be at rest on that point. My wife would like to send FraeuleinPerini out of the house ten times every day, and ten times every day tocall her back again. There is no person, not even yourself, who is moreneedful to her and more useful than Fraeulein Perini." The Professorinlonged to be out of the house, and she could find no adequate reasonfor the deep hold which the desire had taken upon her. She had nodesire to be made the depositary of secrets, nor to solve riddles, andyet she was incessantly occupied with the thought of the daughter ofthe house. A child, a grownup girl, whom such a family abandoned,perhaps this maiden was a charge for her; but how it was to be, shecould not perceive, and yet the thought would not leave her.

  She wanted to question the Major, Clodwig, and Bella; and she wouldeven have liked to have recourse to Pranken, but Pranken had not beenvisible for several weeks. She got Joseph to show her Manna's room oneday; and while there, it seemed to her as if the dear child werecalling her, and as if it were her duty to lend her a helping hand.

  She wrote a letter to the Superior, informing her that she would payher a visit at the first opportunity.