Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER XII.

  FRAU PETRA.

  When Sonnenkamp was alone in the garden, in the hot-houses, in thework-room, or his seed-room, he wore perpetually a complacent,triumphant smile, often congratulating himself upon his success inmaking persons and circumstances play into his hands, ruling, bending,and directing them, just as he did the fruit in the garden.

  The refractoriness and the indolence of Frau Ceres were veryserviceable, at first, in lending to the whole establishment an air ofrespectability. It gave the appearance of self-containedness, as ifthere was no need of other people; as if there was everything in theirown circle, and what should be superadded to this would be receivedgraciously, but was not an absolute necessity. But this appearance ofseclusion soon became a sort of mysterious riddle, and excitedcuriosity and scandal.

  Sonnenkamp had foreseen this, but had not anticipated that this stateof feeling would last so long. The shyness and reserve of the dwellersin the vicinity in forming any intimate relations with him, and theirfailure to visit him on familiar terms, gradually disturbed him. Thisdistance must not be allowed to have too much weight, it had better notbe noticed; and complaisance must be shown towards these who holdthemselves thus distantly, and it must not be seen that their bearingis remarked at all.

  The relation to Otto von Pranken had begun with the stable, butproceeding farther, by the connection of the families promised now afirm basis in the future. Until now, Sonnenkamp's house, park, andgarden, considered as a whole, seemed like some isolated, alien, andextraneous plant within a flower-pot. Through Eric and his family theroots had begun to spread, and the plant to grow independently in theopen ground.

  The intimate relation with Clodwig and Bella, which Pranken had notbeen able to bring about, had been effected through Eric; and now theProfessor's widow was to carry that still farther, by giving andreceiving visits which would naturally unite the families.

  Sonnenkamp very cautiously expressed to the Mother his regret, that hiswife did not incline to keep up a neighborly acquaintance with therespectable families around. The Mother had a desire to get a look intothe life of this part of the country, and to express thanks to thosewho had manifested so much friendliness towards her son. She wantedfirst to visit the house of the Doctor. Sonnenkamp suggested that sheshould then call upon the Justice's family. He placed his whole houseat her disposal if she wished to make invitations.

  One beautiful Sunday in the latter part of summer was fixed upon forvisiting the neighborhood.

  Frau Ceres had promised to go with them, but when the morning came forthem to start, she declared that it was impossible. The Professorin nowobserved, for the first time, a spice of artfulness in her; she hadconsented, evidently, to avoid being urged; and now she planted herselfupon her own will, without making any plea of ill health.

  Fraeulein Perini remained at home with her.

  They drove first to Herr von Endlich's, although they might have knownthat the family were absent; they wanted only to leave their cards.

  From Herr von Endlich's Sonnenkamp returned to the villa, and leftRoland, Eric, and the Mother, to proceed to the town. He called out tothem at parting, that they must take care not to drink all the winethat should be offered them.

  And when the Mother was now driving with Eric and Roland, the thoughtoccurred to her that she was not making these visits on her ownaccount; but she was just as happy in making them as the representativeof her friendly host.

  Roland wished them to stop as they were going along, for they metClaus, the field-guard. Roland introduced him to Eric's mother; sheextended her hand, and said she would soon give him a call.

  Claus, looking very much gratified, and pointing to Roland, replied:--

  "Yes, yes, if I had to turn out a grandmother for him, it would benobody else but you."

  They laughed, and drove on. When they reached the town, the bells ofthe newly-erected Protestant church were just ringing. It stood upon ahill, from which there was a wide view of the country around.

  The Mother stopped, and went with Eric and Roland into the church.

  Roland had never been in a Protestant church while service was goingon. The Mother requested him not to go in now, when she heard him saythis, but to proceed directly with Eric to the town; he was bent,however, upon remaining with her.

  They entered the simple, plain building just as the congregation wasfinishing the hymn. The Mother was pained to hear a discourse oneternal punishment, delivered in a high-pitched voice, and regretted inher own mind that she had yielded to Roland.

  After they had taken a survey of the cheering landscape on coming out,the Mother took Roland's hand, saying:--

  "When you are prepared for it, I shall make you acquainted with one ofyour countrymen, from whom you can get higher views."

  "Is it Benjamin Franklin? I know him."

  "No; the man I speak of is a preacher who died only a few years ago; aman of the deepest religious nature. I am glad to have known himpersonally; he has been a guest at our house, and I have taken him bythe hand. He and your father, Eric, became intimate friends at once."

  "Do you mean Theodore Parker?" inquired Eric.

  "I mean him, and I feel elevated to have had such a man live with us."

  "Why have you never spoken of this man?" said Roland, turning to Eric.

  "Because I did not wish to interfere with the faith in which you werebrought up."

  Eric said this without meaning to reprove his mother, and yet she wasalarmed when she heard his reply; she repeated, that Roland would learnabout the man after his judgment had become more mature.

  The mischief, however, had been done, of pointing out to the youthsomething which was now withheld from him; and as he had never beenaccustomed to being denied, anything, he would now, as usual, be eagerafter what was forbidden, and if it was not given him, he would takesecret measures to get it himself.

  Eric and Roland received the salutation of many coming out of church.Eric introduced his mother to the School-director, the Forester, hiswife and sister-in-law, who all accompanied the friends into the town.The walk along the public highway was pleasant; there is nothing, onthe whole, like this pleasant mood with which a large number of personsof various condition and character return from church.

  "Wasn't the Doctor's wife at church?" asked the Mother.

  They told her that she never went on Sunday morning, but staid at hometo comfort the country people who came early on Sunday; she often gavethem simple household remedies, and arranged the order in which theyshould be admitted to the Doctor on his return.

  Eric now heard, for the first time, that they called the Doctor's wifeFrau Petra. She had something of St. Peter's office, the keeping of thedoor into the heavenly kingdom of healing.

  They entered the Doctor's house. The cleanliness of the entry floor andsteps was notable as usual, and on the walls good pictures werehanging, no one of which seemed to owe its position to chance. Greenclimbing-plants were standing upon pier-tables, and sending out theirtendrils in all directions. In the sitting-room the work-table wasplaced under the window, before which was a street-mirror; and on thetable itself stood a camelia in full bloom. They heard the Doctor'swife saying in the next room,--

  "Yes, good Nanny, you are talking the whole time about religion andconformity to the will of God, and now you are clear down in the depthsof despair, and out of patience, and unwilling to take kindly advice.My husband can give medicine, but you must give yourself love andpatience. And you, Anna, you give your child too much to eat and thenyou have to keep coming for help. One can't get understanding at theapothecary's. And you, Peter, you go home and apply a bandage wet withwarm vinegar."

  Nothing further was heard. Apparently the servant had come in andannounced the arrival of the visitors.

  The door opened, and the Doctor's wife entered. She gave a heartygreeting to the Mother, and ordered the servant to bring a bottle ofwine and three glasses. In
spite of the Mother's refusal, the gentlemenmust drink.

  When the Professorin lauded the beneficent influence of the Doctor'swife, the latter at once accepted the praise saying,--

  "One can learn something in more than forty years' experience, such asI have had. At first I shuddered, but I was always angry with myselffor it; now I have learned from my husband what stands me in the beststead."

  "What is that?"

  "Rude bluntness, the only effectual thing. Each one is thinking abouthimself, but why talk about myself?"

  She expressed her satisfaction at becoming acquainted with the Mother.The two ladies smiled when Roland said:--

  "We went to the church, and from there we came to you, and we think weare much better off here."

  The wine came, and Eric and Roland drank the health of the Doctor'ssubstitute. Then they went to the study of the Physician, and Ericexplained the anatomical charts to Roland.

  The Mother urged the Doctor's wife, with whom she was visiting, toreturn her visit soon, and expressed the hope of great good to resultto Frau Ceres from her resolute nature.

  "I should be afraid of being too blunt," answered the Doctor's wife,whose nature was in reality exceedingly gentle and considerate.

  "I trust you will pardon my boldness; is it true that Manna is to betaken from the convent, and have her education completed by you?"

  The Mother was amazed. What was to her only a vague thought, was thegossip of the neighborhood. She could not imagine what had given riseto it, and the Doctor's wife could not tell where she had heard it.

  When the Mother now made particular inquiries about Manna, the Doctor'swife said that Roland was the only one of Sonnenkamp's family whom sheknew. She knew nothing at all about Manna; but Lina, the Justice'sdaughter, had been her friend, and from her something definite might belearned.

  The Physician joined them, but did not stay long. He waited only toget, as soon as he could, the report from his wife.

  The Mother took leave, and Frau Petra did not urge her to remain,saying that she had still to speak with several of the patients beforethey went.

  In lively spirits they left the house.

  They had to wait longer at the Justice's, for wife and daughter mustfirst make their toilet. When they finally appeared, they had manyapologies to make for the disorderly appearance of the room, and fortheir own hurried toilet; yet dress and room were as neat and pretty asone could wish.

  The messenger was sent after the Justice, who was taking his Sunday'sglass; and when at last the Professorin had taken a seat in the cornerof the sofa, where one could hardly find room among the embroideredcushions, a pleasant conversation ensued. The Justice's wife hadadroitly made mention of her father, whom the Mother knew, and theygradually established an agreeable intercourse, after the first awkwardpreliminaries were all over. The Professorin knew how to draw Linaout, and was greatly pleased with her bright description of theconvent-life. Lina was encouraged by this, so that she became more andmore animated and communicative, to her mother's great astonishment.

  The Justice made his appearance. He had evidently swallowed down hisglass hastily, for nothing ought to be left unfinished. He shook thehand of the Professorin longer and harder than was at all necessary,and assured her humorously--humor seemed very odd on the little man'sgrave face--of his magisterial protection. He then gave an account toEric and Roland of the Pole's having broken out of the House ofCorrection, and of their having put up an advertisement for hisapprehension, but they would be glad never to see him again.

  The Justice's wife and Lina put on their hats, and went with theirguests by a circuitous path along the Rhine to the house of theSchool-director, not without some consciousness, perhaps, of the goodappearance they were making. Eric walked with the Justice's wife, theJustice joined Roland, and Lina went with the Professorin.

  Lina began of her own accord to talk of Manna, of her presentmelancholy, and of her former liveliness; she had cherished the mostenthusiastic love towards her father, so that it seemed as if she couldnot leave him for a single day; and Lina begged the Mother to use herinfluence to have Manna return once more.

  The Mother carefully refrained from making any inquiries, but it struckher strangely that from these visits, made only out of politeness, anew duty seemed to be unfolding before her.

  If she had been able to imagine that she was only used by Sonnenkamp toplay into his own hands, she would have been still more astonished atthe various phases which one simple occurrence may assume.

  They did not find the family of the School-director or of the Foresterat home; as they were returning in the carriage and driving by theDoctor's house, his wife was standing in the doorway; she called tothem to stop.

  She came out to them, and said that she had forgotten to remind theMother to call upon the Major and Fraeulein Milch to-day; the Major wasvery good-natured, but he was very sensitive in regard to the respectshown him, and he never forgave any one for neglecting to pay theproper attention to Fraeulein Milch. Fraeulein Milch was a veryexcellent, respectable person, if they could overlook one thing.

  They returned to the villa in good spirits.

  The first person they met in the courtyard was the Major. He lookedsomewhat out of humor, but his countenance lighted up when theProfessorin said that she had intended to call upon him and FraeuleinMilch to-day, and to get a cup of coffee, as she unfortunately couldnot fall into the ways of this part of the country, and drink wineevery day.

  The Major nodded; but he soon went off to send a child of the porter'sto Fraeulein Milch with the welcome message.

  The Mother was very animated, and Eric expressed his joy that hismother experienced something of that exhilaration produced by a sightof the life of the people and the life of nature along the Rhine.

  When Roland came to dinner, he said in a low tone to the Professorin:--

  "I have looked into the Conversations-Lexicon, and to-day is TheodoreParker's birthday; to-day is the twenty-fourth of August."

  The Mother whispered that it would be well for him to speak of it to noone but her.