Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER VII.

  A NEW DOOR IN THE WALL.

  The Professor's widow accompanied the Doctor for several days in hisprofessional rounds. She obtained in this way, by direct observation,an insight into the country life.

  She laid before Sonnenkamp a plan matured by herself and FraeuleinMilch, which he very readily assented to, especially that part relatingto the furnishing of sewing machines. Besides being an American"institution," this would create a good deal of talk. He made a trip tothe capital himself, and bought the machines.

  He took great pleasure in hearing the widow speak of the satisfactionshe derived from having the ability to do so much good, formerlythrough the Princess, and now through Herr Sonnenkamp.

  "How does it happen," he inquired of her, "that the poor, or thecomparatively poor, are united together so much more closely than therich?"

  "I have never reflected upon the matter," she replied with anembarrassed smile, "but if I should now express an opinion upon it, Ishould say, that the rich man clings to his property, and is obliged tothink of himself; he can't do otherwise. He is not permitted to surveythe lot of others; his soul, his eye, if I may use the expression, doesnot have, the beseeching glance of him who sits forlorn by the wayside.But the poor man is hoping, waiting; he has nothing but a bundle in hishands, or probably nothing but his empty hands; he is independent ofothers, and dependent on them too."

  Sonnenkamp was very eloquent in praise of this considerate, indulgentview, as he termed it; and the Professorin was delighted with thepolite manner and the delicacy of this man, apparently so bad andselfish.

  "Perhaps," she continued, blushing deeply, "perhaps we might take anillustration from the animal world."

  "In what way?"

  She was silent, and only replied after Sonnenkamp had repeated thequestion:--

  "I will give you my thought, crude as it is. I was thinking of thebeasts of prey who live singly; and wolves only herd together whenthere is some common booty to be got, the rest of the time, each livingby himself. The herbivorous animals, on the contrary, live together inherds, and afford a common protection."

  She interrupted herself smiling, and then continued:--

  "My wisdom is of yesterday, and it is not worth very much. Thefield-guard, Claus, told me that, in autumn, the birds which feed upongrain assemble in flocks, but those which live upon insects do not."

  Sonnenkamp was very amiable. The Professorin added in continuation:--

  "But yet the granivorous birds are no more virtuous than theinsectivorous; each kind lives in accordance with its own law."

  Sonnenkamp became more and more charmed with the Professorin; shespread his table with viands which could not be imported from abroad,and which the garden did not supply.

  The journals, day after day, now published Herr Sonnenkamp'spraiseworthy endeavors to ameliorate the condition of the people. TheCabinetsraethin came, and congratulated him upon the excellent result,adding that, according to a report from her husband, this noble deed ofHerr Sonnenkamp had been noticed in the highest quarter.

  Sonnenkamp was now exceedingly zealous. He was anxious that thereshould be no intermission in the public notices, and that somethingshould be said about him every day. Pranken, however, who had returnedfrom his farming escapade, showed that it would be better to hold up alittle, and then to come down upon the public with a fresh sensation.He had evidently heard of the good impression which the Professorin hadmade at the convent, and of the earnest exhortation to Manna; and whenSonnenkamp unfolded to him his plan of having the Professorin residethere permanently, he immediately assented to it.

  A path was laid out from the villa to the vine-covered house, throughthe beautiful meadows and along the river-bank. Sonnenkamp invited theProfessorin, on a certain day, to accompany him into the garden, andall the family must go with them.

  A new gateway had been made in the wall which surrounded the park.Sonnenkamp said that the Professorin should be the first one to passthrough it. He gave her the key, and she opened the gate. She wentthrough it and along the pathway, followed by the whole family, andPranken among them.

  They proceeded to the vine-covered cottage, and the Professorin wasamazed to find here all her household furniture, and the library of herhusband arranged in good order.

  Aunt Claudine was here too; for Sonnenkamp had contrived that sheshould be released from Clodwig.

  Sonnenkamp introduced, with a sort of pride, his valet Joseph, who hadmade all these arrangements, as a native son of the university.

  The Professorin expressed her thanks to Joseph, and shook hands withhim.

  Pretty soon the Major came; and when the Professorin inquired afterFraeulein Milch, he stammeringly made an apology in her behalf. It wasplainly wrong in his view, that Fraeulein Milch should so persistentlyrefuse to go into society.

  The Professorin had not recovered from her amazement and satisfactionwhen Clodwig and Bella arrived. Provision had been made for a cheerfulrepast in the garden, and Roland gave expression to the generalfeeling, when he said:--

  "Now I have a grandmother and an aunt, safe in their nest."

  In the evening, Eric received a large package of books and a letterfrom Professor Einsiedel, and also a large sheet of memoranda. Hecommended Eric's intention of writing a treatise upon the idea andnature of slavery, as it would prove a very fertile theme.

  Eric put away the books, for he regarded it as a fortunate thing thatRoland's thoughts were occupied neither upon slavery nor free labor,nor any kindred topic, but with something entirely different.

  The son of the Cabinetsraethin, the cadet, was now at the newly acquiredcountry-seat, on furlough, and he exhorted Roland to be diligent, so asto be able before long to enter the military school.

  Roland was now wholly bent upon entering the highest class, at theearliest possible moment. He spoke of it daily to his father andPranken. The father one day took him aside and said:--

  "My child, it is well, and I am glad that you are so diligent ingetting fitted, but you will not enter--take notice, I show my respectfor you by this communication; I look upon you as a grown-up and matureman."

  He stopped, and Roland asked,--

  "When is it that I am to enter?"

  "Come nearer, and I will whisper it to you; you are to enter when youare a noble."

  "I a noble? and you too?"

  "Yes, all of us; and for your sake I must become ennobled, as you willsee by and by. Do you feel glad at being made a noble?"

  "Do you know, father, when I first began to respect nobility?"

  Sonnenkamp looked at him inquiringly, and Roland continued:--

  "At the railroad station, where I saw a crazy, drunken man. Everybodyshowed respect for him, because he was a nobleman, a baron. It is agreat thing to be a nobleman."

  Roland now gave an account of the meeting on the morning after hisflight, and Sonnenkamp was surprised at the astonishing effect producedupon him, and at the lasting impression everything made. He now said:--

  "Give me your hand, as a pledge that you will say nothing about this toyour master, Eric, until I shall tell him myself. On the word of anofficer."

  After some delay and deliberation, Roland gave his hand.

  His father now proceeded to explain to him how disagreeable it would beto enter the military school under a citizen's name, and while there tobe ennobled.

  Roland inquired why he was not to say anything about it to Eric.

  His father refused to tell him why, demanding unconditional obedience.

  And so Roland had now a two-fold secret to keep, one from his father,and the other from Eric. The youth's soul was distressed, and it foundan odd expression in the question he once put to Eric:--

  "Do the negroes in their native land have nobles too?"

  "There are no nobles in their own right," replied Eric; "individual menbelong to the nobility only when, and only so long, as others regardthem as such."

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nbsp; Eric had thought that Roland's zeal for the military school hadexcluded all his former notions and speculations; but he now saw thatthey were still active, and had become connected with odd associations,which he could not explain to himself satisfactorily. But he took heedto make no further inquiry.

  During his furlough, the son of the Cabinetsraethin was very constant inattendance upon the lessons given to Roland, and Sonnenkamp, having hersanction, proposed that the young cadet should leave the school for atime, and be instructed in company with Roland.

  Roland was highly pleased with this plan, but Eric objected; and whenSonnenkamp stated to him that he had formerly desired that Rolandshould have a comrade who should receive instruction with him, Ericfound great difficulty in explaining to him that it was nowinexpedient; that the course of instruction he had undertaken withRoland was adapted exclusively to him, and that now any comradeship,and any reference to another's condition and progress, would be only adisturbing element.

  Eric, by this means, alienated not only Herr Sonnenkamp and theCabinetsraethin, but also for a time his pupil himself, who was out ofhumor and refractory, after the cadet had returned to the capital.