CHAPTER II.
DEMONSTRATION OF RESPECT FROM ABOVE.
A flash of lightning in the night-sky makes us fully conscious of thedarkness, and our eyes are blinded. So it was after the departure ofthe Prince and Princess; every one sought to avoid the eye of another,every one went his own way, but no one spoke out his vexation anddisappointment more frankly than the valet Joseph, and the stewardagreed with him; the latter could not say much, because his mouth wasfull of the delicacies which had been removed from the table, but henodded silently, and became very red in the face. Joseph said:--
"Not to leave a single gratuity behind them! What is there left of thewhole show? Nothing; and at Court there isn't a table better laid andserved, or more handsomely provided. They ought to be ashamed ofthemselves! Not to leave a single penny for the servants!"
Such was the fact.
No one, except Aunt Claudine, of whom nobody had thought, could findany good reason for satisfaction.
Sonnenkamp pondered and speculated how he could have brought about thechange in the Prince's gracious mood. His inmost soul rebelled againstbeing so dependent on the whim or the glance of another--he, the manwho had ruled so absolutely over all that came in his way. He tormentedhimself till his head burned, to think over the whole course of thevisit, and at last he thought he had found out the trouble; it was onlya hitch at a glove which had shown it, but that was doubtless the signof annoyance. He had told the Prince how delighted he should be todrink new health from the same spring as his gracious highness, and,when the Prince looked at him inquiringly, he had added that he alsowas going to Carlsbad, where he should have the happiness of beholdinghis Prince's face every day. Yes, that was it; the Prince had cast ahasty glance of astonishment upon him, and given his glove a twitch.
Sonnenkamp acknowledged to himself that he had made a decided blunderin not using more reserve; for nothing of the Prince's journey to theBaths was yet officially announced, and his mentioning it had beenpremature, and showed some private source of information. He was morevexed at the caution and self-restraint that one was compelled toobserve, than at his own want of tact. Could not the Prince have takenit pleasantly? Had not a good, and, as he himself thought, a mostgraceful turn been given to his allusion?
The thoughts of the self-tormentor went further, and new tokensappeared. Had not the Prince said to Aunt Claudine:--
"Everything seems so thoroughly pleasant here; here I find nothingdisturbed from its usual course."
The Prince was evidently offended that any secret preparations had beenmade for his reception; it probably seemed to him that he wassurrounded by spies.
And now Sonnenkamp's wrath broke out anew, not against himself, butagainst the Prince, who ought to remember how long he had lived in aforeign land; and the Professorin ought to have managed matters better,for she had been a lady-in-waiting at Court; and Pranken ought to havemanaged better, too, for was he not a chamberlain?
Sonnenkamp fumed with rage over the whole business, and now, for thefirst time, it struck him how strange it was that these people shouldtreat all this humbug of rank so seriously; they knew that it washumbug, but its very existence depended on their vying with each otherto keep up the appearance of entertaining religious veneration for thehumbug.
For a little while Sonnenkamp thought of giving up the whole scheme.Why should he be ennobled; why should he enter the Court circle, andput himself under a lasting obligation? He was proud of possessing anindependent nature, and now was he to allow himself to be put inuniform, and to measure every step, every movement, and every word,according to the court etiquette? He would rather remain as he was,proud of his own position, and show openly the contempt which he feltfor the whole body of nobles.
Then he felt with pain that he had already gone too far; a retreatwould be a mere disgrace. And how long he had consoled Frau Ceres withthis hope, how far he was bound for Pranken's sake, and, more than all,for Roland's! What was to become of the latter, if he was not raised tothe nobility? Were Roland and his descendants to be impoverished again?No, rank must be won. On the boldly earned property an entail should belaid, so that generation after generation of his descendants shouldnever be stripped of rank and wealth; the villa and the castle shouldremain an inalienable possession in the family.
Something of his own past life rose in Sonnenkamp's memory, and he saidto himself aloud,--
"You owe it to your child to turn aside from him what has brought youto this pass."
Calm and resolved he went back to the house, and appeared to all highlygratified with the visit. Indeed, when Joseph told him that thePrincess' party had not left a single present for the servants, he gavehim a handsome sum, saying that it had been entrusted to Pranken; theservants would spread the report far and wide, that the Prince had beenat the villa and left large gratuities for them; this would rouse theenvy of the neighbors, and the envy would carry the report stillfarther, and the best of it was that they would all be deceived.
Sonnenkamp whistled softly, a sure sign that he was particularlycheerful and contented. He devoted himself with special attention tothe Aunt, praised her modesty and the Prince's insight in knowing howto value her as she deserved. It seemed really to delight him to seepeople decline praise which really tickled them excessively.
On the next evening but one, when the Aunt and Manna went out upon theflat roof to look at the stars, they found an excellent telescopeplaced on a movable stand. When they thanked Sonnenkamp for thissurprise, he asked in return only one favor, that Fraeulein Dournaywould accompany the family to Carlsbad; but she declined positively, asthe Professorin also did.
Pranken had come back; he thought it absurd to appear offended, and todo this tutor the honor of looking upon him as a rival. He was madehappy by the unconstrained and cordial greeting he received from Manna,who treated him with more familiarity than ever before.
"I am glad," he said to her, "that you have something of the sphinx inyou, like other women. I was mistaken in you, and am rejoiced that Iwas mistaken. What is puzzling and constantly offering new problems,keeps life fresh."
Manna did not understand him, but she asked for no explanation; sheonly told him with regret that the Aunt and the Professorin were notgoing with them to Carlsbad. Pranken thought this very proper, andManna looked at him in surprise when he spoke of the pretensions ofthese Huguenots.
"And Herr Dournay," he added, "will he stay behind also, declining asfirmly and decidedly as he did to go to Vichy last year?"
"I don't know," answered Manna. "Papa," she called out to her father,who came up just then, "is Herr Captain Dournay going with us to theBaths?"
"Certainly. He belongs to the family, and understands that he does; hehas not objected for a moment."
Pranken was in some embarrassment; he took this compliance quiteas a matter of course, and added that perhaps Herr CaptainDournay--emphasizing the title, would find his friend, the negro Adams,the Prince's footman, at Carlsbad, and would be able to perfect theintimacy which he had begun here. Pranken hoped, perhaps, to bring outsome cutting remark about Eric, but, to his surprise, neitherSonnenkamp nor Manna answered a word; he was forced to wind up thesubject, by saying that these atheists and democrats must of coursedisorganize all social arrangements, and fraternize with a negro; itwas only praiseworthy in Herr Dournay to act consistently with hisprinciples.
Bella and Clodwig only just made a passing call, to say that they weregoing to Carlsbad and should be very glad to meet their friends there.
Bella was especially animated in her expressions of pleasure at theidea of meeting them constantly for weeks together; she promisedherself and her friends great enjoyment, and was enough at her ease tosay jokingly to Eric, that if a charity-concert was given, at which sheplayed, he must sing.
Eric assented, without the least embarrassment.
Das landhaus am Rhein. English Page 142