CHAPTER XII.
THE PRIDE OF OUR PLANET.
The season at Carlsbad was unusually brilliant. Seldom had so many ofthe nobility and so many adventurers assembled at the Baths. To thesecond class, but perhaps also to the first, belonged Sonnenkamp, whoarrived with a great retinue, wife and daughter, son, tutor,gouvernante, and a number of servants, the latter, however, not dressedin livery, but modestly, in plain citizens' clothes.
The Count, as well as Clodwig and Bella, had been at the Baths a weekwhen Sonnenkamp's household arrived. Clodwig took his young friend,with some solemnity, to the spring, and told how he himself had oncebeen brought thereby the philosopher, Schelling, who said to him,--
"Behold! this spring is the pride of our planet."
All conventional distinctions must cease before such a fountain ofhealth as this, Clodwig added, for it says to us,--You must leave yourlofty and your lowly dwellings; in my presence, all are alike high-bornand low-born. Clodwig had already caught the liberal tone.
On the very day of Sonnenkamp's arrival, a guest was departing whosemodesty was equal to the consideration in which he was held; it wasWeidmann. Eric met him just as he was drinking his last draught fromthe spring. The relations between the Sovereign and this President ofthe representatives, an unyielding opposer of the Court policy, longfurnished matter of conversation among the guests; the Sovereign hadtwice invited him to his table, and addressed him several times whenthey had met upon the morning walk. Statisticians differed somewhat inregard to the latter point, some maintaining that these morningconversations had taken place twice, others that they had occurred asoften as thrice, or even four times.
Again Eric's meeting with Weidmann was short and unsatisfactory, and hedisliked to be always reiterating his intention of visiting him.
Clodwig also presented Eric at once to an old friend of his, awell-known banker of liberal education from the great business capital,whom he met every year at some baths, either at Gastein or Ostend, ifnot here, and with whom, on such occasions, he always spent many hoursof the day. The two men were both seventy years old, but the Banker hadall the restlessness of youth; he was as eager for knowledge as aGerman student, and as talkative as a Frenchman in a railway carriage.Clodwig, on the other hand, preserved always a great repose of manner,hardly ever speaking when in motion, but always stopping if he hadanything to say, or any reply to make to the remarks of a friend.
The Banker took pains to tell Eric, early in their acquaintance, thathe was a Jew.
Owing, doubtless, to the warm commendations that Clodwig had bestowedupon his young friend, the old man took advantage of every opportunityof being in his company, a complaisance which Eric did not reciprocate,he not being accustomed to play the part of listener rather than ofspeaker, and feeling moreover jealous of the banker, who engrossed somuch of Clodwig's time, when he had depended on enjoying the Count'ssociety himself every day during their visit here.
At the breakfast-table, the Prince and Countess Bella were as usual afrequent subject of conversation; they were served up with the favoritedish of delicate pastry. A more interesting topic than even theCountess's toilette were the frequent, almost daily walks, which thePrince took in her company, apparently much to the enjoyment of bothparties, as the Prince was often heard laughing at her ready sallies.Clodwig also could congratulate himself on having received many marksof favor.
Bella established a little court of her own. She breakfasted with acompany of chosen friends in the open air, where every one could seeher, and her table was always adorned with the choicest flowers. It waseven said that the bands played a waltz of her composition.
The Wine-Cavalier also spent a few days at the Baths, and the painterPotiphar, as Bella called him, because he had the misfortune to besurnamed Tailor. This was the fourth watering-place that the Cavalierhad honored this summer with his studied elegance, his private album,and his neat little anecdotes. His only object in coming to Carlsbadwas, as he often repeated, to pay his respects to his highly esteemedneighbors. Bella received him coldly, and Clodwig pleaded business asan excuse for seeing but little of him, so that after playing a fewgames with a famous chess-player who was among the visitors, hedeparted.
The painter Potiphar zealously instructed Eric in the private historiesof all the men and women who were drinking the waters, and hiscompanion's ignorance and innocence in these interesting matters were amarvel to him.
When Sonnenkamp met Bella and the Prince walking together, as he didevery day, Bella nodded graciously, and the Prince also bowed silently,but in spite of the frequency of their meeting never addressed him.
The Cabinetsrath was present as one of the Court, and with him and anexperienced officer of police, who always hovered about the sovereignat a distance, Sonnenkamp usually took his morning walk.
Pranken, who had his own independent lodging, but joined himself to theSonnenkamp party, was soon initiated into the life of the variousgroups.
A beautiful Wallachian, who always went about dressed in deep mourning,with a black veil upon her head, and spoke to no one, contested withSonnenkamp the glory of being the most remarkable object of the season.It was said that the handsome stranger had had the misfortune todiscover, soon after her marriage, that her husband had another wife.
Manna took no part in the morning gaieties at the spring; after holymass, she remained in the house, spending a great portion of her timein practising on the harp, for which purpose she had chosen a room outof hearing of the other visitors.
Frau Ceres awakened general excitement, by being taken to the springevery morning in a chair on wheels. In her lap she always held a littledog, and in her hand a fresh rose.
Pranken was assiduous in his attention to her, and Fraeulein Perininever failed to walk by her side. At noon, Frau Ceres appearedbeautifully dressed among the promenaders.
All the visitors at the spring were astonished at this, and everymorning all eyes followed her, in wonder at her allowing herself to bewheeled through the crowd, though she was in perfect health. But thelady was unconscious of the anger she excited, and only rejoiced inwhat seemed to her the general admiration.
After the first three days, Eric forbade his pupil to go to the springin the morning, a regulation which Sonnenkamp remonstrated against,feeling a pride in the universal admiration the handsome boy received.But Eric declared that it was impossible to attend to studies afterhearing music in the morning, and the two therefore remained bythemselves. Whenever they appeared abroad, however, men and women alikeagreed that they had never seen a handsomer boy, or a man of moreattractive appearance.
Pranken often complained that the extraordinary favor shown him by theSovereign obliged him often to spend whole days away from his friends.
Sonnenkamp could boast of being received into the most select society,thanks to the influence of Bella. It was no matter to him that thearistocracy said among themselves that a bath-acquaintance did notnecessitate any subsequent relation with a man. He hoped, nay, he wasalmost sure, that during his stay here at Carlsbad, the first stepwould be taken that should put him on an equality with the best; in themeanwhile he conducted himself in the most free and easy manner, as apeer among peers.
Already his relations to Bella had assumed a character which added afresh interest to his life here. They had always been secretlyattracted together, chiefly by admiration of a certain heroic powerwhich each saw to exist in the other, and which each held to be the onemark of distinction from the masses. This daily intercourse nowrevealed more distinctly to them what they had only glimpses of duringthe winter in the capital.
Both agreed perfectly in looking upon all communities, all humansociety, as nothing but a tacit agreement to tell lies: no one believeshis neighbor, no one honors his neighbor; all that is valued is acertain outside show, a humbug, which must be kept up as long as itcan; no one, except a few idiots of teachers or idealists, actuallybelieves in the idols of his own constructin
g.
Sonnenkamp admired Bella extremely, and maintained that she was theonly woman of spirit and intellect he had ever met, a declaration whichboth knew to be true, in spite of their agreeing that all fair wordswere nothing but lying conventionalities. Bella knew that she hadspirit, and acknowledged Sonnenkamp's right to bear witness to it.
He repeatedly gave her to understand that he alone appreciated thegreatness, of her nature.
"The man who should have a wife like you," he once said openly to her,"and were himself a man--a dominant nature with a wife like you wouldestablish a new throne in the world. I consider it a privilege to havebeen allowed to know a nature so born to rule as yours."
He said it half in a tone of gallantry, but she knew he meant it inearnest, and she took it in earnest, being full of contempt for thepettinesses of the world, where half the people found pleasure inintrigue, and the other half in what they call humanity, which isreally nothing but sentimentality.
Their mutual salutations, therefore, if they only met and passed, weresignificant, and implied a secret understanding. Their glance said: Wealone are strong, and we are great enough to scorn all trifling.
One beautiful July morning Bella gave a great breakfast, to which theSonnenkamp family was invited, and Manna came with her mother; therewere also present the Cabinetsraethin, the Adjutant-general, besidesseveral others of the highest nobility, both gentlemen and ladies, fromdifferent countries.
The rich and tasteful arrangement of the flowers on the breakfast-tableexcited the admiration of the guests. Bella presented Herr Sonnenkampas the generous and skilful giver, and, with great tact, called theattention of the guests to the admirable taste in arranging flowerspossessed by this famous garden-artist, whom she even proclaimed thetrue high priest of flowers.
Sonnenkamp was delighted at the impression produced.
Manna timidly remarked that her taste was offended by the profusion offlowers displayed here on all occasions; she thought that massing themtogether, and tying them into close bunches, destroyed the wholecharacter of the flowers, of roses especially; their tender naturesuffered from such treatment.
Eric replied that, without these flowers, life here would lose animportant element of brilliancy and cheerfulness; that the purest andbest things were not safe from abuse and exaggeration, but that weshould not therefore lose sight of the beautiful underlying principle.
Pranken observed the impression which these words made, and gave a morelively turn to the conversation, by saying that he too did not likebouquets; flowers, birds, and women were the ornaments of life, andshould be dealt tenderly with and left unconfined.
Jest and merriment now reigned supreme. All were in that happy frame ofmind which is induced by the drinking of the waters and the freshmorning air. There was not wanting an object on which to exercise theirwit, in the person of a long lieutenant from Schwarzburg-Sondershausen,or Schwarzhausen-Sonderburg, as Bella always called it. The longlieutenant had openly confessed that his object in coming to the Bathswas to bless the daughter of some rich commoner with his title. He hadmade Bella his confidante, and she amused herself now by bringing himinto all manner of ridiculous positions.
The tall lieutenant took it all in good part; his standing joke wasthat he regretted, on his honor, Roland's not being Sonnenkamp'sdaughter, that he might marry her.
Manna blushed, for this plainly implied that she was consideredbetrothed to Pranken.
There was a good deal of gossip about some of the guests at the Baths,their loose and frivolous lives, all of which Manna listened to withthe rest, secretly thinking all the while: It is well to know all thediscord and confusion of the wicked world before leaving it forever.
Eric divined that some such thought was in her mind, and said in a lowtone:--
"In the Bible God says that he will spare Sodom, if a few righteouspersons are found in it. And so it is now. The sun shines, the birdssing, the flowers bloom, and the world is better than it seems."
"So you are a believer too?" asked Manna softly.
"Yes; but in a different way from yours."
On rising from table, Clodwig, Sonnenkamp, Eric, Roland, and theBanker, started on a long walk in the woods, while Bella kept Manna byher. Pranken also staid behind with the ladies, being excused todayfrom attendance on the Prince.
Bella had succeeded in getting invitations for Sonnenkamp and hisfamily to the next assembly, at which only the first nobility of Europewere to be present, and began to talk over with Manna the dress sheshould wear on the occasion. Manna had begged to be allowed to stay athome, but this was declared impossible, and she had been obliged toconsent to appear.
Meanwhile the men were taking their walk through the woods. Eric hadjoined Clodwig at once, and made him smile by saying that he had neverbefore participated in the gaieties of a watering-place, and that thelife here almost bewildered him. He wondered whether it would bepossible to induce men to go, for a few weeks of every year, to someplace for the cure of their souls. In this care for the bodily healthwas exhibited a selfishness which the world usually took pains toconceal. Clodwig had remained standing, while Eric thus spoke.
"You will never feel quite at home in the world," he answered,continuing his walk.
At a turn in the road, Eric fell back and allowed Sonnenkamp to go infront with Clodwig. There was something at once attractive andrepulsive to Clodwig in the society of Sonnenkamp. He had never seensuch a man before, and was chiefly impressed by the sort of courage hepossessed in assuming no foreign disguise.
Sonnenkamp made another attempt to induce the Count to use hisinfluence in procuring him a title, but was treated as he never beforehad been in his life, by receiving a most crushing answer couched inwords of courtesy.
"I am amazed at your courage and forbearance," he said; but the ideaconveyed by the words was: I detest your insolence and importunity.
"You are indefatigable, and may stand on an equality with the rulers,"were the words, but the meaning was: You are a shameless tyrant.
Sonnenkamp had experienced many strange things in his life, but, neverthis lashing a man to madness with courteous words. He kept a smilingcountenance, however, not daring to show any sense of injury, whileClodwig maintained a calm superiority, tapping occasionally on hisgolden snuff-box, as if saying to all the tickling spirits within: Havepatience; the man is getting a strong dose. Finally he opened the boxand offered Sonnenkamp a pinch, which the latter accepted with thanks.
Eric meanwhile was walking with the Banker. There was one point ofcommon interest between them, their admiration of Clodwig. The Bankermaintained that scarce any one but a man of rank could be soindependent and thoroughly human.
Roland cast a glance at Eric which seemed to say: You see this man saysthe same thing.
Eric zealously opposed this idea, and the Banker, who assumed a ratherpatronizing tone in conversing with the young scholar, was easilyconverted, and broke out into enthusiastic praise of Eric.
A great pleasure was awaiting Eric on his return from his morning walk,in the arrival of his friend and teacher, Professor Einsiedel.
The poor man of science felt himself quite lost and helpless in such aplace as Carlsbad, whither he had been ordered by his fellow-professor,the first physician of the University. Eric made the necessaryarrangements for his board and lodging, and whatever else he needed,feeling it a privilege to serve him in every way in his power.
While standing with his teacher, Eric perceived Sonnenkamp in thedistance talking with Professor Crutius, who had just arrived. Crutiusseemed unwilling to accept Sonnenkamp's friendly advances, and yetcould find no way of avoiding them. When Sonnenkamp offered his hand atparting, however, he did not take it, but raised his hat instead with aformal salute. Eric was so fortunate as to find a room for his teacherin the same house with his own party.
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