Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER V.

  NOCTURNAL INFORMATION, AND A FAREWELL LOST BY SLEEP.

  Roland slept; he little thought that over him and his destiny two menwere keeping watch in the deepest anxiety.

  Eric had followed his host into the workroom, and here Weidmann askedhim: "Do you know why you are sent here?"

  "Sent here?"

  "Yes."

  "Herr Sonnenkamp wants to establish friendly relations with you, and Imyself have wished for some time----"

  "Good. The best spy is often the one who doesn't know that he has to bea spy, who looks on innocently and reports innocently."

  "I don't understand."

  "Take my word for it, Herr Sonnenkamp didn't for a moment think ofcoming to our house, especially as he does not yet know when Dr. Fritzleaves; his pretending to you that he was called away was quiteharmless. Send a messenger, and he will send you word with his regretsthat he cannot come himself, but will send the carriage. Ah! my youngfriend, there is no pleasure in following up the trail of the beast ofprey in man. But first of all, one question. Do you know how HerrSonnenkamp comes on in his endeavors to get a title?"

  "No."

  "Do you know that I have hit upon means to be relied on of forming anopinion of Herr Sonnenkamp's deserts?"

  Eric expressed his ignorance, and Weidmann continued:----

  "I have told you that the groom who blows the trumpet was once aconvict. I have still another convict that I keep on an out of the waypart of the estate, for he doesn't do well, not so much from an evildisposition, as from a spirit of braggadocio when he is amongst men.You see then that I do not reject men of criminal antecedents; forpride in our own virtue is very weak-kneed. It is, at the best, onlygood luck if we, by teaching and example, and with the means ofsubsistence assured to us, do not burden ourselves with many anill deed that we cannot blot out. Of course, a long-continued,closely-calculating occupation, revolting to every feeling ofhumanity--but as I said, I will put no obstacle in Herr Sonnenkamp'sway, only it is incomprehensible to me that he should seek to beennobled, and in that way voluntarily challenge inquiry into hisantecedents. If, as my friend Wolfsgarten says, you have greatinfluence over Herr Sonnenkamp, advise him to give this thing up."

  Eric held his hand before his eyes; his eye was burning, he strove tospeak, but could not.

  Weidmann, who misapprehended this emotion, said in a mild tone:--

  "I admire your power, in having been able, as Herr Knopf informed me,and as I myself see, to bring an atmosphere of noble feeling into thisfamily, to hold your pupil in the path of innocence, and to naturalizehim in all that is good. If this boy should one day learn----"

  "Learn what? what? I beg of you," Eric was at last able to utter.

  "Do you mean to say," answered Weidmann, pressing his head with bothhands, "do you mean to say that you know nothing about it?"

  "I know nothing more than this, that Herr Sonnenkamp owned largeplantations with great numbers of slaves, that he grew tired of thelife, and therefore came back to Germany."

  "Herr Sonnenkamp--Herr Sonnenkamp!" said Weidmann, "a pretty name! andit is well for him that his mother bore it. So you have never heard ofa Herr Banfield?"

  "Nothing very definite; but the head gardener told me that HerrSonnenkamp was very angry on his return from the Baths, when he foundthat name registered in the visitors' book. But tell me, what is therein that?"

  "Herr Sonnenkamp, or rather, not Herr Sonnenkamp, but, as his namereally is, Herr Banfield, is in so many words the most notoriousslave-dealer ever known in the Southern States; nay, more. My nephew,Doctor Fritz, could tell you many a thing he has done; he even went sofar as to defend slavery in the public prints, and he was so shamelessas to set himself up as a proof that all Germans had not degeneratedinto sentimental humanity, but that he, a representative of Germany,supported slavery, maintaining it to be right. He has a ring on histhumb; if he takes the ring off, you can see the marks of the teeth ofa slave whom he was throttling, and who bit him in that thumb."

  A cry of horror was wrung from Eric's heart; he could only gasp out thewords:--

  "O Roland! O Mother! O Manna!"

  "It grieves me to tell you this, but it is best that you should learnit through me. You cannot conceive that a man with such antecedents canat times appear so well, and engage in the discussions of principles.Yes, this man is a swamp encircled with flowers. The fellow has costme many days of my life, for I cannot understand how he can live.Slave-dealing is murder in cold blood, the annihilation of freeexistence for one's own gain; the murderer from passion, and themurderer from rapacity, stalk over the corpses of their victims togratify their desire of establishing their supposed rights. The worldis to them a field of battle and a conflict, an annihilation of theirfoes, to find room for themselves. But a slave-dealer--a slavemurderer! And this man is now a fruit-grower, a most excellent, carefulfruit-grower, in mockery of the words: 'By their fruits ye shall knowthem.' Oh! my head was fairly crazed with this man, until I broughtmyself to the point of being able to forget him!"

  Weidmann spoke on uninterruptedly, as if he did not wish these sadthoughts to settle down upon him.

  Soon Eric raised his head and besought him:--

  "Tell me all."

  "Yes, you shall know all,--ah, what is all? You have heard of the fateof Captain Brown at Harper's Ferry?"

  "Certainly. Was Herr Sonnenkamp there too?"

  "He was a ringleader."

  Eric related how Roland at one time in his fever dreams shouted, "JohnBrown is hanging on the gallows!"

  The more he spoke of Roland, the more feelingly his voice trembled, andat last hot tears burst from his eyes. He apologized for this weaknessbefore Weidmann, who said:--

  "Your tears consecrate you in my eyes forever; you shall find in me afriend whom you may call upon at any time and in any situation of life.Whatever is in my power is yours, your deeds shall be mine. You are notweak, you are strong, you must be; and it is a noble vocation for youto be placed as you are at the side of such a youth, with such a fatalinheritance."

  Eric Stood up and drew a long deep breath; the two men held fast eachother's hands, and laying his left on his heart, Eric said:--

  "I hope that I shall show myself worthy of your appeal."

  "I knew this, and it is better, as I said, that you have learned thething from me. There's no doubt about the matter, depend upon it."

  For a long while not a word was spoken. Eric had called out Manna'sname with Roland's and his mother's. Now, for the first time, in thedeepest sorrow, it broke upon him fully, that he loved Manna; and witha sense of satisfaction the thought shot through his soul that he hadnot yet spoken to her a word of love.

  Terrified at this selfishness he started up.

  How could he think of himself, and not of her hard fate? He grieved forher, above all, that she should be the daughter of such a man.

  How will she bear it? And did she know it perhaps already? Was this thecause of her secluded life, of the eagerness to sacrifice herself andtake the veil?

  "Don't lose yourself in thoughts and anxious speculations," saidWeidmann admonishingly.

  Eric did not dare to speak of Manna; he merely asked Weidmann whetherhe thought he ought to communicate this information to his mother; forit was doubly agonizing to have involved his mother in such aconnection.

  Weidmann said that he well knew what a frightful thing it must be toeat this man's bread, to drink his wine, to receive services at hishand. But he impressed upon Eric the necessity of sparing his motherthe recital as long as possible, since he needed her sorely as a stayfor Frau Ceres and Manna. Yes, Weidmann called it a rare piece of goodfortune to have at one's side, aiding and supporting, a woman so noble,and so tried in the battle of life.

  It was long after midnight when Eric left his host.

  He went to his room; he saw that Roland was asleep, and a silent vowrose to his lips, as he gazed upon the handsome, sleeping boy.
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  Eric wandered restless through the house and through the woods; meteorsdarted hither and thither through the sky; in the distance glistenedthe waves of the Rhine; a dewy atmosphere lay upon the whole earth;Eric found no rest, nay, he found hardly a moment's meditation. Whatshould he, what could he do?

  Morning began to glimmer; he returned to the courtyard.

  Here everything was full of life.

  He first fell in with Knopf, who said to him:--

  "I haven't slept a wink the whole night on your account. Ah, thatquestion of yours! Theoretically it cannot be solved, since all thereal relations of life are made up not of whole numbers, but offractions only, and can only be expressed in fractions. So the totalalso cannot be expressed in one whole number. I can't make out, and itturns my head to think of what I should do if I were possessed of manymillions. To found benevolent institutions, that is hardly enough; thewhole world shouldn't be a vast almshouse, a piously endowedestablishment. I would have joy and beauty everywhere; men should benot only fed and clothed, they should also be happy. In the firstplace, I would found in every town a good salary for the teacher wholeads the singing-club, and a pint of wine for every member onSunday; and I would build a concert-hall in every town, with loftysummer-saloons, and well-heated rooms in winter, ornamented withbeautiful paintings; and in them should be hung up the prizes gained bythe club.

  "I would also erect an institute for poor children, and make myselfdirector of it; and then I would found a refuge for deserving tutors. Ihave even fixed on the name it should go by,--'The Home for Eventide.'Oh, that will be magnificent; how the old teachers will wrangle andeach extol his system as the best! I have also decided to let theprincipal lie, and take a million from it to go travelling with. Iwould take with me a dozen or more companions, honest, capable men,naturalists, painters, sculptors, merchants, politicians, teachers--ina word, capable men from all callings. I would have them equipped witheverything needful, and we would stop wherever and as long as we chose.In this way I would learn what are the best social arrangements in theworld, and when I came home I'd establish similar ones. I do not expectto find it out all at once. Only think what a fine thing such a journeywould be, with a dozen or more right clever men, with our own ship forthe sea, and with mules for the mountains. In a word, it would besplendid, and useful at the same time. And when Roland comes home hemust turn agriculturist; it is altogether the best life; that is tosay, man has in that life the best basis to stand upon--the mostnatural basis. But, as I said, I am counting my chickens before theyare hatched."

  Eric hardly heard what Knopf was saying, and for the first time woke upout of his dreams when Knopf asked him,--

  "Where is Roland? I promised to wake him in time for the departure ofDoctor Fritz and his child."

  "Just let him sleep."

  "On your responsibility?"

  "On my responsibility."

  "Very well," rejoined Knopf. "Indeed, I had rather not wake him. Inthat way Roland will have to suffer a pretty little bit of romanticpain. I cannot tolerate this sentimental nonsense between children. Nowhe has taken his leave, or rather not taken his leave in the night, andwhile he was sleeping she disappeared; that is a bit of romantic pain.This taking leave! In the morning, shivering and shaking on thesteamer-landing, or at the railroad station, you take leave; then theship or the train moves off, then you stand there like one who has beenrobbed, and then you have got to go back. Ah, it is so absurd! I shivera whole day after a farewell. But now if Roland wakes up and the childhas flown away, that may leave a sweet, strong, ecstatic remembrancebehind in the soul; and we too, you, Doctor, and I, are both giants inthis children's story."

  At this point Herr and Frau Weidmann came upon the scene, as well astheir sons, the Russian, the Banker, and all the inmates of the house.All shook hands once more with Doctor Fritz and his child, and Liliancried,--

  "Herr Knopf, give my compliments to Roland, the sleeper."

  Away rolled the carriage, the inmates of the house retired to bed; allbut Eric and Knopf, who still roamed about in the morning twilight; andKnopf was especially happy to watch so closely once more the universalawakening of nature.

  He said that one always neglected it, unless compelled to observe it;and that there were doubtless many poets who sang of the dewy twilightof the morn, who were at the same time frightfully late sleepers.

  Eric listened to the good Knopf, but could not conceive how there couldbe a man out there in the open air alive to such contemplation; withhim every thought and every act, the very idea that there was stillmuch to do in life, seemed like a shadowy dream.

  On the other hand, Knopf thought that Eric was all attention, andexpressed regret that the child had gone; he still had the RussianPrince to instruct, indeed, but the child had made the whole househappy; she was like a living, speaking rose transplanted from the NewWorld. They were evidently expressions which were to serve as ornamentsto a poem already begun or in contemplation.

  Eric listened to it all patiently.

  At last he asked Knopf if Doctor Fritz had said much to him about HerrSonnenkamp.

  Knopf confirmed a part of Weidmann's information; but he did not seemto know everything.

  "I take the holy morn to witness," exclaimed Knopf, "you are a man tobe honored, Herr Dournay. If I had known at the time the antecedents ofHerr Sonnenkamp, I should not have felt so secure when I was teachingRoland. I should always have felt as if there was a loaded pistol at myear, to go off at any moment. Yes, you are a strong man; this is a newkind of greatness, for I know what it means to control and manageRoland as you do."

  Knopf had seized hold of Eric's hand, and in his excessive enthusiasmhe kissed it.

  Eric was calm, and Knopf had a beatific look; his countenance with itssmiles was like the stream, on whose bosom the wind tosses along therippling waves. He maintained that they were both happy in beingco-workers in the solution of the most difficult and most sublimeproblem of the century; for Eric had Roland to instruct, who would beobliged to have relations with slavery, and he himself had the Russianfor a pupil, who had now the emancipated serfs to manage.

  He represented that the prince wanted him to go home with him, andestablish a school for the liberated serfs; Doctor Fritz, on the otherhand, wanted him to go to America and manage a school for the childrenof freed negroes. He reproached himself with not having really astronger inclination for the negro children, for as he wished to behonest, he must confess he would only go to America for the sake ofseeing Lilian once more, and observing how she developed, and whatfortune was in store for her.

  As Eric was returning to the courtyard, he saw Weidmann and the Bankergetting into the carriage; they were going to the capital to negotiatefor the domain. Eric bade good-bye to them, and expressed hisdetermination to return at once to Villa Eden. As he named Villa Eden,he felt a shiver creep over him. Weidmann stepped out of the carriageonce more, took Eric aside, impressed upon him the necessity of beingcircumspect, and from the carriage exclaimed,--

  "Dear Dournay, both for your mother and your aunt, my house is alwaysyours."

  Eric went away to waken Roland. As he woke up, he cried,--

  "Is it morning already? Are they still here?"

  "Who?"

  "Lilian and her father."

  "No; they have been gone this long while."

  "And why didn't you wake me up?"

  "Because you needed sleep. In one hour we are going home again."

  Roland turned defiantly away; but while Eric was talking to him withgreat earnestness, he turned his face towards him at last, and on hislong eyelashes stood big tears.

  "What tears will those eyes one day shed?" said Eric to himself.

  The carriage in which Doctor Fritz and his child had left came back.The coachman brought still another greeting from Lilian to Roland. Thehorses were not taken out, but fed in harness, and soon Eric and Rolandwere journeying homewards.