CHAPTER V.
THE CONFESSION OF A WORLDLING.
At the very time that Sonnenkamp was entering the palace, Pranken wasgoing into the deanery; he was detained a few minutes by the passingsoldiery, he had to salute many a comrade covered with dust, on footand on horseback. He was going to that quarter of the city whereinresounded no clang of military music; here all was still, as ifeverything were holding its breath, except that in the church the organnotes were still swelling. He went in, he saw the Dean, a largepowerful man, just returning into the sacristy. Pranken sat awhile in apew, until he felt sure that the Dean had reached his house; then heleft the church. The servant was standing in the open door; he saidthat the reverend gentleman requested Pranken to walk in and wait a fewmoments. He was shown up the staircase; it was a fine large staircaseof the old chapter house. At the top, a young priest who was justcoming out was shutting the door very quietly, even reverently; theyoung priest came down the left staircase while Pranken went up theright.
Pranken had to wait awhile in the large room where an open book lay onthe table. He looked into it; it was a scheme of ecclesiasticalpreferments; he smiled. Good, the priests, like the military, have aprinted list, too. This simile gave him new courage.
The Dean entered; he had a book in his hand, between the leaves ofwhich he had inserted his forefinger. He saluted Pranken, making agesture with the book, and begged him to sit down; he offered him aseat on the sofa, and seated himself opposite him in a chair oncasters.
"What do you bring, Herr Baron?"
With a peculiar smile, Pranken answered that he brought nothing, but onthe other hand came to get something. The priest nodded, looked intothe book once more at the place where he had his finger inserted, andlaying it aside said:--
"I am ready."
Pranken began to explain, that he had chosen the Dean in preference toany one else, to be his confessor in an affair which only a man ofnoble birth could properly appreciate and give advice about. The Deangrasped his chin with his left hand, and said with great decision, thatafter ordination and the new birth there was no longer any nobility; hehad no different power from that of the son of the poorest day-laborer.
Pranken felt that he had made a mistake at the outset, and went on tosay in a very humble way, that above all things he regarded thepriestly dignity as the highest, but that still it was well known thatthe very worthy Dean knew something about the circumstances of lifewhich he wished to lay before him. Then he gave a concise account ofhis past life; it was that of a son of a noble family until hisacquaintance with Sonnenkamp. At this point he went somewhat intodetail, and confessed that his thinking of Manna as his wife. Manna thedaughter of the millionaire, was at first nothing more than a jest, apastime. He related how Manna had unexpectedly entered the convent; andwith great earnestness he declared that it was Manna that had wakenedin him the knowledge of the higher life. He dwelt particularly on hismomentary determination to become a priest; but he was now of anotherway of thinking; he was still too worldly in his views, but he hoped,however, in union with Manna, to lead a life devoted to the highest ofail interests.
With quiet attention, frequently closing his eyes, and again openingthem quickly, the Dean listened to the story.
At last Pranken paused, and the reverend father said:--
"That, I suppose, is the introduction. I must now tell you on my partthat I know this Herr Sonnenkamp and his daughter. I was staying notlong ago with a brother priest in the town which is part of the sameparish with Villa Eden--is not the place so called? I have seen themaiden; it was then reported that she was going to become a nun. I havealso seen the park and the house; everything is very stately, verybeautiful. And now I beg of you, proceed and tell me, without anyfurther digression, what you wish from me."
Pranken went on to say rapidly, that in conjunction with theCabinetsrath he had brought matters to such a point that Sonnenkamp wasat this very hour receiving a patent of nobility.
Again he paused, but the Reverend father asked no more questions, butsimply looked at him inquiringly.
Fastening his gaze upon the table-cover, Pranken now went on to tellwhat he knew of Sonnenkamp's past life; he had, up to this moment,believed that he might regard it with indifference, but at the presenttime--just since yesterday--when Sonnenkamp and his family were to bemade of equal rank with himself, it let him rest no longer.
"I don't understand you," said the Dean. "Do you find yourselfoverburdened in your conscience, because you, although you knew whatthe man is, still endeavored successfully to procure for him anhonorable and distinguished preferment? in a word, his elevation to therank of noble?"
"Yes and no," replied Pranken, "I am not clear on that point. I couldsay that I am innocent, for I have never been asked my opinion on thematter, and still----"
"Go on, I think you are on the right path; 'and still'--you were goingto say."
Pranken resumed his speech like a pupil in examination, and collectinghis thoughts said:--
"Thank Heaven that there are living beings sent into the world; to whomwe can and must tell what we do not acknowledge to ourselves. I muststill, however, confess that my open and undisguised relation to HerrSonnenkamp is perhaps something more than an expression of an opinion."
"Right, quite right! You have come to me then, to learn, at the verylast hour, what you ought to do?"
"To tell the honest truth, no. I simply wished to have you give mesomething, an injunction of some sort to ease this constant torment andfear of discovery."
"Wonderful world!" rejoined the Priest. "Wonderful world! You wouldlike to live in sinful enjoyment, and still, at the same time receivean 'absolving benediction.'"
Pranken's thoughts wandered involuntarily to Nelly's house near by, butwith a powerful effort he called back his thoughts.
Both men said nothing for a short time; then the Dean asked:--
"Does this Herr Sonnenkamp know that you are acquainted with his pastlife?"
"O no, and he must never know it."
Again there was a long pause.
From the cathedral near by came the stroke of noon; the bells rang outthe Angelus, the Priest rose and said a low prayer; Pranken did thesame. They seated themselves again, but neither spoke. Pranken wasbecoming indignant; he was angry with himself for having come here;however, there was no help for it now; with repressed anger he said atlast:--
"Very Reverend sir, I have confessed everything to you now; I beg ofyou to advise me."
"Should I advise you to forsake Herr Sonnenkamp and your bride?"
Pranken shrank back.
The Dean proceeded, rising, and walking up and down the parlor:--"Thatis the way with you. You will have advice, you children of worldlypleasure, but only such advice as enjoins no privation upon you; youwill have such counsel only as enables you to accomplish your purpose,whatever it may be, with a pacified conscience. You want mustard forthe digestion of heavy dinners, do you not?" said he, turning roundsuddenly.
His eyes sparkled.
"Reverend sir," said Pranken, in a tremor, "bid me forsake HerrSonnenkamp and Manna, and I promise you that I will do it forthwith.Only think what will become of the maiden, and shall not what has beenso earned be used for higher----"
"Stop!" said the Dean, interrupting him, and extending his hand with agesture of rebuke, knitting his brows and pressing his lips tighttogether. "You think that you can bribe us with these millions? You areanother of those, who, with outward veneration, still believe withinthemselves the clergy want nothing but money, nothing but power. No, wewant none of your money, so won by marriage or inheritance!"
The Priest was standing at the window, looking up at the sky, in whichdark clouds were gathering; he seemed to have quite forgotten thatPranken was there, and the latter finally said to him,--
"Reverend sir, do you wish me to withdraw?"
The Priest turned round quickly and said, motioning with his lefthand,--
Pranken obeyed.
"Now I will tell you something. What you have done to the nobility, foryou have done it, and not simply allowed it to happen, is your concernand that of the nobility; for us, your grades of honor are matters ofno moment. Whether a man is a commoner or a noble, it is all the sameto us. But I tell you this"--the Priest hesitated, and resting hiselbow in the hollow of his right hand took hold of his chin with hisleft; he seemed to be arranging his words with quiet deliberation--"Itell you this: you must be true now, you must not forsake this man andhis daughter. You must share everything with them, whatever the worldlyhonors may bring; you must consider yourself as linked to them, andthank God in humbleness of heart that you have an opportunity ofdevoting yourself, and leading your new family to the pure and noblesacrifice of self."
Pranken started up, kissed the Priest's hand, and exclaimed,--
"I will, I promise you. Keep your eye on me; you shall see that I willgo through with whatever you enjoin upon me."
"Go then, and God be with you; you have a heavier burden to carry thanyou now think for. Go, and God be with you."
He laid his hand on the Baron's head; Pranken turned away, and full ofhumility descended the staircase; at the bottom he gave the soldier abrotherly shake of the hand.
After Pranken had gone, the soldier kept looking at his hand, and then,searching on the floor; he could not imagine that the free and easyPranken had not given him a gold piece. No, that would have made aringing; he must surely have given him paper money; but he could notfind it on the clean stone-floor.
As if he had anticipated the soldier's thoughts, Pranken returned, anddeparted after putting a gold piece into his hand.
He came by Nelly's house, where yesterday--it seemed to him adream--no, it cannot be!--he had waited an hour. He glanced up, andthought he saw some one leaning at the open window, whose eyes followedhim; he fixed his look upon the ground, and passed on.
He came to the parade-ground, listened to the music, saw the officersstanding in a group, and--who can calculate the sinuous course ofthought?--he thought that the watchword was now being given out to theofficers; and he had a watchword too, which no one else was to know,given to him by the man behind the cathedral, who had dashed him downas if he would break every one of his bones. A smile went overPranken's features.
"Thou hast played well, but thou hast only played," he said, recallingto mind the Dean. "You shall see that I can play well too; I know mypart, and I will yet show you a little of my skill in playing."
Pride again rose within him, and he could not comprehend that he, Ottovon Pranken, had been such a mortified piece of humility. But it isvery well to have been so once.
He came to the Hotel Victoria in a half-humble, half-conceited mood,and he now felt a real training-day hunger. Such mental emotions havethis advantage, that they make one hungry.
Pranken anticipated with a feeling of satisfaction his dinner with theBaron, his father-in-law.
As he stood at Sonnenkamp's door and was about to ring, he heard someone inside saying in a loud tone:--
"But Where's Herr von Pranken?"
"Here!" cried he, as he went in.
Das landhaus am Rhein. English Page 170