Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER II.

  THE CHILDREN OF MAMMON.

  Roland arrived, and Herr Weidmann with him. He had heard of hisfather's flight, but not of Bella's. A great change had come over theboy in these four days, especially in the lines about his mouth: itschildish expression had changed into one of pride and sadness, and hiswhole character had gained in firmness. He went directly to his mother,who had not once paused in her cry of, "Henry, Henry, come back! Henry,I will give you my ornaments: come back!"

  She appeared not to have noticed Roland's absence, and showed nosurprise now at seeing him. She only said,--

  "Your father will soon come back: he is only gone for a vessel, a greatvessel; he sits at the helm, he guides"--

  For the first time in his life, Roland was friendly and affectionate toFraeulein Perini, and thanked her warmly for her fidelity to his mother.

  Fraeulein Perini replied, that she was sure the young master would treather kindly, and not forget her services. Roland hardly understood hermeaning.

  He went to Manna, he went to the Professorin, and had for every one aword of encouragement.

  The notary came, and, on being asked if he had received any furthernews, answered hesitatingly, and fell back upon his power of attorney.

  Roland, Manna, Eric, and Weidmann were summoned into the great hall;and, as they entered the room which his father had left, Roland for thefirst time shed tears, and threw himself on his sister's neck. But hequickly recovered his composure.

  The lawyer told them that he knew the secret of opening the greatfire-proof safe that was built into the wall on one side of the room.The keys lay in the writing-desk, and the mysterious word which theletters must be made to spell before the keys would turn the locks, wasManna.

  "My name!" cried Manna, more touched than she could tell at herfather's thus opening the rich treasures of his wealth with her name.To the notary's amazement, she grasped Eric's hand.

  A strange chill spread through the room as the great safe was opened.

  On the top lay a little box labelled, "My last will and testament."They opened it. A sealed paper lay in it on which was written, "To beopened immediately after my death." These words, however, had beenerased, and beneath them was written, "To be opened six months after mydisappearance."

  Every thing was in perfect order. In different compartments lay thenotes of hand, state bonds of all the countries in Europe, andmore still of America, deeds of mining companies and of variousbanking-houses; there were papers of every sort and color: all theshades of the rainbow were represented.

  Roland and Manna hardly heard the great sums that were named. Theyfixed their eyes with the curiosity of children upon separate valuabledocuments as they were taken out. That is money then--

  Manna turned to Eric, with a timid entreaty that he would do and say inher place all that was necessary: she felt her head growing dizzy.

  Eric replied, that he hoped she would not have the affectation of thosepersons who receive thoughtlessly the burden of great wealth withoutbeing willing to learn their own position in the world.

  "I do not understand," said Manna. In view of all these greatpossessions she addressed him for the first time by the familiar German"Thou" in the presence of others.

  "You will soon learn to understand it. We are children of the actualworld; and, if we cannot preserve our ideality in the midst of theactual world, we have no ideality. We will learn together to use arightthis immense wealth. This is the first time, too, that I ever saw sucha vast amount."

  "It is a great thought that the whole world is made up of debtors andcreditors," exclaimed Roland.

  Still greater was the amazement of the children when the lower drawerwas opened, which, being on casters, was easily drawn out in spite ofits great weight.

  Here lay piles of gold from the mint, and gold in bars.

  Roland and Manna involuntarily knelt down, like little children, andfelt of it. After the notary had sat down to his writing in theadjoining room, and Eric and Weidmann had been called away, theyremained still upon the floor, gazing wonderingly at the gold and thenin one another's faces. Manna was the first to recover her voice.

  "Are we not like the children who lost their way in the wood, andstumbled upon hidden treasure? But"--

  She could not finish her sentence; for what she wanted to say was, "anevil spirit guards the gold."

  "Come," said Roland, "lay your hand here on mine and on the gold. Thisgold shall do good, only good, and always good, and shall make amendsfor the past. We swear it."

  "Yes, we swear it," repeated Manna. "Ah! if only our father may nothave to be suffering want out in the world, while we here have allthings in abundance. Perhaps he is seeking a shelter, while theseluxurious rooms are his own. Oh! why do men strive for riches, and selltheir own brothers? O God, why dost thou suffer it? Take all that wehave, and drive the iniquity out of the world."

  The girl's tears fell upon the gleaming gold. Roland soothed her, andlaid her head on his breast; and so the two children knelt in silencebefore the glittering gold.

  "Now we have had enough of this," said Roland at last. "We must bestrong: we have great duties before us."

  Almost with an angry hand, he pushed in the heavy drawer; and as theyrose to their feet, while the boy still had hold of the door of thegreat safe to shut it, the Major, Knopf, and the negro Adams, entered.

  For a moment, Roland and Manna stood motionless: then Roland ran up tothe black man, embraced him, and exclaimed with a loud cry,--

  "Let this make atonement to your whole race, to all your brothers!Come, Manna; give him your hand, embrace him: we owe it to him."

  Manna approached, but with difficulty held out her hand to him; shetrembled as she did it.

  Adams held her hand long and firmly; and a shiver, a shudder, whichmade her blood stand still, shot through her whole frame.

  With a great effort she controlled herself, and said in English, shehardly knew why,--

  "We welcome you as a brother."

  "Yes," cried Roland, "you shall counsel us, you shall help us, we willdo every thing through you."

  Manna whispered to Roland that they would give Adams at once a handsomesum of money; but Roland explained, that, although they mustundoubtedly provide generously for Adams, it would be better first tofind out if he understood the proper use of money.

  Manna looked at her brother in wonder.

  The notary now came from the adjoining room. Eric and Weidmannreturned, and signed a receipt for the whole amount.

  Eric now learned for the first time that Roland had insisted on Adamsbeing brought. Knopf said in an aside to Eric, that he might be proudof the boy: there was great strength of character in him. He hadrepeatedly said that he must show he felt no hatred towards theinnocent cause of this great calamity, and that, instead of persecutingthe negro, he was bound to show him kindness.

  Weidmann urged Adams's immediate departure from the Villa, fearing theeffect that a chance meeting with him might have upon Frau Ceres,associated as his appearance would be with recollections of her home.He advised the man's going with him to Mattenheim: but Roland boggedthat Adams might be allowed to remain till he himself went back toMattenheim; and the Major joyfully agreed to take him home with him.

  Eric was incensed that Knopf should have brought Adams at all; butKnopf told how he had met the negro on the way to the Villa, and, withan air of triumph, went on to tell what a model of knavery the fellowwas. He had devised a plan for going to Sonnenkamp, openly expressingrepentance for his deed, and offering to appear as a false witness, oncondition of being handsomely paid for it. He was beside himself,therefore, when he learned that Sonnenkamp had fled, and his falsetestimony was of no value.

  An important consultation took place in Sonnenkamp's room, upon thesubject of a new enterprise which Weidmann had in contemplation. He wasabout to purchase a large estate three leagues from Mattenheim, in thedirection of the mountains, and ask
ed Roland and Eric if they would notinvest a considerable sum in the land. He wanted to make the attempt tosettle a new village there, in combination with an old design of his,of attracting artisans by establishing them on small pieces of land oftheir own.

  Eric questioned whether they would have a right to use this money in aforeign land for the benefit of foreigners; and, besides, at presentthey were only stewards of the property.

  Weidmann praised his caution, but convinced him that this was a safeinvestment, and one that would be of benefit to many. He promised notto act alone, but to take the advice of the Banker in the matter.Security should be given that the amount of capital invested, should beset free again in a certain number of years.

  That evening, Weidmann departed for Mattenheim with a great chest ofgold.

  Eric was to bring the papers to the city, and then deliver them intothe Banker's keeping.