The Burgomaster's Wife — Complete

by Georg Ebers

  CHAPTER XIII.

  On the afternoon of the sixteenth of May, Burgomaster Van der Werff'swife was examining chests and boxes. Her husband was at the town-hall,but had told her that towards evening, the Prince's commissioner, HerrDietrich Van Bronkhorst, the two Seigneurs von Nordwyk, the city clerkVan Hout, and several other heads of municipal affairs and friends offreedom would meet at his house for a confidential consultation. Mariahad the charge of providing the gentlemen with a nice collation, wine,and many similar cares.

  This invitation had a very cheering influence on the young wife. Itpleased her to be able to play the hostess, according to the meaningof the word in her parents' house. How long she had been debarred fromhearing any grave, earnest conversation. True, there had been no lack ofvisitors: the friends and relatives of her husband's family, who calledupon her and talked with Barbara, often begged her to come to theirhouses; among them were many who showed themselves kindly disposedand could not help respecting her worth, but not one to whom she wasattracted by any warm affection. Maria, whose life was certainly notcrowded with amusements, dreaded their coming, and when they did call,endured their presence as an unavoidable evil. The worthy matrons wereall much older than herself and, while sitting over their cakes, stewedfruit, and hippocras, knitting, spinning or netting, talked of the hardtimes during the siege, of the cares of children and servants,washing and soap-making, or subjected to a rigid scrutiny the numerousincomprehensible and reprehensible acts other women were said to havecommitted, to be committing, or to desire to commit, until Maria's heartgrew heavy and her lonely room seemed to her a peaceful asylum.

  She could find words only when the conversation turned upon the miseryof the country and the sacred duty of bearing every privation a secondtime, if necessary for the freedom of the nation, and then she gladlylistened to the sturdy women, who evidently meant what they said; butwhen the hours were filled with idle gossip, it caused her actual pain.Yet she dared not avoid it and was obliged to wait until the departureof the last acquaintance; for after she had ventured to retire earlyseveral times, Barbara kindly warned her against it, not concealing thatshe had had great difficulty in defending her against the reproach ofpride and incivility.

  "Such chat," said the widow, "is pleasant and strengthens the courage,and whoever leaves the visitors while they are together, can pray theLord for a favorable report."

  One lady in Leyden pleased the burgomaster's wife. This was the wifeof Herr Van Hout, the city clerk, but the latter rarely appeared incompany, for though a delicate, aristocratic-looking woman, she wasobliged to be busy from morning till night, to keep the children andhousehold in good order on a narrow income.

  Maria felt brighter and happier than she had done for many days, asshe stood before the shelf that contained the table-furniture and thecupboard where the silver was kept. All the handsome dishes belonging tothe house were bright and shining, free from every grain of dust, so toowere the white linen cloths, trimmed with lace. She selected what sheneeded, but many of the pewter, glass, and silver articles did notplease her; for they did not match, and she found scratches and crackson numerous pieces.

  When her mother had begun to prepare her wedding-outfit, Peter expresseda desire that in these hard times the money should be kept and nouseless things purchased. There was an abundance of household articlesof every kind in his home, and he would have thought it wrong to buyeven a plate. In fact there was no lack of anything on the shelvesand cupboards, but she had not selected and bought them herself;they belonged to her, but not entirely, and what was worse, her eyes,accustomed to prettier things, could find no pleasure in these dull,scratched pewter plates, these pitchers, cups and tankards painted incoarse figures with glaring colors. The clumsy glass, too, did not suither taste, and, while looking it over and selecting what was necessary,she could not help thinking of her recently-wedded friends, who, withsparkling eyes, had showed her their spick-and-span new table-furnitureas proudly and happily, as if each piece had been their own work. But,even with the articles she possessed, a table could be set very prettilyand daintily.

  She had gone out with Adrian before dinner to cut some flowers in thegarden by the city wall, and also gathered some delicate grasses in themeadow before the gate. These gifts of May were now tastefully arranged,mixed with peacock-feathers, and placed in vases, and she was delightedto see even the clumsiest dishes win a graceful aspect from the garlandsshe twined around them. Adrian watched her in astonishment. He wouldnot have marvelled if, under her hands, the dark dining-room had beentransformed into a hall of mother-of-pearl and crystal.

  When the table was laid, Peter returned home for a moment. He was goingto ride out to Valkenburg with Captain Allertssohn, Janus Dousa,and other gentlemen, to inspect the fortifications before his guestsappeared. As he passed through the dining-room, he waved his hand to hiswife and glancing over the table, said:

  "This decoration was not necessary, least of all the flowers. Weexpect to hold a serious consultation, and you have arranged awedding-banquet."

  Perceiving that Maria cast down her eyes, he exclaimed kindly:

  "But it can remain so for aught I care," and left the room.

  Maria stood irresolutely before her work. Bitter emotions were againbeginning to stir in her mind, and she was already extending her handdefiantly towards one particularly beautiful vase, when Adrian raisedhis large eyes to her face, exclaiming in a tone of earnest entreaty:

  "No, mother, you mustn't do that, it looks quite too pretty."

  Maria smiled, passed her hand over the boy's curls, took two cakes froma dish, gave them to him, and said:

  "One for you, the other for Bessie; our flowers shall stay."

  Adrian hurried off with the sweet gifts, but Maria glanced over thetable once more, saying:

  "Peter never wants anything but what is absolutely necessary; yetthat surely isn't all, or God would have made all the birds with greyfeathers."

  After helping Barbara in the kitchen, she went to her own room. Thereshe arranged her hair, put a fresh, beautifully-starched ruff around herneck and carefully-plaited lace in the open bosom of her dress, but woreher every-day gown, for her husband did not wish to give the assembly athis house a festal aspect.

  Just as she had put the last gold pin in her hair, and was consideringwhether the place of honor at the table belonged to Herr Van Bronkhorst,as representative of the Prince, or to the older Herr von Nordwyk,Trautchen knocked at the door and informed her, that Doctor Bontiuswished to see the burgomaster on urgent business. The maid-servant hadtold the physician that her master had ridden out, but he would not beput off, and asked permission to see her mistress.

  Maria instantly went to Peter's room. The doctor seemed to be in haste.His only greeting was to point with the gold head of his long stafftowards the peaked black hat, that never left his head, even beside thesickbed, and asked in a curt, hurried tone:

  "When will Meister Peter come home?"

  "In an hour," replied Maria. "Sit down, Doctor."

  "Another time. It will keep me too long to wait for your husband. Afterall, you can come with me even without his consent."

  "Certainly; but we are expecting visitors."

  "Yes. If I find time, I shall come too. The gentlemen can do without me,but you are necessary to the sick person to whom I wish to take you."

  "I have no idea of whom you are speaking."

  "Haven't you? Then once more, it is of some one who is suffering, andthat will be enough for you at first."

  "And you think I could--"

  "You can do far more than you know. Barbara is attending to affairs inthe kitchen, and now I tell you again: You must help a sufferer."

  "But, Doctor--"

  "I must beg you to hurry, for my time is limited. Do you wish to makeyourself useful; yes or no?" The door of the dining-room had remainedopen. Maria again glanced at the table, and all the pleasures she hadanticipated this evening passed through her mind. But as the doctor waspreparing to go,
she stopped him, saying:

  "I will come."

  The manners of this blunt, but unselfish and clever man were familiar toMaria who, without waiting for a reply, brought her shawl, and ledthe way downstairs. As they passed by the kitchen, Bontius called toBarbara:

  "Tell Meister Peter, I have taken his wife to see Fraulein VanHoogstraten in Nobelstrasse."

  Maria could scarcely keep up with the doctor's rapid strides and hadsome difficulty in understanding him, as in broken sentences he toldher that all the Glipper friends of the Hoogstraten family had left thecity, the old Fraulein was dead, the servants had run away from fear ofthe plague, which had no existence, and Henrica was now deserted. Shehad been very ill with a severe fever, but was much better during thepast few days. "Misfortune has taken up its abode in the Glipper nest,"he added. "The scythe-man did the old lady a favor when he took her. TheFrench maid, a feeble nonentity, held out bravely, but after watchinga few nights broke down entirely and was to have been carried to St.Catharine's hospital, but the Italian steward, who is not a bad fellow,objected and had her taken to a Catholic laundress. He has followed tonurse her. No one is left in the deserted house to attend to the younglady, except Sister Gonzaga, a good little nun, one of the three whowere allowed to remain in the old convent near you, but early thismorning, to cap the climax of misfortune, the kind old woman scaldedher fingers while heating a bath. The Catholic priest has faithfullyremained at his post, but what can we men do in nursing the sick girl!You doubtless now suspect why I brought you with me. You ought not andcannot become the stranger's nurse permanently; but if the young lady isnot to sink after all, she must now have some face about her which shecan love, and God has blessed you with one. Look at the sick girl, talkwith her, and if you are what I believe you--but here we are."

  The air of the dark entrance hall of the Hoogstraten residence wasfilled with a strong odor of musk. The old lady's death had beeninstantly announced at the town-hall by Doctor Bontius' representative,and an armed man was marching up and down in the hall, keeping guard,who told the physician that Herr Van Hout had already been here with hismen and put seals on all the doors.

  On the staircase Maria seized her guide's arm in terror; for through anopen door-way of the second story, to which she was ascending with hercompanion, she saw in the dusk a shapeless figure, moving strangelyhither and thither, up and down. Her tone was by no means confident as,pointing towards it with her finger, she asked the doctor:

  "What is that?"

  The physician had paused with her, and seeing the strange object towhich the burgomaster's wife pointed, recoiled a step himself. Butthe cool-headed man quickly perceived the real nature of the ghostlyapparition, and leading Maria forward exclaimed smiling:

  "What in the world are you doing there on the floor, Father Damianus?"

  "I am scouring the boards," replied the priest quietly.

  "Right is right," cried the doctor indignantly. "You are too good formaid-servant's work, Father Damianus, especially when there is plentyof money without an owner here in the house, and we can find as manyscrubbing-women as we want to-morrow."

  "But not to-day, doctor; and the young lady won't stay in yonder roomany longer. You ordered her to go to sleep yourself, and Sister Gonzagasays she won't close her eyes so long as she is next door to thecorpse."

  "Then Van Hout's men ought to have carried her on her bed into the oldlady's beautiful sitting-room."

  "That's sealed, and so are all the other handsome chambers on thisstory. The men were obliging and tried to find scrub-women, but the poorthings are afraid of the plague."

  "Such rumors grow like wire-grass," cried the doctor. "Nobody sows it,yet who can uproot it when it is once here?"

  "Neither you nor I," replied the priest. "The young lady must be broughtinto this room at once; but it looked neglected, so I've just set it torights. It will do the invalid good, and the exercise can't hurt me."With these words Father Damianus rose, and seeing Maria, said:

  "You have brought a new nurse? That's right. I need not praise SisterGonzaga, for you know her; but I assure you Fraulein Henrica won't allowher to remain with her long, and I shall leave this house as soon as thefuneral is over."

  "You have done your duty; but what does this news about the Sistermean?" cried the physician angrily. "I'd rather have your old Gonzagawith her burnt fingers than--what has happened?"

  The priest approached and, hastily casting a side glance at theburgomaster's wife, exclaimed:

  "She speaks through her nose, and Fraulein Henrica said just now it madeher ache to hear her talk; I must keep her away."

  Doctor Bontius reflected a moment, and then said: "There are eyes thatcannot endure a glare of light, and perhaps certain tones may seemunbearable to irritated ears. Frau Van der Werff, you have been keptwaiting a long time, please follow me."

  It had grown dark. The curtains of the sick-room were lowered and asmall lamp, burning behind a screen, shed but a feeble light.

  The doctor approached the bed, felt Henrica's pulse, said a few words ina low tone to prepare her for her visitor, and then took the lamp to seehow the invalid looked.

  Maria now beheld a pale face with regular outline, whose dark eyes,in their size and lustre, formed a striking contrast to the emaciatedcheeks and sunken features of the sick girl.

  After old Sister Gonzaga had restored the lamp to its former place, thephysician said:

  "Excellent! Now, Sister, go and change the bandage on your arm and liedown." Then he beckoned Maria to approach.

  Henrica's face made a strange impression upon the burgomaster's wife.She thought her beautiful, but the large eyes and firmly-shut lipsseemed peculiar, rather than attractive. Yet she instantly obeyed thephysician's summons, approached the bed, said kindly that she had beenglad to come to stay with her a short time, and asked what she desired.

  At these words, Henrica raised herself and with a sigh of relief,exclaimed:

  "That does me good! Thanks, Doctor. That's a human voice again. If youwant to please me, Frau Van der Werff keep on talking, no matter whatyou say. Please come and sit down here. With Sister Gonzaga's hands,your voice, and the doctor's--yes, I will say with Doctor Bontius'candor, it won't be difficult to recover entirely."

  "Good, good," murmured the physician. "Kind Sister Gonzaga's injuriesare not serious and she will stay with you, but when it is time for youto sleep, you will be moved elsewhere. You can remain here an hour, FrauVan der Werff, but that will be enough for to-day. I'll go to your houseand send the servant for you with a lantern."

  When the two ladies were left alone together, Maria said:

  "You set great value on the sound of voices; so do I, perhaps more thanis desirable. True, I have never had any serious illness--"

  "This is my first one too," replied Henrica, "but I know now what itis to be compelled to submit to everything we don't like, and feel withtwo-fold keenness everything that is repulsive. It is better to die thansuffer."

  "Your aunt is dead," said Maria sympathizingly.

  "She died early this morning. We had little in common save the tie ofblood."

  "Are your parents no longer living?"

  "Only my father; but what of that?"

  "He will rejoice over your recovery; Doctor Bontius says you will soonbe perfectly well."

  "I think so too," replied Henrica confidently, and then said softly,without heeding Maria's presence: "There is one beautiful thing. When Iam well again, I shall once more--Do you practise music?"

  "Yes, dear Fraulein."

  "Not merely as a pastime, but because you feel you cannot live withoutit?"

  "You must keep quiet, Fraulein. Music;--yes, I think my life would befar poorer without it than it is."

  "Do you sing?"

  "Very seldom here; but when a girl in Delft we sung every day."

  "Of course you were the soprano?"

  "Yes, Fraulein."

  "Let the Fraulein drop, and call me Henrica."

  "With a
ll my heart, if you will call me Maria, or Frau Maria."

  "I'll try. Don't you think we could practise many a song together?"

  Just as these words were uttered, Sister Gonzaga entered the room,saying that the wife of Receiver General Cornelius had called to ask ifshe could do anything for the sick lady.

  "What does that mean?" asked Henrica angrily. "I don't know the woman."

  "She is the mother of Herr Wilhelm, the musician," said the young wife.

  "Oh!" exclaimed Henrica. "Shall I admit her, Maria?"

  The latter shook her head and answered firmly "No, Fraulein Henrica.It is not good for you to have more than one visitor at this hour, andbesides--"

  "Well?"

  "She is an excellent woman, but I fear her blunt manner, heavy step, andloud voice would not benefit you just now. Let me go to her and ask whatshe desires."

  "Receive her kindly, and tell her to remember me to her son. I am notvery delicate, but I see you understand me; such substantial fare wouldhardly suit me just now."

  After Maria had performed her errand and talked with Henrica for a time,Frau Van Hout was announced. Her husband, who had been present when thedoors of the house of death were sealed, had told her about the invalidand she came to see if the poor girl needed anything.

  "You might receive her," said Maria, "for she would surely please you;but the bell is ringing again, and you have talked enough for to-day.Try to sleep now. I'll go home with Frau Van Hout and come againtomorrow, if agreeable to you."

  "Come, pray come!" exclaimed the young girl.

  "Do you want to say anything more to me?"

  "I should like to do so, Fraulein Henrica. You ought not to stay in thissad house. There is plenty of room in ours. Will you be our guest untilyour father--"

  "Yes, take me home with you!" cried the invalid, tears sparkling in hereyes. "Take me away from here, only take me away--and I will be gratefulto you all my life."