At that moment he felt a strange urge to stretch out his hand to his father and mother as he left, and when he was out on the road he looked back at the house once more.
“Do you know what I think?” said Manz. “He’s chasing after some girl or other. That would be the last straw!”
“Perhaps he will find happiness with her,” said his wife. “If he did, it would be wonderful for the poor boy.”
“Oh, wonderful,” sneered Manz. “If he has the misfortune to get hold of the sort of chatterbox I’ve got, it will certainly be wonderful for the poor wretch!”
At first Sali made for the river, where he had arranged to meet Vrenchen, but on the way he changed his mind and went straight to her house, for he felt he could not wait till the appointed hour. “Why worry what people will say?” he thought to himself. “I’m an upright fellow and afraid of no one. Besides, nobody has ever lifted a finger to help us.”
So without further ado he opened Vrenchen’s door. To his surprise he found her sitting there fully dressed in her finest clothes, waiting only for her shoes. When he saw her, he stopped in his tracks and stared at her open-mouthed, so lovely did she look. Her slim form was sheathed in a simple blue cotton dress, fresh and fragrant, and round her neck she wore a kerchief of snow-white muslin. Her brown locks, usually so dishevelled, were neatly combed. She had scarcely been outside the house for weeks, and her complexion had become even paler than before, as though from sorrow. But this pallor now gave way to the flush of love and joy, and on her dress she wore a beautiful spray of rosemary, asters and roses.
She had been sitting by the open window, revelling in the fresh, sunlit morning air. When she caught sight of Sali, she stretched out her soft, bare arms towards him and cried:
“How happy I am that you have come so early! Have you really brought the shoes? I shan’t stand up until I’ve got them on!”
He took the cherished present from his pocket and gave it to her. She kicked off her old clogs and eagerly slipped into the new ones. They fitted perfectly. She got up from her chair to see how they felt, and walked delightedly up and down a few times. Then she drew her long blue dress up a little and looked admiringly at the red woollen bows which graced the new shoes, while Sali could nor take his eyes off the charming figure tripping joyfully and excitedly to and fro.
“Are you looking at my posy?” she said. “Isn’t it pretty? They were the last flowers I could find in the wilderness outside. There was a rose growing in one place, and an aster in another; and now that they’re tied together, nobody could ever tell that they came from such a barren waste. So now that there is not a flower left, and the house is empty, it is time for me to leave.”
Sali looked round and noticed for the first time that all the furniture had gone.
“Poor Vreeli.” he murmured. “Have they taken everything?”
“Yesterday they took everything they could,” she replied, “and did not even want to leave me my bed. But now I’ve sold that too and got some money of my own. Look!”
And she took a few shining talers from the pocket of her dress and showed them round him.
“The man from the orphanage who was here,” she went on, “told me to take them and start looking for a job in the town straight away.”
“But there is not a single thing left,” said Sali, who had looked into the kitchen, “not a stick of wood, not a saucepan, not a single knife. Did you not have any breakfast?”
“No,” answered Vrenchen. “I could have fetched something but then I thought it would be better to stay hungry so that I could eat a big meal when we go out together. How happy I am going to be today!”
“And how happy I would be if I could only touch you, you lovely creature!” cried Sali.
“You would only spoil my dress! And if we can spare my little posy for a while, it will make up for the way you ruffle my hair.”
“Let’s be on our way, then!”
“No, we must wait until they come to fetch the bed. When they have left, I shall shut the door on the empty house and never come back. The woman who bought the bed can look after my few things.”
They sat down opposite each other and waited.
The woman soon arrived, a buxom matron with a loud voice; with her came a lad who was to carry the bedstead. When she saw Vrenchen sitting there in her finery, she gaped at the couple wide-eyed, planted her hands on her hips and exclaimed:
“Well, well, Vreeli! You’re doing things in grand style – dressed like a princess, and with a friend, too!”
“You’re right!” replied Vrenchen with a smile. “And do you know who he is?”
“He looks to me like Sali Manz. ‘East and West shall never meet’, says the proverb – but with people it’s different! Yet take heed, child, and remember what happened to your fathers.”
“Oh, all that belongs to the past,” answered the smiling Vrenchen in a friendly, almost condescending tone. “You see, Sali is my fiancé.”
“Your fiancé? Well, well!”
“Yes, and he is a rich man, too. He has just won a hundred thousand florins in the sweepstake. Just think of that!”
“A hundred thousand florins!” cried the woman, giving a violent start and clapping her hands together in amazement.
“A hundred thousand florins!” repeated Vrenchen gravely.
“Heavens above! I don’t believe you, child. You’re telling tales!”
“You can believe what you like!”
“But even if it is true, and you do marry him, what will you do with the money? Are you really going to live like a lady of rank?”
“Of course I am! The wedding will be in three weeks!”
“You’re making it all up, you deceitful girl!”
“He has already bought a magnificent house in Seldwyla with a big garden and a vineyard. You must come and visit us when we have settled in!”
“What stories you do tell!”
“You’ll see how beautiful it is. I’ll make you some fine coffee and offer you sweet rolls with butter and honey.”
“Then I’ll certainly come!” cried the woman, her eyes glinting greedily and her mouth watering.
“And if you come at midday on your way back from the market, there will be some strong broth and a glass of wine waiting for you!”
“That’s just what I would like!”
“And I shan’t forget to give you some crisp rolls and other titbits for your children.”
“I can hardly wait!”
“If you have an hour to spare, you can rummage through my chest and cases. You are sure to find a pretty neckerchief, or a piece of silk, or a bright ribbon to decorate your skirt, or a piece of material for a new apron.”
The woman danced with delight, swinging her skirts round and round.
“And if your husband needs money to buy a piece of land or some cattle, you know where to come. My dear Sali will always be pleased to invest his money profitably, and I am sure to have my own private fund for helping my intimate friends.”
The woman was by now completely won over, and said affectionately:
“I always said that you were a good, kind girl! The Lord bless you for your generosity!”
“But in return I want you to be kind to me.”
“Of course I will!”
“And to offer all your produce, whether it be fruit, potatoes or vegetables, first to me before you go to market, so that I can be sure of having a farmer I can rely on. I shall pay you as much as the others – you know that. There is nothing finer than a true friendship between a rich townswoman in her lonely villa and an upright countrywoman versed in the practical affairs of life. Many are the times when one welcomes such a friendship – in joy and suffering, at christenings and weddings, when the children go to school and are confirmed, when they embark on their apprenticeship and leave home, and in times of drought and flood, fire and hailstorm – from which God preserve us!”
“May God preserve us!” sobbed the woman, drying her eyes with
her apron. “How wise and understanding you are! Happiness will surely come your way, or there is no justice in the world! You are beautiful and intelligent, and gifted in all manner of ways. I know no finer or nobler person anywhere, and the man that wins you will feel that he is living in paradise. If he doesn’t, I’ll give the rogue a piece of my mind! Do you hear what I say, Sali? Be nice to my Vreeli, or I’ll teach you a lesson – lucky fellow that you are, to win such a prize!”
“Then take this bundle you promised to keep until I send for it – I may even come in my carriage to collect it in person, if you have no objection. I’ll bring an almond cake with me, and you’re sure to offer me a jug of milk in return.”
“Lord have mercy! Give me the bundle!”
Vrenchen took the long sack into which she had stuffed her worthless possessions, and put it on top of the rolled-up mattress which the woman was already balancing on her head, so that it looked like a tottering pillar.
“It’s almost too heavy,” she said. “Can I come back for the rest?”
“No, no,” said Vrenchen hastily, “we must leave at once, for we have a long journey ahead of us. We have got to visit some fine relations who have suddenly appeared on the scene since we have become rich. You know what people are.”
“I do, indeed! God bless you – and think of me sometimes in your prosperity.”
Keeping her balance with difficulty, the bundle on her head, she left, followed by the lad carrying Vrenchen’s once brightly painted bed; the top, with its pattern of faded stars, he rested on his head, grasping the finely carved front posts like a Samson. Vrenchen leant against Sali and watched the procession go on its way. Catching a last glimpse of it as it passed by the garden, looking like a moving temple, she said:
“That would make a nice little chalet or pavilion if we put it in a garden with a little table and a bench, and planted convolvuluses around it. Would you sit there with me, Sali?”
“Yes, Vreeli, especially when the convolvulus had grown tall!”
“What are we waiting for? There is nothing more to keep us here. Let us lock the house and go!”
“Who will keep the key?”
Vrenchen looked around her.
“We’ll hang it on the old halberd. Father often used to say that it had been in the house for over a hundred years, and now it’s standing guard like the last sentry!”
They hung a rusty house key on a protruding piece of the rusty old weapon round which the beanstalks were twined, and left. Vrenchen went a little pale and held her hand to her eyes, and Sali had to lead her a little way. But she did not look back.
“Where shall we go first?” she asked.
“Let’s walk out into the country,” answered Sali, “where we can be happy all day. We have no need to hurry. Then towards evening we’ll find somewhere to dance.”
“So we can be together the whole day and go wherever we like!” cried Vrenchen. “…But I’m beginning to feel faint. Let’s go first and have breakfast in some other village.”
“All right,” said Sali, “we’ll get out of this place as quickly as we can.”
Soon they were in open country, walking side by side through the meadows. It was a beautiful Sunday morning in September, not a cloud in the sky, and a soft haze hung over the hills and woods, giving the scene a solemn, mysterious atmosphere. The sound of church bells came from all quarters – on one side a deep, melodious chime from a rich village, on another two tinkling little bells from a poor parish. The lovers, resplendent in their finest clothes, did not think of what the end of the day would bring but surrendered themselves to the silent joy of the moment, roaming freely in the sunshine like a couple who were made for each other. Every sound or call that was heard in the stillness of that Sunday morning echoed in their souls, for love is like a bell which vibrates to the faintest, most distant sound and gives out its own special music.
Although they were hungry, the half-hour’s walk to the next village seemed only a stone’s throw, and shyly they entered the first inn they came to.
Sali ordered a large breakfast, and while it was being prepared, they sat quietly and watched the comings and goings in the light and roomy parlour.
The landlord was also a baker, and the pleasant smell of fresh-baked bread filled the whole house; baskets full of all kinds of bread were brought in, for after church the villagers used to come here to collect their white loaves or have their morning drink. The landlord’s wife, a fine, handsome woman, was quietly and smilingly dressing her children, and when one of the little girls was ready, she ran across to Vrenchen, showed her how beautiful she looked and confided to her all her proud and happy secrets.
When the coffee was brought, strong and with a fine aroma, the young couple took their places hesitantly at the table, as though they were guests of the house. Soon, however, they began to feel more confident, and to whisper softly and happily to each other. Vrenchen was in raptures over the rich coffee, the thick cream, the warm rolls, the fresh butter and honey, the pancakes and all the other delicacies.
But her greatest joy came from seeing Sali beside her, and she ate with the eagerness of one who had been fasting for a whole year. The fine china and the silver coffee spoons, too, filled her with delight. The landlord’s wife obviously considered them to be honest young folk who deserved to be treated with respect, and from time to time she sat down at their table and chatted to them, taking pleasure in their sympathetic conversation.
Vrenchen was so enchanted that she did not know whether she would rather go out into the countryside to roam with her sweetheart through the woods and meadows, or stay in the friendly inn so as to preserve the illusion, at least for a few hours, that the fine house was really hers. But Sali made the decision for her by declaring firmly that they had better be on their way, giving the impression that they had an important journey to make. The landlord and his wife accompanied them to the door, and although their poverty could not be disguised, they had displayed a perfect demeanour, and the host bade them a friendly farewell.
Courteously the young couple took their leave and walked out into the sunshine. Lost in dreams, and with no thought of their family strife and misery, they wandered side by side through the thick oak woods like the children of good, honourable parents. Vrenchen walked demurely along the damp, slippery path, her head bowed, her hands folded gracefully in front of her; Sali, however, held himself erect and stepped out boldly and purposefully, his eyes fixed on the trees around him like a woodman deciding which ones could most profitably be felled.
At last they awoke from their daydreaming, looked at each other and, seeing that they both still wore the same expression as when they left the inn, went red and hung their heads in embarrassment. But youth is carefree; the woods were green, the sky was blue – they were alone together again, and happiness returned to them once more.
But they did not remain alone for long, for the road began to fill with young couples and cheerful groups of friends, jesting and singing on their way home from church. Country folk have their favourite walks just like townspeople, but the parks where country folk go cost nothing to maintain, and are more beautiful as well. The countryman does not walk through his flowering fields with a special “Sunday-morning” mentality but strolls along lonely paths through copses and by green hilltops, resting by the verge of the forest or at the top of a grassy slope from which he can look out over the surrounding countryside, singing cheerfully and absorbing the unspoilt beauties of nature as he goes.
And since he does not do this as a penance but as a pleasure, he must have a feeling for nature which goes far beyond considerations of practical value, just like the old women who seek the paths along which they wandered as children, so young boys break off green twigs as they go. Even a rugged farmer in the prime of life takes delight in cutting a cane when his way takes him through the woods, paring off the leaves until only a green tuft is left at the top: bearing it aloft like a sceptre, he takes it with him into whatever office
he visits, stands it solemnly in a corner, and invariably remembers to collect it again when he leaves, however serious his business has been; he carries it home in perfect condition and gives it to his youngest son, who is the only one permitted to break it.
When Sali and Vrenchen saw the strangers coming, they smiled to themselves and rejoiced in the thought that they, too, formed a couple. They left the road and slipped into the wood, following narrow lanes that led into silence and solitude, stopping where their fancy took them, then running off again. Their minds were as unclouded as the sky above them; they were oblivious to where they had come from and where they were going.
For all their excitement and their running to and fro, Vrenchen still looked as fresh and charming as in the early morning, while Sali had acted, not like a country bumpkin of twenty, the son of a dissolute tavern-keeper, but like a youth of good family, and there was something almost comic in the tenderness, the care and the reverence which he lavished on his radiant companion. For on this, the one day granted to them, they had to live through all the moods of love, to capture the lost serenity of days gone by, and to fill the moments that were left to them before the hour of their final sacrifice.
As they walked, they grew hungry again. Then from the top of a shady hill they saw a village nestling below in the sunshine, and decided to have lunch there. They hastened down the hill and entered the village, walking with the same modest air as when they had left the previous village. There was nobody to recognize them. Vrenchen in particular had hardly mixed with people at all in recent years, still less had she been to other villages. They thus passed for a pleasant, respectable young couple out for a walk.
They stopped at the first inn, and Sali ordered a substantial meal. A special table was decked for them, and as they sat there quietly and unassumingly, they looked at the fine walnut panelling, the walnut dresser, simple but well-polished, and the snow-white curtains.
A Village Romeo and Juliet Page 6