Das landhaus am Rhein. English by Berthold Auerbach
CHAPTER VI.
HONOR LIES BLEEDING.
Sonnenkamp's decoration was lying at Pranken's feet as he entered, andthe first thing he did was to stoop down and pick it up. Joseph leftthe room. Pranken balanced the decoration as if it were a heavy weight.Sonnenkamp seemed to be waiting for Pranken to speak first, and whenthe latter said, "I congratulate you," broke in:--
"No, no--do not. I thank you for coming to me again. I thank yousincerely--very sincerely. You meant well by me."
"What's this? Meant well? I don't comprehend."
Sonnenkamp stared at him; the whole city, the coachmen on the streetsknew it, and can this man be ignorant? Does he want to gull him?
"Have you read the Journal?" inquired Sonnenkamp.
"The Journal! No; what's in that?"
Sonnenkamp reached him the paper.
"Here--my diploma of nobility," he said, turning round and looking outof the window while Pranken was reading. He did not want to look at theman's countenance.
There was a long-continued silence in the room, and then Sonnenkampfelt a hand upon his shoulder. He turned round quickly. What's themeaning of this? will the haughty young nobleman have a personalstruggle with him?
"Herr Sonnenkamp," said Pranken, "I am a nobleman----"
"I know--I know. Take your hand off of me, you'll soil it."
"And I am your friend," proceeded Pranken calmly. "I cannot approve ofwhat you have done to provoke such a publication."
"Be brief, I've already heard sermonizing enough to-day."
"Herr Sonnenkamp, I always go counter to the public sentiment; Irespect you, notwithstanding, and I love your daughter. I am almostglad that I can show you by a sacrifice how my intention----"
"Herr von Pranken, you do not know what you are doing. Your friends,your family----"
"I know the whole. Pooh! the virtuous people may let the stones alonewhich they would willingly throw at us. Whoever merely winks with theeye shall receive my challenge."
"I admire your courage, but I cannot take advantage of it."
"Not take advantage of it! You have no right to decline it. I am yourson as well as Roland; I stand by you, and now it shall be shown whohas genuine nobility and bravery. I admire you--but we'll drop thisnow. Has Roland got back yet?"
"No."
"Then he has gone with the Ensign to the dinner. I will go for him."
Sonnenkamp looked at him in amazement as he drove off; he could notcomprehend it. He was now alone again. He mentally accompanied themessengers he had sent round the city, and out to the pleasure-grounds.His thought went out in search of Roland, but did not find him, anymore than the messengers did. Roland had gone with the Cabinetsrath'sson, as Pranken had conjectured, to the military club-house, where anumber of the garrison officers, after the laborious review of theforenoon, had ordered a dinner. There was a great deal of merriment anddrinking, and they drank the young American's health. Roland was one ofthe liveliest among them. There came in a straggling guest, and cried,out in the midst of the uproar,--
"Have you heard? The slave-trader has been caught with a paper lasso."
"What's to pay?" was, called out.
The new-comer read out of the paper:--
"A proposal, with all due deference, for a coat of arms and a devicefor the ennobled slave-trader and slave-murderer, James HenrySonnenkamp, alias Banfield, of Louisiana.
"It would give us peculiar satisfaction to run a parallel between theyoung nobility in the two hemispheres; to live on the labor of othersis their motto; 'thou art born to do nothing,' say the young nobilityof the Old as well as of the New World. The Americans have also asuperstitious belief that there is some peculiar honor in beingennobled. Not because we share in this belief, but rather in order todo something towards removing it, we have written to America forinformation about a certain Herr Sonnenkamp. We have hitherto beensilent, and we should have been silent longer and forever, out ofregard for the children of this outcast, for they do not deserve tobear the load of guilt. We are no friends of the nobility: we regardthis institution as of the past and as dead; but the nobles are ourGerman fellow-citizens, also, and a part of our nation. As citizens,merely, we have no power to thrust out a man from our community, and weshould have felt obliged to let this man alone; but now, we are readyto furnish the evidence that the man who calls himself Sonnenkamp, andlives at Villa Eden, has been one of the most merciless slave-tradersand slave-murderers. Then proceed, O German nobles, and ennoblehim,--give him a coat-of-arms. The heralds of our editorial officerecommend as a device----"
"Stop!" screamed out the Ensign, for Roland had fallen senseless fromhis chair.
He was carried out of the room, and restored to consciousness.Fortunately, a carriage now drove up, from which Pranken got out.Roland was lifted into it, and they drove to the hotel.
Shaking with a fever fit, and wrapped up in a soldier's cloak, Rolandsat in one corner of the carriage. He would occasionally open his eyes,and then close them again.
Pranken told him that he ought to despise the world, but Roland wassilent; once only he heaved a deep sigh and exclaimed,--
"O Eric!" They reached the hotel. Joseph was waiting before the door.The first word that Roland spoke was a request to be left alone. Hewent up the steps with Joseph.
"You are to go to your father," said Joseph.
Roland nodded, but when he had gone up-stairs he hastened to his roomand locked the door.
Joseph went to Sonnenkamp and told him that Roland had returned.
"He is to come to me," he said.
"He has locked himself in."
"Has he his pistols with him?"
"No, I have them with me."
Sonnenkamp went to Roland's room and knocked; but there was no answer.He begged and entreated Roland to answer him, but Roland made no sound.
"If you do not open immediately, I will shoot myself before your door!"cried Sonnenkamp.
Pranken, who was with him, said:--
"Roland! Roland! will you be guilty of the death of your father?"
"Open! open!" moaned Sonnenkamp before the door.
The bolt was drawn back, and Roland stood rigid, looking at his father,who stretched out his arms toward him; but Roland remained motionless,with lips pressed together, and eyes glaring like one insane.
"My son!" cried Sonnenkamp. "My only son! my beloved son! my child!forgive me! forgive me!"
Roland rushed toward his father, grasped his hand, and wept over it.
"Oh, my child, your tears on my hand! Look,--this wound, thisscar,--look, the tears of my child heal it, the tears of my childalone!"
Throwing himself upon Roland's breast, he exclaimed:--
"You, my son, you will not despise your father!"
While he spoke, his heart throbbed violently, and, for the first timein his life, Roland saw his father weep. He embraced him and wept withhim.
Father and son then sat opposite each other speechless and motionless,until at last Roland said:--
"Father, there is one way of salvation--only one way of salvation!"
"I am ready, speak, my son."
"I know it, father--I know it! That sublimest One said to the youth,'Go and give away all that thou hast, and follow me.' And Parker hassaid that this disgrace must be wiped out; and Benjamin Franklin wouldsay: 'Thou art free, be not a slave to thyself!' Cast all away fromyou, father, let us be poor--poor! Will you?"
"I thank you, my son," replied Sonnenkamp; he was easier when hesaw that Roland had relieved his feelings. "You have a stout heart,a bold spirit, you have noble courage; Herr Eric has taught youwell--grand--brave--I thank him--I thank you--that is fine--that isright--the best!"
"Then you agree to it, father?"
"My son, I do not wish to make any pledges--not any; but I promise you,that you shall be satisfied with what I shall do; just in this moment Icannot determine anything."
"No, now; this very moment! it is the
"My son, whatever I have of unrighteous possessions, so called, those Iwill put away. I consider you, my son, no longer in your minority, youare more, you are my brother, you are a man, you are judge of myactions, you are to give your directions--everything with you, throughyou, out of your pure, your blessed heart, out of your unbroken--yes,your friend Eric, our friend Eric, shall also determine--but let us notcome to the final determination at this moment."
And again father and son sat opposite to each other in silence, untilRoland began:--
"Father, let us go home to-day."
"No, not to-day. We must both, first of all, get some strength."
Pranken had withdrawn into the adjoining room; he now sent Joseph tosay that it was time for dinner. Roland was shocked at the idea ofeating anything now; but Sonnenkamp swore that he would not put amorsel into his mouth, although he was almost famishing, if Roland didnot sit with them at table, and eat at least a few mouthfuls. Rolandyielded.
The Cabinetsrath's place was empty, showing what henceforth would bewanting to their table-enjoyment. Pranken beckoned to Joseph, whounderstood what he meant and quickly removed the plate.
Sonnenkamp now said that he expected the Cabinetsrath would probablygive up the Villa he had received; and Roland now learned how briberyhad been employed, and how corrupt and selfish men were. Sonnenkamptook particular notice what an impression this made upon Roland, and atriumphant expression passed over his countenance. It's well so! Rolandis to become acquainted with the whole baseness of human beings, tofind out that all people are more or less abject, and then what hisfather has done will gradually seem to him of less account, and bepainted in fainter colors.
A choice table was set, but the three ate as if they were at a funeralrepast, with the corpse lying in the next room--the mortal remains ofworldly honor. Neither gave expression to the feeling which each ofthem had; they ate and drank, for the body must have nourishment, inorder to bear up under this new heart-ache.
Father and son slept in the same chamber, but neither spoke, forneither of them wanted to keep the other from sleep, which would alonewrap them in oblivion.
"Don't give up!" said Sonnenkamp at last, as he fell asleep. Rolandslept also, but after an hour he awoke and tossed about restlessly. Thedarkness seemed to stand like a black wall before him, and he sat up asif in delirium.
To lose one's senses, one's reason--yes, to lose them! they aresuddenly gone, you know not when, you know not where; you only knowthey are not here, and they are no longer in your power. But if youcould only find them! Your thoughts are no longer under your owncontrol; they come and go, they combine and disperse according to theirown pleasure; and yet you inwardly feel that this will not last, itcannot last; that the time must come when you will once more have themastery.
"If it were not night! if it were only not night!" groaned Roland tohimself, as he awakened in a wandering mood from a short hour's sleep.For the first time in his life, he awoke in the night distressed andsad at heart, with the whole world dark and impenetrable before him.
"Oh, if it were not night! if it only were not night!" he said tohimself again. He thought of what Eric's mother had once said: "In thenight-time everything is more terrible; day comes, and with thedaylight all sufferings, both of the body as well as those of the mind,are less formidable; the eye then looks upon the things of the world,and the sunlight illumines and enlivens everything."
"It will be day again!" he comforted himself at last, and sank awayinto sleep out of all his brooding fancies.
Early in the morning they started with Pranken for the Villa.