Das landhaus am Rhein. English by Berthold Auerbach
CHAPTER XVI.
A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
There is many a chance which seems like a summons. Eric and Roland hadspoken of Clodwig on the mountain, and when they reached home, theyfound a message from him, saying that he and the Countess had returnedfrom the baths, and would visit them to-morrow.
Clodwig was brown from his summer-journey, and Bella looked youngerthan before, and seemed, as she swept with her long train through thehouse and park, somewhat like a peacock. As soon as they arrived,Roland gave an account of the curiosities found on the mountain, andhis face fairly shone with delight when Clodwig asked him to considerthem the starting-point of a museum for himself; for in making acollection of this kind, he would experience a pleasure to whichscarcely anything else could be compared. Roland nodded to Eric, andClodwig told them he had made many valuable acquisitions in hisjourney, which would soon be sent to him. He had met daily at the Bathsa celebrated antiquarian, who had once been a teacher of Eric.
Eric apologized to Clodwig for having slighted his friendly advance, innot visiting him before he set out on his journey, and now anotherpleasant trait was seen in Clodwig,--that he had not one trace ofsensitiveness. Kindness of heart and self-respect combined to causethis trait; he excused every neglect of himself, and, as a man ofunquestioned position never thought of injury or slight.
"You are exempt from all apologies with me," he said, taking Eric'shands and holding them as though he were the young man's father. "Youhave cured me of selfishness. I had not believed that there was so muchof it left in me, my dear young friend. Yes, you shall mould your ownlife, and I will rejoice that I have you for a neighbor. A goodneighborhood, with the ancient Romans, was not merely a politicalarrangement."
They touched glasses and drank to the good neighborhood, and as the oldCount drank, his eyes beamed upon Eric.
It was an animated account that Clodwig and his wife alternately,interrupting each other, gave of their having turned aside from theirdirect course, and spent a night in the University-town for the purposeof visiting Eric's mother and remaining an entire day with her. At lastClodwig left the field to his wife, who told with great feelingand earnestness of the life of the noble lady. She described thepiano-forte in its old place, and the beautiful, dignified figuresitting at work before her window filled with flowers. On the wallbefore her hung the portraits of her dead husband and of her son, andin a frame by itself was a lock of her mother's hair, hanging betweenthe crayon portraits of her parents. Still she was not at allmelancholy, but cheerful and interested in every subject, taking partin every discussion.
Then Bella described the lovely valley, and their visit to the renownedmountain-chapel; and Eric could almost hear his mother's voice, and seeher gentle face, as she sat by the beautiful lady, listening toClodwig, and nodding assent and pleasure. It was for Eric an hour ofdeep and quiet happiness, laden with the memories of his home.
And not less beaming were Roland's eyes, as he asked:--
"And didn't she speak of me?"
"Almost more than of her own son," Bella answered. And then she turnedagain to Eric, and could not say enough of the impression which hadbeen made upon her by the sight of a woman like his mother, who, livingin another world, yet retained such an interest in this; who, havinggiven up so much, yet possessed everything in herself.
Clodwig smiled, for Bella was repeating the very words he had used; butshe continued,--"I think I never understood you, Captain, until I hadthe happiness of meeting your noble mother. We agreed to write to eachother, from time to time, although she absolved me on the spot from anyfeeling of obligation to do so."
More and more happy, and at home, did Eric feel with Clodwig and Bella,and it seemed as though the spirit of his mother was lingering nearthem with a benediction.
"But we must not forget your aunt!" Clodwig exclaimed, and then went onto say that he had renewed an old acquaintance with her; he rememberedwell the dazzling beauty of Fraeulein Dournay, and what an excitementwas produced when she, a citizen's daughter, was presented at court,and invited everywhere. The story went that she and Prince Hermann, whodied in his youth, had loved each other with the purest love, and, forhis sake, she had refused all offers of marriage; but of this Clodwigdid not speak.
As they were walking in the garden after dinner, Bella said toEric:--"You have had a very beautiful, happy youth; but one thing waswanting."
"What is that?"
"A sister."
"I would be glad to think that she had come to me," Eric replied, in alow voice.
Bella looked down, for a minute, and then called Roland to her. Theywent on to the castle, and Clodwig begged the Architect, for the sakeof his young friend, Roland, to be very careful whenever traces offurther remains were discovered.
The company sat down on a projection of the castle-wall, where theMajor had made a comfortable seat. Clodwig and Roland were together,and Bella and Eric were sitting at a little distance from them. She wasinclined to be romantic. She had brought from Paris all the newfashions, but now she said to Eric, How foolishly we burden ourselveswith superfluities! Then, without any apparent cause, she remarked,that everybody thought she was fond of display and fashion; but shewould like best to live in a little fisherman's hut, on the Rhine, inone quiet room, with a bright fire.
"And who would make this fire?" Eric inquired.
Bella started at this question. "We must not be romantic," said she.Then I there was a long pause.
At last Eric began. "You have learned to know my mother; if you hadknown my father, you would have found great pleasure in him too."
"I did know him, but I thank you; I understand that you would have meshare all that is yours." There was a heartfelt expression in hervoice, and her eyes beamed, and she fixed them upon Eric with such alook, that he turned his own away. Biting her lip, she continued: "Youhave seen,--yes, you have certainly noticed how I look at you. Now Imust fulfil one of Clodwig's wishes, because I think that perhaps I maysucceed. He wants me to take your likeness, and I will try; but I musthave your young friend with you. Roland, come here," she called, as shesaw the boy approaching; and then she explained, with blushesoverspreading her face, that she had wished to surprise Clodwig withthe portrait on his birthday, but that that was impossible now, and shemust do it openly.
"Please, Roland, sit down on the Captain's knee. So,--yes, justso,--put your right hand on his shoulder, but farther forward. Yes; nowput your head a little more to the left. Pray say something, Captain.You must be telling Roland something."
"I've nothing to say," replied Eric, smiling.
"That will do; I see the motion of your lips; it will be difficult, butI hope to catch it. When will you sit to me?"
Clodwig was delighted, and said he never liked surprises; awell-prepared and long-expected pleasure was much more desirable. Heurged Eric and Roland to be his guests at Wolfsgarten, until the familyshould come back. But Eric declined with equal friendliness andfirmness; he did not like to disarrange the daily routine which he hadlaid out for Roland; and Clodwig approved of his resolution, andpromised to come again soon to the villa with Bella, and have theportrait taken there. Bella wished a photograph of Eric and Roland inthe positions she had chosen for them, but Clodwig said that a portraittaken with the help of a photograph was always stiff and unnatural; hecondemned photographs of human figures, of which they could give onlythe mere form, and often wholly out of drawing. Roland had a word tosay also, in regard to the picture. Why not have Griffin in it? Clodwigagreed, saying the dog would make a very good foreground.
Bella was out of humor. She had enjoyed companionship and gaiety solong, that she was reluctant to go back to her lonely life among theantiquities; perhaps there were further unacknowledged reasons for herregrets. The visit to Eric and Roland was a welcome reprieve to her;but the proud Captain was so reserved, and had always some greatprinciple so ready to apply to even the smallest action, and herhusband--his worst weakne
Her features seemed suddenly to become thin and faded, and to lose allroundness. She noticed this, and recovered her self-control. She wasespecially friendly, and when Eric took leave of her and kissed herhand, he thought he felt a returning pressure on his lips, but perhapsit was a mistake, or arose from some awkwardness on his part. While hewas thinking about it, Roland said,--
"I don't know why, but I did not feel comfortable while the Countesswas looking at me, did you? and she looked at you so strangely."
"It was the critical look of an artist," answered Eric; but his ownwords choked him. Who knew whether this reply was the exact truth?