NEW VIEWS AND NEW SCHEMES.
Jacobi was come: Gabriele complained jestingly to her mother, "that the
brother-in-law-elect had almost overturned her, the little
sister-in-law-elect, in order to fly to his Louise."
Louise received Jacobi with more than customary cordiality; so did the
whole family. That which Jacobi had lost in worldly wealth he seemed to
have won in the esteem and love of his friends; and it was the secret
desire of all to indemnify him, as it were, for the loss of the
parsonage. Jacobi on this subject had also his own peculiar views; and
after he had refreshed himself both with the earthly and the "angels'
food," which Louise served up to him in abundance, and after he had had
a conference of probably three hours' length with her, the result of the
same was laid before the parents, who looked on the new views thus
opened to them not without surprise and disquiet.
It was Jacobi's wish and intention now immediately to celebrate his
marriage with Louise, and afterwards to go to Stockholm, where he
thought of commencing a school for boys. To those who knew that all
Jacobi's savings amounted to a very inconsiderable capital; that his
yearly income was only fifty crowns; that he had displeased his only
influential patron; that his bride brought him no dowry; and thus, that
he had nothing on which to calculate excepting his own ability to
work--to all those then who knew thus much, this sudden establishment
had some resemblance to one of those romances with their "_diner de man
coeur, et souper de mon ame_," which is considered in our days to be
so infinitely insipid.
But Jacobi, who had already arranged and well considered his plans, laid
them with decision and candour before the parents, and besought their
consent that he might as soon as possible be able to call Louise his
wife. Elise gasped for breath; the Judge made sundry objections, but for
every one of these Jacobi had a reasonable and well-devised refutation.
"Are Jacobi's plans yours also, Louise?" asked the Judge, after a
momentary silence; "are you both agreed?"
Louise and Jacobi extended a hand to each other; looked on each other,
and then on the father, with tearful, yet with calm and assured eyes.
"You are no longer children," continued the father; "you know what you
are undertaking. But have you well considered?"
Both assented that they had. Already, before there had been any
expectation of the living, they had thought on this plan.
"It is a fatiguing life that you are stepping into," continued the
Judge, seriously, "and not the least so for you, Louise. The result of
your husband's undertaking will depend for the greatest part on you.
Will you joyfully, and without complaint, endure that which it will
bring with it; will you, from your heart, take part in his day's work?"
"Yes, that I will!" replied Louise, with entire and hearty confidence.
"And you, Jacobi," continued he, with unsteady voice, "will you be
father and mother and sisters to her? Will you promise me that she
neither now, nor in the future, so far as in you lies, shall miss the
paternal home?"
"God help me! so certainly as I will exert myself to effect it, she
shall not!" answered Jacobi with emotion, and gave his hand to the
Judge.
"Go then, children," exclaimed he, "and ask the blessing of your
mother--mine you shall have," and with tearful eyes he clasped them in
his arms.
Elise followed the example of her husband. She felt now that Louise and
Jacobi's firm devotion to each other; their willingness to work; and
their characters, so excellent, and beyond this, so well suited to each
other, were more secure pledges of happiness than the greatest worldly
treasure. With respect to the time of the marriage, however, she made
serious objections. All that the parents could give to their daughter
was a tolerably handsome outfit; and this could not, by any possibility,
be so speedily prepared. Louise took her mother's view of the question,
and Jacobi saw himself, although reluctantly, compelled to agree that it
should remain as at first arranged, namely, for the second day in
Whitsuntide, which, in this year, fell at the end of May.
After this the betrothed hastened to the sisters to communicate to them
the new views and schemes. There was many an "Oh!" and "Ah!" of
astonishment; many a cordial embrace; and then, of course, what industry
in the oak-leaf garland!
But as the mother at the usual time came in, she saw plainly that "the
little lady" was somewhat impatient towards the brother-in-law-elect,
and but little edified by his plans.
From that kind of sympathy which exists between minds, even when not a
single word is spoken, especially between persons who are dear to each
other, the dissatisfaction of Gabriele took possession also of the
mother, who began to discover that Jacobi's plans were more and more
idle and dangerous. Thus when Jacobi, not long afterwards, sought to
have a _tete-a-tete_ with her, in order to talk about his and Louise's
plans, she could not help saying that the more she thought about the
undertaking the more foolish did it appear to be.
To which Jacobi answered gaily, "Heaven is the guardian of all fools!"
Elise recollected at that moment how it had fared with a person with
whom she was acquainted, who hoped for this guardianship in an
undertaking that in most respects resembled Jacobi's, yet nothing had
prevented all his affairs from going wrong altogether, and at length
ending in bankruptcy and misery. Elise related this to Jacobi.
"Have you not read, mother," replied he, "a wise observation which
stands at the end of a certain medical work?"
"No," said she; "what observation is it?"
"That what cured the shoemaker killed the tailor," said Jacobi.
Elise could not help laughing, and called him a conceited shoemaker.
Jacobi laughed too, kissed Elise's hand, and then hastened to mingle in
the group of young people, who assembled themselves round the tea-table
to see and to pass judgment on an extraordinary kind of tea-bread
wherewith Louise would welcome her bridegroom, and which, according to
her opinion, besides the freshest freshness, was possessed of many
wonderful qualities.
Whilst at tea, the mother whispered slyly into Louise's ear as Jacobi
put sugar into his tea, "My dear child, there will be a deal of sugar
used in your house--your husband will not be frugal."
Louise whispered back again, "But he will not grumble because too much
sugar is used in the house. So let him take it then, let him take it!"
Both laughed.
Later in the evening, as the mother saw Jacobi dance the gallopade with
Louise and Gabriele, whilst he made all happy with his joy, and his eyes
beamed with life and goodness, she thought to herself--even virtue has
her carelessness; and she was well satisfied with his plans.
One day Jacobi related the particulars of his audience with his
Excellency O----, at P., to Louise and her mother; his relation was as
follows:
"When I came up into the saloon the Bishop N. was coming backwards, with
low bows, out of the chamber of his Excellency. Within, a powerful voice
was heard speaking polite and jocular words, and immediately afterwards
his Excellency himself, with his foot wrapped in a woollen sock,
accompanied the Bishop out. The lofty figure, clothed now in a
dark-green morning coat, seemed to me more imposing than ever. He swung
a stick in his hand, upon which a grey parrot was sitting, which, while
it strove to maintain its balance, screamed with all its might after the
Bishop, 'Adieu to thee! adieu to thee!'
"The sunshine which was diffused over the expressive countenance of his
Excellency as he came out of his room, vanished the moment he saw me (I
had already informed him by letter of the use I had made of his
goodness), and a severe repulsive glance was the only greeting which I
received. When the Bishop at length, accompanied by the parting
salutations of the parrot, had left, his Excellency motioned the
servants out, and riveted upon me his strong, bright, grey eyes, and
with an actually oppressive look inquired short and sharp, 'What want
you, Sir?'
"I had never seen him behave thus to me before, and whilst I endeavoured
to overcome a really choking sensation, I answered, 'I would thank your
Excellency for the goodness which--'
"'Which you have thrown away as if it were a very trifle,' interrupted
his Excellency. 'You must have a confounded many livings at command, I
think. You can, perhaps, throw such away on all sides.'
"He spoke these words in a hard, ironical tone. I conjured him to hear
me, and laid before him shortly, but with the utmost clearness, the
reasons which had compelled me to give up the good fortune which his
favour had procured for me. I concluded by saying, that the only
consolation which I had for my loss, and the danger of having displeased
my benefactor, was the feeling that I had done my duty, and acted
according to my conscience, and the persuasion that I had acted right.
"'You have acted like a fool!' interrupted his Excellency, with
violence, 'like a regular bedlamite have you behaved yourself! Things
like this, Sir, may do in novels, but in actual life they serve to no
other purpose than to make their actors and all that belong to them
beggars. But you have unpardonably compromised me! The thousand! you
should have thought over all these things and these feelings before you
had obtained my recommendation! Can I know of all supplicants with
poverty, merits, and nine children? On your account in this business I
have written letters, given dinners, made fine speeches, paid
compliments, in order to silence other claimants. I obtained for you
that living, one of the best in the whole bishoprick, and now you have
given it away as if it were a----It is really too bad! Don't come any
more to me, and don't mix me up again in your concerns, that I say to
you! I shall for the future meddle in nothing of the kind. Don't you ask
me ever again for anything!'
"I was wounded, but still more distressed than wounded, and said, 'The
only thing which I shall ask from you, and shall ask for till I obtain
it, is the forgiveness of your Excellency! My error in this affair was
great; but after I had seen it, there was nothing for me to do but to
retrieve it as well as lay in my power, and then to bear the
consequences, even though they be as bitter as I now find them. Never
again shall I make any claim to your goodness--you have already done
more than enough for me. My intention is now to try if I cannot maintain
myself by my own powers as teacher. I intend to establish a school for
boys in Stockholm, whither I shall travel as soon as----'
"'Attempt, and travel, and do whatever you like!' interrupted his
Excellency, 'I don't trouble myself about it. I have occupied myself in
your affairs for the last time! If I were to get for you ten livings,
you would give all away the next moment to the first, best poor devil
that prayed you for them, with his full complement of wife and ten
children!
"'Lundholm, wash me the glass! I never drink out of a glass from which a
Bishop has drunk!'
"His Excellency had already turned his back upon me, and went again into
his chamber cursing his gout, without the slightest parting word to me.
The parrot, however, on the contrary, turned itself about on the stick,
and cried out with all its might, 'Adieu to thee! adieu to thee!'
"With this greeting, perhaps the last in the house of his Excellency, I
retired; but not without, I must confess, stopping a few moments on the
steps, and wetting the stones with my tears. It was not the loss of a
powerful patron which gave me so much pain, but--I had so admired this
man, I had loved him with such an actual devotion; I looked up to him as
to one of the noblest and most distinguished of men. He also seemed
really to like me--at least I thought so; and now all at once he was so
changed, so stern towards me, and as it seemed to me so unreasonable. It
actually gave me pain to find so little that was noble in him, so little
that was just! These were my feelings in those first bitter moments.
When I came to think over the whole event more calmly, I could almost
believe that he had received beforehand an unjust representation of the
whole affair, and that I encountered him while under its influence. Over
and above, he had reason to be dissatisfied with the whole thing, and
then just at that moment a fit of the gout seized him! I have written to
him from this place, and I feel it impossible to give up the hope of
seeing his sentiments mollified towards me."
Louise, however, did not think so favourably of his sentiments; thought
Jacobi quite too indulgent, and was altogether irritated against his
Excellency.
"It is quite the best not to trouble oneself about him," said she.
Jacobi smiled. "His poor Excellency!" said he.