A SURPRISE.
Three days before the wedding a grand travelling-carriage drawn by four
horses rolled through the streets of the town of X----, and from the
prodigious clatter which it made drew all the inquisitive among the
inhabitants to their windows.
"Did you see, dear sister," cried the general shopkeeper Madame Suur to
Madame Bask, the wife of the postmaster, "the grand travelling-carriage
that has just gone by? Did you see the sweet youth that sate on the left
and looked so genteel, with his snow-white neck and open shirt-collar?
Lawk! how he looked at me--so sweet as he was! How like a real prince he
looked!"
"Dear sister!" answered the postmistress, "then you did not see the
gentleman who sate on the right? He was a grand gentleman, that I can
positively assert! He sate so stately leaning back in the carriage, and
so wrapped up in grand furs that one could not see the least bit of his
face. Positively he is a great somebody!"
"I got a shimmer of the youth," said the grey-brown handed and
complexioned Annette P----, as she glanced up from her coarse sewing,
with such a look as probably a captive casts who has glanced out of his
prison into a freer and more beautiful state of existence; "he looked so
calm, with large blue eyes, out of the plate-glass windows of the
carriage! as pure and grave he looked as one of God's angels!"
"Ay, we know to be sure how the angels look!" said the postmistress,
snubbingly, and with a severe glance at Annette; "but that's absolutely
all one! Yet I should like to know what grandees they are. I should not
be a bit surprised if it were his royal highness or gracious
crown-prince, who with his eldest son is travelling _incondito_ through
the country."
"Dear sister says what is true," returned Madame Suur. "Yes, it must be
so! for he looked like a regular prince, the sweet youth, as he sate
there and glanced at me through the window; really, he smiled at me!"
"Nay, my ladies, we've got some genteel strangers in the city!"
exclaimed Mr. Alderman Nyberg as he came into the room.
"Have they stopped here?" cried both ladies at once.
"My wife saw the carriage draw up and----"
"Nay, heaven defend us! Mr. Alderman what are you thinking about that
you don't make a stir in the city and send a deputation to wait upon
them? For goodness sake let the city-council come together!"
"How? What? Who?" asked the Alderman, opening wide his grey eyes like
some one just awoke out of sleep; "can it indeed----"
"Yes, very likely his royal highness himself in his own proper
person--possibly his majesty!"
"Gracious heavens!" said the Alderman, and looked as if the town-house
had fallen.
"But speed off in all the world's name, and run and look about you, and
don't stand here staring like a dead figure!" exclaimed the
postmistress, quite hoarse, while she shook up and down her great mass
of humanity on the creaking sofa. "Dear sister, cannot you also get on
your legs a little, and Annette too, instead of sitting there
hum-drumming with her sewing, out of which nothing comes. Annette run
quick, and see what it is all about--but come back in an instant-minute
and tell me, poor soul, whom our Lord has smitten with calamity and
sickness--nay, nay, march pancake!"
The Alderman ran; dear Sister Suur ran; Mamselle Annette ran; we ran
also, dear reader, in order to see a large-made gentleman somewhat in
years, and a youth of eleven, of slender figure and noble appearance,
dismount from the travelling carriage. It was his Excellency O---- and
his youngest son.
They alighted and went into the house of the Franks. His Excellency
entered the drawing-room without suffering himself to be announced, and
introduced himself to Elise, who though surprised by the visit of the
unexpected stranger, received him with all her accustomed graceful
self-possession; lamenting the absence of her husband, and thinking to
herself that Jacobi had not in the least exceeded the truth in his
description of the person of his Excellency.
His Excellency was now in the most brilliant of humours, and discovered,
as by sudden revelation, that he and Elise were related; called her "my
cousin" all the time, and said the handsomest things to her of her
family, of whom he had heard so much, but more especially of a certain
young man on whom he set the highest value. Further he said, that
however much he must rejoice in having made the personal acquaintance of
his cousin, still he must confess that his visit at this time had
particular reference to the young man of whom he had spoken; and with
this he inquired after Jacobi.
Jacobi was sent for, and came quickly, but not without evident emotion
in his countenance. His Excellency O----approached him, extended his
hand cheerfully, and said, "I rejoice to see you; my cursed gout has not
quite left me; but I could not pass so near the city without going a
little out of my way in order to wish you happiness on your approaching
marriage, and also to mention an affair--but you must introduce me to
your bride."
Jacobi did it with glowing eyes. His Excellency took Louise's hand, and
said, "I congratulate you on your happiness, on being about to have one
of the best and the most estimable of men for your husband!" And with
these words he riveted a friendly penetrating glance upon her, and then
kissed her hand. Louise blushed deeply, and looked happier than when she
agreed to her own proposition of not troubling herself about his
Excellency.
Upon the other daughters also who were present, his keen eyes were fixed
with a look which seemed rather to search into soul than body, and
rested with evident satisfaction on the beautifully blushing Gabriele.
"I also have had a daughter," said he, slowly, "an only one--but she was
taken from me!"
A melancholy feeling seemed to have gained possession of him, but he
shook it quickly from him, stood up, and went to Jacobi, to whom he
talked in a loud and friendly voice.
"My best Jacobi," said he, "you told me the last time we were together
that you thought of opening a school for boys in Stockholm. I am pleased
with it, for I have proved that your ability as teacher and guide of
youth is of no ordinary kind. I wish to introduce to you a pupil, my
little boy. You will confer upon me a real pleasure if you will be able
to receive him in two months, at which time I must undertake a journey
abroad, which perhaps may detain me long, and would wish to know that
during this my absence my son was in good hands. I wish that he should
remain under your care at least two or three years. You will easily feel
that I should not place in your hands him who is dearest to me in the
world, if I had not the most perfect confidence in you, and therefore I
give you no prescribed directions concerning him. And if prayers can
obtain motherly regard," continued he, turning to Louise, "I would
direct myself with them to you. Take good care of my boy--he has no
longer a mother!"
Louise drew the boy hastily to her, embraced him, and kissed him with
warmth. A smile as of sunshine diffused itself over the countenance of
the father, and certainly no words which Louise could have spoken would
have satisfied him more than this silent but intelligent answer of the
heart. Jacobi stood there with tears in his eyes; he could not bring
forth many words, but his Excellency understood him, and shook him
cordially by the hand.
"May we not have the horses taken out? Will not your Excellency have the
goodness to stay to dine with us?" were the beseeching questions which
were repeated around him.
But however willing his Excellency would have been to do it, it was
impossible. He had promised to dine at Stroe with Count Y----, eighteen
miles distant from the town.
"But breakfast? a little breakfast at least? It should be served in a
moment. The young Count Axel would certainly be glad of a little
breakfast!" asserted Louise, with friendly confidence, who seemed
already to have taken under her protection the future pupil of her
husband.
The young Count Axel did not say no; and the father, whose behaviour
became every moment more cordial and gay, said that a little breakfast
in such company would eat excellently.
Bergstroem prepared with rapture and burning zeal the table for the lofty
guest, who in the mean time chatted with evident satisfaction with Elise
and Jacobi, directing often also his conversation to Louise as if
insensibly to test her; and from their inmost hearts did both mother and
bridegroom rejoice that with her calm understanding she could stand the
test so well.
Gabriele entertained the young Count Axel in one of the windows by
listening to the repeater of his new gold watch, which set the grave and
naturally silent boy at liberty to lead the entertainment in another
way; and Gabriele, who entered into all his ideas, wondered very much
over the wonderful properties of the watch; and let it repeat over and
over again, whilst her lovely and lively smiles and her merry words
called forth more and more the confidence of the young Axel.
Breakfast was ready; was brought in by the happy Bergstroem; was eaten
and praised by his Excellency, who was a connoisseur; a description of
the capitally preserved anchovies was particularly desired from Louise;
and then her health and that of her bridegroom was drunk in Madeira.
Towards the conclusion of the breakfast the Judge came home. The trait
of independence, bordering on pride, which sometimes revealed itself in
Judge Frank's demeanour, and which perhaps was visible at the very time
of his respectful but simple greeting of his Excellency, called forth in
him also a momentary appearance of height. But this pride soon vanished
from both sides. These two men knew and valued each other mutually; and
it was not long before they were so deeply engrossed by conversation,
that his Excellency forgot his journey, not for one only, but for two
hours.
"I lament over Stroe and its dinner," said his Excellency, preparing to
take his departure; "how they must have waited there! But we could not
possibly help it."
After his Excellency had departed, he left behind him a bright
impression on all the family of Franks, not one of whom did not feel
animated in a beneficial manner by his behaviour and his words. Jacobi
in his joy made a high _entre-chat_, and embracing Louise, said, "Now,
Louise, what say you to the man? And we have got a pupil that will draw
at least twenty after him!"
Louise was perfectly reconciled to his Excellency.
From this day forth Bergstroem began a new era; whatever happened in the
family was either before or after the visit of his Excellency.
* * * * *
"Ah, then, my goodness! that it should be Excellency O----!" said the
dear sister Bask to the dear sister Suur.
"Yes, just think! That he should come solely, and for no other purpose,
than to visit the Franks, and breakfast there, and stop several hours
there! He is a cousin, of the Judge's lady."
"Her cousin! Bah! no more her cousin than I am the king's cousin;
positively not!"
"Yes, yes! or why else should he have called her 'my gracious cousin?'
And one must confess that there is something refined and genteel about
her--and such hands as she has have I never seen!"
"Hum! There's no art in looking genteel and having beautiful hands, when
one goes about the house like a foolish thing, washing one's hands in
rose-water, and all the livelong day doing not one sensible act. That I
know well enough!"
"Yes, yes! they who will be of any use in their house cannot keep such
hands, and sit the whole day and read romances! I should like to know
how it would have gone with the blessed Suur's baking business--to which
at last he added the grocery--if I had been a genteel lady! Not at all,
because I should not have done it. Sweet sister, know that I once had my
whims--yes, and a turn for scribbling and writing. Yes, so help me
heaven! if it had not been for my little bit of sound sense, which
showed me my folly in time, I might have become a regular learned lady,
another--what do you call her?--Madame de Stael! But when I married the
late Suur I determined to give up all that foolishness, and do honour to
the baking; and now I have quite let my little talent slip away from me,
so that it is as good as buried. But on that account I am, to be sure,
no fitting company for the Franks--think only!--and shall be only less
and less so, if they are always climbing higher and higher."
"Let them climb as high as they will, I don't intend to make obeisances
before them, that I can promise them! that I absolutely will not! It
vexes me enough that Annette is so mad after them. Before one is aware
of it, they will be taking her away from me, skin and hair; and that's
my thanks for all I have lavished upon her! But I'll tell the gentry
that I'm positively determined to make no compliments to them or to
their Excellencies, and that one person is just as good as another!
Positively I'll tell them that!"