Some days had elapsed and the Counsellor of Parliament had not seen his
son. Franz, the old domestic, had in the mean while set out on a
journey, and Joseph, as well as the female servants had not ventured to
disturb Edmond. The father was deeply concerned, for his son had never
before so pointedly avoided him. His grief lay principally in the
feeling, that he could not simply take the shortest and most natural
way, with all a father's authority, to force an entrance into his room,
which was always locked, and to question him about his condition. He
learned from Joseph, that his son always locked himself in, that he was
heard to sigh, nay, to weep, and that at night he would steal out to
wander about on the mountains, and then would as secretly return in the
morning, and avoid every body, in order to go and shut himself up again
as before. He seemed also to observe a rigid fast, for he took no food
and sent away every thing that was offered to him. "I no longer
understand him," said the old man to himself, as he was left once more
alone; "his high-wrought feelings destroy him, and I, his father, must
see him go to ruin without being able to do anything to save him. At
length the dark spirits are roused, that I have so long heard in their
slumbers; they have now assuredly taken possession of his soul."
It was late, and the night was still and dark; he dismissed the
servants, in order to be able to converse uninterruptedly with his son,
for it appeared to him an indispensable duty to make himself acquainted
with his condition, the uncertainty of which weighed more painfully on
his heart than the conviction of an actual misfortune would have done.
He took therefore the master-key, in order to ascend the great
staircase, when he heard the door of his son's room opened; he stood
still, and a ghastly pale figure in a dusky green coarse doublet,
descended towards him, his gun was slung over his shoulder, his hair in
wild disorder, his eyes dim, "Oh heaven!" exclaimed the father, "I
think I see a spirit, and it is you my son!"--He tottered, and
trembling was compelled to sit down on the stairs. "Is it you in
reality?"--"It is myself," answered Edmond in a hollow voice. "How?"
said the old man, "thus, in this figure? thus ill? in this dress? you
look though as like a Camisard, as if you were one of them."--"It is so
too," answered the son, "I am now going up into the mountains to them."
The father started up violently, he seized his son powerfully in his
arms, and thus carried him with supernatural strength into the saloon;
he placed him in an armchair, took the candle, looked at him
scrutinizingly and examined his whole figure, seized him by the breast
and cried out vehemently: "Wouldst thou act thus to me, unnatural
son?"--
"Yes," answered Edmond coldly, "I cannot do otherwise, I must!--leave
me! I thought, however, for once that I should win your approbation."
"As a rebel?" cried the Counsellor of Parliament in a vehement voice,
"as a murderer? that I must see die under martyrdom at the gallows? to
outrage my grey hair? one whom the father must deliver up into the
hands of the executioner?"
The son looked at him fixedly, but coldly and collectedly; the father
was deeply affected at it, but, at this ghastly look, had lost the
strength which supernatural terror had lent him for a moment, and
weeping aloud, he fell upon his son, who threw his arms round him,
embraced him, and by his caresses sought to console the afflicted old
man, "Oh, my son!" began the father, after a long pause, often
interrupted by sobs, "for many years I have not experienced these
tokens of affection in you, and now in this terrible moment, in which
my whole life vanishes as in a dream, in which you have so violently
torn my heart!--I cannot recover myself, I cannot question you, and
what shall I experience if my entreaties, my love, if nothing will
break your stubborn, enigmatical will? Oh, God of love! is there, in
all the feelings thou hast created, one more fervid than that of a
father to a child? and do we know the tremendous affliction we implore,
when we entreat heaven for children?"
They remained long clasped in each other's arms, at length Edmond said:
"Let me depart with your blessing, my father."
"That I cannot give to your dreadful designs," replied the Counsellor;
"It is so fearful, that I must still look upon you and myself as two
spectres."
Both were silent for a long time. At last the father said: "I will not
entreat of you to go to rest, for I greatly fear that you will not obey
me, it is fruitless also that I should seek for repose in sleep, for
slumber would flee from my shaken brain; what I may learn to-morrow, I
may as well hear to-day; if I can conceive, if I can comprehend that
which is incomprehensible, perhaps, it would terrify me less, perhaps,
I shall yield to grief and sorrow, and necessity, as to the storm,
or the earthquake; but from this spectral terror, from this almost
mask-like enigma, which threatens to drive me mad, deliver me at least
from this by speech and narration."
"Can it be expressed, my father?" began Edmond, "will you comprehend
what I myself cannot understand with my common knowledge? We should not
indeed comprehend, if this hall round us were suddenly turned into
Hesperian gardens, but we should enjoy the fruit, we should live and
exist in the miracle, even though by that means we should forget that
yet some other knowledge were wanting."
"Has that delirium also taken possession of you," cried the old man,
"in its peculiar way and wrapped you in the folds of its dark
vestments? now I would have sworn that you were free from that! and yet
I should have done wrong, for all fanaticism is but the twinborn of the
apparently most improbable and inimical."
"You speak what your mind prompts," said the son, "and I understand you
perfectly, but you do not understand me."
"Well, Edmond, you may be right, only speak, relate to me, perhaps I
may be able to approach nearer to your soul."
"How much I hated these Huguenots," began Edmond, "how much I abhorred
their war against the king, their fanaticism and prophets, that I
despised the gross deception of those people, I need not tell you, for
my irritated feelings made you unhappy and it seems that I am destined
to cause your misery, I may place myself now as then on whatever side I
like.--"
He stopped for a short time and then returned; "with these sentiments I
dressed myself in the peasant's clothes, which were so hateful to me,
our friend quitted me, as you know, and I went with his son up into the
mountains. Florentine jested about our expedition, I was much vexed at
and ashamed of my purpose. When we advanced farther into the mountains,
some figures glided before us on the solitary footpath, we followed the
direction they took, and arrived with them in about half an hour at a
lonely barn. They knocked; it was opened to us. I cannot describe the
feeling with which I entered into this rustic assembly. It was a
loathing of mind and body. Some were kneeling, others were standing
praying, I approached the latter and tried to imitate them. Everything
went on quietly, all eyes were bent on the ground, a few old women only
muttered their psalms between their teeth. All at once a boy about
eight years old fell down as if in convulsions. My repugnance was at
its highest pitch, for now I saw before me the deformed spectacle, the
relation of which had for many years previously excited my liveliest
indignation. The child's breast heaved, he leaped up, and threw himself
down again, and I thought to have distinctly perceived the voluntary
exertion. All the faithful, hoping and comforted, turned upon him their
eyes. Never in my life had I more self-possession, never was I so
rock-firm in my conviction; my thoughts became more and more irritated,
I only wished myself back again, in order to give free vent to my hatred.
Suddenly the child exclaimed in a hoarse voice: 'verily I bless ye,
ye shall be blessed!'--Now in the stream which flowed incessantly,
came innumerable prayers and exhortations as well as passages from the
holy scriptures and their explanation, all in reference to existing
circumstances. I was still more astounded, when the boy cried out:
'Beware my brethren; for two traitors have made their way into the
assembly, who intend you evil.' I looked up, young Vila turned pale, he
was standing at the door, and slipped out, when it was opened to new
comers. 'One is escaped,' groaned the child as he still lay with his
eyes and senses closed, 'but the second mocker is still present, he
knows not that I, the Lord, have led him hither, that he may become one
of mine.' I was terrified, my inmost soul was moved and emotions rose
in my heart, which I had never experienced before. They began to sing
psalms, and however discordant they may have sounded, they made no
unpleasant impression on me, my mind followed the glorious words? the
misfortune of these desolate creatures, their contrition before the
Lord, the fearful haughtiness of their adversaries, vibrated and
shrieked heartrendingly in this unharmonious lamentation; it appeared
to me absurd that until now harmony had been necessary to me when I
wished to raise my heart in prayer. Does not the universal lament of
creation strike on his ear? Do not praise and thanksgivings with tears
and cries of sorrow rise equally to his throne? To this feeling were
added many more, and weak, poor and unintelligible did the whole course
of my past life appear to me. Do these statues, lights and temples then
make any difference, said I to myself, with all this pomp of riches and
splendour? will the Lord who walked bound as a slave among us, and
suffered himself to be illtreated, will he not be mocked through it? Do
not these wretched beings represent him anew before our eyes? can I not
in each one of these persecuted ones greet himself? feed, clothe, and
protect him?--Then I felt as if all the sorrow and strife, which these
mountains have endured for years were piercing in countless multitudes
through my own wounded breast. Another boy now fell down and cried, 'go
out into the wood, Elias, Marion, and some of the faithful are
approaching, they have strayed; induce them to come with psalms, for
to-day, you have no persecution to fear.' Some went out from the
assembly, and sang with loud voices, and soon afterwards returned with
a great number of enthusiasts, among whom a tall man advanced, who was
respectfully saluted by all. 'Triumph!' said the child aloud, still
prostrate on the ground, 'the disbeliever is overcome, he will enter
into the kingdom of the Lord.' Then I felt the blow of a great hammer
suddenly against my breast. I struggled with this feeling, and
conquered it. The humble divine worship of this poor pitiable
congregation was continued with psalms, and calmly uttered inspired
discourses. Marion spoke the word of life, which penetrated through all
my faculties; in what dreadful error I had been wandering untill then!
All contingencies vanished, it was granted to me to look upon the Lord,
and the strength of his miracles in their simple glory, and to behold
his meek and lowly form. If until then my soul had been only
overshadowed by pomp, legends, false emotions and artificial
elevations; as splendid hanging of silk and gold only confine the pure
rays of celestial light, and give but a false brilliancy to its glory.
My heart was contrite and as a wound of sorrow and emotion; my spirit
was like that of a child. The Most High stood by my side, and stretched
out his bleeding hand to me, which had been now again pierced by us
miserable wretches. The glance from his tearful eyes went to my soul,
then I was filled with wrathful melancholy and joyful sorrow, and in
this emotion, I was smitten again when the assembly dispersed. What is
nature? this question I had often asked myself when I rambled with
enthusiasm through wooded mountains and verdant valleys magically
lighted and covered with the breath of morning, embalmed by the fresh
zephyrs, and filled with all the lovely presentiments which inspire us
with such pleasing dreams. Oh, my father! now I understand the deep
wailings in the woods and in the mountains, in the gurgling stream, the
word of the Eternal himself and his almighty compassion on us unhappy,
lost creatures, was murmured to me from every wave and from every
bough. With a million of tongues the countless foliage reproached my
negligent tardiness. My eye pierced through the past and future, my
thoughts were adoration, my feelings holy devotion.
"I plunged into the thickest woods and gave a free course to my flowing
tears, I now received the third summons and I no longer resisted it. In
the solitude of night, my whole being was absorbed in prayer and
thanksgiving, wonderously the strongest words poured forth without the
slightest exertion, as tears flow without design, as wave follows wave
down the stream, as the wind puts in motion the numberless foliage of
the forest, thus led by a higher and invisible spirit, my speech was
changed into prophecy. A new being arose within me, I no longer
recognised that of yesterday. In the mirror of my inmost soul another
eye, different from my own, met mine, nevertheless this was really
myself. Now resting, now walking, I found myself in the twilight of
morning in the district of Sauve among the recesses of the mountains.
You know, my father, the lofty situation of the dreary landscape there,
no tree, no shrub, scarcely a solitary blade of grass upon the barren,
white chalky waste, and as far as the eye extends, trunks of trees,
heaps of lime stones in all shapes, like men, animals and horses,
dazzling and fatiguing the sight, spread about, and at intervals
rolling stones, and a little lower down, the small, gloomy, solitary
town. Here I threw myself down again and gazed upon the waste ruin
around, and upon the dark blue sky above me, strange how my spirit
wandered there! I cannot explain by any human language, how
instantaneously my heart was impressed with every feeling of belief,
with every noble thought, how creation, nature, and the strangest
mystery, man with his wonderful energies and his common dependance on
the elements, how vain, how contradictory and ridiculous all this
appeared to me now. I could not collect myself, I was compelled
incessantly to follow this train of thought and to find relief in loud
laughter. Then there was no God, no spirit, nothing but puerility,
madness, and deformity, in all that creeps, swims, and flies,
especially in this ball that thinks, reflects, and weeps, and
underneath devours and masticates. Oh, let me be silent and not again
discover the maddening images that took possession of my mind,
annihilation, dead, cold non-existence appeared to me alone desirable
and noble. I was utterly undone, and painful was my return to life, but
I at length found it with the help of the compassionate one." The
father seized his son's hand, "Mark my child," said he mildly, "as soon
as all these wonderous sensations shall in wild controversy have
traversed your soul, you will assuredly be yourself again and return to
us entirely. Your lacerated heart will resume its tranquility and
repose after these commotions, and then will your understanding and
free will abandon your fearful purpose."
"Never! my father," exclaimed the youth with sudden vehemence, "this
was my temptation in the wilderness, which the All Merciful shortened
to a few hours, and then opened his paternal arms to me again. It might
have lasted for weeks and months, had he not been willing to shew
compassion to my weakness. You believe me not, you doubt, but what will
you say if I give you the most undeniable proofs, that this my
enlightening is no false, or artificial one, if you will even be
compelled to own to me, that I not only know myself by this, but also
all that is unconnected with me."
"What do you mean by that?" demanded the old man bewildered, "I do not
understand you, my son."
"When I resumed my human feelings and had refreshed myself, I wandered
again to the green wood that extends towards Florac, there, where the
rocks assume a grand character as far as the mountains of Lozere. The
place pleased me and I passed the night in the open air.
"What did you do on this second night of my absence? where did Franz
remain? do you think that I do not know all?" The father looked at him
with fear.
"What do you know?" asked he stammering. "When I again turned my
thoughts on the Saviour," said the son, "and endeavoured to account for
my bewilderment, in order to assist my researches, I felt compelled to
think on you, on my sister and on our house, thus will it assuredly be
after death, the soul will still cast lingering looks after its
cherished old nature and be unable for a length of time to comprehend
its new thoughts and strange existence. Suddenly, when my ardent desire
was accomplished; I saw you; all was still in the house, you went with
Franz more quietly than usual and with great caution into the library,
the window shutters and doors were closed, there was only one taper
burning. With the help of Franz you removed the folios, and at the same
time drew back the first bolt of the by chest, the pressure of a spring
you opened the pannel, which slid back into the wall and threw light
into the little enclosed recess. I saw several small chests standing
there, jewels of costly value were in them, that I never knew of and
which you never mentioned to me, but Franz seemed to know all. You
opened the cases, arranged them and added some others to them. Franz
wept and said: 'So now my wish will be at length accomplished of living
at Geneva in future and openly acknowledging the faith that I have been
compelled to deny here.' This also was new and unexpected to me. Then
you embraced the old servant heartily, kissed him on the mouth and said
with emotion: 'You are now no longer my servant, but my friend, my most
confidential friend, for to you I confide my entire welfare, my
property, and my children. God protect you on your way there and back,
give these letters into the right hands at the same time with this
little treasure; steal as you can over the frontiers, then we are safe,
and return directly with favourable answers.' That very night, he
accomplished fifteen leagues."
The old man trembled violently; he examined his son doubtingly, his
face was pale. "Where have you seen all this?" demanded he at length.
"Yonder in the mountains of Lozere, fourteen leagues from here." There
was a pause. "I must believe you," said the father. "Be it a miracle,
delirium, an undiscovered strength of nature; I see, but I understand
it not. All is in reality as you have said, but your manner is terrible
to me. Do you not then believe, that as you have fallen, in so
unusually strange a manner, into this disposition, conviction, and
miraculous gift, there may be also means, which heaven, if you in faith
and humility call upon God will open to reconduct you into the ordinary
walk of mankind, far from these fearful rocks upon which you must
inevitably founder."
"You understand me not, I tell you once more," cried the youth,
"although I quite understand your meaning. You do not trust the token
that I have given you. Yet," added, he smiling, "you are not quite so
hardened just now, better thoughts steal over your soul, though also
from the region of unbelief."
"And what is it?" asked the father, "you will otherwise make me believe
that you are able to penetrate into all the hidden depths of the
heart."
"You were thinking just now," said Edmond:--
"Let him take his course, the evil must now have reached its height,
perhaps God wills that he should find at length by this more than
wonderful means, his salvation, and that he may learn later to cool by
reason and true christian humility, the fanaticism, that now transform
him into a lunatic. Thus do you think of me, thus do you deny the
spirit." "My son," said the old man with uplifted looks, "is it a good
spirit that prompts you? is it not perhaps the wild wandering of nature
herself in you that transports you beyond her own limits?"
The son cast again that terrifying look on his father, which rendered
him mute.
"You are free," said the old man, "affection alone, not force should
retain you. Go then and follow the dictates of your own heart. My
prayers shall accompany you, and, may be, they will have the power to
mitigate, or ward off the worst."
"Surely you are not opposed to my taking to my poor brethren my small
fortune," said Edmond perfectly tranquillised, "they are more in need
of it than we."
"Take also this purse from me," said the father, "I desire not to know
to what purpose you destine it, but the unfortunate men yonder are in
want of it."
"Franz is coming!" exclaimed Edmond; "Where?" enquired the
Counsellor:--"He is still far behind the mountains, I see him only with
my inward eyes. The over-cautious old man! he has hidden the letter in
his boot, there he is leaning against an old tree, and is pulling it
out. I could read the letter to you if I liked, but I perceive that it
contains good news for you, let that suffice. Permit me now to go,
before the old man returns to oppress my heart anew with his
lamentations, or to excite my anger."
Father and son long held each other closely embraced; the old Lord
seemed overpowered with grief and tears; Edmond gently disengaged
himself from his paternal arms, returned once more and kissed his
father. With hasty steps he traversed the garden and ascended the
vineyard; there he stood still once more, and from thence waved a
handkerchief downwards in salutation, while Franz issued from the wood
ou the opposite side and held up the letters exultingly in the
distance.