A DEPARTURE AND AN ARRIVAL
Mr. Thornau, who was staying with his sick wife at the baths of Leuk
had just received two letters. One was from his daughter, and one from
the children’s governess. Both letters expressed an urgent desire to
see him as soon as possible as the writers wished to speak to him. He
felt no particular joy at the complete harmony of their wishes, because
he knew that this usually resulted from a great difference of opinion.
Laying the letters on his wife’s bed, he said, “They’ve asked me to
come to them again, and it is sure to be some matter I have to settle
with Miss Landrat. Don’t be alarmed, though, for worrying might hurt
you.”
Mr. Thornau could see that his wife was agitated as she murmered to
herself, “I wish we had not sent the children away, it is not good for
them. They should be here with us.”
“If you want them here, Alida,” said he, “you only need to say so, and
I’ll fetch them. But you know that I installed them there to give you
the quiet you ought to have.”
“I’ll be more quiet if you bring them,” replied she. “Apparently
they are not very happy. The governess may mean well, but she is too
strict; which shows that she does not understand children. She uses the
greatest severity when it is not necessary. I see that Hugo grows more
quiet and reserved and Alida more obstinate and head-strong, despite
her best intentions. Neither of them is easy to handle, as you know.”
“Quite right,” the husband agreed. “Alida has my temperament and being
a girl, needs specially good guidance. Nature has curiously changed
things, for Hugo needs special care, too. He has inherited your
temperament and delicate health.”
“Yes, he too needs special consideration,” the mother added. “Please
promise me always to treat him affectionately. He will stand in such
need of it, especially when I am no more.”
“But for heaven’s sake, Alida, do not think of such a thing, and let us
never say another word about it!” Mr. Thornau cried out. “I’ll start
right off to settle this new law-suit. I shall walk there, because the
road is charming. It will take two hours, but I’ll probably take a
carriage back.”
Mr. Thornau was quietly chuckling to himself as he strolled down the
mountain. He clearly recollected the last case he had had to arbitrate.
Alida, while practicing, had rather urgently banged the innocent keys
to make them feel how little to her taste it was to have to spend her
time with them. Miss Landrat had given her a well-earned scolding, but
had unfortunately grown violently angry. Suddenly Alida had pressed
both hands on her mouth to keep herself from bursting out laughing.
“Why are you laughing?” Miss Landrat had asked, still more angry. Alida
shortly declared she could not tell why. On being asked three times
more, she repeated the same answer. Finally the governess absolutely
commanded her to tell the truth and she was reminded of her duty to
obey. Alida knew that she must do so and therefore she informed the
questioner that her face had grown so pointed while she was scolding
her that she had resembled a drawing in her natural history book.
She had suddenly thought her governess’s name might really be Miss
Landrat.[B] This impertinence was reported to her father, but Alida
vigorously objected that she had not meant to be impertinent in
the least. As her father had ordered her to obey, she could not do
otherwise. The father had really found it a rather hard case to settle.
Mr. Thornau reached Mrs. Troll’s house. The door was violently thrown
open and Alida, who had spied her father, came rushing out. At the
first moment of their greeting a whole stream of information about the
event in question came pouring from her lips. But the father checked
her. “Miss Landrat will be heard first; your turn comes next,” he said.
He kept his word and first got one version, which was followed by a
vivid second from his daughter. Alida fully described Mrs. Troll’s
horrid behavior to Vinzi when she had sent him off. Hugo figured as
witness and assured his father that Vinzi was a charming looking boy
and not a common street boy by any means. He boldly stated that he
would much rather associate with Vinzi than with Mrs. Troll.
The father never doubted that his daughter’s sudden enthusiasm for
music had an extraordinary cause. But this was not the most important
point. He felt that the boy who had so honestly returned his
daughter’s property, and had been invited by her to return to the
house, had been treated most insultingly. He felt anxious to offer some
kind of reparation and decided to pay a little call on the boy and his
parents and to apologize for what had happened. They might give the boy
a small present as a reward for returning the shawl. Full of joy Alida
offered to act as guide, as Vinzi had told her where he lived and how
to get there. They had no trouble finding Lesa’s house as a slightly
curving path which led across the big meadow took them there in the
shortest time. Everything round about was quiet, with the exception
of peaceful cackling sounds from the farm-yard. The house looked most
tidy. The lawn was newly mowed, the road was swept, and the bench in
the shade of the walnut tree seemed to have been polished.
“I like the looks of this place,” said Mr. Thornau, glancing about with
satisfaction. “Too bad, too, bad,” he added. The last words he had
murmered to himself, but Alida had heard and interpreted them.
“Don’t you mean it is too bad we don’t live here, papa?” she cried.
“But we could easily move here, as our piano is only rented. Vinzi
could practice with me every day. Then I’d really enjoy it. You know,
papa, it is dreadfully stupid to learn alone. That’s why I gave him
lessons; it made him practice, too. He is so clever that he’ll soon
learn.”
The father burst into a laugh. “I see the reason for the music lessons
now! Excellent! Did you say your pupil was anxious to learn?”
“Oh, yes, and he was so clever, too,” exclaimed Alida. “Just think,
papa, when I explained anything to him he usually understood it better
than I did and afterwards was able to explain it all to me.”
The father could not help smiling as he approached the door, which was
unfastened.
Mr. Thornau, entering the hall, knocked on the first door. In answer
to a call from within he went into a large bright room. Mrs. Lesa was
sitting near the window with some sewing and Stefeli in front of her.
The little girl’s small fingers were with difficulty holding several
thick knitting-needles; the coarse thread was wound six times around
her index-finger. The woman rose at once and met her visitors. Mr.
Thornau, introducing himself, gave her to understand that he had come
to express his sincere regret for what Mrs. Troll had said to Vinzi.
He knew that the boy had brought back Alida’s property and had been
invited by Alida to come again. He also hoped that he and his children
would be able to tell Vinzi themselves how sorry they were about Mrs.
Troll’s unkind words. He wondered if he would accept some friendly
attention from them in gratitude for finding the shawl. Mrs. Lesa did
not know what Mrs. Troll’s words had been, for Vinzi had not repeated
them. She realized what must have happened, however, and it came into
her mind that Mrs. Troll’s remarks to her husband had occasioned
Vinzi’s immediate removal from home. He had left only that morning and
all the mother’s thoughts had been engrossed by his going. Begging the
gentleman to take a seat she told him where Vinzi had been sent.
Alida, rushing up to Stefeli, asked her impetuously, “Where is your
brother?”
“He has gone away,” was Stefeli’s reply.
“Why are you not on the pasture? I thought you always stayed on the
pasture till he comes back,” said Alida, evidently well informed on the
matter. “If you were there you would not have to knit such a heavy
stocking.”
“Vinzi has not gone for but an hour; he has gone for weeks and weeks.
That’s why somebody else will have to take care of the cows now, but
we don’t know who is to attend to them yet,” Stefeli replied. “You see
I couldn’t possibly do it all alone. I couldn’t manage them if they
were all jumping around at once. But mother told me that all bad things
have a good side, too. She thought I couldn’t spend my time better than
knitting woolen stockings for Vinzi to wear when he comes home again.”
“I should say that that decidedly belonged to the very worst side of
all,” replied Alida quickly. “Those thick needles are hurting you and
the heavy thread is cutting into your finger. Won’t you show me your
barnyard? I can hear the funny little noises the chickens are making.
Can’t you come out with me?”
Stefeli looked towards her mother, who had heard what the children were
saying. With a nod Stefeli was given permission, and the girls ran out.
“I am sure the boy wants to go, too,” said Mrs. Lesa, glancing towards
Hugo, who had posted himself shyly behind his father’s chair. “The air
would do him good.”
“Yes, Hugo, you can go and see the place,” remarked the father. “Look
how those two are running, or rather flying about. Go and run about
with them.”
Hugo obeyed.
“If I have understood you rightly, Mrs. Lesa,” Mr. Thornau continued
the interrupted conversation, “the boy has been sent away because he
shows no interest in your fine, prosperous farm and has evidently no
inclination for his future life’s work. But I cannot believe him to
be a dull boy, for he seems to have been tremendously eager to take
music lessons from my daughter. According to her he showed the most
extraordinary comprehension.”
“Oh, no, he is not dull,” replied Mrs. Lesa with animation, “the
trouble with him is that he has his thoughts where they ought not to
be. If he happens to be out in the field with his father and he hears
the sound of a bell anywhere he drops everything and pays attention
to absolutely nothing else till no sound of it can be heard any more.
Very often when no one else can hear anything he seems to be listening
to something. Naturally his father gets impatient with him. He thought
that if Vinzi lived for a while with boys who love farm life he might
change and get to like it, too. But I don’t know how it will work out,”
added Mrs. Lesa with a wistful shake of the head. “These things are so
deeply rooted in Vinzi. When he was a baby he would stand stock-still
at hearing a beautiful sound. Whenever he got hurt and was crying, I
only had to take him on my lap and sing him a song to make him happy
and quiet again.”
“But, my dear Mrs. Lesa, all this clearly shows that your boy has an
ear for music and a real devotion to it, together with natural talent,”
Mr. Thornau said eagerly. “Did you never think of having his talent
developed? The boy and you, too, might reap the greatest happiness that
way.”
“I do not know what the gentleman means,” answered Mrs. Lesa with a
questioning look.
“What I mean? Your boy might be sent to a music school where they could
judge his talent. He could study there. It takes years, of course, but
what of that? If he turns out to be a finished musician he would be
happy and satisfied, and you, too, of course.”
“That’s nothing for Vinzi,” said Mrs. Lesa deliberately. “His father
would not consent. He would never let his only son leave home for years
and years. He would not let him live among strangers for such a reason,
and it would be altogether too uncertain a future for the boy.”
“Isn’t the world strange?” exclaimed Mr. Thornau. “Just look at my
boy! He is my only son, too. He only needs to say what he wants and I
give it to him. He may study what he pleases, and it makes me happy to
let him. But what do you think? If I ask him, ‘Would you like riding
horseback?’ he answers, ‘No, I’d rather not.’ Should I ask him if he
wants to learn to play the violin, or the piano, or the flute, all
he says is, ‘No, I’d rather not.’ ‘Would you like to become a sailor
and go far across the sea into foreign countries?’ He always says,
‘Oh, no, father, I’d rather not,’ and that is the answer I get every
time. I cannot help being envious of your son who has such a decided
inclination for music.”
Mrs. Lesa had watched Hugo for quite a while through the open window.
Leaning against a tree, he was staring indifferently before him. The
two girls in the meanwhile were playing tag, shrieking violently
whenever they were caught, and then eagerly beginning again.
“He probably is not very strong,” she said sympathetically. “He looks
pale and thin. He would get stronger if he could live a while on the
pasture.”
“Yes, I suppose that would do him good,” replied Mr. Thornau. “He never
was very hardy and now he seems more frail than ever. Since my wife was
taken ill and the boy had to be separated from her, all the life seems
to have gone out of him.”
“Why don’t you let him stay with his mother?” Mrs. Lesa inquired. Her
voice clearly showed an interest, as if it were a matter of great
importance to herself and as if her visitor were an old friend of hers.
Mr. Thornau smiled.
“You are a real mother, Mrs. Lesa, even for children that are not your
own. I like that. But you see, my wife has been ordered a complete
rest. So I had to send the children away. If the boy is allowed to be
with his mother, the girl wants to be with her, too, and she is by
nature very noisy--of course she can’t help it. But the mother wants
her children back for she worries about them more when they are absent.
But I think my visit has been long enough, Mrs. Lesa,” said Mr.
Thornau, getting up. “Please permit me to come again, for I like your
home extremely.”
Mrs. Lesa accompanied her guest outside and called the children. Hugo
was still leaning against the tree, but when the girls came running
forward he slowly followed. When Stefeli heard that her mother had
invited Mr. Thornau to come again, she said quickly, “You must be sure
to come, too, Alida. I might be up on the pasture then, and you could
see what it is like there.”
Alida promised to return, and after taking leave, Mr. Thornau and
the children wandered back to Mrs. Troll’s house. As she appeared in
the doorway just then, Mr. Thornau immediately informed her that the
children were leaving her in a few days. Their mother wanted them back
sooner than he had expected to take them home, but he promised her to
fulfill his obligations. The chief reason for their going, though,
was that he wished no one to suffer for an act of courtesy shown his
children.
How changed Mr. Thornau was of a sudden, Mrs. Troll thought to herself.
He had turned from her so abruptly, he who had always been so courteous
and friendly. He really meant to take the children away. Of course he
would never bring them back. And all on account of that miserable boy
across the way. It was really laughable. However, Mrs. Troll was not in
a mood to laugh at all. Now when it was too late she would willingly
have taken back the harsh words she had said to Vinzi.
Just then the carriage Mr. Thornau had ordered drove up. Alida, close
at her father’s side, extracted a triple promise from him that he would
soon take them away. When the carriage started she had to let him go.
Lost in deep thought, Mr. Thornau drove down the mountain-side. His
impression of Mrs. Lesa and her household had been extremely pleasant,
and he wished he had known the woman before he had placed his children
elsewhere. She might have been justified in feeling deep resentment
against them, as the boy had really been banished on their account, but
not a trace of such feeling had she shown. He also decided to let his
daughter discontinue her music study. He was sure that if she had real
love for music it would show itself in some other way. Suddenly Mr.
Thornau was greeted by a wanderer going in the same direction and in
whom he recognized his table-companion from the hotel.
“Oh, Mr. Delrick, what a hermit you are!” he called out, ordering his
carriage to stop. “If you refuse to get into my carriage I shall think
that my company is not good enough for you.”
Mr. Delrick politely thanked him for the offer, but said that he was
unwilling to give up his daily walk even for such good company.
“Good! then I’ll join you,” said Mr. Thornau, jumping out of the
carriage. “I am sure what I have to say will interest you.”
Mr. Delrick smiled, and the two men walked along side by side.
“Do not smile in such an incredulous way,” continued Mr. Thornau. “Do
you really intend to turn your back on society and live alone?”
“It is not quite so bad as that,” Mr. Delrick answered with a smile,
“but I don’t mind admitting that I should leave the hotel if I could
find a pleasant home with simple upright people to stay in. I should
enjoy nature much more there.”
“I have found the very house for you,” said Mr. Thornau triumphantly.
“That’s what I was going to tell you.”
He then related his experiences of the day and described his new
acquaintance, Mrs. Lesa, with great enthusiasm. The deep peace of the
surroundings and the unusual order and cleanliness in the house and
garden, barn and stable would make anybody long to live there. “Enough,
Mr. Delrick,” he concluded. “It certainly is the home for you. I really
feel very unselfish telling you this, because we shall be the losers if
you leave us. But strangely enough, one cannot help doing you a favor.
You win people’s hearts in spite of themselves.”
“My dear Mr. Thornau,” said his companion, patting him on the shoulder,
“you are kind indeed to take pity on a poor unpractical hermit. I feel
ever so grateful to you. Your description has awakened a keen desire in
me to take a look at the house.”
At this point a beautiful path joined the road. Though much longer it
repaid by the very fine views to be had from several spots. As Mr.
Delrick wanted to walk home that way, the friends separated and Mr.
Thornau again climbed into his carriage.
When Vinzenz Lesa came out of the house next day to look after his
business on the farm, he noticed a stranger, who was apparently
seeking someone. As soon as the latter saw the farmer, he approached.
“Does this house by any chance belong to a Mr. Lesa?” he asked politely.
“Yes, sir,” was the answer.
“Do I have the honor of speaking to the owner of it?” asked the
stranger.
“Yes, sir.”
“I am lucky to find you, Mr. Lesa. I’d like to do some business with
you. My name is Delrick, and I came from Dresden. I am stopping in the
baths of Leuk, where there are too many people for my taste. As I want
to stay in the neighborhood, I am looking for a quiet home to live in
for a few weeks. When Mr. Thornau told me about yours I came to see it
myself. I cannot help wishing that you would take me as a boarder.”
“I live here with my wife and child and I take in no strangers,” Mr.
Lesa replied curtly.
“You are right,” Mr. Delrick answered pleasantly. “If I were in your
place I’d do the same.”
Lesa could not help looking at the stranger in astonishment. “I
suppose then that our business is settled?”
“I am afraid so,” replied Mr. Delrick, “but I wish you could tell me
another house where I could live. One as much like yours as possible,
just as well situated and surrounded by such mighty trees. You have a
picked estate, Mr. Lesa, and I realize that I can’t expect to find such
order and care anywhere else.”
Mr. Lesa was visibly pleased that the gentleman had eyes enough to
see that his home was kept differently from many others. But his wife
really merited most of the praise for the condition of the yard and
garden. He could not help thinking of her, sitting in the house and
worrying about her boy. By now Vinzi had probably reached his cousins
on the mountain. She had hardly spoken a word all day, and he was sorry
for her. It might be a good plan to take this gentleman into the house
to fill her loss. She had thought before of getting a room ready for
boarders and as the stranger had made a most agreeable impression on
him he felt not at all averse to the idea of spending his free evenings
with such a man.
After reflecting he answered, “I can’t really think of any other
place. But you might go in and speak to my wife--if she should agree to
take you I won’t have any objections. May I attend to my work now?”
With this he offered his hand in farewell.
At this unexpected turn Mr. Delrick was most happy and surprised.
Holding Lesa’s hand in his a moment he asked, “Do I understand you
right, Mr. Lesa? Will you really be satisfied with whatever your wife
decides to do?”
“Yes, I’ll be satisfied,” Lesa answered before turning about.
When Mr. Delrick’s knocking had been answered by a response to come
in, he entered the room. The child was there alone, knitting a heavy
stocking at the window. Going up to Stefeli, he asked the little one to
call her mother as he wanted to speak to her.
“Oh, she’ll soon be here. When she heard you knocking she went to her
room because she was crying a little,” said Stefeli.
“Oh, I am sorry. Has something sad happened that your mother has to
cry?” asked the stranger.
“Yes, because Vinzi has gone away for all summer and she doesn’t even
know the people he is living with,” Stefeli went on.
“Is Vinzi your brother?” the gentleman asked, full of sympathy. “Why
did he have to go away?”
“We don’t quite know,” Stefeli replied, “perhaps because Alida gave him
music lessons.”
“Oh, what a strange case!” Mr. Delrick remarked with a smile. “I
suppose you have always been with your brother. You must miss him now
that you are all alone?”
“Yes, of course, and mother does, too, and he is missed also on the
pasture. We were on the pasture all day long. Father has a cow-boy now
and my mother won’t let me go to the pasture any more. Father said the
cows won’t graze and are running about as if lost. Schwärzeli wants to
jump all the hedges, and when the new boy chases her she turns about
wildly and runs away frightened. I believe it, too. We have known each
other so long and well, and she doesn’t like a new boy who tries to
rule her. She doesn’t know his voice and she doesn’t feel at home at
all, poor Schwärzeli!”
When Stefeli had gotten as far as that in her recital the door opened
and her mother entered. Mr. Delrick, going to meet her, said that he
had come with her husband’s permission to ask her a question, but as he
had heard of her recent sorrow from her little daughter, he did not
feel it right to trouble her.
“It is often good for us if we have to pull ourselves together. Then
we have less time to brood over our troubles,” Mrs. Lesa replied
collectedly.
“It might be still better to look on our grief as if it were no grief
at all. That makes it yet easier to bear. What do you think, Mrs.
Lesa?” said Mr. Delrick as confidentially as an old friend.
Mrs. Lesa looked up in surprise.
“I think I understand what the gentleman means, but I hardly seem to
find an answer,” she replied after a pause.
“There is no hurry,” said Mr. Delrick kindly. “If you will permit me
to live in your home for a few months we might find many an hour to
continue our conversation.”
More astonished than ever, Mrs. Lesa glanced at the stranger. A happy
smile spread for a moment over her features, only to disappear as
suddenly. “It does not depend on me alone, sir,” she said calmly. “I
know that my husband won’t have strangers in the house. That settles
the matter, I fear.”
“Mr. Lesa and I understand each other already,” said Mr. Delrick. “He
told me himself that he would be satisfied with whatever you decide to
do.”
Mrs. Lesa knew not what to think. Only a short time ago her husband
had positively declared that he wanted no strangers to live with
him. However, the gentleman might look at the two rooms possible, in
order to know if they would suit him. She would then consult with her
husband and send him word at the hotel. Having no intention to hurry
Mrs. Lesa in her decision, Mr. Delrick agreed. Climbing the stairs, he
glanced into the rooms. One had an eastern exposure and in the other
the noonday sun was shining through the windows. The branches of the
old walnut trees outside were swaying in the breeze, and Mr. Delrick
was immensely taken with them. If he had had his way he would have
taken possession of the rooms at once. This Mrs. Lesa could not fail to
observe.
“I must say good-bye to your little daughter,” he said going towards
the door. “We are good friends already and I hope we can continue to be
so.”
Stefeli, who had been hiding behind her mother, shot forward at these
words. She had taken in everything and had followed her mother in order
to find out if the gentleman liked the rooms. She was hoping that he
would come to live there. That would give her somebody to talk to, for
he had listened very attentively to everything she had told him about
the pasture.
Mr. Delrick, shaking her hand, begged her to lead him up to the pasture
some day. At parting Mrs. Lesa promised to send their decision to him
as soon as possible, for he was anxious to know.
When Vinzenz Lesa returned home in the evening, the first question he
asked his wife was, “Well, what did you settle with the gentleman?”
She told him about their conversation and her having put off a decided
answer until she knew what he thought about it.
“But I am quite sure, Vinzenz,” she concluded, “if this gentleman comes
to live with us he is sure to bring a blessing to our home.”
“I suppose we need not scorn it,” replied the farmer. “You had better
send him word that we expect him soon.”
His wife did so with joy in her heart and a few days ago later Mr.
Delrick moved into Mr. Lesa’s house.