Farewell!
The afternoon passed in hasty preparations for the departure of the two
soldiers; at last all was arranged, and with the early twilight,
Frederic, ready for the journey, betook himself to the doctor and his
wife, to say good-by. The poor fellow looked very melancholy; around
his broad mouth was a quiver of pain: it was with great difficulty he
kept back his tears. Neither the heavy package of money the doctor
handed him nor the promise of the doctor's wife to care for him in the
field, could console him.
"For shame, Frederic!" said Doctor Stephen, chidingly. "Is that the way
to go to war? With such a sorrowful mien, with tearful eyes? I should
have believed you had more courage."
Frederic, deeply wounded, wiped the tears from his eyes, and at length,
comprehending the full meaning of the reproach, he cried excitedly:
"Do you think, Herr Doctor, that I am afraid? It is a real delight to
me to take the musket on my shoulder, and go to war. But my poor
master! This is going to cost him his life, even before he meets the
enemy."
"Well, that is by no means certain," said the doctor, while Frau
Stephen, who was entirely of Frederic's opinion, pressed her
handkerchief to her eyes. "Perhaps he will hold out better than we all
think. I tell you once more, he is not so very ill as you imagine, and
this soldier-life will tear him away from his studies, which, in any
event, is a fortunate thing."
"He will not endure it," persisted Frederic with a mournful shake of
the head; "he certainly will not endure it! At the very first march, he
will lie in the hospital; and if I am not with him to take care of him,
he will surely die. And for all this"--here that fearful, bearish
nature, so deplored by Mr. Atkins, broke forth anew in Frederic,--"and
for all this, those accursed Frenchmen are guilty,--I--I am going to
kill a dozen at least for it!"
"Well, well; wait until you are in France!" cried the doctor,
retreating from the furious pantomime Frederic enacted after these
words. "You certainly will have to wait before you can offer such a
propitiatory sacrifice to the manes of your master. So far as I know,
he has served his year in the volunteer army, and he still remains
alive."
"That was ten years ago," replied Frederic, still more despairingly.
"At that time he was much stronger and more healthy than I, and still
he lay for some time in the hospital. Well, there is no help for it
now! Good-by, Herr Doctor, good-by, Frau Doctorin!" he cordially
stretched out both huge hands, and in spite of his efforts to keep them
back, tears streamed down his cheeks. "You have been very kind to me
during these last three years; when I return I will try to repay you;
if _I_ cannot--may God reward you!"
So saying, he pressed, and shook with a giant's strength, the proffered
hands, accepted another caution and some further words of good advice,
waved his cap, and trotted down the steps after his master, who had
already taken leave of the married pair, and had gone for a few moments
into the garden.
The professor stood at the farther end of the garden, leaning against
the latticed gate, and gazed fixedly and dreamily upon the now dry
portion of the hedge-way which separated it from the river rushing
past. The sun had already set, the last beams of the twilight were
fading away, and the first stars faintly glimmered in the sky. Between
the trees and shrubbery, dusky shadows already lay, and the cool breath
of the night enveloped all. From above came the light rustle and murmur
of the waves, the dear old familiar Rhine voices whispered to him their
parting salutation. Whether it was a parting from home, or from life as
well--it was the last he had to expect.
There was all at once a rustle from another direction, but more
distinct, more violent, as a woman's silk dress crossed the path.
Thrilled by a presentiment, Fernow turned around. Before him stood
Jane, pale as death, her glance fixed upon the ground, her hands firmly
clasped, and with an expression as if, just now, the most terrible
thing in her whole life had happened. Her breast rose and fell
convulsively; her lips quivered; she could not control them, and at
last they opened for these momentous words: "I--I beg your
forgiveness!"
"Miss Forest! Johanna!" cried Fernow, with uncontrollable emotion; but
she had already turned, and like a hunted creature, fled down the path.
He was about to rush after her, when Frederic's loud voice echoed
through the garden.
"Herr Professor, we must go! Herr Professor, where are you? We haven't
a moment to lose."
"Must we go? This very instant!" The new duty was demanding its first
heavy sacrifice; a moment of struggle, and then all was over.
"I am coming!" he replied in a firm voice! He hastened to the house.
Under the vine-wreathed balcony it was growing dark already, but the
outlines of a delicate form were visible, only half concealed by the
foliage. For a moment the professor's feet lingered, only one, and
ardent and deep-toned the parting word at last wrung from him up to
her:
"_Farewell!_"