It had not been Giraldi's intention to remain away so long. He had
expected the visit to be only one of civility, in return for that which
he had paid his Excellency the day before; but the clever, loquacious
gentleman had still so much to say, so much to add with regard to the
business that they had apparently concluded the day before, even when
he stood at the door with his hand on the lock, sometimes putting the
hat which he held in the other hand before his half-blind eyes, hidden
behind large grey spectacles, to protect them from the light that
streamed too dazzlingly through the window opposite.
"It seems foolish to warn the most prudent of men," he said, with a
sarcastic smile which looked like a tearful grimace on his odd face.
"Particularly when the warning comes from the bravest of men," answered
Giraldi.
"And yet," continued his Excellency, "he is wise too; you undervalue
his wisdom. He too is brave, even to rashness; he gives proof of it
daily. I do not think men like him can be understood at a distance; at
least half the magical power that they exercise over their
contemporaries lies in their personality. One must know such people
personally, quarrel with them in the Chambers, see them enter at a
court reception, to understand why the beasts grovel in the dust before
this lion, and even where they mean to oppose him, only get so far as
to wag their tails. Believe me, my honoured friend, distance in space
is as unfavourable to the estimation of such real historical greatness
as distance in time. You in Rome think you can explain by the logic of
facts all that depends solely on the overwhelming personality of the
man, exactly as all-wise philosophers of history quite calmly construe
the wonderful deeds of an Alexander or a Cæsar even to the minutest
details by the necessity of the circumstances of the time, as if
circumstances were a machine which completes its task all the same,
whether set in motion by the master or by a workman."
Giraldi smiled: "I thank your Excellency in the name of his Holiness,
for whose ears this witty little lecture was doubtless meant. And it is
no doubt as well that his Holiness should occasionally be shown the
reverse side of the medal, in order that he may not forget the fear
which is the beginning of all wisdom, and may be mindful of the
necessity of our counsels and of our support. Only at this moment, when
the shadows of the clouds which threaten our horizon on all sides lie
dark on his soul, I would not willingly represent to him the situation
as more difficult, or the man of the situation as more dangerous, than
we ourselves see them to be who have learnt to see. Therefore I
purposely took advantage of my farewell audience to raise his failing
courage a little. May I give your Excellency a proof of the necessity
of this? Well, then, his Holiness spoke in almost identically the same
words of the demoniacal power of the arch-enemy of our Holy Church; he
called him in turns a robber, a giant with a hundred arms, a murderer,
a Colossus whose feet trod the two hemispheres, as that of Rhodes did
the two sides of the harbour. Can your Excellency guess what I answered
him? 'I see already the pebble falling from the skies, which will
shatter the feet of the Colossus.' His eyes gleamed, his lips moved; he
repeated to himself the words; before long he will proclaim them, _urbi
et orbi_, as he does everything that we whisper to him. Our enemies
will laugh, but it will comfort the feeble spirits amongst us, as it
evidently sufficed to comfort the poor old man."
"I wish it were as true as it is comforting," said his Excellency.
"And is it not true?" exclaimed Giraldi. "Does not the Colossus in
reality stand on feet of clay? Of what avail are all the boasting
speeches about the power and splendour and civilising historic mission
of the German Empire? The end of the song, which he purposely
suppresses, or at least only allows to be heard quite faintly, is
always and only the powerful kingdom of Prussia. What avails him that
he restlessly throws himself from one character into another, and
to-day proclaims universal suffrage, to-morrow thunders against
Socialism, the day after again reprimands the puffed-up middle classes
like so many ill-behaved school-boys? He is and will always remain the
majordomo of the Hohenzollern, though he may strive against it in
moments of impatience at the occasional prudent hesitation of his
gracious master, of anger at the intrigues of the courtiers, or
whatever else may chafe his proud spirit. Believe me, your Excellency,
this man, in spite of his perpetual display of liberalism, is an
aristocrat from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, and in
spite of his vaunted enlightenment is full of the romantic fancier of
the middle ages, and never can and never will from his heart wish for
anything but a kingdom by the grace of God. But while he wishes for a
kingdom by the grace of God, he works for one by the grace of the
people. What else is it, when he uproots from the people all reverence
for the priesthood, not the Catholic alone? the interests of all orders
of the priesthood have always been identical, and the sympathy which
the ill-used Catholic clergy obtain from the Protestant priesthood will
soon be seen. Without priests, however, there can be no God, and no
kingdom by the grace of God; in other words, he is sawing off the
branch on which he sits. Or if he does not take the matter so
seriously, if he is, what I do not believe, so narrow-minded and
frivolous that he only sees the whole matter in the light of a dispute
about etiquette, a quarrel for the precedence which he wishes to claim
by the power he has arrogated to himself as head and chief over the
priests, the affair will again lead him _ad absurdum_, as there is no
doubt that the priests will never accept this subordination, will at
least only endure it if they cannot help themselves. We are what we
always were and always shall be. And, your Excellency, his vulnerable
point is that he does not grasp this, that he believes that he can
frighten us by threatenings and terrors and make us the creatures of
his will. As soon as he perceives that he cannot succeed by this
means--and I hope he will not perceive it yet--he will try to temporise
with us, and step by step will be drawn into the reaction; will be
forced ever more and more openly to expose the contradiction between
his aim--the kingdom by the grace of God--and his means which he has
borrowed from the armoury of the revolution; and this contradiction
into which he is being hopelessly driven, and from which must proceed
the revolution--for no people will endure the long continuance of so
contradicting a rule--is the pebble that is already rolling, and which
will loosen the avalanche and shatter the Colossus."
"Serve him right! and good luck go with him," said his little
Excellency, with his sarcastic laugh; and then, after a short pause, "I
only sometimes fear that we shall make the _salto mortale_ with him,
and--"
"Shall stand firmer than ever on our feet," interrupted Giraldi
quickly. "What have we to fear from the revolution or from the
people?--nothing, absolutely nothing. If to-day they dance round the
golden calf, to-morrow they will prostrate themselves the deeper in the
dust before Jehovah; if to-day they place the Goddess of Reason on the
throne, tomorrow like frightened children they will fly back again into
the bosom of Mother Church. And if in reality, as you said yesterday,
Darwinism is to be for Germany the religion of the future, so be it; we
will be the Darwinians _par excellence_, and with holy zeal will teach
the new faith from the chairs of the universities. We know that nature
draws her veil the closer, the more impatiently the too-forward scholar
tries to lift it. And when he has gazed into the hollow eyes of
Nothing, and lies shattered on the ground, we will come, will raise up
the poor fool, and comfort him with the words--Go, and sin no more.'
And he will go, and will sin no more in the foolish thirst for
knowledge, for the burden of ignorance is lighter and her yoke is
easier--_quod erat demonstrandum_."
The corners of his Excellency's mouth were drawn as far apart as
possible; even Giraldi smiled.
"I wish I had you always here," said his Excellency.
"To tell your Excellency things which you have long ago proclaimed from
the tribune."
"I generally speak from my place."
"And always in the right place."
"It is often nothing but empty sound, and no one knows that better than
myself; one counts upon the echo."
"And not in vain; for us beyond the mountains the little silver bell is
the great bell of a cathedral, whose iron clang reminds loiterers of
their duty and spurs the brave to fiercer struggles."
"And that reminds me that at this moment I am a loiterer myself, and
that a fiercer struggle awaits me in the Chamber to-day."
His Excellency, who had some time before seated himself on a chair near
the door--Giraldi remained standing--rose again.
"Your Excellency will not forget my little request," said Giraldi.
"How could I?" answered his Excellency; "in fact, I hope soon to have
an opportunity of setting the affair in motion. Of course, it cannot be
done without a small _douceur_. Nobody does anything there for nothing.
Happily we have the means always ready. The promise to give one turn
less to the screw in Alsace-Lorraine, not to disturb the childish
pleasure of the old Catholics in Cologne too rudely, not to sound the
alarm too loud in the impending debate on the courageous Bishop of
Ermeland, any one of these small favours is worth a General,
particularly when the latter has such unpractical antediluvian ideas of
State, society and family."
"And it can be done without scandal?"
"Quite without scandal. Ah! my worthy friend, you must not consider us
any longer as the honest barbarians described by Tacitus; we have
really learnt something since then. Good-bye!"
"Will your Excellency allow me to escort you to your carriage?"
"On no account. My servant waits in the anteroom. Will you let him come
in?"
"Will your Excellency permit me to be for the moment, as ever, your
devoted servant?"
Giraldi was in the act of offering his arm to the half-blind man, when
a fresh visitor was announced.
"Who is it?" asked his Excellency, with some anxiety; "you know I must
not be seen here by everybody."
"It is Councillor Schieler, your Excellency."
"Oh! only him. However, do not trust the sneaking fellow more than you
can help! He has got some very useful qualities, but must be handled
with care. Above all, do not trust him in the matter in question; it
would be quite useless. His great protector can do nothing in the
matter."
"And therefore it was that I took the liberty of applying to your
Excellency."
"Advice to you always comes too late. One thing more. For the little
family war which you have to wage here with these North German
barbarians you require three times as much of the needful as for the
great war. Are you fully provided?"
"I have always considered that war should maintain itself. However, I
can draw on Brussels to any extent if it should be necessary."
"Perhaps it may be necessary. At any rate, keep the game in your own
hands. In spite of your sanguine hopes for the future, in which I fully
concur, there are a series of lean years impending; we shall have to
live like marmots, and the prudence of the marmot is more than ever
necessary to us. You will keep me _au courant_?"
"It will be for my own interest, your Excellency."
The Councillor had entered. His Excellency held out his hand: "You come
just as I am going--that is unfair. You know there is nobody I like
better to talk with than you. How blows the wind to-day in the
Wilhelmstrasse? Have they slept well? Did they get out of bed on the
right side? Nerves down, or steady? Country air asked for, or no
demand? For heaven's sake do not let me die of unsatisfied curiosity."
His Excellency did not wait for the answer of the smiling Councillor,
but again pressed the hands of both gentlemen, and, leaning on the arm
of the servant who had entered meanwhile, left the room.
"Is it not wonderful!" said the Councillor; "such incredible
elasticity, such marvellous promptitude, such quickness of attack, such
sureness in retreat! The Moltke of guerilla warfare! What an enviable
treasure does your party possess in that man!"
"Our party, Councillor? Pardon me, I always have to remind myself that
you do not belong to us. Will you not sit down?"
"Many thanks, but I have not a minute to spare. I can only hastily tell
you what is most important. In the first place, they are furious at the
Ministry of Commerce at a vote just passed by the General Staff on the
harbour question, which, as I am told by a colleague--I have not yet
seen it myself,--is as good as a veto. The report is by a certain
Captain von Schönau, but the actual author--did you ever hear of such a
thing?--is himself a member of the War Office, and is of course no
other than our friend the General. This throws us back I do not know
how far or for how long. I am furious, and the more so that I can see
no way of getting over this difficulty. To be sure, a man has
influence, and could, if necessary, bring this influence to bear even
against an old friend; but one would not like to do it except in the
direst necessity. What do you advise?"
"That we should not tarnish the purity of our cause by mixing in it
such odious personalities," answered Giraldi. "If you think yourself
bound to spare an old friend, you know that there exists between the
General and me an enmity of long standing; and everything that I should
do or allow to be done against him would appear justly in the eyes of
all as an act of common revenge, which God forbid! If it is His will He
will surely bring about an event which will make our opponent harmless,
and that need not be an accident because men call it so."
"You mean if he were to die?" asked the Councillor, with a hesitating
glance.
"I mean nothing positive, and certainly not his death. As far as I am
concerned, may he live long!"
"That is a noble and Christian-like wish," answered the Councillor,
rubbing his long nose, "and no doubt spoken from your heart; still his
opposition is and remains a stumbling-block to us, and I wish that were
our only hindrance. But now, Count Golm tells me--I have just come from
him; he will have the honour almost immediately; I only hurried on
before him because I have something to say about him presently--Count
Golm tells me that his efforts--he went over there in his present
semi-official capacity as future chairman of the board--that his
efforts with the President in Sundin have been quite useless. He had
made up his mind and could not alter it, however willingly he would
give way to the Count, for a thousand reasons of neighbourly feeling
and personal good-will, and so forth. Golm, who between ourselves is
clever enough and certainly not bashful, naturally allowed the great
sacrifice to be perceived that we have determined to make--all in vain.
In fact Golm thinks that he has rather done harm than good in the
matter."
"As is the case with all half measures," said Giraldi.
"With half measures, my dear sir. How do you mean?"
"What was he offered?"
"Fifty thousand thalers down and the first directorship of the new
railway, with six thousand a year fixed salary, besides an official
residence, travelling expenses, and so forth."
"Then about half what he demands?"
"He demands nothing."
"A man does not demand under those circumstances; he lets it be offered
to him. Authorise the Count to double it, and I bet you anything the
business is done."
"We cannot go so far as that," answered the Councillor, rubbing his
closely-cropped head; "our means do not allow it. Besides the rest of
us--and then Count Golm himself is satisfied with fifty thousand for
the present, we cannot offer the President twice as much without
offending Golm. He is not particularly pleased with us as it is, and
that is the point I want to talk to you about before he comes. Is it
really impossible for you--I mean for the Warnow trustees--to sell the
property directly to us, the provisional board?"
"Over the Count's head!" exclaimed Giraldi. "Why I fancy, Councillor,
that you are bound to the Count in that matter by the most positive
promises."
"True, true, unfortunately! But Lübbener, our financial adviser
and----"
"The Count's banker--I know."
"You know everything! Lübbener thinks we might find some pretext in the
case of a gentleman who, like the Count, is always getting into fresh
difficulties and is always inclined or forced to sell his birthright
for a mess of pottage. At the same time we do not wish or intend to act
contrary to your intentions, and if you insist----"
"I insist upon nothing, Councillor," answered Giraldi; "I simply obey
the wishes of my client, which are on this point identical with those
of Herr von Wallbach."
"Good heavens!" said the Councillor impatiently. "I can quite
understand that for the sake of appearances you would prefer to sell to
a man of position rather than to a provisional board, although the man
of position in question is a member of that very board; but you must
not forget that we should pay you as much, or nearly as much, directly
as we must afterwards pay to the Count."
"The Count will not get off so cheaply either as you seem to think."
"Then he will sell so much the dearer to us," said the Councillor; "and
it will be so much the worse for us."
"Nevertheless I must refuse my support in this matter, to my great
regret," answered Giraldi decidedly.
The Councillor looked very much disgusted. "The best of it is," he said
sulkily, "that he cannot find the money--not even a hundred thousand,
and still less the million or whatever sum we decide upon as the price
of the land. He must come to us then; I know nobody else who would
advance him so much at once, or even in instalments. I can tell him,
however, beforehand, without being Merlin the Wise, that we shall not
let him have the money cheap, so it will come to the same thing in the
end. But now, my honoured patron, I must make room for the Count and
take leave of you. Give my best regards to the lady, whom unfortunately
I have not yet the honour of knowing, but for whom I have always had
the deepest respect, and for whom I have broken many a lance in
knightly fashion. And not in vain, for this family visit--I met
Fräulein Sidonie in the hall, Fräulein Elsa had hastened on in
front--is a concession which I may, without vanity, look upon as the
result of my powers of persuasion. Apropos of my dear old friend
Sidonie, you wished to know yesterday what it was that had actually
decided the matter of the betrothal and put an end to Ottomar's
obstinate resistance."
"Well?" asked Giraldi, with unfeigned curiosity.
"I do not know," said the Councillor, with his finger on his long nose;
"that is to say, my dear friend does not know, or she was sure to have
told me. According to the servant's evidence--that was all she could
tell me--an interview took place the night before between the father
and son; but I have every reason to suspect that the subject was no
romantic one, but on the contrary, the equally prosaic and
inexhaustible one of Ottomar's debts. Farewell, my dear and honoured
patron!--You will keep me informed?"
"Be assured of it."
The Councillor was gone. Giraldi's dark eyes were still fixed on the
door; a smile of the deepest contempt played upon his lips.
"_Buffone!_" he murmured.