"Let me have your hand!" said he. Otto gave it to him, he felt his pulse.
"Yes, quite correct!" said he; "the blood is yet in commotion. One sees plain enough that there is no concealing things! Here was I sleeping in all innocence, and you were running after adventures. You wicked bird!"
The thoughts worked rapidly in Otto"s soul. If Louise would only be silent, no one would dream of the possibility of his having part in Sidsel"s flight. He must allow Wilhelm quietly to have his joke.
"Was not I right?" asked Wilhelm.
"And if now you were so," replied Otto, "will you tell it to any one?"
"Do you think that I could do such a thing?" replied Wilhelm; "we are all of us only mortal creatures!"
Otto gave him his hand. "Be silent!" he said.
"Yes, certainly," said Wilhelm; and, according to his custom, strengthened it with an oath. "Now I have sworn it," said he; "but when there is an opportunity you must tell me more about it!"
"Yes, certainly," said Otto, with a deep sigh. Before his friend he no longer stood pure and guiltless.
They slept. Otto"s sleep was only a hateful dream.
CHAPTER x.x.xVIII
"...Wie entzuckend Und suss es ist, in einer schonen Seele, Verherrlicht uns zu fuhlen, es zu wissen, Das uns"re Fruede fremde w.a.n.gen rothet, Und uns"re Angst in fremdem Busen zittert, Das uns"re Leiden fremde Augen na.s.sen."
SCHILLER.
"How pale!" said Wilhelm the next morning to Otto. "Do you see, that is what people get by night-wandering?"
"How so?" inquired Otto.
Wilhelm made a jest of it.
"You have been dreaming that!" said Otto.
"How do you mean?" replied Wilhelm; "will you make me fancy that I have imagined it? I was really quite awake! we really talked about it; I was initiated in it. Actually I have a good mind to give you a moral lecture. If it had been me, how you would have preached!"
They were summoned to breakfast. Otto"s heart was ready to burst. What might he not have to hear? What must he say?
Sophie was much excited.
"Did you, gentlemen, hear anything last night?" she inquired. "Have you both slept?"
"Yes, certainly," replied Wilhelm, and looked involuntarily at Otto.
"The bird is flown, however!" said she; "it has made its escape out of the dove-cote."
"What bird?" asked Wilhelm.
"Sidsel!" replied she; "and, what is oddest in the whole affair is, that Louise has loosed her wings. Louise is quite up to the romantic. Think only! she went up in the night to the topmost story, unlocked the prison-tower, gave a moral lecture to Sidsel, and after that let her go!
Then in the morning comes Louise to mamma, relates the whole affair, and says a many affecting things!"
"Yes, I do not understand it," said the mother, addressing Louise. "How you could have had the courage to go up so late at night, and go up to _her_! But it was very beautiful of you! Let her escape! it is, as you say, best that she should. We should all of us have thought of that last evening!"
"I was so sorry for her!" said Louise; "and by chance it happened that I had a great many things to arrange after you were all in bed. Everything was so still in the house, it seemed to me as if I could hear Sidsel sigh; certainly it was only my own imagination, but I could do no other than pity her! she was so unfortunate! Thus I let her escape!"
"Are you gone mad?" inquired Wilhelm; "what a history is this? Did you go in the night up to the top of the house? That is an unseasonable compa.s.sion!"
"It was beautiful!" said Otto, bending himself involuntarily, and kissing Louise"s hand.
"Yes, that is water to his mill!" exclaimed Wilhelm. "I think nothing of such things!"
"We will not talk about it to anyone," said the mother. "The steward shall not proceed any further in it. We have recovered the old silver tankard, and the losing that was my greatest trouble. We will thank G.o.d that we are well rid of her! Poor thing! she will come to an unfortunate end!"
"Are you still unwell, Mr. Thostrup?" said Sophie, and looked at him.
"I am a little feverish," replied he. "I will take a very long walk, and then I shall be better."
"You should take a few drops," said the lady.
"O, he will come to himself yet!" said Wilhelm; "he must take exercise!
His is not a dangerous illness."
Otto went into the wood. It was to him a temple of G.o.d; his heart poured forth a hymn of thanksgiving. Louise had been his good angel. He felt of a truth that she would never betray his secret. His thoughts clung to her with confidence. "Are you still unwell?" Sophie had said. The tones of her voice alone had been like the fragrance of healing herbs; in her eye he had felt sympathy and--love. "O Sophie!" sighed he. Both sisters were so dear to him.
He entered the garden and went along the great avenue; here he met Louise. One might almost have imagined that she had sought for him: there was no one but her to be seen in the whole avenue.
Otto pressed her hand to his lips. "You have saved my life!" said he.
"Dear Thostrup!" answered she, "do not betray yourself. Yon have come happily out of the affair! Thank G.o.d! my little part in it has concealed the whole. For the rest I have a suspicion. Yes, I cannot avoid it. May not the whole be an error? It is possible that she is that which you said! Tell me all that you can let me know. From this seat we can see everybody who comes into the avenue. No one can hear us!"
"Yes, to you alone I can confide it!" said Otto; "to you will I tell it."
He now related that which we know about the manufactory, which he called the house, in which German Heinrich had first seen him, and had tattooed his initials upon his shoulder; their later meeting in the park, and afterwards by St. Ander"s Cross.
Louise trembled; her glance rested sympathizingly upon Otto"s pale and handsome countenance. He showed her the letter which had been brought to him the last evening, and related to her what Heinrich had told him.
"It may be so," said Louise; "but yet I have not been able to lose the idea all the morning that you have been deceived. Not one of her features resembles yours. Can brother and sister be so different as you and she? Yet, be the truth as it may, promise me not to think too much about it. There is a good Ruler above who can turn all things for the best."
"These horrible circ.u.mstances," said Otto, "have robbed me of the cheerfulness of my youth. They thrust themselves disturbingly into my whole future. Not to Wilhelm--no, not to any one have I been able to confide them. You know all! G.o.d knows that you were compelled to learn them. I leave myself entirely in your hands!"
He pressed her hand silently, and with the earnest glance of confidence and truth they looked at each other.
"I shall speedily leave my native country," said Otto. "It may be forever. I should return with sorrow to a home where no happiness awaited me. I stand so entirely alone in the world!"
"But you have friends," said Louise; "sincere friends. You must think with pleasure of returning home to Denmark. My mother loves you as if she were your own mother. Wilhelm and Sophie--yes, we will consider you as a brother."
"And Sophie?" exclaimed Otto.