Elise, however, could not fully enjoy it; the thought of what had just occurred, longings for reconciliation with her husband, fear that he might remain long, that he might return too much displeased for her easily to make all straight again--these thoughts occupied her mind; yet still she could not help smiling as Gabriele, who had sunk down into the bath alone, exclaimed, almost beside herself for fright, "I am drowning!
I am drowning!" In order to re-a.s.sure her, her mother stretched out her white hands to her, and under their protection she laughed and splashed about like a little fish in water.
A shower of flowers streamed suddenly over both mother and child, and Gabriele screamed aloud for joy, and stretched forth her little arms to catch gilly-flowers, roses, and carnations, which fell upon and around her. Elise turned herself round in surprise, and her surprise changed itself into the most delightful sensation of joy, as the lips of her husband were pressed to her forehead.
"Ah, you!" exclaimed Elise, and threw her arms round his neck, and caressingly stroked his cheek.
"I shall get wet through with all this," said he, laughing, yet without leaving the bath, nay, he even stooped down his head to little Gabriele, kissed her, and allowed her to splash him with water.
"Thank G.o.d! all is right again! and perhaps it will be best to take no further notice of this unpleasant affair!" thought she, and prepared to follow her husband into the parlour.
The Judge had, probably, during his bad tea at the club, held with the invisible speakers the same conversation, with some variations, as his wife during his absence, the consequence whereof was his visit to the bathing-room, and the shower of flowers from the nosegay he had brought with him for her, and the kiss of reconciliation which effaced every thoughtless and wounding word. He felt now quite pleased that everything was as it should be, and that the gentle and yielding temper of his wife would require nothing further. But, perhaps, on that very account, he was dissatisfied with himself, her eyes red with weeping grieved him, especially as they beamed so kindly upon him, he felt that he misused the power which circ.u.mstances had given him over his wife; he felt that he had behaved harshly to her, and therefore he had no peace with himself, therefore he felt a necessity to p.r.o.nounce one word--one word, which it is so hard for the lips of a man to p.r.o.nounce, yet, which Ernst Frank was too manly, too firm to shrink from.
When, therefore, his wife entered, he offered her his hand; "Forgive me, Elise," said he, with the deepest feeling; "I have behaved severely, nay, absurdly to-day!"
"Oh, forgive me, Ernst!" said Elise, deeply affected, whilst she pressed his hand to her heart and----
Accursed be all disturbers of peace in this world! Such a one entered at that moment, and undid that which would otherwise have bound them so closely to each other. It was a messenger from the Colonel"s widow with a note, together with a book for the Judge, and two little bottles of select Eau de rose for Elise, "of which, I know," said the note, "she is very fond."
The Judge"s cheek grew crimson as he read the note, which he did not show to his wife.
"An extremely polite and interesting person," said he; "I will immediately answer it."
"Ernst," said Elise, "should we not invite her to dinner to-morrow? I thought of something very nice, which is sure to succeed; then we could go altogether to the concert, and afterwards she might sup with us."
"Now that is a good idea, and I thank you for it, my sweet Elise," said he, extremely pleased.
Yes, if the Colonel"s widow had not been there--if the Candidate had not been there--and if there had been no _if_ in the case, all might have gone on quite smoothly. But it was quite otherwise.
CHAPTER IX.
ONE SWALLOW MAKES NO SUMMER.
Too many chaotic elements had collected together in the family of the Franks for one sun-gleam to dissipate. Even the married pair did not clearly understand their own actions.
The Judge, truly, was too much enchanted by his former beloved one; and the beautiful Emelie did all that was in her power to enslave again her early adorer.
Judge Frank, who would have been as cold and proud as possible, if he had been a.s.sailed by coa.r.s.e and direct flattery, was yet by no means steeled against the refined and almost imperceptible flattery of Emelie, who, with all her peculiar gifts of soul and understanding, made herself subordinate to him, in order to be enlightened and instructed by him.
"An extraordinarily amiable and interesting lady," thought he still with greater animation, although he seldom a.s.serted so much; and exactly in the proportion in which he found Emelie interesting, it was natural that he should find Elise less so, especially as he found in Emelie precisely those very qualities, the want of which he had so much regretted in his wife; namely, an interest in his activity as a citizen, and in general for the objects connected with which he occupied himself in the liveliest manner.
Elise, on her part, was neither calm nor clear. The connexion between her husband and Emelie was painful to her; and she felt a sort of consolation from the devotion of Jacobi, even when it was beginning to a.s.sume that pa.s.sionate character which made her seriously uneasy.
A letter, which she wrote to her sister about this time, exhibits her state of feeling:
"It is long since I wrote to you, Cecilia--I hardly know why; I hardly know, indeed, my own feelings--all is so unquiet, so undefined. I wish it were clear!
"Do you know she is very lovely, this "old flame" of my husband"s, and very brilliant. I fancy I am jealous of her. Last evening I went out to a supper-party--the first for several years. I dressed myself with great care, for I wished to please Ernst, and had flowers in my hair. I was greatly satisfied with my appearance when I went. My husband was to come later. I found Emelie already there; she was beautiful, and looked most elegant. They placed me beside her; a looking-gla.s.s was before us, on which I threw stolen glances, and saw opposite to me--a shadow! I thought at first it was some illusion, and looked again: but again it revealed unmercifully to me a pale ghost beside the beautiful and dazzling Emelie. "It is all over, irremediably over," thought I, "with my youth and my bloom! But if my husband and children only can love me, I can then resign youth and beauty."
"But again I felt compelled to look at the shadow in the gla.s.s, and grew quite melancholy. Emelie also cast glances at the mirror, and drew comparisons, but with feelings far different to mine. Then came Ernst, and I saw that he too made comparisons between us.
"He was, all this evening, very much occupied with Emelie. I felt unwell and weak; I longed so to support myself on his arm; but he did not come near me the whole time: perhaps he imagined I was out of humour--perhaps I looked so. Ah! I returned home before supper, and he remained. As I drove home through those deserted streets in the wretched hackney-coach, a sense of misery came over my heart such as I cannot describe; many a bitter thought was awakened within me, before which I trembled.
"At the door of my own home I met Jacobi; he had sate up for me, and wished to tell me something amusing about my children. He seemed to have foreboded my feelings this evening. My favourite fruit, which he had provided for me, should have refreshed me. His friendship and his devotion cheered me. There is something so beautiful in feeling oneself beloved.
"Every new emotion, every new connexion, among men, has its danger, its temptation; the most beautiful, the most n.o.ble, may have their dangerous tendency. Oh! how is this to be prevented without a separation?--how is the poison to be avoided without deadening the sting? Oh, Cecilia! at this moment I need a friend; I need you, to whom I could turn, and from whom, in these disquieting circ.u.mstances, I in my weakness could derive light and strength. I am discontented with myself; I am discontented with----Ah! he alone it is who, if he would, could make all right!
"Oh, Cecilia, this is a mist-enveloped hour of my life!--does it announce day or night? My glance is dark; I see the path no longer! But I will resign myself into the hand of Him who said, "let there be light."
"All is now better and clearer! G.o.d be praised! In a few hours this day will be over;--I long vehemently for it!
"This evening we have a children"s dance at our house. Emelie will be here also. There is not a good understanding between us two. She is cold to me, too witty, and too----, but I will do my best to be a good hostess; and when the day is ended, I will sit and look at my beautiful sleeping boy, and be happy in my children."
CHAPTER X.
THE END OF THE DAY.
Evening came, and with it lights and guests. A strong, self-sacrificing amiability governed Elise"s manner this evening. She was almost cordial towards Emelie; cared for the comfort of every one, played the piano for the children"s dance, and appeared to exist only in order to serve others. The beautiful Emelie, on the contrary, thought of herself; was livelier and more brilliant than ever, and, as usual, a.s.sembled all the gentlemen around her. The conversation was lively in this group; it turned from politics to literature, and then dwelt awhile on theatricals, in which Emelie, equally animated and sarcastic, characterised the Scribe and Mellesville school as a dramatic manufactory.
"For the rest," added she, "the stage acts very prudently and sensibly in letting the curtain fall the moment the hero and heroine approach the altar; novels do the same, and that, also, with good reason, otherwise n.o.body would be able to read them."
"How so?" asked the Judge, with great earnestness.
"Because," answered Emelie, "the illusion of life is extinguished on the other side of this golden moment, and reality steps forward then in all its heaviness and nakedness. Look at a young couple in the glowing morning of their union, how warm love is then; how it penetrates and beautifies everything; how it glows and speaks in glance and word, and agreeable action; how its glory changes the whole of life into poetry!
"Thou, thou!" is the one thought of the young people then. But observe the same couple a few years later--"I, I!" and "my pleasure," is the phrase now. The adoring all-resigning lover is then become the exacting married man, who will be waited on and obeyed. And the loving all-sacrificing bride, she is become the unwieldy and care-burdened housewife, who talks of nothing but trouble, bad saltings, and negligent maid-servants. And what are _tete-a-tete_ communications between these two? "How, my dear! is the b.u.t.ter really used up already? Why, I gave you money only the other day for b.u.t.ter! You really must look better after things, and see what the cook does with the b.u.t.ter; I will not allow such extravagance in the house! Do you want something more?" "Yes, indeed, my love, I and the children must have new over-dresses. Little Peter"s coat is worn out, and little Paul has grown out of his; and my old cloak cannot last to eternity!" People," continued the sarcastic Emilie, "may thank their stars, too, if out of such interesting communications as these no hateful quarrels arise; and if, in the happy repose of their homes, harmless yawnings have only taken place of the kisses which have left it. Contracted circ.u.mstances, meannesses, and domestic trials, destroy the happiness of marriage, even as the worm destroys the flower, bringing bitterness and sourness into the temper; and though the married pair may continue to the very day of their death to address each other as "My sweet friend," yet, very often, _in petto_, it is "My sour friend." Yet, after all, this is nothing, in fact, but what is perfectly natural; and, in this respect, marriage only follows the eternal law of nature in all earthly existence. Every form of life carries in itself decay and dissolution--a poisonous snake-king[3] gnaws even at the root of the world"s tree."
Several of the listeners, and among them the Candidate, had laughed loudly at Emelie"s descriptions; but the Judge had not once moved his lips, and replied, when she had done, with an earnestness that confounded even her satire.
"If all this were true, Emelie," said he, "then were life, even in the best point of view, good for nothing; and with justice might it indeed be called an illusion. But it is not so; and you have only described marriage in its lowest, and not either in its best or its truest sense.
I do not deny the difficulties which exist in this as in every other circ.u.mstance of life; but I am confident that they may and must be overcome; and this will be done if the married pair bring only right intentions into the house. Then want and care, disturbing, nay even bitter hours, may come, but they will also go; and the bonds of love and truth will be consolation, nay, even will give strength. You have spoken, Emelie, of death and separation as the end of the drama of life; you have forgotten the awaking again, and the second youth, of which the ancient northern Vala sings. Married life, like all life, has such a second youth; yes, indeed, a progressive one, because it has its foundation in the life which is eternal; and every contest won, every danger pa.s.sed through, every pain endured, change themselves into blessings on home and on the married pair, who have thus obtained better knowledge, and who are thus more closely united."
He spoke with unusual warmth, and not without emotion, and his expressive glance sought and dwelt upon his wife, who had approached un.o.bserved, and who had listened to Emelie"s bitter satire with stinging pain, because she knew that there was a degree of truth in it.
But as her husband spoke, she felt that he perceived the full truth, and her heart beat freer and stronger, and all at once a clearness was in her soul. With her head bent forward, she gazed on him with a glance full of tenderness and confidence, forgetting herself, and listening with fervour to every word which he uttered. In this very moment their eyes met, and there was much, inexpressibly much, in their glance; a clear crimson of delight flushed her cheek, and made her beautiful. The gentle happiness which now animated her being, together with her lovely figure, her graceful movements, and the purity of her brow, made her far more fascinating than her lovely rival. Her husband followed her with his eyes, as kindly and attentively she busied herself among her guests, or with the little Gabriele in her arms mingled in the children"s dance, for which Evelina"s foster-daughters were playing a four-handed piece.
He had suddenly cooled towards his "old flame," nor was he at all warmed again by the sharp tone with which the little caressing Petrea was reproved for being too obtrusive.