"Oh Victor," answered the trembling voice of Eva, "my fault is not the having too little love for you. Ah, I feel indeed, and I evince it by my conduct, that my love to you is greater than my love for father and mother and sisters, more than for all the world! And yet I know that it is wrong! my heart raises itself against me--but I cannot resist your power."
"On that account am I called Victor, my angel," said he; "heaven itself has sanctioned my power. And _your_ Victor am I also, my sweet Eva; is it not so?"
"Ah! only too much so," sighed Eva. "But now, Victor, spare my weakness; do not desire to see me again till I go in spring in a month"s time to M----s. Do not demand----"
"Demand no such promises from Victor, Eva," said he; "he will not bind himself so! but you--you must do what your Victor wills, else he cannot believe that you love him. What--you will refuse to take a few steps in order to gladden his eyes and his heart--in order to see and to hear him--in truth you do not love him!"
"Ah, I love you, I adore you," returned Eva; "I could endure anything on your account--even the pangs of my own conscience; but my parents, my brother and sisters! ah, you know not what it costs me to deceive them!
they are so good, so excellent; and I! Yet sometimes the love which I have for them contends with the love which I have for you. Do not string the bow too tightly, Victor! And now--farewell, beloved, farewell! In a month"s time you will see me, your Eva, again, in M----s."
"Stop!" said he, "do you think you are to leave me in that way? Where is my ring?"
"On my heart," returned she, "day and night it rests there--farewell!
ah, let me go!"
"Say once more that you love me above every thing in this world!" said he, "that you belong only to me!"
"Only to you! farewell!" and with these words Eva tore herself away from him, and hastened with flying feet, like one terrified, across the churchyard. The Major followed her slowly. A dark form stepped at that moment hastily forward, as if it had arisen from one of the graves, and met the Major face to face. It seemed to him as if a cold wind pa.s.sed through his heart, for the form tall and silent, and at that dark hour, and in the churchyard, had something in it ominous and spectre-like, and as it had evidently advanced to him with design, he paused suddenly, and asked, sharply, "Who are you?"
"Eva"s father!" replied a suppressed but powerful voice, and by the up-flaring light of a lamp which the wind drove towards them, the Major saw the eyes of the Judge riveted upon him with a wrathful and threatening expression. His heart sank for a moment; but in the next he said, with all his accustomed haughty levity:
"Now there is no necessity for me to watch longer after her;" and so saying he turned hastily aside, and vanished in the darkness.
The Judge followed his daughter without nearing her. When he came home, such a deep and painful grief lay on his brow as had never been observed there before.
For the first time in his life the powerful head of the Judge seemed actually bowed.
At this time Stjernhok came to the city quite unexpectedly. He had heard of the misfortune which had befallen the Franks, as well as of the part which Henrik acted on this occasion, and of the illness which was the consequence of it, and he came now in order to see him before he travelled abroad. This visit, which had occasioned Stjernhok to diverge as much as sixty English miles out of his way, surprised and deeply affected Henrik, who as he entered the room met him with the most candid expression of cordial devotion. Stjernhok seized his outstretched hand, and a sudden paleness overspread his manly countenance as he remarked the change which a few weeks" illness had made in Henrik"s appearance.
"It is very kind of you to come to me--my thanks for it, Stjernhok!"
said Henrik from his heart; "otherwise," continued he, "you would probably have seen me no more in this world; and I have wished so much to say one word to you before we separated thus."
Both were silent for some minutes.
"What would you say to me, Henrik?" at length asked Stjernhok, whilst an extraordinary emotion was depicted in his countenance.
"I would thank you," returned Henrik, cordially, "thank you for your severity towards me, and tell you how sincerely I now acknowledge it to have been just, and wholesome for me also. I would thank you, because by that means you have been a more real friend, and I am now perfectly convinced how honestly and well you have acted towards me. This impression, this remembrance of our acquaintance, is the only one which I will take away with me when I leave this world. You have not been able to love me, but that was my own fault. I have sorrowed over the knowledge of that, but now I have submitted to it. In the mean time it would be very pleasant to me to know that my faults--that my late behaviour towards you, had not left behind it too repulsive an impression; it would be very pleasant for me to believe that you were able to think kindly of me when I am no more!"
A deep crimson flamed on Stjernhok"s countenance, and his eyes glistened as he replied, "Henrik, I feel more than ever in this moment that I have not shown justice towards you. Several later circ.u.mstances have opened my eyes, and now--Henrik, can you give me your friendship! mine you have for ever!"
"Oh, this is a happy moment!" said Henrik, with increasing emotion; "through my whole life I have longed for it, and now for the first time it is given me--now when--but G.o.d be praised even for this!"
"But why," said Stjernhok, warmly, "why speak so positively about your death? I will hope and believe that your condition is not so dangerous.
Let me consult a celebrated foreign physician on your case--or better still, make the journey with me, and put yourself under the care of Dr.
K----. He is celebrated for his treatment of diseases of the heart; let me conduct you to him; certainly you can and will recover!"
Henrik shook his head mournfully. "There lies his work," said he, pointing to an open book in the window, "and from it I know all concerning my own condition. Do you see, Nils Gabriel," continued he, with a beautiful smile, as he placed his arm on the shoulder of his friend, and pointed with his other towards heaven, gazing on him the while with eyes which seemed larger than ever--for towards death the eyes increase in size and brilliancy--"do you see," said he, "there wanders your star. It ascends! for certain a bright path lies before you; but when it beams upon your renown it will look down upon my grave!
I have no doubt whatever on this point. Some time ago this thought was bitter to me; it is so now no more! When the knowledge depresses me that I have accomplished so very little on earth, I will endeavour to console myself with the conviction that you will be able to do so much more, and that either in this world or the next I shall rejoice over your usefulness and your happiness!"
Stjernhok answered not a word; large tears rolled down his cheeks, and he pressed Henrik warmly to his breast.
On Henrik"s account he endeavoured to give the conversation a calmer turn, but the heart of his poor friend swelled high, and it was now too full of life and feeling to find rest in anything but the communication of these.
The connexion between the two young men seemed now different to what it had ever been before. It was Henrik who now led the conversation, and Stjernhok who followed him, and listened to him with attention and the most unequivocal sympathy, whilst the young man gave such free scope to his thoughts and presentiments as he had never ventured to do before in the presence of the severe critic. But the truth is, there belongs to a dweller on the borders of the kingdom of death a peculiar rank, a peculiar dignity, and man believes that the whispering of spirits from the mysterious land reaches the ear which bows itself to them; on this account the wise and the strong of earth listen silently like disciples, and piously like little children, to the precepts which are breathed forth from dying lips.
The entrance of the Judge gave another turn to the conversation, which Stjernhok soon led to Henrik"s last works. He directed his discourse princ.i.p.ally to the Judge, and spoke of them with all the ability of a real connoisseur, and with such entire and cordial praise as surprised Henrik as much as it cheered him.
It is a very great pleasure to hear oneself praised, and well praised too, by a person whom one highly esteems, and particularly when, at the same time, this person is commonly n.i.g.g.ardly of his praise. Henrik experienced at that moment this feeling in its highest degree; and this pleasure was accompanied by the yet greater pleasure of seeing himself understood, and in such a manner by Stjernhok as made himself more clear to himself. In this moment he seemed, now for the first time, to comprehend in a perfectly intelligible manner his own talents, and what he wished to do, and what he was able to do. The fountain of life swelled forth strongly in his breast.
"You make me well again, Nils Gabriel!" exclaimed he; "you give me new life. I will recover; recover in order again to live, in order to work better and more confidently than I have hitherto done. As yet I have done nothing; but now, now I could--I feel new life in me--I have never yet felt myself so well as now! Certainly I shall now recover, or indeed--is the best wine reserved for me till the last?"
The evening sped on agreeably, and with animation in the family circle.
The blessed angels of heaven were not more beautiful or more joyous than Henrik. He joked with his mother and sisters, nay, even with Stjernhok, in the gayest manner, and was one of the liveliest who partook of the citron-souffle which Louise served up for supper, and which she herself had helped to prepare, and of which she was not a little proud. Yes, indeed, she was almost ready to believe that it was this which had given new life to Henrik, and the power of which she considered to be wonderfully operative. But ah!----
At the very moment when Henrik jested with Louise on this very subject, he was seized by the most violent suffering.
This suffering continued interruptedly for three days, and deprived the sick young man of consciousness; whilst it seemed to be leading him quickly to that bound which mercy has set to human sufferings. On the second day after this paroxysm Henrik was seized with that desire for change of resting-place which may be commonly regarded as the sign that the soul is preparing for its great change of abode. The Judge himself bore his son in his arms from room to room, and from bed to bed. No sleep visited the eyes of his family during these terrible days; whilst his mother, with eyes tearless and full of anguish riveted upon her son, followed him from room to room, and from bed to bed; now hanging over his pillow, now seated at the foot of his bed, and smiling tenderly upon him when he appeared to know her, and articulating his name in a low and almost inaudible voice.
On the evening of the third day the poor youth regained his consciousness. He recognised his family again, and spoke kindly to them.
He saw that they were pale and weary, and besought them incessantly to go to rest. The a.s.sessor, who was present, united earnestly in this request, and a.s.sured them that, according to all appearances, Henrik would now enjoy an easy sleep, and that he himself would watch by him through the night. The father and daughters retired to rest; but when they endeavoured to persuade the mother, she only waved with her hand, whilst a mournful smile seemed to say, "It is of no use whatever to talk to me about it."
"I may remain with you, Henrik?" said she, beseechingly.
He smiled, took her hand, and laid it on his breast; and in the same moment closing his eyes, a calm refreshing sleep stole over him. The a.s.sessor sate silently beside them, and observed them both: it was not long, however, before he was obliged to leave them, being summoned suddenly to some one who was dangerously ill. He left them with the promise to return in the course of the night. Munter was called in the city the night-physician, because there was no one like him who appeared earnestly willing to give his help by night as by day.
The mother breathed deeply when she saw herself alone with her son. She folded her hands, and raised her eyes to heaven with an expression which through the whole of the foregoing days had been foreign to them. It was no longer restless, almost murmuring anxiety; it was a mournful, yet at the same time, deep, perfect, nay, almost loving resignation. She bent over her son, and spoke in a low voice out of the depths of her affectionate heart.
"Go, my sweet boy, go! I will no longer hold thee back, since it is painful to thee! May the deliverer come! Thy mother will no longer contend with him to retain thee! May he come as a friendly angel and make an end of thy sufferings! I--will then be satisfied! Go then, my first-born, my summer-child; go, and if there may never more come a summer to the heart of thy mother--still go! that thou mayst have rest!
Did I make thy cradle sweet, my child! so would I not embitter by my lamentations thy death-bed! Blessed be thou! Blessed be He also who gave thee to me, and who now takes thee from me to a better home! Some time, my son, I shall come home to thee; go thou beforehand, my child! Thou art weary, so weary! Thy last wandering was heavy to thee; now thou wilt rest. Come thou good deliverer, come thou beloved death, and give rest to his heart; but easily, easily. Let him not suffer more--let him not endure more. Never did he give care to his parents----"
At this moment Henrik opened his eyes, and fixed them calmly and full of expression on his mother.
"Thank G.o.d!" said he, "I feel no more pain."
"Thanks and praise be given to G.o.d, my child!" said she.
Mother and son looked on each other with deep and cheerful love! they understood each other perfectly.
"When I am no more," said he, with a faint and broken voice, "then--tell it to Gabriele, prudently; she has such tender feelings--and she is not strong. Do not tell it to her on a day--when it is cold and dull--but--on a day--when the sun shines warm--when all things look bright and kindly--then, then tell her--that I am gone away--and greet her--and tell her from me--that it is not difficult--to die!--that there is a sun on the other side----"
He ceased, but with a loving smile on his lips, and his eyes closed their lids as if from very weariness.
Presently afterwards he spoke again, but in a very low voice. "Sing me something, mother," said he, "I shall then sleep more calmly, "They knock! I come!""
These words were the beginning of a song which Henrik had himself written, and set to music some time before, during a night of suffering.
The genius of poetry seemed to have deserted him during the latter part of his illness; this was painful to him; but his mind remained the same, and the spirit of poetry lived still in the hymn which his mother now, at his request, sang in a trembling voice: