Michael alighted at the Levetinczy castle to spend the night. He gave his instructions to the bailiff on the day of his arrival; the next morning he got up early, entered the carriage, and drove to the Danube to inspect his cargo ships. Everything was in order. Our Herr Johann Fabula had been appointed overseer of the whole flotilla: there was nothing for him to do. "Our gracious master can go and shoot ducks."
And Herr von Levetinczy followed this good advice of Herr Fabula. He had a boat brought, and ordered provisions for a week, his gun, and plenty of ammunition to be put in it. No one will be surprised if he does not return from the reed-bed, now full of prime water-fowl, before a week has elapsed. It storms with duck, snipe, and herons, the last only valued for their feathers; even pelicans are to be met with, and an Egyptian ibis has been shot there. It is said a flamingo was once seen.
When an ardent sportsman once gets into those marshes, you may wait till he comes out! And Timar loved sport, like all sailors. This time Michael did not load his gun. He let his boat float down with the stream till he reached the point of the Ostrova Island--there he seized the sculls and crossed the Danube obliquely. When he got round the island he soon saw where he was. From the southern reed-beds rose the tops of the well-known poplars--thither he went. There was already a channel broken through the rushes, across and along as required, if you only understood it. Where Michael had once been, he could find his way in the dark. What would Almira and Narcissa be doing? What should they be doing in such lovely weather but gratifying their pa.s.sion for sport? Only, however, within certain limits: the field-mouse must be pursued at night, and that is easy for Narcissa, but she is strictly forbidden to chase birds.
To Almira the marmots which came across the ice and settled in the island are positively interdicted. Aquatic prey still remain, and that is good sport too. Almira wades into the pure, clear water among the heaps of great stones at the bottom, and cautiously puts her fore-paw into a hole, out of which something dark is peeping. Suddenly she makes a great jump, draws her foot back, limps whining out of the water on three legs, and on the fourth paw hangs a large black crab, which has caught hold with its claws. Almira hobbles along in despair till, on reaching the bank, she succeeds in shaking off the dangerous monster; it is then carefully inspected by both Almira and Narcissa, to see at what price it can be induced to allow its body to be deprived of the sh.e.l.l.
The crab naturally does not quite see the fun of this, and retires with all speed backward to the water. The two sportsmen, however, shove the reactionary party forward with their paws, until at one shove it is turned on its back, and now all three are in doubt what to do next--Almira, Narcissa, and the crab.
Almira"s attention is suddenly attracted by another object. She hears a noise and scents something. A friend approaches by water; she does not bark at him, but utters a low growl. This is her way of laughing, like some cheery old gentleman. She recognizes the man in the boat. Michael springs out, fastens the boat to a willow stump, pats Almira"s head, and asks her, "Well, then, how is it all? is it all well?" The dog replied many things, but in the Newfoundland-dog language. To judge by the tone, the answer is satisfactory.
Then all at once a pitiful cry disturbs the pleasant greeting. The catastrophe which might have been foreseen has occurred. Narcissa came near enough to the upset and sprawling crab for it to catch her ear with its nippers, and then to bury all its six claws in her fur. Timar rushed to the scene of misfortune, and with great presence of mind, seeing the magnitude of the danger, seized the mailed criminal in a place where its weapons could not reach him, pressed its head between his strong fingers, and obliged it to let go its prey; then he dashed it with such force on to a stone that it was shattered, and gave up its black ghost.
Narcissa, to show her grat.i.tude, sprung on to the shoulder of her chivalrous deliverer, and snorted from there at her dead enemy.
After this introductory deed of heroism, Timar busied himself in disembarking what he had brought with him. All are packed into a knapsack, which he can easily throw over his shoulder. But the gun, the gun! Almira can not abide him with a gun in his hand, but he can not leave it here, for it might easily be stolen by some one. What to do?
The idea struck Timar to give it into Almira"s charge, who then, in her leonine jaws, carried the weapon proudly before him as a poodle bears its master"s cane. Narcissa sat on his shoulder and purred in his ear.
Michael allowed Almira to go on before and show him the way.
Timar felt transformed when he trod the turfy paths of the island. Here was holy rest and deepest solitude. The fruit-trees of this paradise are in bloom; between their white and rosy flower-pyramids wild roses arch their sprays; the golden sunbeams coax the flowers" fragrance into the air; the breeze is laden with it--with every breath one inhales gold and love. The forest of blossom is full of the hum of the bees, and in that mysterious sound, from all these flower-eyes, G.o.d speaks, G.o.d looks: it is a temple of the Lord. And that church music may not be wanting, the nightingale flutes his psalm of lament, and the lark trills his song of praise--only better than King David. At a spot where the purple lilacs parted, and the little island-home was visible, Michael stood spell-bound. The little house seemed to swim in a flaming sea, but not of water, only of roses. It was covered with rose-wreaths climbing to the roof, and for five acres round it only roses were visible--thousands of bushes, and six-foot rose-trees, forming pyramids, hedges, and arcades. It was a rose-forest, a rose-mountain, a rose-labyrinth, whose splendor dazzled the eye and spread afar a scent which surrounded one like a supernatural atmosphere.
Hardly had Michael entered on the winding path through this wilderness of roses, before a melodious cry of joy was heard. His name was called.
"Ah, Herr Timar!"
And she who had uttered his name came running toward him. Timar had already recognized her by her voice: it was Noemi--little Noemi, whom he had not seen for nearly three years. How she had grown since then--how changed, how developed she was! Her dress was no longer neglected, but neat, though simple. In her rich golden hair a rose-bud was fastened.
"Ah, Herr Timar!" cried the girl, and stretched out her hand to him from afar, greeting him with frank delight, and a warm shake of the hand.
Michael returned it, and remained lost in gazing at the girl. Here then, at last, is a face that beams with joy at the sight of him. "How long it is since we saw you!" said the girl.
"And how pretty you have grown!" exclaimed he.
Sympathy shone in every line of Noemi"s face. "So you remember me still?" asked Timar, holding the little hand fast in his own.
"We have often thought of you."
"Is Madame Therese well?"
"There she comes."
When she saw Michael she hastened her steps; from a distance she had recognized the former ship"s captain, who now again, in his gray coat and with his knapsack, approached her hut. "G.o.d greet you! you have kept us waiting a long time!" exclaimed the woman to her visitor. "So you have thought of us at last?" And she embraced Michael without ceremony; then his well-filled knapsack caught her eye. "Almira," she said to the dog, "take this bag and carry it in."
"There are a brace of birds in it," said Michael.
"Indeed! then take care, Almira, that Narcissa does not get at it."
Noemi was affronted. "Narcissa is not so badly educated as that."
To make it up, Frau Therese kissed her daughter, and Noemi was reconciled.
"Now let us go in," said Therese, taking Michael"s arm familiarly.
"Come, Noemi."
A huge boat-shaped basket made of white osier-twigs stood in the way, and its heaped-up contents were covered with a cloth. Noemi began to lift it by both handles; Michael sprung to help her, and Noemi burst into a childish shriek of laughter, and drew off the cloth. The basket was heaped with rose-leaves. Michael took one handle, and so they carried it together with its sweet cargo along the lavender-bordered path.
"Do you make rose-water?" asked Timar.
Therese threw a glance at Noemi. "See how he finds out everything!"
"With us in Komorn much rose-water is made. Many poor women live by it."
"Indeed? Then elsewhere also the rose is a blessing of the Lord--the exquisite flower which alone would make man love this world! And it not only rejoices his heart, but gives him bread. Look you--last year was a bad season; the late frost spoiled the fruit and the vintage; the wet, cold summer destroyed the bees, and the poultry died of disease: we should have had to fall back on our stores if it had not been for the roses, which helped us in our need. They bloom every year, and are always faithful to us. We made three hundred gallons of rose-water, which we sold in Servia, and got grain in exchange. Oh, you dear roses--you life-saving flowers!"
The little settlement had been enlarged since Timar was last there.
There was a kiln and a kitchen for the preparation of the rose-water.
Here was an open fire with the copper retort, from which the first essence dropped slowly; near the hearth stood a great tub with the crushed rose leaves, and on a broad bench lay the fresh ones which required drying.
Michael helped Noemi to empty the basket on to the bench; that was a scent, a perfume, in which one could revel and intoxicate one"s self!
Noemi laid her little head on the soft hill of rose leaves, and said, "It would be delicious to sleep on such a bed of roses."
"Foolish child," Therese chided her. "You would never awake from that slumber; the odor would kill you."
"That would be a lovely death!"
"Then you want to die?" Frau Therese said, reproachfully; "you want to leave me here alone, you naughty child?"
"No, no!" cried Noemi, embracing her mother with eager kisses. "I leave you, my dear, darling, only little mother!"
"Why do you make such silly jests then? Don"t you think, Herr Timar, it is not right for a young girl to allow herself these jokes with her mother--for a little girl who was playing with a doll only yesterday?"
Michael quite agreed with Frau Therese that it was inexcusable under any pretense for a young lady to tell her mother that she thought any kind of death would be delightful. "Now just stop here and see that the essence does not boil, while I go to the kitchen to get a good dinner ready for our guest. You"ll stay all day, of course?"
"I will stay to-day and to-morrow too, if you will give me something to do for you. As long as you find me work I will remain."
"Oh, then, you can stop the whole week," Noemi interrupted, "for I can find you plenty to do."
"What work would you give Herr Timar, you little simpleton?" laughed the mother.
"Why, of course, to crush the rose leaves!"
"But perhaps he does not know how."
"How should I not know all about it?" said Timar. "I have often enough helped my mother with it at home."
"Your mother was a very good woman, I am sure."
"Very good."
"And you loved her very much?"
"Very much."