Part 59 (2/2)
”Make way yourself!” cried a young man in the crowd.
He had no sooner uttered the words than the officer rushed upon him, seized him by the collar and tossed him, by a slight effort of his powerful arm, into the midst of his men, saying:
”Arrest the rascal!”
The soldiers seized the young man, who tried in vain to free himself.
”Knock the dog down if he resists!” cried the officer.
Who knows but the soldiers would have done his bidding if at that moment Mr. Schmenckel had not suddenly appeared before the officer, crying out:
”Let the man go, your excellency, or ten thousand----”
The officer of the Life Guards and the man of the people stood a few moments opposite each other, both of them men of gigantic size, surprisingly alike in their tall figure, their full chest and ample shoulders, with long, muscular arms; yes, as they stared at each other with fierce pa.s.sion, there was some resemblance even in the ma.s.sive, coa.r.s.e features.
But it was only a moment during which they stood thus; at the next moment the officer had hit the man with all his strength upon his chest in order to gain room to draw his sword. But he might as well have tried to move a rock from its place as the man in the velvet-coat. The blow sounded dull on the broad chest--that was all; but at the same time the man extended his powerful arms, seized the officer around the waist, lifted him sheer from the ground, and threw him with such violence against the soldiers, who had their hands full in holding the young man, that officer, men, and prisoner all rolled together in a heap.
”Hurrah!” cried the delighted crowd, admiring the display of physical strength. ”Hurrah! At them! Down with the soldiers!”
Mr. Schmenckel probably did not expect much a.s.sistance from the courage of the crowd. He drew the prisoner with one great effort from out of the confused heap of men, and before the officer could regain his feet both had disappeared in the crowd, who readily opened to let them pa.s.s.
It was high time, for the two detachments had been able in the meantime to break through the crowd and to unite their forces.
The officer started up and ordered with a voice shrieking with rage: ”Left Wheel! Forward! Charge bayonets!”
”Hurrah! hurrah!” cried the soldiers, pressing with lowered bayonets into the crowd. The people scattered, crying and howling.
CHAPTER VI.
While such scenes were taking place, Under the Lindens and the inhabitants of the adjoining streets felt a feverish excitement, so that the crowd scattered at the mere sight of an approaching force, merely however to rea.s.semble at another temporarily safe point, and arrests were made in large numbers. The inhabitants of distant parts of the city dwelt in profound peace, utterly ignorant of what was going on elsewhere, and enjoying the calm monotony of an idyllic country village.
In a small one-story house in one of these quiet streets, which derived, from a garden before the door and a slight iron railing between the garden and the gate, somewhat of the appearance of a villa, there sat just before sunset two persons in eager conversation. A little aquarium with gold-fish stood near the window, a bright cage with a canary bird hung between the curtains, and flowers were seen all about in pots and in vases, so that everything bespoke the presence of a lady, although the inevitable work-stand was not to be seen. The man was not exactly young, although even the bald places at the temples would hardly have justified any one in calling him old; the lady was much younger. They conversed eagerly, like two good friends who have not seen each other for months, while in the interval events have happened of the greatest importance for both, which indeed may be said to have inaugurated a new epoch in their lives.
”And Franz is perfectly satisfied with his position here?”
”Perfectly! How pa would have been delighted, if he----”
The young lady did not end the sentence, but turned towards the window and busied herself with the flowers. The gentleman looked at her kindly through the gla.s.ses he wore, and after a while he laid his hand lightly on her arm and said:
”You must not only appear firm, my dear friend; you must be so;--you, the daughter of such a father!”
”You are right, Bemperly; I will try to be as firm and as reasonable as I look. But now let us speak of something else. What does Marguerite say to our new plan?”
”She is delighted--or _charmee_, as she says. But I think it is less because our position will be better--although, quite _entre nous_, a married student is a very remarkably amphibious creature--as because she will be able to be near you again. You do riot know what an impression you have made on _ma pet.i.te femme_.”
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