Part 29 (1/2)
[13] To say that ”a gentleman has received a basket,” is the same as saying he is a rejected lover.--M. H.
CHAPTER XII.
MORE COURTs.h.i.+P STILL.
Judge Frank had, unknown to himself, spoken a striking word. It was true that Schwartz had drawn ever narrower and darker circles around Sara, and at the very time when she would appear free from his influence her temper became more uncertain and suspicious. The mother, uneasy about this connexion, no longer allowed her to be alone with him during the music lesson, and this watchfulness excited Sara's pride, as well as the grave yet gentle remonstrances which were made on account of her behaviour were received with much impatience and disregard. The Judge was the only person before whom Sara did not exhibit the dark side of her character. His glance, his presence, seemed to exercise a certain power over her; besides which, she was, perhaps, more beloved by him than by all the other members of the family, with the exception of Petrea.
One evening, Sara sate silent by one of the windows in the library, supporting her beautiful head on her hand. Petrea sate at her feet on a low stool; she also was silent, but every now and then looked up to Sara with a tender troubled expression, whilst Sara sometimes looked down towards her thoughtfully, and almost gloomily.
”Petrea,” said she, quickly, ”what would you say if I should leave you suddenly to go into the wide world, and should never return?”
”What should I say?” answered Petrea, with a violent gush of tears: ”ah, I should say nothing at all, but should lie down and die of grief!”
”Do you really love me then so, Petrea?” asked she.
”Do I love you!” returned Petrea; ”ah, Sara, if you go away, take me with you as maid, as servant--I will do everything for you!”
”Good Petrea!” whispered Sara, laying her arm round her neck, and kissing her weeping eyes, ”continue to love Sara, but do not follow her!”
”It seems terribly sultry to me this evening!” said Henrik, wearily: ”we cannot manage any family a.s.sembling to-night; not a bit of music; not a bit of entertainment. The air seems as if an earthquake were at hand. I fancy that Africa sends us something of a tempest. Petrea is weeping like the cataract of Trollhatten; and there go the people in twos-and-twos and weep, and set themselves in corners and whisper and mutter, and kiss one another, from my G.o.d-fearing parents down to my silly little sisters! The King and Queen, they go and seat themselves just has it happens, on living or dead things; they had nearly seated themselves on me as I sate unoffensively on the sofa; but I made a turn about _tout d'un coup_.--Betrothed! horribly wearisome folks! Are they not, Gabriele? They cannot see, they cannot hear; they could not speak, I fancy, but with one another!”
A light was burning in Sara's chamber far into the night. She was busied for a long time with her journal; she wrote with a flying but unsteady hand.
”So, to-morrow; to-morrow all will be said, and I----shall be bound.
”I know that is but of little importance, and yet I have such a horror of it! Oh, the power of custom and of form.
”I know very well whom I could love; there is a purity in his glance, a powerful purity which penetrates me. But how would he look on me if he saw----
”I must go! I have no choice left! S. has me in his net--the money which I have borrowed from him binds me so fast!--for I cannot bear that they should know it, and despise me. I know that they would impoverish themselves in order to release me, but I will not so humiliate myself.
”And why do I speak of release? I go hence to a life of freedom and honour. I bow myself under the yoke but for a moment, only in order to exalt myself the more proudly. Now there is no more time to tremble and to waver--away with these tears! And thou, Volney, proud, strong thinker, stand by me! Teach me, when all others turn away, how I may rely on my own strength!”
Sara now exchanged the pen for the book, and the hour of midnight struck before she closed it, and arose tranquil and cold in order to seek the quiet of sleep.
The earthquake of which Henrik had spoken came the next day, the signal of which was a letter from Schwartz to the Judge, in which he solicited the hand of Sara. His only wealth was his profession; but with this alone he was convinced that his wife would want nothing: he was just about to undertake a journey through Europe, and wished to be accompanied by Sara, of whose consent and acquiescence he was quite sure.
A certain degree of self-appreciation in a man was not at any time displeasing to Judge Frank, but this letter breathed a supercilious a.s.surance, a professional arrogance, which were extremely repugnant to him. Besides this, he was wounded by the tone of pretension in which Schwartz spoke of one who was as dear to him as his own daughter; and the thought of her being united to a man of Schwartz's character was intolerable to him. He was almost persuaded that Sara did not love him, and burned with impatience to repel his pretensions, and to remove him at the same time from his house.
Elise agreed perfectly in the opinion of her husband, but was less confident than he regarding Sara's state of feeling with respect to the affair. She was summoned to their presence. The Judge handed to her Schwartz's letter, and awaited impatiently her remarks upon it. Her colour paled before the grave and searching glance which was riveted upon her, but she declared herself quite willing to accept Schwartz's proposal.
Astonishment and vexation painted themselves on the countenance of her adopted father.
”Ah, Sara,” said the mother, after a short silence, ”have you well considered this? Do you think that Schwartz is a man who can make a wife happy?”
”He can make me happy,” returned Sara; ”happy according to my own mind.”
”You can never, never,” said the mother, ”enjoy domestic happiness with him!”