Volume Ii Part 16 (1/2)
”And you out of sorts,” added Erlau. ”I do not understand exactly what has happened to you Herr Captain; your brother is out of danger, your sister-in-law amiability itself, the little one has attached himself most tenderly to you, but your cheerfulness seems quite to have left you since everything has been swimming in love and peace around us. You play no jokes upon any one, you annoy no one with your teasings and nonsense, one hardly ever hears a word of fun from you. I fear something has got into your head, or even your heart.”
Hugo laughed loudly but somewhat forcedly.
”Why not, indeed! I can no longer bear to remain such a time on sh.o.r.e, and give up the sea. This inactivity of months wearies me. Thank G.o.d, it is coming to an end at last. Early to-morrow I depart, and in a few more days I shall be out on the waves again.”
”And then we all fly apart quite prettily to every point of the compa.s.s,” said the Consul, who still could not get the better of his irritation. ”You sail to the West Indies, your brother and Eleonore will also leave; I go back to H----, a most pleasant solitude which awaits me there at home! Herr Reinhold certainly was gracious enough to promise me that I should see his wife and child from time to time. From time to time! As if that could satisfy me, after having had her about me every moment for years. Of course, now the husband and father must decide about it! I am convinced he will never let her leave him for a week; he is just as overwhelming in his tenderness as he once was in his carelessness.”
It almost seemed as if the subject of the conversation were painful to Captain Almbach, as he broke it off quickly by rising and taking leave of the Consul heartily, but yet rather curtly and hastily. Erlau evidently saw him go with regret, as however great was the prejudice which he entertained against Reinhold, he was as decidedly prepossessed in Hugo's favour, and if the latter had been the repentant prodigal, the Consul would have regarded the reconciliation with a much more favourable eye than he did now where every feeling of justice was lost in the pain of the impending separation from his favourite. It only slightly consoled the old gentleman that he took his restored health home with him; his house appeared very desolate to him now, and he sighed deeply as the door closed after his guest.
Hugo, in the meantime, returned to his brother's abode which he still shared. His room, in consequence of the preparations for his departure, was in the greatest disorder already. He had ordered Jonas to pack up, and put all ready for the early morning, and the sailor had partly obeyed these directions, as the boxes stood open on the floor, and the travelling requisites lay about on the table and chairs.
But there seemed to be no talk of packing at present, as Jonas sat quite calmly on the lid of the large travelling chest, and near him little Annunziata, whom he had probably called to help him in this difficult business. The conversation between them, notwithstanding the young Italian's very defective knowledge of German, was in full course, and Jonas had also placed his arm, unabashed, round her waist, and was just in the act of stealing a kiss from her, which did not seem to be the first, and most likely would not have been the last, if Hugo's appearance had not put an end to any farther confidential arrangements.
The couple started up, alarmed at the unexpected opening of the door.
Annunziata recovered herself first. She fled with a slight exclamation past Captain Almbach into the ante-room, where she disappeared and left the explanation of the situation to her companion. Jonas however, transfixed from fright, and stiff as a statue, stood without moving, looking at his master, who now entered completely and shut the door behind him.
”Do you call that packing the boxes?” asked he. ”Then you have gone so far happily with your exercise of pity?”
Jonas sighed deeply--
”Yes, Herr Captain, I am so far,” replied he, resignedly.
The confession was made with such comical humiliation, that Hugo had difficulty to suppress a smile; still he said with a grave face--
”Jonas, I never thought to experience such things in you. It is only lucky that you are a man of principles, which will not allow you to let such follies become serious. Principles before everything! Our 'Ellida,' lies ready to sail; to-morrow we start for the harbour, and when we return from the West Indies, you will have driven this love story out of your head, and Annunziata in the meanwhile will have taken another--”
”She will leave that alone,” cried Jonas furiously. ”I will kill her and myself too if she does anything of the kind.”
”Will you not extend the killing to me also?” asked Hugo coolly. ”You seem to be quite in the humour for it. You have gone so far as kissing, that is certain. I have actually witnessed with my own eyes how seaman William Jonas, of the 'Ellida,' has kissed a woman, and I should have thought that with this fact, enough to set one's hair on end, all would have stopped.”
”Preserve us,” said Jonas, defiantly. ”That is only the beginning--then comes the marrying.”
”Will you marry too?” asked Captain Almbach, in a tone of most intense indignation. ”You will marry a woman? But consider, Jonas, that women are to blame for everything, that all mischief in the world originated with them, that a man only has peace and quiet when far from them, that--”
”Herr Captain,” replied the sailor, who contrary to all respect, interrupted his master in the middle of his speech, as he heard his own words from the other's lips--
”Herr Captain, I was an idiot.”
”Oh! your Annunziata seems to have inspired you with much self-knowledge already, and that is the more admirable as language in your conversation plays a very inferior part. Your chosen one speaks German thoroughly badly, and you have not caught much more Italian than merely her name. To be sure I saw just now how capitally you managed to help yourselves. Your conjugation of '_amare_,' if not quite grammatical, was extremely comprehensible.”
”Yes, indeed, we know how to help ourselves,” said Jonas, full of self-consciousness. ”We understand each other however always, and on the main point we understand each other at once. I like her, she will have me, and we shall marry each other.”
”And so it ends!” finished Hugo. ”And how about our departure, amid these suitable arrangements?”
”I shall still go to the West Indies, Herr Captain,” answered Jonas eagerly. ”We cannot marry in quite so head-over-heel a fas.h.i.+on, and my bride will meanwhile remain with young Frau Almbach, who has promised to take care of her. When I return, however, Annunziata thinks my seafaring must end. She thinks when she takes a husband that he must stay with her also, and not sail about for years on all kinds of seas.
We could set up a little public house in some place, where I should not be so far from the ocean, and should always meet with my comrades, Annunziata thinks.”
”Your Annunziata seems to think a great deal,” remarked Captain Almbach, ”and you naturally submit like a converted woman-hater and obedient bridegroom to this opinion of your 'future.' Then on this voyage, the 'Ellida' is to have the honour of counting you amongst her crew? Afterwards she must look out for another sailor and I for another servant?”