"...Wie entz點kendUnd s黶s es ist, in einer sch鰊en Seele,Verherrlicht uns zu f黨len, es zu wissen,Das uns're Fruede fremde Wangen r鰐het,Und uns're Angst in fremdem Busen zittert,Das uns're Leiden fremde Augen n鋝sen." SCHILLER.
"How pale!" said Wilhelm the next morning to Otto. "Do you see,that is what people get by night-wandering?"
"How so?" inquired Otto.
Wilhelm made a jest of it.
"You have been dreaming that!" said Otto.
"How do you mean?" replied Wilhelm; "will you make me fancy that Ihave imagined it? I was really quite awake! we really talked aboutit; I was initiated in it. Actually I have a good mind to give youa moral lecture. If it had been me, how you would have preached!"
They were summoned to breakfast. Otto's heart was ready to burst.What might he not have to hear? What must he say?
Sophie was much excited.
"Did you, gentlemen, hear anything last night?" she inquired. "Haveyou both slept?"
"Yes, certainly," replied Wilhelm, and looked involuntarily at Otto.
"The bird is flown, however!" said she; "it has made its escape outof the dove-cote."
"What bird?" asked Wilhelm.
"Sidsel!" replied she; "and, what is oddest in the whole affair is,that Louise has loosed her wings. Louise is quite up to the romantic.Think only! she went up in the night to the topmost story, unlockedthe prison-tower, gave a moral lecture to Sidsel, and after that lether go! Then in the morning comes Louise to mamma, relates the wholeaffair, and says a many affecting things!"
"Yes, I do not understand it," said the mother, addressing Louise."How you could have had the courage to go up so late at night, andgo up to her! But it was very beautiful of you! Let her escape!it is, as you say, best that she should. We should all of us havethought of that last evening!"
"I was so sorry for her!" said Louise; "and by chance it happenedthat I had a great many things to arrange after you were all inbed. Everything was so still in the house, it seemed to me as if Icould hear Sidsel sigh; certainly it was only my own imagination,but I could do no other than pity her! she was so unfortunate! ThusI let her escape!"
"Are you gone mad?" inquired Wilhelm; "what a history is this? Didyou go in the night up to the top of the house? That is anunseasonable compassion!"
"It was beautiful!" said Otto, bending himself involuntarily, andkissing Louise's hand.
"Yes, that is water to his mill!" exclaimed Wilhelm. "I thinknothing of such things!"
"We will not talk about it to anyone," said the mother. "Thesteward shall not proceed any further in it. We have recovered theold silver tankard, and the losing that was my greatest trouble. Wewill thank God that we are well rid of her! Poor thing! she willcome to an unfortunate end!"
"Are you still unwell, Mr. Thostrup?" said Sophie, and looked athim.
"I am a little feverish," replied he. "I will take a very longwalk, and then I shall be better."
"You should take a few drops," said the lady.
"O, he will come to himself yet!" said Wilhelm; "he must takeexercise! His is not a dangerous illness."
Otto went into the wood. It was to him a temple of God; his heartpoured forth a hymn of thanksgiving. Louise had been his goodangel. He felt of a truth that she would never betray his secret.His thoughts clung to her with confidence. "Are you still unwell?"Sophie had said. The tones of her voice alone had been like thefragrance of healing herbs; in her eye he had felt sympathy and--love. "O Sophie!" sighed he. Both sisters were so dear to him.
He entered the garden and went along the great avenue; here he metLouise. One might almost have imagined that she had sought for him:there was no one but her to be seen in the whole avenue.
Otto pressed her hand to his lips. "You have saved my life!" saidhe.
"Dear Thostrup!" answered she, "do not betray yourself. Yon havecome happily out of the affair! Thank God! my little part in it hasconcealed the whole. For the rest I have a suspicion. Yes, I cannotavoid it. May not the whole be an error? It is possible that she isthat which you said! Tell me all that you can let me know. Fromthis seat we can see everybody who comes into the avenue. No onecan hear us!"
"Yes, to you alone I can confide it!" said Otto; "to you will Itell it."
He now related that which we know about the manufactory, which hecalled the house, in which German Heinrich had first seen him, andhad tattooed his initials upon his shoulder; their later meeting inthe park, and afterwards by St. Ander's Cross.
Louise trembled; her glance rested sympathizingly upon Otto's paleand handsome countenance. He showed her the letter which had beenbrought to him the last evening, and related to her what Heinrichhad told him.
"It may be so," said Louise; "but yet I have not been able to losethe idea all the morning that you have been deceived. Not one ofher features resembles yours. Can brother and sister be sodifferent as you and she? Yet, be the truth as it may, promise menot to think too much about it. There is a good Ruler above who canturn all things for the best."
"These horrible circumstances," said Otto, "have robbed me of thecheerfulness of my youth. They thrust themselves disturbingly intomy whole future. Not to Wilhelm--no, not to any one have I beenable to confide them. You know all! God knows that you werecompelled to learn them. I leave myself entirely in your hands!"
He pressed her hand silently, and with the earnest glance ofconfidence and truth they looked at each other.
"I shall speedily leave my native country," said Otto. "It may beforever. I should return with sorrow to a home where no happinessawaited me. I stand so entirely alone in the world!"
"But you have friends," said Louise; "sincere friends. You mustthink with pleasure of returning home to Denmark. My mother lovesyou as if she were your own mother. Wilhelm and Sophie--yes, wewill consider you as a brother."
"And Sophie?" exclaimed Otto.
"Yes, can you doubt it?" inquired Louise.
"She knows me not as you know me; and if she did?"--He pressed hishands before his eyes and burst into tears. "You know all: you knowmore than I could tell her," sighed he. "I am more unfortunate thanyou can believe. Never can I forget her--never!"
"For Heaven's sake compose yourself!" said Louise rising. "Some onemight come, and you would not be able to conceal your emotion. Allmay yet be well! Confide only in God in heaven!"
"Do not tell your sister that which I have told you. Do not tellany one. I have revealed to you every secret which my soulcontains."
"I will be to you a good sister," said Louise, and pressed his hand.
They silently walked down the avenue.
The sisters slept in the same room.
At night, after Sophie had been an hour in bed, Louise entered thechamber.
"Thou art become a spirit of the night," said Sophie. "Where hastthou been? Thou art not going up into the loft again to-night, thoustrange girl? Had it been Wilhelm, Thostrup, or myself who hadundertaken such a thing, it would have been quite natural; butthou"--
"Am I, then, so very different to you all?" inquired Louise. "Ishould resemble my sister less than even Mr. Thostrup resemblesher. You two are so very different!"
"In our views, in our impulses, we very much resemble each other!"said Sophie.
"He is certainly not happy," exclaimed Louise. "We can read it inhis eyes."
"Yes, but it is precisely that which makes him interesting!" saidSophie; "he is thus a handsome shadow-piece in everyday life."
"Thou speakest about it so calmly," said Louise, and bent over hersister, "I would almost believe that it was love."
"Love!" exclaimed Sophie, raising herself up in bed, for nowLouise's words had become interesting to her; "whom dost thou thinkthat he loves?"
"Thyself," replied Louise, and seized her sister's hand.
"Perhaps?" returned Sophie. "I also made fun of him! It certainlywent on better when our cousin was here. Poor Thostrup!"
"And thou, Sophie," inquired Louise, "dost thou return his love?"
"It is a regular confession that thou desirest," replied she. "Heis in love--that all young men are. Our cousin, I can tell thee,said many pretty things to me. Even the Kammerjunker flatters aswell as he can, the good soul! I have now resolved with myself tobe a reasonable girl. Believe me, however, Thostrup is in an illhumor!"
"If the Kammerjunker were to pay his addresses to you, would youaccept him?" asked Louise, and seated herself upon her sister'sbed.
"What can make you think of such a thing?" inquired she. "Hast thouheard anything?--Thou makest me anxious! O Louise! I joke, I talk adeal; but for all that, believe me, I am not happy!"
They talked about the Kammerjunker, about Otto, and about theFrench cousin. It was late in the night. Large tears stood inSophie's eyes, but she laughed for all that, and ended with aquotation from Jean Paul.
Half an hour afterward she slept and dreamed; her round white armlay upon the coverlet, and her lips moved with these words:
"With a smile as if an angel Had just then kissed her mouth." [Note: Christian Winther.]
Louise pressed her countenance on the soft pillow, and wept.