BABETTE.
Who is the best shot in Canton Valais? The chamois knew only too well:"Beware of Rudy!" they could say. Who is the handsomest hunter?--"Itis Rudy." The young girls said this also, but they did not say:"Beware of Rudy!" No, not even the grave mothers, for he nodded tothem quite as amicably as to the young girls. He was so bold and gay,his cheeks were brown, his teeth fresh and white and his coal-blackeyes glittered; he was a handsome young fellow and but twenty yearsold. The icy water did not sting him when he swam, he could turnaround in it like a fish; he could climb as did no one, and he was asfirm on the rocky walls as a snail--for he had good sinews and musclesthat served him well in leaping--the cat had first taught him this,and later the chamois. One could not trust one's self to a betterguide than to Rudy. In this way he could collect quite a fortune, buthe had no taste for the trade of a cooper, which his uncle had taughthim; his delight and pleasure was to shoot chamois, and this wasprofitable also. Rudy was a good match if one did not look higher thanone's station, and in dancing he was just the kind of dancer thatyoung girls dream about, and one or the other were always thinking ofhim when they were awake.
"He kissed me whilst dancing!" said the schoolmaster's Annette to hermost intimate friend, but she should not have said this, not even toher dearest friend, but it is difficult to keep such things to one'sself--like sand in a purse with a hole in it, it soon runs out--andalthough Rudy was so steady and good it was soon known that he kissedwhilst dancing.
"Watch him," said an old hunter, "he has commenced with A, and he willkiss the whole alphabet through!"
A kiss, at a dance, was all they could say in their gossipping, but hehad kissed Annette, and she was by no means the flower of his heart.
Down near Bex, between the great walnut trees, close by a rapid littlestream, dwelt the rich miller. The dwelling-house was a largethree-storied building, with little towers covered with wood andcoated with sheets of lead, which shone in the sunshine and in themoonshine; the largest tower had for a weather-cock a bright arrowwhich pierced an apple and which was intended to represent the appleshot by Tell. The mill looked neat and comfortable, so that it wasreally worth describing and drawing, but the miller's daughter couldneither be described nor drawn, at least so said Rudy. Yet she wasimprinted in his heart, and her eyes acted as a fire-brand upon it,and this had happened suddenly and unexpectedly. The most wonderfulpart of all was, that the miller's daughter, the pretty Babette,thought not of him, for she and Rudy had never even spoken two wordswith each other.
The miller was rich, and riches placed her much too high to beapproached; "but no one," said Rudy to himself, "is placed so high asto be unapproachable; one must climb and one does not fall, when onedoes not think of it." This knowledge he had brought from home withhim.
Now it so happened that Rudy had business at Bex and it was quite ajourney there, for the railroad was not completed. The broad valley ofValais stretches itself from the glaciers of the Rhone, under the footof the Simplon-mountain, between many varying mountain-heights, withits mighty river, the Rhone, which often swells and destroyseverything, overflooding fields and roads. The valley makes a bend,between the towns of Sion and St. Maurice, like an elbow and becomesso narrow at Maurice, that there only remains sufficient room for theriver bed and a cart way. Here an old tower stands like a sentrybefore the Canton Valais; it ends at this point and overlooks thebridge, which has a wall towards the custom-house. Now begins theCanton called Pays de Vaud and the nearest town is Bex, whereeverything becomes luxuriant and fruitful--one is in a garden ofwalnut and chestnut trees and here and there, cypress and pomegranateblossoms peep out--it is as warm as the South; one imagines one's selftransplanted into Italy.
Rudy reached Bex, accomplished his business and looked about him, buthe did not see a single miller's boy, not to speak of Babette. Itappeared as though they were not to meet.
It was evening, the air was heavy with the wild thyme and bloominglinden, a glistening veil lay over the forest-clad mountains, therewas a stillness over everything, but not the quiet of sleep. It seemedas though all nature retained her breath, as if she felt disposed toallow her image to be imprinted upon the firmament.
Here and there, there were poles standing on the green fields, betweenthe trees; they held the telegraph wire, which has been conductedthrough this peaceful valley. An object leant against one of thesepoles, so immoveable, that one might have taken it for a witheredtrunk of a tree; but it was Rudy. He slept not and still less was hedead; but as the most important events of this earth, as well asaffairs of vital moment for individuals pass over the wires, withouttheir giving out a tone or a tremulous movement, even so flashedthrough Rudy, thoughts--powerful, overwhelming, speaking of thehappiness of his life; his, henceforth, "constant thought." His eyeswere fixed upon a point in the trellis-work, and this was a light inBabette's sitting room. Rudy was so motionless, one might have thoughtthat he was observing a chamois, in order to shoot it. Now, however,he was like the chamois--which appears sculptured on the rock, andsuddenly if a stone rolls, springs and flies away--thus stood Rudy,until a thought struck him.
"Never despair," said he. "I shall make a visit to the mill, and say:Good evening miller, good evening Babette! One does not fall when onedoes not think of it! Babette must see me, if I am to be her husband!"
And Rudy laughed, was of good cheer and went to the mill; he knew whathe wanted, he wanted Babette.
The river, with its yellowish white water rolled on; the willow treesand the lindens bowed themselves deep in the hastening water; Rudywent along the path, and as it says in the old child's song:
---- ---- ---- Zu des M黮lers Haus, Aber da war Niemand drinnen Nur die Katze schaute aus![B]
The house-cat stood on the step, put up her back and said: "Miau!" butRudy had no thoughts for her language, he knocked, no one heard, noone opened. "Miau!" said the cat. If Rudy had been little, he wouldhave understood the speech of animals and known that the cat told him:"There is no one at home!" He was obliged to cross over to the mill,to make inquiries, and here he had news. The master of the house wasaway on a journey, far away in the town of Interlaken--inter lacus,"between the lakes"--as the school-master, Annette's father, hadexplained, in his wisdom. Far away was the miller and Babette withhim; there was to be a shooting festival, which was to commence onthe following day and to continue for a whole week. The Swiss from allthe German cantons were to meet there.
Poor Rudy, one could well say that he had not taken the happiest timeto visit Bex; now he could return and that was what he did. He tookthe road over Sion and St. Maurice, back to his own valley, back tohis own mountain, but he was not down-cast. On the following morning,when the sun rose, his good humour had returned, in fact it had neverleft him.
"Babette is in Interlaken, many a day's journey from here!" said he tohimself, "it is a long road thither, if one goes by the highway, butnot so far if one passes over the rocks and that is the road for achamois hunter! I went this road formerly, for there is my home, whereI lived with my grandfather when I was a little child, and they havea shooting festival in Interlaken! I will be the first one there,and that will I be with Babette also, as soon as I have made heracquaintance!"
With his light knapsack containing his Sunday clothes, with his gunand his huntsman's pouch, Rudy ascended the mountain. The short road,was a pretty long one, but the shooting-match had but commenced to-dayand was to last more than a week; the miller and Babette were toremain the whole time, with their relations in Interlaken. Rudycrossed the Gemmi, for he wished to go to Grindelwald.
He stepped forwards merry and well, out into the fresh, light mountainair. The valley sank beneath him, the horizon widened; here and therea snow-peak, and soon appeared the whole shining white alpine chain.Rudy knew every snow mountain, onward he strode towards theSchreckhorn, that elevates its white powdered snow-finger high in theair.
At last he crossed the ridge of the mountain and the pasture-groundsand reached the valley of his home; the air was light and his spiritsgay, mountain and valley stood resplendent with verdure and flowers.His heart was filled with youthful thoughts;--that one can never growold, never die; but live, rule and enjoy;--free as a bird, light as abird was he. The swallows flew by and sang as in his childhood: "Weand you, and You and we!" All was happiness.
Below lay the velvet-green meadow, with its brown wooden houses, theL黷schine hummed and roared. He saw the glacier with its green glassedges and its black crevices in the deep snow, and the under andupper glacier. The sound of the church-bells was carried over to him,as if they chimed a welcome home; his heart beat loudly and expanded,so, that for a moment, Babette vanished from it; his heart widened, itwas so full of recollections. He retraced his steps, over the path,where he used to stand when a little boy, with the other children, onthe edge of the ditch, and where he sold carved wooden houses. Yonder,under the fir-trees was his grandfather's house,--strangers dwelledthere. Children came running up the path, wishing to sell; one of themheld an alpine rose towards him. Rudy took it for a good omen andthought of Babette. Quickly he crossed the bridge, where the twoL黷schines meet; the leafy trees had increased and the walnut treesgave deeper shade. He saw the streaming Swiss and Danish flags--thewhite cross on the red cloth--and Interlaken lay before him.
It was certainly a magnificent town; like no other, it seemed to Rudy.A Swiss town in its Sunday dress, was not like other trading-places, amass of black stone houses, heavy, uninviting and stiff. No! it lookedas though the wooden houses, on the mountain had run down into thegreen valley, to the clear, swift river and had ranged themselves in arow--a little in and out--so as to form a street, the most splendid ofall streets, which had grown up since Rudy was here as a child. Itappeared to him, that here all the pretty wooden houses that hisgrandfather had carved, and with which the cup-board at home used tobe filled, had placed themselves there and had grown in strength, asthe old, the oldest chestnut trees had done. Each house had carvedwood-work around the windows and balconies, projecting roofs, prettyand neat; in front of every house a little flower garden extended intothe stone-covered street. The houses were all placed on one side, asif they wished to conceal the forest-green meadow, where the cows withtheir tinkling bells made one fancy one's self near the high alpinepasture-grounds. The meadow was enclosed with high mountains, thatleaned to one side so that the Jungfrau, the most stately of the Swissmountains, with its glistening snow-clad top, was visible.
What a quantity of well dressed ladies and gentlemen from foreigncountries! What multitudes of inhabitants from the different cantons!The shooters, with their numbers placed in a wreath around theirhats, waiting to take their turn. Here was music and song,hurdy-gurdys and wind instruments, cries and confusion. The houses andbridges were decked with devices and verses; banners and flagsfloated, rifles sounded shot after shot; this was the best music toRudy's ear and he entirely forgot Babette, although he had come forher sake.
The marksmen thronged towards the spot where the target-shooting was;Rudy was soon among them and he was the best, the luckiest, for healways hit the mark.
"Who can the strange hunter be?" they asked, "He speaks the Frenchlanguage as though he came from Canton Valais!" "He speaks our Germanvery distinctly!" said others. "He is said to have lived in theneighbourhood of Grindelwald, when a child!" said one of them.
There was life in the youth; his eyes sparkled, his aim was true. Goodluck gives courage, and Rudy had courage at all times; he soon had alarge circle of friends around him, they praised him, they did homageto him, and Babette had almost entirely left his thoughts. At thatmoment a heavy hand struck him on the shoulder, and a gruff voiceaddressed him in the French tongue:
"You are from Canton Valais?"
Rudy turned around. A stout person, with a red, contented countenance,stood by him and that was the rich miller of Bex. He covered with hiswide body, the slight pretty Babette, who however, soon peeped outwith her beaming dark eyes. The rich peasant became consequentialbecause the hunter from his canton had made the best shot and was thehonoured one. Rudy was certainly a favourite of fortune, that, forwhich he had journeyed thither and almost forgotten had sought him.
When one meets a countryman far from one's home, why then one knowsone another, and speaks together. Rudy was the first at the shootingfestival and the miller was the first at Bex, through his money andmill, and so the two men pressed each other's hands: this they hadnever done before. Babette also, gave Rudy her little hand and hepressed her's in return and looked at her, so--that she became quitered.
The miller told of the long journey which they had made here, of themany large towns which they had seen--that was a real journey; theyhad come in the steam-boat and had been driven by post and rail!
"I came by the short road," said Rudy, "I came over the mountains;there is no path so high, that one can not reach it!"
"But one can break one's neck," said the miller, "you look as thoughyou would do so some day, you are so daring!"
"One does not fall, when one does not think of it!" said Rudy.
And the miller's family in Interlaken, with whom the miller andBabette were staying, begged Rudy to pay them a visit, for he was fromthe same canton as their relations.
These were glad tidings for Rudy, fortune smiled upon him, as italways does on those that rely upon themselves and think upon thesaying: "Our Lord gives us nuts, but he does not crack them for us!"Rudy made himself quite at home with the miller's relations; theydrank the health of the best marksman. Babette knocked her glassagainst his and Rudy gave thanks for the honour shown him.
In the evening, they all walked under the walnut trees, in front ofthe decorated h魌els; there was such a crowd, such a throng, that Rudywas obliged to offer his arm to Babette. "He was so rejoiced to havemet people from Pays de Vaud," said he, "Pays de Vaud and Valais weregood neighbourly cantons." His joy was so profound that it struckBabette, she must press his hand. They walked along almost like oldacquaintances; she was so amusing, the darling little creature, itbecame her so prettily Rudy thought, when she described what waslaughable and overdone in the dress of the ladies, and ridiculed theirmanners and walk. She did not do this in order to mock them, for nodoubt they were very good people, yes! kind and amiable. Babette knewwhat was right, for she had a god-mother that was a distinguishedEnglish lady. She was in Bex, eighteen years ago, when Babette wasbaptized; she had given Babette, the expensive breastpin which shewore. The god-mother had written her two letters; this year she was tomeet her in Interlaken, with her daughters; they were old maids, overthirty years old, said Babette;--she was just eighteen.
The sweet little mouth was not still a minute; everything that Babettesaid, sounded to Rudy of great importance. Then he related how oftenhe had been in Bex, how well he knew the mill; how often he had seenBabette, but she of course had never remarked him; he told how, whenhe reached the mill, with many thoughts to which he could give noutterance, she and her father were far away; still not so far as torender it impossible for him to ascend the rocky wall which made theroad so long.
Yes, he said this; and he also said how much he thought of her; thatit was for her sake and not on account of the shooting festival thathe had come.
Babette remained very still, for what he confided to her was almosttoo much joy.
The sun set behind the rocky wall, whilst they were walking, and therestood the Jungfrau in all her radiant splendour, surrounded by thedark green circle of the adjacent mountains. The vast crowd of peoplestopped to look at it, Rudy and Babette also gazed upon its grandeur.
"It is nowhere more beautiful than here!" said Babette.
"Nowhere!" said Rudy, and looked at Babette.
"I must leave to-morrow!" said he, a little later.
"Visit us in Bex," whispered Babette, "it will delight my father!"
FOOTNOTES:
[B]
The cat looked out from the miller's house, No one was in, not even a mouse!