Villa Eden: The Country-House on the Rhine. Auerbach Berthold

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      "All of them. They made a great talk about him, but it's stupid."

      Eric led the conversation back, and asked, "Who helps you train the dogs?"

      "One who knows all about it, the huntsman Klaus, whom they call the screamer; he will be pleased when I tell him that you knew how old the puppies were by their whimper."

      Eric nodded. A boy like this might easily be guided to knowledge, if one could once get the lead.

      Eric now asked Roland to conduct him to his father. As they were about to leave the stable, a snow-white pony with long mane turned his head quite round and neighed.

      "That is my Puck," said Roland. He was evidently very happy in showing the stranger all his treasures, almost like a little child who displays a toy for the wonder of his playmate. Eric could not but praise the beautiful creature, which looked at him with great, wild, shy eyes.

      He took the boy's hand, and they went together through the large botanical garden.

      "Do you know about plants too?" asked Roland.

      "No, I'm quite ignorant about them."

      "So am I," said the boy, delighted; Eric's acknowledgment of an ignorance which coincided with his own seemed to bring them nearer to each other.

      They passed over a plat where men were weeding and putting the ground in order. A little old man, with a shy but shrewd look, was at work; he took off his cap, and said good-morning. "Have you seen my father?" asked Roland. "He is over there," replied the little man, pointing toward the green-houses.

      The long green-houses, constructed of pale-blue glass, came in sight. A door stood open, within which a fountain was to be seen, in whose gray marble basin lay blocks of stone with water plants growing in all their crevices. Some of the trees which needed protection from the winter were still here, and a few which did not thrive had thick wrappings on trunk and branches.

      They heard a voice. "There he is in the cold-house," said Roland. Eric told him to turn back now, as he had something to say to his father alone.

      The boy stood as if rooted to the spot. In Eric's manner of ordering him to go, there was an air of such irresistible authority that he did not know what to make of it.

      As Eric went forward, the boy stood motionless, then turned, snapped his fingers, and whistled to himself.

      Drawing a long breath, Eric stopped a moment to collect himself. What if this boy were related to him by blood, and he were to find here his missing uncle? Walking slowly and composedly, he entered the open door of the green-house.

      CHAPTER III.

      THE FLAG IS HOISTED

      "Who's there? what do you want?" was asked by a form as it raised itself up from a bed of black earth. A coarse, gray, sacklike linen garment covered the form from head to foot; it was like that worn by convicts, or rather, by the insane.

      "What do you want? who are you? whom do you wish to see?" the man again asked.

      "I wish to see Herr Sonnenkamp."

      "What do you want of him?"

      "I would like to introduce myself to him."

      "I am he. Who are you?"

      "My name is Eric Dournay. Herr von Pranken had the kindness, day before yesterday, to – "

      "Ah! are you the man?" Sonnenkamp replied, drawing a long breath. With trembling hands he unfastened the linen sack which he wore over his coat, saying, with a forced smile, "You have surprised me in my working-garb."

      Rolling the sack together, and tossing it away, he said, "Was no servant at hand? Do you always wear a uniform?"

      It was the uniform then that gave him such a start, thought Eric. And, on looking at the man, he was sure that he could not be his uncle. The likeness of his missing uncle, which still hung in his father's study, was present to his mind; it represented him as a slim, delicate form, with a very prominent aquiline nose, and no trace of resemblance to this athletic personage before his eyes.

      "I am very sorry for having disturbed you," Eric resumed, convinced that the first impression had been an unfavorable one. "I beg you indeed to excuse me," he stammered out; "the Count von Wolfsgarten, whose guest I have been, and from whom I bring to you a letter of recommendation, has – "

      "A letter from Count Wolfsgarten? Very welcome. I am very glad to see you," replied Sonnenkamp, taking the letter.

      "We have met very unexpectedly – there was no reason for suspecting – prejudice as men – I mean – constraint – "

      Sonnenkamp's tone had wholly changed; it had become gentle, kind, almost tenderly beseeching.

      He hastily ran his eye over the lines written by Clodwig, and then said in a low tone, —

      "I am very glad, – very welcome."

      Looking, up from the letter, he made a sort of bow to Eric, and, as if sure of acquiescence, remarked, "a nobleman – just what a nobleman ought to be – is the Count Wolfsgarten. Do you stand as high in favor with the Countess Bella?"

      There was a touch of sarcasm in the tone of this last question.

      Eric answered with an unmoved tone and look, "I am happy to enjoy equally the favor of husband and wife."

      "Fine, very fine," Sonnenkamp resumed. "But let us go out into the open air. Are you a botanist too?"

      Eric regretted that he had always neglected to extend his knowledge in this direction.

      Out in the open air, Sonnenkamp again surveyed the new-comer from head to foot. Eric now for the first time noticed, that wholly forgetting his military attire, he had taken off his cap. And when he perceived the look with which he was surveyed, he realised what was the meaning of private service, to give up one's self with his whole personal being to the dominion of an individual.

      In Sonnenkamp's survey there was something which made Eric feel as if he were in a slave-market; and when Sonnenkamp stretched out his hand with a peculiar gesture, it seemed as if he were about to take hold of his chin, open his lips, and examine whether his teeth were all sound.

      Eric shook his head at this strange fancy, and proudly stood erect, feeling, that he must maintain his own ground steadily in the presence of this man.

      Sonnenkamp immediately gave orders to a servant near by to get breakfast ready at the fountain.

      "Did you come on horseback?" he asked.

      "Count Wolfsgarten was kind enough to furnish me with a horse."

      "You have already spoken with my son?"

      "Yes."

      "I am glad that you came in uniform," Sonnenkamp said, making no further inquiries of Eric what he thought of the boy.

      As if Eric were only a distinguished, well-recommended visitor, Sonnenkamp now exhibited to him the object of his greatest pride. This was a perfect collection of heaths, such as is rarely to be found. He discoursed upon the nice distinctions in the different varieties, and added: "I have been where the greater part of these heaths originated, the СКАЧАТЬ