Joseph in the Snow, and The Clockmaker Volume II Part 9

He had no leisure, however, to reflect at that moment as to what had caused him either pain or pleasure; for now there were mutual greetings on the part of the Doctor and the Landlord of the "Lion."

Annele had even some thoughts of following the town fashion, and kissing the Doctors daughters, the friends whom she detested so cordially--for they were always rather reserved with Annele.

Amanda, the daughter who cultivated herbs, had taken off her broad-leaved hat, as if she had been at home; and now Annele did the same, and she had much finer hair than all the other three put together--indeed, she could sit on hers; and it was so long and so luxuriant, that she wore it like a coronet in three thick plaits, and looked remarkably well in it too.

Lenz first put in a pretty waltz, and then a gay melody out of Mozart's "Magic Flute," which was set in a particular way--the "Song of the Moor."

The Landlord growled out--"Hum! Hum!"

That was a high compliment; and he nodded and drew in his under lip, as if he was tasting good wine.

"Very good!" said he, at last, in a pedantic tone, spreading out both hands as if he were scattering the praise letter by letter. "Very good, indeed!" These were important words, p.r.o.nounced by such a man!

The Landlady crossed her hands on her breast, and looked at Lenz with unparalleled admiration. "Well!--really I--to think that a man can make a thing so cleverly, and such a young man too! and he stands there just as if he was no better than the others. Remain just so. The best ornament to a great artist is modesty. Go on your course--make more instruments like that: you can do so if you like, I can tell you."

After this speech, she looked pleasantly at the Doctor's wife, inwardly rejoicing thus:--"I suppose that stick of a woman--that hoppole--can't speak a word; and if she were to speak, what would she say? It is rather different, I imagine, when I say anything!"

Annele, too, took courage, and said--"You completed that fine clock while your good mother was still alive, and her blessing rests on it. I can easily understand how hard you must find it, to send it away into the wide world. Do you know what has just occurred to me? You must bring me that favourite tune of yours, and I will learn to play it on the piano."

"I can lend you the piece," said the Doctor's eldest daughter, who had heard Annele's last words.

"But we only have it arranged as a duett," said the second daughter.

"And I have only two hands," said Annele, pertly. The girls would have gone on talking together if the Doctor had not looked at them gravely, and made them a sign to be quiet, for the second piece was about to begin.

When it was finished, they all went into the next room. Franzl had placed on the table, cheese, wine, and bread and b.u.t.ter. The Landlord said--"Lenz, tell me, honestly, for I don't mean to take advantage of it, how much do you get for this musical instrument?"

"Two thousand two hundred gulden--money down. I don't make much by it--I have devoted a great deal of time to it, and the outlay has also been considerable; but when I make my next one, I expect to have more profit."

"Do you intend to make another?"

"No; for I have not one ordered as yet."

"I cannot bespeak one, for I have no traffic with musical instruments: so, as I say, I do not order one; but if you do make another, I think it probable that I will buy it from you. I have a kind of idea as to where I should dispose of it."

"Knowing that, I shall begin a new one with fresh spirit, and it shall be even better than the last. Now I feel as if I could see this one go with a light heart, although it takes with it the whole year that I laboured at it."

"As I said before, I say again--not a word more, not a word less. With me all is accurate and clear. I do not give the order; but it is possible."

"That is quite enough for me, and makes me quite happy. Your Annele said, just now, something of the same kind that I said to Pilgrim only yesterday: 'I cannot tell you how it grieves me to send away a work in which my mother felt so much interest.'"

Annele looked down modestly.

"And I will take an interest in it," said the Landlady, "just like your mother." At these words the Doctor's wife and daughter looked at the Landlady in surprise. The Landlord knit his brows fiercely, and cast a glance of reproof at his wife; but the very pause that ensued, made the words of the Landlady more insidious. Franzl, however, came to the rescue, by pressing every one to eat and drink; and she was made quite happy by Annele saying, that she might well be proud of having the house so neat, that its lamented mistress was not missed in that respect.

Franzl dried her eyes with her newly washed ap.r.o.n.

The Landlady soon thought of an appropriate question, and said--"Lenz, has your uncle not been here yet? and is he not proud of your fine clock?"

"He was here, but the only remark he made was, that I had sold it far too cheap, and did not understand my own advantage."

Now nothing can answer better than to bring forward some absent person, and especially one so generally disliked as Petrowitsch. The point now was in what tone he was to be spoken of Annele and her mother had already sharpened their tongues, when they were forced to silence by a warning glance from the Landlord. The Doctor began to praise Petrowitsch, saying that he affected to be rough because he dreaded his own soft heart; and, turning to the Schoolmaster and Lenz, he said--"Petrowitsch is like those trees that were not transformed into coal at the Deluge, but yet have rich warm substance within: this is just Petrowitsch." The Schoolmaster smiled a.s.sentingly, Lenz looked puzzled, and the Landlord hemmed.

The Doctor's eldest daughter said--"Petrowitsch is fond of music, and whoever likes music must have a good heart." Lenz nodded approvingly, and Annele smiled sweetly. The Landlady could not stand this. She had turned the conversation on such a fruitful subject, that she could not permit others to s.n.a.t.c.h it from her; so she, too, praised Petrowitsch's cleverness, and hinted that she was his confidant on most points; whence it was pretty plainly to be seen that she was very clever herself, so thoroughly to understand such a superior person, for it was not every one that was capable of doing so. Annele, too, had a good word to say, and praised Petrowitsch for his neatness, and always wearing such fine linen, and making so many pleasant jokes; even Buble came in for a good morsel from this rich banquet of praise.

Annele described Petrowitsch as the most devoted friend of her family,--indeed, shortly they made him out to be a perfect saint, and only wanting a pair of wings to become an angel altogether. At last the visit came to an end; the Schoolmaster accompanied the Doctor; Lenz followed the Doctor as he went out, and said--

"Herr Doctor, I have a question to put to you, but you must not inquire why I ask it."

"What is it, pray?"

"I should like to know what kind of plant _Edelweiss_ is."

"Do you know it, Amanda?" said the Doctor.

Amanda, colouring, said, "It is an Alpine plant which grows in snowy regions; in fact it springs up under the snow; but I never saw it growing."

"I should think not, child," answered the Doctor, smiling; "bold Alpine hunters and shepherds alone venture to gather this strange plant on the spot where it grows, and it is considered a sign of a bold spirit to secure it. It is a singular, fine, and delicately formed plant, with very little sap, and therefore more easily preserved, like our native _Immortelle_; the flower is edged with white velvety leaves, and the stalk is also covered with white down. The first time you come to see me, Lenz, I can show you a specimen of the little plant; its Latin name is _Leontopodium Alpinum_, which is called in Germany Lowenfuss (Lionfoot). I don't know whence its German name is derived, unless I can find it in some book; but at all events it is a prettier one than the Latin denomination."

Lenz thanked the Doctor, who went away with his family.

When they were all fairly gone, the Landlady stayed in the kitchen with Franzl, and could not say enough in praise of the neatness and regularity, and orderly state in which everything there was kept. "But, indeed, you are now in the place of a mother in this house," said she, with one of her magpie cackles (as Pilgrim called the worthy woman's laugh); "you well deserve that Lenz should have a high opinion of you, and entrust you with all his keys and belongings, and have no secret hid from you."

"Indeed, he has none almost--only one."

"Really! is it possible? May I ask what it is?"

"I don't quite know myself: when he came home from the funeral, he was rummaging in the next room in a press, of which his mother always kept the key herself, and when I called out to him, he shut the door in my face; and after searching for some time, he locked up every thing again, and when he leaves the house he always tries the lock of the press, to see whether it is fast. He is not at all mistrustful naturally."

The Landlady inwardly chuckled and gave a little sharp laugh: "All right, no doubt the old woman has h.o.a.rded up a stocking full of gold; who knows how much? Come to see me," said the Landlady in a condescending manner. "I hope you will come whenever you like, and if you want to borrow anything, I shall never forgive you so long as I live, if you go to any other house but mine for it. Your brother often arrives at our door with his cart of shingles; can I give him any message from you?"

"Yes! I think he might sometimes come here to look after me."

"Rely upon my telling him so; and if he has not time I will send for you. Many Kunslingers come to us,--they are sensible people,--at least I like to talk to them best of all. If the Kunslingers were only rich, they would be famed far and near. They often speak of you, and are pleased when I tell them how highly you are respected here."

The Landlady drew breath; Franzl stood looking at her, and would gladly have lent her some of her own breath, but she had scarcely any left; she laid her hand on her heart, to show her agitation, for speak she could not: but what has happened all of a sudden in the kitchen? It seems as if merry Kunslinger faces were laughing from all the crockery, and the handsome shining copper kettle, and pans, had become trumpets, and playing loudly, and the funnels puffing and blowing, and the pretty white china coffeepot sticking its arm in its side, dancing like the Burgermeister's wife--Franzl's G.o.dmother. Heavens! it tumbles! but Franzl luckily caught the obstreporous coffeepot before it fell.

The Landlady rose, and concluded by saying, "Now, G.o.d be with you, Franzl! It does one good to have a chat with a good old friend once more. I am far more at my ease with you here, than in the other room with the Doctor, and his upsetting young ladies, who can do nothing but play the piano, and give themselves airs. Good bye, Franzl!"

The musical clock in the next room never played more or sweeter melodies, than at this moment sounded in Franzl's heart; she could have sung and danced from joy--she stared at the fire and laughed, and then she again looked out of the kitchen window after the Landlady. "What an admirable woman that is,--the most looked up to in the whole country, and yet she said herself, that I was her good old friend!"

When Franzl laid the cloth for dinner in the next room, she looked once more into the gla.s.s, like a girl just come home from a ball; she wished to see how Franzl looked--the Landlady's good old friend! She could not swallow a morsel of the comfortable dinner she had prepared; her appet.i.te was satisfied--more than satisfied--for she had swallowed the fat Landlady whole.

CHAPTER XII.

A GOOD ESCORT, AND THOUGHTS OF THE FUTURE.