The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Volume Ix Part 99

Father--

FORESTER.

And he--he--

ANDREW.

He--

FORESTER (_faintly_).

He--

ANDREW (_beside himself_).

Father, I cannot say it. No man in G.o.d's world has ever dared to do that to me!

FORESTER (_drawing a deep breath_).

Be quiet now. Say it later--Andrew.

[_Pause. He pa.s.ses by ANDREW, who now steps over to SOPHY._]

Fine weather today, pastor. All at once the old rheumatism in my arm begins to bother me again.--And the gnats are flying so low. We shall have a thunderstorm before the day is over.--Andrew, he did--I never did, and a stranger--a--say nothing, Andrew--I understand you.

[_Goes up and down._]

SOPHY (_to ANDREW_).

How unfortunate that you provoked G.o.dfrey yesterday!

WEILER.

Haven't I foretold it?

SOPHY.

You are deathly pale. I will give you some drops--

FORESTER (_drawn up to his full height, stops before_ ANDREW. SOPHY _timidly draws back_).

Listen, Andrew. And you, Weiler.

[WEILER _advances_.]

Open your ears! Whoever comes into my forest with a gun--you challenge him! You understand?

WEILER.

Well, yes.

FORESTER.

Those are your instructions. You challenge him! I am forester, and n.o.body else, and you are my servants. The master and his son may pa.s.s.

But whoever else comes into my forest with a gun--do you hear?--be he who he may--whether he wears a green coat or not--he is a poacher, he is to be challenged--"Stop! Down with your gun!" As is provided in the regulations. If he throws it down--all right. If he does not throw it down--fire! As is provided in the regulations. And you, William, go without delay to town to see lawyer Schirmer. You tell him the whole affair. He is to draw up a complaint against Stein and his G.o.dfrey, and is to file it with the court. Don't forget anything, William: that my father and grandfather held the position; that people call me the Hereditary Forester; the case of Rupert in Erdmansgrun. It probably will not be necessary, but one cannot be too careful. Don't forget that the forest is exposed toward the north and west and that Stein intends to dismiss me because I refuse to act as a scoundrel toward him. If you go now, you can be home before night. Andrew and I will accompany you as far as the Boundary Inn. There Andrew can wait for you in the evening when you return.

[_To_ ANDREW, _who is examining the guns_.]

Take the double-barreled one with the yellow strap, Andrew. I am going to take the other.

ANDREW (_does as told_).

Mother, a m.u.f.fler; I feel chilly.

SOPHY (_takes one from the closet_).

But you really should stay home, Andrew, after that outrage.

[_Helps him to tie the m.u.f.fler around his neck.]

WILKENS.

And you don't see that you are absolutely in the wrong? You will be wilfully blind?

PASTOR.

You wish to begin a suit because of your dismissal? You cannot do that.

FORESTER (_who in the meantime has girded on his hunting knife_).

I cannot do that? Then it is right that he wishes to dismiss me?

PASTOR.

It certainly is unfair; wrong before the tribunal of the heart, but not before the law.

FORESTER.

Whatever is right before the heart must also be right before the law.

PASTOR.

If you would permit me to explain to you--

FORESTER.

Explain? Here everything is clear, except your cobwebs of the brain by means of which those gentlemen would like to puzzle you, so that you might lose confidence in your own common-sense. Those Buts and those Ifs! I know all about that! The Buts and the Ifs--they originate entirely in the head; the heart knows nothing of them; they are the creators of intrigues. Very well, sir, go ahead with your explanation.

But confine yourself to plain Yes and No. Anything outside of that is a nuisance. The Buts and Ifs are a nuisance. Mr. Stein intends to rob me of my honor; he intends to reward my fidelity and my honesty with disgrace; in my sixty-fifth year I am to stand before the world as a scoundrel. Now, Sir, Yes or No--is that right?