CHAPTER II
One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest. It was Marie'sbirthday. From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely herown. On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as shehad been wont to do when he had taught her to walk. She always lookedforward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts ofplans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.
And who came to congratulate her on her birthday? First of all, thesolitary sparrow, whose name was David--surely because he, too, was atireless singer! Already at early dawn, when the first faint rosy huesof morning glimmered through the jalousie, he would fly to the head ofher bed. Then the cats would come with their gratulations, but not untiltheir little mistress had leaped from the bed, run to the window, flungopen the sash, and called, "Puss, puss!" Then the whole four wouldscamper into the room, one after the other, and wish her many happyreturns of the day.
When the pugs had gone through their part of the program, the littlemaid proceeded to attire herself, a task she performed behind a tallfolding screen. When she stepped forth again, she had on a gorgeousChinese-silk wrapper, covered all over with gay-colored palms, andconfined only at the waist with a heavy silk cord. Her hair was twistedinto a single knot on the crown of her head.
Then she prepared breakfast for herself and her guests. The eight ofthem drank cold milk, and ate of the dainty little cakes which some oneplaced on her table every night while she slept. To-day Marie did notamuse herself with her guests, but turned over the leaves of herpicture-book, thus passing the time until she should hear, after thebell had rung twice, the tap at her door.
"Come in!"
The man who entered was surprised.
"What? We are not yet ready for the drive?" he exclaimed.
The maid threw her book aside, ran toward him, and flung her arms withchildish abandon around his neck.
"We are not going to drive to-day. Dost thou not know that this is mybirthday--that I alone give orders in this house to-day? To-dayeverything must be done as _I_ say; and _I_ say that we will pass thetime of the drive here in my room, and that thou shalt answer severalsilly questions which have come into my head. And forget not that we areto 'thou' each other to-day. And now, congratulate me nicely. Come, letus hear it!"
The count almost imperceptibly bent his knee and his head, but spoke notone word. There are gratulations which are expressed in this manner.
"Very good! Then I am a queen for to-day, and thou art my sole subject.Sit thou here at my feet on this taboret."
The man obeyed. Marie seated herself on the ottoman, and drew her feetunderneath the wide skirt of her robe.
"Put that book away!" she commanded, when Ludwig stooped to lift fromthe floor the volume she had cast there. "I know every one of the fourvolumes by heart! Why dost not thou give me one of the books thoureadest so often?"
"Because they are medical works."
"And why dost thou read such books?"
"In order that, should any one in the castle become ill, I may be ableto cure him or her without a doctor."
"And must the person die who is ill and cannot be cured?"
"That is generally the end of a fatal illness."
"Does it hurt to die?"
"That I am unable to tell, as I have never tried it."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the maid. "Thou canst not put me off that way!Thou knowest many things thou hast not yet tried. Thou hast read aboutthem; thou knowest! What is death like? Is it more unpleasant than adisagreeable dream? Is the pain all over when one has died, or is theremore to come afterward? If death is painful, why must we die? If it ispleasant, why must we live?"
Children ask such strange questions!
"Life is a gift from God that must be preserved as long as possible,"returned Ludwig, evading the main question. "Through us the worldexists--"
"What is the world?" interrupted Marie.
"The entire human race and their habitations--the earth."
"Then every person owns a plot of earth? Where is the plot which belongsto us? Answer me that!"
"By the way, that reminds me!" exclaimed Ludwig, relieved to find anopportunity to change the subject. "I have not yet told thee that Iintend to buy a lovely plot of ground on the shore of the lake, which isto be made into a pretty flower-garden for thy use alone. Will not thatbe pleasant?"
"Thou art very kind; the garden will be lovely. That plot of ground,then, will be our home, will it not? What is one's home called?"
"It is called the fatherland."
"Then every country is not one's fatherland?"
"If our enemies live there, it is not."
"What are enemies?"
"Persons with whom we are angry."
"What is angry? I have never yet seen anything like it. Why art thounever angry?"
"Because I have no reason to be angry with thee, and I never associatewith any one else."
"What do those persons do who become angry with one another?"
"They avoid each other. If they are very angry they fight; and if theyare very, very angry they kill each other."
The maid was tortured with curiosity to-day. She drew a pin from herrobe, and secretly thrust the point into Ludwig's hand.
"What art thou doing?" he asked, in surprise.
"I want to see what thou art like when thou art angry. Did it hurtthee?"
"Certainly it hurt me; see, the blood is flowing."
"Ah, heaven!" cried the maid, in terror, drew the young man's headtoward her, and pressed a kiss on his face.
He sprang to his feet, his face pale as death, extreme horror depictedin his glance.
"There!" exclaimed the maid. "Thou dost not kill me, and yet I have madethee very angry."
"This is not anger," sighed the young man.
"What is it, then?"
"It has no name."
"Then I may not kiss thee? Thou lettest me kiss thee last year, and theyear before, and every other year."
"But thou art fifteen years old to-day."
"Ah! Then what was allowed last year, and always before that, is notallowed now. Dost not thou love me any more?"
"All my thoughts are filled with thee."
"Thou knowest that I have always been allowed to make one wish on mybirthday, and that it has always been granted. That is what some oneaccustomed me to--thou knowest very well who."
"Thy desires have always been fulfilled."
"Yes; and children understand how to desire what is impossible. Butgrown persons are clever enough to know how to impose on the children.Three years ago I asked thee to bring me some one with whom I couldtalk--some one who would be company for me. Thou broughtest me cats anddogs and a bird! Two years ago I wished I might learn how to makepictures; and I was given paper patterns to color with water-colors. Oneyear ago to-day I wished I might learn how to make music; and ahand-organ was bought for me. Oh, yes; my wishes have always beenfulfilled, but always in a way that cheated me. Children are alwaystreated so. To-day thou sayest that I am fifteen years old, and that Iam not any more to be treated as a child. Mark that! To-day, asheretofore, I ask something of thee which thou canst give me--and thoucanst not cheat me, either!"
"Whatever it may be, thou shalt have it, Marie."
"Thy hand on it! Now, thou knowest that I asked thee not long ago tosend to Paris for a 'Melusine costume' for me!"
"And has it not already arrived? I myself delivered the box into thyhands."
"Knowest thou what a Melusine costume is? See, this is it."
With these words she sprang from her seat, untied the cord about herwaist, flung off the silken wrapper, and stood in front of thespeechless young man in one of those costumes worn by Paris dames at thesea-shore when they disport themselves amid the waves of the ocean. TheMelusine costume was a bathing-dress.
"To-day, Ludwig, I ask that thou wilt teach me how to swim. The lake isjust out yonder below the garden."
The maid, in her pale-blue bathing-dress, lo
oked like one of thosefairy-like creatures in Shakspere's "Midsummer Night's Dream," innocentand alluring, child and siren.
Disconcerted and embarrassed, Ludwig raised his hand.
"Art thou going to strike me?" inquired the child, half crying, halflaughing.
"Pray put on the wrapper again!" said Ludwig, taking the garment fromthe sofa and with it veiling the model for a Naiad. "What sort of acaprice is this?"
"I have had the thought in my head for a long, long time, and I beg thatthou wilt grant my request. Thou canst not say that thou canst not swim;for once, when we were traveling in great haste, I know not why, we cameto a river, and found that the boat was on the farther shore. Thouswammest across, and broughtest back the boat in which the four of usthen crossed to the other side. Already then the desire to swim arose inme. What a delicious sensation to swim through the water--to make wingsof one's arms and fly like a bird! Since we live in this castle the wishhas become stronger. Night after night I dream that I am cleavingthrough the waves. I never see God's sky when I go out, because I haveto cover my face. It is just like looking at creation through a grating!I should love dearly to sing and shout for joy; but I dare not, for I amafraid the trees, the walls, the people, might hear me and betray me.But out yonder I could float on the green waves, where I should meet noone, where no one would see me. I could look up at the shining sky, andabout in chorus with the fish-hawks, surrounded by the darting fishes,that would tell no one what they had seen or heard. That would besupreme happiness for me; wilt not thou help me to secure it?"
The child's wish was so true, so earnest, and Ludwig himself hadexperienced the proud delights of which she had spoken. Perhaps, too, hehad related to Marie the story of Clelia and her companions, who swamthe Tiber to preserve the Roman maidens' reputation for virtue.
"Whatever gives pleasure to thee pleases me," he said, extending hishand to take hers.
"And thou wilt grant my wish? Oh, how kind, how dear thou art!" And invain the young man sought to withdraw the hand she covered with kisses."What!" she exclaimed reproachfully, "may I not kiss thy hand either?"
"How canst thou behave so, Marie? Thou art fifteen years old! A grown-upgirl does not kiss a man's hand."
He passed his hand across his brow and sighed heavily; then he rose tohis feet.
"Where art thou going? Knowest thou not that to-day thou dost not belongto thy horrid books nor to thy telescope, but that thou art my subject?"
"I go to execute the commands of my little queen. If she desires tolearn to swim, I must have a bath-house built on the shore, and lookabout for a suitable spot in the little cove."
"When I have learned to swim all by myself, may not I go beyond thelittle cove--away out into the open lake?"
"Yes, on two conditions. One is that I may follow in my canoe--"
"But not keep very near to me?"
"Of course not. The second condition is that in daylight thou wilt notswim beyond those willows which conceal the cove. Only on moonlightevenings mayest thou venture into the open lake."
"But why may not I venture by daylight?"
"Because a telescope does not enable one to distinguish features afternight. Other people may have a telescope, like myself."
"Who would have one in this village?"
"The manor has a new occupant. A lady has taken possession there."
"A lady? Is she pretty?"
"She is young."
"Didst thou see her through the telescope? What kind of hair has shegot?"
"Blonde."
"Then she must be very pretty. May I take a look at her some time?"
"I am afraid thou mightest fall in love with her; for she is verybeautiful, and very good."
"How dost thou know she is good?"
"Because she visits the sick and the poor, and because she goesregularly to church."
"Why do we never go to church?"
"Because we profess a different belief from that acknowledged by thosepersons who attend this church."
"Do they pray to a different God from ours?"
"No; they pray to the same God."
"Then why should n't we all go to the same church?"
Unable longer to control himself, Ludwig took the shrewd littlechild-head between his hands, and said tenderly:
"My darling! my little queen! not all the synods of the four quarters ofthe globe could answer thy questions--let alone this poor forgottensoldier!"
"There! thou always pretendest to be stupid when I want to borrow alittle bit of thy wisdom. Thou art like the rich man who tells thebeggar that he has no money. By the way, I must not forget that Ialways send money to the poor children on my birthday. Come, tell mewhich of the heaps I shall send to-day--these small coins, or theselarge ones? If thou thinkest I ought to send these little yellow ones, Ihave no objections. I think I prefer to keep the white coins, they havesuch a musical sound; besides, they have the image of the Virgin. Ifthou thinkest I ought to send some of the large red ones, too, I will doso."
The "little yellow ones" were gold sovereigns; the "white coins" weresilver _Zwanziger_; and the "large red ones" were copper medals of theAustrian minister of finance, worth half a guilder.
"We will send some of the small coins and some of the large ones,"decided Ludwig, smiling at the little maid's ignorance of the value ofthe money.