Joseph in the Snow, and The Clockmaker Volume II Part 18

"That would be difficult," answered Lenz: "it would cost a large sum of money, and I should have to buy the ground. Do you see? Up there from the hazel hedge the meadow is my own, and I require no carriage road for my business. You know well, Annele dear, that I would do anything to please you, but I cannot do that."

Annele was silent and walked on. The mother, however, whispered to Lenz--"What's the good of discussing things? You ought to have said--'Oh yes, dear Annele! I will see about it'--or something of that kind, and afterwards you could have done just as you liked. She is a mere child, and that is the way to manage children. If you are shrewd, you can manage her perfectly; but you must not make too much of a thing, and snap up every word. Let the subject drop for a few days, and don't renew it immediately; don't promise rashly, if you are not sure about a thing: she will either think it over alone, or more probably forget it. She is but a child."

Lenz looked at her disapprovingly, and said, "Annele is no child; she is capable of discussing any subject, and she understands everything."

"Oh! you think so, of course," said the mother, shrugging her shoulders.

When they were half way across the meadow Annele exclaimed again: "Good heavens! I had no idea it was so far, or so steep! what a distance it is! it will be an age before we get there!"

"I can't make the distance shorter," said Lenz, in a displeased, dry tone.

Annele turned, and looked at him inquisitively.

He continued, stammering, "I am sure that, for all that, you will be rather glad that the distance is so far. Remember, that shows how large our meadow must be. I could keep three cows on it, if it were not so much trouble."

Annele smiled in a forced manner. At last they arrived at the house.

Annele panted for breath, and complained that she was sadly overheated.

"Welcome home, in G.o.d's name," said Lenz, seizing her hand as she crossed the threshold.

She looked at him kindly, and suddenly said, "You are really a kind soul, and take everything with good humour!"

Lenz was pleased, and what a happy woman Franzl was. First the mother gave her her hand, and then Annele did the same. And both praised up to the skies the kitchen, the parlour, and the whole house, as so clean and neatly arranged.

The mother stood with Franzl below, while Lenz took Annele all over the house, and showed her the seven beds, and their stock of bedding, and two large feather beds besides, which could make at least three more.

He opened trunks, and chests, in which stores of fine white linen were closely packed, and said, "Now Annele, what do you think of these? You are a little surprised, I should think? Can any one see a prettier sight?"

"Yes, it is all very orderly and nice. But I don't say anything of my sister Therese's stock of linen; for, of course, when there are often a hundred guests there at a time, come to drink the waters, a vast quant.i.ty of linen is required,--it forms part of their business. But you should really see the presses of Babet's mother-in-law; these would appear very scanty beside hers."

Lenz looked very much annoyed, and said, "Annele, don't say such things, even in jest."

"I am not jesting--I am quite in earnest. I am not in the least surprised, for I have seen both finer and better linen, and in far greater quant.i.ties too. Do show some sense: you surely can't expect me to be in ecstasies with what is just neat and tidy, and no more. I have seen a good deal more of the world than you, remember that."

"No doubt! It may be so," said Lenz, with trembling lips.

Annele stroked his face laughingly, and said, "My good Lenz, what need you care whether I am lost in admiration or not? Your mother made a good provision, a very fair one indeed, considering her position in life. No one can say otherwise. But, dear Lenz, I do not marry you for your property; I like you for your own sake,--that is the chief point."

This speech was both sweet and bitter, but the bitter seemed to Lenz to predominate, and he felt as if gall had touched his lips.

They returned to the sitting-room, where Franzl had prepared a plentiful repast. Annele said she had no appet.i.te; but when Lenz said, "That won't do at all, you must eat something the first time you come to my house," she at last consented to take a crust of bread.

Lenz was obliged to silence Franzl repeatedly, as she thought she could not sufficiently praise him. "You must have done something very good in the world, to get such a husband," said she to Annele.

"And he must have done the same," said the mother, looking at Annele.

Probably she meant maliciously to insinuate, that Lenz was fully as fortunate as her daughter.

"Come here, Annele, and sit down beside me," said Lenz; "you often said you would like to see how I put together a musical timepiece. I kept this one on purpose to show it to you the first time you came here. Now I will place it properly, and then it will play of itself. It is a beautiful melody of Spohr's. I can sing it to you, but it is far, far finer than I can show you by my singing."

He sung the air from "Faust," "Love is a tender flower." Then Annele sat down by him, and he began to place the different pegs skilfully, according to the music before him, taking them out of their case, just as printers do types, and placing them with quickness and dexterity.

Annele was full of admiration, and Lenz continued to work on gaily; but he begged her not to speak, for he was obliged to give his attention to the metronome which he had set going.

The mother knew that it would be hard work for Annele to sit quiet, and to look on silently. She therefore said, with a gracious smile, "Every one knows how clever you are, Lenz; but we must now go home, it is near our dinner hour, and we expect some strangers. It is quite enough that you began the work while we were here."

Annele rose, and Lenz ceased working.

Franzl kept watching Annele's hands, and also those of the Landlady, and when either placed them in their pockets she became agitated, and hid her hands quickly behind her back, to show that she would not accept any present. She must be persuaded by gentle force to take anything. "Now it is sure to come,--a gold chain, or a handsome ring, or perhaps a hundred new dollars. Who knows?--such people give handsomely."

But they gave neither handsomely nor shabbily--indeed, scarcely their hand in farewell; and Franzl went into the kitchen, and s.n.a.t.c.hing up one of her largest and most favourite old pipkins, she held it up in the air, and would gladly have hurled it at the heads of those saucy, ungrateful women, but she could not bear to destroy her old favourite.

"Did ever any one hear of such a thing?--not to bring her even an ap.r.o.n! Poor, poor Lenz! you have fallen into the hands of a fine shabby set! Heaven be praised that I had nothing to do with it! I should be very grieved to have any profit from such an affair,--every farthing would burn me!"

Lenz escorted his bride and his mother-in-law beyond the boundary of his meadow, and then returned home, after arranging that, if the next day was fine, they were to drive together to sister Babet's.

Lenz had a good deal to prepare, besides giving instructions to his workpeople.

His feelings were strange when he was once more alone, and two hours had scarcely elapsed when he wished to go down to see Annele. He felt anxious and nervous, he did not know why. Annele alone could, and would, drive away these nervous sensations. He stayed at home, however; and when, before going to rest, he again closed the chests that had remained open, he felt as if he were about to hear something, he knew not what. There lay the webs prepared by his mother, moistened by her lips, and spun by her fingers. Strange! but he almost seemed to feel as if a spirit were gliding by his side, and a mournful voice breathing out of the open chests.

Franzl, in the mean time, was in her room, sitting bolt upright in bed.

She was muttering all kinds of imprecations against Annele and her mother; but then prayed to G.o.d to let her recall her words, and to consider them unsaid, as every evil wish that was realised on Annele, affected Lenz also.

CHAPTER XX.

A FIRST DRIVE.

On the morning after, the long wished for day arrived. The sun shone down gladly on the earth below, and Lenz felt gladdened also. He immediately sent off his apprentice to Annele, to beg her to be ready, for he would be with her in the course of an hour. And within that time, dressed in his best attire, he was on his way to the "Lion."

Annele, however, was not yet dressed, though at his earnest and repeated entreaty, she gave him one hand through the door of her room.

She would not let him see her, but handed him out red ribbons and c.o.c.kades, to give to the servant to put on the harness and the whip. At last--at last she appeared, so smartly dressed!

"Is the carriage ready?" was her first word.

"No."

"Why did you not see that it was ready? Tell Gregor to put on his postilion's livery, and take his horn with him."

"Oh, no! don't! Why should he do that?"

"We are to show ourselves to everybody, we have no leave to ask of any one, and every one must look round as we pa.s.s."

At last they got in. When they pa.s.sed the Doctor's house, Annele said to Gregor: "Blow now! blow loud! The Doctor's daughters are sure to look out, and they shall see that we are driving out together. I declare! not a living creature to be seen, and the window in the corner room shut. They are there sure enough, however. They are bursting with rage inside there, and they must take some notice of us, in spite of themselves, for I know that the old grandmother is quite sure to ask, 'Who is blowing that horn?' I should like to be behind the door to hear them all discussing us."

"Annele, you are in a strange mood to-day!"

"Why not? I think you so goodlooking today. People are right in saying that you have such honest bright eyes. I really did not know till today that you were so goodlooking."

Lenz's face beamed with delight, which made him look still handsomer.