The mouth of hell, p.18
THE MOUTH OF HELL, page 18
Christiane had already resolved what to do, and plucked up her courage.
“I shall ever be grateful to Monsieur Samuel Gelb,” she said, “for the medical services he has rendered us. But; without wishing to minimise the gratitude which We owe to him, I think, Julius, that we owe some as well to your father. Rightly or Wrongly your father is uneasy; why disobey and displease him? If Monsieur Samuel be really your friend, he will not induce a son to go against his father’s wishes. And, when all is said, your father is not the only one who’ mistrusts Monsieur Samuel. I am loyal and brave,” she added, looking at Samuel,” and I shall say openly what I think; This prejudice is shared by me. I believe that Monsieur Samuel Gelb’s sole reason in coming here, is to disturb our happiness and our love.”
“Christiane! “Julius exclaimed reproachfully, “Samuel is our guest!”
“Does he think so? does he say so?” questioned Christiane, looking at him with a proud, steady gaze.
Samuel smiled and turned it off with a compliment beneath which lurked a threat.
“Animation makes you more charming than ever, and I believe it is out of a spirit of pure coquetry that you always pretend to dislike me.”
“Forgive her, Samuel,” said Julius. “She is but a child. My dearest Christiane, it is not Samuel who foists himself upon us, but I who keep him here. It is to my interest not to be deprived of his pleasant, intellectual companionship.”
“Throughout one whole year you did not miss him. Has it come to this, that your wife and child no longer suffice for you.”
Julius, exchanging a look with Samuel, made Christiane sit down, placed himself on a footstool at her feet, and taking her hands between both his own:
“Now,” said he, “let us have a serious talk together. Believe me, Christiane dear, I love you as dearly as “ever. My greatest happiness is to love you, my crowning joy to be loved by you. You are the only woman I have ever loved, and — I say it before Samuel — the only woman I shall ever love. But, after all, be reasonable; in you, in the woman who loves me, there is also the mother, is there not? and you consecrate to your child a large portion of your heart and of your life. Well! similarly, the husband is not the whole man. God has given us not only a heart. He has endowed us with a mind. Side by side with our happiness, He has placed our duty; with the gratification of our desires, He has mingled the restlessness of our thoughts. Even in the interest of our love, Christiane, I want to be deserving of your esteem, I want to grow, I want to be something.
“I will not allow that life which belongs to you to become enervated through idleness. My ambition would have been to serve my country worthily, but up to the present I feel myself fitted for no calling but that of a soldier, and it certainly is not with the defeat of Germany that I should care to commence my career. At least at my country’s call, let me be found ready. Now, Samuel, whose nature is so entirely opposite to mine (since you have spoken ill of him in his presence, it is but fair that I should speak well of him to his face), Samuel is necessary to me to keep alive the power of my will. Remember that here we live alone, out of the world, in seclusion, in the past, forgotten by many, dead to almost all. I regret neither Heidelberg, nor Frankfort, not in the least! but when a little life comes our way, why should we thrust it from us?
“I may from one day to another have need of my will, let us therefore endeavour to strengthen it. Am I unreasonable in what I say? You and my father have conjured up false ideas with regard to Samuel. If my friendship for him did you any wrong, any injury, I would give him up without a moment’s hesitation. But what have you to say against him? My father disapproves of his ideas. I do not share Samuel’s ideas, but still I am not sufficiently his superior intellectually, to take exception at them. As to you, Christiane, what has Samuel ever done to you?”
“And, if he has insulted me?” said Christiane, unable to contain herself.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
TWO PROMISES.
JULIUS started to his feet, deadly pale.
“Do you mean to imply that you have been insulted, Christiane, and not told me of it? Am I not here to protect you? Samuel, what does she mean?”
And the look he darted at Samuel glittered like the flash of a sword.
“We must allow madame to explain,” Samuel quietly replied.
And his glance was cold as steel.
Christiane saw the two glances meet. To her it seemed that Samuel’s was a sword and pierced Julius’ breast.
She threw her arms round her husband’s neck, as if to protect him.
“Speak,” said Julius, curtly. “What has taken place?”
“Nothing,” said she, bursting into tears.
“But what did you mean? To what did you refer?”
“I referred to nothing in particular, Julius; I spoke from instinct alone.”
“He has done nothing to you? “Julius persisted.
“Nothing at all,” she replied.
“He has said nothing to you.”
Again she replied, “Nothing.”
“Then what did you mean?” rejoined Julius, heartily glad to be able to remain Samuel’s friend.
Samuel smiled.
Then there was a short silence, during which Christiane wiped away her tears; then she said:
‘‘Let us say no more about it. But just now you were complaining of the very secluded life we lead, and you are quite right. A man of your worth, Julius, is made to live among men. It is good that women should have only their affections. But, indeed, I will prove that I know how to love you! I do not wish to monopolise you! I do not wish to keep you away from those to whom you could be of service! We must not bury ourselves for ever in this castle; we can come back here whenever you like, whenever you feel the want of rest. Let us go to Berlin, Julius, or to Frankfort, where you will be able to exercise your high faculties, where you will win admiration as you have won affection.”
“My darling,” Julius said, kissing her tenderly, “what would my father say, who has given us this castle, if we did not seem to appreciate it?”
“Well!” she resumed, “without giving up the castle, we might go occasionally to Heidelberg. You have often told me what a gay, exciting life is, at times, that of a student. You regret it perhaps. We can easily have a little place in the town. You can renew your studies, see your companions of former days, enjoy your festivities, your large library.”
“Impossible, my dear Christiane. Can I lead the life of a student with a wife and child?”
“You refuse me everything, Julius,” said Christiane, with tears in her eyes.
Samuel, who had remained at a distance, now drew near.
“Julius is right, madame,” said he. “The reigning Viscount von Eberbach cannot possibly return to student life; and Landeck cannot come to Heidelberg. But would you like Heidelberg to come to Landeck?”
“What do you mean? “Julius asked.
“I mean that madame is more powerful than Mahomet, and that the mountain can come every step of the way towards her.”
“I do not understand you, sir,” said Christiane.
Samuel resumed gravely, almost solemnly:
“I hold to giving you proof that I am entirely yours to command. Just now, you desire two things; firstly, that Julius should occasionally be able to join in the gay, yet earnest life of the University. Well! within three days, the University will be transplanted to the vicinity of this castle.”
“Come! you are joking?” said Julius.
“Not at all! “Samuel answered, “you shall see. The other request you made Julius, madame, concerns me. The sight of me offends you, and you would be glad to keep me at a distance. Well! on this point too, your wish shall be gratified. Your own boudoir adjoins, if I mistake not, this study. May I ask you to accompany me thither for a moment?”
He opened the door. Christiane obediently passed into the next room. He followed.
“May I not come too?” asked Julius laughingly.
“Why! of course,” Samuel replied.
Julius joined Samuel and Christiane.
Samuel led Christiane up to a panel in the wall.
“You see this panel, madame? You see this bust of an emperor holding a globe in his right hand? It may happen that some day or other you will want to see me....”
Christiane shook her head incredulously.
“Egad! who knows? “Samuel rejoined. “Let us not say ‘no! ‘to any eventuality. However, should it ever happen that I can be of service to you in any way, this is what you will have to do in order to summon me. Just come to this panel, press your finger to the globe that this emperor holds. The globe communicates with a spring; the spring causes a bell to ring; the ring warns me. Whether I am far or near, madame, I shall come in answer to your call, within twenty-four hours if I am absent, at once if I am near at hand. But until then, mark well my words, until you yourself summon me, I give you my word of honour that you shall not see me again.”
For a moment Christiane remained stupefied, then turning to Julius she said:
“What do you think of that, Julius? Are you not surprised, to say the least, that Monsieur Samuel should know your house better than you do yourself, and be so much at home in it?”
Samuel answered:
“That is precisely the mystery that I was about to explain to Julius when’ you entered. Pardon my not speaking in your presence, but this has reference to a secret which does not belong to me, and which I can confide to no one but Julius. I hope that, except in this, I have given you every satisfaction.”
“Yes, sir,” said Christiane, “and although there is some contradiction between your words and your deeds, I leave you with the hope that I may trust in. your word.”
“You shall see whether I fail to keep it,” said Samuel. “Within three days, the University of Heidelberg, like the Forest of Macbeth, will have come to you. And you will not see me again until you press the spring.”
Samuel opened the door for her to pass out, bowing with perfect ease. This time she returned his bow with less repugnance, interested in spite of herself, in the promises of this strange man.
Samuel listened until her steps had died away, then he returned to Julius.
“Now,” said he, “let us repair to your study, where every precaution has been taken to ensure our not being overheard; we have more important matters to discuss.”
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE DOUBLE CASTLE.
SAMUEL bolted the doors, then returned to Julius.
“Now then!” said he, “I hope that you are not going to express surprise like your wife at the simplest things. I implore you not to be astonished. This is the place for the ‘nil admirari’ which we learnt at college.”
“Well and good! “Julius said, smiling. “Besides, with you, I am always prepared for surprises, and I expect nothing but the unexpected.”
“My dear Julius,” rejoined Samuel, “to begin with you must know that in your absence I have dabbled, as usual, a little in everything; a little in medicine, a little in architecture, a little in politics, a little in geology, a little in botany, etc. A little in medicine? You saw how I discovered that the illness of your child could be traced to his nurse. A little in architecture? you are going to have a specimen of my skill, and you will acknowledge that the architect is as clever as the doctor, unless you deem it more wonderful to preserve a child from death, than to resuscitate a dead period.”
“What do you mean? “Julius asked.
“Let me first show you a repetition of the secret in the next room,” said Samuel.
He went to a corner of the library. A lion carved in the wood-work gaped, with jaws wide open. Samuel placed his finger on the tongue of the lion, a panel slid back, revealing the wall. A button appeared. Samuel pressed it and the wall revolved, disclosing a passage large enough for a man to pass through.
“Now, follow me!” said Samuel to Tulius, who stood amazed. “You know but the half of your castle, lucky owner! I am going to show you the other half.”
“Are we to enter that way? “Julius asked.
“Of course. Pass in first, that I may restore the library to order, and close the door.”
Julius passed in and the door being closed, they found themselves in total darkness.
“I cannot see a bit,” Julius said, laughing. “What devilish witchcraft is this?”
“That’s good! you are slightly astonished, but not in the least alarmed. Give me your hand. Right. I will lead you. This way. Be careful, we are at the top of the staircase. Hold the cord firmly. A hundred and thirty-two steps to go down; it is quite easy; the staircase winds.”
They descended cautiously in the dark, inhaling the damp, cold moisture of depths to which air does not penetrate.
At the forty-fourth step, Samuel stopped:
“Here we come to the first iron door,” said he.
The door opened and closed, they continued to descend.
“After the next forty-four steps, Samuel stopped again.
“Another door!” said he.
At length, after descending the last forty-four steps and passing through the third door, the light suddenly burst on Julius’ sight.
“We have arrived,” said Samuel.
They were in a circular room, lighted by a lamp which hung from the ceiling. This room was about ten feet in diameter. No woodwork, nothing but stone. Under the lamp stood a black table with chairs placed round it.
“Let us sit down and talk,” said Samuel. “We have a quarter of an hour. They will not be here before two o’clock.”
“Who is to be here at two o’clock?” questioned Julius.
“You will see. I told you not to be surprised. Let us have a chat.”
Samuel sat down. Julius did likewise.
“You have now seen part of the subterranean region of your castle,” said Samuel, “we will go over the remainder presently, when the company has arrived. But what you have seen suffices to make you suspect that it is not wholly your father’s architect who has built this castle. I own to having collaborated with him to a certain extent.
“This poor devil of an architect by Royal appointment) was extremely puzzled over Gothic architecture. He used to come to the library at Heidelberg to hunt up old engravings. Picture to yourself a sloppy Greco-Roman fellow receiving a commission to build a robbers’ hold for Goetz von Berlichingen? He suggested plans that would have made Erwin von Steinbach and Phidias shudder, one as much as the other. Fortunately I happened to be there. I convinced him that I had found the plans of the original castle of Eberbach. Imagine his delight! He let me do as I liked, all the more willingly that I had my reasons for keeping out of sight, and allowed all the credit to rest with him. So, I amused myself with restoring in minutest detail the castle of some dead and gone Count Palatine. Do you consider that I have succeeded fairly well in resuscitating this Lazarus of stone? Fairly well, have I not?”
“Splendidly,” said Julius thoughtfully.
“The architect,” Samuel continued, “has only seen that portion of it which glitters above in the sunshine. He was not always there, God be thanked! the poor man having to superintend the building of some nice, square, white ashlar houses at Frankfort. And as for me, whilst I had the workmen under my orders, I made use of them without mentioning the fact to him. Under pretence of foundations and cellars, I had them to construct on my own account some staircases and masonry. ‘This was part of the original plan,’ said I. And my letters-patent architect suspected nothing. Thus whilst I was occupied building one castle, I built two, — one over, one under, and you see I was not boasting when I told you that I had done a little in architecture.”
“But what was your object?” said Julius.
“Ah! to dabble a little in politics.”
“How so? “Julius asked with some embarrassment.
Samuel answered gravely: “Julius, I cannot help noticing that you never speak to me about the Tugendbund! Have you then so entirely forgotten it? Are you no longer the Julius of former days, always responsive to the idea of freedom and fatherland, always chafing under the yoke of the foreigner, always ready to devote your life? It is, I know, customary for students, once their studies are over, to leave behind them at the University their youth, their aspirations, their generosity, their soul. We forget all that as we would an old pipe, thrown aside on a table at some festival of foxes. The man who scorned to bow to a Philistine becomes a Philistine himself, marries, multiplies, respects Royalty, bows to authority, and considers that he was very ridiculous and very childish to go and enquire into the welfare of mankind and the independence of his country. But I had thought we left these metamorphoses to the vulgar herd, and that there were still to be found choice spirits capable of persisting in a noble undertaking. Julius, are you still one of us or not?”
“For ever! “Julius cried with sparkling eyes. “But can I still hope to be admitted? Believe me, Samuel, if I have not mentioned the Tugendbund to you, it is not from indifference, but remorse. The very day of my marriage, there was a meeting of the Guild, and I did not attend. What, would you? My happiness made me neglect my duty. I have regretted this every day since. I feel that I was to blame, and am ashamed to think of it. If I have not spoken to you on the subject, it is not that I do not think of it; on the contrary, it is never out of my thoughts.”
“And supposing I gave you an opportunity, not only of reinstating yourself in the eyes of the Guild; but of raising yourself; not only of winning forgiveness, but of earning thanks.”
“Oh! how gladly would I seize such an opportunity!”
“Very well! “Samuel said. “Listen.”
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