CHAPTER III.
A NEIGHBOR SECURED.
Pranken came the next day, and when he met the widow of the Professor,summoned to his aid his most polished manner; she gave him tounderstand at once, that she regarded him as a son of the house. Shedid this with so much delicacy and such a charming tact, that Prankenwas extremely delighted.
When she thanked him for having been the means of obtaining such aposition for Eric, he declined receiving any thanks for what he haddone, as it was only a trifling amount toward the payment of his debtto the late Professor, to whom he owed all the culture he possessed.
He said this with a tone that entirely won the Widow's heart; she couldmake allowance for the exaggeration of politeness, but she felt therewas a basis of sincerity, inasmuch as no one, unless he were utterlyabandoned, could have come within the sphere of her husband's voice andeye, without receiving therefrom a good influence for life.
Pranken spoke of his brother-in-law and his sister, and how much Ericwas liked and loved at Wolfsgarten; and he conveyed in a happy turn,how much he expected the lady's presence would effect in composing andcalming the recently excited and disturbed state of his sister. Hehinted at this very guardedly, representing only how difficult a taskit is to live with an elderly man, even a very noble one, and how insome unexpected way the apparent harmony might be disturbed.
She understood more than Pranken imagined, and she was very glad tofind the young man disposed, in the retirement of country life, to adeeper consideration of the influence of one human being upon another.
Pranken could not refrain from disclosing something of his religioustransformation, but he did it as an act of special confidence. Therewas suddenly presented to him the vision of this lady near Manna, whowould lay open to her her whole soul, and would be assured that heacknowledged his inward change to the whole world; and it just occurredto him now, that the Superior had spoken in high praise of this lady inManna's presence. A smile came upon his lips, for he thought howexcellent a use could be made of her in diverting Manna from herchildish intention of taking the veil, although it was in every way tobe deplored that this lady was not a member of the same church.
He then invited the Professor's widow, by Sonnenkamp's request, todrive with them to the country-house which the Cabinetsraethin--hecorrected himself immediately and said the Cabinetsrath--thought ofpurchasing; she would certainly do her part towards securing such anagreeable neighbor for Herr Sonnenkamp. Her objection, that she washardly yet settled, was flatteringly set aside.
The carriage drove up.
The Cabinetsraethin and Sonnenkamp entered, and the mother must drivewith them to the villa now for sale. They were in extreme good humor onthe way, but involuntarily there came over Eric's mother the thoughtthat she was mixed up in some sort of intrigue, and that her simplicitywas made use of for some interested purpose. What it was, she waswholly ignorant. She felt serious anxiety, and this positivelyincreased when Sonnenkamp said, as they entered the house, that itbelonged to him, and he was glad to be able to pass it over to hisnoble neighbor.
What does this mean? Has a surprise been prepared for her? DoesSonnenkamp mean to give her the house?
She was soon aware of her mistake, for the Cabinetsraethin immediatelyproceeded to assign the rooms to herself, her husband, and herchildren. She had two sons in the army, and one invalid daughter; roomswere also designated for her grandchildren, and when she was lookingfor a choice spot for herself, Sonnenkamp promised to have the groundslaid out anew. She was amazed to find what capabilities the groundspossessed.
Sonnenkamp was extremely complaisant; it had been, indeed, hisdesire to reserve the country-seat as the payment for his patent ofnobility,--for the sum to be paid by the Cabinetsrath was merelynominal,--but he had been obliged to give way to Pranken'srepresentations that this was utterly impracticable, and that it wasmuch wiser to be on neighborly terms with so influential a man, as thusevery thing would come about much more naturally.
The Cabinetsraethin sat with the Professor's widow in the garden, andendeavored to impress upon her that she would surely be glad, throughher great influence, to aid the Sonnenkamp family in obtaining the rankwhich was their due; at first she went no farther, but it was her fixedplan that the widow should apply the main lever, and that neither shenor her husband should take a prominent part. Should the plan miscarry,they would remain concealed, and the learned widow, who was reputed assomewhat erratic, would be the only one committed.
Under high-sounding and lofty expressions of magnanimity anddisinterestedness, there was a hidden policy not easily unravelled.
When Pranken was alone with Sonnenkamp and the Cabinetsraethin,Sonnenkamp smiled, as one does who considers it a good joke to allowhimself for once to be circumvented. He listened in a very friendly waywhile Pranken was representing to him that the Cabinetsrath must be putin possession of the house at once, for if it were done later, eithershortly before or shortly after the consummation of their wishes, itwould give rise to scandalous remarks.
Sonnenkamp smilingly congratulated his young friend on being sowell-fitted for a diplomatic career; it was not denied by Pranken thathe should adopt that as his employment, rather than the life of alanded proprietor, provided it could be done with the consent of thosenearest to him, and of his fatherly friend, as he termed Sonnenkamp.
Pranken knew a very accommodating notary, who came that very evening.
The purchase was concluded, and the Cabinetsrath was the neighbor ofHerr Sonnenkamp.
As Sonnenkamp was taking a walk with Pranken in the mild evening, thelatter for the first time shrank from his expected father-in-law, whenhe said,--
"My dear young friend, you must certainly have had something to do withusurers before this. I know these tender-hearted brethren; they hangtogether like a secret priesthood. But I would say to you, that themost delectable insight into the so-called human soul would befurnished by a history of bribery. I am acquainted with the differentnations and races, I have tried it everywhere, and it has hardly everbeen unsuccessful."
Pranken looked strangely at the man. He had confidence in him; but thathe should speak so freely of the bribery of all nations disturbed himsomewhat, and it pained him greatly to think that he himself was to beson of such a man.
Sonnenkamp continued good-humoredly,
"You evidently entertain the old prejudice that bribery is a bad thing,just as a little while ago usury was regarded to be. It's nothing but amatter of business, and it's a stupid thing for the government torequire an oath from persons, that their transactions shall not beaffected by any receiving of money. As far as I am concerned, it maybe, and it usually is, with the judges, only a matter of form; when itcomes to that point, a rich man knows how to get off, provided hehasn't foolishly gone too far. It's very curious, that among othernations, among the Romans and the Sclaves, men took the offered money,and, under some form or other, gave an opportunity for competition inbidding; but among the simpering Germanic people, the women areemployed in this business. Of course! Among no people in the world areso many cows employed in agriculture as among the Germans, and in thisbusiness, too, they harness in the cows. Here the lady must be appliedto in extremely gallant style, and I must confess that I would muchrather deal with the women, for they keep their word; there's nothingmore common than to give a bribe, and to have the bribee fail to keephis promise, unless another is added just as large. My father----"
Pranken started. For the first time in his life, Sonnenkamp spoke ofhis father, but he went on quietly,--
"My father was a connoisseur in the art of bribery, and in Poland hisway was, to give a man a note for a hundred or a thousand dollars, asit might be, but he tore the note in two, kept one part himself andgave the other to the person bribed, surrendering his own half onlywhen he had gained his end. You do not think it is necessary to dividethus with the Cabinetsraethin?"
Pranken felt hurt to hear a lady of the nobil
ity pointed out andarraigned in this style. He gave Sonnenkamp the most conclusiveassurances, who said further,--
"All proceeds in a regular order, and what is designated by theold-fashioned word bribery, is a necessary consequence of an advancedcivilization. As soon as a people enters into complex relations,bribery is there, must be there, sometimes open, sometimes concealed;and I know this, that nothing has a greater variety of forms thanbribery."
As Pranken stood there in fixed amazement, Sonnenkamp, taking his arm,continued,--
"Young friend, it is the same thing whether I buy an agent or a votefor my election as member of Parliament or of Congress, or whether Ibuy an agent or a vote to make me a noble. In America we are more openabout it. Why should not this Cabinetsrath and his spouse make someprofit out of their position? Their position is their whole propertyand capital. I am glad--it's all in order. In Germany you are obligedto cloak matters over respectably. It's all the same. If you take upthe diplomatic career, as I hope you will, I shall be able to give youa good many lessons."
Pranken declared himself ready to learn a great deal, but inwardly hehad an inexpressible dread of this man, and this dread changed intocontempt. He proposed to himself, if he ever married Manna, to keepaway from this man as far as possible.
Sonnenkamp was so happy in finding a fresh confirmation of hisknowledge of men, that he endeavored to impart it to his own son.
The next morning, as they were leaving the breakfast-table, at whichthe Cabinetsraethin had been present, he took Roland with him into thepark, saying to him,--
"Look, these noble people! All a pure cheat! This Cabinetsrath and hisfamily, they are beggars, and I make them persons of property. Don'tlet it out, but you ought to know it. They are all a rabble; great andsmall, high and low, they are all waiting to have an offer for theirsouls as they call them. Every one in the world is to be had formoney."
He took delight in dwelling upon this at length; he had not theremotest conception what a deep commotion and revolution this wasexciting in the youth's soul.
Roland sat speechless, and Sonnenkamp turned over in his mindwhether he had acted properly, but soon quieted his doubts. Religion,virtue, all is an illusion. Some--this Herr Dournay is one of thatnumber--still believe in their illusions, and impose upon themselvesand upon the world. It is better, he quieted himself in conclusion,that Roland should know all to be a mere illusion.