Читать книгу Ivar: or, The Skjuts-Boy - Emilie Flygare-Carlén - Страница 14
ОглавлениеSOMETHING ABOUT THE CAUSE OF THIS JOURNEY.
"Well, there is papa again," said Amelia. "Let us see what news he brings from the deck."
That was, as we already know, not very consoling, and the pretty eyes assumed a decided peevish expression when she was informed that the hopes of a visit to the saloon had vanished, which at the same time deprived the ladies of the prospect of a more comfortable existence.
The lieutenant-colonel was ill-humoured, and sat down on the sofa grumbling again.
"Is it not shocking that we are obliged to sit here in this miserable close room, during such a beautiful afternoon?" said Amelia. "As often as we pass through a lock, it seems as though we were in a dark prison; and I shall become sick indeed, if I cannot walk on deck, and enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful scenery."
"Towards evening," replied her father, "when the sun does not shine so hot, the more aristocratic portion of the passengers will walk on deck. Up to that time, it would be scarcely decent for my lady-wife and my daughter to appear above."
"But, dear father, we are not so very aristocratic, and if those who are so in reality knew how tight it was with us at home, they would not wonder that we do not appear quite equal in rank to those who are the reverse."
"Do not trouble yourself about things you do not understand," replied the lieutenant-colonel, sharply. "I have often told you before, that it is not otherwise in the world, than that a person is considered to be what he appears; and, although we are not so very rich, I shall, nevertheless, think so much of the honour of my name and rank, that I shall never suffer you to conduct yourself as a peasant girl who does not understand good manners."
"Ay! papa, you need not fear that I will not conduct myself properly. At Aunt Sederfeld's and Uncle Udter's, they carry on their affairs in a very aristocratic manner, and you have, yourself, told me that I conducted myself well."
"Yes, Aunt Sederfield's and Uncle Udter's—Yes, I believe so. They know there who we are. Aside from that, the society that is met there is not very numerous or select, in comparison to that which one meets at a bathing-place. At a strange place, and among strangers, people should know how to make something of themselves. One ought not to forget who he is, and conduct himself accordingly."
"But it is certainly hard," replied Amelia, with a smile which was not altogether free from bitterness, "for one who, only for the sake of appearing aristocratic, has to submit to the pain of sweating all day on the steamboat, as though he were in a steam-bath."
"In this world, my child, one has often to submit to many inconveniences," replied the lieutenant-colonel, in the tone of a man who is accustomed to make his experience in life, and wisdom, weigh down the objections of others, and who wishes to show, at the same time, that the world, rank, and name are worth more to him than anything else, and such was also the case with the lieutenant-colonel.
After this gentleman of honour had spent the most part of his life in seeking after advancement and titles, he had, nevertheless, been forced at length to retreat from the great scene of his action, with the commission of lieutenant-colonel, and the patent of chamberlain in his pocket, and retire into the country. But there was something else connected with the subject, and that was, he was obliged to live as retired as possible, for his materiel was not great. But as commissions of discharge cannot be eaten, the lieutenant-colonel was obliged to cultivate his little estate himself, that he might earn bread for himself and family. And as he had bestowed upon these long-sought-for titles so much time and trouble, he thought that he must transfer them to his domestic affairs; and he was especially occupied with the question, how he could marry his daughter happily, that is to say, according to the rank of her husband.
For the purpose of fostering these plans, and principally that Amelia might improve in the customs of the nobility—which she could not possibly learn in any other path than in the higher circles—the lieutenant-colonel had already made, for several summers, journeys to friends and relatives, on whose estates, aside from obtaining a living gratuitously, one had also the opportunity of becoming acquainted with many people of rank and fortune. At all these places the lieutenant-colonel was usually a welcome guest, for toward people who ranked above him, Mr. de Dressen was politeness itself, the most genteel and entertaining companion in the world, and a man of as fine a tone as could be found anywhere. Even toward his wife and daughter his conduct was so exquisitely polite, that it would be impossible to find it in a higher degree. Nay! it even was so great, that it excited the utmost astonishment, and not rarely envy in ladies who enjoyed a much less degree of attention from their husbands.
The Lieutenant-colonel de Dressen's wife was a lady of such fine education, and so much dignity in her conduct, that she enjoyed in this respect her husband's full satisfaction, who did not hesitate, as opportunities were offered, to make a display with her. But in her whole conduct was a reservedness, a kind of assumed gentleness, which indicated that she was accustomed to suppress her feelings and thoughts, although a natural plainness of manner was extended, like a fine veil, over all her actions, by which those signs of character appeared less prominent. In short, Madame de Dressen was considered, wherever she appeared, as an agreeable, lovely lady, although, as stated before, her conduct was not altogether free from dissimulation; but the world always judges from appearances, although not often without good reasons.
Madame de Dressen had a heart which had beaten, in former times, as well as any one; but during her long season of marriage it had accustomed itself to reservedness, until it had finally frozen, within the never perfectly-melting ice of her cold domestic life.
In the commencement of the summer of 1833, the Lieutenant-colonel de Dressen had seen fit to borrow a sum of money upon his small estate in Tunefors, in Sudermanland. As the father of a daughter, nineteen years of age, he considered it his duty to take further and more decisive steps than he had hitherto done. At Tunefors there could be no expectation of guests; for means were lacking to keep an open table so as to entertain strangers in an appropriate manner. There, neighbours were common, low people, with whom a family connexion could not be entertained. Aside from that, the short journey, which had been commenced earlier than usual this time, had not met with the slightest success. Everything coincided to spur on the lieutenant-colonel to a decided resolution, and after considerable reflection, his choice finally fell on a bathing-place.
"Dear wife," said he one day, "your health has not been very good for some time past. It strikes me that you should make use of mineral waters. I have consulted with my physician, and obtained the necessary money. We must travel."
Highly surprised at the great politeness of her husband—for they were alone—and the tone in which he spoke left no doubt but that he was in earnest, she remained almost petrified. It is true that she had suffered a lingering sickness, several years before, which had rendered her cheeks pale, and gnawed at her heart-strings; but now her health was entirely restored, and she could not understand why he wished her to use the water at so late a season.
"Dear husband," replied she, "you know that I am now, God be praised, healthy as a fish in the water, and do not require, at all, that for my sake you should incur a heavy expense."
"No, dear Sophia, you have never become perfectly well since that severe sickness," replied the lieutenant-colonel, exasperated, "and if one neglects an old evil it is very probable it will return again. Make your calculations, therefore, how much money you require to prepare your and Amelia's wardrobe, in such a manner as our rank requires."
"If the journey must be made at all hazards," replied Madame de Dressen, submissively, for she was accustomed to give way before all his whims, "we do not need, at least, much expense for dresses. I think we might live in a retired manner, and keep away from all expensive amusements."
"But the hangman take you, for your stupidity, that is what we must, and will do," shouted the lieutenant-colonel, violently; "are you so totally dumb, that you do not wish to understand that people belonging to the higher circles are obliged to treat their domestic affairs with a certain degree of elegance? There are things which of themselves are very plain and natural, but notwithstanding cannot always be called by their right names, or else the affair would appear in an equivocal light? As soon as circumstances of this kind occur, an appropriate and plausible pretext must be found. Do you understand me now?"
Madame de Dressen's countenance became overspread with a deep flush, and she replied, with a painful feeling of shame—
"I understand, but I hope that Amelia's ear will be spared from hearing what you intend for her."
"How can you entertain such foolish ideas, dear Sophia? Am I such a stupid fellow, that you imagine that I should make my child acquainted with my God-forsaken and critical position; for the rest, I would have believed it should have become my wife to pay due regard to her husband's confidence, even if that which I communicated to her did not coincide with her own wishes."
Madame de Dressen did not reply to this, but sat down to the table, took out paper and pencil, and began to calculate, so that she had concluded in a short time, and was able to present to her husband, a statement which, although made out with the utmost economy, did, nevertheless, amount to no inconsiderable sum.
"Well, that is orderly; that is the way I like it," said the lieutenant-colonel. "Married people must understand each other without much chatter and circumflexions, and you see now, that according to this method everything is arranged much better and far easier. Let me see what you have on your paper. What the devil do you mean? Are you mad? Three hundred and twenty-five rix-dollars! May the hangman take me, I have only seven hundred dollars for the whole journey myself. No, if such is the case, we cannot think of the journey."
"But for an enlargement of our wardrobe altogether, this sum is not too large, indeed," said Madame de Dressen, assuringly. "But let me see what you are about, we must endeavour to refit the old garments as well as we can."
"You shall have two hundred dollars,"—with these words he laid the money upon the table, recommending her to counsel her eyes and her reason concerning the outlay of the money, and especially to consult Amelia's opinion in the choice of the dresses.
Eight days after this consultation a tearing, a sewing, and dyeing of clothes, took place from morning until night, and at all these important affairs of state Amelia's trusty friend, the daughter of a neighbouring pastor, of whom we shall speak more hereafter, assisted both by her counsel and her hands. We have further to chronicle how Madame de Dressen, inspired with a certain pardonable vanity, managed to save so much by the closest economy in butter, milk, and eggs, that she was able to buy a new cloak for Amelia. Knowing which, the lieutenant-colonel praised in earnest the domestic talents of his wife; he, of course, had not fared the worse by it. Madame de Dressen blushed deeply at his praise, and, as she had done for a long time before, contented herself with the servant's fare, namely, mush, a herring, or a bowl of milk, of which simple food Amelia also partook.
In this manner the family had fortunately arrived on board of the Thor, for the purpose of sailing to Wenersburg, where they intended to hire a conveyance for their further journey, under the appropriate pretext, that one is always exposed to many inconveniences on the steamer, when he travels in his own conveyance. Whither that journey was tending, and how long it was to last, was not yet determined upon. The choice was equally balanced between Gustavsborg and Stroemstad. They were previously to inform themselves on this point, as to which was the most frequented, and at the same time the cheapest.
