Men are not always what they seem.--LESSING.
Our tale is no creation of fancy; it is the reality in which we live; bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. Our own time and the men of our own age we shall see. But not alone will we occupy ourselves with every-day life, with the moss1 on the surface; the whole tree, from the roots to the fragrant2 leaves, will we observe. The heavy earth shall press the roots, the moss and bark of every-day life adhere to the stern, the strong boughs3 with flowers and leaves spread themselves out, whilst the sun of poetry shall shine among them, and show the colors, odor, and singing-birds. But the tree of reality cannot shoot up so soon as that of fancy, like the enchantment4 in Tieck's "Elves." We must seek our type in nature. Often may there be an appearance of cessation; but that is not the case. It is even so with our story; whilst our characters, by mutual5 discourse6, make themselves worthy7 of contemplation, there arises, as with the individual branches of the tree, an unseen connection. The branch which shoots high up in the air, as though it would separate itself from the mother-stem, only presses forward to form the crown, to lend uniformity to the whole tree. The lines which diverge8 from the general centre are precisely9 those which produce the harmony.
We shall, therefore, soon see, though these scenes out of every-day life are no digression from the principal events, nothing episodical which one may pass over. In order still sooner to arrive at a clear perception of this assertion, we will yet tarry a few moments in the house of Mr. Berger, the merchant; but in the mean time we have advanced three weeks. Wilhelm and Otto had happily passed their examen philosophicum. The latter had paid several visits, and was already regarded as an old friend of the family. The lover already addressed him with his droll10 "Good day, Mr. Petersen;" and Grethe was witty11 about his melancholy12 glance, which he was not always able to conquer. She called it "making faces," and besought13 him to appear so on the day of her funeral.
The object of the five sisters' first Platonic14 love had been their brother. They had overwhelmed him with caresses15 and tenderness, had admired and worshipped him. "The dear little man!" they called him; they had no other. But Hans Peter was so impolite and teasing toward the dear sisters, that they were found to resign him so soon as one of them had a lover. Upon this lover they all clung. Each one seemed to have a piece of him. He was Grethe's bridegroom, would be their brother-in-law. They might address him with the confidential16 thou, and even give him a little kiss.
Otto's appearance in the family caused these rays to change their direction. Otto was handsome, and possessed17 of fortune; either of which often suffices to bow a female heart. Beauty bribes18 the thoughtless; riches, the prudent19.
Maren, or as she was here called, Maja, had arrived. The young ladies had already pulled off some of her bows, arranged her hair differently, and made one of her silk handkerchiefs into an apron20; but, spite of all this finesse21, she still remained the lady from Lemvig. They could remove no bows from her pronunciation. She had been the first at home; here she could not take that rank. This evening she was to see in the theatre, for the first time, the ballet of the "Somnambule."
"Yes, the scene in the second act, where she steps out of the window," said the merchant; "that is very instructive for youth!"
"But the last act is sweet!" cried the lady. "The second act is certainly, as Hans Peter very justly observed, somewhat French. Good heavens! he gets quite red, the sweet lad!" She extended her hand to him, and nodded, smiling, whereupon Hans Peter spoke23 very prettily24 about the immorality25 on the stage. The father also made some striking observation.
"Yes," said the lady, "were all husbands like thee, and all young men like Hans Peter, they would speak in another tone on the stage, and dress in another manner. In dancing it is abominable26; the dresses are so short and indecent, just as though they had nothing on! Yet, after all, we must say that the 'Somnambule' is beautiful. And, really, it is quite innocent!"
They now entered still deeper into the moral: the conversation lasted till coffee came.
Maren's heart beat even quicker, partly in expectation of the play, through hearing of the corruptions27 of this Copenhagen Sodom. She heard Otto defend this French piece; heard him speak of affectation. Was he then corrupted28? How gladly would she have heard him discourse upon propriety29, as Hans Peter had done. "Poor Otto!" thought she; "this is having no relations, but being forced to struggle on in the world alone."
The merchant now rose. He could not go to the theatre. First, he had business to attend to; and then he must go to his club, where he had yesterday changed his hat.
"Nay30, then, it has happened to thee as to Hans Peter!" said the lady. "Yesterday, in the lecture-room, he also got a strange hat. But, there, thou hast his hat!" she suddenly exclaimed, as her eye fell upon the hat which her husband held in his hand. "That is Hans Peter's hat! Now, we shall certainly find that he has thine! You have exchanged them here at home. You do not know each other's hats, and therefore you fancy this occurred from home."
One of the sisters now brought the hat which Hans Peter had got in mistake. Yes, it was certainly the father's. Thus an exchange in the house, a little intermezzo, which naturally, from its insignificance31, was momentarily forgotten by all except the parties concerned, for to them it was an important moment in their lives; and to us also, as we shall see, an event of importance, which has occasioned us to linger thus long in this circle. In an adjoining room will we, unseen spirits, watch the father and son. They are alone; the family is already in the theatre. We may, indeed, watch them--they are true moralists. It is only a moral drawn32 from a hat.
But the father's eyes rolled, his cheeks glowed, his words were sword-strokes, and must make an impression on any disposition33 as gentle as his son's; but the son stood quiet, with a firm look and with a smile on his lips, such as the moral bestows34. "You were in the adjoining room!" said he. "Where it is proper for you to be there may I also come."
"Boy!" cried the father, and named the place, but we know it not; neither know we its inhabitants. Victor Hugo includes them in his "Children's Prayer," in his beautiful poem, "La Priere pour Tous." The child prays for all, even "for those who sell the sweet name of love."
[Note: "Prie! ...
Pour les femmes echevelees
Qui vendent le doux nom d'amour!"]
"Let us be silent with each other!" said the son. "I am acquainted with many histories. I know another of the pretty Eva!"--
"Eva!" repeated the father.
We will hear no more! It is not proper to listen. We see the father and son extend their hands. It appeared a scene of reconciliation35. They parted: the father goes to his business, and Hans Peter to the theatre, to anger himself over the immorality in the second act of the "Somnambule."
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1
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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8
diverge
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| v.分叉，分歧，离题，使...岔开，使转向 | |
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9
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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10
droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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13
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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14
platonic
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| adj.精神的；柏拉图（哲学）的 | |
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15
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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16
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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bribes
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| n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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22
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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23
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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24
prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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immorality
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| n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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corruptions
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| n.堕落( corruption的名词复数 )；腐化；腐败；贿赂 | |
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corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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29
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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30
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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31
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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32
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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33
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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34
bestows
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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35
reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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