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In the midst of these little occurrences the Assessor came in. He looked
with an inquisitive glance round the room, showed his white teeth, and
said to himself, "Yes, it's all right; it is what I expected. So,
indeed," added he aloud, in his angry manner, whilst he cordially shook
the hand of his friend, "I see you thought you had not children enough
of your own in the house, but you must drag in those of other people!
How many do you mean to burden yourselves with? Will there not be
another to-morrow? Were you not satisfied with a whole half-dozen girls
of your own? And what will become of them? One shall presently not be
able to get into the house for children! I suppose that you have such a
superfluity of money and property, that you must go and squander it on
others! Nay! good luck to you!--good luck to you!"

The Judge and his wife replied only by smiles to the grumbling of their
friend, and by the request that he would spend the evening with them.
But he said he had not time; and then, after he had laid large pears,
which he took from his pocket, under the napkins on the children's
plates, he went out.

Every one of those pears had its own distinctive sign: round Sara's was
a gold-coloured ribbon; and upon her plate, under the pear, was found a
bank-note of considerable value. It was his gift to the fatherless, yet
he never would acknowledge it. That was his way.

As the mother took Sara by the hand, in order to conduct her to rest,
Petrea had the indescribable delight of seeing that, from all the little
presents which had been made to her, she only took with her the girl and
the rose-bush, which she appeared to regard with pleasure.

Sara was seized with violent grief in the comfortable bedroom; tears
streamed with wonderful violence from her eyes, and she called loudly
for her father. Elise held her quietly in her arms, and let her weep out
her grief on her bosom, and then gently undressing her, and laying the
weary child in bed, had the pleasure of feeling how affectionately she
clasped her arms around her neck.

The girl and the rose-bush hung over her bed, but still there seemed to
be no rest on the snow-white couch for the "little African." Her dark
eyes glanced wildly about the room, and her hands grasped convulsively
Elise's white dress.

"Don't go," whispered she, "or else they will come and murder me."

Elise took the child's hands in hers, and repeated a simple and pious
little prayer, which she had taught to all her own children. Sara said
the words after her; and though it was only mechanically, she seemed to
become calmer, though shudderings still shook her frame, and she hold
fast by Elise's dress. Elise seated herself by her, and at the request
of the other children, "Mother, sing the song of the Dove--oh, the song
of the Dove!" she sang, with a pleasant low voice, that little song
which she herself had made for her children:

There sitteth a dove so white and fair,
All on the lily-spray,
And she listeneth how, to Jesus Christ,
The little children pray.

Lightly she spreads her friendly wings,
And to heaven's gate hath sped,
And unto the Father in heaven she bears
The prayers which the children said.

And back she comes from heaven's gate,
And brings--that dove so mild--
From the Father in heaven, who hears her speak,
A blessing for every child.

Then, children, lift up a pious prayer,
It hears whatever you say,
That heavenly dove, so white and fair,
That sits on the lily-spray.

During this song, the dove of peace descended on the soul of the child.
Pleasant images passed before her mind: the girl and the rose-bush and
the singing Elise were the same person--the rose diffused pleasant
odour; and whilst the long dark lashes approached her cheek yet nearer
and nearer, it seemed to her as if a white lovely singing-bird spread
out his wings caressingly and purifyingly over her breast. By degrees
the little hand opened itself, and let go the dress which it had
grasped, the tearful eyes closed, and the sweetness of repose came over
the fatherless and the motherless.

Elise raised herself gently, and went to the beds of the other children.
The dove on the lily-spray sent sleep also to them; and after the mother
had pressed her lips to their cheeks, had spoken with Brigitta about the
new comer, and had received from the child-loving, good-natured old
woman, the most satisfactory promises, she hastened back to her husband.

He listened with curiosity to what she had to relate of Sara. This new
member of the family, this increase of his cares, seemed to have
expanded and animated his soul. His eyes beamed with a gentle emotion as
he spoke of the future prospects of the children. Evelina's history,
which was still fresh in his and Elise's mind, seemed to spur him on to
call forth for his family quite another picture of life.

"We will bring up our children," said he warmly, "not for ourselves, but
for themselves. We will seek for their good, for their happiness; we
will rightly consider what may conduce to this, as much for one child as
for another; we will endeavour to win and to maintain their full
confidence; and should there, dear Elise, be any harshness or severity
in me, which would repel the children from me, you must assist me; let
their secret desires and cares come to me through you!"

"Yes! where else could they go?" returned she, with the deepest feeling;
"you are my support, my best strength in life! Without you how weak
should I be!"

"And without you," said he, "my strength would become sternness. Nature
gave me a despotic disposition. I have had, and have still, many times
the greatest difficulty to control it; but with God's help I shall
succeed! My Elise, we will improve ever. On the children's account, in
order to make them happy, we will endeavour to ennoble our own nature."

"Yes, that we will, Ernst!" said she; "and may the peace in the house
make betimes the spirit of peace familiar to their bosoms!"

"We will make them happy," began the father again, with yet increasing
warmth; "with God's help, not one of them shall wander through life
unhappy and infirm of spirit. My little girls! you shall not grow up
like half-formed human beings; no illusions shall blind your eyes to
what are the true riches of life; no noble desires shall you experience
unsatisfied. Ah, life is rich enough to satisfy all the birds under
heaven, and no one need be neglected on earth! Your innocent life shall
not fail of strength and joy; you shall live to know the actuality of
life, and that will bring a blessing on every day, interest on every
moment, and importance on every occupation. It will give you repose and
independence in sorrow and in joy, in life and in death!"

Whilst Elise listened to these words, she felt as if a refreshing breeze
passed through her soul. Nothing more seemed to her difficult. All the
troubles of life seemed light, on account of the bright end to be
attained. And then, as she thought on the manly warm heart which lived
so entirely for her good and the children's, she felt a proud joy that
she could look up to her husband; and at the same time a sense of
humility slid into her heart, she bowed herself over his hand, and
kissed it fervently.

This did not please the Judge, because, like every other decided and
powerful man, it gratified him rather to pay homage to woman than, at
least by outward bearing, to receive homage from her. He therefore
withdrew his hand with some displeasure.

"Why may I not kiss your hand," inquired Elise, "if it give me
pleasure?"

"Because it gives me no pleasure, and you must not do it again."

"Well, well, dear friend, you need not forbid it so sternly. Perhaps I
shall never again have the desire to do it."

"All the better," said he.

"Perhaps not!" returned Elise. "But let us now go to rest."

PART II.

CHAPTER I.

THE NEW HOUSE.

"Farewell, oh house of my childhood! Farewell, you walls, insensible
witnesses of my first tears, my first smiles, and my first false steps
on the slippery path of life--of my first acquaintance with water-gruel
and A B C! Thou corner, in which I stood with lessons difficult to be
learned; and thou, in which I in vain endeavoured to tame the most
thankless of all created things, a fly and a caterpillar!--you floors,
which have sustained me sporting and quarrelling with my beloved brother
and sisters!--you papers, which I have torn in my search after imagined
treasures;--you, the theatre of my battles with carafts and
drinking-glasses--of my heroic actions in manifold ways, I bid you a
long farewell, and go to live in new scenes of action--to have new
adventures and new fate!"

Thus spake Petrea Frank, whilst, with dignified gestures, she took a
tragic-comic farewell of the home which she and her family were now
about to leave.

It was a rainy day, in the middle of April. A black silk cloak, called
merrily the "Court-preacher," a piece of property held in common by the
Frank family, and a large red umbrella, called likewise the
"Family-roof," which was common property too, were on this day seen in
active promenade on the streets of the city of X----. What all this
passing to and fro denoted might probably be conjectured if one had seen
them accompanied by a tall, fair, blue-eyed maid-servant, and a little
brown, active, servant-man, carrying bandboxes, baskets, packages, etc.,
etc.

Towards twilight might have been seen, likewise, the tall thin figure of
Jeremias Munter, holding the "family-roof" over the heads of himself and
Petrea Frank. Petrea seemed to be carrying something under her cloak,
laughed and talked, and she and the Assessor seemed to be very much
pleased with each other. Alas! this satisfaction did not endure long;
on the steps of the front-door Petrea accidentally trod on the dangling
lace of her boot, made a false step, and fell. A large paper case of
confectionery suddenly proceeded from under the "court-preacher," and
almond-wreaths, "brown sugar-candy, and iced fruits rolled in all
directions. Even amid the shock and the confusion of the first moment it
was with difficulty that Petrea restrained a loud laugh from bursting
forth when she saw the amazement of the Assessor, and the leaps which he
made, as he saw the confections hopping down the steps towards the
gutter. It was the Assessor's own tribute to the festival of the day
which was thus unluckily dispersed abroad.

"Yes, indeed, if there were no ladies," said the Assessor, vexed, "one
should be able to accomplish something in this world. But now they must
be coming and helping, and on that account things always go topsy-turvy.
'Let me only do it--let me only manage it,' say they; and they manage
and make it, so that----'Did one ever see anything so foolish!--To fall
over your foot-lace!'--but women have order in nothing; and yet people
set up such to govern kingdoms!--To govern kingdoms!!! I would ask
nothing more from them than that they should govern their feet, and keep
their boot and shoe strings tied. But from the queen down to the
charwoman, there is not a woman in this world who knows how to fasten
her boot-lace!"

Such was the philippic of Jeremias Munter, as he came into the room with
Petrea, and saw, after the great shipwreck, that which remained of the
confectionery. Petrea's excuses, and her prayers for forgiveness, could
not soften his anger. True it is, that an unfortunate disposition to
laugh, which overcame her, gave to all her professions of distress a
very doubtful appearance. Her distress, however, for all that, was real;
and when Eva came, and said, with a beseeching, flattering voice, "Dear
uncle, do not be angry any longer; poor Petrea is really quite cast
down--besides which she really has hurt her knee," the good man replied
with a very different voice:

"But has she, indeed? But why are people so clumsy--so given to tripping
and stumbling, that one----"

"One can get some more confections at any time," said Eva.

"Can one!" exclaimed Jeremias; "do they grow on trees, then? How? Shall
one then throw away one's money for confectionery, in order to see it
lie about the streets? Pretty management that would be, methinks!"

"Yet just say one kind word to Petrea," besought Eva.

"A kind word!" repeated Jeremias: "I would just tell her that another
time she should be so good as to fasten her shoestrings. Nay, I will go
now after some more confectionery; but only on your account, little Miss
Eva. Yes, yes; say I--I will now go: I can dance also, if it be
for----But how it rains! lend me the 'family-roof,' and the cloak there
I need also. Give it here handsomely! Well then, what is there to gape
at? How! will the people gape at me?--all very good; if it gives them
any pleasure, they may laugh at me, I shall not find myself any the
worse for it. Health and comfort are above all things, and one dress is
just as good as another."

The young girls laughed, and threw the "court-preacher," which hardly
reached to his knees, over the shoulders of the Assessor; and thus
apparelled he went forth with long strides.

The family had this day removed into a new house. Judge Frank had bought
it, together with a small garden, for the lifetime of himself and his
wife, and for the last two years he had been pulling down, building up,
repairing, and arranging: some doors he had built up, others he had
opened, till all was as convenient and as comfortable as he wished. His
wife, in full confidence, had left all to his good judgment, well
pleased for her own part to be spared the noise of bricklayers and
carpenters, which she escaped not without difficulty; to be spared from
going among shavings and under scaffoldings, and from clambering over
troughs full of mortar, etc. Papers for the walls and other ornamental
things had been left to the choice of herself and her daughters.

And now he went, full of pleasure, with his wife's arm in his, from one
story to another, and from one room into another, greatly pleased with
the convenient, spacious, and cheerful-looking habitation, and yet even
more so with his wife's lively gratification in all his work. And thus
she was obliged to promenade through the whole house, from the cellar up
to the roof; into the mangling-room, the wood-chamber, etc.

We will not weary the reader by following them in this promenade, but
merely make him acquainted with some of the rooms in which he will often
meet the family. We merely pass through the saloon and best parlour;
they were handsome, but resembled all such apartments; but the room
which the Judge had arranged with the most especial love, which was
designed for daily use, and as the daily assembling place of the family,
and which deserves our most intimate acquaintance, was the library, so
called. It was a large, very lively room, with three windows on one side
looking into a spacious market-place. Louise rejoiced especially over
this, for thus they could look out of the windows on market-days, and
see at once what they wished to buy; directly opposite lay the church,
with its beautiful churchyard well planted with trees; these objects
pleased Elise greatly. The side of the room opposite to the windows was
entirely covered with books; the shelves consisted of several divisions,
each one of which contained the literature of a different country. In
niches between the several divisions stood, on simple but tasteful
pedestals, busts of distinguished men, great for their heroic and
peaceful actions--standing there, said the Judge, not because they
separated the different nations of the earth, but because they united
them. Ernst Frank's library was truly a select one; it had been the
pleasure of his life, and still it was his delight to be increasing his
collection of book's. Now, for the first time, they were collected and
arranged all in one place. He rejoiced over these treasures, and
besought his daughters freely to make use of them (on this one express
condition, that every book should be restored again to its right place).
To Louise was consigned the office of librarian; to Petrea that of
amanuensis. Both mother and daughters were delighted with this room, and
began to consider where the work-table, the flower-table, and the
bird-cage should stand, and when all were arranged, they were found to
suit their places admirably. Against one of the short walls stood the
green sofa, the appointed place for the mother; and against the opposite
one the piano, and the harp, which was Sara's favourite instrument,
together with a guitar, whose strings were touched by Eva, as she sang
"Mamma mia."

An agreeable surprise awaited Elise as she was led through a curtained
door which conducted from the library into a sort of boudoir, whose one
window had the same prospect as the library--this was solely and
entirely her own consecrated room. She saw with emotion that the
tasteful furniture of the room was the work of her daughters; her
writing-table stood by the window; several beautiful pictures and a
quantity of very pretty china adorned the room. Elise saw, with thankful
delight, that all her favourite tastes, and all her little fancies, had
been studied and gratified both by husband and children.

A small curtained door, likewise, on the other side, conducted Elise
into her sleeping-room; and her husband made her observe how smoothly
these doors turned on their hinges, and how easily she, from either
side, could lock herself in and remain in quiet.

After this room, nothing gave Elise greater delight than the
arrangements for bathing, which the Judge had made particularly
convenient and comfortable; and he now turned the white taps with
remarkable pleasure, to exhibit how freely the warm water came out of
this, and the cold--no, out of this came the warm water, and out of the
other the cold. The cheerfulness and comfort of the whole arrangement
were intended to give to the bathing-day--which was almost as
religiously observed in this family as the Sunday--a double charm. In a
room adjoining that which was appropriated to dressing, the old cleanly
Brigitta had already her fixed residence. Here was she and the great
linen-press to grow old together. Here ticked her clock, and purred her
cat; here blossomed her geraniums and balsams, with the Bible and
Prayer-book lying between them.

The three light and pleasant rooms intended for the daughters lay in the
story above, and were simply but prettily furnished.

"Here they will feel themselves quite at home," said the father, as he
looked round with beaming eyes; "don't you think so, Elise? We will make
home so pleasant to our children that they shall not wish to leave it
without a really important and deserving cause. No disquiet, no
discontent with home and the world within it, shall drive them from the
paternal roof. Here they can have leisure and quiet, and be often alone,
which is a good thing. Such moments are needed by every one in order to
strengthen and collect themselves, and are good for young girls as well
as for any one else."

The mother gave her applause fully and cordially; but immediately
afterwards she was a little absent, for she had something of importance
to say to her eldest daughter; and as at that very moment Louise came
in, an animated conversation commenced between them, of which the
following reached the father's ear:

"And after them, pancakes; and, my good girl, take care that six of them
are excellently thick and savoury; you know, indeed, how Henrik likes
them."

"And should we not," suggested Louise, "have whipped cream and raspberry
jam with the pancakes?"

"Yes, with pleasure," returned the mother,--"Jacobi would unquestionably
recommend that."

Louise blushed, and the Judge besought with animation that there might
be something a little more substantial than "angels' food" for supper,
which was promised him.

The Assessor shook out the "family-roof" in the hall in indignation.
"The most miserable roof in all Christendom," said he; "it defends
neither from wind nor rain, and is as heavy as the ark! and----"

But at the very moment when he was shaking and scolding his worst, he
perceived a sound----exclamations and welcomes, in every possible
variety of joyous and cordial tones. The "court-preacher" was thrown
head and shoulders over the "family-roof," and with great leaps hastened
Jeremias forward to shake hands with the son and the friend of the
house, who were just now returned home from the University.

Tokens of condolement mingled themselves with welcomes and
felicitations.

"How wet, and pale, and cold you are!"

"Oh, we have had a magnificent shower!" said Henrik, shaking himself,
and casting a side glance on Jacobi, who looked both downcast and
doleful in his wet apparel. "Such weather as this is quite an affair of
my own. In wind and rain one becomes so--I don't know rightly how--do
you, _mon cher_?"

"A jelly, a perfect jelly!" said Jacobi, in a mournful voice; "how can
one be otherwise, knocked about in the most infamous of peasant-cars,
and storm, and pouring rain, so that one is perfectly battered and
melted! Hu, hu, u, u, u, uh!"

"Oh, according to my opinion," said Henrik, laughing heartily at the
gestures of his travelling companion, "it is a hardening sort of
weather; there is a proud exalting feeling in it, sitting there quite
calm under the raging of the elements; especially when one looks down
from one's elevation on other fellow-mortals, who go lamenting, and full
of anxiety, under their umbrellas. Thus one sits on one's car as on a
throne; nay, indeed, one gets quite a flattering idea of oneself, as if
one were a little, tiny philosopher. Apropos! I bethink myself now, as
if we had seen, as we came this way, a philosopher in a lady's cloak
walking hither. But, how are you all, sweet, sweet sisters? How long it
is since I saw you!" and he pressed their hands between his cold and wet
ones.

This scene, which took place in twilight, was quickly brought to an end
by the ladies resolutely driving the gentlemen out to their own chamber
to change their clothes. Jacobi, it is true, on his own account, did not
require much driving, and Louise found Henrik's philosophy on this
occasion not so fully adopted. Louise had already taken care that a good
blazing fire should welcome the travellers in their chamber.

In the mean time, the ladies quartered themselves in the library; lights
were kindled, the table spread; the Judge helped all, and was highly
delighted if people only called to him. The Assessor looked enraptured,
as Eva arranged his confections on little plates. Petrea did not venture
to look at them, much less to touch them.

"By Jove, my dear girls, how comfortable it is here!" exclaimed the
Judge in the joy of his heart, as he saw the library thus peopled, and
in its for-the-future every-day state. "Are you comfortable there, on
the sofa, Elise? Let me get you a footstool. No; sit still, my friend!
what are men for in the world?"

The Candidate--we beg his pardon, the Master of Arts, Jacobi--appeared
no longer to be the same person who had an hour before stood there in
his wet dress, as he made his appearance, handsomely apparelled, with
his young friend, before the ladies, and his countenance actually beamed
with delight at the joyful scene which he there witnessed.

People now examined one another nearer. They discovered that Henrik had
become considerably paler as well as thinner, which Henrik received as a
compliment to his studies. Jacobi wished also a compliment on his
studies, but it was unanimously refused to him on account of his
blooming appearance. He protested that he was flushed with the weather,
but that availed nothing. Louise thought privately to herself that
Jacobi had decidedly gained in manly bearing; that he had a simpler and
more vigorous demeanour; he was become, she thought, a little more like
her father. Her father was Louise's ideal of manly perfection.

Little Gabriele blushed deeply, and half hid herself behind her mother,
as her brother addressed her.

"How is your highness, my most gracious Princess Turandotte!" said he;
"has your highness no little riddle at hand with which to confuse weak
heads?"

Her little highness looked in the highest degree confused, and tried to
withdraw the hand which her brother kissed again and again. Gabriele was
quite bashful before the tall student.

Henrik had a little _tete-a-tete_ with every sister, but it was somewhat
short and cold with Sara; after which he seated himself by his mother,
took her hand in his, and a lively and general conversation began,
whilst Eva handed about the confectionery.

"But what is amiss now?" asked Henrik, suddenly. "Why have the sisters
all left us to take council together there, with such important
judge-like faces? Is the nation in danger? May not I go, in order to
save the native land?--If one could only first of all have eaten one's
supper in peace," added he, speaking aside, after the manner of the
stage.

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