Chapter II. - THE STUDENT LUPINUS.
Young Lupinus sat quiet and alone, as was usual with him, in his room, before his writing-table, which was covered with books and folios. He was thinner and paler than when we first met him in Berlin. His deeply-sunken eyes were encircled with those dark rings which are usually the outward sign of mental suffering. His bloodless lips were firmly pressed together, and the small hand, upon which his pale brow rested, was transparently thin and white.
Lupinus was working, or appeared to be so. Before him lay one of those venerable folios which excite the reverence of the learned. The eyes of the young man rested, it is true, upon the open page, but so long, and so uninterruptedly, that it was evident his thoughts were elsewhere.
The professors would, no doubt, have been rejoiced had they seen him bent thus earnestly and attentively over this volume. If, however, they had seen what really claimed his attention, they would have been seized with horror. Upon his open book lay a playbill, the bill for that evening, and upon this „thing of horror“ rested the eyes of the young student.
„No, no,“ he said, after a long pause, „I will not go. I will not be overcome by my heart, after the fierce struggle of these two long, fearful months. I will not, I dare not see Eckhof again; I should be lost--undone. Am I not lost even now? Do I not see ever before me those great, burning eyes; do I ever cease to hear his soft, melodious voice, which seems to sing a requiem over my dead happiness? I have striven uselessly against my fate--my life is blighted. I will strive no longer, but I will die honorably, as I have lived. I only pray to God that in my last hour I may not curse my father with my dying lips. He has sinned heavily against me; he has sacrificed my life to his will. May God forgive him! Now,“ continued Lupinus, „enough of complaints. My resolution is taken; I will not go to the theatre, for I dare not see Eckhof again.“
He suddenly seized the playbill, and pressed the spot where Eckhof's name stood again and again to his lips, then tore the paper into many pieces, and threw them behind him.
„So long as I live, I must struggle--I will battle bravely. My heart shall die, my soul awake and comfort me.“
Again he bent his head over the great tome, but this time a light knock at his door interrupted him, and the immediate entrance of Professor Franke filled him with amazement.
„My visit seems to astonish you,“ said the professor, in the most friendly tone. „You think it singular that the president of the university should seek out one of the students. Perhaps it would be so in an ordinary case; but for you, Lupinus, who are the most learned and honorable young man in our midst, we cannot do too much to show our respect and esteem.“
„This is an honor which almost shames me,“ said Lupinus, blushing; „an honor of which, I fear, I am unworthy.“
„I desire to give you a still greater proof of my esteem,“ continued the professor. „I wish to make you my confidant, and inform you of an intrigue which, insignificant as it appears, will be followed by important results.“
With ready words, Franke proceeded to explain to Lupinus his own views with regard to the actors; what he considered their wretched influence over the students, and also the ill-advised decision of the General Directory. He then informed Lupinus of his plan for creating a disturbance in the theatre, and requested his assistance in carrying it out.
Lupinus listened with horror to this explanation and request, but he controlled himself, and quietly received the ticket which the president handed him. He listened silently to the further details, and Franke understood his silence as a respectful assent.
When the president had at length taken leave, and Lupinus was again alone, he seized the ticket, threw it on the ground, and trampled it under foot, thus visiting upon the inoffensive ticket the scorn he had not dared exhibit to the president.
„I--I am to be the instrument of this miserable plot!“ he cried passionately. „Because I lead a lonely, joyless life. I am selected to execute this infamy. Ah, how little do they know me! how slight a knowledge of the human heart have these learned professors! Eckhof in danger, and I remain silent? Eckhof threatened, and I not warn him? That were a treachery against myself, a crime against art and my own poor heart. If I remain silent, I become an accomplice in this vile conspiracy.“ At this thought, he took his hat, and hurried from the room.
When he reached the door of Eckhof's lodging, he hesitated. A profound pallor succeeded a burning glow upon his countenance, and he murmured to himself: „No, no; I have not the strength to see him to-day. I should die if his eyes rested upon me. I will go to Fredersdorf.“
Joseph Fredersdorf was at home, and received Lupinus with astonished delight.
„The holy one trusts himself in the den of the wicked,“ he said, with a bright smile. „This is an unheard-of event, which doubtless indicates something important.“
„You are laughing at me, but you are right. I am here for a purpose; nothing unimportant would have induced me to come to you after the ungrateful manner in which I declined your friendly advances. But I am sure you will forgive the intrusion when you become aware of the motive which has led me to you.“
With hurried words and frequent interruptions from Fredersdorf, Lupinus informed his friend of the president's visit, and its object.
„This is a regular conspiracy,“ said Joseph, as Lupinus finished. „If it succeed, the punishment of the actors will be the result.“
„It must not succeed--we must prevent that. The first thing to be done is to gain over the other students to whom the president has intrusted this plot. We must either do that or prevent them from entering the theatre.“
„But if we can do neither?“
„Then we must allow what we cannot prevent, but we must seek to avert the evil consequences. We will address ourselves to the king, and inform him who has occasioned this disturbance, and why it was done.“
„The king is just, and happily it is not difficult to see him, especially for me, as my brother is his private secretary. We must be active, and the victory will be ours. And now, my dear friend, for you must allow me to call you so from this day, let us go to my master, Eckhof. He must thank you himself for this kind warning. Come to Eckhof.“
„No!“ said Lupinus, „it is a matter of no importance to Eckhof, who has given the information. There is much to be done to-day. I will seek to gain over the students; you must hasten to Eckhof.“
„And will you not accompany me?“
„No, my friend, not to-day. Let us await the events of this evening. Perhaps I shall ask you to present me to him to-morrow.“
„Ah, that would be a real triumph for me!“
„Let us first take care that this plot fails, and the actors are not driven from Halle.“
„When we have accomplished this, will you promise to walk arm-in-arm with me three times through the market-place?“
„Not only three times, but as often as you will.“
„Now I feel the strength of Samson, and the craft of Delilah. With this reward before me, I will vanquish all enemies.“
Lupinus was working, or appeared to be so. Before him lay one of those venerable folios which excite the reverence of the learned. The eyes of the young man rested, it is true, upon the open page, but so long, and so uninterruptedly, that it was evident his thoughts were elsewhere.
The professors would, no doubt, have been rejoiced had they seen him bent thus earnestly and attentively over this volume. If, however, they had seen what really claimed his attention, they would have been seized with horror. Upon his open book lay a playbill, the bill for that evening, and upon this „thing of horror“ rested the eyes of the young student.
„No, no,“ he said, after a long pause, „I will not go. I will not be overcome by my heart, after the fierce struggle of these two long, fearful months. I will not, I dare not see Eckhof again; I should be lost--undone. Am I not lost even now? Do I not see ever before me those great, burning eyes; do I ever cease to hear his soft, melodious voice, which seems to sing a requiem over my dead happiness? I have striven uselessly against my fate--my life is blighted. I will strive no longer, but I will die honorably, as I have lived. I only pray to God that in my last hour I may not curse my father with my dying lips. He has sinned heavily against me; he has sacrificed my life to his will. May God forgive him! Now,“ continued Lupinus, „enough of complaints. My resolution is taken; I will not go to the theatre, for I dare not see Eckhof again.“
He suddenly seized the playbill, and pressed the spot where Eckhof's name stood again and again to his lips, then tore the paper into many pieces, and threw them behind him.
„So long as I live, I must struggle--I will battle bravely. My heart shall die, my soul awake and comfort me.“
Again he bent his head over the great tome, but this time a light knock at his door interrupted him, and the immediate entrance of Professor Franke filled him with amazement.
„My visit seems to astonish you,“ said the professor, in the most friendly tone. „You think it singular that the president of the university should seek out one of the students. Perhaps it would be so in an ordinary case; but for you, Lupinus, who are the most learned and honorable young man in our midst, we cannot do too much to show our respect and esteem.“
„This is an honor which almost shames me,“ said Lupinus, blushing; „an honor of which, I fear, I am unworthy.“
„I desire to give you a still greater proof of my esteem,“ continued the professor. „I wish to make you my confidant, and inform you of an intrigue which, insignificant as it appears, will be followed by important results.“
With ready words, Franke proceeded to explain to Lupinus his own views with regard to the actors; what he considered their wretched influence over the students, and also the ill-advised decision of the General Directory. He then informed Lupinus of his plan for creating a disturbance in the theatre, and requested his assistance in carrying it out.
Lupinus listened with horror to this explanation and request, but he controlled himself, and quietly received the ticket which the president handed him. He listened silently to the further details, and Franke understood his silence as a respectful assent.
When the president had at length taken leave, and Lupinus was again alone, he seized the ticket, threw it on the ground, and trampled it under foot, thus visiting upon the inoffensive ticket the scorn he had not dared exhibit to the president.
„I--I am to be the instrument of this miserable plot!“ he cried passionately. „Because I lead a lonely, joyless life. I am selected to execute this infamy. Ah, how little do they know me! how slight a knowledge of the human heart have these learned professors! Eckhof in danger, and I remain silent? Eckhof threatened, and I not warn him? That were a treachery against myself, a crime against art and my own poor heart. If I remain silent, I become an accomplice in this vile conspiracy.“ At this thought, he took his hat, and hurried from the room.
When he reached the door of Eckhof's lodging, he hesitated. A profound pallor succeeded a burning glow upon his countenance, and he murmured to himself: „No, no; I have not the strength to see him to-day. I should die if his eyes rested upon me. I will go to Fredersdorf.“
Joseph Fredersdorf was at home, and received Lupinus with astonished delight.
„The holy one trusts himself in the den of the wicked,“ he said, with a bright smile. „This is an unheard-of event, which doubtless indicates something important.“
„You are laughing at me, but you are right. I am here for a purpose; nothing unimportant would have induced me to come to you after the ungrateful manner in which I declined your friendly advances. But I am sure you will forgive the intrusion when you become aware of the motive which has led me to you.“
With hurried words and frequent interruptions from Fredersdorf, Lupinus informed his friend of the president's visit, and its object.
„This is a regular conspiracy,“ said Joseph, as Lupinus finished. „If it succeed, the punishment of the actors will be the result.“
„It must not succeed--we must prevent that. The first thing to be done is to gain over the other students to whom the president has intrusted this plot. We must either do that or prevent them from entering the theatre.“
„But if we can do neither?“
„Then we must allow what we cannot prevent, but we must seek to avert the evil consequences. We will address ourselves to the king, and inform him who has occasioned this disturbance, and why it was done.“
„The king is just, and happily it is not difficult to see him, especially for me, as my brother is his private secretary. We must be active, and the victory will be ours. And now, my dear friend, for you must allow me to call you so from this day, let us go to my master, Eckhof. He must thank you himself for this kind warning. Come to Eckhof.“
„No!“ said Lupinus, „it is a matter of no importance to Eckhof, who has given the information. There is much to be done to-day. I will seek to gain over the students; you must hasten to Eckhof.“
„And will you not accompany me?“
„No, my friend, not to-day. Let us await the events of this evening. Perhaps I shall ask you to present me to him to-morrow.“
„Ah, that would be a real triumph for me!“
„Let us first take care that this plot fails, and the actors are not driven from Halle.“
„When we have accomplished this, will you promise to walk arm-in-arm with me three times through the market-place?“
„Not only three times, but as often as you will.“
„Now I feel the strength of Samson, and the craft of Delilah. With this reward before me, I will vanquish all enemies.“
Dieses Kapitel ist Teil des Buches Berlin and Sans-Souci; or, Frederick the Great and his friends. Book III.