"How like him, he is," she thought.
"And what do you say?" now asked Felix politely.
"That the one does not exclude the other. God's word remains throughout eternity, and when men are thoroughly imbued with it, then perhaps can they return again to images, lights, and organs."
"Thoroughly a woman's decision," said Felix laughing, "or shall I rather say: a judgement of Solomon?"
"No, Sir painter. The wise Solomon was a man, and therefore said, either, or, and ordered the child to be cut in two parts, the Queen of Sheba would have said: you shall both have the child and in this way does the world go on best."
"See how wise the maidens in the Palatinate are," rejoined Erast smiling, stretching out his hand to wish Felix farewell. Klytia felt very pleased at having given so good an answer and singing gleefully sprang up the steps to the portal of the Castle.
CHAPTER X.
Master Paolo had indeed noticed his beloved pupil attending the evening service, and though the experienced orator had in no way broken down but let his pulpit eloquence roll on in the usual track, nevertheless his thoughts from the moment he became aware of her presence, did not remain earnestly fixed on the eternal pains of hell of which he was speaking. This was certainly improper, but whilst causing the bird to pick away the iron mountain, he thought: "she has forgiven thee;" and whilst his congregation was adding up the thousands of years, he said to himself: "she cannot tear herself away from thee." As he stood after the sermon in the lofty Chapter hall, adjoining the Chapel, and beheld through the high windows the sweet maiden standing in the court yard in eager converse with his brother and her father, he felt much inclined to join them, but the days of deep mortification through which he had passed were still present before him and he escaped through the hall of the Castle to the Burgweg.
The primus omnium of the College at Venice had felt himself thoroughly humbled under the cold look of the Countess at Neuburg, and the same sensation crept over him which he had formerly experienced when convicted of a gross grammatical error by the Jesuit fathers during his school days. Whilst teaching in the children's classes he often made a hasty motion, stamped with his feet, or bit his lips till they bled. The passionate excitable Neapolitan nature now rose uppermost. He was to be seen talking rapidly to himself in the woods, angrily striking the bushes with his stick, and the children were once much amused at seeing Magister Laurenzano seated on a bench near the convent pond, violently boxing his own ears and crying out repeatedly pazzo, pazzo! But only because he had acted as a fool, he said within himself, not because he was a sinner, and when he made in the Hirsch the great discovery of the damnable heresy of the parsons, his dogmatic indignation at these blasphemers against God helped to banish from his memory his own moral discomfiture. For a few days he was filled with the remembrance of the disgraceful Arian conspiracy. He had done with Lydia as he imagined. The heedless child now crossed his path once more of her own accord. Buried in thought he made his way down the Schlossberg, often pausing as if wishing to be overtaken, often standing still, as if wishing to climb up once again and seek Lydia in her own home. As he finally composed himself and was hastening in a resolute manner to his apartment, he met at the gate of the bridge the very person whom he now desired to escape. Erast had patients in the next village and his daughter willingly accompanied him. The physician addressed Paul in a kindly manner, whilst Lydia walked before them with bowed head listening attentively to what was said. On the father being stopped by one of his patients, the two young people were compelled to join one another, but to-day words seemed to fail the ready-witted Italian. He changed color and kept catching his breath. To break the painful silence Lydia praised the clear hue of the river flowing past them.
"The Neckar has become a friend to me," replied Paolo, "since I lived at the Stift; a friend about whose humor I inquire daily. If when awake I hear its restless moan prolonged during the whole night, and behold it the next morning gloomy and troubled, and the mountain above casting over it a deep shadow I feel as if I ought to console it. But another day its rippling sounds joyfully, it looks at me with thousand clear eyes and changing wanton lights, like the laugh of a child. In winter often does it seethe in its hasty passion and smoke like boiling water, being warmer than the chilled world around. To-day it is transparent and pure, like a young man with an easy conscience, but I have seen it looking quite differently," added the Preacher with a slight tremor in his voice, "troubled by evil storms and tempests and red with shame at what it had done." Saying this Paul attempted to look into the maiden's face, but immediately cast down his eyes. His first words had struck a sympathetic cord in Lydia's breast, but the direct acknowledgement of his sins embarrassed her. "How unhappy must he be when he confesses to me," thought she, and the pity of her heart shone out of the innocent eyes which gazed earnestly at him. The approach of her father put an end to all further explanations. They separated, as Erast wished to go to Neuenheim, Paul to the Stift. The good child felt now lighter at heart since the first dreaded interview with her former teacher was over, and the terrible remembrance buried. Mechanically, as if it must be so, did she reach out her hand to the man whose mental confusion she increased. Paul now knew, that he would daily find at this same hour the punctual physician on his visit to his sick patient, and thus accident often brought it about that their ways met. Erast liked to speak about Italy; Paolo knew how to relate; one always saw everything clearly represented when he depicted his home, the shimmering red over Vesuvius, as well as the ripples of the canal which splashed up against the marble steps in Venice. He understood moreover the gracious art of listening respectfully to the old man, and when Lydia perceived, what a high opinion her father had of Paul, she soon came under the spell of his appearance more helplessly than ever. Her hopes returned. Even should the good Abbess be in the right and he had been a zealous papist, why should he not shake off the secret bonds and as a free man ask her hand of her father, who would never refuse it! Was she less worthy than others, that a man should perpetrate this sacrifice for her. As day after day Paul sought her company in the presence of her father, and paid his silent homage, she began once more to believe in the sincerity of his wooing. That Love which believes all, and hopes all, told her, that he had cast away the old Faith for her sake, and with a ready confidence did she give herself up to this new belief. One evening he had again joined them, and whilst her father entered into his patient's house, Lydia found herself once more alone with the Magister, He immediately took her hand and said: "Lydia, have you forgiven me?" And the same sensation came over her that she ever had when near him, a tightening of the heart, a numbness of the will, and an undefined fear of being forced to do what he wished, against her own will, a blissful torture. He wound his arm around her waist, and kissed and kissed her over and over again. No explanation, no requests, no words, only kisses, burning kisses. And she stood there tremblingly resistless. But her heart did not feel the same happiness, that it had felt the first time she leant on his breast. Then like an angel of God had he gently drawn her to him, today he seized her as if committing a sin, his eyes rolled about restlessly to see whether they were alone, and hearing Erastus approaching, quickly did he hasten towards a field, where he pulled up a few plants and placing their blossoms within the lining of his hat, cleverly engaged the physician even from afar in a conversation about his patient, before that he could come up to where the excited child stood. Lydia soon came back to her senses. Her maiden pride revolted against such a treatment. His kisses burnt like spots upon her glowing cheeks, and as they passed a farm, where a clear cold water poured from two pipes, she felt as if she wished to enter, and wash away the impure taint. Ashamed and sad she walked on before them, thinking to herself how she could best make him declare his veritable intentions. But now an event occurred which plainly showed her the abyss round which she trod. A cloud of dust arose on the road leading to Ladenburg. On approaching, the three discerned a cart surrounded by mounted men accompanying two prisoners. Erastus pained at such a sight looked away. On this one of the prisoners, a long tall figure arose and cried out to the physician: "Friend, appeal on our behalf to the Kurfürst. We were not in earnest, and did not intend to emigrate." Struck by the well known sound of this voice Erastus stared at the afflicted dust-covered man and recognized with horror Inspector Sylvan whose guest he had frequently been in Ladenburg.