“Yes, most certainly!”
“You see, then, that you do not intend to flee the tempest, but to seek it. Well, that is always the way with the young, at least when they are intelligent; instinct and fate drives them on. For my part, I will say amen to whatever frees us from Russia and England. But how the devil do you propose to sit in the senate, if you refuse to acknowledge the religion of the country? But no matter, do not answer now; you will see hereafter what your conscience dictates, and what course you will have to pursue, in order to fulfil your duties as a father and a citizen.”
“My duties as a father!” cried Christian. “Ah! M. Goefle, it will be in fulfilling them that I shall find happiness; I feel it! Mon Dieu! When I am united at last to that brave and loyal woman, how I shall love our children—to whom she will transmit disinterestedness and nobility of character, as well as grace and beauty!”
“Yes, yes, Christian, you will be happy in your family. That is due to you for your devotion to poor Sophia Goffredi! You will live in the Swedish fashion, on your estates, in the enjoyment of every comfort, and in the presence of the grand and rude nature of the north. You will cultivate science and the fine arts. You will make the poor around you happy, as your predecessor has made them miserable. You will bring up your children yourself. Those little rascals will be surrounded, as soon as they are born, with love and devotion; and they will grow up with the children of Osmund and of Osburn. For my part, I shall keep at my profession as long as possible, for I shall become too much of a babbler, and too nervous, when I stop pleading cases; but every year I will come and pass the summer months with you. We will vie with each other in spoiling old Sten, and poor Karine; we will build political castles in Spain; we will dream of a cloudless alliance with France, and a Scandinavian union that will enable us to resist the ambitious designs of Russia. And, in the evenings, we will bring out the burattini, and give exhibitions to all the dear little folks assembled at the chateau; and then, you may be sure, I shall become the equal of the famous Christian Waldo, of joyous and gentle memory.”
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.
Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they were not changed.
A table of contents has been added for the reader’s convenience.