[137] From one key to another.—Tr.
TWELFTH JUBILEE.
Froulay's Birthday and Projects.—Extra-Leaf.—Babette.—The Harmonica.—Night.—The pious Father.—The wondrous Stairway.—The Apparition.
58. CYCLE.
Happy Albano! thou wouldst not have remained so, hadst thou, on the birthday of the Minister, heard what he then proposed!
Already, for a considerable time, had Froulay been full of noticeable, stormy signs, and might any moment, one must needs fear, let the thunderbolt fly from him; that is to say, he was gay and mild. Thus, also, in the case of phlegmatic children, does great liveliness threaten an eruption of the chicken-pox. As he was a father and a despot,—(the Greeks had for both only the one word, despot,)—so was it expected of him, as connubial storm-maker,[138] that he would provide the usual storms and foul weather for his family. Connubial storm-material for the mere troubling of marriage can never be wanting, when one considers how little is required even for its dissolution; for instance, among the Jews, merely that the woman scream too loud, burn the dinner, leave her shoes in the place for the man's, &c. Beside all this, there was much in the present case about which there was a good chance to thunder; e. g. Liana, upon whom one might visit the misdemeanor of the brother, because he obstinately stayed away and begged for no grace. One always loves to let his indignation loose upon wife, daughter, and son at once, and would rather be a land-rain than a transient shower; one child can more easily imbitter than sweeten a whole family.
But Froulay still continued the smiling John. Nay, did he not—I have the proofs—carry it so far, that when, on one occasion, his daughter, in taking leave of the Princess, fell upon her neck,—instead of representing to her, with flashing eyes, how one must only accept, not reciprocate, familiarities with superiors, and must take care not to forget one's self precisely then, when they do forget themselves,—and instead of sternly asking whether she had ever seen him, in his warmest love toward the Prince, offend against the Dehors,—instead, I say, of doing this, and hailing and storming the while, did he not merely break out that once into the fair words: "Child, thou art too affectionate toward thy distinguished friend; ask thy mother; she knows, too, what friendly liaisons are"?