Chapter 35 - Page 2

"Yes, it is beautiful, very beautiful at home!" exclaimed Wilhelm; "glorious flowers, wild nuts; and there we have Vesuvius before us!" He pointed to the burning pile.

"No," said Sophie; "it seems to me much more like the pile upon which the Hindoo widow lays herself alive to be burned! That must be horrible!"

"One should certainly be very quickly dead!" said Eva.

"Would you actually allow yourself to be burned to death, if you were a Hindoo widow--after, for instance, Mr. Thostrup, or after Wilhelm," said she, with a slight embarrassment, "if he lay dead in the fire?"

"If it were the custom of the country, and I really had lost the only support which I had in the world--yes, so I would!"

"O, no, no!" said Louise.

"In fact it is brilliant!" exclaimed Sophie.

"Burning is not, perhaps, the most painful of deaths!" said Otto, and plucked in an absent manner the nuts from the hedge. "I know a story about a true conflagration."

"What is it like?" asked Wilhelm.

"Yet it is not a story to tell in a large company; it can only be heard when two and two are together. When I have an opportunity, I shall tell it!"

"O, I know it!" said Wilhelm. "You can relate it to one of my sisters there, whichever you like best! Then I shall--yes, I must relate it to Eva!"

"It is too early in the day to hear stories told!" said Louise; "let us rather sing a song!"

"No, then we shall have to weep in the evening," replied Wilhelm. And they had neither the song nor the story.

Mamma came wandering with Vasserine, the old, faithful hound: they two also wished to see how beautiful the burning looked. It succeeded excellently with the rape-stalks; but the other burning, of which the story was to be told, it did not yet arrive at an outbreak! It might be expected, however, any hour in the day.

In the evening Otto walked alone through the great chestnut avenue. The moon shone brightly between the tree-branches. When he entered the interior court Wilhelm and Sophie skipped toward him, but softly, very softly. They lifted their hands as if to impress silence.

"Come and see!" said Sophie; "it is a scene which might be painted! it goes on merrily in the servants' hall; one can see charmingly through the window!"

"Yes, come!" said Wilhelm.

Otto stole softly forward. The lights shone forth.

Within there was laughter and loud talking; one struck upon the table, another sung,--

"And I will away to Prussia land, Hurrah! And when I am come to Prussia land, Hurrah!" [Note: People's song.]

Otto looked in through the window.

Several men and