THE DEAD STRANGER.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF ZSCHOKKE.

BY THE REV, B. W. SAVILE, M.A.

CHAPTER I.

FRIEND of mine-he was called Waldrich-had scarcely left the University two years, and had been employing himself as supernumerary and unsalaried junior barrister in a provincial capital, when the Holy War agitated all Germany. The object was the emancipation of the country from the yoke of the French conqueror, and a pious zeal, as every one knows, took possession of the whole nation. "Freedom and Fatherland" was the war cry in every town and village. Thousands of young men joyfully flew to the standards. It was a question of the honour of Germany and of the hope that the Land of Hermann would perhaps awake to a nobler existence, under a lawfully constituted state of things, more worthy of this civilised age. My friend Waldrich partook warmly of this holy zeal and noble hope. To be brief, he took a polite leave of the President of the Courts, and chose the sword instead of the pen.

As he had not yet fully attained his majority, and having no father or mother living, and money being in every case essential to travelling, he wrote to his guardian for permission to join the campaign for his country, and solicited a hundred dollars for his travelling expenses.

His guardian, Herr Bantes, was a rich manufacturer in the small town of Herbesheim, on the Aa, who had, it might be said, brought him up, although Waldrich had only lived in his house as a boy before he went to the University.

Herr Bantes was a queer, whimsical old gentleman. He sent him in reply a letter with fifteen louis d'or in gold, the contents of which were as follows:-" My friend, when you are one year older you may dispose of yourself and the small residue of your property according to your own pleasure. Till that time I beg you to put off your campaign for the Fatherland, and to apply yourself to business, that you may one day get some situation whereby you may earn your bread, which will be very needful for you. I know my duty to my

departed friend, your late father. siastic fancies, and become steady. single kreutzer, and remain, &c."

Have done with all your enthu-
I will therefore not send you a

The fifteen louis d'or wrapped in paper contrasted strangely, but not by any means disagreeably, with this letter. Waldrich would have been long in explaining the difficulty, and would perhaps never have done so, had not his eye glanced upon the bit of paper in which the money had been enclosed, and which had fallen on the floor. He took it up, and read :—

"Do not be discouraged. Embrace the holy cause of suffering Germany. God protect you! is the prayer of

"Your former playfellow,

"FREDERICA.”

This said playfellow Frederica was none other than Herr Bantes's young daughter. Heaven knows how she managed with the sealing up of her father's letter. Waldrich stood enraptured, more delighted with the heroic heart of the young German girl than with the gold which Frederica had enclosed, probably out of her own savings. He wrote immediately to a friend in Herbesheim, enclosed a few grateful lines for the little girl (forgetting that the little girl in four years' time might be somewhat grown), called her even his German Thusnelda, and betook himself proudly, like a second Hermann, to the Army of the Rhine.

I have no intention of circumstantially detailing Waldrich's Hermann-like deeds. It is enough that he was in his place when wanted. Napoleon was happily dethroned, and sent off to Elba. Waldrich did not return home like the other volunteers, but consented to enter as lieutenant in a regiment of the line. Life in campaign pleased him better than behind the piles of deeds and papers in a dusty office. His regiment took part in the second campaign against France, and at length at the final close returned home, with drums beating and songs of triumph.

Waldrich, who had fought in two great battles and several skirmishes, had been fortunate enough to escape without a single wound. He flattered himself he should, as a defender of his country, receive in preference to others some civil office as a reward. He was much esteemed in his regiment for his amiable qualities and many acquirements; but as regards the situation, it was not to be had as soon as he hoped. There were too many sons and cousins of privy councillors and presidents, &c., to be provided for, who had been prudent enough to allow others to fight the holy war of freedom, and remain

themselves safe at home, and who possessed, moreover, the advantages of birth; whereas Waldrich's parents ranked only among the middle classes.

There was no helping this.

He continued lieutenant, and the more willingly as Herr Bantes, his former guardian, had long since delivered over to him the very small residue of his paternal property, which had also long since been scattered to the winds. He remained, therefore, in the garrison, wrote poetry when on guard, and made philosophical observations on parade. This was woefully wearisome to him, till the troops changed quarters, when it most unexpectedly happened that his company was ordered off to the small town of Herbesheim. At the head of his company (for the captain, a rich baron, was absent on leave) he entered his native town as commandant. Oh! what were his sensations at sight of the two black, highpointed church towers! The drum ceased before the Guildhall. Two of the Town Council brought the billets. The commandant, as a matter of course, was quartered in the best, viz., the handsomest house in the town-that is to say, with Herr Bantes. The worthy members of the Town Council could not have bestowed on him a greater favour.

The company separated very well pleased, for it was just then the very agreeable hour of dinner, and the respectable inhabitants, informed betimes of the expected quartering, were fully prepared to receive their new guests. Waldrich, who had known the two town magistrates from his boyish days, remarked that he himself could not have been recognised, for they treated him with respect and as an entire stranger, and escorted him themselves, although he declined the honour, to the manufacturer's house. Here Herr Bantes received him with equal formality, and led him with much politeness into a very nice, well-furnished room.

"Captain," said Herr Bantes, "this and the adjoining rooms were occupied by your predecessor; accept what we have to offer, pray make yourself comfortable, and we hope to see you at dinner, and such like. I hope you will make yourself quite at home."

Our Waldrich was exceedingly amused at his unexpected incognito. His plan was to discover himself on some fitting occasion, that the surprise might be the greater. He had no sooner changed his dress than he was called to dinner. There he found, besides Herr Bantes and his lady, and some old clerks and overseers of the manufactory, with all of whom he was well acquainted, a young girl, whom he did not know. The party seated themselves. The conversation turned upon the weather, on the company's march that day, on the regret

of the whole town that the former regiment, which had been especially liked, should be removed into another town.

"Meanwhile, I hope," said Waldrich, "that you will not be dissatisfied with me and my men. Let us only become domesticated

with you."

Now, in order to become domesticated, it was natural that the commandant, who had already been wondering that the friend of his youth, Frederica, to whom he was indebted for his fifteen louis d'or, was not to be seen-that he, I say, should ask his hostess whether she had any children. "One daughter," replied Madame Bantes, and pointed to the young lady, who modestly cast her eyes down on her plate.

Waldrich's admiring eyes, however, wandered across more than the occasion warranted. Merciful heaven! what a noble creature is the little Rietchen become. Waldrich did not say that aloud, but he thought it to himself as he looked more attentively at the modest girl. He made some polite observation to the parents, as well as his first amazement would let him, and was heartily glad when the old papa exclaimed:-" A spoonful more gravy, and such like, with your dry bit of roast meat there, commandant."

Madame Bantes spoke of a son who had died in early childhood, and she still spoke of him with the sorrowing affection of a mother. "Have done with that topic, mamma,” cried the papa; “who knows? perhaps in the end he might have become a mere spendthrift and such like, as that George has."

It was now Waldrich's turn to cast down his eyes modestly on his plate, for by the "spendthrift George" was meant none other than his own insignificant self.

"But do you really know, papa, whether George has actually become such a spendthrift as you represent him?" said Frederica.

The question imparted to the commandant a warmer glow than the glass of old burgundy, which he had just put to his lips in order to conceal his confusion. Traces of former and yet unforgotten youthful friendship were to be discerned in the inquiry, and a question so interesting, proceeding from lips so fair, and asked with a voice so soft and so moving, might reasonably be looked upon as honey, sweetening the bitter pill for poor Waldrich which Herr Bantes so bountifully administered. For, in justification of his sentence, the latter proceeded to relate to his guest, as though he himself should be umpire, the history of his own life from the cradle up to the patriotic campaign.

"Had the lad,” thus he concluded the story, turning it to a practical

purpose, "only learnt anything useful at the University he would never have enlisted and such like; if he had not been a soldier he might now be holding a good situation as lawyer or physician, have earned his bread, and got a comfortable income."

"I know not," replied the daughter, "whether or not he made the best of his time at the University, but this I know, that he must have had a good heart to sacrifice himself for a holy cause."

"Don't be throwing the holy cause and such like always in my face," cried Herr Bantes. "What is this holy thing, I should like to know? The French have been driven away-well and good; but the holy German Empire has gone to the devil. The old taxes are retained provisionally, and new ones are provisionally added. These confounded English with their wares are admitted just as before, and no one troubles his head if we blessed Germans become blessed beggars. Everything went off flatly at the last fair. The Ministers and such like go on eating and drinking, do just what they please, know nothing about trade, let the manufacturers become bankrupt, and are good for nothing from first to last. The world is just as in former times, and worse still. If an honourable man, who perhaps understands things better, does but open his mouth and sing a different song from his Excellency with a cross under his button-hole, and indifference under the same button-hole-haven't you seen it yourself? it is quick work-away with the poor man to prison; he is turned out of employment, stripped of everything, all his affairs pryed into, his character blackened; he is a vagabond, demagogue, and such like. I tell you, hold your tongue, child! You don't understand the matter; you mustn't look farther than from the teapot into the cup, and then you'll be sure not to spill."

Waldrich gathered from this conversation that Herr Bantes was still the same irritable, excitable, whimsical old man as ever; whom, nevertheless, no one could help liking, with all his peculiarities. As an umpire was now called on to decide in this dispute between father and daughter, the commandant was prudent and polite enough first to agree entirely with the father as regards the holy cause-and that was considered as doing credit to his good understanding. But then, again, as he was not quite disposed altogether to condemn himself, he felt also obliged to agree with his fair advocate in respect of the good heart with which George had sacrificed himself for the aforesaid holy cause.

"Only mark," cried the old man, "the commandant is more wily than Jack Paris with the three silly Trojan goddesses, and such like. Accommodates himself to circumstances; cuts the apple in two, VOL. X. N.S., 1873.