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Villa Eden Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the Villa Eden novel. A total of 236 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : Villa Eden.by Berthold Auerbach.BOOK I.CHAPTER I.THE APPARITION."Be patient a few:
Villa Eden.by Berthold Auerbach.BOOK I.CHAPTER I.THE APPARITION."Be patient a few: minutes longer! There's a man beckoning to go with us," said the boatman to his pa.s.sengers, two women and one man. The man was gray-haired, of slender form
- 136 She also liked a gla.s.s of wine, and was rallied on that account. She begged Eric to defend her, and he replied:-- "That's easily done. It's a romantic absurdity to look upon it as a fine thing for a girl not to take pleasure in eating and drinking; a
- 135 Manna looked in amazement at the Aunt; and she had the impression that a new view of life was unfolded to her, that was like the religious, and yet wholly peculiar in itself.Towards Eric's mother. Manna was respectful but reserved. She treated her brothe
- 134 "An eye of his own?" Manna asked in wonderment."Yes, you will readily perceive what I mean by that. And now I have one favor to ask for myself.""For yourself?""Yes Simply believe that I hold in high respect your ideal of life, because I regard it a
- 133 Then he went on to advise Manna to consider the world around as alien to herself.The interview seemed now to have become rather painful. The Priest suddenly and abruptly said that it was time for Manna to return home, as they would be expecting her there.
- 132 The legend tells of that child-giant who took the ploughman, with plough and horse, to be a plaything, gathered them up in his ap.r.o.n, and carried them off.This was the case with Manna. Her thoughts, by day and by night, had been so far removed from the
- 131 Here she made a long pause, and Pranken was in great suspense, wondering how she would finish her sentence."He talks much," she said, "but he thinks much too."Pranken cast about for some turn he could give the conversation, which, with a skilful aim,
- 130 His mother told him he should consider that the money came from Roland, whose coming of age was only antic.i.p.ated. But that idea troubled Eric too: it made him feel that he was sent away, paid off; the account was squared between them. His mother remind
- 129 Manna embraced her brother affectionately, as did Pranken also, but Roland quickly disengaged himself from the latter's grasp, and said to Manna:-- "Shake hands with Herr Eric too, for this is his birthday amongst us. A year ago to-day he became mine, o
- 128 When Roland was left alone with his sister, he urged her to visit his grandmother and aunt that very day; but Manna reproved him for giving such names to persons not really related to him."Ah, but you must love them too," said Roland."Must? One can lov
- 127 She rose, and with a loud cry, brother and sister fell into one another's arms."Sit down by me," said Manna at last. They sat together upon the bench beneath the pine-tree, and Manna, pointing to the smaller bench, told of Heimchen, and of her often wa
- 126 CHAPTER XI.A NEW LIFE IN EVERYTHING.The Prince must have forgotten that he had meant to send for Sonnenkamp, who now found himself deprived of all opportunity of expressing his thanks in person to him or to his brother, by their departure, in company with
- 125 The lady herself was often unconscious that this was the effect of her presence; she only knew that she was tightening between herself and Sonnenkamp the bonds from which she would gladly be free, and, whenever she returned to the carriage, she begged him
- 124 "He is waiting in the reception-room.""I will give him an answer," returned Manna, and began to read her letter a second time.She paced the cell backwards and forwards; at one moment she wanted to seek the Lady Superior and ask what she should do, but
- 123 "Do you think she will come?""Certainly."A telegram was at once despatched to the green house, and in an hour the answer came that mother and aunt were on their way.The news of the beautiful boy's severe illness spread rapidly through the city. Serva
- 122 Two topics engrossed the conversation of the capital the next day: Herr Sonnenkamp's ball, the like of which the city had never seen, and the death of the young husband of Fraulein von Endlich, news of which had been received the evening before, but had
- 121 "Then," began Sonnenkamp, "I shall proceed at once to tell you the secret of my life."The Professorin had to put both hands on her table to steady herself.What was the man going to say! She silently inclined her head, and Sonnenkamp told how it was hi
- 120 "They are happier than we," he said, as he drank his heavy Burgundy.On the evening preceding the performance of the French play, Roland, at his father's bidding, invited all his fellow-actors to a party at the hotel. The gentlemen came, but none of the
- 119 "You must tell me more about this matter of slavery sometime; you must come to see me.""Your Highness has but to command," replied Sonnenkamp, most happy that the conversation should end here.Eric stood through the greater part of the evening near Wei
- 118 The Cabinetsrathin observed, with a smile, that they need feel no uneasiness, for Roland was with Cuno, and of course enjoying himself.She expressed her regrets that she too must now take leave of the company, and, drawing Sonnenkamp into the embrasure of
- 117 Sonnenkamp inspected all the rooms, saying, when he came to those intended for Roland and Eric,-- "All the comforts of this world have their price; those who have nothing must turn coachmen, and freeze down there, waiting for a pa.s.senger."He returned
- 116 "Now we are quite alone," said the Professorin, "you can tell me every thing. Shall I a.s.sure you that I can keep a secret?""Oh, I am only sorry that I have gone so far," stammered Fraulein Milch, drawing her cap-strings through her fingers. "It i
- 115 The Aunt condescendingly dropped very slightly the fan which she held, and Frau Ceres made a truly courtly reverence."Come nearer," said the Aunt. "It is very good in you to take up your abode in our country.""It was my husband's wish," answered Fr
- 114 Roland was summoned to his mother, who wanted him; Eric watched him thoughtfully as he went; he felt also that a new page was to be turned, without knowing what it was to be. He looked towards the door, for he expected that Sonnenkamp would send for him.
- 113 "For heaven's sake, drop this talk! It's not good, 'twill only do harm!"Then he took another look at Sonnenkamp, shrugging up his shoulders."What _does_ the man mean," he thought, "by talking to us in this style! We wouldn't put a hair in his pat
- 112 Eric commenced reading. The fulness and flexibility of his voice gave the requisite expression to each character, and he preserved the proper distinction between reading and theatrical presentation. He brought out no strong colors; it was an artistic embo
- 111 In the evening, Eric received a large package of books and a letter from Professor Einsiedel, and also a large sheet of memoranda. He commended Eric's intention of writing a treatise upon the idea and nature of slavery, as it would prove a very fertile t
- 110 "Are the people who are slaves fond of their children? Do you know any song they sing?"Eric had very little to say in reply. Roland wanted to know how all the ancient nations regarded slavery. Eric could give him only a superficial statement; he proceed
- 109 And this apparent indecision was increased by the feeling she had of not being justified in contending against a faith so firm and so beneficent in its influence. An unrest, like that of a spy, who, from the highest patriotic motives, inspects an enemy's
- 108 Manna appeared hardly to have heard her, for now she grasped her arm asking:-- "Did you not tell me, that you were specially in the confidence of my mother?""Yes.""And has she told you the secret too?""I do not understand you.""Speak openly with
- 107 The Superior was rich in experience, while the Professorin depended almost entirely on the precepts and opinions of her departed husband; and now that she took the att.i.tude of a scholar, and listened gratefully, gentler thoughts rose within the Superior
- 106 Humility, respect, and helpful kindness were manifest in Sonnenkamp's whole demeanor, as he extended his hand to the Professorin on her getting out of the carriage; as he conducted her to the steamboat; as he looked out for a seat protected from the drau
- 105 Clodwig was remarkably cheerful and happy, and the day pa.s.sed off with a joyousness that is possible only to persons in entire leisure, and perhaps only on the banks of the Rhine.Roland was the happiest of all; he seemed to be the life and connecting li
- 104 He stood by the garden-fence, drumming with his fingers upon one of the rails, and lost in so deep a reverie, that the guests stood before him, without his having noticed their approach.The meeting of the Mother and Fraulein Milch was not so cordial as th
- 103 "I trust you will pardon my boldness; is it true that Manna is to be taken from the convent, and have her education completed by you?"The Mother was amazed. What was to her only a vague thought, was the gossip of the neighborhood. She could not imagine
- 102 FRAU PETRA.When Sonnenkamp was alone in the garden, in the hot-houses, in the work-room, or his seed-room, he wore perpetually a complacent, triumphant smile, often congratulating himself upon his success in making persons and circ.u.mstances play into hi
- 101 "My second point is only a repet.i.tion of the first. I remember your father's saying once, that the first and only true support, or rather the very foundation of education, must be:--'Thou shalt, and thou shalt not; straight forward without comment, w
- 100 "My heart is full of happiness and joy; it is a real blessedness to see a woman who is sixty years old, and who has never had a thought that she needed to repent of."Bella looked up quickly. "What does this mean? Has he any idea of what has transpired?
- 99 She knew not what she desired here, but she was happy, or rather soothed, when she saw them sitting so confidentially together. Yes, she thought, every one who gives an ear to him, and returns a stimulating reply occasionally, is as much to him as I.She r
- 98 "I?" the priest asked."And I?" asked the Professorin."Yes, you. Our century has entered upon a wholly new investigation of the laws of the world; and things, circ.u.mstances, sentiments, which one would not believe could ever be caught, are now bagge
- 97 The ladies withdrew to dress for dinner. Frau Dournay had let down her long gray hair, and sat some time speechless in her dressing-room, with her hands folded in her lap. It seemed to her as if her brain had received a heavy blow from what she had become
- 96 Sonnenkamp expressed himself as very much obliged for the compliment, but he smiled inwardly, thinking that he saw through the fine courtly breeding; that this lady, before she came there, had read up in his favorite pursuit, in order to render herself ag
- 95 When she thanked him for having been the means of obtaining such a position for Eric, he declined receiving any thanks for what he had done, as it was only a trifling amount toward the payment of his debt to the late Professor, to whom he owed all the cul
- 94 He understood how to represent in a very plausible way, that the Professorin--to whom the Cabinetsrathin herself looked up, because she had been the favorite and most influential lady of the Court, even the friend and confidante of the Princess-dowager--t
- 93 "Because he will be hanged."Claus did not like to have them talk of bad people.Sevenpiper was a good representative of "blessed be nothing." He had sent a child to his house, and just as some bottles of wine arrived which Fraulein Milch had sent, ther
- 92 The same sun that shone at Wolfsgarten, where Bella was maintaining a severe internal struggle, and that shone through the lowered green shades in the court-room upon the bench of the accused, glimmered also through the closed Venetian blinds in the quiet
- 91 Claus seemed to have pined away considerably, and when the dwarf wanted to whisper something to him, as he sat there at a little distance from his fellow defendants, he turned away displeased. He looked up to the s.p.a.ce occupied by the spectators, and s
- 90 "Forgive me! forgive!" was echoed and re-echoed within her. At first it was directed to Clodwig, and now to Eric."Forgive! forgive my pride! But thou canst not know how proud I have been: and I sacrificed to thee more than a thousand others, more than
- 89 "Does it seem to you as it does to me, when you see your nearest friend in a great a.s.sembly, as if you met in a strange land, or as if struggling in a river, in which you are drowning?""Ah! Bravo!" many voices cried suddenly. A flight of rockets was
- 88 The Wine-count was most cordial in his manner; there was a remarkable elasticity in the movements of the slender, white-haired old man. He went from guest to guest, with an appropriate friendly word for each, and on all sides received double congratulatio
- 87 "He differs from him in having good thoughts and clear views.""Where does he get these?""Out of himself.""And how does he learn to sharpen them, and to round them off?""By comparing them.""With what?""With the thoughts of great men.""And do
- 86 "That is new to me, surprisingly new," interposed the Prince, while Clodwig continued:-- "The Russian amba.s.sador informed me that during the Crimean war the rumor was spread--no one knew its origin, and yet it was in all mouths--that every one who ha
- 85 Sonnenkamp also walked about the park in the silent night, inwardly chafing at the thought that there was always something to conceal, for a single expression of Eric's that day had awakened a powerful struggle within him. That expression was, free labor
- 84 Sonnenkamp smiled; he was pleased to see, that this proud virtue knew so well how to hide his deviations from the straight path.Roland was evidently inclined to break through the strict discipline which Eric had introduced, and which he himself had re-est
- 83 "The human race affords the most abundant material for conversation, and of that race the most inexhaustible matter is furnished by the variety woman. I am not meaning now to speak of Bella, but of myself. I have discovered in this woman an entirely new
- 82 "Yesterday evening the cuira.s.siers of the guard celebrated their annual festival on Rudolph's Hill. His Highness, Prince Leonhard, graced the entertainment with his presence. Among the guests was Herr Sonnenkamp, of Villa Eden, with his highly-respect
- 81 CHAPTER III.THE NEW ALLIES, AND A SUMMER FETE.Hardly two weeks had gone by before the lessons were interrupted again.Frau Ceres, who was generally very quiet and took no interest in anything, often referred to a promise she had made to take Roland to see
- 80 Herr Sonnenkamp returned to his villa like a ruler to his castle where a mutiny has lately broken out. Every step in his house, every glance at a servant, said, I am here again, and with me authority and order.Eric did not lay upon Pranken the blame of wh
- 79 The dwarfs face wore a simple expression, as if he had not understood what was meant.The officer ordered his instant arrest. He complained piteously that the innocent were always the ones to be suspected, and Roland begged that the poor creature might be
- 78 Lina sang gaily as they sat together in the boat. Her love-songs were given with a sweetness, an abandonment, that Pranken had never heard from her before. Clodwig described her singing to his wife, on his return, as being as simple and beautiful as a fie
- 77 "I have not been mistaken in you." After a pause he continued:--"I acknowledge fully your considerateness."He did not answer directly the question as to the cause of his confidence, and there was hardly time, for Roland now called Eric to the sitting.
- 76 Fraulein Milch told of Eric's glory at the singing festival, and the Major said,-- "That's good. At our feasts, singers are very important. But can you sing, 'These holy halls'?"Eric regretted that the air was too low for his voice."Then sing somet
- 75 This incident seemed to lead the boy's mind to composure. But as they were going home, he asked,--"Now tell me, Eric, what would you do if all this wealth were yours? Can you tell, Eric, now?" "Not exactly. I think I should waste much of it in experim
- 74 "I want to work like the masons' apprentices up there. I don't want to eat and drink anything except what they do, and I want to carry loads up and down like them."Eric went to the castle with Roland, but on the way, he said,-- "Roland, your purpose
- 73 Eric declined, with thanks, these manifestations of friendliness, and took, with Roland the first boat to return to the villa.Roland went into the cabin, and he was soon sound asleep; Eric sat alone upon the deck, and he was troubled with the thought of h
- 72 It was a merry, exhilarating life into which Eric and Roland were inducted, and when they returned to their strict method of study, there was a deep realization of the fact that they were living in the midst of a merry region, where existence can be easil
- 71 They pa.s.sed a low oak-tree; Roland seized a branch, and shook it, crying "Hang!" and Thistle sprang up, caught the branch with his sharp teeth, and remained hanging to it till Roland told him to let go. Rose performed the same trick, and even outdid h
- 70 The whole region had made use of the castle as a stone-quarry, and the corners had especially suffered, because they contained the best stones. The whole was grown over with shrubbery, the castle-dwelling had wholly disappeared, and the castle itself, ori
- 69 Eric ordered the horses to be put again to the carriage, and entered it with Roland, who asked,-- "Where are we going?"Eric quieted him with the a.s.surance that he was about to show him a miracle. They drove down the road, where the wind was das.h.i.+n
- 68 "It is unpleasant to me to make this declaration in Roland's presence, but I think that he is sufficiently mature to comprehend this matter. I think, I am firmly convinced, that a serious course of study cannot be resumed at a fas.h.i.+onable watering-p
- 67 He was sixty-four years old, but seemed still very vigorous. He had the same reason for complaining which all public teachers have, and related with a mingled pride and bitterness that his son, twenty-one years of age, was receiving more than twice the pa
- 66 "I must, like a child," he began, "tell you of my last observation, and my last trouble. You are not in a hurry? I must honestly confess to you, that nothing in our time vexes me so much, as to find people always in a hurry."Eric set his mind at rest,
- 65 The next morning, ordering his horse to be saddled, he mounted and rode towards Clodwig's house.He had scarcely been riding fifteen minutes, when a boy called to him, and brought him a letter. He read it, nodded, and rode in good spirits to the village.C
- 64 "Yes, yes, that's the way. I know what you are, a child who takes to a stranger child. But enough!"He rose hastily.The parents and Roland left the cell. Manna remained there with Heimchen.Upon the steps, Sonnenkamp said to his wife,-- "This is your do
- 63 "Your child, whom we may call our child also,--for we love her no less than you do,--is quite well; she is generally yielding and patient too, but sometimes she shows an incomprehensible self-will, amounting almost to stubbornness."A rapid flash from So
- 62 Eric found great difficulty in keeping his pupil steadily at his lessons, so completely was he taken up with the thought of the journey.The day came for the journey to the convent; it was a bright day of suns.h.i.+ne.Eric requested that he might remain be
- 61 Eric replied affirmatively, and Bella stared at him. He knew now why Bella had been so indifferent and unconcerned; he had received money from her husband, and he now ranked, therefore, very differently in her estimation.At dinner he saw Frau Ceres again,
- 60 "In the sphere of books lies not the heroism,--I believe that the period of heroic development is past,--but the manhood of the new age."Because our influence is exerted through books, there can be no longer any grand, personal manifestation of power."
- 59 "Give me something to do, something right hard; try and think of something."Eric perceived the boy's state of excitement; sitting down near him, he took his hand, and showed him that life seldom furnished a single deed on which one could employ the who
- 58 The whole town lifted up their eyes, as the six persons were going to the station. Sonnenkamp escorted Frau Dournay, the Major the aunt, and Eric held Roland by the hand. They had to wait for the train to come in. Suddenly Professor Einsiedel made his app
- 57 CHAPTER XVI.WE HAVE HIM.While the Major and Eric were sitting together, Sonnenkamp was with the mother in the library; Roland and the aunt, in the recess, had a great book open before them, containing outline drawings of Greek sculpture.The boy now looked
- 56 The family of the professor's wife were at breakfast. Roland drank his coffee out of the cup which had Hermann's name upon it, and Eric said that they must be at the station in an hour, since Herr Sonnenkamp would probably come by the express train: it
- 55 She had never repented leaving her own cla.s.s to marry her husband, she had been too happy for that; but she saw in Eric's position something like a grievous consequence of her own act. Moved by these thoughts, which she never expressed, she said,-- "I
- 54 He wandered on. He had learned what it was to enjoy the kindness and bounty of poor men, now that he was himself poor and helpless; that was his best experience.The world is beautiful and men are good, even if a hostler could not resist a well-filled purs
- 53 Roland gave an indirect reply. And now the teamster told him that he himself was an honest fellow, that he had earned by hard work everything which he had upon his back, and he would go hungry and beg, before he would get anything by dishonest means. He a
- 52 The lighter the morning became, the more confident did Sonnenkamp feel that Roland was floating there a corpse in the river, which was now of a reddish purple, a stream of blood; the far-extending water was nothing but blood! He uttered a deep groan, and
- 51 Just as he left the minister, an oldish man, who had been waiting for him under a house-porch, came up to him and greeted him in a very friendly manner. Eric could not call to mind who he was, and the man said that Eric had once done him a good turn in th
- 50 HELPING ONE'S SELF, OR BEING HELPED.Eric turned homewards, like a man, who, coming out of a saloon illuminated with dazzling brilliancy, to his study where burns a solitary lamp, involuntarily rubs his eyes, which having become accustomed to the greater
- 49 "Your father had written to him a decided refusal before I came, and the letter has been put into the post before this."The boy sat upon the bench in the park, and stared fixedly, the book open in his hand.CHAPTER IX.DEJECTION AND COURAGE IN A CHILD'S
- 48 Pranken left her, with calm self-satisfaction, to go to Herr Sonnenkamp: he was almost ready to defend Eric since he was already set aside. With great peace of mind he laid his hand on the book in his breast pocket; the man who spoke in it would be conten
- 47 Bella was in very good spirits, and took it in good part. She began with saying, that it was in the highest degree contemptible to make such a stir about the appointment of a private tutor, a personage that must always play a subordinate part, however fin
- 46 Bella extolled now, in the warmest terms, the delicious, spicy cakes which the Justice's wife knew how to make so excellently well; she would like to know the ingredients. The Justice's wife said that she had a particular way of giving them their flavor
- 45 The Justice's wife complained that Captain and Doctor Dournay--"what is one to call him--?""Call him simply doctor."That Doctor Dournay, then, had paid a visit to the priest, to the major, and to the physician. The Major's housekeeper had told the b
- 44 "So much the better," Pranken wanted to say, but luckily he was able to withhold it; he turned to the superior, folded his hands, and stood as if praying her to grant his pet.i.tion. The superior nodded her head several times, and at last said,-- "My c
- 43 CHAPTER II.A GREEN TWIG.Os the west side of the convent, under the lofty, wide-spreading, thickly-leaved chestnut-trees, beeches, and lindens, and far in among the firs with their fresh shoots, stationary tables and benches were arranged. Girls in blue dr
- 42 The doctor suddenly turned round, and cried:-- "You may yet induce me to put something in print. I am verily of the opinion, that though there must be some consumers who are not producers, there are no graduated German heads that don't want, at some tim
- 41 "That you may do; it is a sin to be untrue, and a double sin to be so towards you.""Well then," said Lina, taking off her straw hat, and shaking the curls in her neck, "well then, if you will honestly confess, that Manna made an impression on you at
- 40 CHAPTER XI.STRIVE TO MAKE MONEY.It is not well to hear a man so much spoken of and praised, before seeing him face to face. It seemed incomprehensible to Eric how this man exerted such a wide influence, and impossible for himself to enter into his life. T
- 39 "The great question always is, how receptivity itself confers upon one all that is desirable. That would be your princ.i.p.al task, to awaken and to perfect in Roland his power of receptivity. He must first of all, be taught in a regular way. In what he
- 38 "Will you permit Herr Dournay to accompany us?" asked Clodwig.Sonnenkamp started as he answered quickly,-- "I have no permission to give the captain, but if you are determined to go, I would ask him as a favor to accompany you, with a promise of return
- 37 Sonnenkamp expatiated, too, on the many strange things imputed to him; and yet no one had really made the charge: but he himself, together with Pranken, had spread the report, that he was desirous of giving his own name to the castle, the line of the orig