LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 749, 13 November 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

•NEE SMITH. ( Concluded,") He seemed struck dumb by her temerity, but she swept him up such a lovely deprecating look from under her long eyelashes that his indignation melted. ' Would you have me forget my nationality, Fraulein V he asked, rather piteously. ' Not at all; there is nothing I admire so much as real patriotism.' ' The Von Pfannigsteins have always been patriotic,' said he, with serene self-satisfac-tion; * the representative of an ancient house can scarcely be otherwise.' ' But you don't think patriotism an exclusive privilege of the aristocracy, do you, Herr ? You admit that it is the right and duty of us all, even though one may not be a " von," but only plain Smith or Jones, like me.' Ruprecht looked at her with sudden anxiety. 'ln your country there are no " vons," I understand, Fraulein; but you are, without doubt, noble. That English Herr who was here the other day is your relation, is he not?' • Lord Ashcombe 1 No he is a—a friend I' And Leonore blushed beautifully. • But you have a castle, my Fraulien ; you have named it to me. Seiib l how was ( ifc you called it ?' 'Woodlands? That ismy guardian's country place ; it is not a castle, nor is it mine. What good would a castle be to me ? If one were Gotz von Berlichingen, indeed !' •Fraulein,' said he proudly, 'I am not Gotz of the Iron Hand myself, yet Schloss Ffannigstein is as dear to me as the apple of my eye.' ' Ah 1 but you are a Von Pfannigstein, you see,' she replied, with a touch of that playful malice which the slow German never under stood ; ' whereas I am a bourgeoise Smith, with my money in the funds, and neither hereditary lands nor hereditary title.' Ruprecht gave a long sigh, the beginning of a ' soul-conflict' much more severe than any he had yet gone through. Ah, by what terrible fatality was it that this bright young creature, with her grace and beauty, her air of refinement and fashion, and, better than all, those imperial eyes that were like a king's daughter's in a ballad, was yet not noble ; that she, so endowed, could not boast of a 'von' or its English equivalent, but was plain bourgeoise Smith, and by consequence all unfit to mate with a Von Pfannigstein 1

He went home alterc, as a Frenchman would have said, and wrote a poem on the world being all ajar, and Nature's fabled order a ' soul-perplexing choas;' which merely meant to say that Leonora, who ought to have had the aristocracy of birth as well as of beauty, which had been born without the 'von,' but which, of course, said nothing of the kind out plainly, but involved itself in such words as ' immensities, * 4 world-thunders,' and ' lightning-desola-tions,' and brought out heavy artillery to do duty for crackers. He tried to keep away from Frauleiu von Knebel's drawing-room, and succeeded for a time, but he was very miserable. He eschewed the city altogether, and wandered about his estate, en grand slgneur, but the occupation was not cheering. The autumn vintage had been a failure, the other crops had proved almost equally unprofitable, and the Von Pfannigstein coffers were emptier than ever ; bo the peasants who depended on the young Herr for work and pay were badly off indeed. Rnprecht was even more sorry for them than for himself; he repaid the feudal feeling with which they looted up to him by a protecting care for their interests, and was too good-hearted not to find his inability to give them substantial help the sorest burden which his poverty entailed. He was a little vain and preposterously proud, but he was not a bad young man, after all, nor heartless in the least. There was scant cheer in tho peasants' huts that winter, but the inhabitants of Schloss Pfannigstein themselves fared little better. Leonora, when she now and then caught a glimpse of Kuprecht, saw that his aristocratic features looked more sharply cut than ever, and that his pale face was beginning to wear the look of an illuminati, but could not, of course, guess how much of this was owing to the unvaried diet of soupe maigrc and Sauerkraiiv, added to present distress of mind and anxiety about the future. The distress in the peasants' cottages did come to her knowledge. She used to take long walks up the hillside accompanied by her maid, and in their wanderings they made acquaintance with many flaxen-haired, flabby little Germans, and heard from them sad stories of want and misery. She did what she could for them in a quiet way. She bought wore bead pursea tliau eh© could ever

hope to use if she lived to the age of Methuselah, and invested in hundreds of pairs of knitted socks, which she sent home to England for the poor in her guardian's parish. She got orders for some from English friends, and set even the men knitting, as they can do upon occasion. In those peasant dwellings the young English Franlein was welcomed as a messenger of help and comfort. She did it all as secretly as possible, not from humilitj only, but be cause she could not bear Ruprecht to know that a Von Pfannigstein's tenants had been assisted by the bourgeoise English girl. When Fraulein Von Knebel made her periodical visits to the Castle, Leonora now rarely consented to accompany her. One may have a little 'proper pride' of one's own, even when one's name is Smith. But Ruprecht did get to know a good of .what she had done, and was more troubled by it than he cared to show. It was not for nothing that he heard his people speak of her as ' the Fraulein with the angel face and the open hand of a queen;' nor was it for nothing either, that he heard Lord Ashcombe had come back to the city, and was often to be seen in that particular arm-chair near Fraulein von Knebcl's window, in which he had passed so many happy hours. The English 'milord' had doubtless forgotten what he owed to himself and all those noble milords his ancestors; he was not duly maintaining the dignity of his * von,' but still he was a very enviable man. Ruprecht began heartily to wish that that ' von' were not so rigorous in its demands upon himself. He became older in this time of trouble; he left off writing wishy washy verses, and began to turn his attention to more practical matters. When the spring came he went on a visit to some friends at Berlin, and Frau van Pfannigstein began to talk mysteriously about 'my son's future career,' as if he were about to seek some profession instead of contenting himself as heretofore with the barren dignity of his unprofitable landed proprietorship. When Leonora and he ,met again it was towards the end of July, and war with France had been declared, and all Germany was ringing with enthusiastic patriotism. One could tell that Ruprecht had caught the infection by the change in his bearing and expression, even more than by the change in his dress, which wa3 now that of an officer in the Landwehr. As he entered Frulein von Knebel's door Lord Ashcombe went out of it, and Leonora was leaning back in her chair with her eyes shut, and a strange look of pain and languor upon her face 'O, don't come back!' she said wearily, hearing the manly tread; 'indeed I have nothing more to say.' ' Frualein—' began Ruprecht hesitatingly.

She looked up. Oh, it is well to shut one's eyes when the opening is like sunrise. ' Herr von Pfannigstein !'—with a lovely blush. • Ah, I did not know it was you.' ' No ! I am quite a stranger here, Fraulein; but I—l felt I could not join the army without seeing you once more. You look pale; is my visit ill-timed ?' ' Not at all. I am a little tired, but it is nothing; people are urging me to get back to England at once now that war has broken out, and I am wilful enough to want to stay here. You have a paper in your hand, I see; have you brought me some poetry ?' *ltis a ballad. I hesitate to trouble you with it, my Fraulein ; but I thought perbaj a you would let me leave it with you "zum Denkmal." It owes its inspiration to you.' And too embarrassed to say more, he began to read.

• Ah, that is indeed good,' she said when he had finished ; ' worthy to take its place by Nikolaus Becker's " German Bhine." How I like your saying that the Fatherland belongs to all, arid that the poorest peasant has a share in its renowr, and should be ready to die for it I Mein jlerr, you will publish thiß?' ' I do not know about that, Fraulein,' said he, growing modest now that he had really done something good. •It is a delightful surprise to me to find that you care for it. When I began to read it to my mother she interrupted me at the third line, like Jean Paul's pastor's wife, to ask whether I had a nail in my boot, or how else I could account for the large holes she had to mend in my socks.' ' Nevertheless, she is going to spare you for her country's sake, is she not 1 ' said Leonora, with a smile. 1 Yes, she consents to my fighting for my country, and it does not matter if she Bees no use in my writing for it.' 1 Ah, but I want this ballad to be known and sung; it has a splendid ring in it. Are you really going to give it to rue, Herr?* ' For your album 1 Yes, gracious Fraulein, with the utmost pleasure.' • For my album ? No !' and her scorn was magnificent; ' but will you trust me with it ? May Ido as I like with it ? We are friends, are we not ?—though my name is Smith.' Ruprecht coloured high, and stroked hiß fair moustache, ' You must not think of that, Fraulein. See, I call you by it— Mees Smith? With that grand air of his it was irresistibly comic. She threw back her little head and laughed, and her laugh was delicious. • 1 never liked my name so well before,' she said. ' I did not know it could sound ao quaint.' «Fraulein, forgive me; I presume perhaps, but is it true that you are about to change it ? The English milord—' ' Even friendship doeß not give one the right to ask such questions, Herr von Pfannigstein,' she said, drawing herself up. That a woman with no ancesters worth mentioning coald speak like that, could look like that, astonished the young Herr not a little. He tumbled into the world-chaos again, and only extricated himself by the thought that she was certainly going to marry the milord, and was armed already with milady's dignity. It did serve to bring things back to their balance, but it scut him wild with jealousy notwithstanding. ' Ab, pardon me,' he stammered, in agitation. 'lf I ask. it is because lam unhappy, because a heart-wounding destiny seems in store for me; and you— 3 ' Can have no hing to do with the destiny of a Von Pfannigstein, so why speak of it to me, Herr, unless indeed you desire my sympathy 1 I will listen with interest to anything you care to tell me; of myself I have nothing to tell.' ' I may tell you my heart secret, you will not tell me yours. I understand, Fraulein. Well, here is mine, I can no longer keep it back. The English Herr is not the only one who loves you. I offer you the heart of a Von Pfaunigstein.'

*ln exchange for the heart of a Smith? O, for shame, Herr! You forget your pedigree.' She was mockingly beautiful, and as proud as any * von' of them all. 'Fraulein, I venerate my ancestry, but why should I sacrifice to it life and love ? You have been to me as a holy inspiration, and I see now, if not before, that I raise rather than lower myself in loving you.' * Then it is the man who loves me. nos the Von Pfannigstein,' she said; and never had he seen her eyes so glorious. 'As true man and true knight I accept your love.' Did ever warrior fall down and kiss the fair hands of a king's daughter with more devotion than the young German noble bent before Leonora Fmith. ' And you will give me your ballad ?' she said. ' Ruprecht, you shall be famous yet t * So sin had her ambition ? O, yes, and tha innate nobility which excels all other. When Ruprecht went to the war she joined one of the noble Bed Cross bands and ministered to the wounded ; and when spirits drooped she cheered them with Buprecht's ballad, and when her own was desolate she comforted it with Buprecht's love. Even if he had fallen in battle, she would not have regretted her choice, never ceased to dwell with joy on the few brief moments which followed her acceptance of Buprecht's offering—never have wished that she had returned to England aa Lady Ashcombe, and left her poor German lover to console himself as best he might. He was no mere sentimental stripling now, this Herr von Pfannigstein; he was a man, and she had helped to make him one; she would never hare wished the work undone even if nothing but loss and grief to herself had come out of it all. But Ruprecht lived to come home in March, and Leonora and he were married in April; and if you could see Schloss Pfannigstein now—still in its old place on the hill, and still picturesque, but no longer to be described as tumble-down—-you would marvel at the change that a few short months have produced. ' The Franlein with the angel face' retains her place in the peasants' hearts, though now she is spoken of with respectful awe as the' ehrwurdge Fran,' aud Ruprecht is convinced that those wonderful eyes have found their vocation in life; for they are gracious and beaming to guests and to the poor as the eyes of the chatalaine of Schloss Pfannigstein ought to be, they are loving to her husband like every true woman's, and they are eloquent and inspired and full of high-souled meaning when great themes are spoken of, such as are dear to Buprecht's heart. If he does not serve his country as faithfully in peace as he did in war it will not be his wife's fault, and for my part I think the ancestral portraits of the Von PfannigsteiDS look down on thn yoang pair benignantly, though Leonora was nee Smith.'