第 12 节
作者:
蒂帆 更新:2021-02-27 02:29 字数:9322
MIN。 He is now your friend。 He has heard too much good of you from too many people; not to become so。 He longs to become personally acquainted with the man whom his heiress has chosen。 He comes as uncle; as guardian; as father; to give me to you。
MAJ。 T。 Ah! dear lady; why did you not read my letter? Why would you not read it?
MIN。 Your letter! Oh! yes; I remember you sent me one。 What did you do with that letter; Franziska? Did we; or did we not read it? What was it you wrote to me; dear Tellheim?
MAJ。 T。 Nothing but what honour commands me。
MIN。 That is; not to desert an honourable woman who loves you。 Certainly that is what honour commands。 Indeed; I ought to have read your letter。 But what I have not read; I shall hear; shall not I?
MAJ。 T。 Yes; you shall hear it。
MIN。 No; I need not even hear it。 It speaks for itself。 As if you could be guilty of such an unworthy act; as not to take me! Do you know that I should be pointed at for the rest of my life? My countrywomen would talk about me; and say。 〃That is she; that is the Fraulein von Barnhelm; who fancied that because she was rich could marry the noble Tellheim; as if such men were to be caught with money。〃 That is what they would say; for they are all envious of me。 That I am rich; they cannot deny; but they do not wish to acknowledge that I am also a tolerably good girl; who would prove herself worthy of her husband。 Is that not so; Tellheim?
MAJ。 T。 Yes; yes; Madam; that is like your countrywomen。 They will envy you exceedingly a discharged officer; with sullied honour; a cripple; and a beggar。
MIN。 And are you all that? If I mistake not; you told me something of the kind this forenoon。 Therein is good and evil mixed。 Let us examine each charge more closely。 You are discharged? So you say。 I thought your regiment was only drafted into another。 How did it happen that a man of your merit was not retained?
MAJ。 T。 It has happened; as it must happen。 The great ones are convinced that a soldier does very little through regard for them; not much more from a sense of duty; but everything for his own advantage。 What then can they think they owe him? Peace has made a great many; like myself superfluous to them; and at last we shall all be superfluous。
MIN。 You talk as a man must talk; to whom in return the great are quite superfluous。 And never were they more so than now。 I return my best thanks to the great ones that they have given up their claims to a man whom I would very unwillingly have shared with them。 I am your sovereign; Tellheim; you want no other master。 To find you discharged; is a piece of good fortune I dared scarcely dream of! But you are not only discharged; you are more。 And what are you more? A cripple; you say! Well! (looking at him from head to foot); the cripple is tolerably whole and uprightappears still to be pretty well; and strong。 Dear Tellheim; if you expect to go begging on the strength of your limbs; I prophesy that you will be relieved at very few doors; except at the door of a good…natured girl like myself。
MAJ。 T。 I only hear the joking girl now; dear Minna。
MIN。 And I only hear the 〃dear Minna〃 in your chiding。 I will not joke any longer; for I recollect that after all you are something of a cripple。 You are wounded by a shot in the right arm; but all things considered; I do not find much fault with that。 I am so much the more secure from your blows。
MAJ。 T。 Madam!
MIN。 You would say; 〃You are so much the less secure from mine。〃 Well; well; dear Tellheim; I hope you will not drive me to that。
MAJ。 T。 You laugh; Madam。 I only lament that I cannot laugh with you。
MIN。 Why not? What have you to say against laughing? Cannot one be very serious even whilst laughing? Dear Major; laughter keeps us more rational than vexation。 The proof is before us。 Your laughing friend judges of your circumstances more correctly than you do yourself。 Because you are discharged; you say your honour is sullied; because you are wounded in the arm; you call yourself a cripple。 Is that right? Is that no exaggeration? And is it my doing that all exaggerations are so open to ridicule? I dare say; if I examine your beggary that it will also be as little able to stand the test。 You may have lost your equipage once; twice; or thrice; your deposits in the hands of this or that banker may have disappeared together with those of other people; you may have no hope of seeing this or that money again which you may have advanced in the service; but are you a beggar on that account? If nothing else remained to you but what my uncle is bringing for you
MAJ。 T。 Your uncle; Madam; will bring nothing for me。
MIN。 Nothing but the two thousand pistoles which you so generously advanced to our government。
MAJ。 T。 If you had but read my letter; Madam!
MIN。 Well; I did read it。 But what I read in it; on this point; is a perfect riddle。 It is impossible that any one should wish to turn a noble action into a crime。 But explain to me; dear Major。
MAJ。 T。 You remember; Madam; that I had orders to collect the contribution for the war most strictly in cash in all the districts in your neighbourhood。 I wished to forego this severity; and advanced the money that was deficient myself。
MIN。 I remember it well。 I loved you for that deed before I had seen you。
MAJ。 T。 The government gave me their bill; and I wished; at the signing of the peace; to have the sum entered amongst the debts to be repaid by them。 The bill was acknowledged as good; but my ownership of the same was disputed。 People looked incredulous; when I declared that I had myself advanced the amount in cash。 It was considered as bribery; as a douceur from the government; because I at once agreed to take the smallest sum with which I could have been satisfied in a case of the greatest exigency。 Thus the bill went from my possession; and if it be paid; will certainly not be paid to me。 Hence; Madam; I consider my honour to be suspected! not on account of my discharge; which; if I had not received; I should have applied for。 You look serious; Madam! Why do you not laugh? Ha! ha! ha! I am laughing。
MIN。 Oh! stifle that laugh; Tellheim; I implore you! It is the terrible laugh of misanthropy。 No; you are not the man to repent of a good deed; because it may have had a bad result for yourself。 Nor can these consequences possibly be of long duration。 The truth must come to light。 The testimony of my uncle; of our government
MAJ。 T。 Of your uncle! Of your government! Ha! ha! ha!
MIN。 That laugh will kill me; Tellheim。 If you believe in virtue and Providence; Tellheim; do not laugh so! I never heard a curse more terrible than that laugh! But; viewing the matter in the worst light; if they are determined to mistake your character here; with us you will not be misunderstood。 No; we cannot; we will not; misunderstand you; Tellheim。 And if our government has the least sentiment of honour; I know what it must do。 But I am foolish; what would that matter? Imagine; Tellheim; that you have lost the two thousand pistoles on some gay evening。 The king was an unfortunate card for you: the queen (pointing to herself) will be so much the more favourable。 Providence; believe me; always indemnifies a man of honouroften even beforehand。 The action which was to cost you two thousand pistoles; gained you me。 Without that action; I never should have been desirous of making your acquaintance。 You know I went uninvited to the first party where I thought I should meet you。 I went entirely on your account。 I went with a fixed determination to love youI loved you already! with the fixed determination to make you mine; if I should find you as dark and ugly as the Moor of Venice。 So dark and ugly you are not; nor will you be so jealous。 But; Tellheim; Tellheim; you are yet very like him! Oh! the unmanageable; stubborn man; who always keeps his eye fixed upon the phantom of honour; and becomes hardened against every other sentiment! Your eyes this way! Upon me;me; Tellheim! (He remains thoughtful and immovable; with his eyes fixed on one spot。) Of what are you thinking? Do you not hear me?
MAJ。 T。 (absent)。 Oh; yes; but tell me; how came the Moor into the service of Venice? Had the Moor no country of his own? Why did he hire his arm and his blood to a foreign land?
MIN。 (alarmed)。 Of what are you thinking; Tellheim? It is time to break off。 Come! (taking him by the hand)。 Franziska; let the carriage be brought round。
MAJ。 T。 (disengaging his hand; and following Franziska)。 No; Franziska; I cannot have the honour of accompanying your mistress。 Madam; let me still retain my senses unimpaired for to…day; and give me leave to go。 You are on the right way to deprive me of them。 I resist it as much as I can。 But hear; whilst I am still myself; what I have firmly determined; and from which nothing in the world shall turn me。 If I have not better luck in the game of life; if a complete change in my fortune does not take place; if
MIN。 I must interrupt you; Major。 We ought to have told him that at first; Franziska。You remind me of nothing。Our conversation would have taken quite a different turn; Tellheim; if I had commenced with the good news which the Chevalier de la Marliniere brought just now。
MAJ。 T。 Th