Courts and courtiers -- Fiction; German fiction -- Translations into English; Germany -- Fiction
It was all right. Herr von Knobelsdorff was satisfied, and the wise
woman wrapped the child up again. But even then she continued to look
down at the Prince and then up at the Baron, until she had drawn his
eyes to the point to which she wished to attract them. The wrinkles at
the corners of his eyes disappeared, he knit his brows, tried, compared,
felt, examined for two or three minutes, and at last asked: "Has the
Grand Duke yet seen it?"
"No, Excellency."
"When the Grand Duke sees it," said Herr von Knobelsdorff, "tell him
that he will grow out of it."
And to the others on the ground-floor he reported--"A splendid prince!"
But ten or fifteen minutes after him the Grand Duke also made the
disagreeable discovery,--that was unavoidable, and resulted for
Surgeon-General Eschrich in a short, extremely unpleasant scene, but for
the Grimmburg Doctor Sammet in an interview with the Grand Duke which
raised him considerably in the latter's estimation and was useful to him
in his subsequent career. What happened was briefly as follows:
After the birth Johann Albrecht had again retired to the library, and
then returned to sit for some time at the bedside with his wife's hand
in his. Thereupon he went into the "powder-closet," where the infant now
lay in his high, richly gilded cradle, half covered with a blue silk
curtain, and sat down in an armchair by the side of his little son. But
while he sat and watched the sleeping infant it happened that he noticed
what it was hoped that he would not notice yet. He drew the counterpane
back, his face clouded over, and then he did exactly what Herr von
Knobelsdorff had done before him, looked from Doctor Gnadebusch to the
nurse and back again, both of whom said nothing, cast one glance at the
half-open door into the bride-chamber, and stalked excitedly back into
the library.
Here he at once rang the silver eagle-topped bell which stood on the
writing-table, and said to Herr von Lichterloh, who came in, very curtly
and coldly: "I require Herr Eschrich."
When the Grand Duke was angry with any member of his suite, he was wont
to strip the culprit for the moment of all his titles and dignities, and
to leave him nothing but his bare name.
The aide-de-camp again clapped his spurs and heels together and
withdrew. Johann Albrecht strode once or twice in a rage up and down the
room, and then, hearing Herr von Lichterloh bring the person he had
summoned into the ante-room, adopted an audience attitude at his
writing-table.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account