The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: Masterpieces of German Literature Vol. 19
General
The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: Masterpieces of German Literature Vol. 19
German literature -- 19th century -- Translations into English; German literature -- 20th century -- Translations into English
"Yes, it is a silly name, and Heaven knows I wish I were named Heinrich
or Wilhelm, you can take my word for that. But the reason is that a
brother of my mother, for whom I was christened, is named Antonio; for
you know my mother came from over there ..."
Then he said no more, and let the other two talk of horses and harness.
Hans had taken Immerthal's arm, and was talking with a fluent sympathy
which never could have been aroused in him for _Don Carlos_ ... From
time to time Tonio felt rising and tickling his nose a desire to weep;
and he had difficulty in controlling his chin, which constantly tried
to quiver.
Hans did not like his name--what was to be done? His own name was Hans,
and Immerthal's was Erwin; very well, those were universally recognized
names that no one thought strange. But "Tonio" was something foreign
and uncommon. Yes, there was something uncommon about him in every
respect, whether he would or no, and he was alone and excluded from
regular and ordinary folks, although he was no gipsy in a green wagon,
but a son of Consul Kröger, of the Kröger family ... But why did Hans
call him Tonio so long as they were alone, if he began to be ashamed of
him when a third person came up? At times Hans was close to him, even
won over, it seemed. "How does he betray him, Tonio?" he had asked,
and taken his arm. But then when Immerthal came, Hans sighed with
relief just the same, forsook him, and found no difficulty in
reproaching him with his foreign name. How it hurt to have to see
through all this!... At bottom, Hans Hansen liked him a little when
they were alone together, he knew that. But when a third person came,
Hans was ashamed of it and sacrificed him. And he was alone again. He
thought of King Philip. The king had wept ...
"For heaven's sake," said Erwin Immerthal, "now I really must be off
into town. Good-by, fellows, and thanks for the candy." With that he
jumped upon a bench that stood beside the street, ran along it with his
crooked legs, and trotted off.
"I like Immerthal," said Hans emphatically. Hans had a spoiled and
self-conscious way of making known his likes and antipathies, of
distributing them with royal favor, as it were ... And then he went on
to speak of the riding lessons, for he was now in that vein. Besides,
it was now not far to the Hansens' house; the walk over the ramparts
did not take very long. They held their caps tightly, and bowed their
heads before the strong damp wind that creaked and groaned in the bare
branches of the trees. And Hans Hansen talked, while Tonio interjected
no more than a mechanical "Oh" or "Oh yes" from time to time, nor felt
any joy that Hans had taken his arm again in the ardor of speech; for
that was only a seeming advance, without significance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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