The Lost Manuscript: A Novel

"With respect to the safety of the collection, the old catalogue will allow of constant control. You consider the Magister innocent of this deception?"

"I do consider him so," replied the learned man.

"Then I request you to write him."

Some days afterwards Magister Knips entered the capital. He carried his travelling-bag and hat-box to an unpretending inn, at once clad himself in the dress which he had always spoken of to his mother as his livery, and sought the Professor at the Pavilion. Gabriel saw the figure in the distance passing through the blooming shrubs, his head on his shoulder and his hat in his hand; for Knips considered it proper to uncover his head in the sacred precincts of the castle, and entered like a walking bow into the distinguished horizon. The Professor could not conceal a smile when he saw the Magister in courtly attire, polished and fragrant, standing before him, with two low obeisances.

"It was the Chamberlain who proposed you for this occupation, and I did not object to it. For on the supposition that you will be suitably remunerated, an opportunity for work is afforded which may perhaps raise you for good above your insignificant occupation, and which, if dutifully carried out, will entitle you not only to our warmest thanks, but to those of the whole learned world. Your conduct here may therefore be decisive for the rest of your life. Remember, also, every hour, Mr. Magister, that you have to show conscientiousness and fidelity, not only to learning, but also with respect to the property of the prince who has called you to this post of confidence."

"When I read the letter of the right honorable and most highly respected Professor," answered Knips, "I did not doubt that his kind intentions were to give me the opportunity of assuming a new character in life. Therefore, upon entering the portals of an unknown career, I entreat with deep emotion, above all, for the continuation of your good opinion, which I trust to be able to deserve by faithful obedience."

"Very well then," concluded the Professor; "announce yourself to the Chamberlain."

The day following Knips was sitting before a row of antique lamps, with brown Holland sleeves to preserve his dress coat, his pen behind his ear, surrounded by the books of the castle library; he opened them, compared, wrote, and was as active in his work as if he had all his life been a clerk in a bric-a-brac establishment of ancient Rome.

The Chamberlain announced before dinner, with satisfaction, to the Hereditary Prince, "Magister Knips has come;" and the Prince repeated to his sister, "The wise Knips is here."

"Ah, the Magister!" said the father, with equal good humor.

The same week the Sovereign was taken by the Chamberlain into the museum, in order that Knips might fall under his notice. The Sovereign looked with curiosity upon the lowly bent man, who perspired with fright, and who now quite resembled a mouse which is prevented by a powerful fascination from disappearing into its hole. The Sovereign discovered immediately what he called a subaltern nature; and the pale flat face, retreating chin, and dolorous aspect, appeared to amuse him. In passing, he remarked the rampart of books from which Knips had emerged.

"You have made yourself quickly at home; I hope that you will find all the books that are indispensable to your work."

"I have ventured," said Knips in a high and rasping voice, "to borrow from your Highness's library much that I needed. My wants are moderate, and what I lacked, I have managed, through the assistance of honored patrons, to obtain from the university library of my native city."

The Sovereign answered with a short nod, and proceeded. Magister Knips remained standing in an attitude of deferent respect till the Sovereign had left the room, when he returned to his chair, and, without turning to the right or left, resumed his writing. Whenever the Sovereign entered or left the room he started up and sank down again, as if turned into an automaton by his great respect.

"Are you satisfied with him?" asked the Sovereign, of the Professor.

"Beyond expectation," answered the latter.

The Chamberlain, pleased by his recommendation, reminded his master that Knips was also an excellent painter of coats of arms, and possessed remarkable knowledge of the customs and regulations of the old Court festivals.

When the Sovereign left the gallery he cast a dignified glance over the bent head of the little man; but Knips might well be pleased with the results of this presentation, for he was pronounced very respectful, and regarded useful for further projects.

He had soon an opportunity of showing his usefulness in an extraordinary case. The arrangements of the Court were in every respect exemplary, and not least when the Sovereign wished to show some mark of attention. A confidential councillor kept a list of the birthdays on which the Sovereign was bound to make a present, and also of the popular festivals where it was necessary for him to present a silver cup or some other testimony of his royal sympathy. On this list was noted down the fixed value of the present; and as the time approached the councillor sent the necessary information to the Chamberlain, whose business it was to choose a suitable present. On the birthday of any member of the princely family the Chamberlain only made suggestions; the Sovereign himself decided what was to be given.

Now the birthday of the Princess was approaching. The gentleman-in-waiting, therefore, made a visit to her lady-in-waiting, in order to discover secretly what the Princess would like. In this not uncommon way many things were proposed; the Chamberlain of his own idea added modern trifles, among them copies of colored initial letters, which just then were painted in albums and letter-sheets, for he knew that the Princess had wished for things of the kind. The Sovereign glanced over the list, and at last stopped at the initial letters.

"These Parisian manufactures will hardly please the Princess. Could she not have painted letters copied from old parchments by a draughtsman? Did you not extol Magister Knips to me? He could prepare very pretty little designs."

The Chamberlain expressed deferent surprise at his Highness's idea, and sought the Magister. Knips promised to paint all the letters of the alphabet in the old characters, and the Chamberlain meanwhile looked after the cover. When the work of the Magister was laid before the Sovereign he was indeed surprised.

"These are like the beautiful old rubrics," he exclaimed; "how do they come here?"

Every letter was so painted on the old parchment that at cursory glance it could not be discovered whether the work was old or new.

"This shows wonderful talent; take care that the man is compensated according to the value of his service."

Knips lapsed into a state of respectful transport when the Chamberlain demonstrated to him the satisfaction of the Sovereign in shining coins. But it did not end there. For shortly afterwards the Sovereign visited the museum at the time when Knips was working. The Sovereign stopped again in front of the Magister, and said:

"I was delighted with your pictures. You possess a rare aptitude: both eyes and judgment might be deceived by the counterfeit of antiquity."

"Your most gracious Highness must pardon me if, on account of shortness of time, the imitation was imperfect," replied the bowing Knips.

"I am quite satisfied with it," rejoined the Sovereign, examining sharply the countenance and bearing of the little man. He began to vouchsafe a feeling of interest for the Magister. "You must have formerly had opportunities of exercising this art in a remunerative way."

"It has been reserved for your Highness to render my little dexterity valuable to me," replied Knips; "hitherto I have only practised such imitations for my own pleasure, or here and there to please others."

The Sovereign laughed, and went away with a gracious nod. Magister Knips was judged to be very useful.

The Princess was sitting at her writing-table; the pen in her little hand flew over the paper; sometimes she looked into a book, which had a learned appearance, and copied passages which were designated by marks. Steps in the ante-room disturbed her work; the Hereditary Prince entered, with an officer in foreign uniform.

"Sit down, children!" exclaimed the Princess. "Put aside your sabre, Victor, and come to me. You have become a handsome fellow: one can see that you have taken your place among strangers."

"I am breaking my way through," replied Victor, shrugging his shoulders, and laying his sabre cautiously near, that he might reach it with his hand.

"Be tranquil," said the Princess, consolingly; "we are now safe; he is busy."

"If he said so, we must not depend upon it," replied Victor. "You have become serious, Siddy. Even the room is changed-books, nothing but books." He opened one at the title-page. "'Archaeology of Art.' Tell me, what are you doing with this trash?"

"I am breaking my way through," repeated Siddy, shrugging her shoulders.

"Siddy patronizes learning," explained the Hereditary Prince. "We now have literary tea-parties, she has pieces read and rôles assigned. Take care, you will have to join it."

"I only read villains' parts," replied Victor; "or, at the most valets' rôles."

"The inferior parts are always my share," said the Hereditary Prince. "The best that falls to my lot is a good-natured father, who ends by giving his blessing."

"He has talent for nothing but open-hearted goodness; he protests if he has more than four verses to recite, and even with that there are pauses during which he fidgets with his lorgnette."

"His proper vocation would be that of pastor," said Victor, mockingly. "He would favor his congregation with short sermons, and set them a virtuous example."

"If he were only better than you, there would be no merit in it, Victor. You have the reputation of playing such naughty tricks that we are not allowed even to know them?"

"All calumny!" cried Victor, "I am harshly judged in my regiment because of my strict principles."

"Then Heaven preserve us from an invasion of your comrades. I am glad that you mean to pass your leave of absence in our parts; but I am surprised at it. You are free: the whole world is open to you."

"Yes, free as a jackdaw that is thrown out of its nest," replied Victor; "but there are times when it occurs to one that a garrison has not all the charms of home."

"And that you seek with us?" asked the Princess. "Poor cousin! But meanwhile you have been campaigning. I congratulate you. We hear that you behaved gallantly."

"I had a good horse," said Victor, laughing.

"You have also visited all our relations?"

"I have penetrated the mysteries of three Courts," replied Victor. "First, at my cousin's, the innocent shepherd's Court, – a charming rural life! The Grand Marshal carries embroidery in his pocket, at which he works among the ladies. The lady-in-waiting comes with her spaniel to dinner, and has him fed in the kitchen. Twice every week people are invited from the city to tea and pastry. When the family are alone at their tea they play for hazel-nuts. I believe that they are gathered in the autumn by the whole Court. Then I went to the Court of my great-uncle, with the six-foot grenadiers. I was the smallest of the society. One day all were in the costume of generals, the day after all were Nimrods, in hunting-coats and gaiters. One day it was drilling, and the next hunting. Powder is the greatest article of consumption at Court there. Even the ballet-dancers, they say, wear uniforms under their gauze. Lastly, there was the great Court of Aunt Louisa. All with white heads and powder. Any one with the hair of youth endeavoured to rid of it as quickly as possible. In the evening virtuous family conversation, and if any talked scandal, they would on the following morning receive an order from the Princess to contribute to some benevolent institution. The Princess Minna asked me whether I attended church regularly, and when I told her that at all events I played regularly at whist with our chaplain, I was held in great contempt. She danced the first country dance with her brother and only the second with me. The evening society was accurately arranged according to the respective dignities of the guests. There was the hall of the Privy Councillors, of the Chamberlains, and of the small folk of the Court; and, besides that, a lower place for an unavoidable class of citizens, in which bankers and artists wait to be noticed by their Highnesses."

"These formalities make us ridiculous to the whole world," exclaimed the Hereditary Prince.

The Princess and Victor laughed at this sudden ebullition.

"Since when has Benno become a Red?" asked Victor.

"It is the first time I have heard him speak in this way," said the Princess.

"A prince should only invite gentlemen into his society; but whoever is there should be considered as the equal of the rest," continued the Hereditary Prince.

Again the others laughed.

"We thank you for the wise remark, Professor Bonbon," cried Siddy.

"It was in this room that we dressed you up as an owl, Bonbon; and you sat here groaning under Siddy's mantle when the Sovereign surprised us."

"And where you received punishment," replied Benno, "because you had so disfigured a poor fellow like me."

"Fix him up again!" cried Siddy.

"Victor took a colored silk handkerchief, formed two points by knots for ear-tufts, and covered the head of the Hereditary Prince, who quietly submitted. His serious face, with his dark eyebrows, looked strangely from under the covering.

"The feather-coat is wanting," exclaimed Siddy; "we must imagine it. I am the quail, and Victor the cock. I know the melody that we used to improvise as children."

She flew to the pianoforte and ran over the notes. The Hereditary Prince twisted the theatre-bill, which he pulled out of his pocket, into a cornet, and cried into it, "Tu-whit, tu-whoo, Mrs. Quail, I eat you."

The quail sang: "Pik werwit old tu-wooh, that you will not do." And the cock crows, "Cock-a-doodle-doo, dearest quail, I love you."

"That has never been true, Victor," said the Princess, in the midst of the game.

"Who knows?" rejoined he; "cock-a-doodle-doo."

The concert was in full flow. Victor sprang about, clapped his hands and crowed; the Hereditary Prince on his chair screeched unweariedly like an owl; Siddy moved her head in time, sang her pik-wer-wit, calling out occasionally, "You are very funny little boys." A slight knocking was heard; they quickly left off their play; the sabre was restored to its belt; and the quail became in a moment the distinguished lady.

"His Grace your father begs to inform your Highness that he will wait upon you," announced the page.

"I knew that he would disturb us," cried Victor, in a rage.

"Away with you, children," cried Princess Sidonie. "I must repeat once more, cousin, that I rejoice to have you with us again. We three will hold together. Benno is brave, and my only comfort. Avoid conversing with me whenever the Sovereign is present. I will not take it amiss if you do not notice me at all. The spy who is placed about me is now my maid of honor, Lossau. Every word that you speak in her presence is reported; you know the gentlemen, they have not become more pleasant."

"There is Benno's Chamberlain," asked Victor; "the Sovereign was talking to him a long time to-day."

"He is good-humored, but weak," remarked the Hereditary Prince; "and devoted to his place. There is no dependence on him."

"Try to behave well, Victor," continued the Princess; "be a good Chinese, and wear your pigtail according to rule, and deport yourself exactly according to the privileges of the tuft that you wear on your cap. Now, away with you down the private staircase."

Princess Sidonie hastened to the door of the reception-room to meet the Sovereign. The Sovereign passed through the rooms to her study. He cast a glance at the open book:

"Who has made these marks?"

"Mr. Werner noted the most important passages for me," replied the Princess.

"I am glad that you make use of this opportunity to obtain instruction from so distinguished a man. Apart from the pedantic manner which attaches to his profession, he is a remarkable man. I wish, on account of his disinterested activity, to make his position as agreeable as possible, and I beg that you will do your best towards accomplishing it."

The Princess bowed silently, closing her hand convulsively.

"As it is impossible to bring him and his wife into closer relations with the Court, I wish you would invite them to one of your little tea-parties."

"You must pardon me, my most worthy father, if I do not see how this can be. My evening parties have hitherto consisted only of my ladies and the principal members of the Court."

"Then you must alter that," said the Sovereign, coldly; "you are not prevented from introducing into it one or other of our officials, with their wives."

"Pardon me, my father; as this has never yet happened, every one would remark that the change has only been occasioned through the strangers. It would occasion much ill-natured remark if an accidental visit were to upset what has been the acknowledged rule up to the present day."

"The consideration of foolish gossip shall not prevent you," replied the Sovereign, angrily.

"My gracious father must take a favorable view of the considerations which hinder my doing anything of the kind. It would not become me, a woman, to dispense with the habits and customs which my lord and father has considered binding upon himself. You have deigned to permit the attendance of Mr. Werner at your small dinners, and I could, without giving any uncommon offence, receive him at my tea-table. His wife, on the other hand, has never been brought into relations with the Court through your own sanction. It would ill become the daughter to venture what the father himself has not done."

"This reason is a poor disguise for ill-nature," replied the Sovereign. "Nothing hinders you from leaving out the whole Court."

"I can have no evening society, however small, without inviting the ladies of the Court," replied the Princess, pertinaciously; "and I cannot ask them to take part in a mixed society."

"I will take care that Miss von Lossau shall appear," replied the Sovereign, in a bitter tone. "I insist upon your conforming to my wishes."

"Forgive me, gracious father," replied the Princess, in great excitement, "if I do not obey you in this case."

"Do you dare to defy me?" cried the Sovereign, with a sudden outbreak of anger, approaching the Princess.

The Princess turned pale, and stepped behind a chair as if for protection.

"I am the only lady of our house," she exclaimed; "and I have in this high position to pay regard to considerations from which, neither as the lord of this Court, nor as my own father, you can release me. If your Highness chooses to make new Court regulations, I will willingly conform to them; but what your Highness requires of me now is not a new regulation, but an irregularity which is humiliating for me and for us all."

"Impertinent, insolent fool!" cried the Sovereign, no longer master of himself. "Do you think you have outgrown my control because I once let you out of my hands? I have brought you here in order to hold you fast. You are in my power; no slave is more so. Within these walls no power prevails but mine, and if you do not bend to it, I will break your stubborn spirit."

He approached her threateningly. The Princess drew back to the wall of her room.

"I know I am your prisoner," she cried out, with flashing eyes. "I knew when I returned here that I was entering my prison. I knew that no cry of anguish could penetrate these walls, and that a slave would find more protection among men than the child of a prince from her father. But in this room I have a supporter, to whom I often look imploringly; and if your Highness deprives me of the help of all the living, I call upon the dead for protection against you."

She pulled the cord of a curtain, and the life-sized picture of a lady became visible, in whose soft countenance there was a touching expression of sorrow. The Princess pointed to the picture and looked fixedly at the Sovereign.

"Will your Highness venture to insult your daughter before the eyes of her mother?"

The Sovereign drew back, and gave vent to a hoarse murmur, turned away, and motioned with his hand.

"Cover the picture," he said, in a feeble voice. "Do not excite yourself and me unnecessarily," he began, in a changed tone. "If you do not choose to fulfill my wishes, I will not insist upon it." He took his hat from the table, and continued, in a softer tone: "You are beloved by the citizens; the weather is as warm as summer, and promises to last. I will, on your birthday, arrange to have a morning concert for the officials and the citizens in the park. I will send you a list of invitations through the Lord High Steward. In the evening we shall have a gala-supper and visit the opera."

The Sovereign left the room without looking at his daughter. The Princess followed him to the anteroom, where the attendants were standing. At the door she made a low curtsy. The Sovereign gave a friendly sign with his hand. The Princess then flew back into her room, threw herself down before the picture, and wrung her hands.

The Princes were walking in the park, and the promenaders bowed and looked after them. The Hereditary Prince took off his hat with the dignity of a man; Victor touched his hussar cap lightly, and nodded sometimes familiarly to a pretty face.

"All old acquaintances," he began; "it is a pleasure, indeed, to be home again."

"You always were a favorite of the people," said the Hereditary Prince.

"I have amused and provoked them," replied Victor laughing. "I feel like Hercules with his mother earth, and am ready for any mischief. Benno, do not look so dejected; I cannot stand it."

"If you had, like me, to walk always at the same hour you would look so too," replied Benno, stopping before an empty water-tank, in which four little bears were sitting, looking at the public, who were throwing bread to them. The Hereditary Prince took a piece of bread from the keeper, who approached him hat in hand, and threw it mechanically to the bears. "And if you had by high command to show yourself every day as the friend of the people, and feed these stupid bears, you would also weary of them."

"Pooh!" exclaimed Victor, "it only depends upon yourself to make these louts amusing."

He sprang with one jump into the walled place among the animals, laid hold of the first bear as a sheep is carried to be shorn, threw it upon the second, and the third upon the fourth; a horrible growling and clawing began among the bears; they fought violently together, and the bystanders shouted with pleasure.

"Your hand, comrade," called out the Prince, to one of the spectators, who were watching him and giving vent to loud expressions of approbation. "Help me out."

The person called upon was our friend Gabriel, who held out both hands.

"Here, your Excellence, quick, that they don't catch your uniform."

Victor sprang lightly up, giving his supporter a slap on the shoulder.

"Thanks, comrade; if you ever get into a fix, I will lend you a hand too."

The people cried "Bravo!" with much laughter.

"You must force life into the place," said Victor. "If your father does not drive me away, I shall in a week make it as lively at your Court as I have done here in the bear-pit."

"I, meanwhile, have suffered for it," replied Benno, with vexation; "one man said to another, 'What a pity that that fellow has not as much courage!' of course meaning me."

"Never mind: you are the wise one. In the eyes of thoughtful people, your virtues shine bright when placed in contrast with mine. Now let me into your confidence. What lady of the theatre do you favor with your attentions, that I may not be in the way? I do not wish to interfere with you."

"Nothing of this kind is permitted me," replied Benno.

"Not permitted?" asked Victor, astonished; "what kind of tyranny is this? Has it become the fashion here to be virtuous? Then impart to me, at least, what other lady, from political reasons, may only be admired by me in the distance?"