frederick the great and his family-第120节

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　assistance。〃

〃Professor；〃　said　the　old　man；　with　composure；　〃I　only　intended　finishing　the　chapter　which　I　have　just　commenced；　and　then　I　should　have　risen。　You　came　a　little　too　soon。　It　was　your　own　fault　if　I　was　compelled　to　read　after　you　came。〃

Gellert　smiled。　〃What　book　were　you　reading　so　earnestly；　my　old　friend？〃

〃The　'Swedish　Countess；'　professor。　You　know　it　is　my　favorite　book。　I　am　reading　it　now　for　the　twelfth　time；　and　I　still　think　it　the　most　beautiful　and　touching；　as　well　as　the　most　sensible　book　I　ever　read。　It　is　entirely　beyond　my　comprehension；　professor；　how　you　made　it；　and　how　you　could　have　recollected　all　these　charming　histories。　Who　related　all　that　to　you？〃

〃No　one　related　it　to　me；　it　came　from　my　own　head　and　heart；〃　said　Gellert；　pleasantly。　〃But　no；　that　is　a　very　presumptuous　thought；　it　did　not　come　from　myself；　but　from　the　great　spirit；　who　occasionally　sends　a　ray　of　his　Godlike　genius　to　quicken　the　hearts　and　imaginations　of　poets。〃

〃I　do　not　understand　you；　professor；〃　said　Conrad；　impatiently。　〃Why　do　you　not　talk　like　the　bookI　understand　all　that　the　'Swedish　Countess'　says；　for　she　speaks　like　other　people。　She　is　an　altogether　sensible　and　lovely　woman；　and　I　have　thought　sometimes；　professor〃

Old　Conrad　hesitated　and　looked　embarrassed。

〃Well；　Conrad；　what　have　you　thought？〃

〃I　have　thought　sometimes；　sir；　perhaps　it　would　be　best　for　you　to　marry　the　'Swedish　Countess；'〃

Gellert　started　slightly；　and　a　light　flush　mounted　to　his　brow。

〃I　marry！〃　he　exclaimed；〃　Heaven　protect　me　from　fastening　such　a　yoke　upon　myself；　or　putting　my　happiness　in　the　power　of　any　creature　so　fickle；　vain；　capricious；　haughty；　obstinate；　and　heartless　as　a　woman。　Conrad；　where　did　you　get　this　wild　idea？　you　know　that　I　hate　women；　no；　not　hate；　but　fear　them；　as　the　lamb　fears　the　wolf。〃

〃Oh；　sir；〃　cried　Conrad；　angrily；　〃was　your　mother　not　a　woman？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Gellert；　softly；　after　a　pause〃yes；　she　was　a　woman；　a　whole…hearted；'　noble　woman。　She　was　the　golden　star　of　my　childhood；　the　saintly　ideal　of　the　youth；　as　she　is　now　in　heaven　the　guardian　angel　of　the　man；　there　is　no　woman　like　her；　Conrad。　She　was　the　impersonation　of　love；　of　self…sacrifice；　of　goodness；　and　of　devotion。〃

〃You　are　right；〃　said　Conrad；　softly；　〃she　was　a　true　woman；　the　entire　village　loved　and　honored　her　for　her　benevolence　and　piety；　when　she　died；　it　seemed　as　though　we　had　all　lost　a　mother。〃

〃When　she　died；〃　said　Gellert；　his　voice　trembling　with　emotion；　〃my　happiness　and　youth　died　with　her；　and　when　the　first　handful　of　earth　fell　upon　her　coffin　I　felt　as　if　my　heart…strings　broke；　and　that　feeling　has　never　left　me。〃

〃You　loved　your　mother　too　deeply；　professor；〃　said　Conrad；　〃that　is　the　reason　you　are　determined　not　to　love　and　marry　some　other　woman。〃

〃Why；　man；　do　not　talk　to　me　again　of　marrying；〃　cried　Gellert。　〃What　has　that　fatal　word　to　do　in　my　study？〃

〃A　great　deal；　sir；　only　look　how　miserable　every　thing　is　here；　not　even　neat　and　comfortable；　as　it　should　certainly　be　in　the　room　of　so　learned　and　celebrated　a　professor。　Only　think　of　the　change　that　would　be　made　by　a　bright　young　wife。　You　must　marry；　professor；　and　the　lady　must　be　rich。　This　state　of　things　cannot　continue；　you　must　take　a　wife；　for　you　cannot　live　on　your　celebrity。〃

〃No；　Conrad；　but　on　my　salary；〃　said　Gellert。　〃I　receive　two　hundred　and　fifty　thalers　from　my　professorship；　only　think；　two　hundred　and　fifty　thalers！　That　is　a　great　deal　for　a　German　poet；　Conrad；　I　should　consider　myself　most　fortunate。　It　is　sufficient　for　my　necessities；　and　will　certainly　keep　me　from　want。〃

〃It　would　be　sufficient；　professor；　if　we　were　not　so　extravagant。　I　am　an　old　man；　and　you　may　very　well　listen　to　a　word　from　me。　I　served　your　father　for　fifteen　yearsin　fact；　you　inherited　me　from　him。　I　have　the　right　to　speak。　If　it　goes　so　far；　I　will　hunger　and　thirst　with　you；　but　it　makes　me　angry　that　we　should　hunger　and　thirst　when　there　is　no　necessity。　Have　you　dined　today？〃

〃No；　Conrad；〃　said　Gellert；　looking　embarrassed。　〃I　had；　accidentally；　no　money　with　me　as　I　came　out　of　the　academy；　and　you　know　that　I　do　not　like　to　go　to　the　eating…house　without　paying　immediately。〃

〃Accidentally　you　had　no　money？　You　had　probably　left　it　at　home。〃

〃Yes；　Conrad；　I　had　left　it　at　home。〃

〃No；　sir；　you　gave　your　last　thaler　to　the　student　who　came　this　morning　and　told　you　of　his　necessities；　and　complained　so　bitterly　that　he　had　eaten　nothing　warm　for　three　days。　You　gave　your　money　to　him；　and　that　was　not　right；　for　now　we　have　nothing　ourselves。〃

〃Yes；　Conrad；　it　was　right；　it　was　my　duty；　he　hungered　and　I　was　full；　he　was　poor　and　in　want；　and　I　had　money；　and　sat　in　my　warm；　comfortable　room；　it　was　quite　right　for　me　to　help　him。〃

〃Yes；　you　say　so　always；　sir；　and　our　money　all　goes　to　the　devil；〃　muttered　Conrad。　〃With　what　shall　we　satisfy　ourselves　to…day？〃

〃Well；〃　said　Gellert；　after　a　pause；　〃we　will　drink　some　coffee；　and　eat　some　bread　and　butter。　Coffee　is　an　excellent　beverage；　and　peculiarly　acceptable　to　poets；　for　it　enlivens　the　fancy。〃

〃And　leaves　the　stomach　empty；〃　said　Conrad。

〃We　have　bread　and　butter　to　satisfy　that。　Ah；　Conrad；　I　assure　you　we　would　often　have　been　very　happy　in　my　father's　parsonage　if　we　had　had　coffee　and　bread　and　butter　for　our　dinner。　We　were　thirteen　children；　besides　my　father　and　mother；　and　my　father's　salary　was　not　more　than　two　hundred　thalers。　Conrad；　he　had　less　than　I；　and　he　had　to　provide　for　thirteen　children。〃

〃As　if　you　had　not　provided　for　yourself　since　you　were　eleven　years　oldas　if　I　had　not　seen　you　copying　late　into　the　night　to　earn　money；　at　an　age　when　other　children　scarcely　know　what　money　is；　and　know　still　less　of　work。〃

〃But　when　I　carried　the　money　which　I　had　earned　to　my　mother；　she　kissed　me　so　tenderly；　and　called　me　her　brave；　noble　sonthat　was　a　greater　reward　than　all　the　money　in　the　world。　And　when　the　next　Christmas　came；　and　we　were　all　thirteen　so　happy；　and　each　one　received　a　plate　filled　with　nuts　and　apples　and　little　presents；　I　received　a　shining　new　coat。　It　was　the　first　time　I　had　ever　had　a　coat　of　new　cloth。　My　mother　had　bought　the　material　with　the　money　I　had　earned。　She　had　kept　it　all；　and　now　my　writings　had　changed　into　a　beautiful　coat；　which　I　wore　with　pride　and　delight。　No　coat　is　so　comfortable　as　one　we　have　earned　ourselves。　The　self…earned　coat　is　the　royal　mantle　of　the　poor。〃

〃But　we　need　not　be　poor；〃　scolded　Conrad。　〃It　is　that　which　makes　me　angry。　If　we　were　careful；　we　could　live　comfortably　and　free　from　care　on　two　hundred　and　fifty　thalers。　But　every　thing　is　given　away；　and　every　thing　is　done　for　others；　until　we　have　nothing　left　for　ourselves。〃

〃　We　have　never　gone　hungry　to　bed；　Conrad；　and　we　need　not　hunger。　To…day　we　have　coffee；　and　bread　and　butter；　and　to…morrow　I　will　receive　something　from　my　publishers　from　the　fourth　edition　of　my　fables。　It　is　not　much；　it　will　be　about　twenty　thalers；　but　we　will　be　able　to　live　a　long　time　on　that。　Be　content；　Conrad；　and　go　now　into　the　kitchen　and　prepare　the　coffee；　I　am　really　rather　hungry。　Well；　Conrad；　you　still　appear　discontented。　Have　you　another　grievance　in　reserve？〃

〃Yes；　professor；　I　have　another。　The　beadle　tells　me　that　the　university　have　offered　you　a　still　higher　position　than　the　one　you　now　hold。　Is　it　true？〃

〃Yes；　Conrad；　it　is　true。　They　wished　me　to　become　a　regular　professor。〃

〃And　you　declined？〃

〃I　declined。　I　would　have　been　obliged　to　be　present　at　all　the　conferences。　I　would　have　had　more　trouble；　and　if　I　had　had　the　misfortune　to　become　rector　I　would　have　been　lost　indeed；　for　the　rector　represents　the　university；　and　if　any　royal　personages　should　arrive　it　is　he　who　must　receive　them　and　welcome　them　in　the　name　of　the　university。　No；　no；　protect　me　from　such　honors。　I　do　not　desire　intercourse　with　great　men。　I　prefer　my　present　position　and　small　salary；　and　the　liberty　of　sitting　quietly　in　my　own　study；　to　a　regular　professorship　and　a　higher　salary；　and　being　forced　to　dance　attendance　in　the　antechambers　of　great　people。　Then；　in　addition　to　that；　I　am　delicate；　and　that　alone　would　prevent　me　from　attending　as　many　lectures　as　the　government　requires　from　a　regular　high…salaried　professor。　You　must　never　receive　money　for　work　that　you　have　not　done　and　cannot　do。　Now；　Conrad；　those　are　my　reasons　for　declining　this　situation　for　the　second　time。　I　think　you　will　be　contented　now；　and　prepare　me　an　excellent　cup　of　coffee。〃

〃It　is　a　shame；　nevertheless；〃　said　Conrad；　〃that　they　should　say　you　are　not　a　regular　professor。　But　that　is　because　you　have　no　wife。　If　the　Swedish　countess　were　here；　every　thing　would　be　changed；　your　study　would　be　nicely　arranged；　and　you　would　be　so　neatly　dressed；　that　no　one　would　dare　to　say　you　were　not　a　regular　professor。〃

〃But　that　is　no　offence；　Conrad；〃　cried　Gellert；　laughing。　〃In　the　sense　in　which　you　understand　it；　I　am　more　now　than　if　I　had　accepted　this　other　position；　for　I　am　now　called　an　extraordinary　professor。〃

〃Well；　I　am　glad　that　they　know　that　you　are　an　ex