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diff --git a/21943.txt b/21943.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f3a2457 --- /dev/null +++ b/21943.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2654 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Peter Schlemihl, by Adelbert von Chamisso, +Translated by John Bowring, Illustrated by George Cruikshank + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Peter Schlemihl + + +Author: Adelbert von Chamisso + + + +Release Date: June 26, 2007 [eBook #21943] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETER SCHLEMIHL*** + + + +Transcribed from the 1861 Robert Hardwicke edition by David Price, email +ccx074@pglaf.org + + + + + +PETER SCHLEMIHL: + + +FROM THE GERMAN +OF +ADELBERT VON CHAMISSO: + +TRANSLATED + +BY SIR JOHN BOWRING, LL.D., &c. + +WITH PLATES BY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. + + "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, + Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."--SHAKSPEAKE. + +THIRD EDITION. + +LONDON: +ROBERT HARDWICKE, 192, PICCADILLY. + +1861. + +{Schlemihl giving his shadow away: p0.jpg} + +LONDON: +ROBERT HARDWICKE, PRINTER, 192, PICCADILLY. + + + + +NOTICE. + + +Adelung said to me one day at Petersburg--"Have you read Peter +Schlemihl?"--"No."--"If you read it, you will translate it."--I have +translated it. + +The story is a moral one. I leave its development to my readers. It +would be little flattering to them to suspect they required my +assistance, in order to discover the obvious lessons it conveys. + +I have not scrupled to introduce a few verbal alterations; but the +deviations from the original are very trifling. + +THE TRANSLATOR. + + + + +To my Friend Wangner + + +Come to the land of shadows for awhile, +And seek for truth and wisdom! Here below, +In the dark misty paths of fear and woe, +We weary out our souls and waste our toil; +But if we harvest in the richer soil +Of towering thoughts--where holy breezes blow, +And everlasting flowers in beauty smile-- +No disappointment shall the labourer know. +Methought I saw a fair and sparkling gem +In this rude casket--but thy shrewder eye, +WANGNER! a jewell'd coronet could descry. +Take, then, the bright, unreal diadem! +Worldlings may doubt and smile insultingly, +The hidden stores of truth are not for _them_. + +J. B. + + + + +To the Same, from Fouque + + +We must, dear Edward, protect the history of poor Schlemihl--and so +protect it that it may be concealed from the eyes that are not to look +into it. This is a disagreeable business; for of such eyes there is a +multitude, and what mortal can decide what shall be the fate of a MS. +which is more hard to guard than even an uttered word. In truth, I feel +as if my head were turning round, and in my anguish jump into the +abyss--let the whole affair be printed! + +But, Edward! there are really stronger and better grounds for this +decision. Unless I am wholly deceived, there beat in our beloved Germany +many hearts which are able and worthy to understand poor Schlemihl, and a +tranquil smile will light upon the countenance of many an honest +countryman of ours at the bitter sport in which life with him--and the +simple sport in which he with himself is engaged. And you, Edward, you, +looking into this so sincerely-grounded book, and thinking how many +unknown hearts this may learn with us to love it--you will let a drop of +balsam fall into the deep wound, which death hath inflicted upon you and +all that love you. + +And to conclude: there is--I know there is, from manifold experience--a +genius that takes charge of every printed book and delivers it into the +appropriate hands, and if not always, yet very often keeps at home the +undeserving: that genius holds the key to every true production of heart +and soul, and opens and closes it with never-failing dexterity. + +To this genius, my much beloved Schlemihl! I confide thy smiles and thy +tears, and thus to God commend them. + +FOUQUE. + +_Neunhausen_, _May_ 31, 1814. + + + + +To Fouque, from Hitzig + + +We have done, then, the desperate deed: there is Schlemihl's story which +we were to preserve to ourselves as our own secret, and lo! not only +Frenchmen and Englishmen, Dutchmen and Spaniards have translated it, and +Americans have reprinted it from the English text, as I announced to my +own erudite Berlin, but now in our beloved Germany a new edition appears +with the English etchings, which the illustrious Cruikshank sketched from +the life, and wider still will the story be told. Not a word didst thou +mutter to me in 1814, of the publication of the MS., and did I not deem +thy reckless enterprise suitably punished by the complaints of our +Chamisso, in his Voyage round the World from 1815 to 1818--complaints +urged in Chili and Kamtschatka, and uttered even to his departed friend +Tameramaia of Owahee, I should even now demand of you crowning +retribution. + +However--this by the by--bygones are bygones--and you are right in +this--that many, many friendly ones have looked upon the little book with +affection during the thirteen eventful years since it saw the world's +light. I shall never forget the hour when I first read it to Hoffmann. +He was beside himself with delight and eagerness, and hung upon my lips +till I got to the end. He could not wait, not he, to make the personal +acquaintance of the poet;--but though he hates all imitation, he could +not withstand the temptation to copy--though not very felicitously--the +idea of the lost shadow in the lost mirror picture of Crasinus Spekhn, in +his tale of the "Last Night of the Year." Yes, even among children has +our marvellous history found its way, for on a bright winter evening, as +I was going up the Borough-street with its narrator, a boy busied with +his sledge laughed at him, upon which he tucked the boy under his bear- +skin mantle--you know it well--and while he carried him he remained +perfectly quiet until he was set down on the footway--and then--having +made off to a distance, where he felt safe as if nothing had happened, he +shouted aloud to his captor--"Nay, stop, Peter Schlemihl!" + +Methinks, the honourable scarecrow, clad now in trist and fashionable +attire, may be welcome to those who never saw him in his modest kurtka of +1814. These and those will be surprised in the botanizing, +circumnavigating--the once well-appointed Royal Prussian officer, in the +historiographer of the illustrious Peter Schlemihl, to discover a lyric +whose poetical heart is rightly fixed, whether he sing in Malayan or +Lithuanian. + +Thanks, then, dear Fouque, heartfelt thanks, for the launching of the +first edition, and with our friends, receive my wishes for the prosperity +of the second. + +EDWARD HITZIG. + +_Berlin_, _January_, 1827. + +* * * * * + +With the second edition of Schlemihl, appeared Chamisso's Songs and +Ballads. His Travels round the World, have also been published. Among +his poetry are translations from various languages. + + + + +PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION. + + +More than twenty years ago I translated "Peter Schlemihl." I had the +advantage of the pen and genius of George Cruikshank, to make the work +popular, and two editions were rapidly sold. + +At that time the real author was unknown. Everybody attributed it to +Lamotte Fouque, on whose literary shoulders, indeed, Adelbert von +Chamisso placed the burden of its responsibilities. + +The appearance of the English edition, I have reason to know--thanks to +the merit of Cruikshank's original and felicitous sketches--excited the +greatest delight in the mind of Chamisso. In his autobiography he says +that "Peter" had been kindly received in Germany, but in England had been +renowned (_volksthumlich_). + +Several English translations have since occupied the field. Mine, as the +first-born, naturally claims its own heritage, though it has been long +out of print, and in the shape of a third edition, commends itself anew +to public patronage. + +JOHN BOWRING. + +_January_, 1861. + + + + +To my old Friend, Peter Schlemihl. + + +Well! years and years have pass'd,--and lo! thy writing + Comes to my hands again,--and, strange to say, +I think of times when the world's school, inviting + Our early friendship, new before us lay;-- +Now I can laugh at foolish shame--delighting + In thee, for I am old--my hair is grey,-- +And I will call thee friend, as then--not coldly, +But proudly to the world--and claim thee boldly. + +My dear, dear Friend! the cunning air hath led me + Through paths less dark and less perplexed than thine, +Struggling for blue, bright dawnings, have I sped me, + But little, little glory has been mine. +Yet can the Grey Man boast not that he had me + Fast by _my_ shadow! Nay! he must resign +His claims on me,--my shadow's mine. I boast it,-- +I had it from the first, and never lost it. + +On me--though guiltless as a child--the throng + Flung all their mockery of thy naked being,-- +And is the likeness then so very strong? + They shouted for _my_ shadow--which, though seeing, +They swore they saw not--and, still bent on wrong, + Said they were blind; and then put forth their glee in +Peals upon peals of laughter! Well--we bear +With patience--aye, with joy--the conscience clear. + +And what--what is the Shadow? may I ask ye, + Who am myself so wearyingly asked. +Is it too high a problem, then, to task ye? + And shall not the malignant world be tasked? +The flights of nineteen thousand days unmask ye, + They have brought wisdom--in whose trains I basked, +And while I gave to shadows, being--saw +Being, as shadows, from life's scene withdraw. + +Give me thy hand, Schlemihl--take mine, my friend: + On, on,--we leave the future to the Grey Man, +Careless about the world,--our hearts shall blend + In firmer, stronger union--come away, man! +We shall glide fast and faster towards life's end. + Aye! let them smile or scorn, for all they say, man, +The tempests will be still'd that shake the deep, +And we in part sleep our untroubled sleep. + +ADELBERT VON CHAMISSO. + +_Berlin_, _August_, 1834. + + + + +To Julius Edward Hitzig, from Adelbert von Chamisso. + + +You forget nobody, and surely you must remember one Peter Schlemihl, whom +you now and then met at my house in former days; a long-shanked fellow, +who had the credit of awkwardness because he was unpolished, and whose +negligence gave him an air of habitual laziness. I loved him--you cannot +have forgotten, Edward, how often, in the spring-time of our youth, he +was the subject of our rhymes. Once I recollect introducing him to a +poetical tea-party, where he fell asleep while I was writing, even +without waiting to hear anything read. And that brings to my mind a +witty thing you said about him; you had often seen him, heaven knows +where and when, in an old black _kurtka_, {20} which in fact he always +wore, and you declared "he would be a lucky fellow if his soul were half +as immortal as his kurtka!" So little did you value him. I loved him, I +repeat; and to this Schlemihl, whom I had not seen for many a year, we +owe the following sheets. To you, Edward, to you only, my nearest, +dearest friend--my better self, from whom I can hide no secret,--to you I +commit them; to you only, and of course to Fouque, who, like yourself, is +rooted in my soul--but to him as a friend alone, and not as a poet. You +can easily imagine, how unpleasant it would be to me, if the secret +reposed by an honourable man, confiding in my esteem and sincerity, +should be exposed in the pillory of an _epopee_, or in any way distorted, +as if some miserable witling had engendered unnatural and impossible +things. Indeed, I must frankly own it is a very shame that a history, +which another and cleverer hand might have exhibited in all its comic +force, has been reduced to mere insipidity by our good man's pen. What +would not John Paul Richter have made of it! In a word, my dear friend, +many who are yet alive may be named, but-- + +One word more on the way in which these leaves came into my hands. +Yesterday morning early--as soon as I was up--they were presented to me. +A strange man with a long grey beard, wearing a black, worn-out kurtka, +with a botanical case suspended at his side, and slippers over his boots, +on account of the damp rainy weather, inquired after me, and left these +papers behind him. He pretended he came from Berlin. + +ADELBERT VON CHAMISSO. + +_Kunersdorf_, 27 _Sept._, 1813. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +At last, after a fortunate, but to me most tedious passage, we reached +our destined haven. As soon as the boat had landed me on the shore, I +loaded myself with my little possessions, and forcing my way through the +swarming crowd, entered the first and meanest house distinguished by a +sign-board. I ordered a chamber; the waiter measured me with a glance, +and sent me up to the garret. + +I ordered fresh water, and inquired for the abode of Mr. Thomas Jones. +"Near the North gate, the first country house on the right-hand side; a +large new house of red and white marble, supported by many pillars." +Well; it was yet early; I opened my bundle, laid out my newly-turned +black coat, clad myself in my sprucest garments, put my letter of +introduction into my pocket, and bent my way to the man, who, I modestly +hoped, was destined to befriend me. + +After I had gone through the long North-street, and reached the gate, I +saw the columns glimmering through the green trees. "It is here, then," +I thought. I wiped the dust from my feet with my pocket-handkerchief, +arranged my cravat, and rung the bell. The door flew open, the servants +narrowly examined me in the hall, but the porter at last announced me, +and I had the honour to be summoned into the park, where Mr. Jones was +walking with a small company. I knew him instantly by his portly self- +complacency. He received me tolerably well--as a rich man is wont to +receive a poor dependent devil; looked towards me, but without turning +from the rest of the company, and took from me the letter I held in my +hand. "Aye, aye! from my brother; I have not heard from him a long time. +Is he well? There"--he continued, addressing the company without waiting +for an answer, and pointed with the letter to a hill, "There I have +ordered a new building to be erected." He broke the seal, but not the +conversation, of which wealth became the subject. "He who is not the +master of at least a million," he interposed, "forgive the expression, is +a ragamuffin."--"That is true, indeed," exclaimed I, with full, +overflowing feeling. He must have been pleased with the expression of my +concurrence, for he smiled on me and said, "Remain here, young friend: I +shall perhaps have time to tell you, by and by, what I think of it." He +pointed to the letter, put it into his pocket, and turned again to the +company. He then offered his arm to a young lady; other gentlemen were +busied with other fair ones; every one found some one to whom he attached +himself, and they walked towards the rose-encircled hill. + +I lingered idly behind, for not a soul deemed me worthy of notice. The +company was extremely cheerful, jocular, and witty; they spoke seriously +of trifles, and triflingly of serious matters; and I observed they +unconcernedly directed their satires against the persons and the +circumstances of absent friends. I was too great a stranger to +understand much of these discussions; too much distressed and +self-retired to enter into the full merit of these enigmas. + +We reached the rose-grove. The lovely Fanny, the queen, as it seemed, of +the day, was capricious enough to wish to gather for herself a blooming +branch; a thorn pricked her, and a stream, as bright as if from damask +roses, flowed over her delicate hand. This accident put the whole +company in motion. English court-plaister was instantly inquired after. +A silent, meagre, pale, tall, elderly man, who stood next to me, and whom +I had not before observed, instantly put his hand into the close-fitting +breast-pocket of his old-fashioned, grey taffetan coat, took out a small +pocket-book, opened it, and with a lowly bow gave the lady what she had +wished for; she took it without any attention to the giver, and without a +word of thanks. The wound was bound up, and they ascended the hill, from +whose brow they admired the wide prospect over the park's green +labyrinth, extending even to the immeasurable ocean. + +It was indeed a grand and noble sight. A light speck appeared on the +horizon between the dark waters and the azure heaven. "A telescope, +here!" cried the merchant; and before any one from the crowds of servants +appeared to answer his call, the grey man, as if he had been applied to, +had already put his hand into his coat-pocket: he had taken from it a +beautiful Dollond, and handed it over to Mr. Jones; who, as soon as he +had raised it to his eye, informed the company that it was the ship which +had sailed yesterday, driven back by contrary winds. The telescope +passed from hand to hand, but never again reached that of its owner. I, +however, looked on the old man with astonishment, not conceiving how the +large machine had come out of the tiny pocket. Nobody else seemed +surprised, and they appeared to care no more about the grey man than +about me. + +Refreshments were produced; the rarest fruits of every climate, served in +the richest dishes. Mr. Jones did the honours with easy, dignified +politeness, and for the second time directed a word to me: "Eat then, you +did not get this on your voyage." I bowed, but he did not observe me: he +was talking to somebody else. + +They would willingly have remained longer on the sod of the sloping hill, +and have stretched themselves over the outspread turf, had they not +feared its dampness. "Now it would be enchanting," said somebody of the +company, "if we had Turkey carpets to spread here." The wish was hardly +expressed ere the man in the grey coat had put his hand into his pocket, +and with modest, even humble demeanour, began to draw out a rich +embroidered Turkey carpet. It was received by the attendants as a matter +of course, and laid down on the appointed spot. Without further ceremony +the company took their stand upon it. I looked with new surprise on the +man, the pocket, and the carpet, which was about twenty paces long, and +ten broad. I rubbed my eyes, not knowing what to think, and especially +as nobody else seemed moved by what had passed. + +I longed to learn something about the man, and to inquire who he was; but +I knew not to whom to apply, for I really was more afraid of the +gentlemen-servants than of the gentlemen served. I mustered up my +spirits at last, and addressed myself to a young man who seemed less +pretending than the rest, and who had oftener been left to himself. I +gently asked him, who that courteous gentleman was in grey clothes.--"Who? +he that looks like an end of thread blown away from a tailor's +needle?"--"Yes, he that stands alone."--"I do not know him," he answered; +and, determined, as it seemed, to break off the discussion with me, +turned away, and entered on a trifling conversation with somebody else. + +The sun now began to shine more intensely, and to annoy the ladies. The +lovely Fanny carelessly addressed the grey man, whom, as far as I know, +nobody had addressed before, with the frivolous question: "had he a +marquee?" He answered with a low reverence, as if feeling an undeserved +honour had been done him; his hand was already in his pocket, from which +I perceived canvas, bars, ropes, iron-work--everything, in a word, +belonging to the most sumptuous tent, issuing forth. The young men +helped to erect it; it covered the whole extent of the carpet, and no one +appeared to consider all this as at all extraordinary. + +If my mind was confused, nay terrified, with these proceedings, how was I +overpowered when the next-breathed wish brought from his pocket three +riding horses. I tell you, three great and noble steeds, with saddles +and appurtenances! Imagine for a moment, I pray you, three saddled +horses from the same pocket which had before produced a pocket-book, a +telescope, an ornamented carpet twenty paces long and ten broad, a +pleasure-tent of the same size, with bars and iron-work! If I did not +solemnly assure you that I had seen it, with my own eyes, you would +certainly doubt the narrative. + +Though there was so much of embarrassment and humility in the man, and he +excited so little attention, yet his appearance to me had in it something +so appalling, that I was not able to turn away my eyes from him. At last +I could bear it no longer. + +I determined to steal away from the company; and this was easy for one +who had acted a part so little conspicuous. I wished to hasten back to +the city, and to return in pursuit of my fortune the following morning to +Mr. J., and if I could muster up courage enough, to inquire something +about the extraordinary grey man. Oh, had I been thus privileged to +escape! + +I had hastily glided through the rose-grove, descended the hill, and +found myself on a wide grassplot, when, alarmed with the apprehension of +being discovered wandering from the beaten path, I looked around me with +enquiring apprehension. How was I startled when I saw the old man in the +grey coat behind, and advancing towards me! He immediately took off his +hat, and bowed to me more profoundly than any one had ever done before. +It was clear he wished to address me, and without extreme rudeness I +could not avoid him. I, in my turn, uncovered myself, made my obeisance, +and stood still with a bare head, in the sunshine, as if rooted there. I +shook with terror while I saw him approach; I felt like a bird fascinated +by a rattlesnake. He appeared sadly perplexed, kept his eyes on the +ground, made several bows, approached nearer, and with a low and +trembling voice, as if he were asking alms, thus accosted me:-- + +"Will the gentleman forgive the intrusion of one who has stopt him in +this unusual way? I have a request to make, but pray pardon . . ."--"In +the name of heaven, Sir!" I cried out in my anguish, "what can I do for +one who--" We both started back, and methought both blushed deeply. + +After a momentary silence he again began: "During the short time when I +enjoyed the happiness of being near you, I observed, Sir,--will you allow +me to say so--I observed, with unutterable admiration, the beautiful, +beautiful shadow in the sun, which with a certain noble contempt, and +perhaps without being aware of it, you threw off from your feet; forgive +me this, I confess, too daring intrusion, but should you be inclined to +transfer it to me?" + +He was silent, and my head turned round like a water-wheel. What could I +make of this singular proposal for disposing of my shadow? He is crazy! +thought I; and with an altered tone, yet more forcible, as contrasted +with the humility of his own, I replied: + +"How is this, good friend? Is not your own shadow enough for you? This +seems to me a whimsical sort of bargain indeed." He began again, "I have +in my pocket many matters which might not be quite unacceptable to the +gentleman; for this invaluable shadow I deem any price too little." + +A chill came over me: I remembered what I had seen, and knew not how to +address him who I had just ventured to call my good friend. I spoke +again, and assumed an extraordinary courtesy to set matters in order. + +"Pardon, Sir, pardon your most humble servant, I do not quite understand +your meaning; how can my shadow--" He interrupted me: "I only beg your +permission to be allowed to lift up your noble shadow, and put it in my +pocket: how to do it is my own affair. As a proof of my gratitude for +the gentleman, I leave him the choice of all the jewels which my pocket +affords; the genuine divining rods, mandrake roots, change pennies, money +extractors, the napkins of Rolando's Squire, and divers other miracle- +workers,--a choice assortment; but all this is not fit for you--better +that you should have Fortunatus's wishing-cap, restored spick and span +new; and also a fortune-bag which belonged to him." "Fortunatus's +fortune-bag!" I exclaimed; and, great as had been my terror, all my +senses were now enraptured by the sound. I became dizzy,--and nothing +but double ducats seemed sparkling before my eyes. + +"Condescend, Sir, to inspect and make a trial of this bag." He put his +hand into his pocket, and drew from it a moderately sized, +firmly-stitched purse of thick cordovan, with two convenient leather +cords hanging to it, which he presented to me. I instantly dipped into +it, drew from it ten pieces of gold, and ten more, and ten more, and yet +ten more;--I stretched out my hand. "Done! the bargain is made; I give +you my shadow for your purse." He grasped my hand, and knelt down behind +me, and with wonderful dexterity I perceived him loosening my shadow from +the ground from head to foot;--he lifted it up;--he rolled it together +and folded it, and at last put it into his pocket. He then stood erect, +bowed to me again, and returned back to the rose grove. I thought I +heard him laughing softly to himself. I held, however, the purse tight +by its strings--the earth was sun-bright all around me--and my senses +were still wholly confused. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +At last I came to myself, and hastened from a place where apparently I +had nothing more to do. I first filled my pockets with gold, then firmly +secured the strings of the purse round my neck, taking care to conceal +the purse itself in my bosom. I left the park unnoticed, reached the +high road, and bent my way to the town. I was walking thoughtfully +towards the gate, when I heard a voice behind me: "Holla! young Squire! +holla! don't you hear?" I looked round--an old woman was calling after +me;--"Take care, sir, take care--you have lost your shadow!"--"Thanks, +good woman."--I threw her a piece of gold for her well-meant counsel, and +walked away under the trees. + +At the gate I was again condemned to hear from the sentinel, "Where has +the gentleman left his shadow?" and immediately afterwards a couple of +women exclaimed, "Good heavens! the poor fellow has no shadow!" I began +to be vexed, and carefully avoided walking in the sun. This I could not +always do: for instance, in the Broad-street, which I was next compelled +to cross; and as ill-luck would have it, at the very moment when the boys +were being released from school. A confounded hunch-backed vagabond--I +see him at this moment--had observed that I wanted a shadow. He +instantly began to bawl out to the young tyros of the suburbs, who first +criticised me, and then bespattered me with mud: "Respectable people are +accustomed to carry their shadows with them when they go into the sun." I +scattered handfuls of gold among them to divert their attention; and, +with the assistance of some compassionate souls, sprang into a hackney +coach. As soon as I found myself alone in the rolling vehicle, I began +to weep bitterly. My inward emotion suggested to me, that even as in +this world gold weighs down both merit and virtue, so a shadow might +possibly be more valuable than gold itself; and that, as I had sacrificed +my riches to my integrity on other occasions, so now I had given up my +shadow for mere wealth; and what ought, what could become of me? + +I continued still sadly discomposed, when the coach stopped before the +old tavern. I was shocked at the thought of again entering that vile +garret. I sent for my baggage, took up the miserable bundle with +contempt, threw the servants some pieces of gold, and ordered to be +driven to the principal hotel. The house faced the north, so I had +nothing to fear from the sun. I dismissed the driver with gold, selected +the best front room, and locked myself in as soon as possible. + +And how do you imagine I employed myself? Oh! my beloved Chamisso, I +blush to confess it even to you. I drew forth the luckless purse from my +bosom, and impelled by a sort of madness which burned and spread within +me like a furious conflagration, I shook out gold, and gold, and gold, +and still more gold;--strewed it over the floor, trampled on it, and made +it tinkle, and feasting my weak senses on the glitter and the sound, I +added pile to pile, till I sunk exhausted on the golden bed. I rolled +about and wallowed in delicious delirium. And so the day passed by, and +so the evening. My door remained unopened, and night found me still +reposing on the gold, when sleep at length overcame me. + +Then I dreamed of you. I fancied I was standing close to the glass door +of your little apartment, and saw you sitting at your work-table, between +a skeleton and a parcel of dried plants. Haller, Humboldt, and Linnaeus +lay open before you;--on your sofa were a volume of Goethe, and _The +Magic Ring_. {37} I looked at you for a long time, then at everything +around you, and then at you again; but you moved not--you breathed +not--you were dead. + +I awoke: it seemed to be yet early--my watch had stopped;--I felt as if I +had been bastinadoed--yet both hungry and thirsty, for since the previous +morning I had eaten nothing. With weariness and disgust I pushed away +from me the gold, which but a little time before had satiated my foolish +heart: I now in my perplexity knew not how to dispose of it. But it +could not remain there. I tried to put it again into the purse--no; none +of my windows opened upon the sea. I was obliged to content myself by +dragging it with immense labour and difficulty to a large cupboard, which +stood in a recess, where I packed it up. I left only a few handfuls +lying about. When I had finished my labour, I sat down exhausted in an +arm-chair, and waited till the people of the house began to stir. I +ordered breakfast, and begged the landlord to be with me as soon as +practicable. + +With this man I arranged the future management of my household. He +recommended to me for my personal servant a certain _Bendel_, whose +honest and intelligent countenance instantly interested me. It was he, +who from that moment accompanied me through life with a sympathizing +attachment, and shared with me my gloomy destiny. I passed the whole day +in my apartments with servants out of place, shoemakers, tailors, and +shopkeepers; I provided myself with all necessaries, and bought large +quantities of jewels and precious stones, merely to get rid of some of my +piles of gold; but it seemed scarcely possible to diminish the heap. + +Meanwhile I contemplated my situation with most anxious doubts. I dared +not venture one step from my door, and at evening ordered forty +wax-lights to be kindled in my saloon, before I left the dark chamber. I +thought with horror of the dreadful scene with the schoolboys, and +determined, whatever it might cost, once more to sound public opinion. +The moon, at this season, illumined the night. Late in the evening I +threw a wide cloak around me, pulled down my hat over my eyes, and glided +out of the house trembling like a criminal. I walked first along the +shadows of the houses to a remote open place; I then abandoned their +protection, stepped out into the moonshine, resolving to learn my destiny +from the lips of the passers-by. + +But spare me, my friend, the painful repetition of what I was condemned +to undergo! The deepest pity seemed to inspire the fairer sex; but my +soul was not less wounded by this than by the contumely of the young, and +the proud disdain of the old, especially of those stout and well-fed men, +whose dignified shadows seemed to do them honour. A lovely, graceful +maiden, apparently accompanying her parents, who seemed not to look +beyond their own footsteps, accidentally fixed her sparkling eyes upon +me. She obviously started as she remarked my shadowless figure; she hid +her beautiful face beneath her veil, hung down her head, and passed +silently on. + +I could bear it no longer. Salt streams burst forth from my eyes, and +with a broken heart I hurried tremblingly back into darkness. I was +obliged to grope along by the houses, in order to feel my steps secure, +and slowly and late I reached my dwelling. + +That night was a sleepless one. My first care at daybreak was to order +the man in the grey coat to be everywhere sought for. Perchance I might +be lucky enough to discover him--and oh! what bliss if he as well as I +repented of our foolish bargain. I sent for Bendel; he seemed both apt +and active. I described to him minutely the man who held in his +possession that treasure, without which life was but a torment to me. I +told him the time, the place where I had seen him; particularized to him +all the persons who could assist his inquiries; and added, that he should +especially ask after a Dollond's telescope, a gold embroidered Turkish +carpet, a superb tent, and also the black riding horses; whose history,--I +did not state how,--was closely connected with that of the unintelligible +man, whom nobody seemed to notice, and whose appearance had destroyed the +peace and happiness of my life. + +When I had done, I brought out as much gold as I was able to carry. I +laid jewels and precious stones to a still greater amount upon the pile. +"Bendel," I said, "this levels many a path, and makes many a difficult +thing easy; be not sparing, you know I am not; but go and rejoice your +master with the information on which his only hopes are built." + +He went--he returned--and returned late and sorrowful. None of the +merchant's servants, none of his guests--he had spoken to all--knew +anything about the man in the grey coat. The new telescope was there, +but they were all ignorant whence it came. The tent and the carpet were +extended on the same hill; the lackeys boasted of their master's +magnificence: but none knew from what place these new valuables had come. +They had administered to his pleasures; and he did not disturb his rest +to inquire into their origin. Their horses were in the stalls of the +young men who had rode them; and they lauded the generosity of the +merchant, who had that day requested they would keep them as presents. +Such was the light that Bendel threw upon this extraordinary history, and +for this fruitless result received my grateful thanks. I beckoned +gloomily to him that he should leave me alone. But he resumed: "I have +informed you, sir, of everything connected with the affair which most +interests you. I have also a message to deliver, which was given to me +this morning early, by a person whom I met at the door, while I was going +out on the business in which I have been so unfortunate. His own words +were, "Say to Mr. Peter Schlemihl, he will see me here no more, as I am +going to cross the sea; and a favourable wind beckons me to the haven. +But after a year and a day I shall have the honour to seek him out, and +perhaps to propose to him another arrangement which may then be to his +liking. Remember me most obediently to him, and assure him of my +thanks." I asked him who he was: and he replied, that you knew. + +"What was the man's appearance?" I cried, full of forebodings. And +Bendel described the man in the grey coat, feature by feature, word for +word, precisely as he had depicted him, when inquiring about him. + +"Miserable mortal!" exclaimed I, wringing my hands, "it was he! it was he +himself!" He looked as if scales had fallen from his eyes. "Yes, it was +he, it was indeed he!" he cried out in agony; "and I, silly, deluded one, +I did not know him--I did not know him--I have betrayed my master!" + +He broke out into the loudest reproaches against himself. He wept +bitterly; his despair could not but excite my pity. I ministered +consolation to him; assured him again and again that I did not doubt his +fidelity, and sent him instantly to the haven, to follow the strange +man's steps if possible. But, on that very morning, many vessels which +had been kept by contrary winds back in port, had put to sea, all +destined to distant lands and other climes; the grey man had disappeared +trackless as a shade. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +Of what use would wings be to him who is fast bound in iron fetters? He +must still despair, and despair with deeper melancholy. I lay like +Taffner by his stronghold, far removed from any earthly consolation, +starving in the midst of riches. They gave me no enjoyment; I cursed +them; they had cut me off from mankind. Concealing my gloomy secret +within me, I trembled before the meanest of my servants, whom I could not +but envy: for he had his shadow, and could show himself in the sun. Alone +in my apartments, I mourned through harassing days and nights, and +anguish fed upon my heart. + +One individual was constantly sorrowing under my eyes. My faithful +Bendel ceased not to torment himself with silent reproaches that he had +deceived the confidence of his generous master, and had not recognized +him whom he was sent to seek, and with whom my mournful fate seemed +strongly intertwined. I could not blame him: I recognized too well in +that event the mysterious nature of the unknown being. + +But, to leave nothing untried, I sent Bendel with a costly brilliant ring +to the most celebrated painter in the city, requesting he would pay me a +visit. He came--I ordered away my servants--locked the door--sat myself +by him; and after praising his art, I came with a troubled spirit to the +great disclosure, having first enjoined on him the strictest secresy. + +"Mr. Professor," I began, "can you paint a false shadow for one, who in +the most luckless way in the world has lost his own?" "You mean a +reflected shadow?"--"To be sure." "But," he added, "through what +awkwardness, or what negligence, could he lose his own shadow?"--"How it +happened," replied I, "that does not matter, but--" I impudently began +again with a lie,--"last winter, when he was travelling in Russia, it +froze so severely, during the extraordinary cold, that his shadow was +frozen to the ground, and it was impossible for him to get it free." + +"And I," said the professor, "could only make him a sheet shadow, which +he would be apt to lose again on the slightest motion; especially for one +whose genuine shadow was so badly fixed, as must be inferred from your +account; the simplest and wisest determination for him who has no shadow, +is not to go in the sun." He stood up and walked away, after having sent +through me a piercing glance which I could not endure. I sunk back on my +chair, and veiled my face with my hands. + +Thus Bendel found me when he entered. He saw his master's sorrow, and +wanted silently and respectfully to turn back. I raised my eyes: the +weight of my grief was upon me--I determined to divide it. "Bendel!" I +called to him; "Bendel! you, who alone see and respect my sufferings, not +curiously prying into them, but secretly and devotedly sharing them with +me--come to me, Bendel, be the nearest to my heart. The stores of my +gold I have not concealed from you: from you I will not hide the store of +my anguish. Bendel, forsake me not. You know I am wealthy, kind, and +generous, and perhaps you think the world should honour me for that: but, +you see, I shun the world; I hide myself from its observation. Bendel, +the world has judged me and condemned me--and Bendel, too, perhaps, will +turn from me when he possesses my dreadful secret. Bendel! I am indeed +rich, liberal, and independent, but--heavens! I have no shadow!" + +"No shadow!" echoed the good young man in an agony, while bright tears +broke from his eyelids; "Alas! alas! that I should have been born to +serve a shadowless master!" He was silent, and I hid my face in my +hands. + +At last I tremblingly said, "Bendel! you have now my confidence--betray +it if you will--away! and bear witness against me." He seemed struggling +with internal emotion; he threw himself at my feet, seized my hand, and +bathed it with his tears. "No," he cried, "let the world say what it +may, I will not leave my good master for the sake of a shadow; I will do +what is right and not what is prudent: I will remain with you, I will +lend you my shadow; I will help you where I can; I will weep with you." I +fell on his neck, overcome with such an unexpected self-devotion. I felt +assured he did nothing for the sake of gold. + +From that moment my fate and my mode of life changed. It is +indescribable how carefully Bendel sought to cover my defects. He was +ever before and with me, foreseeing everything, arranging everything, and +where unexpected danger threatened, covering me with his shadow, for he +was fortunately taller and stouter than I. Again I mingled with mankind, +and acted my part in the scenes of the world. It was necessary to assume +much singularity and queerness; but these sit well upon a rich man, and +while the truth lay concealed, I enjoyed all the honour and esteem to +which wealth has a claim. I looked with more calmness on the advancing +year and day, whose close was to bring with them the visit of the +mysterious unknown. + +I was well aware that I could not remain long in the place where I had +been seen without a shadow, and where I might so easily be betrayed; and +I thought perhaps more on this, remembering how I had first shown myself +to the merchant, which was now a sad recollection to me; consequently I +would only make an experiment here, that I might learn how to introduce +myself hereafter with more ease and confidence; nevertheless it happened +that I was momentarily bound down by my vanity; which is the firm ground +in man where the anchor fixes itself. + +The beautiful Fanny, whom I again met in another situation, bestowed on +me some attention, without recollecting that she had seen me before; for +now I had both wit and understanding. When I talked, all listened, and I +could not imagine when or how I had acquired the talent of leading and +directing the conversation. The impression which I perceived I had +produced on the fair one, made me, as she would have me, a very fool; and +from this time I pursued her, where only I could pursue her, through +shades and twilight. I was vain enough to make her vain of me; yet I +could not succeed, notwithstanding all my efforts to drive the +intoxication from my head to my heart. + +{Schlemihl and Fanny: p48.jpg} + +But why enter upon the details of an everyday story? You know, and have +often told me, how other wealthy people spend their days. From an old, +well-known drama, in which I, out of mere good-humour, was playing a +hacknied part, arose a singular and incredible catastrophe, unexpected by +me, or by Fanny, or by anybody. + +According to my custom, one lovely evening I had assembled a large +company in an illuminated garden. I was wandering about with my divinity +arm-in-arm, separated from the rest of the guests, and endeavouring to +amuse her with well-timed conversation; she looked modestly towards the +ground, and gently returned the pressure of my hand. At this moment the +moon unexpectedly burst through the clouds: her shadow alone was +there,--she started, looked alarmed at me, then at the earth, as if her +eyes were asking for my shadow;--all her emotions were painted so +faithfully on her countenance, that I should have burst into a loud +laugh, had I not felt an icy dullness creeping over me. + +She sunk down from my arms in a swoon. I flew like an arrow through the +alarmed company, reached the door, threw myself into the first coach I +found waiting there, and hurried back to the city, where, to my +misfortune, I had left the foresighted Bendel. He was startled at seeing +me--a word told all. Post-horses were instantly ordered. I took only +one of my servants with me, an interested villain called Rascal, who had +learned to make himself useful by his dexterity, and who could suspect +nothing of what had occurred. We travelled a hundred miles before night. +Bendel was left behind to dismiss my household, to distribute my money by +paying my debts, and to bring away what was most necessary. When he +overtook me the next day, I threw myself into his arms, solemnly +promising to commit no farther folly, but to be more discreet in future. +We continued our journey without interruption, passing over the chain of +mountains which formed the frontier; and only when on the descent, and +separated by the high bastions from the land so fatal to my peace, did I +allow myself to be comforted, and hastened away to a watering-place in +the vicinity, where I sought repose from my disappointments and my +sorrows. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +I must hurry rapidly over a part of my history, on which I should rejoice +to linger, if I could invoke the living spirit of departed time. But the +beautiful associations which animated it once, and which alone could +animate its memory, are now extinguished within me. When I seek +them--that influence which ruled so mightily over my joys and sorrows--my +mingled destiny,--I strike in vain against a rock, that gives out a +living stream no longer; the divinity is fled. O how changed is the +aspect of those days of old! My intention was now to act an heroic +character; but it was badly studied, and I a novice on the stage, was +forgetting my part while fascinated by a pair of blue eyes. In the +intoxication of the scene, the parents seem eager to close the bargain, +and the farce ends in a common mockery. And this is all! So stale, so +unprofitable, and so melancholy are the revisitings of what beat once so +nobly and proudly in my bosom. Mina! as I wept when I lost thee, even +now I weep to have lost thee within me. Am I become so old! Pitiful +intellect of man! Oh, for a pulse-beat of those days, a moment of that +consciousness,--but no! I am a solitary wave in the dark and desolate +sea: and the sparkling glass I drank was drugged with misery. + +I had previously sent Bendel with bags of gold to fit out a dwelling +suitable for me in the town. He had scattered about a great deal of +money, and talked mysteriously of the illustrious stranger whom he had +the honour to serve (for I did not choose to be named), and this filled +the good people with strange notions. As soon as the house was ready for +me, Bendel returned to convey me thither. We started immediately. + +About an hour's distance from the place, on a sunny plain, a great number +of persons in gala dresses arrested our progress. The coach stopped: +music, bell-ringing, and cannonading were heard; a loud acclamation rent +the air, and a chorus of singularly beautiful maidens in white robes +appeared at the door of the carriage, one of whom, surpassing the rest as +the sun surpasses in brightness the stars of evening, stepped forward, +and with graceful and modest blushes knelt before me, and presented to me +on a silken cushion a wreath of laurel, olive, and rose branches, +garlanded together, while she uttered some words, which I understood not, +of majesty, awe, and love, whose soft and silver tones enchanted my ear +and my bosom: it seemed to me as if the heavenly apparition had once +glided before me in other days. The chorus began, and sang the praise of +a good monarch, and the happiness of his people. + +And this happened, my friend, in the bright sunshine: she continued to +kneel some two steps before me, and I, shadowless, dared not spring over +the gulf, that I might fall on my knees in her angelic presence. What +would I not have given in that moment for a shadow! I was obliged to +conceal my shame, my anguish, my despair, by sinking back into the +carriage. Bendel relieved me from my embarrassment: he leaped out from +the other side--I called him back--and gave him out of my little casket, +which lay close at hand, a rich diamond crown which was intended to adorn +the lovely Fanny. He moved forward, and spoke in his master's name, "who +neither could," he said, "nor would accept such flattering marks of +honour; there must have been some error, though he could not but thank +the worthy townspeople for their expressions of kindness." He then took +the garland of flowers from its place, and put there instead of it the +crown of diamonds. His hand assisted the beautiful maiden to rise, and +with a look of dignity he sent away the clergy, magistrates and deputies. +Nobody was allowed a farther audience. He bade the crowd retire, and +make room for the horses, and flung himself into the carriage, and off we +went in a rapid gallop to the town, through the arches of flowers and +laurels which had been erected. The cannon continued to thunder--the +coach at last reached my abode. I turned hastily through the door, +dividing the assembly who had gathered together to see me. The mob +cried, "God bless him!" under my window; and I ordered double ducats to +be scattered among them. At night the town was spontaneously +illuminated. + +And I knew not yet what all this meant, nor who I was imagined to be. I +sent out Rascal to get information. He discovered that the people +believed they had certain information that the good king of Prussia was +travelling through the country, under the title of count;--that my +adjutant had been recognized, and had discovered both himself and me;--in +a word, that infinite joy had been felt at the certainty of having me +among them. They had ascertained, indeed, that as I wished to preserve +the strictest _incognito_, it had been wrong to draw up the veil so +intrudingly;--but as I had expressed my displeasure with so much +graciousness and kindness, surely my generous heart could forgive them. + +It was so excellent a joke for my scoundrel servant, that he did as much +as possible by his sharp remonstrances to confirm the good people in +their opinions. He gave me a most amusing account of his proceedings; +and as he saw it animated me, he thought to add to my enjoyment by a +display of his own knavish tricks. Shall I confess it? I was not a +little flattered by even the illusion of being mistaken for the head of +the kingdom. + +I ordered a feast to be provided on the following evening, under the +trees which overshadowed the expanse in front of my house, and the whole +town to be invited. The mysterious virtue of my purse, the exertions of +Bendel, and the dexterous contrivances of Rascal, succeeded in doing +wonders in the trifling space of time. It is really astonishing how +richly and beautifully everything was arranged in so short a period. Such +pomp and superfluity were exhibited there, and the richly-fanciful +illuminations were so admirably managed, that I felt quite at ease; I had +nothing to find fault with, and I could not but praise the diligence of +my servants. + +Evening darkness came on; the guests appeared, and were introduced to me. +The word "majesty" was no more whispered; but I often heard, uttered in +deep awe and humility, "the Count." What could I do? The word count +satisfied me, and from that moment I was Count Peter. But in the midst +of the festive crowd I sought but one; at last she appeared; she _was_ +the crown, and she wore it. She followed her parents modestly, and +seemed not to know that she was the loveliest of the assemblage. The +forest-master, his wife, and daughter were introduced. I said much that +was agreeable and obliging to the old people; but I stood before their +daughter like a checked boy, and could not utter a single word. At last +I stammered forth a request that she would honour the festival by +undertaking that office whose badge she bore. With a touching look she +begged blushingly that I would excuse her; but more abashed before her +than she herself, I, as her first subject, offered her my humble tribute; +and my glance served as a command to all the guests, each of whom seemed +anxious to meet it. Over this joyful festivity presided majesty, +innocence, and grace allied with beauty. Mina's happy parents believed +that out of respect for them, their child had been elevated to these +unexpected honours, and I was in an unspeakable transport of joy. I +ordered every thing that was left of the jewels, pearls, and precious +stones which I had purchased with my perplexing piles of wealth, to be +placed in two covered dishes, and distributed in the name of the queen +among her playfellows and the ladies present; and I ordered gold to be +thrown over the border fence among the joyous crowds. On the following +morning, Bendel communicated to me, in confidence, that the suspicions he +had formed against Rascal's integrity were fully confirmed; he had +yesterday purloined several bags of gold. "Let us not envy," I replied, +"the poor devil this trifling booty; I scatter my money about profusely, +why not to him? Yesterday, he and everybody else served me nobly, and +arranged a delightful festivity." Nothing further was said about it; +Rascal continued to be my head-servant, and Bendel my friend and +confidant. He had imagined my wealth to be inexhaustible, and he cared +not to inquire into its source. Entering into my feelings, he assisted +me to find out constant occasions to display my wealth, and to spend it. +Of the unknown, pale, sneaking fellow, he only knew that without him I +could not get released from the curse which bound me, and that I dreaded +the man on whom my only hope reposed. Besides, I was now convinced he +could discover me anywhere, while I could find him nowhere; so that I +determined to abandon a fruitless inquiry, and to await the promised day. + +The magnificence of the festival, and my condescension there, confirmed +the obstinately-credulous inhabitants in their first opinion of my +dignity. It appeared very soon, notwithstanding, in the newspapers, that +the reported journey of the king was wholly without foundation. But I +had been a king, and a king I was unfortunately compelled to remain; and +certainly I was one of the richest and kingliest who had ever appeared. +But what king could I be? The world has never had cause to complain of +any scarcity of monarchs, at least in our days; and the good people, who +had never seen one with their own eyes, first fixed on one, and then, +equally happily, on another; but Count Peter continued to be my name. + +There once appeared among the visitors to the baths, a merchant who had +made himself a bankrupt in order to get rich, and he enjoyed the general +esteem; he was accompanied by a broad, palish shadow. He wished +ostentatiously to display the wealth he had acquired, and he determined +to be my rival. I applied to my bag. I drove on the poor devil at such +a rate, that in order to save himself he was obliged to become a bankrupt +a second time. Thus I got rid of him; and by similar means I created in +this neighbourhood many an idler and a vagabond. + +Though I thus lived in apparent kingly pomp and prodigality, my habits at +home were simple and unpretending. With thoughtful foresight, I had made +it a rule that no one except Bendel, should on any pretence enter the +chamber which I occupied. As long as the sun shone I remained there +locked in. People said, "the count is engaged in his cabinet." The +crowds of couriers were kept in communication by these occupations, for I +dispatched and received them on the most trifling business. At evening, +alone, I received company under the trees, or in my saloon, which was +skilfully and magnificently lighted, according to Bendel's arrangement. +Whenever I went out Bendel watched round me with Argus' eyes; my steps +were always tending to the forester's garden, and that only for the sake +of _her_; the inmost spirit of my existence was my love. + +My good Chamisso, I will hope you have not forgotten what love is! I +leave much to your filling up. Mina was indeed a love-worthy, good, and +gentle girl; I had obtained full possession of her thoughts; and in her +modesty she could not imagine how she had become worthy of my regard, and +that I dwelt only upon her; but she returned love for love, in the full +youthful energy of an innocent heart. She loved like a woman; all self- +sacrificing, self-forgetting, and living only in him who was her life, +careless even though she should perish: in a word, she truly loved. + +But I--oh, what frightful moments!--frightful! yet worthy to be recalled. +How often did I weep in Bendel's bosom, after I recovered from the first +inebriety of rapture! how severely did I condemn myself, that I, a +shadowless being, should seal, with wily selfishness, the perdition of an +angel, whose pure soul I had attached to me by lies and theft! Now I +determined to unveil myself to her; now, with solemn oaths, I resolved to +tear myself from her, and to fly; then again I broke out into tears, and +arranged with Bendel for visiting her in the forest-garden again in the +evening. + +Sometimes I allowed myself to be flattered with the hopes of the now +nearly approaching visit of the unknown, mysterious old man; and wept +anew when I recollected that I had sought him in vain. I had reckoned +the day when I was again to expect to see that awful being. He had said +a year and a day; and I relied on his word. + +Mina's parents were good, worthy old people, loving their only child most +tenderly; the whole affair had taken them by surprise, and, as matters +stood, they knew not how to act. They could never have dreamed that +Count Peter should think of their child; but it was clear he loved her +passionately, and was loved in return. The mother, indeed, was vain +enough to think of the possibility of such an alliance, and to prepare +for its accomplishment; but the calm good sense of the old man never gave +such an ambitious hope a moment's consideration. But they were both +convinced of the purity of my love, and could do nothing but pray for +their child. + +A letter is now in my hand which I received about this time from Mina. +This is her very character. I will copy it for you. + + "I know I am a weak, silly girl; for I have taught myself to believe + my beloved would not give me pain, and this because I deeply, dearly + love him. Alas! thou art so kind, so unutterably kind! but do not + delude me. For me make no sacrifice--wish to make no sacrifice. + Heaven! I could hate myself if I caused thee to do so. No, thou hast + made me infinitely happy; thou hast taught me to love thee. But go in + peace! my destiny tells me Count Peter is not mine, but the whole + world's; and then I shall feel proudly as I hear: 'That it was he--and + he again--that he had done this--that he has been adored here, and + deified there.' When I think of this, I could reproach thee for + forgetting thy high destinies in a simple maiden. Go in peace, or the + thought will make me miserable--me, alas! who am so happy, so blessed + through thee. And have not I entwined in thy existence an + olive-branch and a rose-bud, as in the garland which I dared to + present thee? Think of thyself, my beloved one; fear not to leave me, + I should die so blessed--so unutterably blessed, through thee." + +You may well imagine how these words thrilled through my bosom. I told +her I was not that which I was supposed to be; I was only a wealthy, but +an infinitely-wretched man. There was, I said, a curse upon me, which +should be the only secret between her and me; for I had not yet lost the +hope of being delivered from it. This was the poison of my existence: +That I could have swept her away with me into the abyss; her, the sole +light, the sole bliss, the sole spirit of my life. Then she wept again +that I was so unhappy. She was so amiable, so full of love! How blessed +had she felt to have offered herself up in order to spare me a single +tear! + +But she was far from rightly understanding my words: she sometimes +fancied I was a prince pursued by a cruel proscription; a high and +devoted chief, whom her imagination loved to depicture, and to give to +her beloved one all the bright hues of heroism. + +Once I said to her, "Mina, on the last day of the coming month, my doom +may change and be decided; if that should not happen I must die, for I +cannot make thee miserable." She wept, and her head sunk upon my bosom. +"If thy doom should change, let me but know thou art happy; I have no +claim upon thee--but shouldst thou become miserable, bind me to thy +misery, I will help thee to bear it." + +"Beloved maiden! withdraw--withdraw the rash, the foolish word which has +escaped thy lips. Dost thou know what is my misery? dost thou know what +is my curse? That thy beloved--what he? Dost thou see me shuddering +convulsively before thee, and concealing from thee--" She sunk sobbing +at my feet, and renewed her declaration with a solemn vow. + +I declared to the now approaching forest-master, my determination to ask +the hand of his daughter for the first day of the coming month. I fixed +that period, because in the meanwhile many an event might occur which +would have great influence on my fortunes. My love for his daughter +could not but be unchangeable. + +The good old man started back, as it were, while the words escaped from +Count Peter's lips. He fell upon my neck, and then blushed that he had +so far forgotten himself. Then he began to doubt, to ponder, to inquire; +he spoke of dowry, of security for the future for his beloved child. I +thanked him for reminding me of it. I told him I wished to settle and +live a life free from anxiety, in a neighbourhood where I appeared to be +beloved. I ordered him to buy, in the name of his daughter, the finest +estates that were offered, and refer to me for the payment. A father +would surely best serve the lover of his child. This gave him trouble +enough, for some stranger or other always forestalled him: but he bought +for only the amount of about a million florins. + +The truth is, this was a sort of innocent trick to get rid of him, which +I had already once done before: for I must own he was rather tedious. The +good mother, on the contrary, was somewhat deaf, and not, like him, +always jealous of the honour of entertaining the noble Count. + +The mother pressed forward. The happy people crowded around me, +entreating me to lengthen the evening among them. I dared not linger a +moment: the moon was rising above the twilight of evening: my time was +come. + +Next evening I returned again to the forest-garden. I had thrown my +broad mantle over my shoulders, my hat was slouched over my eyes. I +advanced towards Mina; as she lifted up her eyes and looked at me, an +involuntary shudder came over her. The frightful night in which I had +shown myself shadowless in the moonlight, returned in all its brightness +to my mind. It was indeed she! Had she, too, recognized me? She was +silent and full of thought. I felt the oppression of a nightmare on my +breast. I rose from my seat; she threw herself speechless on my bosom. I +left her. + +But now I often found her in tears; my soul grew darker and darker, while +her parents seemed to revel in undisturbed joy. The day so big with fate +rolled onwards, heavy and dark, like a thunder-cloud. Its eve had +arrived, I could scarcely breathe. I had been foresighted enough to fill +some chests with gold. I waited for midnight:--it tolled. + +And there I sat, my eyes directed to the hand of the clock; the seconds, +the minutes, as they tinkled, entered me like a dagger. I rose up at +every sound I heard. The day began to dawn; the leaden hours crowded one +on another; it was morning--evening--night. The hands of the timepiece +moved slowly on, and hope was departing. It struck eleven, and nothing +appeared. The last minutes of the last hour vanished--still nothing +appeared; the first stroke--the last stroke of _twelve_ sounded. I sank +hopeless on my couch in ceaseless tears. To-morrow--shadowless for +ever!--to-morrow I should solicit the hand of my beloved. Towards +morning a heavy sleep closed my eyes. + +{Schlemihl in his room: p66.jpg} + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +It was yet early, when I was awakened by the sound of voices violently +disputing in my antechamber. I listened: Bendel was forbidding access to +my door. Rascal swore loudly and deeply that he would take no orders +from his fellow-servant, and insisted on rushing into my apartment. The +good Bendel warned him that if such language reached my ears, he might +perchance lose a profitable place; but Rascal threatened to lay violent +hands upon him, if he impeded his entrance any longer. + +I had half dressed myself. I angrily flung the door open, and called out +to Rascal, "What dost want, thou scoundrel?" He retreated two paces, and +answered with perfect coldness, + +"Humbly to request, may it please your lordship, for once to show me your +shadow; the sun is shining so beautifully in the court." + +I felt as if scathed by a thunderbolt, and it was long before I could +utter a word: "How can a servant presume against his master that--" He +interrupted me with provoking calmness: "A servant may be a very honest +man, and yet refuse to serve a shadowless master--I must have my +discharge." I tried another weapon. + +"But, Rascal, my dear Rascal, who has put this wild notion into your +head? How can you imagine--" But he continued in the same tone, "There +are people who assert you have no shadow; so, in a word, either show me +your shadow, or give me my discharge!" + +Bendel, pale and trembling, but more discreet than I, made me a sign to +seek a resource in the silence-imposing gold--but it had lost its power; +Rascal flung it at my feet: "I will take nothing from a shadowless +being." He turned his back upon me, put his hat on his head, and went +slowly out of the apartment whistling a tune. I stood there like a +petrifaction--looking after him, vacant and motionless. + +Heavy and melancholy, with a deathlike feeling within me, I prepared to +redeem my promise, and, like a criminal before his judges, to show myself +in the forester's garden. I ascended to the dark arbour which had been +called by my name, where an appointment had been made to meet me. Mina's +mother came forwards toward me, gay, and free from care. Mina was seated +there, pale and lovely, as the earliest snow when it kisses the last +autumnal flower, and soon dissolves into bitter drops. The +forest-master, with a written sheet in his hand, wandered in violent +agitation from side to side, seemingly overcome with internal feelings, +which painted his usually unvarying countenance with constantly changing +paleness and scarlet. He came towards me as I entered, and with broken +accents requested to speak to me alone. The path through which he +invited me to follow him led to an open sunny part of the garden. I +seated myself down without uttering a word; a long silence followed, +which even our good mother dared not interrupt. + +With irregular steps the forest-master paced the arbour backwards and +forwards; he stood for a moment before me, looked into the paper which he +held, and said with a most penetrating glance, "Count, and do you indeed +know one Peter Schlemihl?" I was silent--"a man of reputable character, +and of great accomplishments." He waited for my answer. "And what if I +were he?"--"He!" added he vehemently, "who has in some way got rid of his +shadow!"--"Oh, my forebodings! my forebodings!" exclaimed Mina, "alas! I +knew long ago that he had no shadow!" and she flung herself into her +mother's arms, who, alarmed, pressed her convulsively to her bosom, +reproaching me with having concealed such a fatal secret from her:--but +she, like Arethusa, was bathed in a fountain of tears, which flowed +abundantly at the sound of my voice, and at my approach tempestuously +burst forth. + +"And so," cried the forest-master furiously, "your matchless impudence +has sought to betray that poor girl and me--and you pretended to love +her--her whom you have dragged to the abyss--see how she weeps, how she +is agonized! O shame! O sin!" + +I was so completely confused that I answered incoherently: "After all, +'twas but a shadow--nothing but a shadow--one can manage without it; and +surely it is not worth making such a noise about." But I felt so deeply +the deception of my language, that I was silent before he deigned to give +me an answer. I added, "What a man has lost to-day he may find again to- +morrow." + +He spoke angrily: "Explain to me, sir, explain how you got rid of your +shadow." I was compelled again to lie: "A vulgar fellow trod so clumsily +upon my shadow, that he tore a great hole in it; I sent it to be +mended--gold can do everything; I ought to have received it back +yesterday." + +"Very well, sir, very well," he replied. "You sue for my daughter--others +do the same; as her father I must take care of her. I give you three +days' respite, which you may employ in procuring a shadow. Come to me +after this, and if you have one that suits you, you will be welcome: but +if not, on the fourth day, I must tell you, my daughter shall be the wife +of another." I attempted to address a word to Mina; but she clung, +violently agitated, closer to her mother, who silently beckoned to me +that I should retire. I slunk away as if the world's gates had closed +behind me. + +Escaped to Bendel's affectionate guidance, I wandered with erring +footsteps through fields and woods, sweat-drops of anguish fell from my +brow; deep groans broke from my bosom; within me raged a wild frenzy. + +I know not how long it had lasted, when on a sunny heath I found myself +held by the sleeve--I stood still, and looked around me. It was the grey- +coated stranger; he seemed to have followed me till he was out of breath. +He instantly began: + +"I had announced myself for to-day; you have hardly been able to wait so +long--but all is well--you will take good counsel: exchange your shadow +again; it only waits your commands, and then turn back. You will be +welcome in the forester's garden; it was but a jest. Rascal, who has +betrayed you, and who is a suitor to your betrothed, I will dispose +of--the fellow is ripe." + +{Schlemihl offered the parchment: p72.jpg} + +I stood there still, as if I were asleep--"Announced for to-day?"--I +reckoned the time over again; it was so. I had erred in my calculations. +I put my right hand on the bag in my bosom; he discovered my meaning, and +drew back two paces. + +"No, Sir Count, that is in good hands; that you may retain." I looked on +him with staring and inquiring eyes. He spoke: "May I ask for a trifling +memento? Be so good as to sign this note." The following words were on +the parchment he held: + + "I hereby promise to deliver over my soul to the bearer after its + natural separation from my body." + +I looked with dumb astonishment, now on the grey unknown, and now on the +writing. In the mean time he had dipped a new pen in a drop of my blood, +which was flowing from a scratch made by a thorn in my hand. He handed +the pen to me. + +"Who are you, then?" I at last inquired. + +"What does that matter?" he answered. "Don't you see what I am?--a poor +devil; a sort of philosopher or alchemist, who receives spare thanks for +great favours he confers on his friends; one who has no enjoyment in this +world, except a little _experimentializing_:--but sign, I pray--ay, just +there on the right, _Peter Schlemihl_." + +I shook my head. "Forgive me, sir, for I will not sign."--"Not!" replied +he, with seeming surprise, "why not?" + +"'Tis an affair that requires some consideration--to add my soul to my +shadow in the bargain."--"Oh, oh!" he exclaimed, "consideration!" and +burst into a loud laugh. "May I then be allowed to ask, what sort of a +thing is your soul? Have you ever seen it? Do you know what will become +of it when you are once departed? Rejoice that you have found somebody +to take notice of it; to buy, even during your lifetime, the reversion of +this X, this galvanic power, this polarising influence, or whatever the +silly trifle may turn out to be; to pay for it with your bodily shadow, +with something really substantial; the hand of your mistress, the +fulfilment of your prayers. Or will you rather deliver over the sweet +maiden to that contemptible scoundrel, Mr. Rascal? No, no! look to that +with your own eyes. Come hither; I will lend you the wishing-cap too, +(he drew something from his pocket), and we will have a ramble unseen +through the forest-garden." + +I must confess I was sadly ashamed to be thus laughed at by this fellow. +I hated him from the bottom of my soul; and I believe this personal +antipathy prevented me, more than my principles, from giving the required +signature for my shadow, necessary as it was to me. The thought was +unbearable, that I should undertake such a walk in his company. This +sneaking scoundrel, this scornful, irritating imp, placing himself +betwixt me and my beloved, sporting with two bleeding hearts, roused my +deepest feelings. I looked on what had past as ordained, and considered +my misery as irretrievable. I turned upon the man and said: + +"Sir, I sold you my shadow for this most estimable bag of yours: I have +repented it enough; if the bargain can be annulled, in the name of--" He +shook his head--looked at me with a dark frown. I began again: "I will +sell you nothing more of my possessions, though you may offer as high a +price as for my shadow; and I will sign nothing. Hence you may conclude +that the metamorphosis to which you invite me would perhaps be more +agreeable to you than to me. Forgive me, but it cannot be otherwise; let +us part." + +"I am sorry, Mr. Schlemihl, that you so capriciously push away the +favours which are presented to you; but I may be more fortunate another +time. Farewell, till our speedy meeting! By the way, you will allow me +to mention, that I do not by any means permit my purchases to get mouldy; +I hold them in special regard, and take the best possible care of them." +With this he took my shadow out of his pocket, and with a dexterous fling +it was unrolled and spread out on the heath on the sunny side of his +feet, so that he stood between the two attendant shadows, mine and his, +and walked away; mine seemed to belong to him as much as his own; it +accommodated itself to all his movements and all his necessities. + +When I saw my poor shadow again, after so long a separation, and found it +applied to such base uses, at a moment when for its sake I was suffering +nameless anguish, my heart broke within me, and I began to weep most +bitterly. The hated one walked proudly on with his spoil, and +unblushingly renewed his proposals. + +"You may have it--'tis but a stroke of the pen; you will save, too, your +poor unhappy Mina from the claws of the vagabond; save her for the arms +of the most honourable Count. 'Tis but a stroke of the pen, I say." +Tears broke forth with new violence; but I turned away, and beckoned him +to be gone. + +Bendel, who had followed my steps to the present spot, approached me full +of sadness at this instant. The kind-hearted fellow perceived me +weeping, and observed my shadow, which he could not mistake, attached to +the figure of the extraordinary, grey, unknown one, and he endeavoured by +force to put me in possession of my property; but not being able to lay +firm hold on this subtle thing, he ordered the old man, in a peremptory +tone, to abandon what did not belong to him. He, for a reply, turned his +back upon my well-meaning servant, and marched away. Bendel followed him +closely, and lifting up the stout black-thorn cudgel which he carried, +required the man to give up the shadow, enforcing the command with the +strength of his nervous arm; but the man, accustomed perhaps to such +encounters, bowed his head, raised his shoulders, and walked silently and +calmly over the heath, accompanied by my shadow and my faithful man. For +a long time I heard the dull sound echoed over the waste. It was lost at +last in the distance. I stood alone with my misery as before. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +Thus left behind on the dreary heath, I gave vent to countless tears, +which seemed to lighten my bosom of its intolerable weight. But I saw no +bounds, no outlet, no term to my terrible misery, and with wild +impatience I sucked in the poison which the mysterious being had poured +into my wounds. When I recalled the image of Mina, her soft and lovely +form appeared pale and weeping before me, as I had seen her in my hour of +ignominy; and the shade of Rascal impudently and contumaciously seemed to +step between us. I veiled my face, I fled across the waste; but the +ghastly vision still pursued me; I ran--it was close to me. I sank +breathless to the ground, and watered it with renewed springs of tears. + +And all about a shadow! a shadow which a stroke of the pen would have +restored to me! I mused again on the strange proposal and my refusal. +All was dark and desolate within me; I had neither argument nor reason +left. + +The day rolled by. I calmed my hunger with wild fruits; my thirst with +the nearest mountain stream. Night approached; I stretched myself under +a tree. The damp dawn awaked me from a heavy sleep, in which I had heard +myself groan, as if struggling with death. Bendel had surely lost my +traces, and I rejoiced to think so. I determined to return no more among +men, from whom I fled like the shy beasts of the mountain. Thus I +existed through three weary days. + +On the morning of the fourth I found myself on a shady plain, where the +sun was shining brightly. I sat down there on the fragment of rock in +its beam, for I enjoyed to bask again in its long-forbidden glance. I +nourished my heart with its own despair. But I was alarmed by a gentle +rustling. I looked eagerly round me preparing to fly--I saw no one; but +there passed by on the sunny sand a man's shadow not unlike my own, +wandering about alone, and which appeared straying from its owner. + +A mighty impulse was roused within me. Shadow, thought I, art thou +seeking thy master. I will be he; and I sprang forward to possess myself +of it. I imagined that if I were lucky enough to get into its track, I +could so arrange that its feet should just meet mine; it would even +attach and accommodate itself to me. + +{Schlemihl chasing his shadow: p78.jpg} + +The shadow on my moving fled before me, and I was compelled to begin an +active chase after the unsubstantial wanderer. The eager desire to be +released from the perplexities in which I stood armed me with unusual +strength. It fled to a distant wood, in whose obscurity it necessarily +would have been immediately lost. I saw it--a terror pierced my heart, +kindled my burning desire, and gave wings to my feet. I gained on the +shadow, approached it nearer and nearer,--I was within reach of it. It +stopped suddenly and turned round towards me; like the lion pouncing on +its prey, I sprang forward upon it with a mighty effort to take +possession. I felt most unexpectedly that I had dashed against something +which made a bodily resistance--I received from an unseen power the most +violent thrust which a human being ever felt. The working of terror was +acting dreadfully within me; its effect was to close my arms as in a +spasm, to seize on what stood unseen before me. I staggered onwards, and +fell prostrate on the ground; beneath me on his back was a man whom I +held fast, and who now was visible. + +The whole affair was now naturally explained. The man must have +possessed the viewless charm which makes the possessor but not his +shadow, invisible. He first held it, and afterwards had thrown it away. +I looked round, and immediately discovered the shadow of the invisible +charm. I leaped up and sprang towards it, and did not miss at last the +valuable spoil; unseen, and shadowless, I held the charm in my hand. + +The man rose up speedily; he looked round after his fortunate subduer, +not being able to discover in the broad sunny plain either him or his +shadow, which he sought with the greatest anxiety: for he had no reason +to suspect, and no time to observe, that I was a shadowless being. As +soon as he discovered that every trace was vanished, he raised his hands +against himself in the wildest despair, and tore his hair. But this +newly-acquired treasure gave me the means and the disposition to mingle +again among my fellow-men. No pretext was wanting for palliating to my +own mind this despicable robbery; or, rather, it wanted no such pretext. +With a view of ridding myself of any internal reproaches, I hurried away, +not even looking back on the unfortunate victim, whose agonized tones I +heard long repeated after me. So, at least, at that time I looked upon +the circumstances of that event. + +I longed to go to the forest-garden, in order to inform myself of the +truth of what the hated one had announced to me; but I knew not where I +was; and in order to inform myself as to the neighbourhood, I mounted the +nearest hill, and saw from its brow the tower of the forest-garden lying +at my feet. My heart beat with agitation, and tears, very different from +those I had before shed, burst into my eyes. I was to see her again. An +anxious, longing desire hurried my steps down the straightest path. A +crowd of peasants I passed unseen going from town; they were talking of +me and of Rascal, and of the forester. I would listen to nothing; I +hastened by. + +I walked into the garden, my bosom trembling with the alarm of +expectation. A laugh approached me. I shook; looked eagerly around me, +but could perceive nobody. I moved farther forward, and a noise as of +the pacing of human feet seemed near me. Still I could see nothing--I +thought my ears were deceived; but it was early, nobody was in Count +Peter's arbour--the garden was empty. I rambled over the familiar paths, +until I came near to the mansion. I heard the same sound more +distinctly. I sat down with a sorrowful heart upon a bank immediately +opposite the front door, in a sunny spot. It appeared to me as if I +heard the invisible imp laughing insultingly. The key was turned in the +door, which opened, and the forest-master walked out with papers in his +hand. I felt something like a mist around my eyes--I looked round--and, +oh horrible! the man in the grey coat was sitting close to me, looking on +me with a satanic smile. He had drawn his wishing cap over my head. At +his feet my shadow and his own lay peacefully one against the other; he +was playing carelessly with the well-known parchment, which he held in +his hand; and while the forest-master was walking backwards and forwards +in the shade of the arbour, he bent himself familiarly to my ear, and +whispered to me these words:-- + +"Now, then, you have at last accepted my offer, and so we set two heads +under one cap. Very good! very good! But pray give me my charm +again--you do not want it any more, and are too honourable a man to keep +what does not belong to you: no thanks--I assure you I lent it to you +from my heart." He took it gently from my hand, put it into his pocket, +laughed insultingly at me, and so loudly, that the forest-master looked +round attracted by the noise. I sat there as if I had been petrified. + +"You must agree," he rejoined, "that such a cap is much more convenient. +It does not cover its possessor alone, but his shadow also, and as many +people besides as he likes to have with him. Look, now, to-day I get two +of ye." He laughed again. "You must know, Schlemihl, that what is not +done by fair means at first, may be enforced at last; I still thought you +would have bought the trifle. Take back your bride (there is yet time), +and send Rascal to swing on the gallows; that is an easy matter while we +have a rope at hand. Hearken, I give you the cap into the bargain." + +The mother came forth, and this conversation followed. "What is my Mina +doing?"--"Weeping."--"Simple child! but can it not be altered?"--"No, +indeed."--"But to give her so soon to another--O husband! you are cruel +to your own child!"--"Mother! you don't see clearly. Even before she has +wept out her childish tears, when she finds herself the wife of a rich +and noble man, she will be consoled for her sorrows, as if awakened from +a dream. She will thank Heaven and us; and that you will see."--"God +grant it!"--"She already possesses a pretty handsome dowry; but after the +noise made by that unfortunate adventurer, do you believe that so +brilliant a proposal as Mr. Rascal's will soon or easily be found? Do +you know what wealth he possesses? He has six million florins in landed +property in this country paid for in cash, free from all incumbrances. I +have the writings in hand. It was he who forestalled me always in the +best purchases. Besides this, he has in his portfolio bills of exchange +on Mr. Thomas Jones for above three millions and a half of florins."--"He +must have pilfered at a pretty rate."--"That's all nonsense. He has +hoarded wisely, where others foolishly squandered."--"But a man who has +worn a livery!"--"Folly! he has an irreproachable shadow!"--"You are +right, but--" + +The man in the great coat laughed and looked full in my face. The door +opened, and Mina came out; she was supporting herself on her maid's arm; +silent tears were flowing over her pale and lovely cheeks. She sat down +in a chair placed for her under the lime-trees, and her father seated +himself beside her. He gently seized her hand, and while she wept still +more bitterly, addressed her in the gentlest accents. + +"Thou art my best, my dearest child; thou wilt be prudent too; thou wilt +not grieve thy old father, who thinks only of making thee happy. I well +understand, my sweet girl, that this has sadly shaken thee; thou hast +wonderfully escaped from misery. Before the shameless cheat was +unveiled, thou lovedst that unworthy one most affectionately. I know it, +Mina, but I do not reproach thee. I, too, loved him, while I deemed him +to be a rich and noble man. But thou hast seen in what it ended. The +veriest vagabond has his own shadow; and shall my beloved, my only +daughter, be married to--Oh, no! thou thinkest of him no more. Listen, +my Mina: a lover addresses thee, who does not dread the sun; an +honourable man, who is no Count indeed, but who possesses ten millions, +ten times more than thou hast ever possessed; a man who will make my +beloved child happy. Do not oppose me; make no reply; be my good, +obedient daughter. Let thy affectionate father care for thee, and dry +thy tears. Promise me to give thy hand to Mr. Rascal; say, wilt thou +promise me?" + +She answered with a dying voice, "I have no farther will nor wish on +earth; let my father's will be accomplished!" On this Mr. Rascal was +announced, and daringly joined the circle. Mina lay in a swoon. My +hated evil genius fixed his eyes angrily on me, and whispered in these +rapid words, "Can you bear _that_ too? What runs in your veins instead +of blood?" With a swift motion he made a slight wound in my hand--blood +gushed forth: he cried, "Red blood, truly! sign." The parchment and the +pen were in my hand. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +I shall expose myself, dear Chamisso, to your criticism, and not seek to +elude it. I have long visited myself with the heaviest judgment, for I +have fed the devouring worm in my heart. This terrible moment of my +existence is everlastingly present to my soul; and I can contemplate it +only in a doubting glance, with humility and contrition. My friend, he +who carelessly takes a step out of the straight path, is imperceptibly +impelled into another course, in which he will be deluded farther and +farther astray. For him in vain the pole-star twinkles in the heavens; +there is no choice for him; he must slide down the declivity, and offer +himself up to Nemesis. After the false and precipitate step which had +brought down the curse upon me, I had daringly thrust myself upon the +fate of another being. What now remained, but where I had sowed +perdition, and prompt salvation was urgent--again blindly to rush forward +to save?--for the last knell had tolled. Do not think so basely of me, +my Chamisso, as to imagine that I should have thought any price too dear, +or should have been more sparing with anything I possessed than with my +gold? No! but my soul was filled with unconquerable hatred towards this +mysterious sneaker in crooked paths. Perhaps I might be unjust to him, +yet my mind revolted against all communication with him. But here, as +often in my life, and generally in the history of the world, an accident +rather than an intention, determined the issue. Afterwards I became +reconciled to myself. I learnt, in the first place, to respect +necessity, and those accidents which are yet more the result of necessity +than any will of our own. Then was I also taught to obey this necessity, +as a wise arrangement of Providence, which sets all this machinery in +action, in which we only co-operate by moving and setting other wheels in +motion. What must be, will happen; what should have been, was; and not +without the intervention of that Providence, which I at last learnt to +reverence in my fate, and in the fate of her who controlled mine. + +I know not if I should ascribe it to the strain of my soul under the +pressure of such mighty emotions, or to the exhaustion of my physical +strength, weakened by the unwonted abstinence of the days gone by, or to +that fatal agitation which the approach of this grey adversary produced +through my whole frame; but certain it is, that while preparing to sign, +I fell into a deep swoon, and lay a long time as in the arms of death. + +On coming to my recollection, the first tones that reached my ears were +the stamping of feet and cursing. I opened my eyes; it was dark; my +hated companion was there holding me, but scolding thus: "Now, is not +that behaving like a silly old woman? Let the gentleman rise up--conclude +the business--as he intended--or, perhaps he has other thoughts--would +like still to weep." With difficulty I raised myself from the ground +where I lay, and looked silently around me. The evening was advanced; +festive music broke from the brightly-lighted forest-house, and groups of +company were scattered over the garden walks. Some drew near who were +engaged in conversation, and seated themselves on the benches. They +spoke of the nuptials of the daughter of the house with the rich Mr. +Rascal--they had taken place in the morning--all--all was over. + +I struck away with my hand from my head the wishing-cap of the instantly- +vanishing unknown one, and fled in silence to conceal myself in the +deepest darkness of the wood, hurrying to the garden gate before Count +Peter's arbour. But my evil genius accompanied me unseen, pursuing me +with bitter words. "This, then, is the reward one is to get for the +trouble of taking care, through the live-long day, of the nervous +gentleman! And I am then to be fooled at last? Very well, very well, +Mr. Wronghead: fly from me, but we are inseparable. You have my gold, +and I your shadow; they leave no rest to either. Did anybody ever hear +of a shadow abandoning its master? Yours draws me after you, till you +condescend to take it again, and I get rid of it. What you have sold, or +neglected to do, of your own free-will, that will you be compelled to +repair with repugnance and weariness; man cannot oppose his destiny." He +continued to talk in the same tone,--I fled from him in vain--he was +always behind me--ever present--and speaking sneeringly of gold and +shadow. I could not repose on a single thought. + +Through untrodden, vacant streets, I hastened to my abode. I stood +before it--looked up--and hardly recognized it. Behind the closed +windows no light was burning; the doors were shut--no servants appeared +to be moving. He stood behind me, and laughed aloud. "Ay, ay! but your +Bendel is certainly at home; he was sent hither so thoroughly exhausted, +that no doubt he has carefully kept house." He laughed again--"He will +have some stories to amuse you--take courage. Good night for to-day, +till an early interview." + +I rang again, and a light appeared. Bendel asked from within, "who is +there?" When he heard my voice, the poor fellow could scarcely contain +his joy; the door flew open, and we lay weeping in each other's arms. He +was greatly changed--weak and ill. My hair had become wholly grey. + +He led me through the vacant chambers to an inner apartment, which +remained furnished. He fetched meat and drink--we sat down--he again +began to weep; he then told me that he had lately beaten the grey-clad +meagre man, whom he had met with my shadow, so lustily and so long, that +he lost all trace of me, and had sunk exhausted to the earth; that +afterwards, not being able to discover me, he had returned home, and that +the mob, excited by Rascal, had raised a tumult, broken the windows of +the house, and given full reins to their love of destruction. Thus they +had rewarded their benefactors. One after another my servants had fled. +The police of the place had ordered me to leave the town as a suspicious +person, allowing me a delay of only four-and-twenty hours to quit their +territory. He had a great deal to add to what I already knew of Rascal's +wealth and espousals. This scoundrel, who had originated all the +proceedings against me, must have possessed my secret from the beginning. +It seemed that, attracted by the gold, he had forced himself upon me, and +had procured a key for that treasure-chest where he laid the foundation +of his fortune, which he now seemed determined to enjoy. + +Bendel told me all with abundant tears, and wept anew for joy at seeing +me again, and again possessing me: and he rejoiced that, after all his +fears as to what misfortune might have brought me, he found me bearing +everything with calmness and fortitude; for such was the form in which +despair reigned over me, while I saw gigantic and unchangeable misery +before me. I had wept away all my tears; grief could force out no other +accent of distress from my bosom. I raised against it, coldly and +unconcernedly, my uncovered head. + +"Bendel," said I, "you know my fate. Not without certain guilt does the +heavy penalty fall on me. You, innocent being as you are, shall no +longer bind your destiny to mine, I will no longer let it be so. To-night +I will hasten away. Saddle me my horse--I ride alone--you must remain--I +require it. Some chests of gold must yet be here. They are now yours. I +shall wander restlessly through the world; but if a happier day should +dawn, and bliss should again smile upon me, I will faithfully think of +you; for on your faithful bosom I have wept in many a weary, wretched, +sorrowful hour." + +The honest fellow obeyed with a broken heart this last command of his +master. It agonized his soul; but I was deaf to his representations and +entreaties, and blind to his tears. He brought the horse to me, I +pressed him while he wept against my breast, sprang into the saddle, and +pursued my way under the mantle of night from the grave of my existence; +indifferent as to the direction my horse might take. On the earth I had +no goal--no wish--no hope. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +A foot passenger soon joined me, and, after walking some time by my +horse's side, begged me, as we were bound the same way, to be allowed to +throw the cloak which he carried on the crupper; I quietly allowed him to +do so. He thanked me with a graceful address for this trifling service, +praised my horse, and thence took the opportunity of lauding the +happiness and the influence of the wealthy. He went on I know not how, +in a sort of soliloquy, for I was only a hearer. + +He unfolded his views of life and the world, and soon introduced +metaphysics, from whence the word was to emanate which should solve all +mysteries. He developed his theme with great distinctness, and led +forward to its deductions. + +You know very well that I have often confessed, since I drove through the +school of philosophy, that I do not consider myself as by any means +calculated for philosophical speculations, and that I have altogether +renounced that branch of study. From that time I have let many things be +settled as they could, renounced much which I might have understood or +learnt, and, following your counsels by trusting to my innate senses, +that voice of the heart, I have gone forward in my own road as far as I +was able. This rhetorician appeared to me to build his firmly-cemented +edifice with great ability. It seemed to bear itself on its firm and +solid foundation, and stood, as it were, on its own absolute necessity. +Then I missed in the edifice what I particularly sought; and it was to me +merely a piece of art, whose completeness and decorations served only to +delight the eye; but I listened willingly to the eloquent man, who seemed +to transfer to himself my observations on my own sorrows; and I should +have cheerfully surrendered myself to him, if he would have taken +possession of my soul as well as of my understanding. + +In the mean while time passed on, and morning dawn had imperceptibly +stolen over the heaven. I trembled as I looked around, and saw the +magnificent colours blending in the east, and heralding the ascending +sun; and at that hour, when the shadows stretch themselves out in all +their extension, no shelter, no protection was to be discovered--and I +was not alone! I looked upon my companion, and again I trembled: it was +even the man in the grey coat. + +He smiled at my alarms, and without allowing me to utter a word, began: +"Let us then, as is the custom of the world, unite our different +advantages for a while! we have always time to separate. The road along- +side the mountain, if you have not already thought about it, is the only +one which you can prudently take. You dare not descend into the valley; +and over the hill you will hardly think of returning as it would lead you +whence you came; and the road in which you are is just mine. I see the +uprising sun makes you look pale; I will lend you your shadow while we +remain together, and this may induce you to bear my being near to you. +Your Bendel is no longer with you, but I will do you good service. You +do not love me: I am sorry for it; but you may make use of me +notwithstanding. The devil is not so black as he is represented. +Yesterday, you vexed me, 'tis true, but I will bear you no grudge to-day. +I have shortened your way thus far, as you must yourself confess; now +take your shadow on trial again." + +The sun had arisen; travellers were approaching us on the road, and in +spite of an internal repugnance, I accepted his offer. He smiled, and +let my shadow fall on the ground; it took its station upon that of my +horse, and cheerfully moved forward. My mind was in a strange mood. I +rode by a body of country people, who were respectfully making room with +their heads uncovered as for a wealthy-looking man. I rode farther, and +looked aside from my horse with eager eyes and beating heart, on what was +once my shadow; but which I had now borrowed from a stranger, ay, from an +enemy. + +He came on carelessly by my side, and whistled a tune--he on foot, I on +horseback. A dizziness seized me, the temptation was too great; I +hastily turned the reins, drove both spurs into the horse, and thus went +off at full speed through a cross road. I could not elope with the +shadow, it slipped away when the horse started, and waited on the road +for its lawful owner. I was obliged to turn round, ashamed; the man in +the grey coat, as he unconcernedly finished his tune, began to laugh at +me, and fixing the shadow again in its place, informed me it would only +stick to me, and remain with me, when I had properly and lawfully become +possessed of it. "I hold you fast," he cried, "fast attached to the +shadow; you cannot escape from me. A wealthy man like you may want a +shadow: likely enough--and you are only to blame for not having earlier +looked into the matter." + +I continued my journey on the same road as before. I possessed all the +comforts of life, and all its luxuries. I could move about freely and +easily; and I possessed a shadow too, though but a borrowed one, and I +imposed everywhere that reverence which wealth commands; but death was at +my heart. My marvellous conductor, who represented himself to be the +unworthy slave of the richest man in the world, had extraordinary +readiness as a servant, and was exceedingly dexterous and clever, the +very model of a valet for a wealthy gentleman; but he never separated +himself from my side, and incessantly plagued me, exhibiting the greatest +assurance in order that I should conclude the bargain with him respecting +the shadow, if it were only to get rid of him. He was as troublesome as +hateful to me; I always stood in awe of him. I had made myself dependent +on him; I was still in his power, and he had again driven me into the +vanities of the world which I had abandoned: I was compelled to allow to +his eloquence full mastery over me, and almost felt he was in the right. +A wealthy man ought to have a shadow in the world; and so long as I +wished to occupy that station which he had induced me to fill, there was +only one outlet for me. But on this I determined--having sacrificed my +love, and made my existence a curse, I would not transfer my soul to this +being--no, not for all the shadows in the world; but I knew not how it +would end. + +One day we were sitting before a cave, which the travellers who had to +cross the mountain were accustomed to visit. There was heard the noise +of subterraneous streams roaring from unmeasurable deeps; and the stone +that was thrown into the abyss seemed in its echoing fall to find no +bottom. He depicted to me, as he had often done, with a luxuriant fancy, +and in the glowing charms of the brightest colouring, careful and +detailed pictures of the brilliant figure I might make in the world by +means of my purse, if I had only my shadow again in my possession. My +elbows were supported on my knees while I covered my face with my hands, +listening to the evil one, my heart twice rent between temptation and my +own earnest will. Such internal discord I could no longer endure, and +the decisive struggle began. + +"You seem to forget, good sir, that I have allowed you to remain in my +company only on certain conditions, and that I retained for myself my +unrestrained liberty."--"If you order me, I shall move off:" the threat +was one to which he was accustomed.--I ceased: he sat himself quietly +down, and began to roll up my shadow. I grew pale, but I stood dumb +while he did so. There was a long silence. He thus broke it: + +"You cannot endure me, sir! you hate me--I know it: but why do you hate +me? Is it because, when you attacked me on the highway, you attempted to +steal my charm by force? or is it because you endeavoured fraudulently to +get possessed of my property, the shadow, which had been confided to your +simple honour? For myself, I do not hate you for that; it is quite +natural you should seek to turn your advantages, your cunning, your +strength to good account. That you have the most rigid principles, and +are honesty itself, is a hobby-horse belief of your own, to which I can +have no objection. My notions are not so strict as yours: I only act +according to your notions. But did I ever attempt to strangle you in +order to possess your valuable soul, to which I really have a great +liking? Have I, for the sake of my bartered purse, let loose a servant +upon you, and endeavoured to run away with it?" I could answer nothing +to all this,--and he continued.--"Well then, sir, well! You cannot +endure me, I understand it, and am not displeased with you for that. It +is clear we must part, and you really are become very tedious to me; but +to get rid of my perplexing presence altogether for the future, I will +give you a piece of advice--buy the thing of me!" I held out the purse +to him. "At the price?"--"No!"--I sighed deeply, and began again.--"Well, +then, I insist upon it, we must part,--do not stop up my way any longer +in a world which is wide enough for both of us." He smiled, and +replied:--"I go, sir; but I will first instruct you how to summon me, +when you wish for the presence of your most humble slave: you need only +shake your purse, that its exhaustless pieces may tinkle, and the sound +will draw me instantly to you. Everybody in this world thinks of his own +interests; you see I also am attending to yours--for I give you +spontaneously a new power.--Excellent purse! and even if the moths had +devoured your shadow, there would be a strong bond of union between us. +But enough--you possess me while you possess my gold; however distant, +command your servant--you know I am always ready to do honour to my +friends, and that I have for the wealthy an especial regard; that you +yourself have seen--but as for your shadow, sir, allow me to assure you, +your shadow will never be yours but on one condition." + +Visions of old time floated in my soul. I inquired hastily: "Did Mr. +Jones give you his signature?" He smiled: "With so good a friend it was +not necessary."--"Where is he--where? By Heavens I will know!" He put +his hand slowly into his pocket, and drew out by the hair the pale and +ghastly form of Thomas Jones. Its blue and deadly lips trembled with the +dreadful words: "_Justo judicio Dei judicatus sum_; _justo judicio Dei +condemnatus sum_." I was horror-struck--I dashed the clinking purse +hastily into the abyss, and uttered these last words, "I conjure thee, in +the name of God, monster, begone, and never again appear before these +eyes." He rose up with a gloomy frown, and vanished instantaneously +behind the dark masses of rock which surrounded that wild and savage +place. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +I sat there shadowless and penniless: but a heavy weight had been removed +from my bosom, and I was calm. Had I not lost my love, or had that loss +left me free from self-reproach, I believe I might have been happy; but I +knew not what steps I should take. I searched my pockets, and found that +a few pieces of gold remained to me; I counted them smilingly. I had +left my horse at the inn below. I was ashamed to return there, at least +till the setting of the sun--and the sun was high in the heavens. I laid +myself down in the shade of a neighbouring tree, and fell quietly asleep. + +The sweetest images danced cheerfully around me in my delightful dreams. +Mina, crowned with a garland of flowers, hovered over me, and cheered me +with an affectionate smile. The noble Bendel was there, too, weaving a +flowery wreath, and approaching me with a friendly greeting. Many others +also were there, and among them methought I saw even thee, Chamisso, in +the distant crowd. A bright light shone, but there were no shadows; and, +what was more singular, all appeared happy--flowers and songs, and love +and joy, under groves of palms. I could hardly realize, understand, or +point out the flitting, swiftly dispersed, and lovely forms; but I +enjoyed such visions, I would fain not awake--but I awoke,--though I kept +my eyes closed, that the vanishing dreams might play a little longer +round my soul. + +But I opened my eyes at last--the sun was in the heavens, but in the +east; I had slept through the night. I took this for a sign that I ought +not to return to the inn. I willingly abandoned that which I had so +lately left there, and determined to take on foot a by-road, which led +through the forest-girded base of the hill, leaving it to fate to +determine what might be my lot. I looked not back; I thought not even of +applying to Bendel, whom I had left in wealth behind me, which I might so +easily have done. I began to consider what new character I should assume +in the world. My appearance was very unpretending: I wore an old black +coat, which I had formerly worn in Berlin, and which, I know not how, I +had taken for this journey. I had only a travelling-cap on my head, and +a pair of worn-out boots on my feet. I rose up, cut a knobbed stick from +the spot as a sort of memento, and began my wanderings. + +I overtook in the wood an old peasant, who greeted me with great +kindness, and with whom I entered into conversation. I first inquired, +like a curious traveller, about the road, then about the neighbourhood +and its inhabitants, the productions of the mountain, and such matters. +He answered my inquiries talkatively and sensibly. We came to the bed of +a mountain-stream, which had spread its devastations over a wide part of +the forest. I shuddered inwardly before the wide sunny place, and let +the countryman precede me. He however stood still in the middle of this +frightful spot, and turned round towards me, in order to give me the +history of the overflow. He soon observed what was wanting to me, and +stopped in the middle of his narrative to say: "But how is this--the +gentleman has got no shadow!" "Alas! alas!" I replied with a sigh, "I +had a long and dreadful illness, and lost my hair, my nails, and my +shadow! Look, father, at my time of life, my hair, which has grown +again, quite white, my nails sadly short, and my shadow is not yet +springing forth."--"Ay! ay," said the old man, shaking his head, "no +shadow! that's odd--the gentleman must have had a sad illness!" But he +did not go on with his story, and at the next cross path he glided away +from, me without saying a word. Bitter tears trembled again on my +cheeks--all my serenity was gone. + +With a heavy heart I moved forwards, and sought the society of man no +longer. I concealed myself in the thickest of the forest, and was often +obliged to wait for hours in order to get over sunny spots, even where no +human eye forbade my progress; in the evening I sought a retreat in the +villages. At last I bent my course towards a mine in the mountain, where +I hoped to find employment under ground; for besides that my situation +required me even to procure my daily bread, I clearly perceived that +nothing but the most laborious toil would be any protection from my +convulsive thoughts. + +A couple of rainy days helped me far on my way, but at the cost of my +boots, whose soles were made to suit Count Peter, and not a running +footman: I soon walked on my naked feet, and was obliged to procure +another pair of boots. The next morning I attended earnestly to this +affair in a village, where a fair was held, and where old and new boots +were exposed in a shop for sale. I selected and bargained for a long +time. I was obliged to abandon a new pair which I wished to possess--I +was frightened by the extravagant price, and satisfied myself, therefore, +with old ones, which were yet firm and strong, and which the fair and +light-haired shop-boy handed to me for my ready cash with a smile, while +he wished me a prosperous journey. I put them on immediately, and went +away through a door which lay to the north. + +I was lost in my own thoughts, and hardly observed where I put my +foot--for I was still planning about the mine, whither I hoped to arrive +by the evening, and hardly knew how I should manage to introduce myself +there. I had not advanced two hundred paces ere I discovered that I had +lost my way; I looked round, and found myself in an antique and desert +wood of firs, to the roots of which it appeared the axe had never been +laid. I still hastened onwards a few steps, and perceived I was among +dreary rocks, surrounded only by moss and stones, between which lay piles +of snow and ice. The wind was extremely cold, and when I looked round, +the forest had wholly disappeared. Yet a few paces forward, the +stillness of death possessed me--the ice on which I stood stretched +boundlessly before me--a dark mist hung over it--the red sun looked from +the edge of the horizon. The cold was intolerable; I knew not how it had +happened, but the benumbing frost forced me to accelerate my steps. I +heard the roar of distant waters--another bewildered step, and I was on +the ice-borders of the ocean. Countless herds of seals dashed splashing +into the stream. I followed the sea-shore, and saw again naked rocks, +land, forests of birch and pine-trees. I moved forwards for a few +minutes--it was burning hot: around me were richly cultivated rice-fields +under mulberry-trees, in whose shadow I sat down, and looking at my +watch, I found it not less than a quarter of an hour since I left the +village. I fancied I was dreaming--I bit my tongue to awake myself, and +I was aroused most thoroughly. I closed my eyes in order to assemble my +thoughts. I heard strange nasal sounds--I looked around; two Chinese, +whose Asiatic countenances I could not mistake, were saluting me +according to the custom of their country, and in their own language; I +arose and walked back two steps. I saw them no longer--the landscape was +wholly changed; trees and woods had succeeded to the rice-fields. I +looked pensively on the trees and plants which were blooming around me, +and saw that they were the productions of South-eastern Asia. I went +towards a tree--and all was again changed. I walked forwards like a +drilled recruit, with slow paces. Wonderful varieties of countries, +fields, meadows, mountains, wastes, and sandy deserts rolled along before +my astounded sight; doubtless I had the seven-leagued boots on my legs. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +I fell down on my knees in speechless devotion, and shed tears of +gratitude--my future destiny seemed bright in my soul. Shut out from +human society by my early guilt, nature, which I had ever loved, was +given me for my enjoyment, spread out like a rich garden before me, an +object of study for the guide and strength of my life, of which science +was to be the end. It was no decision of my own. What then appeared +bright and perfect in my inner thoughts I have since endeavoured to +describe with calm, earnest, unremitting diligence, and my happiness has +depended on the intensity of my recollections. + +I rose up hastily, in order that by a rapid survey I might take +possession of the field in which I wished to make my harvest. I stood +upon the mountains of Thibet, and the sun, which had risen a few hours +before, was now sinking in the evening sky. I journeyed from the east +towards the west of Asia, overtaking the sun in his progress, and passed +the boundaries of Africa. I looked round with great curiosity, and +crossed it in all directions. As I glanced over the old pyramids and +temples of Egypt, I observed in the deserts near the hundred-gated +Thebes, the caverns once occupied by Christian anchorites: instantly it +occurred impressively and distinctly to me--there is thy abode. I chose +for my future dwelling, one of the most secret chambers, which was at the +same time roomy, convenient, and inaccessible to the jackals, and moved +forward with my staff. + +I passed into Europe by the Pillars of Hercules, and, after I had taken a +rapid survey of its southern and northern provinces, I hastened to North +Asia, and thence over the polar glaciers to Greenland and America. I +rambled through both parts of that continent, and the winter which had +begun to reign in the south now drove me quickly back northwards from +Cape Horn. + +I lingered till the day dawned in eastern Asia, and after a short repose +again entered on my wanderings. I followed the chains of mountains, +through the two Americas, some of the highest elevations known in our +globe. I trod slowly and prudently from height to height, now over +flaming volcanos, and now over snowy cupolas. I was often almost +breathless with weariness, but I reached the Elias mountain and sprung to +Asia across Behring's Straits. I pursued the western coast along its +numerous windings, and endeavoured to ascertain by special observation +which of the islands in the neighbourhood were accessible to me. From +the Malacca peninsula my boots took me to Sumatra, Java, Balli, and +Lamboc. I endeavoured, often with peril, and always in vain, to find a +north-west passage over the inlets and the rocks with which the ocean is +studded, to Borneo and the other islands of the Eastern Archipelago--but +I was obliged to abandon the hope. I sat down at last on the farthest +verge of Lamboc, and turning my eyes to the south and east, I wept as if +within the grates of a prison, that I could proceed no farther. New +Holland, {112} that extraordinary country, so essentially necessary to +understanding the philosophy of the earth, and its sun-embroidered dress, +the vegetable and the animal world; and the South Sea with its Zoophyte +islands, were interdicted to me; and thus everything on which I would +have gathered together and erected my hopes was condemned to be left a +mere fragment, even in its very origin. O, my Adalbert! such is the +reward for all the labours of man! + +In the coldest winter of the southern hemisphere I have stood on Cape +Horn, meditating on the two hundred paces, or thereabouts, which divided +me from New Holland and Van Diemen's Land--careless about the means of +returning, and indifferent even though that strange land should lie over +me like the cover of my bier. I attempted to cross the polar glaciers +towards the west, and, with foolishly daring yet desponding steps, to +pass upon the floating ice, braving the frost and the waves. In vain--I +have never yet been in New Holland. I returned again to Lamboc--again I +sat myself on the outer verge--my face turned to the south and east, and +wept again, as if at the fast-closed iron-window of my prison. + +{Schlemihl using the boots: p113.jpg} + +I rose up at last from this spot, and with a dejected heart journeyed to +the interior of Asia. I hastened onwards, perceiving the day break +towards the west, and at night reached my before-described abode in +Thebes, which I had just looked into the previous afternoon. + +As soon as I had taken some repose, and the day had dawned upon Europe, +my first care was to provide for my necessities. First, stop-shoes; for +I had discovered that, however inconvenient it might be, there was no way +of shortening my pace in order to move conveniently in my immediate +neighbourhood, except by drawing off my boots. A pair of slippers, +however, produced the wished-for effect, and henceforward I always took +care to be provided with a couple of pair, as I often threw one pair away +if I had not time to lay hold of them, when the approach of lions, men, +or hyaenas interrupted my botanizing. My excellent watch was an +admirable chronometer to me for the short period of my peregrinations; +but I required a sextant, some philosophical instruments, and books. + +In order to obtain all these things, I made some tedious journeys to +London, and Paris, which were both overshadowed by friendly fogs. As I +had exhausted the remainder of my magic gold, I brought with me for the +purposes of payment, some African elephants' teeth which I easily +obtained, though I was obliged to choose the smallest among them, that +they might not be too much for my strength. I was soon supplied and +stocked with everything I required, and began my new mode of life as a +retired philosopher. + +I journeyed over the east, now measuring its mountains--now the +temperature of its streams and of its air; now observing its animals--now +examining its plants. I hastened from the equator to the pole--from one +world to another--comparing experience with experience. The eggs of the +African ostrich, or the northern sea-fowl, and fruits, especially +tropical palms and bananas, were my usual refreshments. Instead of my +departed fortune I enjoyed my _Nicotiana_--it served instead of the good +opinion of mankind. And then as to my affections: I had a love of a +little dog, that watched my Theban cave, and when I returned to it laden +with new treasures, it sprang forwards to meet me, making me feel the +spirit of humanity within me, and that I was not quite alone on the +earth. But, notwithstanding this, calamity was yet to drive me back to +the haunts of men! + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +Once, being on the northern coast, having drawn on my boots while I was +gathering together my straggling plants and seaweeds, a white bear +approached unawares the verge of the rock on which I stood. I wished to +throw off my slippers and move off to an adjacent island, which I +expected to reach over a rock whose head towered above the waves. With +one foot I reached the rock; I stretched out the other and fell into the +sea: I had not observed that my foot was only half-released from the +slipper. + +{Schlemihl and the bear: p116.jpg} + +Overpowered by the tremendous cold, I had the greatest difficulty in +rescuing my life from this peril; but as soon as I reached the land, I +hurried off to the wastes of Libya to dry myself there in the sun. I +had, however, scarcely set out ere the burning heat so oppressed my head, +that I reeled back again to the north very ill. I sought relief in rapid +movements; and with uncertain and hurried steps I hastened from the west +to the east, and from the east to the west. I placed myself in the most +rapid vicissitudes of day and night; now in the heats of summer, and now +in the winter's cold. + +I know not how long I thus wandered over the earth. A burning fever +glowed through my veins, and with dreadful agony I perceived my intellect +abandoning me. Misfortune would have it that I should carelessly tread +on a traveller's heel; I must have hurt him, for I received a violent +blow; I staggered, and fell. + +When I recovered my senses I was comfortably stretched on an excellent +bed, which stood among many others in a roomy and handsome apartment. +Somebody was sitting near my pillow; many persons passed through the +hall, going from one bed to another. They stood before mine, and I was +the subject of their conversation. They called me _Number Twelve_; and +on the wall at the foot of my bed that number certainly stood--it was no +illusion, for I could read it most distinctly: there was a black marble +slab, on which was inscribed in large golden letters, my name, + +Peter Schlemihl, + +quite correctly written. On the slab, and under my name, were two lines +of letters, but I was too weak to connect them, and closed my eyes again. + +I heard something of which Peter Schlemihl was the subject, loudly and +distinctly uttered, but I could not collect the meaning. I saw a +friendly man and a beautiful woman in black apparel, standing before my +bed. Their forms were not strangers to me, though I could not recognize +them. + +Some time passed by, and I gradually gathered strength. I was called No. +12, and No. 12, by virtue of his long beard, passed off for a Jew, but +was not the less attended to on that account. Nobody seemed to notice +that he had no shadow. My boots were, as I was assured, to be found, +with everything else that had been discovered with me, in good and safe +keeping, and ready to be delivered to me on my recovery. The place in +which I lay ill was called the _Schlemihlium_; and there was a daily +exhortation to pray for Peter Schlemihl, as the founder and benefactor of +the hospital. The friendly man whom I had seen at my bedside was Bendel; +the lovely woman was Mina. + +I lived peaceably in the _Schlemihlium_, quite unknown; but I discovered +that I was in Bendel's native place, and that he had built this hospital +with the remainder of my once-unhallowed gold. The unfortunate blessed +me daily, for he had built it in my name, and conducted it wholly under +his own inspection. Mina was a widow: an unlucky criminal process had +cost Mr. Rascal his life, and taken from her the greater part of her +property. Her parents were no more. She dwelt here like a pious widow, +and dedicated herself to works of charity. + +She was once conversing with Mr. Bendel near the bed No. 12.--"Why, noble +woman, expose yourself to the bad air which is so prevalent here? Is +your fate then so dreary that you long for death?"--"No, Mr. Bendel; +since I have dreamt out my long dreams, and my inner self was awakened, +all is well--death is the object of neither my hopes nor my fears. Since +then, I think calmly of the past and of the future. And you--do you not +yet serve your master and friend in this godlike manner, with sweet and +silent satisfaction?"--"Yes, noble woman--God be praised! Ours has been +a marvellous destiny. From our full cup we have thoughtlessly drunk much +joy and much bitter sorrow: 'tis empty now. Hitherto we have had only a +trial; now, with prudent solicitude, we wait for the real introduction to +substantial things. Far different is the true beginning; but who would +play over again the early game of life, though it is a blessing, on the +whole, to have lived? I am supported by the conviction that our old +friend is better provided for now than then."--"I feel it too," answered +the lovely widow, and they left me. + +This conversation had produced a deep impression within me; but I doubted +in my mind if I should discover myself, or set out unknown from the +place. I decided, however; I ordered paper and pencil to be brought to +me, and wrote these words:-- + +"Your old friend too is better provided for than formerly, and if he do +penance it is the penance of reconciliation." + +On this, finding myself better, I desired to dress myself. The keys were +deposited on the little trunk which stood close to my bed. I found in it +everything that belonged to me: I put on my clothes; and hung over my +black coat my botanical case, where I found again, with transport, my +northern plants. I drew on my boots, laid the note which I had written +on my bed, and when the door opened, was far on my way towards Thebes. + +A long time ago, as I was tracing back my way homewards along the Syrian +coast, the last time I had wandered from my dwelling, I saw my poor +Figaro approaching me. This charming spaniel seemed to wish to follow +the steps of his master, for whom he must have so long waited. I stood +still and called him to me. He sprang barking towards me, with a +thousand expressions of his innocent and extravagant joy. I took him +under my arm, for, in truth, he could not follow me, and brought him with +me safely home. + +I found everything thus in order, and returned again, as my strength +returned, to my former engagements and habits of life. And now for a +whole twelvemonth I have refrained from exposing myself to the unbearable +winter's cold. + +And thus, my beloved Chamisso--thus do I yet live. My boots have not +lost their virtues, as the very learned tome of Tieckius, _De rebus +gestis Pollicilli_, gave me reason to apprehend. Their power is +unbroken: but my strength is failing, though I have confidence I have +applied them to their end, and not fruitlessly. I have learned more +profoundly than any man before me, everything respecting the earth: its +figure, heights, temperature; its atmosphere in all its changes; the +appearance of its magnetic strength; its productions, especially of the +vegetable world; all in every part whither my boots would carry me. I +have published the facts, clearly arranged, with all possible accuracy, +in different works, with my ideas and conclusions set down in various +treatises. I have established the geography of interior Africa and of +the North Pole,--of central Asia and its eastern coasts. My _Historia +Stirpium Plantarum utriusque Orbis_ has appeared, being but a large +fragment of my _Flora universalis Terrae_, and a companion to my _Systema +Naturae_. In that I believe I have not only increased the number of +known species more than a third (moderately speaking), but have thrown +some light on the general system of nature, and the geography of plants. +I am now busily engaged with my Fauna. I will take care before my death +that my MSS. be disposed in the Berlin university. + +And you, my beloved Chamisso, you have I chosen for the keeper of my +marvellous history, which, when I shall have vanished from the earth, may +tend to the improvement of many of its inhabitants. But, my friend, +while you live among mankind, learn above all things first to reverence +your shadow, and next your money. If you will only live for Chamisso and +his better self, you need no counsel of mine. + +FINIS. + +ROBERT HARDWICKE, PRINTER, 192, PICCADILLY, LONDON. + + + + +Footnotes: + + +{20} A frock coat. + +{37} Another novel of Fouque. + +{112} Australia. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETER SCHLEMIHL*** + + +******* This file should be named 21943.txt or 21943.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/1/9/4/21943 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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