Eric was this evening perplexed, and lost the feeling of untroubled security.
Should he tell Sonnenkamp that his wife had sent for him? But then he must inform him of what she had revealed to him, though it was only half uttered,--it was a warning, a speech wholly disjointed and incoherent.
Eric also saw Roland looking at him as if beseeching. The boy felt that some painful experience was going on in his new friend, which he would gladly remove. And to Eric's affection there was superadded the feeling of pity. Here was a manifestly distressing family relation under which the boy must have suffered, and it was a fortunate thing that his light, youthful spirits were untouched.
Eric was reminded continually of an experience of his in the house of correction, The most hardened criminals had avowed always, with the most triumphant mien, that it conferred the greatest satisfaction to them to be able to conceal their deeds from the world; but the least hardened disclosed, on the other hand, how glad they felt to be punished; for the fear of discovery, and the constant endeavour to conceal the crime, were the severest punishment.
Eric had now a secret; was he to let it be possible for a servant to betray him, and himself appear untrustworthy?
When Eric was about to go to rest, Roland came to him and asked whether he had anything to impart to him.
Eric replied in the negative, and the boy appeared sad when he said good-night.
The morning dew glistened on grass, flower, and shrub, and the birds sang merrily, as Eric walked through the park. There was evidence everywhere of an ordering, busy, and watchful mind.
Eric heard, on the bank of the river, two women talking with each other, as they carried on shore the garden-earth out of a boat.
"God be praised," said one, "who has sent the man to us; no one in the place who is willing to work need suffer poverty any more."
"Yes," spoke the other, "and yet there are people here who are so bad as to say all sorts of things about the man."
Eric could hardly restrain himself from laughing aloud. But a third woman, with a rather thick voice, said,--
"A tailor indeed! He has been a pirate, and in Africa stole a gold-ship."
"And supposing he did," said the other, "those man-eaters have heaps of gold, and are heathens beside, and Herr Sonnenkamp does nothing but good with his gold."