X. CONCLUSION OF KARL'S NARRATIVE
"I had not seen my Mamma for nine year, ant I know not whether
she lived or whether her bones had long since lain in ze dark
grave. Ven I come to my own country and go to ze town I ask,
'Where live Kustaf Mayer who was farmer to ze Count von
Zomerblat? ' ant zey answer me, 'Graf Zomerblat is deat, ant
Kustaf Mayer live now in ze pig street, ant keep a public-house.'
So I tress in my new waistcoat and one noble coat which ze
manufacturist presented me, arranged my hairs nice, ant go to ze
public-house of my Papa. Sister Mariechen vas sitting on a pench,
and she ask me what I want. I says, 'Might I trink one glass of
pranty?' ant she says, 'Vater, here is a yong man who wish to
trink one glass of pranty.' Ant Papa says, 'Give him ze glass.' I
set to ze table, trink my glass of pranty, smoke my pipe, ant
look at Papa, Mariechen, ant Johann (who also come into ze shop).
In ze conversation Papa says, 'You know, perhaps, yong man, where
stants our army?' and I say, 'I myself am come from ze army, ant
it stants now at Wien.' 'Our son,' says Papa, 'is a Soldat, ant
now is it nine years since he wrote never one wort, and we know
not whether he is alive or dead. My voman cry continually for
him.' I still fumigate the pipe, ant say, 'What was your son's
name, and where servet he? Perhaps I may know him.' 'His name was
Karl Mayer, ant he servet in ze Austrian Jagers.' 'He were of pig
stature, ant a handsome man like yourself,' puts in Mariechen. I
say, 'I know your Karl.' 'Amalia,' exclaimet my Vater. 'Come
here! Here is yong man which knows our Karl!'--ant my dear Mutter
comes out from a back door. I knew her directly. 'You know our
Karl?' says she, ant looks at me, ant, white all over, trembles.
'Yes, I haf seen him,' I says, without ze corage to look at her,
for my heart did almost burst. 'My Karl is alive?' she cry. 'Zen
tank Got! Vere is he, my Karl? I woult die in peace if I coult
see him once more--my darling son! Bot Got will not haf it so.'
Then she cried, and I coult no longer stant it. 'Darling Mamma!'
I say, 'I am your son, I am your Karl!'--and she fell into my
arms.
Karl Ivanitch covered his eyes, and his lips were quivering.
"'Mutter,' sagte ich, 'ich bin ihr Sohn, ich bin ihr Karl!'--und
sie sturtzte mir in die Arme!'" he repeated, recovering a little
and wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Bot Got did not wish me to finish my tays in my own town. I were
pursuet by fate. I livet in my own town only sree mons. One
Suntay I sit in a coffee-house, ant trinket one pint of Pier, ant
fumigated my pipe, ant speaket wis some frients of Politik, of ze
Emperor Franz, of Napoleon, of ze war--ant anypoty might say his
opinion. But next to us sits a strange chentleman in a grey
Uberrock, who trink coffee, fumigate the pipe, ant says nosing.
Ven the night watchman shoutet ten o'clock I taket my hat, paid
ze money, and go home. At ze middle of ze night some one knock at
ze door. I rise ant says, 'Who is zere?' 'Open!' says someone. I
shout again, 'First say who is zere, ant I will open.' 'Open in
the name of the law!' say the someone behint the door. I now do
so. Two Soldaten wis gons stant at ze door, ant into ze room
steps ze man in ze grey Uberrock, who had sat with us in ze
coffeehouse. He were Spion! 'Come wis me,' says ze Spion, 'Very
goot!' say I. I dresset myself in boots, trousers, ant coat, ant
go srough ze room. Ven I come to ze wall where my gon hangs I
take it, ant says, 'You are a Spion, so defent you!' I give one
stroke left, one right, ant one on ze head. Ze Spion lay
precipitated on ze floor! Zen I taket my cloak-bag ant money, ant
jompet out of ze vintow. I vent to Ems, where I was acquainted
wis one General Sasin, who loaft me, givet me a passport from ze
Embassy, ant taket me to Russland to learn his chiltren. Ven
General Sasin tiet, your Mamma callet for me, ant says, 'Karl
Ivanitch, I gif you my children. Loaf them, ant I will never
leave you, ant will take care for your olt age.' Now is she teat,
ant all is forgotten! For my twenty year full of service I most
now go into ze street ant seek for a try crust of preat for my
olt age! Got sees all sis, ant knows all sis. His holy will be
done! Only-only, I yearn for you, my children!"--and Karl drew me
to him, and kissed me on the forehead.
