heidi-第2章

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Now　Barbel　had　for　long　past　been　most　anxious　to　ascertain　particulars　about　Alm…Uncle；　as　she　could　not　understand　why　he　seemed　to　feel　such　hatred　towards　his　fellow…creatures；　and　insisted　on　living　all　alone；　or　why　people　spoke　about　him　half　in　whispers；　as　if　afraid　to　say　anything　against　him；　and　yet　unwilling　to　take　his　Part。　Moreover；　Barbel　was　in　ignorance　as　to　why　all　the　people　in　Dorfli　called　him　Alm…Uncle；　for　he　could　not　possibly　be　uncle　to　everybody　living　there。　As；　however；　it　was　the　custom；　she　did　like　the　rest　and　called　the　old　man　Uncle。　Barbel　had　only　lived　in　Dorfli　since　her　marriage；　which　had　taken　place　not　long　before。　Previous　to　that　her　home　had　been　below　in　Prattigau；　so　that　she　was　not　well　acquainted　with　all　the　events　that　had　ever　taken　place；　and　with　all　the　people　who　had　ever　lived　in　Dorfli　and　its　neighborhood。　Dete；　on　the　contrary；　had　been　born　in　Dorfli；　and　had　lived　there　with　her　mother　until　the　death　of　the　latter　the　year　before；　and　had　then　gone　over　to　the　Baths　at　Ragatz　and　taken　service　in　the　large　hotel　there　as　chambermaid。　On　the　morning　of　this　day　she　had　come　all　the　way　from　Ragatz　with　the　child；　a　friend　having　given　them　a　lift　in　a　hay…cart　as　far　as　Mayenfeld。　Barbel　was　therefore　determined　not　to　lose　this　good　opportunity　of　satisfying　her　curiosity。　She　put　her　arm　through　Dete's　in　a　confidential　sort　of　way；　and　said：　〃I　know　I　can　find　out　the　real　truth　from　you；　and　the　meaning　of　all　these　tales　that　are　afloat　about　him。　I　believe　you　know　the　whole　story。　Now　do　just　tell　me　what　is　wrong　with　the　old　man；　and　if　he　was　always　shunned　as　he　is　now；　and　was　always　such　a　misanthrope。〃

〃How　can　I　possibly　tell　you　whether　he　was　always　the　same；　seeing　I　am　only　six…and…twenty　and　he　at　least　seventy　years　of　age；　so　you　can　hardly　expect　me　to　know　much　about　his　youth。　If　I　was　sure；　however；　that　what　I　tell　you　would　not　go　the　whole　round　of　Prattigau；　I　could　relate　all　kinds　of　things　about　him；　my　mother　came　from　Domleschg；　and　so　did　he。〃

〃Nonsense；　Dete；　what　do　you　mean？〃　replied　Barbel；　somewhat　offended；　〃gossip　has　not　reached　such　a　dreadful　pitch　in　Prattigau　as　all　that；　and　I　am　also　quite　capable　of　holding　my　tongue　when　it　is　necessary。〃

〃Very　well　then；　I　will　tell　youbut　just　wait　a　moment；〃　said　Dete　in　a　warning　voice；　and　she　looked　back　to　make　sure　that　the　child　was　not　near　enough　to　hear　all　she　was　going　to　relate；　but　the　child　was　nowhere　to　be　seen；　and　must　have　turned　aside　from　following　her　companions　some　time　before；　while　these　were　too　eagerly　occupied　with　their　conversation　to　notice　it。　Dete　stood　still　and　looked　around　her　in　all　directions。　The　footpath　wound　a　little　here　and　there；　but　could　nevertheless　be　seen　along　its　whole　length　nearly　to　Dorfli；　no　one；　however；　was　visible　upon　it　at　this　moment。

〃I　see　where　she　is；〃　exclaimed　Barbel；　〃look　over　there！〃　and　she　pointed　to　a　spot　far　away　from　the　footpath。　〃She　is　climbing　up　the　slope　yonder　with　the　goatherd　and　his　goats。　I　wonder　why　he　is　so　late　to…day　bringing　them　up。　It　happens　well；　however；　for　us；　for　he　can　now　see　after　the　child；　and　you　can　the　better　tell　me　your　tale。〃

〃Oh；　as　to　the　looking　after；〃　remarked　Dete；　〃the　boy　need　not　put　himself　out　about　that；　she　is　not　by　any　means　stupid　for　her　five　years；　and　knows　how　to　use　her　eyes。　She　notices　all　that　is　going　on；　as　I　have　often　had　occasion　to　remark；　and　this　will　stand　her　in　good　stead　some　day；　for　the　old　man　has　nothing　beyond　his　two　goats　and　his　hut。〃

〃Did　he　ever　have　more？〃　asked　Barbel。

〃He？　I　should　think　so　indeed；〃　replied　Dete　with　animation；　〃he　was　owner　once　of　one　of　the　largest　farms　in　Domleschg。　He　was　the　elder　of　two　brothers；　the　younger　was　a　quiet；　orderly　man；　but　nothing　would　please　the　other　but　to　play　the　grand　gentleman　and　go　driving　about　the　country　and　mixing　with　bad　company；　strangers　that　nobody　knew。　He　drank　and　gambled　away　the　whole　of　his　property；　and　when　this　became　known　to　his　mother　and　father　they　died；　one　shortly　after　the　other；　of　sorrow。　The　younger　brother；　who　was　also　reduced　to　beggary；　went　off　in　his　anger；　no　one　knew　whither；　while　Uncle　himself；　having　nothing　now　left　to　him　but　his；　bad　name；　also　disappeared。　For　some　time　his　whereabouts　were　unknown；　then　some　one　found　out　that　he　had　gone　to　Naples　as　a　soldier；　after　that　nothing　more　was　heard　of　him　for　twelve　or　fifteen　years。　At　the　end　of　that　time　he　reappeared　in　Domleschg；　bringing　with　him　a　young　child；　whom　he　tried　to　place　with　some　of　his　kinspeople。　Every　door；　however；　was　shut　in　his　face；　for　no　one　wished　to　have　any　more　to　do　with　him。　Embittered　by　this　treatment；　he　vowed　never　to　set　foot　in　Domleschg　again；　and　he　then　came　to　Dorfli；　where　he　continued　to　live　with　his　little　boy。　His　wife　was　probably　a　native　of　the　Grisons；　whom　he　had　met　down　there；　and　who　died　soon　after　their　marriage。　He　could　not　have　been　entirely　without　money；　for　he　apprenticed　his　son；　Tobias；　to　a　carpenter。　He　was　a　steady　lad；　and　kindly　received　by　every　one　in　Dorfli。　The　old　man　was；　however；　still　looked　upon　with　suspicion；　and　it　was　even　rumoured　that　he　had　been　forced　to　make　his　escape　from　Naples；　or　it　might　have　gone　badly　with　him；　for　that　he　had　killed　a　man；　not　in　fair　fight；　you　understand；　but　in　some　brawl。　We；　however；　did　not　refuse　to　acknowledge　our　relationship　with　him；　my　great…grandmother　on　my　mother's　side　having　been　sister　to　his　grandmother。　So　we　called　him　Uncle；　and　as　through　my　father　we　are　also　related　to　nearly　every　family　in　Dorfli；　he　became　known　all　over　the　place　as　Uncle；　and　since　he　went　to　live　on　the　mountain　side　he　has　gone　everywhere　by　the　name　of　Alm…Uncle。〃

〃And　what　happened　to　Tobias？〃　asked　Barbel；　who　was　listening　with　deep　interest。

〃Wait　a　moment；　I　am　coming　to　that；　but　I　cannot　tell　you　everything　at　once；〃　replied　Dete。　〃Tobias　was　taught　his　trade　in　Mels；　and　when　he　had　served。　his　apprenticeship　he　came　back　to　Dorfli　and　married　my　sister　Adelaide。　They　had　always　been　fond　of　one　another；　and　they　got　on　very　well　together　after　they　were　married。　But　their　happiness　did　not　last　long。　Her　husband　met　with　his　death　only　two　years　after　their　marriage；　a　beam　falling　upon　him　as　he　was　working；　and　killing　him　on　the　spot。　They　carried　him　home；　and　when　Adelaide　saw　the　poor　disfigured　body　of　her　husband　she　was　so　overcome　with　horror　and　grief　that　she　fell　into　a　fever　from　which　she　never　recovered。　She　had　always　been　rather　delicate　and　subject　to　curious　attacks；　during　which　no　one　knew　whether　she　was　awake　or　sleeping。　And　so　two　months　after　Tobias　had　been　carried　to　the　grave；　his　wife　followed　him。　Their　sad　fate　was　the　talk　of　everybody　far　and　near；　and　both　in　private　and　public　the　general　opinion　was　expressed　that　it　was　a　punishment　which　Uncle　had　deserved　for　the　godless　life　he　had　led。　Some　went　so　far　even　as　to　tell　him　so　to　his　face。　Our　minister　endeavored　to　awaken　his　conscience　and　exhorted　him　to　repentance；　but　the　old　man　grew　only　more　wrathful　and　obdurate　and　would　not　speak　to　a　soul；　and　every　one　did　their　best　to　keep　out　of　his　way。　All　at　once　we　heard　that　he　had　gone　to　live　up　the　Alm　and　did　not　intend　ever　to　come　down　again；　and　since　then　he　has　led　his　solitary　life　on　the　mountain　side　at　enmity　with　God　and　man。　Mother　and　I　took　Adelaide's　little　one；　then　only　a　year　old；　into　our　care。　When　mother　died　last　year；　and　I　went　down　to　the　Baths　to　earn　some　money；　I　paid　old　Ursel；　who　lives　in　the　village　just　above；　to　keep　and　look　after　the　child。　I　stayed　on　at　the　Baths　through　the　winter；　for　as　I　could　sew　and　knit　I　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　plenty　of　work；　and　early　in　the　spring　the　same　family　I　had　waited　on　before　returned　from　Frankfurt；　and　again　asked　me　to　go　back　with　them。　And　so　we　leave　the　day　after　to…morrow；　and　I　can　assure　you；　it　is　an　excellent　place　for　me。〃

〃And　you　are　going　to　give　the　child　over　to　the　old　man　up　there？　It　surprises　me　beyond　words　that　you　can　think　of　doing　such　a　thing；　Dete；〃　said　Barbel；　in　a　vo