everything in the right place-第2部分

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from　other　willow　trees；　the　pastor's　son　broke　a　branch　off。　〃Oh；

pray　do　not　do　it！〃　said　the　young　lady；　but　it　was　already　done。

〃That　is　our　famous　old　tree。　I　love　it　very　much。　They　often　laugh　at

me　at　home　about　it；　but　that　does　not　matter。　There　is　a　story

attached　to　this　tree。〃　And　now　she　told　him　all　that　we　already

know　about　the　tree…　the　old　mansion；　the　pedlar　and　the　goose…girl

who　had　met　there　for　the　first　time；　and　had　become　the　ancestors

of　the　noble　family　to　which　the　young　lady　belonged。

　　　　〃They　did　not　like　to　be　knighted；　the　good　old　people；〃　she　said；

〃their　motto　was　'everything　in　the　right　place；'　and　it　would　not

be　right；　they　thought；　to　purchase　a　title　for　money。　My　grandfather；

the　first　baron；　was　their　son。　They　say　he　was　a　very　learned　man；

a　great　favourite　with　the　princes　and　princesses；　and　was　invited

to　all　court　festivities。　The　others　at　home　love　him　best；　but；　I

do　not　know　why；　there　seemed　to　me　to　be　something　about　the　old

couple　that　attracts　my　heart！　How　homely；　how　patriarchal；　it　must

have　been　in　the　old　mansion；　where　the　mistress　sat　at　the

spinning…wheel　with　her　maids；　while　her　husband　read　aloud　out　of　the

Bible！〃

　　　　〃They　must　have　been　excellent；　sensible　people；〃　said　the

pastor's　son。　And　with　this　the　conversation　turned　naturally　to

noblemen　and　commoners；　from　the　manner　in　which　the　tutor　spoke　about

the　significance　of　being　noble；　it　seemed　almost　as　if　he　did　not

belong　to　a　commoner's　family。

　　　　〃It　is　good　fortune　to　be　of　a　family　who　have　distinguished

themselves；　and　to　possess　as　it　were　a　spur　in　oneself　to　advance

to　all　that　is　good。　It　is　a　splendid　thing　to　belong　to　a　noble

family；　whose　name　serves　as　a　card　of　admission　to　the　highest

circles。　Nobility　is　a　distinction；　it　is　a　gold　coin　that　bears　the

stamp　of　its　own　value。　It　is　the　fallacy　of　the　time；　and　many

poets　express　it；　to　say　that　all　that　is　noble　is　bad　and　stupid；　and

that；　on　the　contrary；　the　lower　one　goes　among　the　poor；　the　more

brilliant　virtues　one　finds。　I　do　not　share　this　opinion；　for　it　is

wrong。　In　the　upper　classes　one　sees　many　touchingly　beautiful　traits；

my　own　mother　has　told　me　of　such；　and　I　could　mention　several。　One

day　she　was　visiting　a　nobleman's　house　in　town；　my　grandmother；　I

believe；　had　been　the　lady's　nurse　when　she　was　a　child。　My　mother　and

the　nobleman　were　alone　in　the　room；　when　he　suddenly　noticed　an　old

woman　on　crutches　come　limping　into　the　courtyard；　she　came　every

Sunday　to　carry　a　gift　away　with　her。

　　　　〃'There　is　the　poor　old　woman；'　said　the　nobleman；　'it　is　so

difficult　for　her　to　walk。'

　　　　〃My　mother　had　hardly　understood　what　he　said　before　he

disappeared　from　the　room；　and　went　downstairs；　in　order　to　save　her

the　troublesome　walk　for　the　gift　she　came　to　fetch。　Of　course　this　is

only　a　little　incident；　but　it　has　its　good　sound　like　the　poor

widow's　two　mites　in　the　Bible；　the　sound　which　echoes　in　the　depth　of

every　human　heart；　and　this　is　what　the　poet　ought　to　show　and　point

out…　more　especially　in　our　own　time　he　ought　to　sing　of　this；　it　does

good；　it　mitigates　and　reconciles！　But　when　a　man；　simply　because　he

is　of　noble　birth　and　possesses　a　genealogy；　stands　on　his　hind　legs

and　neighs　in　the　street　like　an　Arabian　horse；　and　says　when　a

commoner　has　been　in　a　room：　'Some　people　from　the　street　have　been

here；'　there　nobility　is　decaying；　it　has　become　a　mask　of　the　kind

that　Thespis　created；　and　it　is　amusing　when　such　a　person　is

exposed　in　satire。〃

　　　　Such　was　the　tutor's　speech；　it　was　a　little　long；　but　while　he

delivered　it　he　had　finished　cutting　the　flute。

　　　　There　was　a　large　party　at　the　mansion；　many　guests　from　the

neighbourhood　and　from　the　capital　had　arrived。　There　were　ladies　with

tasteful　and　with　tasteless　dresses；　the　big　hall　was　quite　crowded

with　people。　The　clergymen　stood　humbly　together　in　a　corner；　and

looked　as　if　they　were　preparing　for　a　funeral；　but　it　was　a　festival…

only　the　amusement　had　not　yet　begun。　A　great　concert　was　to　take

place；　and　that　is　why　the　baron's　young　son　had　brought　his　willow

flute　with　him；　but　he　could　not　make　it　sound；　nor　could　his

father；　and　therefore　the　flute　was　good　for　nothing。

　　　　There　was　music　and　songs　of　the　kind　which　delight　most　those

that　perform　them；　otherwise　quite　charming！

　　　　〃Are　you　an　artist？〃　said　a　cavalier；　the　son　of　his　father；

〃you　play　on　the　flute；　you　have　made　it　yourself；　it　is　genius　that

rules…　the　place　of　honour　is　due　to　you。〃

　　　　〃Certainly　not！　I　only　advance　with　the　time；　and　that　of　course

one　can't　help。〃

　　　　〃I　hope　you　will　delight　us　all　with　the　little　instrument…　will

you　not？〃　Thus　saying　he　handed　to　the　tutor　the　flute　which　had

been　cut　from　the　willow　tree　by　the　pool；　and　then　announced　in　a

loud　voice　that　the　tutor　wished　to　perform　a　solo　on　the　flute。

They　wished　to　tease　him…　that　was　evident；　and　therefore　the　tutor

declined　to　play；　although　he　could　do　so　very　well。　They　urged　and

requested　him；　however；　so　long；　that　at　last　he　took　up　the　flute　and

placed　it　to　his　lips。

　　　　That　was　a　marvellous　flute！　Its　sound　was　as　thrilling　as　the

whistle　of　a　steam　engine；　in　fact　it　was　much　stronger；　for　it

sounded　and　was　heard　in　the　yard；　in　the　garden；　in　the　wood；　and

many　miles　round　in　the　country；　at　the　same　time　a　storm　rose　and

roared；　〃Everything　in　the　right　place。〃　And　with　this　the　baron；　as

if　carried　by　the　wind；　flew　out　of　the　hall　straight　into　the

shepherd's　cottage；　and　the　shepherd　flew…　not　into　the　hall；

thither　he　could　not　come…　but　into　the　servants'　hall；　among　the

smart　footmen　who　were　striding　about　in　silk　stockings；　these　haughty

menials　looked　horror…struck　that　such　a　person　ventured　to　sit　at

table　with　them。　But　in　the　hall　the　baron's　daughter　flew　to　the

place　of　honour　at　the　end　of　the　table…　she　was　worthy　to　sit

there；　the　pastor's　son　had　the　seat　next　to　her；　the　two　sat　there　as

if　they　were　a　bridal　pair。　An　old　Count；　belonging　to　one　of　the

oldest　families　of　the　country；　remained　untouched　in　his　place　of

honour；　the　flute　was　just；　and　it　is　one's　duty　to　be　so。　The

sharp…tongued　cavalier　who　had　caused　the　flute　to　be　played；　and

who　was　the　child　of　his　parents；　flew　headlong　into　the　fowl…house；

but　not　he　alone。

　　　　The　flute　was　heard　at　the　distance　of　a　mile；　and　strange

events　took　place。　A　rich　banker's　family；　who　were　driving　in　a　coach

and　four；　were　blown　out　of　it；　and　could　not　even　find　room　behind　it

with　their　footmen。　Two　rich　farmers　who　had　in　our　days　shot　up

higher　than　their　own　corn…fields；　were　flung　into　the　ditch；　it　was　a

dangerous　flute。　Fortunately　it　burst　at　the　first　sound；　and　that　was

a　good　thing；　for　then　it　was　put　back　into　its　owner's　pocket…　〃its

right　place。〃

　　　　The　next　day；　nobody　spoke　a　word　about　what　had　taken　place；　thus

originated　the　phrase；　〃to　pocket　the　flute。〃　Everything　was　again

in　its　usual　order；　except　that　the　two　old　pictures　of　the　peddlar

and　the　goose…girl　were　hanging　in　the　banqueting…hall。　There　they

were　on　the　wall　as　if　blown　up　there；　and　as　a　real　expert　said

that　they　were　painted　by　a　master's　hand；　they　remained　there　and

were　restored。　〃Everything　in　the　right　place；〃　and　to　this　it　will

come。　Eternity　is　long；　much　longer　indeed　than　this　story。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。