The sky was blue, the pine woods quiet, the air balmy,
and the beautiful outline of the mountains unfolded itself far away
in the depth of the horizon. Wilhelm drank in the quiet, lovely
picture, and felt that a piece of his life was woven into this
harmony of nature, and that these surroundings had become part of
his innermost "ego," and would be mingled with his dearest feelings
now and ever. His love, and these mountains and valleys, and Loulou,
the mist and perfume of the pine trees, were forever one, and the
pantheistic devotion which he felt in these changing flights of his
mind with the soul of nature grew to an almost unspeakable emotion,
as he said in a trembling voice to Loulou:
"It is all so wonderful, the mountains and the woods, and the
summer-time and our love. And in a moment it will be gone. Shall we
ever be so happy again? If we could only stay here always, the same
people in the midst of the same nature!"
She said nothing, but let him take her answer from her fresh lips.
They left by the Offenberg railway station in the afternoon.
Loulou's eyes were wet. Frau Ellrich smiled in a motherly way at
Wilhelm, and Herr Ellrich took his hand in a friendly manner and
said:
"We shall see you in Berlin at the end of September.
Pages:
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63