On the Night of the Seventh Moon (20 page)

Then I got out of bed and went to the window. From it I could look down onto the plateau from which the castle rose; I knew we were high because of the laborious manner in which the horses had climbed the previous evening. I guessed that the castle had been built in the twelfth or thirteenth century like so many I had seen in this part of the world, as a fortress, and had been added to as time progressed. I was sure that the fortress in which I had my room was older than the buildings I was looking down on. These would be known as the
Randhausburg,
which meant surrounding house-castle, and they would contain the main living quarters.

Beyond them I could look down into the valley to the town of Rochenberg which was the capital city of Duke Carl's domain. How beautiful it was in the light of early morning, with its mellowed rooftops, its towers and turrets. Smoke was rising from some of the chimneys. Far
above it on the hill stood another castle of imposing appearance. Like the Schloss Klocksburg there was the fortress with its turrets rising up stark from the mountainside, proclaiming its impregnability; I could make out the machicolated friezes which adorned the watch tower, and the round tower with the pointed roof and battlements from which in the past boiling oil and water would have been hurled down on attacking enemies. It was the most impressive of any among all the many castles I had ever seen.

A knock on my door made me turn from the window. It was a maid with hot water. Breakfast would arrive in fifteen minutes' time, she told me.

In a state of exultation I washed and dressed. I shook out my long dark hair in the way Maximilian had liked it to be when we had taken our breakfast in the hunting lodge. The magic was coming back to me so vividly, that I don't think I should have been surprised to see him walk in, but when there was a knock on the door it was only the maid with my breakfast tray—coffee, rye bread, and lots of fresh unsalted butter. It tasted good and while I was drinking my second cup of coffee there was another knock and Frau Graben came in.

She was beaming and looked as though she were very proud of herself.

“So you're really here,” she said.

It was gratifying to know that my presence gave her so much pleasure. “Oh, I do hope you are going to be happy,” she went on. “I've impressed on Dagobert that he must be a good boy because it is a great honor that an English lady should come all this way to teach him. If you have any difficulty with him just tell him that his father would not be pleased; that will quieten him. It always does.”

“When shall I see them?”

“As soon as you're ready. Perhaps you'd like to talk to them a bit about what you're going to teach them. You won't want to start lessons today. When you've seen them I will take you round the castle.”

“Thank you. I shall be most interested to see it. That's a very big castle I can see from my window.”

She smiled. “That's the Duke's residence,” she said. “Oh yes, it's more grand than little Klocksburg which is only right and proper. I came to the royal castle when I was a young girl and looked after the boys. It became like home to me. And then afterwards the Count wanted me here. That was when Dagobert was born and he didn't know what to do with the child. After that Fritzi and Liesel joined us. But drink up your coffee or it will get cold. Is it to your liking?”

I said it was excellent.

“I believe you are quite excited about being here. I can see it's done you good already.”

I replied that I hoped I should give satisfaction. I had never taught before.

“This isn't ordinary teaching,” she said with that comfortable complacency which I had found rather charming. “It's conversation that matters, so that they get the right accent. That's what the Count will look for.”

“I'm very eager to see them.”

“They'll have had breakfast. I'll send for them to come to the schoolroom.”

We left my room and descended a spiral staircase which led into a hall. “This is where the schoolroom is,” she said.

“Are we in the
Randhausburg?
”

“No . . . we're still in the fortress. The children have their rooms here just below yours but the rest of the household lives more in the
Randhausburg.
”

She opened a door. “This is the schoolroom,” she said. “The pastor comes to teach them. You will have to make your arrangements with him about the English lessons.”

“There should be a lesson every day,” I said. “I am sure regularity is necessary. Perhaps an hour a day and very soon I hope to converse in English when I am with them, and perhaps take them for walks and give them easy lessons that way.”

“That sounds excellent.”

We went into the schoolroom—quite a large room with several
embrasures in which were windows looking down on the town and across to the royal castle. The view from the windows was breathtaking.

There was a long table, rather scratched on its surface, and the legs were kicked. I guessed many generations of children had sat at that table. In the embrasures were window seats on which lay books.

I remarked that it was a very pleasant room in which to work.

Frau Graben glanced at the watch pinned to her blouse.

“They will be here very soon,” she said. “I do hope they are not going to be too difficult.”

There was a knock on the door and one of the maids entered; she was holding a little girl by the hand and behind her came two boys.

“This is Dagobert and Fritz and here is Liesel,” said Frau Graben.

Dagobert clicked his heels and bowed from the waist, Fritz watching him did the same, Liesel dropped a curtsy.

“This is Miss Trant who has come to teach you English.”

“Good morning,” said Dagobert in guttural English.

“Good morning,” I replied. Dagobert looked at his brother and sister as though expecting applause.

I smiled at them. “We shall soon have you all speaking English,” I said in German.

“Is it easy?” asked Fritz.

“When you've mastered it,” I assured them.

“Shall I speak it?” asked Liesel.

“You will all speak it.”

Frau Graben said: “I will leave you with the children and then you can get to know them more easily. Perhaps they could show you the castle. That would be a good way of getting friendly.”

I thanked her. She was tactful, and I was sure that I could come to terms with my new pupils more easily on my own.

Liesel ran to the door as it shut on Frau Graben. I said: “Come back, Liesel, and make my acquaintance.”

Liesel turned and put her tongue out at me.

Dagobert said: “She's only a seamstress' daughter. She doesn't know how to behave.”

Liesel began to scream: “I do. My
papa
is the Count. He will beat you. My
papa
loves me.”

“Our father would not have you forget your manners,” said Dagobert. “So although you have the misfortune to be the daughter of a common seamstress, you have a noble father and you should not disgrace him.”

“
You
disgrace him,” said Liesel.

Dagobert turned to me: “Take no notice of her, Fräulein Trant,” he said, but his eyes as they swept over me were contemptuous and it struck me that I should have more trouble with him than with the wayward Liesel.

Fritz—Frau Graben's Fritzi—had not spoken. He was regarding me with solemn dark eyes. It occurred to me that he might be the more difficult to understand. I had already decided that Dagobert was a young braggart, Liesel a spoiled child, but I had yet to form an opinion of Fritz.

“So you are Fritz,” I said.

He nodded.

“You're not to nod,” said Dagobert. “Papa said so. You have to speak and say yes or no.”

I said: “You are going to learn English. Do you know any yet?”

“I know Good afternoon, Mr.”

“Good afternoon, Mrs.,” chanted Liesel.

Dagobert crowned it with: “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!” and watched me for applause.

“That is all very well,” I said, “but will not get you very far. What else do you know?”

“God save the Queen!” said Dagobert. “We shouted it when the Queen of England came here. We all had flags and had to wave them.” He waved an imaginary flag; then he started to run round the room shouting “God save the Queen.”

I said: “Please be quiet now, Dagobert. The Queen is not here so it
is not necessary. You have shown me how you shouted for her when she was here, so I know.”

Dagobert paused. “But I
want
to shout for the Queen.”

“The rest of us might not want to hear.”

The children all looked expectant and Dagobert said craftily: “But you've just come to teach us English, not to tell us when we can't shout for the Queen.”

The other two looked at Dagobert in admiration. I could imagine the state of affairs. He was Cock of the Nursery and as they looked up to him, I could imagine his spreading rebellion. He had too high an opinion of himself. That, I decided, must be deflated as soon as possible.

I said: “If I am going to teach you I must have some authority. It is not a very admirable or clever thing to do to run round a room calling out a catch phrase even though it does show a hospitable sentiment toward the Queen of England. As I wanted to talk to you about your lessons I would prefer you not to continue, Dagobert.”

Dagobert was astonished. I knew at once that he was not correctly disciplined and that he needed a firm hand more than the others. I could certainly look for trouble from Dagobert.

“My father went to Saxe-Coburg to see the Queen,” Fritz told me shyly.

“That was a long time ago,” said Dagobert scornfully. “Prince Albert is dead and the Queen is a widow, God save the Queen. God . . .”

“Not again, Dagobert,” I said.

“But if I want to I will.”

“In your own company then,” I said. “I am going to ask Fritz and Liesel to show me the
Schloss
, and I shall tell them about our English lessons.”

Dagobert looked at me coldly defiant; his legs apart, his head flung back, his blue eyes flashing.

I turned away and said: “Come, Fritz . . . Liesel . . .”

Dagobert said: “No. You're not to.”

I felt my future authority depended on the next few seconds so I
took Liesel's hand. She tried to draw it away but I held it firmly. Her big blue eyes surveyed me with a kind of scared wonder. It was Fritz who decided.

“I'll show you, Fräulein,” he said.

“Thank you, Fritz.”

His eyes were large and expressive. I knew that he had scarcely stopped looking at me since they had come into the room. I smiled at him and he smiled shyly back.

Dagobert started to run round the room shouting “God Save the Queen” but I shut the door firmly on him and said: “In English we don't say Fräulein, Fritz. We say Miss. I'm Miss Trant, you see.”

“Miss,” said Fritz.

I nodded. “Come on, Liesel. You say it too.”

“Miss,” said Liesel, and laughed.

“We shall have a short lesson every day,” I told them, “and when we are together we will speak in English. We will surprise your father with your progress. Now you will tell me about the
Schloss.
It is castle in English. Can you say castle?”

They both said it to my satisfaction and their own intense delight. I contemplated that it would have been easy without Dagobert.

They showed me the rooms in the fortress—all with their embrasures in which were the long narrow windows. They took me up to the tower and Fritz told me that the tower was called the
Katzenturm
, the Cats' Tower, because the falling missiles which they used to throw down on the invading forces sounded like the screeching of cats. We stood up there looking down on the town and across the mountains and Fritz pointed out the Duke's castle high on the slope. Could I see the long buildings on the eastern side? They were the barracks and there the Duke's Guards lived. It was fun to see them standing there.

“They guard it all the time,” said Fritz. “Don't they, Liesel?”

Liesel nodded. “They have blue coats.”

“Dark blue coats, with gold on their sleeves and they have shining helmets. Sometimes they have feathers in them. They stand so still you think they're not real.”

“I should like to see them.”

“We'll show you, won't we, Liesel?”

Liesel nodded.

I felt I was getting on very well. Liesel was ready to go with whoever was the leader, I could see that. Fritz was quite different from Dagobert. He was much smaller but then he was several years younger. His eyes were dark whereas Dagobert's eyes were light blue; his hair was brown and straight, Dagobert's waved about his head like a glistening gold cap. Dagobert was the handsome one but Fritz interested me. He had a sensitive face and I remembered Frau Graben's saying that he missed a mother. I could well believe it. Dagobert would be self-sufficient; Fritz less so. I was sure though that Fritz was going to prove the better pupil.

I thought: He would be a year older than my own child. And I thought fleetingly how wonderful it would be if she had lived and all had gone as in those magic three days I had believed they would. Suppose this were my home—suppose instead of these children I were here with my own . . .

I shook myself free of fancies. I must be firmly realistic—I must not allow the pine forests to put their spell on me.

“We'll go to the town together,” I said, “and I'll tell you what everything is in English. That will be a lovely and easy way to learn.”

“Will Dagobert come?” asked Liesel.

“If he wants to.”

“Shall he be whipped if he won't?” asked Fritz. “Would you whip him?”

I could not see myself so engaged so I smiled faintly. “I shall just ignore him. If he doesn't want to learn he will be ignorant and when the Count comes he will say: ‘Well, what English have you learned?' And you and Liesel will speak to him in English and he will be pleased. Dagobert will know nothing.”