Cihlar & Egeler - The Saint and her Fool

To utter delight of little Rose, when Mama is in Bayreuth for a few days, festivals are celebrated: the Day of the Lilies and a wonderful archaeological excavation on the Roman meadow. For the first time, her father also participates and to Rosemarie’s greatest surprise and delight, he does belong to the gifted ones who are able to celebrate such feasts – the secret is to have him along by himself!

The seasons change relentlessly and it is soon autumn. The Duke and Duchess travel to Tirol for the yearly hunting of mountain goats and Harro is also invited to go along. He would have accepted the invitation, but received an order to come to Hamburg to paint murals for a wealthy businessman, and the price he had agreed to pay, just could not be ignored. Once again, it is very quiet in Brauneck, but the Duke promises to be back in Brauneck to spend Christmas with his daughter. When they come back two months later, it seems so much longer to him, because his delicate daughter has suddenly visibly grown so much in this short time that he is shocked. Mama laughs out loud when she sees her and her comment is: ‘Look at her! She is completely out of proportion and when she is grown, nothing ladylike will be left of her; a giant of a woman with the gait of a duck!’

The royal physician is consulted and he says, it is unusual, but quite possible that she has already reached her final height so quickly, but this requires caution, because the heart does not grow as fast. Rosemarie thus is protected from any strenuous travelling and always stays in Brauneck. Unfortunately, she disregards the physician’s statement and continues to grow.

When her lessons begin again, Rosemarie is not as anxious as before to have the honor of feeding the furnace. She also seems unconcerned, when the Pastor frowns or sighs at her performance during class. She holds onto her interpretations of what she reads, and when he chides her, she no longer feels intimidated but just sits down silently.

Harro comes back from Hamburg, quite delighted of the outcome from this order.

„This money helps to transform my ruin into a humble castle, my dear little Rose.”

Rosemarie’s face takes on frosty expression, as he has never seen on her before.

„I am not happy at all that you are painting the walls of the man from Hamburg. How can he order you to paint his walls! You have your own walls to paint.”

„Where are, please kindly tell me, the walls, which I can paint?Your Highness, you have certainly heard of Michelangelo, who also had painted walls for weekly wages and free accommodation?”

Rosemarie blushes a dark red. „I just do not like the man from Hamburg. If it were paintings - but walls can no longer be taken from him.”

„Who would want that? This man from Hamburg is a fine person. The ballroom, which I am to paint, lies above the river Elbe, where you see the ships pass by through magnificently arched windows. He gives me the freedom to paint as I wish; he only desires to see my sketches before I begin. If he had not granted me this artistic freedom, I would not work for him.”

„How long will you be in Hamburg?“

„All through the next summer; I will go to Paris first, somewhere around Easter. I need to enhance my art with paintings of life, do some modeling studies.“

„Well, why go there? Why must you do your model studies in Paris?“

„I have to, there are no models here.“

„The people in Paris are more beautiful?“

„Here is no one to do the modeling; who of these people here have a free spirit to be painted with rapture – they are all crippled.“

“Harro, why do people cripple?“

„Because to maim the own body to alleged perfection is said to be good.“

„Harro, is this topic of conversation so very appropriate?“ intervenes Frau von Hardenstein.

„Important as it is, Mama , it is possibly inappropriate. Do pardon my words, but questions must be answered.”

But Rosemarie is as persistent as ever.

„Am I already crippled?“

„No, my dear Saint Rose, not you.“

„Then I will ensure never to become so.“

Frau von Hardenstein rises, „Harro, we definitely should not continue on this subject. Please, escort me back to my room and you, Rosemarie, should also retire to your room; you have a few studies to finish.“

Arriving to her room, Frau von Hardenstein puts her hand on Harro`s arm.

„Don`t bring the child in too many contradictions with her environment. You will not believe what I had to listen to for the sake of her golden shoes... and now even more idiosyncrasies.”

Harro’s face takes on a guilty look.

„I certainly do not intend to be the source of her confusion, but I do think that maintaining a healthy and beautiful soul is at least worth some uncomfortable moments.“

„Oh Harro, you tend to exaggerate! When one listens to you, you would think we were all sick and ugly. But let us no longer argue. I must now habituate the idea that we no longer are privileged to have you around. How quickly the years have passed away ...“ she sighs.

„How true. I had nearly become accustomed to having loved ones around me; now I must again learn to crawl back into my cave and live a life as a lonesome badger.”

„Harro, you do not intend to discontinue our friendship? We may not always see you in such an unconditional way, though to conclude this life because of this...”

„You see, Mama , you also begin to see this in a different light ... but I am not a man of nuances, my emotions are quite steadfast, especially in friendship. Do you remember what you said to me, when you had first arrived? That one day my deeds would no longer be required...Well, I do not wish to wait for this rebuff; it is time for me to go. It would be appalling for me, if the Duke felt the need to make a legitimate complaint of my company. Rosemarie is still a child now, who can clearly be heard by her so forthright questions, but it is only a short time that her mind and feelings will heighten up with her body. The years ahead of her are those, where she will mature; up until now she has been in her dream world. I do believe she will not forget me, but if I am not close to her during this time of adolescence, she will remember me more as a nice, old uncle...a quite harmless person to be.”

„Harro, if you are right… Rosemarie is still a child, but her love for you…”

„It is much too intense, not as it should be for a dear old uncle. If Rosemarie had not grown so fast physically, I might not have been able to recognize the proper time to go. Though, from day to day she resembles a woman more than a child, although not yet in her head. It is the only respectable thing to do, for both of us.”

„Oh, Harro, you have put such a weight on my heart...but you surely know what is correct. Oh, my poor Rosemarie, she will be heartbroken!”

Rosemarie’s consecration comes closer and it is without a doubt that she is the best in the class. It has nothing to do with the fact that she is the Princess, even the boys in the first bench have no choice but to admit this. The Pastor’s voice takes on a special tone, when he calls upon her and his gaze is mellow, when she speaks. She no longer mimics the monotone, she speaks with her melodious voice and no one laughs at her anymore, although the girls still whisper about her saying the strangest things. The Pastor never seems to find it strange; he nods to her and says:

„So this is your opinion, Rosemarie.“

Elizabeth, the daughter of the town doctor, who has the fervent wish to one day conclude her lessons with a teacher’s exam, whispers to the stout Berta next to her: „Rosemarie always has an opinion! That is because she is a Royal from the castle; if we said the same thing, it would be wrong.”