Krakatit/Chapter 43

by Karel Čapek

CHAPTER XLIII

 

From the time when the Princess fell ill he did not see her any more, but several times a day she wrote him short and passionate notes which hid more than they revealed. He heard from Paul that she was again able to move about her rooms and could not understand why she did not come and visit him. He himself was already out of bed and waited every minute for her to send for him. He did not know that meanwhile she had developed tuberculosis seriously and was actually spitting blood. She did not write to him about it, evidently fearing that it would make him turn from her at the thought that on his lips there were still burning the traces of the kisses which she had once given him. And principally, principally she was afraid of not controlling herself and again kissing him with passionate lips. He had no idea that the doctors had discovered traces of infection in his own lungs, a fact which had driven the Princess to desperation and self-condemnation. He knew nothing, grew angry at the fact that she was so evasive now that he was completely well, and became frightened when another day passed without the Princess expressing the wish to see him. I’ve made her tired of me, he thought; I’ve never been anything more for her than a momentary distraction. He suspected her of all sorts of things, did not want to descend to insisting on a meeting, hardly wrote to her and did nothing but wait in an arm-chair for her to come, or at least to let him know what had happened. There were a few sunshiny days and he ventured into the park, wrapped up in a rug. He wanted to wander about by himself with his dark thoughts near the lake, but there were always with him Krafft, Paul, Holz, Rohn, or the charming! and dreamy poet Charles, who always had something on the tip of his tongue but never said it. Instead he discoursed on science, personal courage, success and heroism and God knows what else. Prokop listened with one ear; he had the impression that the Prince was making a special effort for some reason or other to interest him in ambition. Then one day he received a roughly scrawled note from the Princess, telling him to wait and not to be shy. Directly afterwards Rohn introduced him to a laconic old gentleman in whose bearing everything revealed the officer disguised as a civilian. The laconic gentleman inquired of Prokop what he proposed to do in the future. Prokop, somewhat nettled by his tone, answered sharply and magnificently that he was going to exploit his inventions.

“Military inventions?”

“I’m not a soldier.”

“Your age?”

“Thirty-eight.”

“Occupation?”

“None. And yours?”

The laconic person became rather confused. “Do you intend to sell your inventions?”

“No.” He felt that he was being examined and sounded officially. This irritated him and he answered very shortly and only here and there would he give them a fragment of his erudition and this only because he saw that it pleased Rohn particularly. Actually the Prince was radiant and was all the time looking at the laconic gentleman, as if to ask him: “Well, what do you say to that miracle?” But the laconic gentleman said nothing and finally took leave of them politely.

The next day Carson appeared very early in the morning, rubbing his hands and evidently full of something extremely important. He babbled all sorts of nonsense, all the time trying to sound Prokop. He threw out all sorts of vague words, like “future,” “career” and “splendid success,” but would say nothing more, while Prokop did not like to ask any questions. And then there arrived a strange and important letter from the Princess: “Prokop, today you will have to make a decision. I have done so and do not regret the fact. Prokop, at this last moment I assure you that I love you and will wait for you as long as may be necessary. And even if we must separate for a time—and this must be so, since your wife may not be your lover—even if we separate for years, I shall always be your dutiful betrothed. I am already so happy about it, that I simply cannot speak of it; I walk about my room overpowered and repeat your name. Darling, darling, you cannot imagine how unhappy I’ve been since this happened to us. And now do what is necessary for me to be able really to call myself your W.”

Prokop couldn’t understand what it all meant; he read it several times and simply was unable to believe that the Princess meant quite simply . . . he wanted to run round to see her but was too agitated and bewildered. Was this again some feminine extravagance which was not to be taken literally and which he really didn’t understand? While he was reflecting like this Uncle Charles entered, accompanied by Carson. Both looked so . . . official and serious that it flashed through Prokop’s head: “They’ve come to say that they’re sending me away to that fortress; the Princess has been plotting, and now here we are!” He looked round for some weapon, in case it should come to force, selected a marble paper-weight and sat down, mastering the beating of his heart.

Uncle Rohn looked at Carson, and Carson looked at Rohn with the mute question of who was to begin. Then Uncle Rohn said: “What we’ve come to tell you is . . . to a certain extent . . .” He was beginning as usual hesitatingly, but suddenly he pulled himself together and continued more confidently: “My dear friend, what we have come to tell you is something very important . . . and discreet. It is not only in your interests that you should do this . . . but on the contrary . . . To put it shortly, it was first of all her idea and . . . as far as I am concerned, after careful consideration . . . in any case we must leave her out of it; she is self-willed and passionate. Apart from that, it appears that she’s taken it into her head . . . in fact from every point of view it would be better to find a suitable way out of the difficulty,” he concluded with relief. “The General Manager will explain the position.”

Carson, as the General Manager, put on his spectacles very seriously. He looked quite disturbingly important and very different from what he had ever been like before. “I consider it an honour,” he began, “to interpret to you the wishes of our highest military circles, who wish you to connect yourself with our army . . . naturally only with the highest technical service, with duties which are related to your work, and that straight away in the capacity of—so to speak . . . I mean to say, that it is not a military custom to employ civilian specialists apart from war, but in your case, in consideration of the fact that the present situation approximates very closely to that of war, and with special regard to your exceptional significance, which is enhanced by the present conditions, and . . . and taking also into consideration your peculiar position or rather, to put it more precisely, your extremely private obligations——”

“What obligations?” Prokop interrupted him hoarsely.

“Well,” stammered Carson, somewhat embarrassed, “I mean . . . your interests, your relation. . . .”

“I never spoke to you about any interest,” said Prokop sharply.

“Aha!” said Mr. Carson, as if refreshed by this rudeness, “of course you didn’t; there was no need to. We didn’t flaunt that up at the castle. Of course not. Purely personal considerations, that’s what I mean. Powerful intervention, you understand? Of course you’re a foreigner—but that’s been arranged,” he added quickly. “It’ll be enough if you put in a demand to become a citizen of our State.”

“Aha!”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, only aha!”

“Aha! that’s all, eh? All you have to do is to make a formal demand and . . . apart from that . . . Well, you will understand of course that . . . that we should demand some guarantee, eh? You will have to earn the right to the honour which is being bestowed on you . . . for exceptional services, eh? Let’s assume that . . . that you hand over to the Army Council . . . you understand, that you hand over . . .”

There was a dead silence. The Prince looked out of the window and Carson’s eyes disappeared behind the glitter of his glasses. Prokop was deeply uneasy.

“. . . that you hand over . . . simply hand over . . .” gulped Carson, also breathing with difficulty.

“What?”

Carson wrote a large K in the air with his finger. “Nothing further,” he said, relieved. “The next day you’ll get a document nominating you as an extra statum captain in the engineers . . . stationed in Balttin. Straight away. So.”

“That is to say only a captain to begin with,” said Uncle Charles. “We haven’t ventured any farther. But we have been given a guarantee that if it should suddenly come to a war——”

“Within a year,” cried Carson, “within a year at the latest.”

“—as soon as war breaks out—whenever and with whomever it may be—you will be appointed a general in the engineers. And should—as the result of the war—the form of government be changed you would also be given the title of Excellence and . . . in short at least a baronetcy to begin with. Even with regard to this . . . we have been given an assurance . . . from the highest quarters,” concluded Rohn almost inaudibly.

“And who told you that I should like that?” said Prokop icily.

“But my God!” cried Carson, “who wouldn’t? They’ve promised me the rank of knight; it doesn’t mean anything to me, but it’s not given me on my own account. But for you it would have quite special significance.”

“So you expect,” said Prokop slowly, “that I shall hand you over Krakatit.”

Mr. Carson would have sprung into the air, but Uncle Charles restrained him.

“We take it,” he began seriously, “that you will do everything, or . . . it may be . . . make every sacrifice, to save Princess Hagen from any sort of illegal and . . . impossible position. Under certain conditions . . . the Princess is allowed to marry a soldier. As soon as you are a captain your position will be regularized . . . by a strictly secret engagement. The Princess will of course go away and return as soon as she can secure a member of the ruling house as bridegroom for the wedding. Until then . . . until then we expect you to earn the right to a marriage which we feel to be good both for you and for her. Give me your hand. You need not decide just yet. Consider the matter carefully, consider what your duties are and the sacrifices which you have to make. I could appeal to your ambition, but I am speaking only to your heart. Prokop, she is suffering beyond her strength and bringing to love a greater sacrifice than any other woman. And you too have suffered. Prokop, you are suffering with your conscience, but I will not try to exert any pressure on you because I have confidence in you. Consider the matter carefully, and tell me later . . .”

Mr. Carson nodded his head, this time really deeply touched.

“That’s so,” he said. “I don’t come of any sort of family myself, but I must say that . . . that . . . I tell you, that woman has race. God! one can see straight away . . .” He struck the region of his heart with his fist and blinked his eyes. “Man, I’d throttle you if you weren’t worthy . . .”

Prokop was not listening. He sprang up and marched up and down the room with his face distorted with rage. “I—I must, eh?” He ground out hoarsely. “So I must? Good. If I must . . . you’ve diddled me! But I didn’t want——”

Uncle Rohn stood up and quietly put his hand on his shoulder. “Prokop,” he said, ‘you must decide yourself. We don’t want to hurry you; consult with the best that there is in you. Ask God, love or conscience or feeling or I don’t know what. But remember that this does not only concern you but her who loves you so much that she’s ready to . . .” He waved his hand hopelessly. “Au revoir!”