Elective Affinities by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Page B

together into one great lake, then the view would have everything you could ask for.’
    ‘That could be done,’ said the Captain. ‘They were at one time a single mountain lake.’
    ‘Only let my group of plane-trees and poplars alone,’ saidEduard. ‘They look very fine beside the middle lake. Look’ – turning to Ottilie and leading her a few steps forward and pointing down – ‘I planted those trees myself.’
    ‘How long have they stood there?’ she asked. ‘About as long as you have been on earth,’ Eduard replied. ‘Yes, dear child, I was already planting trees while you were still in the cradle.’
    The company went back to the mansion. When they had eaten they were invited to take a walk through the village so as to see the new arrangements there too. At the Captain’s instigation the villagers had assembled in front of their houses. They were not standing in line but grouped naturally in families, some busy with evening tasks, some relaxing on benches newly provided. It had become a pleasant duty for them to keep the village clean and tidy at any rate on Sundays and holidays.
    An intimate affectionate companionship such as had grown up between our friends can only be unpleasantly disturbed by the presence of a larger company. All four were glad when they were back alone in the big drawing-room, but this cosy feeling was somewhat broken into by the arrival of a letter announcing that other guests would be coming next day.
    ‘As we expected!’ said Eduard, to whom the letter had been handed, turning to Charlotte. ‘The Count is not going to fail us. He is coming tomorrow.’
    ‘In that case the Baroness cannot be far away either,’ Charlotte replied.
    ‘She isn’t!’ Eduard answered. ‘She’s arriving tomorrow too. They ask if they can stay overnight. They want to leave together the day after,’
    ‘Then we will have to make arrangements in good time, Ottilie!’ said Charlotte.
    ‘What do you want arranged?’ Ottilie asked.
    Charlotte said what she wanted arranged and Ottilie went away.
    The Captain inquired what the relationship was between these two. He knew about it only vaguely. Already married, they had fallen passionately in love. Two marriages were broken up, not without scandal. They thought of divorce; it was possible for the Baroness, for the Count not. They had to pretend to part but their relationship remained what it was; and if they could not be together in the winter in the Residenz, they made up for it in the summer on pleasure trips and taking the waters. They were both somewhat older than Eduard and Charlotte and in earlier days they had all been close friends at court. They had always remained on good terms, even if you could not always approve of everything about your friends. Only this time Charlotte found their arrival somewhat inopportune and if she had to say why she found it inopportune she would say it was on Ottilie’s account. The good pure child ought not to have such an example put before her at so early an age.
    ‘They could have left it for a couple of days,’ said Eduard as Ottilie came back, ‘until we have settled the farmstead sale. The contract is ready. I have one copy here but we need a second and our old clerk is ill.’ The Captain offered to do it, Charlotte also offered; but he raised objections to their offers. ‘Just give it to me!’ Ottilie cried suddenly.
    ‘You will not be able to get it finished,’ said Charlotte.
    ‘I would have to have it the day after tomorrow, first thing, and there is a lot to copy,’ said Eduard. ‘It shall be ready,’ Ottilie cried. She already had the paper in her hands.
    Next morning, as they were looking out of the upper floor windows so as not to miss seeing their guests arrive and going to meet them, Eduard said: ‘Who is that riding so slowly down the road?’ The Captain described the figure in more detail. ‘Then it is him,’ said Eduard. ‘The details, which you can see better than I, accord