
Madame Bluebeard by Karl Hans Strobl and translated by Joe E Bandel
Eleventh Chapter
Rotrehl’s small house at the forest’s edge offered
summer guests lodging in its upper floor each year.
There were two cozy rooms: one faced forward,
overlooking the Kamp valley, with Vorderschluder’s
castle and scattered cottages visible below. The
other’s window gazed directly into the woods, where
a great beech stood so close that, on windy nights, its
branches tapped the panes.
On the ground floor lived the violin-maker. At the
back was a gloomy kitchen; in front, a large, bright
room served as Rotrehl’s living, sleeping, and
workspace. Here, he crafted fine violins, some of
which traveled to the city with summer guests each
autumn. On the wall by his workbench hung five
violins, coveted by many buyers but never sold. They
hung in a row, each with a name painted in clumsy,
crooked black letters beneath: Jean – François –
Antoine – Madeleine – Marie. Below each name, a
cross and date marked the memorials to his wife and
four children. He’d kept his wife’s German name but
honored the French blood in his children. These
memorial violins had a soft, sweet, mournful tone.
On long winter evenings, after setting work aside,
Rotrehl would take one down and play simple,
melancholic tunes—songs heard nowhere else, alive
only in his heart. He played until sadness lifted. On
All Saints’ Day, the feast of the dead, he took all five
from the wall, lighting five candles on his
workbench. He played each violin in turn,
extinguishing a candle as he set each aside, until he
sat in darkness. But he was no longer alone—his wife
and children surrounded him, the room filled with
kind words, growing ever brighter.
Across from the bed, a large lithograph of
Napoleon hung beside a mirror. In it, Rotrehl sought
resemblances between his features and the great
conqueror’s, rewarding Napoleon with a fresh oak
sprig or garden flowers when confirmed. In a corner,
a bookshelf held a modest library: a Bible, a German
school association calendar, and several French
books. Rotrehl knew no French, but on heroic days,
feeling his French blood, he’d take one down and
read, tracing lines with his finger, straining eyes and
mind. He was certain enlightenment would come
before his death, revealing all. A summer guest fluent
in French once caught him at it, laughing
uproariously at the violin-maker poring over a French
cookbook. Since then, Rotrehl locked the door when
reading French.
Summer guests were often a nuisance, prying into
everything, but their money was vital for the lean
winter. This year’s early guest, however, pleased
Rotrehl. Herr Schiereisen wasn’t as intrusive. He
roamed the countryside daily, quizzing farmers,
borrowing old church records from priests and village
protocols from aldermen to study river and place
names. He chatted with locals about this and that,
occasionally asking about Herr von Boschan and his
young wife, as one does when thoroughly researching
a region.
Winning Rotrehl’s trust with his reserve,
Schiereisen drew the violin-maker’s interest in his
peculiar studies.
“What’s it all for, Herr Professor?” Rotrehl asked
one evening as Schiereisen sorted notes on a rickety
garden table. It was a warm, spring-like evening. A
gentle, fragrant south wind had blown for days,
filling the Kamp valley with scent. Sitting outdoors
was pleasant.
“Well,” Schiereisen said, fixing an earnest gaze on
Rotrehl, “long before Germans settled here, there was
another people. Nearly all traces of them are lost—
we don’t even know their language precisely. Yet
science has uncovered some things. Place and river
names sometimes trace back to the Celts. So, we
study how these names were spoken and written.
Then there’s skull measurements and facial features,
which also prove ancient blood mixtures…”
Rotrehl eyed the scholar thoughtfully. “Yes…
facial features, right? They’re proof? Surer than
papers. Papers can be lost… but not faces.”
Schiereisen placed a stone on his notes to keep the
spring breeze from stealing them. “Our methods
should interest you especially. Your case is strikingly
clear. You’ve good reason to hang Napoleon over
your bed. Tracing your lineage would be
rewarding… you differ markedly from this region’s
typical peasant type.”
This struck a chord with Rotrehl. The words
flowed into him like fiery, aged wine. He savored the
moment in silence, then said in a low, mournful voice
that it was a pity his line had dwindled—all dead,
swept away, only he remained.
Schiereisen murmured about fate’s tragedy, the
fall of noble blood, and the triumph of the inferior,
veering into theories of long and short skulls.
Rotrehl felt his personal fate gain weight, merging
with history’s grand stream. He grew in his own eyes,
grateful to Schiereisen for this elevation. This city
man could be trusted with anything. So Rotrehl spoke
of his time in Vienna, gaining higher learning, of his
children’s deaths, and the violins he’d crafted in their
memory, bearing their names.
They often discussed matters Rotrehl otherwise
kept private. With Schiereisen, usual cautions
weren’t needed. He could even share his thoughts on
the castle folk.
Sometimes, Rotrehl’s friend, old Johann from the
castle, visited. Before him, Rotrehl held back
opinions about Frau Helmina, as Johann brooked no
criticism of her. One might think him smitten. Saying
“the gracious lady” warmed his heart; whispering
“Helmina” with trembling daring lit his face like
sunrise. Yes, she’d been willful and moody, and Herr
Dankwardt had sighed often, but he should’ve been
happy.
Schiereisen enjoyed chatting with the old servant,
asking about countless trifles—the former masters’
lifestyles, their quarrels with Helmina, their finances,
their deaths. Johann answered tirelessly, relishing any
chance to speak of his mistress.
“How did Herr von Boschan meet Frau Helmina?”
Schiereisen asked.
“I don’t know. Must’ve been in Abbazia. The
gracious lady was there last year.”
“So Herr von Boschan was never at the castle
before?”
“Never.”
“Absolutely certain? Never during Herr
Dankwardt’s time? Think carefully.”
Johann didn’t hesitate. “I’m sure,” he said. “Herr
von Boschan first came last autumn. The very first
time…”
“Do you know if Frau Helmina knew him
earlier?”
“I don’t. But… no. She likely didn’t, as he was
traveling for years. He brought a servant, an Indian,
they say at the castle—God knows where he’s been.”
A suspicion began to fade, a trail dissolving.
“How does Frau Helmina get along with her
current husband?” Schiereisen pressed. “No disputes,
like before…?”
Johann shook his head. “I’ve noticed nothing.
He’s the first to handle her right, knows her worth. I
think,” he smiled, “he loves her dearly. Though…”
he paused.
Schiereisen seized the opening. “Have you noticed
something? A rift, any estrangement…?”
“No… it’s just… the gracious sir’s been a bit
nervous lately. For some time, they’ve had separate
bedrooms.”
“Oh? You mean, due to his nervousness, or…?”
The thrill of the hunt made Schiereisen’s questions
rapid and pressing, though only Rotrehl noticed. Old
Johann found it natural that anyone would take a
keen interest in everything concerning his mistress.
“Yes… he’s a bit nervous… says he can’t sleep in
a shared room. His nerves won’t allow it… he gets
anxious… often wanders half the night, unable to
sleep. That disturbed the gracious lady, of course. It
was sensible of him to take a separate room until it
passes…”
“And before, he wasn’t like this? He was—
healthy?” Schiereisen grew calmer, his focus
sharpening as he followed a thread.
“He’s quite healthy now,” Johann said. “I think
the gracious lady has no cause for complaint. You’d
notice no nervousness otherwise. Just these nighttime
episodes… when alone, he’s spared them. It’s surely
from that time he nearly suffocated. No wonder it left
a mark.”
This was new. Schiereisen maneuvered his
questions like chess pieces, keeping his strategy clear
in mind.
