LINAU.
The mansion-house of Linau, the German corruption of the Polish
Linorov, is by no means an imposing residence. Many a wealthy peasant
in Saxony can boast of a home grander in appearance than the seat of
the ancient noble family which Hugo von Wangen inherited from his
father, and in which he was living at present with his young wife and
his orphan sister, four years after his marriage. Before his father's
death the young couple had occupied a small but comfortable farm-house
on the estate, to which Hugo had brought his bride, and where, in
accordance with his father's ideas as to the frugality and economy
proper to be observed by young people just beginning life, they would
still have been residing, had not his father died two years after his
son's marriage and bequeathed to him the large manor-house itself.
The old Herr left only two children behind him, a son and a daughter,
the latter a child twelve years of age. His will declared his son Hugo
the heir of his landed estate, and arranged that the daughter, whose
inheritance consisted of a mortgage upon the estate, should find a home
in her brother's house.
Hugo von Wangen gladly fulfilled the duty thus imposed upon him. He
loved his sister dearly, and needed no injunction from his father to
induce him to act the part of an affectionate protector to the girl,
whose mother died shortly after her birth, having received her son's
solemn promise that he would be a faithful brother to little Clara.
Thus, since the death of his father, Hugo von Wangen, with his wife and
sister, had inhabited the manor-house of Linau. It was a low, rambling
assemblage of buildings, quite large enough for Hugo's wishes, as it
had been for those of his father, who had for many years lived happily
in it with his family and kept open house. The guest-chambers were
seldom empty, the hospitality of the host had always been generous, and
although the style of living had been devoid of pretension to modern
elegance, there had never been any lack of comfort in the old Von
Wangen manor-house.
For Hugo, every piece of the quaint, old-fashioned furniture, every
nook and corner of the house, suggested some incident of his childhood,
some tender recollection of the mother and father whose memory he
revered; but to his young, pleasure-loving wife the place was odious.
She begged that at least the old furniture might be banished, to give
place to what was more worthy of a Herr von Wangen. To this Hugo would
in no wise consent, and it was with great reluctance that he yielded so
far to his wife's wishes as to have the finest of the rooms--one which
opened by folding doors upon a large balcony built out over the
garden--given over entirely to her and newly furnished and decorated
according to her taste. In all the other rooms the old articles of
furniture in which he delighted remained untouched, contrasting oddly
enough with the gorgeous arrangements of the garden-room, as it was
called. Here Bertha spent most of her time, sitting in the balcony when
the weather was fine, and receiving there the frequent visitors, who
now as formerly were seldom wanting at Linau.
The tin roof of this addition to the garden-room protected it from sun
and rain, and that it might be thoroughly warmed in winter Bertha had
it enclosed with sashes of glass, which could be opened and closed at
will.
Here, oh a sultry day in August, we find Bertha, something more than
four years after we last saw her in Osternau. The glass doors and
sashes of the balcony were all wide open to admit every breath of air,
and the fair mistress of the house was leaning back in an arm-chair,
fanning herself lazily with a large lace fan, and evidently wearied and
discontent.
There was not the faintest breeze stirring, and, low in the west, dark
masses of clouds were slowly gathering; the afternoon sun was already
hidden behind them, and they were mounting high above the tall
shrubbery that bounded the lawn of the garden below the balcony.
"It is insufferably hot and sultry," Bertha sighed, laying aside the
novel she had been reading. "In this wretched climate one either
freezes with cold or melts with heat. Such a thing as a fair, mild
summer afternoon is positively unknown in this odious Western Prussia."
Did she speak in soliloquy, or were her words addressed to the young
lady who, seated at some distance at a table in the centre of the
spacious balcony, was busy correcting a sketch by Clara, Hugo's young
sister, who stood by intensely interested in the operation? It was
impossible to say, for, as she spoke, Bertha's glance was directed to
the distant horizon, and she fanned herself uninterruptedly.
Nevertheless she expected an answer, and, receiving none, the movement
of her fan grew more energetic, and there was a degree of ill humour in
the voice with which she said, sharply, "Elise!"
There was such atone of command in the word that she who was thus
addressed, and who was bending over the drawing on the table, looked up
from it startled. Her charming face flushed slightly as she left her
place and approached Bertha in obedience to her call.
"I really think you might reply to me when I speak to you," the latter
said, as if aggrieved.
"I beg pardon! I really did not know that your remark was addressed to
me."
"To whom else could I be speaking? You cannot think me so silly as to
sit here talking to myself. Do try to pay a little attention to me."
Every word was uttered with an evident intention to be disagreeable,
but no retort was provoked from the person addressed. In fact, she had
no time to reply before her young pupil eagerly took up her defence.
Clara threw down her pencil and turned sharply to her sister-in-law:
"What is it, Bertha? What has Elise done to provoke you? How should she
know that your criticism of West Prussia was addressed to her? It might
as well have been uttered for my benefit, and you may be sure I should
have taken up the cudgels if I had not been so busy over this miserable
drawing."
The child was most attractive in her eager defence of her teacher, but
Bertha's ill humour made her blind to any charm in her little sister,
to whom she administered a sharp rebuke for want of respect to her
brother's wife, adding, "I cannot see. Elise, that your teaching is
likely to produce any very fine results here. Clara grows too pert and
insubordinate. I really must ask Hugo to have her sent to some one of
our many admirable boarding-schools, where she may have the advantage
of stricter discipline than any that can be exerted over her at home."
"No need to try that," Clara retorted; "Hugo never will consent. Papa
has taken care of that, I know."
"Clara, Clara!" her governess interposed.
"Let me speak, Elise," Clara went on, putting aside the warning hand
extended to her; "I must for this once. I cannot see why Bertha should
treat you as she has so often done since you came to us, a month ago. I
cannot help speaking of it. I love you dearly, and I will not have any
one unkind to you if I can help it."
"Surely, Elise," Bertha said, angrily, "you must see that I am not
called upon to endure this patiently. Fortunately, there comes Hugo: he
will know how to put a stop to Clara's impertinence."
Hugo von Wangen was returning from an expedition to the neighboring
town of G----. He had driven thither in the early morning, and had
hastened his return to Linau that he might escape the storm threatening
in the west. His vehicle was just entering the court-yard, whence he
came immediately through the garden-room out on the balcony.
Hugo von Wangen had changed greatly in the past four years; the
shy, retiring youth had developed into a strong, capable man. The
good-natured expression of his kindly face was, however, unaltered, it
was even more pronounced than it had formerly been. He could hardly be
called a handsome man, but he certainly was pleasant to look upon.
As he appeared upon the balcony he was so pleased with his speedy
return and the happy termination of his business in town, that he did
not observe the frown upon his wife's brow.
"Fortunately back again before the storm," he called out, gaily. "How
are you, darling?" As he spoke he bent above his wife and gave her a
resounding kiss upon her forehead, took Clara's head between his hands
and kissed her likewise, and then bowed to the governess with a
cordial, "Good-day, Fraeulein Lieschen."
"Indeed, Hugo, I must beg you to dispense with the babyish 'Lieschen'
in addressing a young lady of twenty-one," his wife said, sharply.
"You're right, my dear," he replied, good-humouredly. "I forget myself,
Fraeulein Lieschen comes so naturally to my lips; but I shall learn not
to use it; so good-day, Fraeulein von Osternau. I am so glad to be at
home again, and I have had such a pleasure to-day. I met an old
acquaintance, or rather an old friend, most unexpectedly in G----.
Guess who it was, my dear,--you know him, and so do you, Fraeulein
Lieschen,--I mean Fraeulein von Osternau."
Bertha had no desire to guess. She was contemplating preferring a
complaint of Clara's disrespect, but her interest was aroused when
Wangen went on eagerly,--
"No, you could not possibly guess. Just as I had got into the carriage
to drive off from G----, whom should I see coming striding down the
street but my dear old friend Storting? I jumped out of the carriage,
and he was as much delighted as I was at our meeting. I should have
liked to talk for an hour with him, but the skies looked so threatening
I had to leave, and he too was in a great hurry to get back to Plagnitz
before the storm came up."
"Plagnitz?" Bertha asked. "Is not that Herr von Ernau's estate?"
"Yes, and that is the strangest part of the whole story: Storting is
now Herr von Ernau's head inspector."
At the sound of the name Ernau, Elise's attention was evidently
attracted.
"Herr von Ernau?" she said. "Is that the same man----" Her glance fell
upon Bertha, and she hesitated slightly. "I mean the Herr Egon von
Ernau who----"
"You need not hesitate, Fraeulein von Osternau," Wangen interposed with
a laugh. "You can with an easy mind ask whether it is the same Herr von
Ernau who ran away from the most charming of women, who was declared
dead, and who afterwards came to life again, and has since been
travelling or something of the kind. I am far too grateful to him for
his folly, and I think Bertha is likewise, to find anything
disagreeable in the recollection of him; indeed, I am quite curious to
make his acquaintance."
"Does he live in this neighborhood?" Elise asked, evidently greatly
interested.
"His principal estate, Plagnitz, is scarcely two miles from Linau, but
he is not living there at present. No one knows exactly where he is.
All his letters and papers are sent to his father's banking
establishment in Berlin. Herr von Ernau has hitherto seemed to take
very little interest in the management of his estates, except that a
few years ago his requirements as to the accounts and remittances from
Plagnitz became much more strict than they were formerly. His old
superintendent, Sieveking, told me that he had never been there but
twice, the last time about four years ago. On that occasion he made a
very exact inspection of the entire estate, informed himself of every
particular of its management, and took copious notes in his notebook,
since which time he has never revisited the place, nor have any orders
been received from him. He informed the superintendent when he left, at
the end of two weeks, that he was about to undertake an extensive
agricultural tour, and that he intended at some future time to assume
the superintendence of his estates himself, but that in order to do so
he must acquire a thorough knowledge of agriculture. Since then nothing
has been heard of him at Plagnitz. He must be a queer fellow. I really
am curious to know him. I suppose he will be back here some day. What
do you say, Bertha, should not you like to see this eccentricity face
to face?"
"I really care nothing about it," Bertha said, shrugging her shoulders
indifferently.
"But I do. I should like to know how Storting will get along with him,"
her husband went on; "he has never seen him, he has not even
corresponded with him. Five weeks ago he saw in one of the country
papers that a head inspector was wanted on the baronial estate of
Plagnitz, further particulars to be obtained at the office of the
banking firm of A. C. Ernau & Co., Berlin. He addressed a letter to
that office, inquiring as to the terms upon which the place could be
obtained, declaring himself an applicant for the situation, and
offering to furnish testimonials as to his capacity to fulfil its
duties. Two weeks after sending this letter he received a most amazing
reply; any stipulations which he might make were acceded to beforehand,
including the amount of his salary; it was entirely unnecessary to send
in any testimonials; it was desirable that he should enter upon the
duties of his office as soon as possible, to which end he was directed
to report at his earliest convenience to Herr Sieveking, the
administrator, who was instructed to comply with all his requirements
and to conclude the engagement with him. The letter enclosed three
hundred marks for travelling expenses. Of course Storting instantly
betook himself to Plagnitz; old Sieveking, who has been ailing for some
time, and greatly in need of assistance in his duties, received him
with delight, and thus Storting has been installed at Plagnitz as head
inspector for more than two weeks, without ever handing in a single
testimonial as to his ability."
"He deserves such confidence," Elise said. "He is an honest, excellent
man, prudent, conscientious, diligent, and an admirable superintendent.
My father trusted him entirely."
"And he merited it, as I know well," said Wangen. "Had I known that he
was unemployed I should have engaged him at any price; but how in the
world did they know of his admirable qualifications in the Ernau
counting-room? It is unprecedented, the engaging of a head inspector
without any examination of his testimonials."
Elise made no reply, but the shadowy smile that hovered about her mouth
seemed to indicate that she had her own opinion with regard to what was
so incomprehensible to Wangen, who dwelt at length upon the
unaccountable bestowal of Herr von Ernau's confidence. He was very
sorry that he had been able to have only five minutes of conversation
with Storting, but he was resolved to drive over to Plagnitz shortly
and have a talk with his friend about the dear old times.
At mention of the dear old times Elise sighed, whereupon Bertha
bestowed upon her a glance of displeasure: she too remembered them, but
they were anything but dear to her. Suddenly recalling in her
displeasure her cause of offence with Clara, she said, ill-humouredly,
"We have had enough of your Herr Storting for the present: the account
of your meeting him drove out of my head for a while the urgent request
I was about to make you that Clara should be sent to boarding-school.
You have no idea how pert and headstrong the child is becoming. Elise
seems quite unable to govern her, and I really must appeal to you, both
for the girl's sake and my own. Elise's incapacity is a great
disadvantage to her pupil."
"That is not true!" Clara declared.
"Hush, Clara! I am talking with your brother and guardian."
"But, Bertha, I cannot hush when you say what is not true. You began
our quarrel, and Elise did all she could to prevent it. It was your
fault that I was pert; you made me angry by threatening to ask Hugo to
send me away from here----"
"That is precisely what I ask of him," Bertha angrily declared. "You
hear, Hugo, how impertinent the child is. You cannot hesitate as to
what should be done."
She was angrier than her husband had ever before seen her, but her
anger became her. To Hugo she looked adorably beautiful, with her large
black eyes flashing, her cheeks flushed, and her lovely lip curled. He
did not like angry people, he was too easy and good-natured himself,
but even anger charmed him in his wife. He said, smiling, "My darling,
my darling, you exaggerate. Fraeulein von Osternau, will you have the
goodness to take Clara to her room for a while, that I may quietly
discuss this matter with my wife?"
Elise inclined her head in assent and withdrew, taking Clara with
her. The girl went willingly, but cast a glance of defiance at her
sister-in-law as she left the room, thus further exasperating Bertha's
angry mood. "Surely, Hugo," she said, when the husband and wife were
alone together, "you cannot wish to expose me to such insult at the
hands of a child? I cannot have Clara in the house any longer."
"You will listen to reason, darling," Wangen replied, in his easy,
good-humoured way, "when your present irritation has subsided. You know
how gladly I comply with every wish of yours if I can do so, but you
must not require of me the impossible. Clara is my only sister. I
promised my mother on her death-bed to be a father to her, and I
promised my father never to allow her to leave me, except to become the
wife of some worthy man. I cannot break such promises; and really the
child is good at heart and affectionate; she is a little pert and
forward, perhaps, but she responds instantly to kindness. You see how
devotedly attached she has become to Elise."
"That is just it. Although you will not see it, they are leagued
against me. Elise hates me. Years ago, at Castle Osternau, she showed
only too plainly her invincible dislike of me. I never can forget how I
was forced then to feign affection for her, and how she never neglected
an opportunity to repulse me. Then I was dependent, now it is her
turn,--her turn to feign and dissemble, although I can see how it galls
her pride to do so."
"My dear Bertha, what do you mean? If I did not know how really kind
and good you are, such words as these would make me doubt you; but I
know you better. It was your proposal to engage Lieschen for Clara's
governess, and to give her a salary so large as to enable her to
support her poor mother. Your unwillingness to suffer the unfortunate
girl to go among strangers bore testimony to your goodness of heart."
Bertha's expression of face, as her husband spoke thus, was not
pleasant to see. "We'll say nothing more of Elise," she said.
"She can remain here as my companion, but Clara must be sent to
boarding-school."
"I told you that I could not break my promise. I must tell you now that
by the conditions of my father's will I could not if I would. I did not
wish to annoy you, and so I have hitherto refrained from explaining
these conditions to you, but there is no help for it. You must know
that it is impossible to send Clara away if we would retain possession
of the estates."
"But how can this be? Explain to me exactly how your father's will is
expressed."
"I should greatly prefer not doing so, but, since there is no help for
it, you must know that in the last years of his life my father regarded
you with a certain suspicion which I could not allay. He conceived an
idea that when he was no longer here you would use your influence with
me to induce me to remove to Berlin, and that you would find in Clara
an obstacle to your schemes. I did all I could to disabuse him of his
mistrust of you, dear, but in vain, and he gave it expression in his
will, by which I am not the proprietor of the estates; their income is
mine only so long as Clara is brought up beneath my roof. Upon the day
of her marriage, if she lives until then with me, the estates become my
own. My father had a horror of boarding-schools for girls, and
expressly forbade my sending Clara to any such. Should I transgress the
injunctions laid upon me by his will, Clara becomes his residuary
legatee. The value of his property is legally appraised, and my share
will be only that which the law allows me. The same result will ensue
should Clara, through my own or my wife's unkindness, be forced to
leave my house before she is of age; as to the sufficiency of her
provocation the courts would decide. My father provided for all
possible contingencies. The will is drawn up by an admirable lawyer,
Councillor Herder, and I could not possibly evade its provisions, even
should I be so lacking in filial respect as to endeavour to do so."
"Does Clara know of all this?"
"I believe Councillor Herder has informed her upon the subject. She is
a great pet of his, as you know, and he is her godfather. You know,
too, that he has always been somewhat prejudiced against you; indeed,
dear, you have not treated him with quite the respect due to an old
friend of the family. And now you see that I could not send Clara away
from home if I would, and I frankly confess to you that even if I could
I would not. Only try to win the child's affection and it will be given
to you without reserve, and you will be glad to have her with us."
"I am, then, to kiss the hand that smites me?" Bertha rejoined, with
bitterness. "It does not make me love the child any better to have her
thus forced upon me. But you may rest easy, Hugo, I understand it all
now, and you may be sure that I never shall give your sister an
opportunity to use her power against us. She is quite aware of the
extent of it, and would doubtless hail an occasion for exercising it.
Be sure that I will so conduct myself that no court in Prussia would
justify her in leaving your house and defrauding you of your
inheritance."
Wangen was deeply grieved by his wife's words and her manner of
speaking; for the first time he entertained suspicions as to the
genuineness of her kindness of heart. All such he had hitherto
banished, reproaching himself at her first kind word for even allowing
their shadow to cross his mind. To-day he could not lay them to rest,
he was so hurt by his wife's open expression of her dislike of his pet
Clara.