THE ELECTION
The election called forth an interest unprecedented in all the world.
Old men, invalids, and cripples went to the ballot-boxes; and in the
afternoon, when the polls were closed, it was known that ninety-nine
per cent of the enfranchised citizens of Vienna had performed their
duty to their country. Then the counting of the votes began throughout
the land, lasting till early in the morning; and in the forenoon extra
editions of the _Arbeiter-Zeitung_ and the _Weltpresse_ announced the
amazing result.
Only the rural districts had remained faithful to the Christian-Socialists
and Pan-Germans. Vienna had elected the candidates of the Socialists
and the Citizens’ Party almost exclusively, as had also the smaller
towns and the industrial region of Austria. The new Parliament,
therefore, was composed as follows: Seventy Social-Democrats,
thirty-six members of the Active Citizens’ Party, thirty
Christian-Socialists, and twenty-four Pan-Germans. This gave a hundred
and six votes for the repeal of the special anti-Jewish legislation,
and fifty-four for its continuance. Leo’s beautiful dream--and that
of the liberal Citizens and Socialists--therefore seemed destroyed,
for they lacked exactly one vote for the two-thirds majority without
which the Constitution could not be amended. In spite of their
overwhelming defeat, in spite of the fact that the government had to
resign immediately to make room for a Social-Democratic ministry, the
anti-Semites were rejoicing, and paraded about the town with banners
inscribed with the slogan: “The Jews are staying out!”
Just one thing did the vanquished victors fear. The majority had
announced that it would wait only for the second session of the newly
elected House, which would take place in a week, before it would put
forward a declaration of urgency for the repeal of the Jewish law
and for the restoration of freedom of movement for everyone without
discrimination. But what would happen if a Christian-Socialist or
Pan-German deputy were to fail to appear at the session? Voluntary
absence was beyond the imagination. But, after all, one of the deputies
from the rural districts might fall ill or meet with an accident,
and this one would assure the enemy of his two-thirds majority. To
prevent such a calamity the minority parties, on the day before the
assembly of the House, ordered special trains with attendant physicians
for all their deputies. In this way they believed themselves secured
against any disastrous incident. For Vienna itself precautions were
unnecessary, for there their one and only representative was the
realtor Herr Wenzel Krötzl, elected by the vine-growers and inn-keepers
of the Nineteenth District, who were very prosperous in Jew-purged
Vienna. They were sure of him in every respect, and he enjoyed
excellent health.
Now this Herr Krötzl was Leo’s last hope, while Lotte almost broke
down under the terrible disappointment. She wept all day long, and
scarcely could muster the energy to hasten every day to Leo, who vainly
endeavored to inspire her with courage and faith in the outcome. Hofrat
Spineder, himself deeply hurt and disappointed by the continuance of
the anti-Jewish law, could understand his daughter no longer, and began
to harbor grave doubts as to her reason. He was very much worried as he
discussed her remarkable behavior with his wife.
“What in the world does it mean? She’s forgotten Leo, spends half
the day with a new lover, this Frenchman whom I’m beginning to hate
without ever having seen him, suddenly declares that she’d like to
have both Leo and Dufresne, and now, when Leo can’t come back, she sits
there and cries her eyes out. I think the girl’s out of her head!”
Frau Spineder sighed deeply.
“I can’t understand it myself, dear. I don’t know my own child any
more, and I’ve no idea as to what’s going on in her heart. But in any
case, if it develops that the Jewish law remains in force, we must
insist on meeting this M. Dufresne.”
Herr Spineder nodded.
“Yes, indeed! And if Lotte refuses again, or tries to postpone the
matter, we’ll send her to Klagenfurt, to her Aunt Minna!”...
After days and nights of strenuous thought Leo finally evolved a plan
that would decide whether he could remain in Vienna openly or would
have to go back to France. If the law were not repealed his departure
would become a matter of urgent necessity, for his friend Henry
Dufresne, whose name he bore, himself wanted to return to Paris from
southern France, and thenceforth Leo’s reckless game would be in danger
of discovery.