Yet it seems she did not speak it _ernst und still_ enough, the
beautiful singer, when it came to holding fast the greatly loved and
already affianced Niembsch von Strehlenau; for he let her go and
returned to Sophie.
Now comes a very strongly military leaf. It bears the signatures
Schwarzenberg, Benedek, FML., Fürstenberg, G. d. C., v. Wrangel, Field
Marshal.[7] Alongside Wrangel’s name somebody (the insertion is not in
Elvira’s hand) has inscribed the following brief dialogue reproducing
the famous general’s wooing. It is well known that in spite of all his
victories he never succeeded in conquering the dative and the
accusative, and when he wanted to apply to the father of his intended
for her hand the conversation in all probability developed itself thus:
“Will you call me your son-in-law?”
“I’m sorry, but I have none.”
“Beg pardon—I meant to say, may I call you my father-in-law?”
“Oh, you are married? I did not know that.”[8]
There is furthermore inserted upon that military album-leaf a document
which, as the knot that fastens it informs us, was given to my cousin by
her “dear godfather Huyn.” It is a large folio page of official paper,
with the following not uninteresting contents:
K. K. Landesgeneralkommando in
Verona. II. Sektion Nr. 1064