SPRING.
A few days afterwards Lato's body was consigned to the family vault of
the Treurenbergs,--not, of course, without much funereal pomp at
Dobrotschau.
With him vanished the last descendant of an ancient race which had once
been strong and influential, and which had preserved to the last its
chivalric distinction.
The day after the catastrophe Harry received a letter from Paula, in
which, on the plea of a dissimilarity of tastes and interests which
would be fatal to happiness in marriage, she gave him back his troth.
As she remained at Dobrotschau for an entire week after the funeral, it
may be presumed that she wished to give her former betrothed
opportunity to remonstrate against his dismissal. But he took great
care to avoid even a formal protest. A very courteous, very formal,
very brief note, in which he expressed entire submission to her decree,
was the only sign of life his former captor received from him.
When Paula Harfink learned that Harry had left Komaritz and had
returned to his regiment in Vienna, she departed from Dobrotschau with
her mother and sister, to pass several months at Nice.
In the beginning of January she returned with the Baroness Harfink to
Vienna, heart-whole and with redoubled self-confidence. She was loud in
her expressions of contempt for military men, especially for cavalry
officers, a contempt in which even Arthur Schopenhauer could not have
outdone her; she lived only for science and professors, a large number
of whom she assembled about her, and among whom this young sultaness
proposed with great caution and care to select one worthy to be raised
to the dignity of her Prince-Consort.
Selina did not return with her mother to Vienna, but remained for the
time being with a female companion in Nice. As is usual with most
blondes, her widow's weeds became her well, and her luxuriant beauty
with its dark crape background attracted a score of admirers, who,
according to report, were not all doomed to languish hopelessly at her
feet.
Fainacky, however, was never again received into favour.
Olga retired to a convent, partly to sever all ties with the world,
which had misunderstood and maligned her in her relations to the part
she had played in the fearful drama enacted at Dobrotschau, partly to
do penance by her asceticism for Lato's suicide, which was to her deep
religious sense a fearful crime, and of which she considered herself in
some measure the cause.
Moreover, Lato's suicide produced a profound impression upon all his
friends. Harry could hardly take any pleasure in his freedom, so dark
was the shadow thrown upon his happiness by grief for the fate of his
life-long friend and comrade. Under the circumstances, until, so to
speak, the grass had grown over the terrible event, his betrothal to
Zdena could not be thought of; the mere idea of it wounded his sense of
delicacy. He contented himself, before returning to Vienna, with a
farewell visit to Zirkow, when he informed the entire family of the
sudden change in his position. The major, whose sense of delicacy was
not so acute as his nephew's, could not refrain from smiling broadly
and expressing a few sentiments not very flattering to Fraeulein Paula,
nor from asking Harry one or two questions which caused the young
fellow extreme confusion.
The major's efforts to force a _tete-a-tete_ upon the young people were
quite vain. Zdena, when Harry left, accompanied the young officer
openly, as she had often done, to the court-yard, where she stroked his
horse before he mounted and fed him with sugar, as had ever been her
wont.
"Good-bye, Zdena," Harry said, simply kissing her cold hand, just as he
had often done when taking leave of her. Then, with his hand on the
bridle, ready to mount, he gazed deep into her eyes and asked, "When
may I come back again, Zdena?"
She replied, "In the spring," in a voice so low and trembling that it
echoed through his soul, long after he had left her, like a caress. He
nodded, swung himself into the saddle, turned once in the gate-way for
a farewell look at her, and was gone. She stood looking after him until
the sound of his horse's hoofs died away, then went back to the house
and remained invisible in her room for the rest of the forenoon.
The winter passed slowly. In the cavalry barracks in Vienna a change
was observed in Harry Leskjewitsch. He began to be looked upon as a
very earnest and hard-working young officer. His name stood first among
those for whom a brilliant military career was prophesied. And, oddly
enough, while there was a great increase in the regard in which he was
held by his superior officers, there was no decrease in his popularity
with his comrades.
The youngest good-for-naughts did, it is true, reproach him with having
become tediously serious, and with great caution in spending his money.
But when by chance the cause of his sudden economy was discovered, all
discontent with his conduct ceased, especially since his purse was
always at the service of a needy comrade.
When, after the Harfinks had returned from Nice, he first met Paula in
the street, he was much confused, and was conscious of blushing. He
felt strangely on beholding the full red lips which had so often kissed
him, the form which had so often hung upon his arm. When, with some
hesitation, he touched his cap, he wondered at the easy grace with
which the young lady returned his salute. His wonder was still greater
when, a few days afterwards, he encountered Frau von Harfink, who
accosted him, and, after inquiring about his health, added, with her
sweetest smile,--
"I trust that my daughter's withdrawal from her engagement to you will
not prevent you from visiting us. Good heavens! it was a mistake; you
were not at all suited to each other. We shall be delighted to welcome
you as a friend at any time. Come soon to see us."
If Harry were changed, Zdena was not less so. She was more silent than
formerly; the outbreaks of childish gaiety in which she had been wont
to indulge had vanished entirely, while, on the other hand, there was
never a trace of her old discontent. Indeed, there was no time for
anything of the kind, she had so much to do.
She had developed a wonderful interest in household affairs; spent some
time each day in the kitchen, where, engaged in the most prosaic
occupations, she displayed so much grace that the major could not help
peeping at her from time to time. And when her uncle praised at table
some wondrous result of her labours, she would answer, eagerly, "Yes,
is it not good? and it is not very expensive."
Whereupon the major would pinch her cheek and smile significantly.
Frau Rosamunda was not at all aware of what was going on about her. She
frequently commended the girl's dexterity in all that her awakened
interest in household affairs led her to undertake, and after informing
the major of his niece's improvement, and congratulating herself in
being able to hand her keys over to the girl, she would add, with a
sigh, "I am so glad she never took anything into her head with regard
to Roderick. I must confess that I think his sudden disappearance very
odd, after all the attention he paid her."
The major would always sigh sympathetically when his wife talked thus,
and would then take the earliest opportunity to leave the room to
"laugh it out," as he expressed it.
Thus life went on with its usual monotony at Zirkow.
Harry's letters to the major, which came regularly twice a month, were
always read aloud to the ladies with enthusiasm by the old dragoon,
then shown in part to Krupitschka, and then left lying about anywhere.
They invariably vanished without a trace; but once when the major
wished to refer to one of these important documents and could not find
it, it turned out that Zdena had picked it up--by chance.
At last the spring made its joyous appearance and stripped the earth of
its white robe of snow. For a few days it lay naked and bare, ugly and
brown; then the young conqueror threw over its nakedness a rich mantle
of blossoms, and strode on, tossing a bridal wreath into the lap of
many a hopeless maiden, and cheering with flowers many a dying mortal
who had waited but for its coming.
Zdena and the major delighted in the spring; they were never weary of
watching its swift work in the garden, enjoying the opening of the
blossoms, the unfolding of the leaves, and the songs of the birds. The
fruit-trees had donned their most festal array; but Zdena was grave and
sad, for full three weeks had passed since any letter had come from
Harry, who had been wont to write punctually every fortnight; and in
his last he had not mentioned his spring leave of absence.
In feverish impatience the girl awaited the milkman, who always brought
the mail from X---- just before afternoon tea. For days she had vainly
watched her uncle as he sorted the letters. "'The post brings no letter
for thee, my love!'" he sang, gaily.
But Zdena was not gay.
This afternoon the milkman is late. Zdena cannot wait for him quietly;
she puts on an old straw hat and goes to meet him. It is nearly six
o'clock; the sun is quite low, and beams pale golden through a ragged
veil of fleecy clouds. A soft breeze is blowing; spring odours fill the
air. The flat landscape is wondrous in colour, but it lacks the sharp
contrasts of summer. Zdena walks quickly, with downcast eyes. Suddenly
the sound of a horse's hoofs falls upon her ear. She looks up. Can it
be? Her heart stands still, and then--why, then she finds nothing
better to do than to turn and run home as fast as her feet can carry
her. But he soon overtakes her. Springing from his horse, he gives the
bridle to a peasant-lad passing by.
"Zdena!" he calls.
"Ah, it is you!" she replies, in a weak little voice, continuing to
hurry home. Not until she has reached the old orchard does she pause,
out of breath.
"Zdena!" Harry calls again, this time in a troubled voice, "what is the
matter? Why are you so--so strange? You almost seem to be frightened!"
"I--I--you came so unexpectedly. We had no idea----" she stammers.
"Unexpectedly!" Harry repeats, and his look grows dark. "Unexpectedly!
May I ask if you have again changed your mind?"
Her face is turned from him. Dismayed, assailed by a thousand dark
fancies, he gazes at her. On a sudden he perceives that she is sobbing;
and then----
Neither speaks a word, but he has clasped her to his breast, she has
put both arms around his neck, and--according to the poets, who are
likely to be right--the one perfect moment in the lives of two mortals
is over!
The spring laughs exultantly among the trees, and rains white blossoms
upon the heads of the fair young couple beneath them. Around them
breathes the fragrance of freshly-awakened life, the air of a new,
transfigured existence; there is a fluttering in the air above, as a
cloud of birds sails over the blossom-laden orchard.
"Zdena, where are you?" calls the voice of the major. "Zdena, come
quickly! Look! the swallows have come!"
The old dragoon makes his appearance from a garden-path. "Why, what is
all this?" he exclaims, trying to look stern, as he comes in sight of
the pair.
The young people separate hastily; Zdena blushes crimson, but Harry
says, merrily,--
"Don't pretend to look surprised; you must have known long ago that
I--that we loved each other." And he takes Zdena's hand and kisses it.
"Well, yes; but----" The major shrugs his shoulders.
"You mean that I ought to have made formal application to you for
Zdena's hand?" asks Harry.
The old officer can contain himself no longer; his face lit up by the
broadest of smiles, he goes to Zdena, pinches her ear, and asks,--
"Aha, Zdena! why must people marry because they love each other, hey?"