Shortly after, just as Wendler, who was off duty, passed by with a
chess-board under his arm, Frederick was summoned to Mrs. Liebling. Of
the two physicians, he was the one that had inspired her special
confidence, why, he did not know.
"Doctor von Kammacher," said Doctor Wilhelm, with a swift side glance at
Ingigerd, "you've cut me out again."
At least once every twenty minutes Mrs. Liebling called for Flitte and at
least once every hour Frederick von Kammacher had to sit beside her on
the edge of her bed. Strangely enough, it did not occur to the young
scientist to take amiss the jokes that Doctor Wilhelm and the others
aimed at him on that account. He was really sorry for the poor woman and
was unaffectedly ready to be of service to her.
They had not yet informed her of Siegfried's death, but, now that only
Ella kept coming to her, a suspicion had arisen in her mind. Flitte and
Rosa, when she begged them to go fetch Siegfried, always returned without
him, and when pressed, gave as the reason that the boy was sick.
"What is the matter with my dear, sweet Siegfried?" she cried, wringing
her hands, when Frederick entered her cabin. The next moment she fell
back on her pillow and lay rigid, pressing her hands to her eyes.
"O my God! O my God!" she exclaimed in impotent denial of the truth.
Without waiting for what Frederick had to say, she began to cry quietly,
in genuine grief.
On returning to the deck half an hour later, Frederick found the fat
little engineer and Ingigerd playing chess together.
"The painter and I have made Miss Hahlström laugh three times already,"
cried the engineer.
"I know where you were, Doctor von Kammacher," Ingigerd said. "Does she
know the truth now?"
"Yes," Frederick replied. "I hope she will be quieter now."
Ingigerd wanted to go down to Mrs. Liebling. Tears came to her eyes, and
revealed, as with a ray of light shining inward, what she refrained from
saying, that she who had lost her father was most fitted to share the
grief of a mother who through the same misfortune had lost her son.
Frederick was indignant that Ingigerd had been told, and used all his
authority to prevail upon her not to visit Mrs. Liebling for the present.