DISASTER.
All that the Baroness says when she hears of Stella's mishap is, "I
cannot lose sight of you for an instant that you are not in some
mischief!"
Stella only sighs, "Poor mamma!" while Stasy, still livid as to
complexion, finds herself strong enough to glance with great
significance first at Stella and then at Rohritz. When she hears that
it is Rohritz that bandaged Stella's foot she vibrates between fainting
and a fit of laughter. She calls Rohritz nothing but 'my dear surgeon,'
accompanying the exquisite jest with a sly glance from time to time.
His enjoyment of this brilliant wit may be imagined.
The general grins; the Baroness looks angry; the captain and Katrine
are the only ones who observe nothing of Rohritz's annoyance or
Anastasia's jest; they are entirely absorbed in reproaching each other
for the absence of the corkscrew, which has been forgotten.
Yet, in spite of the double mischance thus attending the beginning of
the _dejeuner sur l'herbe_, all turns out pleasantly enough. The
general remembers that his pocket-knife is provided with a corkscrew;
the married pair recover their serenity; the crabs, in spite of
many obstacles, are half cooked at the fire, and--for Freddy's
sake--pronounced excellent; the cold capon and the _pate de foie gras_
leave nothing to be desired; the mayonnaise has not been forgotten, and
the champagne is capital.
Hilarity is so fully restored that when the carriages, ordered at five
o'clock, make their appearance, the company is singing in unison
'Prince Eugene, that noble soldier,' to an exhilarating accompaniment
played by the general with the back of a knife on a plate.
Baron Rohritz, who is not familiar with 'Prince Eugene,' and who
consequently listens in silence to that inspiring song, glances
critically at a small point of purple cloud creeping up from behind the
mountains.
"My barometer----" he begins; but Katrine interrupts him irritably:
"Ah, do spare us with your barometer!"
A foreign element suddenly mingles with the merry talk. A loud blast of
wind howls through the mighty branches of the old oak, tearing away a
handful of leaves to toss them as in scorn in the dismayed faces of the
party; a tall champagne-bottle falls over, and breaks two glasses.
"It is late; we have far to go, and the hacks are scarcely
trustworthy," the captain remarks. "I think we had better begin to pack
up."
Preparations to return are made hurriedly. The general begs for a place
in the landau, as his backbone is sorely in need of some support, and
Freddy also, who is apt to catch cold, is taken into the carriage from
the open conveyance.
No one expresses any anxiety with regard to Stella; she slips into her
brown water-proof and is helped up upon the box of the drag, where the
captain takes his place beside her, while Rohritz gets into the seat
behind them. They set off. Once more the sun breaks forth from among
the rapidly-darkening masses of clouds, but the air is heavy and in the
distance there is a faint mutter of thunder.
Wonderful to relate, the hired steeds follow the sorrels with the most
praiseworthy rapidity, due perhaps to the fact that the coachman makes
the whip whistle uninterruptedly about their long ears. Katrine, who is
sitting with her back to the horses, sees nothing of this, but rejoices
to find the pace of the hacks so much improved. Suddenly Stasy in a
panic exclaims, "Katrine!"
"What is the matter?"
"The driver--oh, look----"
Frau von Leskjewitsch turns, and sees the fat driver from the village
swaying to and fro on his seat like a pendulum. The carriage bumps
against a stone, the ladies scream, Freddy, who had fallen asleep
between the Baroness and Anastasia, wakens and asks in a piteous voice
what is the matter; the general springs up, tries to take the reins
from the driver, and roars as loud as his old lungs will permit,
"Leskjewitsch!"
The captain does not hear.
"Papa!" "Jack!" "Captain!" echo loud and shrill, until the captain,
told by Rohritz to turn and look, gives the reins to his old comrade,
jumps down from the drag, and runs to the assistance of his family. An
angry scene ensues between him and the driver, who tries to withhold
from him the reins,--is first violent, then maudlin, stammering in his
peasant-patois asseverations of his entire sobriety, until the captain
actually drags him down from the box and with a volley of abuse flings
him into a ditch. Katrine is attacked by a cramp in the jaw from
excitement. The Baroness ponders upon the etymological derivation of a
word in the patois of the country which she has fished out of the
captain's torrent of invective, and repeats it to herself in an
undertone. The general folds his hands over his stomach with
resignation, and sighs, "Dinner is ordered for seven o'clock." Freddy's
blue eyes sparkle merrily in the general confusion, and Stasy, since
there is positively no audience for her affectation, conducts herself
in a perfectly sensible manner. In the midst of the excitement, one of
the hacks deliberately lies down, and thus diverts the captain's
attention from the driver.
"By Jove, our case is bad,--worse than might be supposed. These screws
can scarcely stir," he exclaims: "that drunken scoundrel has beaten
them half to death. How we are to get home God knows: these brutes
cannot possibly drag this four-seated Noah's ark. We had better change
horses. Ho! Rohritz?"
"What is the matter?"
"Unharness those horses!"
In a short time the exchange is effected. The sorrels in their gay
trappings are harnessed to the heavy landau, the long-legged hacks to
the drag.
It is beginning to rain, and to grow dark.
Freddy is nearly smothered in plaids by his anxious mamma. The captain
mounts on the box of the four-seated vehicle, and calls to Rohritz,--
"Drive to Wolfsegg, the village across the ferry. We will await you
with fresh horses, at the inn there. Adieu."
And the captain gives his steeds the rein, and trots gaily past the
drag.
"_Tiens!_ Stella is left _tete-a-tete_ with Rohritz," Stasy whispers.
"And what of that?" Katrine says, rather crossly. "He will not kill
her."
"No, no; but people might talk."
"Pshaw! because of an hour's drive!"
"Wait and see how punctual they are," Stasy giggles maliciously.
"Anastasia, you are outrageous!" Katrine declares.
"Wait and see," Anastasia repeats; "wait and see."