In the old doctor's bedroom a cheerful fire was flickering. He himself
still lay a-bed, quite penetrated by the delightful sensation of a man
who knows his life's work is completed. When one has been sitting half
a century through, for twelve long hours every day, in the rumbling
conveyance of a country doctor, thumped and bumped along over stones
and lumps of clay, one may now and again lie in bed till daylight,
especially when one knows one's work is safe in younger hands.
He stretched and straightened his stiff old limbs, and once more buried
in the pillows his weather-beaten, yellowish-grey face, covered with
white stubble like granite with Iceland moss. But habit, that austere
mistress, who had for so many years driven him forth from his bed
before dawn, whether it was necessary or not, would not let him rest
even now.
He sighed, he yawned, he abused his laziness, and then reached for the
bell standing on the little table at his bedside.
His housekeeper, an equally grey, tumble-down specimen of humanity,
appeared on the threshold.
"What time is it, Frau Liebetreu?" he called out to her.
Since the day on which the young assistant arrived in Gromowo, the old
Black Forest clock hanging at the doctor's bedside, and whose rattling
alarum had often unpleasantly jarred upon his morning slumbers, was no
longer wound up. "So that I know that my life too henceforth stands
still," as he was wont to say.
"A quarter to eight, doctor," the old woman answered, beginning
meanwhile to busy herself about the stove.
"For shame! for shame!" cried he, raising himself up, "what a lazybones
I am getting to be! I say, have any letters come?"
"Yes, a few by post, and one that young Mr. Hellinger brought himself
two hours ago."
"Two hours ago! Why, it was dark yet at that time!"
"Yes; he said he had to drive out to the manor farm, and could wait no
longer. Yesterday evening, too, when you were at the 'Black Eagle,'
sir, he called, and sat here for about two hours."
"Why didn't you send for me?" cried the doctor, in the blustering tone
of voice of old, good-natured grumblers.
"Well, and hadn't he forbidden us to do so?" cried his housekeeper, in
exactly the same tone of voice, which seemed, however, more an echo of
her master's manner than personal defiance. "He was sitting in the
study till ten o'clock--or rather he was not sitting, he raced about
like a madman, and laughed and talked to himself--I hardly knew the
calm, quiet man again; and then I brought him beer--six bottles--he
drained them all; and I had to drink with him. As I tell you, he was
quite beside himself."
"Ah, indeed, indeed," muttered the old man smiling to himself with
satisfaction. "I should say Olga had something to do with that. Perhaps
after all she----. Well, do you intend bringing me my letters to-day,
or not?" he suddenly shouted, as if he were goodness knows how wild,
but his face laughed the while. And when his housekeeper had
grumblingly done his bidding, he drew out with a sure hand from the
little heap of letters one without a stamp, not deigning to look at the
others at all. His hands trembled with happy excitement as he unfolded
the paper; and he read, while his grey face beamed with pleasure:
"Dear old Uncle,--You shall be the first to know it. If only I had you
with me, that I might press your dear old hands and tell you face to
face what is in my heart! I do not realise it yet--my head whirls when
I think of it! Uncle, you were at my side in the days of darkest
trouble, helping and protecting. You were the only one to take Martha's
part when all--even my parents turned their backs on her with coldness
and suspicion.
"You could not save her for me, uncle--the Lord asked her back of me.
But when, at the bedside of my dead wife, my reason threatened to give
way, you took my poor head between your hands and spoke to me--as a
preacher speaks. And you were right. Of course I do not believe that I
can ever quite revive and become again as I was before the cares of
existence and my longing for Martha made my head dull and heavy; for
even Martha--even my wife--could not accomplish that in the three years
of our quiet happiness. But life seems about to give me whatever it has
left for me yet of joy and peace. You know, uncle, how in the midst of
my sorrow for my dead wife, I learnt to love her sister. Cousin Olga,
more and more. I confessed all to you, and sought comfort with you when
tortured by self-reproach at the thought that I was breaking my troth
to my wife already in the year of mourning. And you said to me at that
time: 'If the dead woman might seek a second mother for her child, whom
else would she choose but the sister whom, next to you, she loved best
in the world?' I was startled to the very depths of my soul, for I
should never have dared to raise my eyes to her. But you never ceased
to encourage me, until, a week ago, I took heart and begged her to
share my fortunes.
"You know she refused me.
"She grew deathly pale--then gave me her hand, and standing up rigidly
said to me: 'Put it from your thoughts, Robert, for I can never be your
wife.' Then I slunk away, and thought to myself, 'It serves you right
for your presumption.' And now, to-day----. Uncle, I cannot put it on
paper!--my hand fails me. This happiness is too great--it came so
unexpectedly, it almost overpowers me! To-morrow, uncle--to-morrow I
will tell you all.
"I have to go out early to the manor farm. At mid-day I shall return,
and then forthwith shall undertake the dreaded visit to my parents. My
mother suspects nothing as yet. Her plans have once again been
frustrated, and Olga will have to suffer heavily enough for it. I fear
she may even turn her out of the house. If only I had her already under
my own roof!
"It is three o'clock in the morning. Enough for to-day. Your grateful
and happy
"Robert Hellinger."
The old doctor wiped a tear from his cheek.
"The dear boy," he murmured. "How his emotions crowd each other in his
over-heated brain; and how simple, how honest everything is to the last
jot! In truth, he deserves you, my brave, proud girl; he is the only
one to whom I do not grudge you. And now I will put you to the test,
and see if you too put confidence in your old uncle. Straightway I will
do it."
Laughing and growling he burrowed with his head in the pillows. And
then he suddenly shouted with a voice resounding through the house like
thunder:
"Confound it, where are my trousers?"
The trousers were brought, and five minutes later the old man stood
quite ready before his glass, all except his greyish-yellow wig.
"My hat, cloak, stick!" he shouted out into the corridor.
"But the breakfast," the old woman shouted back, if possible louder
still, from the kitchen.
"Well, then, hurry up," he blustered. "Before I have read these letters
I must have it here."
With an impatient oath he set to work upon the little heap that had so
far been lying unnoticed on the pedestal. Offers of wine--profitable
investments--a poor, blind father with a new-born infant--and then
suddenly he stopped short, while once more a satisfied smile overspread
his features.
"Upon my word! I should not have expected this," he growled,
contentedly. "She, too, could not rest without confiding her happiness
to her old uncle. That is nice of you, children! You shall have your
reward for this."
With the same happy haste with which he had opened Hellinger's letter,
he tore this envelope asunder.
But hardly had he commenced reading when with a low moaning cry he
staggered back two paces, like one who has been dealt a treacherous
blow. His grey face became ashy pale; his eyes started from their
sockets, and like claws his old withered fingers clutched the
fluttering paper.
When his housekeeper brought in the coffee, she found her master
sitting as stiff as a log in the corner of the sofa, his forehead
covered with great drops of perspiration, and staring with fixed
lustreless eyes at the paper which his hands still held as if in a
cramp.
"Gracious heavens, doctor!" she cried, and let the tray drop clattering
on to the table. Her lamentations brought him back to consciousness. He
asked for water, and drank two long eager draughts, wetted his forehead
and temples with the remainder, and signed to his housekeeper to leave
him.
Hereupon he bolted the door, picked up the letter from the floor, and
read with trembling, choking voice:
"My dear, my Fatherly Friend,--When you read these lines I shall have
ceased to live. The draughts of morphium which you gave me when I had
forgotten how to sleep after Martha's death were carefully collected
and kept by me; I trust they will be powerful enough to give me peace.
"You who have watched over me like a second father, you shall be the
only one to learn why I have decided to take this terrible step. In
long winter nights, when the storm shook my gable-roof and I could not
sleep, I wrote down everything that has been tormenting me for so long,
and will not let me be at rest till I fall asleep for ever. On my
bookshelf, hidden behind some volumes of Heine, you will find a blue
exercise-book. Take it with you, without letting the others notice. And
when you have read all, go out to my grave and there say a prayer for
my soul.
"See that I am laid to rest at Martha's side.
"I loved her dearly. It is she who is calling me to her.
"You will understand all when you have read my story. Perhaps you know
more of my secret than I suspect. I suppose I must have spoken evil
words during the delirium of my illness, else why should you have sent
away my relations from my bedside?
"Did you shudder at the things that my wretched tongue brought to
light?
"Do you pity me? Do you despise me? No, surely you do not despise me;
or how could you have bestowed so much love upon me? And now read.
Everything is set down there. It was not originally intended for you. I
meant to send it after many years--when we young ones too should have
grown old--to the man to whom my whole being belongs, so that he might
know why I once denied myself to him.
"Things have gone differently. To-day, in a moment of forgetfulness, I
threw myself upon his neck. Too late I comprehended that now escape
from him was no longer possible. But, rather than be his, I will seek
death.
"And I have yet another request in my heart. It is the request of one
about to die--if you can, I know you will fulfil it.
"Keep secret from the world, and especially from the man I love, that I
took my own life. Let him believe that my happiness killed me. I shall
destroy everything that might point to suicide; there will only be
indications that I died of syncope or apoplexy.
"From the depths of my heart I implore you to grant me this one last
favour. I die gladly and have no fear. It is so long since I slept
well, that I have need of rest.
"Olga Bremer."
The old man felt himself in a state of utter helplessness.
He staggered, clenched his fists, beat his brow, and then once more he
fell back in his chair.
"This is madness, utter madness," he groaned, wiping the cold
perspiration from his forehead. "Child, what were you thinking of? What
could cloud your reason like this? My poor, poor, darling child?"
Then he once more jumped up and groped with trembling fingers for his
hat and cloak.
"To help! To help!" He must wrest this victim even yet from death's
hand! That was what absorbed his whole mind at present. For a moment
the thought came to him that perhaps after all she had not carried out
her serious intention, but he dismissed it forthwith. He must have had
a different knowledge of her character, to credit her with a feeling of
fear or a failing of energy.
But possibly the dose she had taken was too small, perhaps the
long period of time--for it was more than a year since Martha
died in child-bed, and it was then he had given her the sleeping
draughts--perhaps the long period of time that had elapsed since then
had weakened the efficacy of the poison. Yes, yes, it was so; it must
be so! When badly preserved, morphia decomposes and becomes
ineffectual.
So forward to the rescue! To save what can be saved!
He ran about the room in search of something: he hardly knew what he
was seeking. Then once more he grasped the letter.
"And what do you ask of me? Child, child, do you think it is such a
light matter to perjure one's self? To throw aside like rotten eggs the
duties to which one has been faithful for half a century? Child, you do
not realise what you are asking of an honest man!" He Held the paper up
close to his eyes, and once more read the passage: "It is the request
of one about to die.... From the depths of my heart I implore you to
grant me this one last favour."
Heavy tears rolled down his weather-beaten cheeks.
"It cannot be, child, it cannot be done, however well you may know how
to plead. And even if I wished to do it, I should betray myself. I am
an old, weak wreck; I no longer have such control over my features.
They would notice it at the first glance. But so that you may not have
asked it--of your old uncle--in vain--I will--at least attempt it--for
your own sake and Robert's sake you must first of all be saved.
Confound it all, old fellow, for once more in your life be a man you
must save her--you must--must--must!"
And as quickly as his stiff old legs would carry him, he rushed
out--past his housekeeper, who stood listening at the keyhole--out into
the wintry morning air which a cold drizzling mist filled with damp,
prickling crystals.