XXIV.

In the little-garden, under wide-spreading chestnut-trees, the lawyer

and Bertram were sitting, about four o'clock in the afternoon, at a

table covered with books, documents, and papers. From, the small garden

one could look across a narrow court-yard, at the windows of the

office, where they had just begun to make a fair copy of the will,

which had been settled after long deliberation.

"And now, most grave and most conscientious of men, seeing that you go

into this election campaign as into actual war, let us drink that

victory may be on your side--that is, on ours, on the side of liberty,

and right--and that the victor be granted, over and above his allotted

time, as special allowance for special services rendered, a respectable

series of not inglorious years, at least as many as this '68

Ruedesheimer wine numbers!"

The lawyer took a venerable-looking bottle, from a side table, filled a

couple of green goblets, and touched Bertram's with his own.

"I thank you for the kindly wish, and drink to its fulfilment, although

as you know, I have well-founded reasons for assuming that it will not

occur."

"Nonsense!" cried the lawyer. "I am not a giant either, but I

confidently expect to outlive all the giants among my contemporaries.

What does Wallenstein say?--'Es ist der Geist der sich den Koerper

bauet' (It is the mind that builds, this frame of ours). And I would

add, that also keeps the building together, even if it were shaky in

every joint; and that is assuredly far from being the case with you."

Bertram smiled absently. His looks were wandering away to the garden

gate.

"I wonder where Otto can be?" he said. "I urgently asked him to be here

at four o'clock at the latest."

"I am in no hurry at all," replied the lawyer. "After having had to

keep you waiting the whole forenoon, my entire evening is at your

disposal instead; or, if you insist upon leaving at five, we can have

another second witness in, and you can communicate to our friend in

writing those points which have special reference to him."

"I am most anxious to do so by word of mouth."

Upon the wretched pavement of the narrow street which lay behind the

garden wall, a carriage came hurriedly thundering along.

"_Lupus in fabula!_" exclaimed the lawyer. "Any one coming from

Rinstedt would have to pass this way."

As he spoke, Otto's broad-shouldered figure appeared in the little

yard.

The two men had meanwhile risen from their seats below the

chestnut-trees, and had gone to meet the newcomer.

"What tricks are these of yours?" Otto was saying, "to cut away from

the village in the middle of the night in a trap? What will people

think? Why, that I am driving my guests from my house! But, of course,

you intellectual people never can do things like the rest of us

mortals; always something out of the way! Eh, old fellow?"

He brought his hand with a laugh down upon Bertram's shoulders; but the

laugh was forced, and, indeed, in all his look and manner there was

painful unrest.

"I am sorry that I must leave you gentlemen alone for a little," said

the lawyer, with a meaning look at Bertram; "but you can call me at any

time from the office. By the way, there is an empty glass here, Bermer.

You must be thirsty after your drive along the hot road, and you have

not in your own cellars at Rinstedt a better Ruedesheimer than this."

He turned his back upon the friends now, and forthwith the last trace

of forced mirth vanished from Otto's face. He had flung himself into a

garden chair, and there he sat, his elbows leaning on his knees, his

hands put to his full round cheeks, staring fixedly in front of him.

"This has been a day which I shall remember!" he said.

"You have spoken to your wife?"

Otto nodded.

"In detail?"

"Well, yes; that is to say ..."

"That you might have spoken in greater detail. It does not matter,

however, as long as you have informed her of your situation in the

main. That has surely been done?"

"Been done!" exclaimed Otto. "Great Heavens! it was fearful! At first

she seemed to think that I had gone mad; at least she looked so ... so

frightened at me, don't you know, and wanted to ring the bell. But I

told her that I was, unfortunately, still quite in my right mind, and

perfectly sober, although yesterday I did perhaps, in my despair,

drink a little too much. And then, I do not know how it came about,

but one word led to another; and when she told me that the whole thing

was my own fault, and the outcome of my bad economy and my costly

foibles,--she could not mean anything more by this, than that I like to

drink a good glass of wine and to smoke a decent cigar;--why, then,

something passed within me that I cannot describe. I felt as though my

very heart were turning, and as though I had never loved her in all my

life. And then there was no longer any need to hunt for appropriate

words; they came fast enough, and harder, too, than I liked at last. It

was horrible!"

Otto gave a deep sigh and drained his glass.

"This is really good wine," he said, taking up the bottle and looking

at the mouldy label. "I wonder where he got hold of it. But what does

it matter to me? All grapes are sour for me henceforth."

"I hope not," said Bertram. "Anyhow, I thank you for having taken to

heart and faithfully carried out what I wrote to you last night. This

was indeed the first needful step, if the execution of my plan, the

details of which I will immediately communicate to you, was to be

possible. But one question first: you have not let Erna hear anything

of the subject of the conversation between you and your wife? And, as I

know your wife, she will surely keep as long as possible from Erna,

what she considers less a misfortune than a disgrace?"

"You can rely on that," replied Otto; "she would rather bite her tongue

off. But how long will it be before Erna has to learn all?"

"I hope that will never be the case!" replied Bertram. "Now, to come to

the point. I have asked you to come here to-day to be a witness to my

last will and testament. I might have told you its contents yesterday,

but I did not do so, because--to speak quite frankly--I was afraid you

would not keep the secret entirely, and thus the impression upon your

wife, on learning the whole truth, might have been considerably

lessened. If, after all, things come round again and change for the

better, then--for she is not bad, your wife, only spoiled and not given

to looking beneath the surface--then something like gratitude will stir

within her. And should this really not be the case, then I am, as it

were, master of the situation and you will both yield; you willingly,

she, because she must. Well then: in this will of mine, of which they

are now making a fair copy in the office, I have made Erna my residuary

legatee, except some smaller legacies, among which there is a suitable

annuity for Lydia. From her future inheritance, there will at once be

taken and made immediately available the sum which you require to set

your affairs thoroughly right again, with our legal friend's help. He

guarantee's that with this sum the greater part of your fortune

may yet be saved, if you agree to his arrangements, above all about

the factories. This sum will be advanced as a mortgage on your

estates--our friend will explain to you how it can be done--at a

moderate percentage, and the total revenue accruing from it is to be

Erna's from the day of her marriage. Concerning that marriage, Erna has

of course absolute freedom of choice, although I for my part hope that

she will fall in with the wishes which I have expressed to her on this

subject. And now shake hands, old man, and pardon me if I have had to

add another unpleasant hour to the one which I already caused you

to-day. _Tu l'as voulu!_ From me you would not accept anything; with

your own child you will, I trust, stand upon less ceremony."

"It is your money for all that," murmured Otto.

"As long as I live; who knows how long that will be! And there is our

legal friend coming, bringing the document in question with him, which

you are now to hear read, and which afterwards you are to adorn with

your signature, as one of the two witnesses."

"The other," said the lawyer, now approaching the group with his chief

clerk, "will be Mr. Kasper here. Sit down, Kasper, and read away."

During the reading of the somewhat lengthy document Otto's countenance

kept changing colour; his eyes were very wet, and he repressed his

tears with difficulty. When the lawyer handed him a pen for signature,

his big powerful hand trembled to such an extent, that he could

scarcely produce a few strokes in lieu of writing his name.

The document in question was now legally completed, and the lawyer had

left the friends, to put it himself into a safe place of keeping. He

came back at once. Would the gentlemen kindly excuse him? His

Excellency the Herr Oberhofmarshal von Dirnitz had just appeared in the

office, and desired to see him on business of importance.

"It probably will not be so very important, after all," said the

lawyer, "I hope to settle, it in a very few minutes, and then we can

talk at our ease."

Again the friends were alone. Otto seemed to have paid no heed to the

lawyer's coming or going. He sat still at the table, supporting his

head upon it, and staring gloomily before him. Bertram bent over him,

and said, laying his hand upon his friend's shoulder--

"Otto, old man, you must not view the matter in too tragic a light."

"Perhaps I ought to look upon it as a joke having signed my own

death-warrant," murmured Otto, without stirring from his position.

"You have done nothing of the kind," replied Bertram. "I should rather

say, that now a new life was beginning for you; a life of purpose,

sobriety, energy, independence, however strange the last word may sound

to you. Until this day you were not living an independent life; nothing

but a sham existence, in slavish subjection to the caprices of your

wife, to whom you sacrificed your fortune, and, worse than that, your

own better judgment. Now, having come to see this, you are enabled, by

means of some assistance, to re-conquer your fortune, or at least the

greater part of it; and this surely is no alms, but a mere loan, for

which you are responsible in every respect; and, perhaps, in addition,

you may conquer what you never possessed before--I mean, the love, or,

at the very least, the respect of your wife, which she only denied to

the husband who had no will of his own, but which she will not refuse

to grant to the husband who is strong, determined, and who respects

himself."

"Yes, yes," Said Otto; "it all sounds very well, and I surely mean to

try to atone for my miserable shortcomings; but this I know already

to-day, it will not do. I mean, I shall not have the energy you speak

of, nay, I shall look upon myself as a downright scamp, and I shall not

dare look my wife or any one else in the face, far less confront them

energetically, as long as I see no chance of paying off my whole

stupendous debt to you. Not to the uttermost farthing, that may perhaps

be made possible--but in my heart. I do not know how to express it

aright, but you will understand my meaning--by giving you in exchange

something that no one else could give you."

He lifted his eyes to Bertram in anxious inquiry. Bertram shook his

head.

"I thought we were not to mention it again," he said.

"Nor should I, to be sure, have done so," replied Otto; "however fond

one may be of a man, and however indebted to him, one's only child is

of course one's only child; and just now, above all, to have to give

her up, to live in the big house alone with--but I cannot give up the

thought that now, after all, nothing is to come of it, after they,

Lydia and my wife, have tried to prove to me in writing--in black and

white, don't you know--that you loved each other, and that at least

Erna ..."

"I hardly know what you are talking about," Bertram impatiently

interrupted his friend; "and what do you mean by 'in black and white'?"

"A stupid story," Otto made answer, embarrassed, "in which those women

have got me involved, and which; yesterday, I did not wish to refer to,

as I was desirous of sparing Hildegard. But now let the whole thing

come out; it may as well. Listen, then!"

So he told him of the letter which Erna had written to Agatha, and

which Lydia had purloined for a few hours. Hildegard had read the

letter to him, and his excellent memory enabled him to reproduce it

now, if not literally, at least in its general bearings. He also had

remembered well the passage referring to some _liaison_ which Erna

would seem to have had, and to which the ladies had not attributed any

special significance.

"Now," he concluded his report, "you see why my wife, who was so bent

upon having Lotter for a son-in-law, was so annoyed with you during the

last few days; nor do I know what would have come of it all, if the

Princess had not yesterday brought, her round to reason: how she

managed it is a riddle to me, but it is a fact, there, is an end of

Lotter, for good and all. This morning Hildegard went the length of

saying that it had been I who had favoured Lotter, and--for I may as

well tell you all now--you suddenly appeared to her not only as an

acceptable husband for Erna, but rather she saw in your union the only

possibility--if my carelessness had really wrought our ruin--to save

Erna at least, and to preserve for her such a position in society as

she was born for. Well, old man, it's off my mind at last, and for all

that, and, all that, it would be the grandest day in my whole life if

you were able to say to me: 'Well, better late than never!'"

"It is too late!" Bertram replied.

He had ejaculated those words, in intensest excitement, bounding from

his chair as he did so, and now he was, with uneven step, pacing up and

down beneath the chestnut-trees. But presently he returned to Otto,

who, frightened, had not stirred from his seat, and said in his usual

calm tone--

"It would be too late, even if everything were--as it is not. I did not

mean to speak about it, because I am not commissioned to do so, and

because, therefore, those interested might have had good reason to be

annoyed, if I told you before they themselves thought the time had come

for doing so. I meant to rest satisfied with paving the way, so that

there should be no obstacle to the fulfilment of their wishes. But now,

since you seem unable to rid yourself of the curious idea of an

alliance between Erna and myself; since, oddly enough, your wife finds

pleasure therein; and since now, perhaps the fact of my making Erna my

heiress, might seem to both of you an indirect confirmation of your

opinion, I had better tell you this. I know that Erna has already given

away her heart, that for more than a year she has loved Lieutenant

Ringberg, and has been loved by him. It is my most earnest wish that

the union of the lovers may meet with no obstacle, and I firmly believe

that this marriage will lead to Erna's supreme happiness. And now let

me confess one thing more, so that I may have nothing whatever on my

conscience with regard to you. It was not for nothing that I have thus

hastened to put order into my own, and, I trust, into your affairs, and

to secure Erna's future. In the very next hour I have to go forth on an

errand from which, in all human probability, I shall not return with my

limbs whole, and where, very possibly, I may lose my life."

Then he briefly told his friend of his quarrel with the Baron last

night and of its consequences. The true reason he did not refer to any

more than he had to Kurt.

Otto was quite beside himself when he heard of it.

"It must not be, it shall not be!" he cried again and again. "It is

sheer madness. How can you go and fight a duel with pistols when you

scarcely know how to fire one? And with Lotter, of all men, who hits an

ace at twenty paces. This is no duel, it is downright murder. I will

not allow it!"

"Please do not speak so loud, anyhow," said Bertram; "they can hear you

in the office."

"All the better!" cried Otto; "every one may hear that you cannot fight

the fellow. Why, Ringberg is far more sensible than you, for he

pretended last night not to notice the fellow's impertinence, and left

the card table without replying a word."

"Who told you that?" cried Bertram, terrified.

"The forest-ranger," replied Otto, "He came over to breakfast this

morning. Yesterday's events were discussed; I did not pay much

attention to the talk, for the scene which I expected to have with

Hildegard was weighing upon my mind; but I remember now. The ladies

were discussing, whether Ringberg had done right in ignoring Lotter's

impertinence. Lydia thought yes, but the Princess declared that it

could not be thus, because ... I cannot remember why not; it had no

interest for me. If I had been able to divine that Ringberg and

Erna--that you ..."

"Was Erna present?"

"Erna? No. That is to say, I do not know--I was very absent--she went

out riding afterwards with the Princess, who sent me word that I had

better drive to town alone. Confound the fellow! Picking quarrels with

everybody! And we are to blame; good Heaven, it is my fault that you

... I thought the worst had already come, but this is far worse than

anything. But I cannot allow it, and I will not. Never! When did you

say it was to come off? And where?"

"I shall tell you nothing more, and I am sorry I told you anything at

all."