"Home!"
This order came quite unexpectedly to the coachman. Fraeulein Schommer
had already enumerated to him the various shops at which he was to
stop, and suddenly her plans were changed. Scarcely had the carriage
turned off the promenade into "Great Wilhelmstrasse" when she gave this
order, although she had not as yet purchased anything.
The young lady held her parasol so closely before her face that it not
only shaded it but entirely concealed it; of course she did not
perceive the numerous bows and smiles of the acquaintances whom she
passed in her short drive home, but could resign herself undisturbed to
dreamy reflection. It was of no very pleasant description, as was plain
from the grave expression of her face, the defiant curl of her
beautiful lip, and the dark almost gloomy look of her black eyes.
The carriage stopped before an elegant villa; the footman opened the
door of the barouche, but Eva stepped hastily from the vehicle,
scorning his proffered help, and hurried into the house, acknowledging
only by a haughty nod the respectful greeting of the porter who stood
in the hall. Neither did she deign to notice the footman, who followed
her awaiting orders up the broad carpeted marble staircase, until she
reached the landing, when she forbade him by an imperious wave of her
hand to follow her further, and opened a door leading into the interior
apartments of the villa. One of these she entered; it was a small room
elegantly and comfortably but by no means splendidly furnished, with
windows leading out into the garden.
A young girl coquettishly dressed who was seated at her sewing, sprang
up as the young lady entered and hastened towards her. "You are
returned very soon, my lady!" she said, as she assisted her to lay
aside her hat and light summer wrap.
"How often must I tell you, Nanette, that I detest that silly 'my
lady'?"
The reproof was administered with tolerable severity, and was by no
means grateful to Nanette, as was shown by her look as she received it.
She had learned, however, to control herself. "I beg pardon, Fraeulein,"
she said, with a low courtesy; "I will try to remember, but 'my lady'
comes so naturally; and who has a better right to the title than such a
beautiful, rich lady as Fraeulein Schommer?"
"Hush!" Fraeulein Schommer exclaimed, in an imperious tone. "I hate all
such speeches! If you really desire to remain in my service you must
remember once for all that I forbid all flattery as well as the title
'my lady.'"
Nanette cast one more venomous glance at her mistress, and made a
deeper courtesy than before. The young lady, however, noticed neither
the one nor the other; she walked up to the mirror and repaired some
slight disorder in the arrangement of her magnificent black hair,
impatiently disdaining Nanette's proffered help as she asked, "Where is
Fraeulein von Schlicht? In my room or in the garden?"
"The Fraeulein is on the veranda with her embroidery."
At this reply Eva turned to her maid impatiently and asked sternly,
"Are you transgressing my orders intentionally, or do you not know that
I have especially requested that all the servants of my household shall
speak of Fraeulein Aline von Schlicht as the 'Lady Aline'?"
"I cannot possibly give a hired companion a higher title than my
mistress! I thought because----"
"When I command you are not to think, but to obey," Eva interrupted the
girl; "and I require you to give Fraeulein von Schlicht the title of
'Lady,' which belongs to her. Nor is Fraeulein von Schlicht in my
service, as you appear to think; she is not my hired companion, but my
friend who does me the honour to reside with me, and as such you are to
respect her, and to obey her commands even more strictly than my own.
Any forgetfulness in this respect will be punished by immediate
dismissal from my service."
Of course there was no answer to be made to all this: Eva would
have suffered none; she never noticed that Nanette's face grew
scarlet,--that an ugly expression of hatred disfigured the otherwise
pretty mouth,--nor that the maid's hand trembled as she opened the door
leading into the next room for her mistress to pass. Eva left the
apartment without even glancing at the girl.
Nanette, as the door closed behind her mistress, clenched her little
fist and shook it menacingly, while her whole face showed the malice
that she felt. Suddenly her gaze fell upon the mirror, and she started
at the countenance reflected there. She stood before it and tried to
smile; at first in vain,--those hateful lines were too firmly fixed
about the mouth, but they must be banished. Nanette saw herself how
ugly they were, and what must be done she could do,--she was not
wanting in strength of will.
After spending some time before the mirror, every trace of the
disfigurement which anger at the imperiously-administered reproof had
produced, vanished. She contemplated the reflection of her pretty face
and figure with immense self-satisfaction; she nodded pleasantly to
herself, and then stepping on tiptoe to the door leading to the next
room, opened it noiselessly a very little way so that through the chink
she could command a view of the apartment and of the veranda adjoining.
She bestowed no attention whatever on the luxuriously furnished
drawing-room. It had interested her somewhat a few days before when she
had first entered Fraeulein Schommer's service; she had then examined
admiringly the costly furniture and the splendid pictures upon the
walls, while a bitter feeling of envy of the possessor of all these
treasures had filled her soul. Since then she had dusted and arranged
them frequently and she no longer admired. Admiration had vanished,
envy still existed in full force.
Nanette's attention was concentrated upon the veranda, upon which the
drawing-room opened by two tall glass folding-doors. Sitting there in
the thick shade of a leafy climbing vine was a young lady, her hands
for the moment resting idly upon some embroidery in her lap. Her back
was towards Nanette so the girl could not see her face, and the
distance was too great to allow of her understanding what she
said,--the low voice reached the listener's ears only as a gentle
murmur.
Beside this young lady Eva was sitting on a garden-chair. She too was
gazing abroad into the garden with her back towards the maid. She spoke
also in her turn but in so low a tone that not one syllable could be
distinguished by the listener. In vain did she strain her ears: she so
longed to overhear what the ladies were talking about, but she soon
found that this would be impossible unless she could contrive to slip
into the drawing-room and conceal herself in the embrasure of one of
the windows.
She could not lose so delightful an opportunity of learning from the
intimate conversation of the two friends what could have put Fraeulein
Schommer into such an ill humour to-day, and her resolution was soon
taken. Cautiously opening the door a little wider she entered the
drawing-room and had just noiselessly advanced to the centre of the
apartment when Fraeulein Eva suddenly turned round and flashed a look of
indignant surprise upon the detected eavesdropper, who stopped short
reddening with mortification, and uncertain whether to advance or
withdraw.
"What do you want there?"
This question, conveying reproof not in words but in manner, restored
to Nanette all her wonted self-sufficiency. She quietly stepped out on
the veranda before replying, and then said, "I heard you call, Fraeulein
Schommer. What are your orders?"
Eva was not misled by this reply. The maid's sudden confusion had
betrayed her, and she easily guessed for what she had been slipping so
noiselessly into the drawing-room. With undisguised contempt in her
look she said sternly, "That is a falsehood! You know that I never
call,--that I always ring for you when I have any orders to give. You
were listening!"
"Oh Fraeulein Schommer what an accusation to make! I assure you----"
"Hush! Not a word! I will not be contradicted! Your colour your
confusion betrayed you. I will let it pass this time, but if ever again
I find you listening I shall dismiss you instantly!"
"But, Eva dear, do not be so hard," her companion interposed. "What
possible temptation could Nanette have to listen to our conversation?
You are wronging her!"
"Heaven knows I never wanted to listen!" Nanette cried, in an injured
tone. "I thought Fraeulein Schommer called,--indeed, indeed, that was
why I came! I never listened in my life, and I would rather cut my
tongue out than tell a falsehood. I do not deserve to be accused of
such things! I am perfectly innocent, and it hurts my feelings very
much to have Fraeulein Schommer suspect me so."
Nanette put her handkerchief to her eyes, and from behind it came
inarticulate sounds that were really a creditable imitation of
suppressed sobbing, but her clever acting failed to impose upon her
mistress. Eva was not easily shaken in her convictions, and least of
all could Nanette's theatrical asseverations move her.
"I will not hear another word!" she said as sternly as before. "You
know now what you have to expect if you are ever found listening again.
Go to your sewing, and if I want you I will ring for you!"
This command was so imperative that Nanette did not venture another
word in self-defence,--a very successful sob was her only reply. While
she was passing through the drawing-room she kept her handkerchief up
to her eyes, but once more alone, with the door closed behind her, she
tossed it aside and for a few minutes gave herself up to the envious
rage that possessed her. When she had grown quite calm once more, and
had, by a glance into the mirror, assured herself that her pretty face
retained no trace of her agitation, she left the little room, leaving
the door open that she might hear any summons from the veranda, and
went into the hall.
Here she found the footman who had attended his mistress during her
drive pacing slowly to and fro; he was a fine-looking young fellow,
with a fresh good-humoured face; his handsome livery became him
excellently well.
Nanette gave him her friendliest smile. "Good-morning, Wilhelm," she
whispered, evidently pleased. He returned her greeting with undisguised
admiration in look and tone.
"Don't speak so loud, Wilhelm. Fraeulein Schommer need not overhear us
if I like to talk a little with you."
"Would you like to talk a little with me, Nanette? That's kindly of you
now. I thought you never meant to take notice of me; you've hardly said
one word to me in the three days since you came, and when I was so glad
that we were going to have the same mistress."
"What else could I do? Haven't I to sit in that little den all day long
just listening for Fraeulein Schommer's bell? A pretty fuss she would
make if I chanced not to hear it!"
"Come now Nanette, she is not so bad as you think,--a little strict
perhaps,--but mind your orders and you never hear a hard word from
her."
"She's a fiend! a Zantuppy!" Nanette rejoined, pettishly.
"A Zantuppy?" Wilhelm asked, astonished. "What is a Zantuppy?"
Nanette regarded the ignorant fellow with condescending compassion.
"You have had no education, Wilhelm!" she said. "Every one who knows
anything calls every scolding woman a Zantuppy. I'd Zantuppy her if I
could with her proud and haughty airs treating us as if we were the
dirt under her feet!"
Here she suddenly recollected how her anger disfigured her, and
compelling her features to a smile that contrasted strangely with her
words, she went on: "And to-day she's bristling like a porkypine; first
she scolded me for saying 'my lady' to her, and then for not saying it
to the stupid companion."
"But that's nothing, Nanette; she doesn't like to be called my lady;
and if she wants us to bow and scrape to the lady Aline von Schlicht,
'tis easy done,--and the place is a good one. I've lived in the first
families; but such meals, and such perquisites! Rely upon it, Nanette,
you'll like it and thank me yet for helping to get you here. If
Fraeulein Schommer gets out of bed the wrong side now and then never
mind it,--she's the right stuff at heart. She is a little out of sorts
to-day. I saw that when she so suddenly gave orders to drive home,
although she had not been to a single shop."
"She is in a bad humour then? I knew it; she flew at me as if she would
eat me. What went amiss? Did anything vex her on the drive?"
"Not that I know of. We had scarcely driven through the promenade when
she suddenly called out, 'Home!'"
"Something's wrong. Perhaps she's in love. Did you meet any one who did
not seem pleased enough to see her?"
"What queer ideas you have, Nanette! She never thinks of such
things,--never looks at a man. With all her millions she's twenty-two
and unmarried. She might furnish a worsted-shop with all the mittens
she's given the men, if she could collect them."
"Of course any one as rich as she can give as many mittens as she
chooses; there are always men enough to hanker after money, but there
are some who don't care for it."
"And that's true enough, Nanette," Wilhelm replied, with a grin. "Now
here am I, who never think of money when I see such a pretty face as
yours."
Nanette rewarded the compliment with her best smile. "But then you're
different from most of these grand gentlemen. Still, some have ideas of
their own. Now there's Count Waldheim, whom I used to see every day
when I lived with the Privy Councillor's lady, Frau von Sturmhaupt.
This princess of ours might throw her millions at his feet and he
wouldn't stoop to pick them up. All the money in the world wouldn't
persuade him to look at any one who had not a 'von' to her name."
"You're out there, Nanette. Count Waldheim comes here often, and likes
our Fraeulein extremely well. It is 'charming Fraeulein Schommer,' and
'lovely Fraeulein Schommer,' and she treats him better than any of the
young men who come here."
"Count Waldheim visits here?" Nanette asked, in surprise. "Well, I
wouldn't have thought it;--and our princess likes him? I'll lay my head
she's in love with him, and he wouldn't have her if she had shovelfuls
of money. I bet you she met him to-day when she was out driving, and he
never bowed to her."
"Out again, Nanette! We didn't meet him, but we saw him; he was sitting
at Buechner's under the awning with Herr von Bertram, the nephew of your
old mistress, Frau von Sturmhaupt, and he bowed so low that he almost
bumped his nose against the bar of the balustrade. Fraeulein Eva has no
heart-ache for him, nor for any of the rest of them; they all bow when
she drives past, as if she were a princess. Only one man sat still and
read the newspaper without looking at us; but he does not visit here,
and I don't think our Fraeulein knows him."
"Indeed! Who was he?"
"Lieutenant von Heydeck of the infantry. Why should our Fraeulein look
at the infantry when she can have cavalrymen by the dozens?"
"That's just why she doesn't care for them. 'Tis sure to be Herr von
Heydeck whom she's vexed about. I don't know him. Is he handsome?"
"I don't know; he looks like all the other infantry fellows. I never
trouble my head about him. What does it all concern us?"
"It is just what does concern us!" Nanette replied, peevishly. "I'll
find out all my fine lady's tricks and teach her who I am! I tell you,
Wilhelm, we can do what we please with our masters and mistresses if we
only can find out their secrets; and to do that we must keep our eyes
and ears open and help each other, for what one doesn't see the other
may. So you must tell me everything that you learn, in or out of the
house, Wilhelm, and I'll put this and that together."
Nanette's proposition did not appear to find much favour with Wilhelm.
"I'll tell you what, Nanette," he said. "I'd like nothing better than
to please you, but you'd better leave me out of this. I've no fancy for
spying on my mistress. I do my work and no more bother."
"But if I were to beg you, dear Wilhelm?" Nanette asked, tenderly
laying her hand upon his shoulder and looking sweetly into his
face,--indeed, she was extremely pretty. "If I were to promise you a
kiss," she continued, "would you refuse to do what I ask?"
The bribe was so seductive that honest Wilhelm's principles were hardly
strong enough to withstand the maid's request, coming as it did from
lips so rosy and inviting. Her cause was half won when he asked, with
some hesitation, "But what do you want me to do?"
"Nothing wrong, Wilhelm dear," the girl hastily answered; "nothing
wrong. I wouldn't ask it of you, but really we poor servants must stand
by each other if we wouldn't be trodden down into the very dirt. Is it
wrong in us to use the eyes and ears that God gave us? We are human
beings, and ought to know all that is going on around us. Keep your
eyes open when you drive out with our Fraeulein, and never forget who
meets or speaks to her. And when you are waiting at table you can pick
up many a bit of information,--you must tell me what they talk about.
That's no wrong: you tell no one's secrets. If you'll only do this,
Wilhelm dear, I'll like you so much, and give you a kiss, or perhaps
two, for every piece of news you bring me. You shall have one now if
you'll promise to do as I say."
The temptation was too great. Wilhelm could not resist. He gave a
prompt "yes," and for his reward took not one but a dozen kisses.
Nanette seeming nothing loth, he might have gone on receiving
prepayment for his services had he not been startled by a loud
exclamation behind him, followed by the words, in most distinct Saxon
German,--
"By Jove! Deuce take the fellow! A pretty household this! and in broad
daylight, too!"
The speaker was an elderly gentleman, dressed with extreme elegance,
who had been contemplating the embrace from the staircase-landing, his
fine Panama hat on his head, and his hands resting upon his gold-headed
cane. He continued to observe the couple with a good-humoured smile, as
they stood as if spell-bound in dismay.
When, however, Wilhelm had sufficiently recovered himself to recognize
the elderly spectator, he looked much relieved. "Don't be frightened,
Nanette," he whispered; "'tis only our Fraeulein's Uncle Balthasar. You
won't tell of us, Herr Schommer? 'An honest kiss ne'er comes amiss.'"
Herr Balthasar took the request in very good part, made though it was
rather familiarly than respectfully. He nodded good-humouredly to
Wilhelm, pinched Nanette's blooming cheek, and smiled broadly. "_A_
kiss," he said,--"a kiss, to be sure, is all very well, but you took a
dozen, you deuce of a fellow. If I should tell my wife or my niece
you're both done for."
Wilhelm seemed little disturbed by the threat. "You wouldn't be so hard
on us, Herr Schommer," he said; and his security was fully justified by
the good nature that characterized this uncle of his mistress.
Herr Balthasar Schommer was a personification of good humour. It beamed
pure and unadulterated from his small gray eyes, it was distinctly
stamped on the broad smile of his large mouth. Whoever had once seen
Herr Balthasar knew that he could rely with certainty upon his thorough
goodness of heart. There was no guile in the man; his round face was
the mirror of his character. Try as the old gentleman would by twirling
the ends of his gray moustache straight into the air to give himself a
stern, martial air, no one was ever deceived by it.
"I'll let you off this once, deuce take you!" he said, vainly
endeavouring to make his words sound stern and dignified; "but another
time take care. And you too, you little minx," he went on, turning to
Nanette; "for I can tell you that if my niece had seen you--ah, by
Jove!"
Again he pinched the girl's cheek, then laughed heartily, and tapped
Wilhelm on the shoulder with his cane. Then with a farewell nod he went
into the drawing-room to find his niece.
"Won't he tell?" Nanette whispered anxiously as the door closed behind
him.
"Never!" Wilhelm replied in a tone of firm conviction. "Herr Balthasar
wouldn't for the world do an unkind thing by any one. Oh, he's a
splendid old gentleman!"
"He's a foolish old fop!" Nanette rejoined, saucily; "looking at me so
and pinching my cheek. It's my belief he'd have liked a kiss himself."
"Well, you might have given him one, Nanette; I wouldn't have been
jealous."
Nanette's face grew dark, and she would have made some cutting
rejoinder, but she bethought herself in time that it behooved her to
keep Wilhelm in good humour, so she contented herself with saying,
"Thank you kindly for your permission, which I shall not need, however.
The vain old fool! He looks like a bedizened monkey in his light summer
costume. You can see with half an eye that he once weighed out sugar
and sold molasses. He can't hide that for all the big diamond in his
shirt-front. And then such language! 'Bai Chove!' and 'teuce of a
vellow!' at every third word. It is scandalous that a girl who has
always lived in the best families should have taken service with such
riff-raff!"
In her zeal and irritation she had quite forgotten her resolution
always to be amiable when Wilhelm was by; one glance into his honest
face reminded her of this, and she forthwith controlled herself. None
too soon, however; for Wilhelm had just made the discovery that pretty
Nanette could be very cross and look almost ugly.
"I don't know what you mean, Nanette," he said, with much less warmth.
"What has the good old man done to you? He is so good-hearted that I
should think no one could be angry with him."
"I am not angry with him," Nanette answered, aware that she had made a
blunder, and anxious to repair it if possible. "I see he is a very
good-humoured old man; but when a girl has lived in the first families,
it is very difficult for her to become accustomed to low-bred manners.
If you were not here, Wilhelm, I could not stand it three days longer;
but for your sake I will stay, if you will keep your promise to me. We
have talked enough now, and I must go to my sewing, or Fraeulein Eva
will know where I have been."
She kissed the tips of her fingers to Wilhelm, whose irritation she had
thus quickly appeased, and returning to the small room adjoining the
drawing-room seated herself by the window and took up the sewing which
she had put down upon Fraeulein Schommer's return from driving.