When Hilda left him, Paul Delmar walked on quickly down the mountain.
The pathway was charming and well worthy of more attention than Delmar
bestowed upon it. It passed by turns through groups of tall larches,
and then through low shrubbery, where there were continual glimpses of
the lovely valley, with the shining snow-peaks in the distance. But
sensitive as Paul was to the charms of mountain-scenery, just now his
mind was too much occupied with his late reception at Castle
Reifenstein to allow of his enjoying this walk down the mountain as he
would have done at another time.
And yet what most occupied his thoughts was not what one might have
supposed would have made the deepest impression upon him,--the strange
and unjustifiable dislike shown him by Herr von Heydeck,--no, the
farewell words of his charming guide were what he dwelt upon,--"At
least I will not be an evil fairy to you. Good-bye, and come soon
again."
How lovely Hilda had looked as she said those words! They were not a
merely conventional phrase: they were sincere. Of course he must do her
bidding; he should indeed have to repeat his visit to the castle on
Leo's account. Only on Leo's account?
He suddenly experienced a sensation almost of pain. Leo had, it is
true, come to the Tyrol only in compliance with his father's desire,
and firmly resolved never to further his uncle's scheme. But could he
remain faithful to this resolve after he had seen Hilda, the 'Fair one
with the golden locks'? Surely her grace and loveliness must conquer
the distaste Leo had for the union desired by his uncle; he never could
withstand such charms.
Paul sighed profoundly as he reflected thus. "He is a lucky
fellow,--Leo!" he said to himself. "Happiness drops into his grasp
without any effort on his part. He needs no help from me. He must soon
see that the union he would have avoided will be his greatest blessing.
What have I to do at the castle? It is better that I should escape from
the enchanted ground before I am too surely entangled in the spells of
the enchantress! It would be base in me to place a pebble in Leo's path
towards happiness,--I, who came to serve him if I could. Happy Leo!"
He sighed again. He was sorry, near as he was to Castle Reifenstein,
not to be able to avail himself of the invitation of the charming fairy
of the place, but loyalty to Leo forbade his seeing Hilda again.
Still, would she not have just cause for offence if he took no notice
of her kind invitation? Oh, she would soon forget the stranger, who was
to her only her cousin's friend. And he would try to forget her,
although he doubted his power to succeed in the attempt.
Paul was so deep in reflections of this kind that he hardly thought of
where he was going, and was greatly surprised at a turning in the path
to see before him the grassy opening where he had left Herwarth. At the
same moment he was hailed by Kuno, who had thought him long in
returning.
"Here you are at last!" he exclaimed. "I was afraid you had lost your
way among the mountains."
His call aroused Paul completely from his revery, and he was instantly
himself again. Herwarth must not guess at the gloomy nature of his
thoughts, and he replied,--
"You are a model of wisdom, noble knight, and a true prophet, who must
of course be without honour in his own country. We did lose our way up
there among the rocks, where we should have been at this moment if a
golden-haired angel had not descended and borne us aloft to Paradise,
where I left our Leo, while I returned to this sordid earth to succour
a wounded knight. How are you? Is your foot better?"
"You did get to the castle then? And you have seen Leo's lovely cousin?
Tell me about it."
"All in due order; you shall hear everything, and the account shall be
as full and detailed as you desire, but you must wait for it until we
are back at the inn. First answer me, as a docile patient should, how
is your foot?"
"Better; it does not pain me now. I think I shall be able to walk very
well after my rest."
Herwarth arose, but his first attempt to walk renewed his pain. "It is
worse than I thought," he said. "I must beg you for your arm to help me
even on the short way back to the inn."
"Shall I not get some of the people from the village with a litter?"
Delmar asked anxiously. "The injury seems graver than we suspected. I
am afraid your ankle is broken."
"No, it is not; I am sure of that. I shall certainly not be carried
through the village on a litter like a dying warrior because of a
slight sprain or bruise. If you will give me your arm I will hobble
back to the inn without more delay."
"As you please. His own way is a man's kingdom of heaven; and if you
choose to hobble through Tausens, you shall do it."
Propped upon Delmar's arm, Herwarth contrived, although with great pain
and frequent pauses for rest, to walk back to the inn. Just before
reaching it he paused once more, not however to rest this time, but in
astonishment. "I must be dreaming!" he exclaimed. "Look up, Delmar, at
the fourth window of our inn. Is it possible? Fraeulein Aline von
Schlicht, and Fraeulein Schommer."
Delmar, whose eyes had been fixed upon the road, in his desire to help
his companion, looked up, and laughed aloud when he recognized the two
young girls. "Fraeulein Eva, sure enough!" he said. "What a charming
meeting we shall have! 'Tis a pity that Leo did not take up his
quarters down here with us; he would take such a childlike delight in
the happy chance that has brought the fair Eva to Tausens. The presence
of my friend Bertram is all that is wanting to make the party quite
perfect."
"It is not wanting: there the scoundrel goes!" Herwarth cried eagerly;
and he was right. Delmar recognized Bertram in the distance walking
along the road, his head bent as if lost in thought.
"True! there goes the worthy soul!" Delmar said, laughing. "What say
you, Kuno? shall I bestow a few more attentions upon him for the sake
of his fair betrothed? The fellow ought to be punished for his
insolence in crossing our path again."
"Let him alone, Delmar. Why provoke gossip? He probably does not cross
our path intentionally."
"As I have before had occasion to remark, you are a model of wisdom,
noble knight. You are right; we will let the rogue alone. Let us leave
him to all the joys of his betrothal,--to the lovely Eva. It is an
admirable match. Lean more heavily on my arm, Herwarth. It is time you
were on the sofa. Come!"
Kuno summoned up all his resolution to endure the violent pain in his
foot that he might not seem a weakling in the eyes of the ladies, who
were regarding him with great compassion. He could not bear his weight
upon it, however, and even with Delmar's assistance he had great
difficulty in gaining the house, where he took what consolation he
could from Aline's pitying smile as she returned his salutation.
More carried than led by Delmar, he reached the apartment Paul had
engaged for their sitting-room, and sank exhausted upon the sofa.
Delmar did all that he could to make him comfortable, relieving the
foot of its boot and swathing the ankle in wet bandages, after which he
declared his intention of going in search of medical aid. "If the
postmaster's tale be true," said he, "the physician here, Dr. Putzer,
although a thorough-paced vagabond, is a man of skill and experience. I
am going to find him."
"What trouble you take for me, Paul! How shall I thank you?"
But Paul had already left the room. In the hall he met the postmaster,
who showed him the way to the doctor's house. At the inner door he
encountered Bertram just returning from his walk, and saluted him after
his usual mocking fashion.
"Rejoiced to see you, Herr von Bertram. The tender regard which has
prompted you to follow me thus touches me and deserves recognition. I
trust your charming betrothed is well. What refreshment I shall have in
the contemplation of your new-born bliss! It will be a lesson in the
noble art of love."
Bertram replied to this sneer by a furious glance, but he suppressed
his rage and only asked humbly, "May I ask for a few moments of
conversation in private with you, Herr Delmar?"
"What can we possibly have to discuss in private, sir?"
"I beg you to listen to me for a few minutes."
"Your modesty shall receive its reward. You may accompany me in a short
walk I am obliged to take through the village, and on the way you can
tell me what you have to say. I have no more time for you."
With these words Paul left the inn, leaving Bertram to follow him, and
rightly suspecting what the ex-lieutenant (he had been forced to leave
his regiment) had to say.
Bertram walked at his side for some time without speaking. He had been
debating with himself for the last hour as to how he should approach
his detested enemy, how induce him to be silent. He had prepared
himself for this interview with the greatest care, and yet, now that he
found himself confronted with Delmar's mocking smile, he forgot all the
fine phrases he had made ready, and did not know how to begin.
"Well?" Delmar asked, when the two men had walked for some distance
without one word from Bertram. "You are silent? If you have anything to
say to me, I advise you to do so quickly, or you may lose the
opportunity."
"I will not detain you long, Herr Delmar," Bertram humbly replied.
"Have patience for a few minutes. As unhappy chance will have it we
meet thus unexpectedly in this retired spot."
"Chance! and you call it unhappy? Then it was not a desire for my
amiable society which attracted you hither? Herr von Bertram, it wounds
me to be thus undeceived."
"You sneer, Herr Delmar, and I cannot answer you, for I am powerless
against you. Is it honourable thus to triumph over the defenceless?"
"No; you are right, and I take shame to myself that I have deserved the
reproof. Tell me briefly and without circumlocution what you desire of
me, and you shall be safe from my contempt for the next few minutes,
but take care not to cross my path again; my promise holds good only
for this interview. What do you want? Answer me at once and to the
point."
"I wish to implore you not to let my betrothed know of the means by
which you forced me to make the declaration to Herr Leo von Heydeck
which drove me from the army. Have compassion upon me, Herr Delmar!"
"Do you deserve compassion?"
"If I sinned my punishment has been great. I never injured you, and yet
you have been the one to give the deathblow to my honour. Do you wish
to rob me of my last hope in life? You have terribly avenged the insult
to your friend. I cannot resent your doing so, but I implore you not to
drive me to despair. Do not take from me the last thing left to me in
life,--the love of my betrothed!"
"Be honest, Herr von Bertram. If you really wish me to spare you,
answer me frankly. Is it really the love of the fair Eva which you
prize so highly? Is it not her millions which are so dear to you?"
"I give you my word of honour, Herr Delmar----"
"Let your honour alone if you wish me to believe you. I want a frank
answer."
"I assure you that I love my betrothed from the depths of my soul. It
is this love that drove me to the course that ruined me. I hoped by a
duel with Herr von Heydeck to win Fraeulein Schommer's gratitude and
affection."
"You knew that Leo was principled against duelling."
"I was convinced that he would prove false to his principles. You may
judge of the sincerity of my love for Eva by my submission to her
wishes. Without your intervention I should have offered an apology to
Herr von Heydeck, the same in substance with the one you insisted upon,
although couched in language less humiliating to me. Fraeulein Schommer
required this of me when she consented to our betrothal."
"Really? That then was no empty subterfuge of yours. Fraeulein Schommer
required that you should make an apology?"
"She did. Only upon this condition would she yield an assent to my
suit."
"Strange! I had not credited the young lady with such delicacy of
feeling. This information so exalts her in my opinion that I doubt
whether I have a right to conceal from her what manner of man he is to
whom she has entrusted her future happiness."
"You will not use my frankness against me? You will not ruin me
because, in accordance with your wish, I have told you the entire
truth? You could not take so mean an advantage of me, Herr Delmar? On
that terrible day you gave me hopes that you would spare me if I
complied with your demand. I did comply, to the annihilation of my
future career. Will you take the last thing that I possess from me,
when you promised to spare me?"
"I expressly told you that I would promise you nothing."
"But you justified me in hoping."
"That I dispute; nevertheless, I will consider the matter. I have made
you no promises, and I will make you none. For the present I see no
reason for pointing out to Fraeulein Eva the worthlessness or the
excellence of the man upon whom she has bestowed her fair hand; if time
should develop any reason for my doing so, I shall act as I see fit.
And now, no more of this. We have reached the house I came to seek, and
I have no desire to prolong this interview. One more question. Are you
going to stay any length of time at Tausens?"
"I do not know; Fraeulein Schommer seems to think of doing so."
"Does Fraeulein Schommer know that Herr von Heydeck is staying here?"
"Yes; and for that very reason she has determined to remain. She does
not wish to appear to avoid Herr von Heydeck."
"She shows pluck, upon my word! Then we can hardly avoid seeing and
speaking with each other occasionally; but I would advise you, Herr von
Bertram, to spare me such annoyance as far as you can. The seldomer we
meet the better it will be for you." And not waiting for a reply,
Delmar, having reached Dr. Putzer's house, left Bertram without another
word. Then, opening a gate in the low iron railing, he entered a front
garden, at the end of which was an arbour, where sat a lady and
gentleman.
Dr. Putzer's house, the style of which was more pretentious than that
of most of the houses in the village, lay at quite a distance from the
road, from which it was separated by a large, carefully-cultivated
garden, that, with its tasteful flower-beds and various rare plants
certainly not to be found in any other of the village gardens, was
worthy of more attention than Delmar now bestowed upon it. Without a
glance at the fragrant and beautiful shrubs on either side of his path,
he walked directly along the white-pebbled way leading to the arbour,
where, as he suspected, the doctor was.
His approach was unnoticed. The lady sitting in the arbour was busy
with some embroidery,--so busy that she did not look up; the gentleman
was leaning back in one arm-chair with his feet resting upon another,
comfortably resigning himself to the enjoyment of a cigar. He sat, or
rather he reclined, with his back towards the approach from the garden.
Delmar paused at the entrance of the arbour; although he had taken no
pains to tread softly, neither the lady nor the gentleman had heard his
step. If he had ever cared to imagine what this couple were like, the
reality would have accorded well with the fancied presentment.
The doctor's wife was still an imposing woman; indeed, her
well-preserved features would have been beautiful if they had not been
disfigured by her girlish cap with pink ribbons, and quantities of
pearl-powder and rouge. The old woman's efforts to look young destroyed
the charm that her regular features might else have possessed.
Her youthful dress, fluttering all over with ribbons and fringes and
lace, bore testimony to a craving for admiration, all the more
ridiculous because, in the retired village where she lived, there was
not probably a man, woman, or child who was not perfectly aware that
she had long passed fifty.
In striking contrast to the extreme elegance of his wife's appearance
Dr. Putzer's dress displayed no care whatever. The white summer coat
that covered his broad shoulders was rumpled and dirty; two buttons
were gone from the front, and it hung loosely about his huge figure.
His still abundant coarse sandy hair was in wild disorder, and the
spectator was led to suspect that the doctor did not often come in
contact with soap and water.
Dr. Putzer was not handsome, although one could see that he might once
have been a personable man. His fat, flabby face had the purple hue of
an habitual drinker; his light-gray eyes were dull and watery, and his
figure, which must formerly have been good, was marred by corpulence.
Paul took in this worthy couple at a glance; he did not need to scan
them long to come to a conclusion with regard to them. Their
distinguishing characteristics were patent to view,--the ridiculous
vanity of the woman and the man's indolence and love of eating and
drinking.
For one moment Paul hesitated. Could he confide his friend to this
drunkard's surgical skill? On the table beside the man was a half-empty
bottle of wine; he had evidently been partaking freely. But Delmar
called to mind that the postmaster, in his story, had laid great
emphasis upon the fact that the doctor, in spite of his dissipation and
general worthlessness, was a skilful physician,--the best in all the
country round,--and this reflection confirmed his resolve. "Have I the
pleasure of seeing Herr Doctor Putzer?" he asked courteously, lifting
his hat.
The doctor's wife looked up at this unexpected address, and at sight of
Paul uttered a slight scream of surprise; the embroidery dropped from
her hand, and she stared at the stranger with wide-open eyes. If her
cheeks had not been plastered with white and red paint, Paul, who
noticed her startled look, would have seen her become ghastly pale.
The doctor, too, seemed strangely startled by Paul's appearance. Upon
first hearing himself addressed he turned his head heavily and
clumsily, but with one glance at his visitor he started to his feet
with a celerity that was almost comical in so corpulent a personage. He
ran his hands through his dishevelled bushy hair, and his little gray
eyes were riveted upon Paul's face. "Holy Apostles!" he cried, in
terror. "Who are you, sir? What do you want of me?"
Here was another strange reception, precisely similar to that accorded
to Delmar by old Herr von Heydeck. Was Tausens then so secluded from
the world that the appearance of an ordinary stranger brought with it
terror and dismay? Just as the doctor and his wife were now doing had
Herr von Heydeck stared Paul in the face.
Paul could conceive no reason for the extraordinary manner in which he
was received in Tausens: he would have liked to make some inquiries
with regard to it; but all that he wanted at present was to procure
medical aid for Kuno as quickly as possible, and he therefore answered,
"My name, which can possess but little interest for you, is Delmar. I
come to request your services for a friend who has injured his foot
among the mountains; will you have the kindness to return with me to
the inn, where he is in great need of your skill?"
"Delmar?" the doctor muttered, seeming to heed nothing but the name in
the young man's reply. "Your name is Delmar, then,--not Menotti?"
Delmar gazed at him in surprise; what made the man think of this name
of Menotti? Paul remembered to have heard it, but he could not recall
at the moment when or where; he only knew that he had heard the name
lately of a Count Menotti, if he were not mistaken.
"Why do you mention the name of Menotti?" he asked, curiously.
"Then it is not your name?" the doctor repeated, without answering.
"No; as I told you, my name is Delmar,--Paul Delmar."
"Strange! The resemblance is most striking. But what am I thinking of?
Young Count Menotti cannot be more than twenty years of age, and the
younger brother is a cripple. But the resemblance! Rosy, what do you
say to it?"
The doctor's wife said nothing, she only nodded her head, never turning
her eyes away from Delmar. She scanned his features with eager
scrutiny, as if to stamp them upon her memory.
For Paul the whole scene was extremely annoying, he especially disliked
being stared at by this odious woman; he did not like charades, and to
find himself a principal actor in one was very disagreeable. He asked
rather sharply, "Who is this Count Menotti whom I so strangely
resemble?"
"A very distinguished nobleman," the doctor replied, continuing to
regard Delmar with curiosity, although he had regained his indolent
calm of manner, out of which it needed some special occurrence to
startle him. "You need not be ashamed of the resemblance, Herr Delmar,
Count Menotti was a very handsome man."
"Was a handsome man? Is he no longer living, then?"
"He died a few years ago. 'Tis strange that you have never heard of
him. Your resemblance to him is so great that I could have sworn you
were akin to him. No son could look more like a father. And you know
nothing of him,--you never heard of him?"
"I think I have heard the name, although I cannot now remember when or
where. But let us drop this resemblance at present, Herr Doctor; at
some future time I hope you will tell me more of Count Menotti. I shall
be some weeks here in Tausens, and shall have abundant opportunity of
conversing with you about this Count whom I so greatly resemble. At
present let me beg you to come to the inn with me as quickly as
possible to the assistance of my friend."
"Excuse me; in my astonishment at sight of you I forgot. Injured his
foot, you say? Pray tell me as briefly as possible how it occurred."
Paul told, and the doctor listened attentively, now and then
interrupting him with an intelligent question. He then declared himself
ready to accompany Paul immediately to the inn, only asking him to wait
until he should fetch some bandages from the house, whither he repaired
with more briskness than could have been expected of his ungainly form.
Paul was left alone with the doctor's wife. He tried to converse with
the lady, but in vain; he received such curt replies to his few general
remarks as made it plain that she did not mean to be drawn into
conversation with the stranger, although she continued to regard him
with the same wearisome curiosity. Therefore Delmar was more than
content when the doctor's clumsy tread was heard approaching from the
house. He had hurriedly made a kind of toilette, and the dirty linen
coat was replaced by one of cloth, rather more respectable in
appearance.
"Here I am, at your service, Herr Delmar," he said. "I am ready to
accompany you, but I must beg you to walk slowly as my size forbids
speed."
Delmar took leave of the lady with a courteous inclination, which she
did not return, and then walked beside the doctor down the pebbled path
to the road. At the gate he turned and saw that Frau Putzer had arisen
from her seat and was standing at the entrance of the arbour, still
watching him.
Paul was annoyed by so disagreeable a degree of attention, and walked
on in silence, while the doctor also seemed to feel no inclination for
conversation; and thus they reached the inn with the exchange of but
very few words upon the way.
They found Kuno sitting at the open window, awaiting them impatiently.
He arose to greet the doctor, but violent pain in his foot made him
wince as he did so. The doctor saw this, and immediately took charge
most intelligently of the case. "The pain is severe," he said. "Let us
see what is the matter. The bone is not broken; that I could see as you
arose. Lean upon me as heavily as you please, my shoulders are broad,
and I will lead you to the sofa, where we will make a thorough
examination."
He spoke with calm and kindly decision. As a physician he perfectly
understood how to inspire confidence in his skill and experience. Kuno,
although he had been prejudiced against the man by what he had heard of
him from the postmaster, could not but yield to the influence exerted
by him upon all his patients. He did just as he was bidden, and a
thorough examination of the foot was made.
"Well, doctor, what is it? Is there any serious injury?" Delmar asked
anxiously, when the doctor had at last finished his investigations.
"No, I can reassure you; it is only a sprain. If Herr von Herwarth is a
docile patient all will be right in a couple of weeks; if not, I cannot
say when the foot will be well again. For two weeks you must not use
the foot at all. You ought to lie in bed. But this would I suppose be
asking too much, and I will allow you to recline on the sofa, begging
you upon no account to touch the injured foot to the floor. If you will
follow my directions, I will promise that you shall walk again in two
weeks, and that after a month you will hardly remember the injury."
"Am I not to walk for two weeks?" Kuno asked.
"Not for two weeks. I will not assume any responsibility in the matter
unless my orders are strictly obeyed."
"They shall be obeyed. I will answer for it," Delmar interposed. To his
own surprise, he found himself agreeably impressed by the doctor's
manner. "A patient is not an individual, but a case; he should have no
will of his own. I will take care of him. I shall see life from a new
point of view. I will enact my part of nurse well. It will be a fresh
sensation in this everlasting monotony. Do not be anxious about this
amiable young fellow, doctor. He shall obey orders, put on bandages,
hobble or sit still, just as you command."
"Excellent! Then I will answer for the result," the doctor said. "I see
that my patient is in good hands. I may leave him. To-morrow afternoon
I will come again and bandage the ankle. Until then, farewell!"