When Paul at last reached the village street, he did not turn in the
direction of the Post, but went directly towards Dr. Putzer's house. On
approaching it he noticed several peasants talking in the road in front
of the garden. Among them was the postmaster, gesticulating eagerly.
Paul would have passed them and entered the garden, but the postmaster
detained him. "If you want to speak to the doctor," said honest Hansel,
taking off his cap, "you come upon a vain errand."
"Is he not at home?"
"He is at home, but you cannot speak with him."
Hansel's answer was made in quite a solemn tone; he was evidently
burning with desire to tell Delmar what he had repeated already three
or four times to the peasants, who listened with eager attention to his
every word; but he waited to be questioned by Paul. As soon as this
occurred the floodgates of his eloquence were opened.
He told minutely all that he had heard from the doctor's servant.
Yesterday evening, when the stable-boy from the Post had taken the
doctor home, he had been received very unkindly by his wife, who had
called him an irreclaimable drunkard, and more hard names besides than
the poorest peasant's wife in the village would have bestowed upon her
husband. The doctor only laughed childishly, and, although his wife
forbade his speaking before the maid, went maundering on unintelligibly
about Herr von Heydeck at the castle, and Herr Delmar, and Count
Menotti.
The doctor's wife had grown quite furious when she could not make him
hold his tongue, and had dashed a bucketful of cold water over his head
to bring him to his senses. She had often done this before, and the
doctor also often held his head under the cold stream of water at the
brook to make himself sober; but on this evening the cold water did him
no good: he grew quite purple in the face, and it was a long time
before he came to himself and got to bed.
To-day they had a great quarrel early in the morning; the maid did not
know what it was about,--they often quarrelled,--but she heard the
name of von Heydeck very often; and towards ten o'clock the doctor took
his hat and stick and went to the Post, to pay his visit to the sick
gentleman there, and as he walked through the garden the maid had
noticed that his face was much redder than usual when he had been
intoxicated the day before. He spoke very quietly and was entirely
himself; but when he came home again, walking very unsteadily and
looking very ill, the doctor's wife flew into a rage, and insisted upon
his letting the water at the brook flow over his head. He refused to do
it at first, but his wife stormed and insisted, and he yielded at last,
as he always did. Scarcely however had he held his head under the
stream for a minute when he suddenly fell on the ground and lay like
one dead.
His wife's screams brought the neighbours to the spot, and they got the
sick man into the house and put him in bed, where he was now lying
perfectly unconscious. He was still living, but he could not possibly
recover. His wife was no true wife to him, but a worthless, miserable
creature. Instead of taking care of her husband, she had left him. As
soon as he was got to bed she had ordered a conveyance from the Post;
and the postmaster had provided it immediately, for he thought she
wanted to send for a doctor. But the wretched woman had never thought
of doing so; she had packed up her clothing and various other articles
in a hurry, and had driven off no one knew whither. She had told the
servant-girl to take care of the doctor and to send for another
physician, but that he would certainly not last long. And so the poor
man was lying in bed, unconscious, with no one but the servant to
attend to him. The postmaster, however, for old acquaintance' sake, had
sent another conveyance for Dr. Atzinger. Dr. Atzinger had just left
the sick man, and had said that he might get over the stroke this time,
but that he never would have the use of his limbs, and that no one must
be allowed to see him. All this the postmaster related to Delmar, who
thus found himself deprived of any hope of immediate aid from Dr.
Putzer in his investigations. This did not trouble him, however, since
he had only been interested to fulfil his promise to Leo, and he was
rather relieved to feel entirely free to devote himself to his friend's
affairs.
Upon his return to the inn, Delmar found the entire Schommer family at
dinner with Herwarth upon the balcony. Bertram alone was missing; he
had not returned from an expedition to some cascades which he had
undertaken that morning; indeed, a messenger had arrived from him
saying that he had gone on to Rothwald, whence he should make a
mountain-ascent, which would probably detain him there until the
following day. Uncle Balthasar told Delmar of this, lamenting that
'dear Guido' could not join their little circle, but he was the only
one who regretted his absence; the others all felt relieved in the
consciousness that they should not see Bertram for some hours at least.
Kuno had enjoyed himself greatly during Paul's absence. Eva declared
with a smile that all the ladies had bestowed upon the invalid their
tenderest solicitude, and had succeeded in compelling him to comply
with the orders of his physician, although he was at times a most
unruly patient, in his determination to prevent them from exerting
themselves in his behalf.
These few hours of unconventional intercourse on the balcony had
established a degree of friendly intimacy between Kuno and the young
ladies which pleased Delmar much. Eva treated him with frank
familiarity, jesting with him as with an old acquaintance. Aline was
not quite so unconstrained; although not less kind, there was a certain
reserve in her manner towards Herwarth. Paul noticed this, and that her
eyes, which evidently rested with pleasure upon the lieutenant when he
was talking with Eva, were quickly averted if he looked towards
herself. It was not difficult for so keen an observer as Delmar to read
the secret of these two hearts. The discovery gave him a melancholy
pleasure. "Another couple who will and shall be happy!" he thought to
himself "It was best that Fraeulein Hilda should keep me away from the
path down the Reifenstein rock; a ghastly accident would have scattered
these happy people, and I may be of use here yet." Filled with this
thought, Paul forgot himself and his sorrows. He sat down at the table,
and was the life of the little party. He contrived that Aline and
Herwarth should have frequent opportunity of conversation, while he
entertained Eva, Uncle Balthasar, and even silent Aunt Minni with his
gay talk, seeming to all to be even more merry than on the previous
day. Eva forgot her usual gravity, and Uncle Balthasar was enchanted;
his only sorrow was that 'dear Guido' could not be present to enjoy
'this delightful conversation.' Paul said but little of his visit to
the castle; he simply told Eva that in a short conversation with
Fraeulein von Heydeck he had told her of the guests at the Post. The
young girl remembered, with great pleasure, her evening with Fraeulein
Schommer in Vienna, and would certainly come to the inn with her cousin
Leo to renew her acquaintance with her. As he spoke, Delmar watched Eva
narrowly, although he was apparently toying indifferently with his
wine-glass. When he mentioned Leo's name, and his intention of coming
to the inn, he saw the girl's cheek flush; she suddenly raised her
eyes, and as quickly dropped them again upon meeting Paul's keen
glance. She turned away to hide her confusion, and addressed a few
words in an undertone to her aunt, who sat beside her.
"Will it be disagreeable to you, Fraeulein Schommer, to have Leo come
down to Tausens?"
Eva hastily turned towards him, her cheek still flushed, but all
confusion overcome. "Did you arrange this visit of which you now tell
me, Herr Delmar?" she asked, not without asperity.
"I may have done so. You expressed a wish yesterday to see again
Fraeulein Hilda von Heydeck. I could not suppose that you contemplated
going up to the castle, and I therefore proposed that Fraeulein Hilda
should come to you. She only half promised, however, and I am not sure
she will be able to fulfil her intent."
"I was not speaking of Fraeulein Hilda, but of Herr von Heydeck. I asked
whether you had arranged this visit, because I had hoped you would
remember what I said yesterday."
"You said yesterday that you were not afraid of meeting my friend."
"And I also said that I thought it desirable that any such meeting
should be avoided. It is not fair in you, Herr Delmar, intentionally to
expose me to embarrassment of this kind."
While she was speaking Paul regarded her with gentle gravity; her
reckless frankness enlisted his sympathy profoundly. As she finished he
bent his head, and in a low and gentle tone said, "Your frank, honest
reproof shall receive as frank and honest a reply. I might easily
deceive you by telling you that Leo must see his friend Herwarth, and
that therefore I had arranged this visit; but I will not deceive you.
Frankly and honestly, then, I wish Leo to see you again for his own
sake and--for yours!"
"Herr Delmar, I must beg----"
"Stay, Fraeulein Schommer! I know what you would say. You would accuse
me of unjustifiable interference in your affairs which are no concern
of mine; but there you are wrong. I take a deeper interest in them than
you would probably think permissible, but nothing is so near to me in
this world as Leo's happiness. You see I am honest and do not flatter
you."
"No, you have shown me that you do not, both yesterday and to-day; yet
I really cannot see what interest your affection for Herr von Heydeck
can have for me."
"That is not said with your usual ingenuousness, Fraeulein Schommer,"
Delmar said earnestly. "You know well that you take a degree of
interest in my friend Leo's destiny, and you ought not to deny it. Leo
bitterly regrets having been misled in an unfortunate moment to say
words which wounded you."
"That is not so, Herr Delmar."
"Excuse me, it is so; and Leo is all the more sensible of his injustice
since he was not true to himself in what he said. Irritated by a
certain haughty demeanour, which Fraeulein Schommer is apt to display
towards those whom she knows but slightly, Leo was induced that day, in
answer to his friend Herwarth's badinage, to say what was no sooner
uttered than it was deeply repented. He will never be satisfied until
he has had an opportunity of entreating your forgiveness,--an
opportunity which I am sure you are too magnanimous to deny him."
Eva was much moved by Paul's words. Was he telling the truth, or was
what he said the result of the ironical mood that so often possessed
him? Had he read her heart? Did he know that she could not bear a
grudge to Leo,--that his insulting words had long since been forgiven
by her,--that she only mourned he should have been prompted to utter
them?
"You do not reply, Fraeulein Schommer," Paul continued, so gravely that
Eva could no longer suspect him of a sneer. "You hardly seem to trust
my words, and therefore you force me to say more than I had intended.
Do you remember what you said yesterday,--your bitter lament over the
misfortune of being too rich?"
"Yes; why do you ask?"
"You never uttered truer words than those then spoken. Yes, it is your
greatest trial, as it is my own, to be 'too rich.' Your wealth has
poisoned your soul. Conscious of these wretched riches, you receive all
who approach you with haughty disdain, believing them attracted solely
by the glitter of your gold. Such was your treatment of Leo, the
noblest and most disinterested of men, and the cold contempt of your
manner cut him to the quick. And this is not the worst,--an unkind word
can be atoned for by kindness,--Leo would not be implacable any more
than you will be so, but--you are too rich. He loves you, Fraeulein
Schommer. Your image is so deeply engraven upon his soul that it stands
upon his easel at this moment wrought by his hand, so like you that it
almost seems your living, breathing self. He loves you, but you are
'too rich.' Not your cold reserve, but your miserable money, repels his
pride. That fortune, which is a bait for the avarice of a--Bertram, is
a barrier between yourself and the man in whose affection you might
find the deepest bliss attainable in this world. But enough of this. I
have presumed incredibly, I know, but I hope not past forgiveness when
you consider how profound is that regard for my friend, in which I
refuse to believe that you take no 'interest.' Fraeulein Aline is
looking at us in surprise at our withdrawal from all part in the
general conversation, and we must really devote more of our attention
to these excellent trout."
Delmar had seized a happy opportunity, when the rest of the circle were
variously absorbed, to prepare Eva's mind thus for Leo's visit. He had
succeeded; the girl's glowing cheeks, and the dreamy expression of her
dark eyes, told him how profound was the impression he had produced.
She did not reply, her heart was too full for words.
Beloved by Leo! No, this was no ironical jest of Delmar's; he had
spoken in the tone of intense conviction. She could not doubt his
words; the consciousness, vague although it was, of being loved by the
man whose image she had so cherished in secret, filled her with a sense
of blessed content which not even the knowledge that she was separated
from him forever could at first disturb.
Separated forever! Yes, she was the betrothed of Bertram. When Delmar
had uttered his name she had shrunk involuntarily, as if conscious for
the first time of her detestation and contempt for him. But she was
his; she must keep the vow that bound her to him. It was a duty which
she had voluntarily imposed upon herself, as she now knew, for Leo's
sake. She had sacrificed herself that he might escape a threatened
danger; the knowledge of this gave her strength to bear the misery that
must be her future lot. Her fate was decided, but in the consciousness
that she was beloved, she no longer found it so hard to bear.
Paul divined what was passing in her soul; he saw that his words had
produced upon her an ineradicable impression, but she must not be left
to reflect upon them. He turned away and began a conversation with
Uncle Balthasar, in which the rest speedily joined. Never had Paul
seemed half so merry and entertaining, how could Eva refuse to bear her
part in the general cheerfulness that prevailed? Even Aunt Minni was
startled from her usual indolent serenity, and once or twice actually
laughed. As Delmar had succeeded in banishing his own brooding fancies,
he now prevented Eva from indulging in any such.
Several hours passed thus gayly upon the balcony. Coffee had been
served, and still no one arose to leave it. Uncle Balthasar had
foregone his usual afternoon nap in view of the agreeable society in
which he found himself.
Thus the moments flew by, and no one noticed that Delmar grew slightly
restless, casting frequent glances towards that part of the landscape
where a small stretch of the road from the village could be seen. In
fact he began to be afraid lest his well-devised plan for a
reconciliation between Eva and Leo should fail, in view of the latter's
great unwillingness to approach one whom he felt he had so deeply
offended. He was not however doomed to such a disappointment. The visit
he had so desired was at hand.
In the distance he first noticed the flutter of a light dress, and soon
recognized Hilda, beside whom walked Leo, engaged in earnest
conversation. Paul breathed freely now,--in a few minutes they would
reach the inn. Leo's visit could not have occurred at a happier time.
Eva had been prepared to see him again; she had forgiven him; she had
been told that he loved her, and to this declaration from Delmar's lips
she had replied by no word of reproof. Delmar was convinced that a few
friendly words from either would suffice to banish the shadow that now
lay between them, and then he could make up his mind what to do
next. They must have frequent opportunities of meeting, that was
certain,--frequent occasion for familiar intercourse. Delmar must see
that Bertram did not interfere here.
Although Paul was aware of his friend's love for Fraeulein Schommer, he
knew nothing of the state of the girl's heart, except for the gentle
sympathy for Leo which he had read in her eyes. Her readiness to bestow
her hand upon Bertram was inconsistent Paul thought with the existence
of an affection for any one else. And yet this uncertainty did not
deter Delmar from the pursuance of his schemes. He was convinced that
Leo could succeed in winning Eva's heart if only time and opportunity
were given him. She must admire his brilliant talents and respect his
lofty enthusiasm; love would surely follow, and then would come the
time to dissolve her engagement with Bertram, and the end for which
Delmar was now living would be attained.
"There come our friends Fraeulein Hilda and Leo von Heydeck!" he turned
to say to Eva, who was talking with Aline, and as he spoke he pointed
towards the road. For a moment Eva lost her self-possession: her cheek
paled and her lips trembled.
"Courage, Eva dear!" Aline whispered. "You must summon all your
self-control."
Aline's efforts to calm her friend were seconded by the extraordinary
surprise which Uncle Balthasar displayed at Paul's information, a
surprise which greatly amused every one.
"Oh, Holy Apostles! Herr von Heydeck!" the old man exclaimed in the
broadest Saxon, with such positive horror imprinted upon his broad,
good-humoured face as only some fearful intelligence should have
provoked. He had not much time to recover from his fright, for a few
moments later Hilda appeared upon the balcony followed by Leo.
Herwarth's and Delmar's laughter at Uncle Balthasar's exclamation of
dismay had restored Eva's composure, and when Hilda hastened up to her,
expressing in her fresh girlish way the delight that it was to her to
meet Fraeulein Schommer once more, every trace of embarrassment on Eva's
part disappeared. She returned Hilda's kiss with equal cordiality, and
then presented her to her uncle and aunt as the "charming Fraeulein von
Heydeck whom she had met in Vienna, and of whom she had so often spoken
to them." She acknowledged Leo's profound bow most courteously; she
could not be perfectly easy and unconstrained while doing so; the blood
rushed to her cheek as she felt that Delmar was watching her the while.
In spite however of the cordial meeting between Hilda and Eva, all the
members of the little circle, with the exception of Hilda and Paul,
suffered under a certain constraint. They could not but remember the
past, and it was not easy to enter into general conversation. Uncle
Balthasar cast timid side-glances at Leo, who, to conceal his
embarrassment, was making minute, inquiries after Herwarth's health.
Aline was anxiously watching Eva, who was exerting all her self-control
to appear at ease, and even Aunt Minni, usually so perfectly
unimpressionable, seemed aware of the general disturbance, and sat in
her arm-chair with her fat red face studiously turned away from the
terrible Herr von Heydeck.
Paul was quite unembarrassed and much amused by the evident efforts of
every one to appear at ease, the sarcastic smile which his friends knew
so well hovered upon his lips; he was master of the situation which he
himself had contrived, and which was to aid his schemes. He managed
with a jest directed towards Uncle Balthasar to relieve the good old
man from constraint, and then skilfully drew him into conversation with
Leo and Herwarth, so that Eva, Aline, and Hilda were left to talk
together. Aunt Minni always preferring to be left to herself.
It was Paul's fashion in pursuit of any aim to act with great
recklessness, and now, determined to reconcile Leo with Uncle
Balthasar, instead of avoiding all allusion to the scene at Buechner's
and the affront offered to Eva by Leo, he led the conversation directly
to the subject, and thus gave his friend an opportunity to express his
regret to Uncle Balthasar for what had occurred. Leo did this in so
frank and manly a way that the placable old man was entirely satisfied,
and no longer remembered the dismay with which he had received the
announcement of Herr von Heydeck's visit.
For a while Paul left the young girls to themselves; then by appealing
to Eva upon some opinion just expressed by Leo, he drew them also into
the conversation, which thus became general. To his great satisfaction
he noticed that Eva replied willingly and pleasantly to the few remarks
which Leo addressed to her.
But a first visit should not be too prolonged. At the end of an hour
Hilda rose to take leave, after having arranged that Aline, Eva, and
herself should meet frequently, Hilda promising to act as their
cicerone to all the points of interest in the country round.
"If you will allow me, Fraeulein Hilda, I will walk some distance with
you and Leo on your way back." Paul said to Hilda; and then turning to
Eva he added, "Will not you, Fraeulein Schommer and Fraeulein von
Schlicht, improve the occasion for a walk? you have not left the house
to-day,--and I will promise to escort you safely back to the Post."
Hilda of course seconded this proposition, and Eva agreed to it, to the
surprise of Aline, who could not but consent to accompany her friend
after commending Herwarth to the kind offices of Uncle Balthasar.
Eva and Aline started with Hilda, while Delmar walked by the side of
Leo; and how it happened no one except perhaps Paul could have told,
but after a little while Leo walked by Eva's side, while Paul followed
with the two other ladies. Gradually the distance between the two
parties increased, for Delmar walked very slowly, and often stopped to
ask Hilda the names of the various mountain-peaks, or to point out to
Aline some special beauty in the landscape, while he talked so fast and
so eagerly that he absorbed the entire attention of his companions.
They never noticed that Leo and Eva were now a considerable distance in
front of them.
Leo's entertainment of his companion was by no means so glib and ready
as was Delmar's of Aline and Hilda. He was glad that Paul had so soon
procured him this opportunity of speaking to Eva alone and undisturbed;
and yet, now that it was thus his, he could hardly find courage to
improve it. He walked along by Eva's side in silence for some minutes,
and did but grow more and more confused. Never had he felt so utterly
and insanely stupid. Of course Eva could not begin a conversation, and
how she must despise his inability to find the right words in which to
address her! The right words! he thought he could not find them, and
yet they came, when, yielding to the feeling that had mastered him, he
simply asked, "Can you forgive me?"
These were the right words! They came from the heart, as Eva felt, and
she looked up to Leo with a charming smile. "I have nothing to
forgive!" She said nothing more, and yet she seemed to Leo to have
spoken volumes. He could have shouted for joy, so exquisite was the
pleasure that the low whispered words gave him, dispelling the dark
shadow that had rested upon his life. Eva had forgiven him! The words
that she spoke, and still more the eyes that had gazed for a moment
into his, had assured him of this.
He took her hand and pressed it to his lips; he could not help it, and
Eva did not resent his doing so, nor did she withdraw it when he placed
it within his arm. She had forgiven him, there was no cause for offence
between them. He never thought of her wealth, of her betrothal, nor of
the future. He walked silently beside her in a blissful dream of the
present, conscious only of the pressure of that little hand upon his
arm.
They said nothing more; now and then their glances met, and they seemed
to have uttered all that it was in their hearts to say.
"Halloo, Leo!"
It was Paul's shout. Leo looked back in amazement, and noticed for the
first time that he and Eva had left the road and were walking along the
foot-path, very much in advance of the others.
"It must be time for me to turn back; we have really come quite a
distance," said Eva, withdrawing her hand from Leo's arm.
"May I come to Tausens again to-morrow?"
"Yes."
Again he kissed her hand rapturously, and she allowed it, although at
the sound of Delmar's voice near by she withdrew it more quickly than
before. Paul had shouted at the request of Hilda, who, now that they
were approaching the steepest part of the way, thought it too difficult
climbing for Eva, unaccustomed as she was to mountain-walks.
Twilight was settling down upon the landscape as Eva, Aline, and Delmar
took their leave and returned to the Post, while Leo and Hilda pursued
their way up the mountain.
"Eva is a charming girl," said Hilda.
"She is an angel!" Leo replied. He said nothing further; Hilda glanced
up at him in surprise, but he did not notice it as he looked down, lost
in dreams. An arch smile flitted across the girl's face; she nodded
archly at her cousin, who did not see her, and said no further word to
disturb his revery,--she thought she could divine its subject.