There was a larger assemblage of officers than usual beneath Buechner's
awning,--almost every seat was occupied. After early parade the young
men had resorted thither to discuss the entertainments to which the
evening was to be devoted, and various civilians also belonging to the
aristocracy had lounged into Buechner's to enjoy the ices for which the
restaurant was famous, and which were particularly tempting on so warm
a July day as the present.
One of these latter, a young man of distinguished appearance, had taken
a foremost seat near the iron railing, against which he had negligently
propped his feet in the same attitude as that assumed by his neighbour,
a cavalry officer, while both rocked gently to and fro in their tilted
chairs. The young civilian held in his hand a newspaper, which however
he did not read, his attention being entirely devoted to the promenade
and the many handsome equipages with their fair occupants that were
perpetually rolling past.
In one of these the brilliant beauty of a young lady especially excited
his admiration. She was sitting beside an aged officer with whom she
was conversing gayly as she gracefully acknowledged the respectful
salutations of many of the officers, and greeted with a special smile
the young dragoon before mentioned, who relinquished his negligent
attitude while her carriage was passing, and stood up to salute her.
"An exquisitely lovely girl!" the civilian said to his neighbour. "I
envy you the smile she gave you, Count Waldheim. One might almost
barter his soul for such a glance and smile. Tell me who she is, and
why I have never been presented to her."
"I can further your wishes in the matter of an introduction, Count,"
Waldheim replied. "I am quite intimate at Frau von Heydeck's, and,
although they are rather exclusive, I think I can obtain permission to
introduce a friend."
"Frau von Heydeck? Married? I am bitterly disappointed," said Count
Tiefstetten.
"You will have to relinquish all thoughts of conquest there," said
Waldheim, laughing, "for Frau von Heydeck is not only a wife, but the
happiest woman in the world, still desperately in love with her
husband, who deserves it. He is a charming fellow, a nobleman in the
truest sense of the word, and with a brilliant reputation as an artist
besides."
"An artist?" Count Tiefstetten asked, in amazement. "And his wife
drives in a splendid equipage with those magnificent horses?"
"It is easy to see that you have been abroad for some years and are
just returned among us, or you would hardly ask such a question. Leo
von Heydeck's picture, at our art exhibition last spring, a full-length
of his wife, established his reputation as an artist, and he is besides
one of the wealthiest men in our city. His wife, who was a Fraeulein
Schommer, was a great heiress. But he is an eccentric fellow in spite
of his wealth. His habits are as simple as if he were obliged to work
with his brush for his living, and he persists in his eccentricities,
although his father the old colonel, whom you saw just now seated
beside Frau von Heydeck, is highly indignant with him for doing so. Leo
von Heydeck is not an amateur artist; art is his profession. He sells
his pictures, which command very high prices, and supports himself
entirely upon the proceeds of his profession, never making any use of
his wife's income. You never even see him in her brilliant equipage. If
you like, and do not mind paying a high price, you can order your
portrait of him."
"Very odd! And what does his wife say to these whims?"
"Oh, she adores him! I verily believe she would like to throw her
wealth to the winds and struggle along with him as the wife of a poor
artist. It is owing entirely to her that old Colonel von Heydeck, Leo's
father, who has always held in sovereign contempt all daubers who
support themselves by the work of their hands, and who was furious at
his son's ways, is nevertheless reconciled to him. The old fellow could
not withstand the charms of his lovely daughter-in-law, who is ready to
gratify his every whim. He is fairly in love with her himself, and has
given up his love of retirement, taking up his abode in her charming
villa, and living in perfect concord with her and her old uncle,
Balthasar Schommer. He drives with her daily, and she has so thoroughly
tamed the old bear that he consents to visit his son's studio
frequently, and even begins to be proud of his work."
"They must be very remarkable people. I am more curious than ever to
know them, and I rely upon your promise to present me to Frau von
Heydeck."
"I will do what I can, but as I told you, the Heydecks are very
exclusive."
"They do not entertain, then?"
"A small circle, frequently. There is no house in the city where I have
had pleasanter evenings than at theirs, although they never give large
parties. Leo is a queer fellow; he hates grand entertainments, and is
happy only in the society of his intimates, artists, and men of
science. In these tastes he is upheld by his friend and cousin, the
wealthy Herr Delmar, and by another friend and former comrade, a Herr
von Herwarth, with all of whom he and his wife are upon terms of the
greatest intimacy."
"Who is this Delmar? Bourgeois, I suppose; some relative of the lovely
Frau von Heydeck?"
"No; he is married to a cousin of his friend Leo, a daughter of an
uncle who died about six months since. He was an early friend of Leo's,
and by his marriage is still more closely united with him. He is also
excessively intimate with the third in the small circle, Herr von
Herwarth, who married Frau von Heydeck's dearest friend. All three were
married on the same day, and have since lived on terms of the closest
intimacy.
"Leo, as I said, is upheld in his eccentric ways by Delmar, who is
enormously wealthy and a very queer fellow too. He will give immensely
to any artistic or scientific enterprise, in support of which Heydeck
too will draw upon his wife's means, but neither of them has the least
idea of the enjoyment their money might bring them.
"Delmar, to be sure, is something of a gourmand, but he is far from
knowing how to spend his millions. He might easily purchase a title and
orders, he might easily enter the court-circles, but he cares nothing
for such things. Nevertheless he is an excessively interesting man,
whom every one is happy to meet, and he is much respected for his
benevolence and generosity.
"I in especial have cause to hold him in high esteem, for about a year
ago he did me a great service in unmasking a certain scoundrel whom I
had until then considered to be a man of honour, and my friend Delmar
deserves the gratitude of the entire corps of officers for effecting
the resignation in disgrace of the rogue, a Herr von Bertram."
"Bertram? Guido von Bertram?" asked Count Tiefstetten.
"Exactly; that was the fellow's name. Do you know him?"
"I think I do. I knew a certain Herr Guido von Bertram slightly about
half a year ago in Saxony. He frequented the gaming-tables there. He
was frequently seen with a very pretty woman, who called herself Frau
von Bertram; but who, I was told, was not really his wife. He was said
to be a professional gamester, and I rather avoided him during my stay
in Saxony. I should hardly have remembered the name when you mentioned
it had I not seen it half an hour ago in the newspaper. There is the
paragraph, read it yourself."
Count Waldheim took the paper offered him by Count Tiefstetten, and
read, "We have news from Florence which cannot fail to make a stir in
our aristocratic circles. It concerns the scion of one of our most
distinguished families, a Herr Guido von Bertram, who was a year ago
the hero of a scandalous scene at Buechner's restaurant. On that
occasion, in our account of the affair, we suppressed the names. Herr
von Bertram was obliged to resign from the army in disgrace, and to-day
there is no reason why we should spare him, since he will shortly
receive his punishment as a common swindler and thief. We therefore
give to our readers the letter which we have received from our special
correspondent in Florence:
"'The arrest of a German nobleman, a Herr Guido von B----, is the talk
of the day here. You hear him discussed everywhere, and the most
contradictory reports are abroad with regard to his antecedents and the
reason for his arrest. We have the following intelligence from a
trustworthy source:
"'About six months ago Herr von B---- appeared here in Florence,
renting superb apartments, where he lived in splendid style. He
appeared at the theatre with his wife, who was not exactly handsome but
very attractive in appearance, and who excited considerable attention
by her brilliant toilettes, and especially by a magnificent parure of
diamonds which she wore.
"'Herr von B---- easily effected an entrance into our fashionable
circles where he played his part as a wealthy man of the world,
although it was noticed that the manners and culture of Madame von
B---- by no means corresponded with her elegant appearance. Very
unfavourable reports concerning the lady and the freedom of her
behaviour, and even with regard to her relations with her husband, were
shortly in circulation. It was said that the aristocratic couple
quarrelled after a most plebeian fashion, and that Herr von B---- even
maltreated his wife.
"'In consequence of these reports certain houses closed their doors
against the pair; others however were less particular, and the wealthy
German nobleman was still received, especially at entertainments where
there was sure to be high play.
"'Herr von B---- understood so well how to maintain an appearance of
wealth that he easily found credit whenever he wanted money. (One of
our principal bankers has discounted his note to a large amount.) And
he would perhaps have continued to play his part among us had not an
accident induced our police to put him under surveillance. In fact,
they received very strange information from a young German, Wilhelm
Schultz by name, the servant of a nobleman but lately arrived in
Florence from M----. Schultz saw Herr von B---- and his wife adorned
with her diamonds in the theatre, and instantly recognized the latter
as a former waiting-maid in a wealthy family where he had been footman.
He informed the police that Herr von B---- had been betrothed to an
heiress, but had eloped with her waiting-maid, stealing and carrying
off at the same time a casket containing a large sum of money and a
rich parure of diamonds.
"'The information appeared incredible; but the story was maintained
with such persistence that the police authorities felt themselves
compelled to investigate the matter, and the result is that Herr von
B---- proves to be a thorough-paced gamester and an arch swindler, who
has procured large sums of money upon forged notes of hand. His arrest
took place at the railroad depot, just as he was about to leave
Florence forever. Upon his person was found the diamond parure worn by
his wife, whom he had left without letting her know whither he was
going.
"'The noble pair are now quite harmless. The former waiting-maid has
made a full confession, confirming all that was stated by Wilhelm
Schultz. After the theft of the diamonds, which was effected in the
Tyrol, she came with her betrayer--who promised to marry her, but never
kept his promise--to Italy, where he led her from place to place, so
maltreating her that she declares that she would have left him but for
fear of starvation in a strange country. The diamonds in which she made
such a show are the property of her former mistress.
"'Herr von B---- boldly denies the truth of her tale, but as there is
abundant proof against him in the forged notes of hand, he will not
escape due punishment.'"
The correspondent's words were verified. A month later 'dear Guido' was
condemned to several years' imprisonment with hard labour. Nanette was
left at large. She could only have been prosecuted for theft, and as
neither Frau Schommer nor Frau von Heydeck proceeded to such a measure,
she went unpunished, although the diamonds were taken from her and
returned to their rightful owner, Frau von Heydeck. Wilhelm Schultz,
doubtless, having suffered from her wiles, would have gladly seen the
waiting-maid sent to jail, but he was forced to be satisfied with the
probability that her future fate would be far from prosperous.
FOOTNOTE:
[Footnote 1: Meadows high up on the mountains, where the wealthy
peasants pasture their cattle in summer.]
THE END.
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