Three days later, at the same hour of the afternoon, the student,
Fritz von Ehrenberg entered Niebeldingk's study.
"I have summoned you, dear friend, because I want to introduce you to
a charming young woman," Niebeldingk said, arising from his desk.
"Now?" Fritz asked, sharply taken aback.
"Why not?"
"Why, I'd have to get my--my afternoon coat first and fix myself up a
bit. What is the lady to think of me?"
"I'll take care of that. Furthermore, you probably know her, at least
by reputation."
He mentioned the name of her husband which was known far and wide in
their native province.
Fritz knew the whole story.
"Poor lady!" he said. "Papa and Mama have often felt sorry for her. I
suppose her husband is still living."
Niebeldingk nodded.
"People all said that you were going to marry her."
"Is _that_ what people said?" "Yes, and Papa thought it would be a
piece of great good fortune."
"For whom?"
"I beg your pardon, I suppose that was tactless, Herr von
Niebeldingk."
"It was, dear Fritz.--But don't worry about it, just come."
The introduction went smoothly. Fritz behaved as became the son of a
good family, was respectful but not stiff, and answered her friendly
questions briefly and to the point.
"He's no discredit to me," Niebeldingk thought.
As for Alice, she treated her young guest with a smiling, motherly
care which was new in her and which filled Niebeldingk with quiet
pleasure.... On other occasions she had assumed toward young men a
tone of wise, faint interest which meant clearly: "I will exhaust your
possibilities and then drop you." To-day she showed a genuine sympathy
which, though its purpose may have been to test him the more sharply,
seemed yet to bear witness to the pure and free humanity of her soul.
She asked him after his parental home and was charmed with his naïve
rapture at escaping the psychical atmosphere of the cradle-songs of
his mother's house. She was also pleased with his attitude toward his
younger brothers and sisters, equally devoid, as it was, of
exaggeration or condescension. Everything about him seemed to her
simple and sane and full of ardour after information and maturity.
Niebeldingk sat quietly in his corner ready, at need, to smooth over
any outbreak of uncouth youthfulness. But there was no occasion. Fritz
confined himself within the limits of modest liberty and used his mind
vigorously but with devout respect and delighted obedience. Once only,
when the question of the necessity of authority came up, did he
go far.
"I don't give a hang for any authority," he said. "Even the mild
compulsion of what are called high-bred manners may go to the
deuce for me!"
Niebeldingk was about to interfere with some reconciling remark when
he observed, to his astonishment, that Alice who, as a rule, was
bitterly hostile to all strident unconventionality, had taken
no offence.
"Let him be, Niebeldingk," she said. "As far as he is concerned he is,
doubtless, in the right. And nothing would be more shameful than if
society were already to begin to make a featureless model boy of him."
"That will never be, I swear to you, dear lady," cried Fritz all aglow
and stretching out his hands to ward off imaginary chains.
Niebeldingk smiled and thought: "So much the better for him." Then he
lit a fresh cigarette.
The conversation turned to learned things. Fritz, paraphrasing
Tacitus, vented his hatred of the Latin civilisations. Alice agreed
with him and quoted Mme. de Staël. Niebeldingk arose, quietly meeting
the reproachful glance of his beloved.
Fritz jumped up simultaneously, but Niebeldingk laughingly pushed him
back into his seat.
"You just stay," he said, "our dear friend is only too eager to
slaughter a few more peoples."