The warm, golden light of a clear September day lay over the green
ocean of forest, which stretched as far as the eye could reach. These
immense forests had covered this part of Southern Germany for countless
years; trees one hundred years old were no rarity among them. The whole
bore the character of a mountainous forest, for hills and dales
succeeded one another.
While the railroads spun their web all around the country, drawing one
place after another within their grasp, this "Wald," as these miles and
miles of wooded land were briefly called by the people, lay still and
deserted, like a green island, almost untouched by the life and strife
around.
Here and there a village rose from the forest green, or an old castle,
almost in ruins, gray and dilapidated. There was one exception to it,
in a powerful, old, gray edifice which stood upon a height and
overlooked the whole vicinity. This was "Furstenstein," once the
hunting lodge of the sovereign, but at present the habitation of the
Chief of all the foresters.
The castle dated from the beginning of the last century and had been
built with all the waste of space of that epoch when the hunting lodge
of the Prince had to accommodate for weeks the whole court suite.
Furstenstein was only partly visible at a distance, for the forest
covered all the castle mount, the gray walls, the steeples and bow
windows lifting themselves from among the crown of green firs. The size
of the old structure was only apparent when one stood before the
entrance portal, for many additions belonging to later times were
attached to it. It was to be understood that decay here was carefully
kept back, for the numerous rooms of the upper floors were kept in
readiness for the commands of the Prince, who came here occasionally in
the fall.
The similarly extensive lower floor was given to the chief of the
forest department, Herr von Schonan, who had lived here for years, and
who knew how to make the loneliness agreeable by keeping a very
hospitable house and by frequent sociable visitings in the
neighborhood.
He was entertaining guests at present. His sister-in-law, Frau Regine
von Eschenhagen, had arrived yesterday, and her son was also expected.
The two daughters of the house of Wallmoden had made very desirable
matches, the elder one marrying the lord of the Burgsdorf estates and
the younger one Herr von Schonan, who belonged to a wealthy South
German family. In spite of the distance separating them, the sisters
and their families had remained in intimate association, and even after
the death of the younger one, which had occurred several years
previously, these family connections were continued.
This friendship, however, had a quality of its own, for Herr von
Schonan was always on the war-path with his sister-in-law. As both
natures were terse and inconsiderate they came to a tussle at every
opportunity, made up regularly, deciding to keep the peace in future,
but the promise was broken just as regularly. A new difference of
opinion would come up in the next hour, the dispute would be carried on
with fullest passion, until it again raged with undiminished power.
Just at present a very unusual harmony seemed to prevail between the
two, who sat upon the terrace before the entrance room.
The Chief Forester, who in spite of his advanced years, was still a
very stately man, with strong, sunburned features and slightly gray but
thick hair and beard, was leaning comfortably back in his chair,
listening to his sister-in-law, who, as usual, was monopolizing the
conversation.
Frau Regine was now near her fiftieth year, but had scarcely changed in
the last decade. The years could not make much impression upon her
strong physique; a little wrinkle perhaps here and there in the face, a
few silver threads mingled with the dark hair; but the gray eyes had
lost none of their keen clearness; the voice was as full and steady,
the carriage just as energetic as formerly. It was very evident that
the lady bore the sceptre in her domain now as before.
"As I said, Willy will be here in a week," she was saying. "He had not
quite finished with his harvest work, but it will soon end, and then he
will be ready for the betrothal. The affair has long been settled
between us, but I decidedly advocated the delay, for a young girl of
sixteen or seventeen years has all sorts of childish tricks still in
her head, and cannot preside well over an orderly household. But
Antonie is now twenty years old and Willy twenty-seven; this suits
exactly. You are satisfied, are you not, brother, that we now arrange
the betrothal of our children?"
"Quite satisfied," affirmed the Chief Forester; "and we are of the same
opinion in all else concerning it. Half of my money will fall to my son
after my death, the other half to my daughter, and you can also be at
rest about the dower which I have set apart for the wedding."
"Yes, you have not been stingy about it. As to Willy, you know he has
had possession of the Burgsdorf estates for three years. The money,
according to the will, remains in my hands. After my death it will, of
course, fall to him. The young couple will not be in need. Sufficient
care has been taken for that; therefore all is decided."
"Yes, decided. We will celebrate the betrothal now and the wedding in
the spring."
The thus far clear sky was darkened now by the first cloud. Frau von
Eschenhagen shook her head and said dictatorially:
"That will not do, the wedding must occur in the winter, for Willy will
not have time to marry in the spring."
"Nonsense! One always has time to marry," declared Schonan, just as
dictatorially.
"Not in the country," persisted Frau Regine; "there the motto is, first
work and then pleasure. It has always been so with us, and Willy has
learned it, too."
"But I emphatically beg that he will make an exception in the case of
his young wife, otherwise the deuce may take him!" cried the Chief
angrily. "Besides, you know my conditions, Regine. My girl has not seen
your son for two years; if he does not please her, she shall have a
free choice."
He had attacked his sister-in-law in a most sensitive spot. She
straightened herself to her fullest height in her offended motherly
pride.
"My dear Moritz, I credit your daughter with some taste at least.
Besides, I believe in the old custom of parents choosing for their
children. It was so in our time and we have fared well with it. What do
young people know of such important things? But you have always allowed
your children their own way too much. One can see there is no mother in
the house."
"Is that my fault?" demanded Schonan, angrily. "Should I have given
them a stepmother? In fact, I wished to once, but you would not consent
to it, Regine."
"No, I had enough of marriage with one trial," was the dry answer,
which roused the Forester still more. He shrugged his shoulders
sarcastically.
"Why, I shouldn't think that you could possibly complain of the late
Eschenhagen. He and all his Burgsdorf danced entirely after your
piping. Of course, you would not have gotten the upper hand of me so
easily."
"But I should have had it in a month," remarked Frau Regine with
perfect composure, "and I should have taken you under my command first
of all, Moritz."
"What! you tell me this to my face? Shall we try it, then?" shouted
Schonan in a passion.
"Thank you, I shall not marry a second time. Do not trouble yourself."
"I have not the slightest idea of it. I had enough of it with that one
jilting; you do not need to do it a second time"; with which the Chief
Forester pushed back his chair angrily and left.
Frau von Eschenhagen remained quietly seated. After awhile she called
in a quite friendly manner: "Moritz!"
"What is it?" sounded crossly from the other side of the terrace.
"When is Herbert to come with his young wife?"
"At twelve o'clock," came the curt reply.
"I am glad of that. I have not seen him since he was sent to your
capitol, but I have always said that Herbert was the pride of our
family, whom one could parade anywhere. He is now Prussian Ambassador
to His Excellency at your court."
"And a young husband of fifty-six years, besides," said Herr von
Schonan scornfully.
"Yes, he took his time to marry, but then he has made a splendid match
for all that. It was surely no little thing for a man of his years to
win a wife like Adelaide, young, beautiful, rich----"
"And of burgher descent," interrupted Schonan.
"Nonsense! Who asks nowadays after a pedigree when a million is
involved. Herbert can make use of it. He has had to get along with
small means all of his life, and the position of ambassador will
require more display than the salary will admit of. And my brother does
not need to be ashamed of his father-in-law, for Stahlberg is one of
our first industry men and a man of honor from tip to toe, besides. It
was a pity that he died after the marriage of his daughter, for she has
surely made a sensible choice."
"Pouf! You call it a sensible choice when a girl of eighteen takes a
husband who could be her father?" cried the Chief, drawing near in the
heat of the controversy. "Of course when one becomes a baroness and the
wife of the Prussian Ambassador, one plays a big role in society. This
beautiful, cool Adelaide, with her 'sensible' ideas which would do
credit to a grandmother, is not congenial to me at all. A sensible girl
who falls heels over head in love and declares to her parents, 'This
one or none at all,' is much more to my taste."
"Well, these are beautiful ideas for a father!" cried Frau von
Eschenhagen indignantly. "It is exceedingly fortunate that Toni has
taken after my sister and not after you, for otherwise you might live
to see the like in her. Stahlberg raised his daughter better. I know
from himself that she obeyed his wish when she gave her hand to
Herbert, and so, of course, it is all right and as it should be. But
you do not understand anything about educating children."
"What! I, a man and a father, not understand the bringing up of
children?" shouted Schonan, cherry-red with vexation.
The two were in the best possible condition to fly at each other again,
but fortunately they were interrupted this time, for a young girl, the
daughter of the house, stepped out on the terrace.
Antonie von Schonan could not be called exactly pretty, but she had a
stately figure like her father and a fresh, blooming face, with light
brown eyes. Her brown hair was folded in simple plaits around her head
and her dress, although suitable to her position, was also plain. But
Antonie was in those years when youth displaced every other charm, and
as she drew near, fresh, healthy, stately in her whole appearance, she
was exactly the daughter-in-law after Frau von Eschenhagen's own heart,
and she nodded in a friendly way to her.
"Father, the carriage is returning from the station," said the young
lady in a very deliberate, somewhat drawling tone. "It is already at
the foot of the castle mount. Uncle Wallmoden will be here in fifteen
minutes."
"What, tausend! They have driven like lightning!" exclaimed the Chief
Forester, whose face brightened at the news. "Are the rooms all in
order?"
Toni nodded as calmly as if that were a self-evident fact. As her
father started off to look for the carriage which was to bring his
guests, Frau von Eschenhagen said with a glance at the little basket
which the young girl carried: "Well Toni, you have been busy again?"
"I have been in the kitchen garden, dear aunt. The gardener insisted
that there were no pears ripe as yet, but I looked for myself and
gathered a basketful."
"That is right, my child," said her future mother-in-law, highly
satisfied. "One must have her eyes and hands everywhere, and never rely
upon servants. You will some day be a splendid housekeeper. But now let
us go. We will also meet the uncle."