Meantime Prince Adelsberg was with Frau von Wallmoden in the park. He
had begged her not to interrupt her outing, and so they both walked in
the shade of the huge trees in the cool, green twilight, while out on
the meadow lay still the glaring sunlight.
Egon had not seen the young widow since the death of her husband. The
formal visit of condolence, which he had made after the accident, had
been received by Eugene Stahlberg in the name of his sister, and then
they had left the city immediately.
Adelaide wore, of course, the widow's mourning; but her companion
thought he had never seen her so beautiful as to-day in the deep,
sombre black and crepe veil, beneath which the blonde hair glimmered.
His glance passed repeatedly over this beautiful blonde head, and
always the question recurred: What has really happened to these
features that they look so entirely different?
Egon had only known the lady at whose side he now walked in that cool,
haughty composure which had made her so unapproachable to him and the
world. Now this coldness had disappeared, and he saw and felt but could
not decipher the strange change which had taken its place.
The young widow could not possibly mourn so deeply and seriously for a
husband who was so far removed from her in age, and who, even had he
been young, could never have given her the love youth demands, with his
practical, coldly calculating nature. And yet there lay over her whole
appearance the expression of secret suffering--of a sorrow which was
mutely but painfully borne.
Where did this mysterious line come from, this soft light of the eyes
which seemed to have learned but now to know tears?
"It always seems to me as if life and fire could glow there and
transform the snow region into a blooming world," Prince Adelsberg had
once exclaimed in jest. Now this transformation had taken place,
slowly, almost imperceptibly. But this soft, half-painful expression
which replaced the former seriousness, this dreamy look, gave a charm
to the young woman which, with all her beauty, had been missing
before--a charming, gentle grace.
At first the conversation touched upon indifferent things only, the
questions and answers that were customary and formal. Egon narrated
incidents of happenings during the winter at Court and in town, and
then offered the same explanation of his sudden arrival which he had
given the Chief Forester, speaking of the unendurable heat at Ostend
and of his longing for the cool, still forest solitude.
A fleeting smile which quivered over the lips of his companion told him
that she believed this pretext as little as had the Chief Forester, and
that the notice in the papers had also been seen by her. He grew
unaccountably vexed about it and studied how he could remedy the
mistake, here where he could not be so plain-spoken, when Adelaide
suddenly asked: "Shall you remain alone at Rodeck, Your Highness? Last
summer you had a--guest with you."
A shadow passed over the face of the young Prince. He forgot the rumor
of his engagement and his anger about it at this remark.
"You mean Hartmut Rojanow?" he asked, gravely. "He will hardly come, as
he is in Sicily at present, or at least was there two months ago. I
have had no news from him since, and do not even know where to write
him."
Frau von Wallmoden bent down and picked some flowers growing at the
wayside as she remarked: "I thought you were in lively correspondence
with each other."
"I hoped so at the beginning of our separation, and it is not my fault;
but Hartmut has become a perfect mystery to me lately. You were witness
of the brilliant success of his 'Arivana' at our Court Theatre; it has
since then been reproduced at several other theatres. The play is
conquering by storm wherever it appears, and the author withdraws from
all these triumphs--almost flees from his rising fame--hides from all
the world, even from me. Let who can comprehend it!"
Adelaide had regained her former erect carriage, but the hand which
held the flowers trembled slightly, while her eyes were directed upon
the Prince in breathless expectancy.
"And when did Herr Rojanow leave Germany?" she asked.
"At the beginning of December. Shortly before that he had gone to
Rodeck for a few days immediately after the first appearance of his
drama. I considered it a caprice and yielded. Then he suddenly returned
to my house, in town, in a condition of mind and body which really
frightened me, and announced his departure; listened to no entreaties,
answered no questions, but remained firm about going, and really left
like a whirlwind. Weeks passed before I heard of him; then he sent me
occasional letters, which, if rare enough, at least kept me aware of
his whereabouts, and I could answer him. He went to Greece, where he
strayed now here, now there. After that he went to Sicily, but now all
information has stopped, and I am in the greatest alarm."
Egon spoke with suppressed excitement. One could see how deeply the
separation from his passionately loved friend hurt him. He did not
dream that the young widow at his side could have given him an
explanation of the mystery. She knew what drove Hartmut to wander
restlessly from land to land; what made him shudder before the famous
poet's name which bore that secret but awful stain. But it was the
first news she had heard of him since that disastrous night at Rodeck,
which had discovered everything to her.
"Poets are sometimes differently constituted from common mortals," she
said, slowly plucking to pieces one of her flowers. "They have the
right sometimes to be incomprehensible."
The Prince shook his head, incredulously and sadly.
"No, it is not that; this comes from an entirely different source. I
felt long ago that something dark--mysterious--lay in Hartmut's life,
but I never inquired into it, for he would not suffer the slightest
touch on this point, and he kept silent persistently. It is as if he
stands under a doom, which gives him no peace or rest anywhere, and
which springs upon him suddenly when one thinks it buried and
forgotten. I received this impression anew when he took leave of me in
wild agitation; it was impossible to hold him. But you cannot imagine
how I miss him! He has spoiled me with his presence for over two years
and with all the advantages of his rich, fiery nature which he gave
lavishly. Now everything has become desolate and colorless to me, and I
do not know at times how I can bear life without him."
They came to a standstill, for they had reached the limit of the park.
Green meadows lay before them in the sunlight, and over yonder rose the
heights of the forest mountains. Adelaide had listened in silence,
while her gaze was lost in the far distance; but now she turned
suddenly and stretched out her hand to her companion.
"I believe you can be a very sacrificing friend, Your Highness. Herr
Rojanow ought not to have left you; perhaps you could have saved him
from this--doom."
Egon could not believe his senses; the warmth of the heartfelt
tone--the eyes in which a tear glimmered--the whole, almost passionate,
sympathy with his sorrow surprised as much as it delighted him. He
grasped the hand fervently and pressed his lips upon it.
"If anything can console me for Hartmut's departure, it is your
sympathy!" he cried. "You will permit me to use the privilege of a
neighbor and come occasionally to Ostwalden? Do not deny me this, as I
am so lonely at Rodeck, and I came here only and solely----"
He checked himself suddenly, for he felt that such a confession was not
appropriate but an offense, as he saw plainly.
The young widow withdrew her hand quickly and drew back. It had
required only this moment to transform her again into "Aurora."
"To flee from the heat and noise of a watering place like Ostend," she
finished coolly. "You said so, at least, a little while ago, Your
Highness."
"It was a pretext," declared the Prince, gravely. "I left Ostend only
to put an end to certain rumors which were connected with my stay
there, and which even found their way into the papers. They were
positively without foundation so far as I am concerned, I give you my
word, Your Excellency."
He had quickly embraced the opportunity to dispel the error which he
did not wish to suffer at this place at any price, but the result did
not come up to his expectation. Frau von Wallmoden had again wrapped
herself up in her old, unapproachable manner and made him suffer for
his premature haste.
"Why this solemn explanation, Your Highness? As it was only a rumor, I
understand just as fully as your other neighbors that you wish to
retain the privilege of choice. But I believe we must return to the
castle, as you said that my brother-in-law had come with you, and I
should like to see him before he leaves."
Egon bowed assent, and tried obediently to accept the indifferent and
every-day tone by which he was made aware that he should not be
anything more here than a "neighbor." He took the first favorable
moment at the castle to make his excuses, which were immediately
accepted, but not without an invitation to come again had been given,
and that was at present the most important thing.
"Blamed haste!" he muttered as he galloped away. "Now I shall be kept
as distant as ever, perhaps for weeks. As soon as one tries to approach
the woman a little nearer--the ice stares into one's face. But"--and
here the face of the Prince lit up--"but at last the ice commences to
melt. I saw and felt it in that tone and look. I must be patient
here--the prize is worthy one's perseverance."
Egon von Adelsberg did not dream that this look and tone, upon which he
built his hopes, were for another, and that she wished only to hear
from that other when the permission to call again had been given.