The reddish, flickering glow of a wood fire lighted up the interior of
a small, isolated house which had formerly served as a dwelling to a
station-keeper, but was now pressed into service for the sentinels of
the outpost. The room did not bear an expression of cosiness with its
bare, smoked walls, low ceiling and small, barricaded windows, but the
tremendous logs which flared and burned in the uncouth stone fireplace
offered a very welcome warmth, for it was bitterly cold out of doors,
and the whole country was buried in the snow of a severe winter.
The regiment here was hardly better off than their comrades before
Paris, although they belonged to the Southern army corps.
At present two young officers were entering, and the one who still held
the door open called laughingly to the one preceding: "Please bend
down, Herr Comrade, or you might take our door frame along, for our
villa is in rather a dilapidated condition, as you see."
The warning was not without need, for the giant figure of the guest--a
Prussian Lieutenant of the Reserve--was not at all in proportion to the
door. Nevertheless, he succeeded in entering safely and looked around
at the four walls, while his companion, who wore the uniform of a South
German regiment, continued: "Permit me to offer you a seat in our
'salon,' which is not so bad considering the circumstances. We have
already had it worse during the campaign. So you are looking for
Stahlberg? He is with my comrade out at the post, but will probably
return directly. You will have to be patient for a quarter of an hour."
"With pleasure," assured the Prussian. "I see from that that Eugene's
injury is really as slight as he reported. I looked for him in the
hospital, and heard that he was making a visit to the outposts, but as
we shall probably march on by to-morrow, I did not wish to let this
opportunity pass by unimproved, and therefore came to see him now."
"His wound was indeed only slight--a shot in the arm, which is already
far advanced toward healing, but will, nevertheless, disable him for
service for a short time. You are a friend of Stahlberg?"
"Yes, and connected besides through the marriage of his sister. I
see that you do not remember me, Your Highness. Let me give you my
name--Willibald von Eschenhagen. We met last year----"
"At Furstenstein," interrupted Egon von Adelsberg quickly. "Certainly,
now I remember you perfectly. It is remarkable how the uniform changes
one; I really did not know you at first."
He glanced with a half-admiring look at the once awkward country squire
who had appeared so ridiculous to him, but who now possessed a stately,
military appearance.
It was not the uniform alone, though, which had changed Willibald so
completely. What love had begun the campaign had finished by tearing
him from the accustomed surroundings and circumstances. The young Baron
had not only, as his Uncle Schonan expressed it, "become a man," but
had developed into a true, genuine man.
"Our meeting at that time was a brief one," continued the Prince, "but
nevertheless you will permit me to offer my congratulations? You are
betrothed----"
"I believe you are under a mistake, Your Highness," interrupted
Willibald with some embarrassment. "Although I had been introduced to
you at Furstenstein as the future son-in-law of the house, but----"
"That has been changed," finished Egon, smiling. "I knew it, for the
comrade of whom I spoke just now is Lieutenant Waldorf, the happy
fiance of Baroness Schonan. My words were meant for Fraulein Marietta
Volkmar."
"At present Frau von Eschenhagen."
"What! You are already married?"
"Have been for five months. We were married just before marching orders
came, and my wife is now at Burgsdorf with my mother."
"Then accept my congratulations on your marriage. But really, Herr
Comrade, I ought to call you to account for the unwarrantable damage
you have done to art. Please tell your wife that, as far as I can learn
out here in the campaign, the entire Residenz still mourns her loss in
sackcloth and ashes."
"I shall not forget it, although I fear the Residenz has not much time
for such mourning at present. Ah, the gentlemen are returning--I hear
Eugene's voice."
Steps were heard outside and the expected ones entered. Young Stahlberg
greeted his relative with an exclamation of the most joyful surprise.
He had not seen Willibald during the campaign, although both served in
the same army corps. He still bore his arm in a sling, but otherwise
looked well and happy.
Eugene did not possess the beauty of his sister, and the feature of
decided will-power which the daughter had inherited from her father was
missing. The son showed a gentle, more conciliatory nature in his
appearance as well as demeanor, but still he resembled his sister
closely, which might have been the cause of Prince Adelsberg's intimacy
with him.
His companion, a handsome young officer with sparkling, saucy eyes, now
approached, and the Prince performed the introduction.
"I will not fear that the gentlemen will challenge each other when I
mention the names," he said, jestingly. "They are obliged to be
called--so then, Herr von Eschenhagen--Herr von Waldorf."
"God forbid! For my part I am peace personified," cried Waldorf gayly.
"Herr von Eschenhagen, I am glad to meet the cousin of my fiancee, and
so much more so because he is already in the bonds of holy matrimony.
We also would have liked to do as you did--marry before the march--but
my father-in-law put on his grimmest mien and declared, 'Gain victory
first and then marry.' Well, we have done the first continually for
five months, and as soon as I return home I shall speedily ask for the
second."
He cordially shook the hand of his bride-elect's former fiance, then
turned to the Prince.
"We brought along something for Your Highness--something we seized
outside. Orderly of Rodeck, advance to His Highness--the Lieutenant,
Prince Adelsberg."
The door opened, and in spite of the gathering twilight the Prince
recognized the wrinkled face and snow-white hair of him who entered. He
started.
"All good spirits defend us! It is Peter Stadinger!"
It was, indeed, the live Stadinger who stood before his young master.
He did not seem to be wholly a stranger to the others, for although
they now saw him for the first time, they greeted his appearance with
the liveliest joy.
"Above everything, let us have light to take a good look at the
'Waldgeist' of His Highness," cried Waldorf, lighting candles and
holding them with comical solemnity close before the old man.
Egon laughed.
"You see, Stadinger, what a well-known and frequently spoken of person
you are here. Now let me introduce you in proper form. Behold here,
gentlemen, Peter Stadinger--celebrated for his unequaled churlishness
and his moral lectures, which make one quake. He probably thinks I
cannot exist without them, and he will doubtless give to me here also
upon the battlefield the satisfaction of this friendly habit. I hope
that some of it will fall upon your heads, gentlemen--and now begin,
Stadinger!"
But the old man, instead of obeying, grasped the hand of his master in
both of his and said in a heartrending tone: "Ach, Your Highness, how
we have trembled and feared for you at Rodeck!"
"Well, that is polite!" said Eugene Stahlberg, but the Prince assumed a
displeased air.
"So? And you therefore took to your legs speedily and left everything
to go topsy-turvy at Rodeck. I should not have thought you would
neglect your duty like that!"
Stadinger looked at him in doubting perplexity.
"But I have come according to orders. Your Highness has written me to
make haste and come and take Louis from the hospital--you would attend
to the travel and everything. I arrived this noon, and found the lad as
well as could be expected. The doctor thinks I can take him home with
me in a week, for then all danger would be over. But the kindness Your
Highness has shown to Louis and all the others from Rodeck who are in
the army can never be told. May God reward you a thousand times!"
Egon withdrew his hand impatiently.
"It is 'Herr Lieutenant' now, remember that. I insist upon my military
title--and what does this mean, now that when I count upon your
churlishness you are meek as a lamb and give us a pathetic scene!
I forbid it! This Louis, gentlemen, is a grandson of this old
Waldgeist--a fine, brave fellow, but he has a sister who is much
handsomer. I am sorry to say this senseless grandfather sends her away
regularly when I go to Rodeck. Why did Lena not come along? You should
have thought of bringing her."
This proved effective against the meekness and affection, which were as
unusual as embarrassing.
Stadinger drew himself up rigidly and replied with his usual terseness:
"I believed Your Highness had no time here in the war to think about
such foolishness."
"Aha, now it is coming!" said the Prince under his breath to Waldorf,
who stood beside him, but aloud he continued: "That is where you are
very much mistaken. A fellow gets uncivilized in the war, and when I
return home again----"
"Then Your Highness has promised to get married at last," reminded the
old man in the most emphatic tone, which called forth general laughter
among the young officers. Egon joined it, but his laugh sounded forced,
just as did his reply:
"Yes, yes; I have promised, but I have reconsidered the matter in the
meantime. I may keep my word in ten years or perhaps in twenty, but no
sooner."
Stadinger, who in spite of the command would not have used the title of
Lieutenant under any consideration, because that would be a humiliation
to the ducal family in his eyes, flew into a high state of indignation
and gave free vent to it.
"If I do not almost believe it! If Your Highness has really for once a
sensible thought, it does not hold good for twenty-four hours--and your
sacred father a married man, too! Man has to marry, anyhow, and all
foolishness stops of its own accord after marriage."
"Now that he is in the run of it, gentlemen, let him moralize to you,"
cried Egon, and the young officers, to whom this was great fun, teased
the poor Stadinger until he lost all respect and exhibited himself in
the full halo of his admonitory nature.
Half an hour later Willibald and Eugene Stahlberg approached the Prince
to take leave.
"You march on by to-morrow?" he asked.
"At daybreak. We march toward R----, where Major-General von Falkenried
is stationed with his brigade, though it will take several days to
reach there, for the whole country between here and the fortress is
occupied by the enemy, and we have to clear our way."
"But tell the General, Willy, that I shall follow in at least a week,"
said Eugene. "It is bad enough that I have to remain behind so long on
account of a shot wound not worth mentioning. Next week I shall report
myself well, whatever the doctor may say, and after that I shall join
my regiment without delay--I hope before the capture of R----"
"You must, indeed, make haste then," said Egon, "for resistance does
not last long usually where General Falkenried stands; we have seen
that often enough. He is always in front with his men always the first
to storm a place, and has already won inconceivable things. It seems as
if no impossibility exists for him."
"But he has the good luck to be always put in the front," grumbled
Lieutenant Waldorf. "Now again he is to take R----, while we lie here,
God knows how long. And he will take possession of it--there is no
doubt of that--perhaps he has taken it already. News reaches us only by
roundabout ways so long as the enemy stands between us."
He arose to escort the two gentlemen out, while the Prince remained
behind.
Standing before the fire with folded arms, he gazed into it, and his
face bore an expression not in accordance with the gayety which he had
but now been showing. Seriously, yet gloomily, he looked into the
dancing flames, and the shadow would not leave his usually sunny eyes.
He seemed to have forgotten the presence of Stadinger, but as the
latter made himself heard by clearing his throat, he started.
"Ah, you are still here? Remember me to Louis and tell him I will come
to see him again to-morrow. We don't have to say farewell yet, as you
remain here for the present. You did not think we had such gay times
here? Yes, one makes life easy as possible when one has to be ready
every day to lose it."
The old man stood before his master and looked sharply into his eyes,
then he spoke half aloud:
"Yes, the gentlemen were gay and Your Highness the gayest of all but
you are not happy in spite of it."
"I? What do you mean? Why should I not be happy?"
"I don't know that, but still I see it," insisted Stadinger. "When Your
Highness used to come from Furstenstein, or were up to all sorts of
things with Herr Rojanow, you looked different and laughed different,
and just now when you looked into the fire it seemed to me as if Your
Highness had something very heavy upon your heart."
"Get away with all your observations!" cried Egon, to whom his old
Waldgeist was again becoming uncomfortable. "Do you suppose we are
always jolly? I should say that when one has the bloody battlefield
always before the mind, earnest thoughts come near."
Nothing could be said to that, and Stadinger remained silent, but he
could not be deceived. He knew quite well that something was wrong with
his young master, and that something was hidden behind this ostensibly
exhibited gayety.