The Lodrins dined early during the warm summer months; they wished to
have the cooler hours of the late afternoon for riding, driving or
walking. The dinner on Thursday at which Fritz was to have been present
was at two o'clock, but at the last moment he sent an excuse without
any special cause assigned.
Of course Fraeulein von Klette had not been persuaded to stay at home.
Erect as a grenadier, and with an enormous reticule to contain her
sewing, her headdress, and any chance presents that she might receive,
she made her appearance with Mimi Dey, who good-humouredly assured the
Countess Lodrin, for the tenth time that Ossi and Gabrielle were
incomparably the handsomest betrothed couple in Austria, and then
greeted Zinka with perhaps rather exaggerated cordiality. Thanks to the
imitative instinct that rules the world, all the ladies of the vicinity
modelled their behaviour towards Zinka upon that of the Countess
Lodrin. Mimi Dey had declared lately to several of her acquaintances
who were asking about Erich Truyn's marriage, "Zinka is as much of a
lady as I am," and this significant verdict had its share in
establishing upon a firm basis Zinka's social position.
Pistasch watched Zinka curiously; with all his languid insolence, he
was possessed of sufficient tact to perceive what she was and to
comport himself towards her accordingly. As usual, when not in the
bosom of her family, she was rather silent; her gentle voice was heard
only occasionally; she looked very pretty, and seemed to be occupied
with anything rather than her own beauty, with every one else rather
than with herself.
The two topics of the hour were the upset that had befallen young
Capriani and his four-in-hand the day before, and the murder of an old
widow in a village near Schneeburg. The accident to the four-in-hand of
course afforded all the gentlemen the liveliest satisfaction; they were
unanimous in their surprise that the catastrophe had been delayed so
long; the murder in Karlowitz opened for Truyn a wide field of moral
and political considerations. As this murder was the first that had
occurred within the memory of man in all the country round, he did not
hesitate for a moment to ascribe it to the demoralizing influence of
Capriani.
There is probably no evil, from a murder to an epidemic, which Truyn
would not have liked to trace directly or indirectly to the sinister
influence of Conte Capriani. Oswald who had been merry enough at first
gradually grew taciturn and monosyllabic.
"Capriani's ears must tingle," he exclaimed at last, no longer
controlling his impatience, "can we talk of nothing else but that
scoundrel!"
"Do not grudge us this innocent amusement," rejoined Truyn
good-humouredly, and Pistasch added, "I cannot see why it should make
you nervous. The mere sound of Capriani's name affects you as an
allusion to the cholera affects other men." Oswald changed colour, and
Georges proposed a toast to the betrothed couple.
After dinner, whilst they were all drinking coffee in the drawing-room,
Pistasch contrived a _tete-a-tete_ with his cousin Mimi Dey for the
purpose of asking all sorts of questions about Zinka, which he could
not well put directly to the Lodrins. "Is she the same Sterzl about
whom there was so much talk in Rome? The girl who--etc.,--etc.?--a very
delightful person, really charming." It was beginning to be the fashion
to declare Zinka charming.
In the meantime the heroine of the Roman romance, was sitting beside
the Countess Lodrin on a small divan in a dim corner of the spacious
room, and whispering, "Have you heard?"
"Of course I have! Ossi learned it from your husband; I congratulate
you with all my heart," replied the Countess in a low tone, taking the
young wife's hand in her own.
"And you understand how very glad I am," whispered Zinka, blushing, and
brushing away a tear.
The Countess smiled her own grave beautiful smile, and nodded assent;
Zinka moved a little closer to her. "Who should understand it better
than you?" she whispered. She felt a positive reverence for the
Countess, whose kind and tender treatment of her she could not but
regard as a special mark of favour and distinction. The childlike
deference of her manner towards the elder lady was very graceful and
very winning.
"If--if the good God should grant me a son," she whispered more softly
still, and with a deeper blush, "I should like to learn from you how to
educate him."
Countess Wjera laid her hand kindly on Zinka's shoulder. "Your husband
will be a better teacher there than I can be; that Ossi is what he is
is due to the grace of God,--not to me."
"And is it by God's grace alone, that Ossi has preserved so profound
and filial a veneration for his mother?"
The Countess took her hand from Zinka's shoulder; the younger woman,
startled, gazed into her face.
"It is nothing," said Wjera, with a forced smile, "a pain in my
heart--it will soon pass."
Mimi Dey, with Pistasch, was approaching the corner where the Countess
and Zinka were sitting, and noticing Wjera's sudden pallor, inquired as
to its cause, instantly vaunting the merits of a certain specific, in
which she had implicit confidence. As soon as Fraeulein Klette observed
that the conversation was taking a medical turn, she too joined the
group. "Wjera, I know a wonderful remedy; a Swiss physician, gave me
the prescription,--it really will cure everything,--everything."
"From scrofula to 'despised love,'" added Pistasch. He knew the famous
prescription well, and knew, too, that it was the basis of one of
Fraeulein Klette's numerous financial man[oe]uvres.
"It really is an extraordinary remedy, Wjera, and it would do you good,
too, Mimi;--it would be the very thing for Zinka I am sure," Fraeulein
Klette rattled on. "I have wrought wonders with it. Do let me have a
few bottles of it put up for you."
"You needn't take that trouble, Carolin," said Pistasch maliciously, "I
have two or three quarts of your specific on hand, and it will give me
pleasure to supply the ladies."
"As you please, I do not insist," said the Fraeulein chagrined;
whereupon she drew from her reticule the famous negro's head and with
great energy and a very long thread began to embroider a sulphurous
gleam on his ebony nose.