Lena and Botho paused before the "castle" with the green and red
painted tower and asked Doerr with considerable formality for permission
to go into the garden and walk there for half an hour. The evening was
so fine. Father Doerr muttered that he could not leave his property in
better hands, whereupon the young couple took leave, bowing
courteously, and went into the garden. Everything was already quiet,
and only Sultan, whom they had to pass, got up, and whimpered until
Lena had stroked him. After that he crawled back into his kennel.
In the garden all was perfume and freshness, for all the way along the
principal path, between the currant and gooseberry bushes, grew gilly
flowers and mignonette, whose delicate perfume mingled with the more
powerful odour of the thyme beds. Nothing stirred in the trees, and
only the fireflies darted through the air.
Lena was hanging on Botho's arm and they walked together to the end of
the garden, where a bench stood between two silver poplars.
"Shall we sit down?"
"No," said Lena, "not now," and she turned into a side path bordered
with tall raspberry bushes which nearly overtopped the garden fence. "I
love to walk leaning on your arm. Tell me about something--something
really pretty. Or ask me about something."
"Very well. Are you willing that I should have more of a friendship
with the Doerrs?"
"As far as I am concerned."
"A curious couple. And moreover, I think, they are happy. He has to do
as she wishes, and yet he is far cleverer than she."
"Yes," said Lena, "he is cleverer, but then he is miserly and
hard-hearted and that makes him docile, because he always has a bad
conscience. She looks after him sharply and will not allow it, if he
tries to overreach anyone. And that is what he is afraid of, and that
makes him yielding."
"Is that all?"
"Perhaps love, too, if it does sound strange. I mean love on his side.
For in spite of his fifty-six years or more he is perfectly wild over
his wife, simply because she is stout. Both of them have made me the
most wonderful confessions about that. But I confess frankly, she is
not to my taste."
"But you are wrong there, Lena; she makes quite a figure."
"Yes," laughed Lena, "she makes a figure, but she has none. Can't you
see, that her hips are a hand's breath too high? But you never see
anything like that, and 'figure' and 'imposing' are every other word
with you, without any concern as to the origin of that 'imposing
figure.'"
Chatting and teasing each other thus they paused and stooped down to
see if they could find an early strawberry in the bed that lay in front
of the hedge and fence. Finally Lena found what she wanted, took the
stem of a perfect beauty between her lips and came close up to Botho
and looked at him.
He was nothing loth, plucked the berry from her lips and embraced and
kissed her.
"My sweet Lena, you did that just right. But just hear how Sultan is
barking; he wants to get to you; shall I let him loose?"
"No, if he is here, you are only half mine. And if you keep on talking
about 'stately Frau Doerr,' then I have as good as nothing left of you
at all."
"Good," laughed Botho, "Sultan may stay where he is. I am contented.
But I want to talk more about Frau Doerr. Is she really so good?"
"Yes, she really is, for all that she says strange things--things that
sound as if they have a double meaning and perhaps really have. But she
knows nothing about that, and in her doings and behavior there is not
the least thing that could recall her past."
"Has she a past then?"
"Yes. At least she had some sort of a relation for years and 'went with
him' as she calls it. And there is no sort of doubt that there was
plenty of talk about that affair, and of course about good Frau Doerr
herself. And she herself must have given occasion for it again and
again. Only she is so simple that she never gave it a thought, still
less reproached anyone. She speaks of it as an unpleasant service, that
she faithfully and honorably fulfilled, simply from a sense of duty.
You may laugh, and it does sound queer. But I don't know any other way
to tell it. And now let us leave Frau Doerr alone and sit down and look
at the crescent moon."
And in fact, the moon stood just above the elephant house, which, in
the flood of silver light, looked even more fantastic than usual. Lena
pointed to it, drew her hood closer and hid her face on Botho's breast.
So the minutes passed by, silent and happy, and only when Lena aroused,
as if from a dream that escaped her, and sat up again, did she say:
"What were you thinking of? But you must tell me the truth."
"What was I thinking of, Lena? Why, I am almost ashamed to tell you. I
had some sentimental thoughts and was thinking of our kitchen garden at
Castle Zehden, which is laid out so much like this of the Doerr's, the
same lettuce beds with cherry trees between and I would almost wager,
just as many bird houses. And even the asparagus beds run the same way.
And I would walk amongst them with my mother and if she was in a good
humor, she would give me the knife and let me help her. But woe be unto
me if I were careless and cut the asparagus stalk too long or too
short. My mother's hand was hasty."
"I well believe it. And I always feel as if I ought to be afraid of
her."
"Afraid? How so? Why, Lena?"
Lena laughed merrily and yet her laughter was a trifle forced. "You
must not take it into your head that I have any intention of presenting
myself before the gracious lady; you must just feel as if I had said
that I am afraid of the Empress. That would not make you think that I
meant to go to court? No, don't be afraid; I shall never complain of
you."
"No, you wouldn't do that. You are much too proud for that, and then
you are a regular little democrat, and every friendly word has to be
almost choked out of you. Isn't that so? But however that may be,
describe my mother, as you imagine her. How does she look?"
"Very much like you: tall and slender and blond and blue-eyed."
"Poor Lena (and now the laugh was on his side), you have missed it this
time. My mother is a little woman with bright black eyes and a long
nose."
"I don't believe it. It isn't possible."
"And yet it is true. You must remember that I have a father too. But
that never occurs to you. You always think that you women are the
principal thing. And now tell me something about my mother's character.
But make a better guess."
"I think of her as very much concerned for the welfare of her
children."
"Correct."
"... And that all her children must make wealthy, yes very wealthy
marriages. And I know too, whom she has ready for you."
"An unfortunate woman, whom you ..."
"How you do mistake me. Believe me, that I have you now, for this very
hour, is my joy. What follows does not trouble me. One of these days
you will have flown away...."
He shook his head.
"Don't shake your head; what I say is true. You love me and are true to
me; at least in my love I am childish and vain enough to believe so.
But you will fly away, I see that clearly enough. You will have to. The
saying is that love makes us blind, but it also makes us see far and
clear."
"Ah, Lena, you do not know how dearly I love you."
"Oh yes, I do. And I know too that you think of your Lena as something
set apart, and every day you think, 'if only she were a Countess.' But
it is too late for that now, I can never bring it about. You love me,
and you are weak. That cannot be altered. All handsome men are weak and
the stronger spirit rules over them.... And the stronger spirit ...
now, who is that? Either it is your mother, or people's talk, or your
connections. Or perhaps all three ... But just look."
And she pointed towards the Zoological Garden, where through the
darkness of the trees and foliage a rocket rushed hissing into the air
and with a puff burst into a countless shower of sparks. A second
followed the first and so it went on, as if they were chasing and
trying to catch up with one another, until of a sudden the rockets
ceased and the shrubbery began to glow in a green and red light. A
couple of birds cried out harshly in their cages and then after a long
pause the music began again.
"Do you know, Botho, what I would give, if I could lean on your arm and
walk with you over there up and down that school for scandal, as safely
as here among the box borders, and if I could say to everyone: 'Yes,
you may wonder at us, he is he and I am I, and he loves me and I love
him,'--do you know what I would give? But don't guess, for you never
could. You only know yourself and your club and your life. Oh, the poor
little life."
"Don't speak so, Lena."
"Why not? One must look everything squarely in the face and not whiten
anything over, and above all one must not whiten one's self. But it is
growing cold and they are through over there. That is the last piece
that they are playing now. Come, we will go in and sit by the fireside,
the fire will not be out yet and my mother has long since gone to bed."
So they walked back along the garden path, she leaning lightly on his
shoulder. The lights were all out in the "castle" and only Sultan gazed
after them, thrusting his head out of his kennel. But he did not move
and only some dim, sullen thoughts passed through his brain.