From the time when the Princess fell ill he did not see her any more, but
several times a day she wrote him short and passionate notes which hid
more than they revealed. He heard from Paul that she was again able to
move about her rooms and could not understand why she did not come and
visit him. He himself was already out of bed and waited every minute for
her to send for him. He did not know that meanwhile she had developed
tuberculosis seriously and was actually spitting blood. She did not write
to him about it, evidently fearing that it would make him turn from her
at the thought that on his lips there were still burning the traces of
the kisses which she had once given him. And principally, principally
she was afraid of not controlling herself and again kissing him with
passionate lips. He had no idea that the doctors had discovered traces
of infection in his own lungs, a fact which had driven the Princess to
desperation and self-condemnation. He knew nothing, grew angry at the
fact that she was so evasive now that he was completely well, and became
frightened when another day passed without the Princess expressing the
wish to see him. I’ve made her tired of me, he thought; I’ve never been
anything more for her than a momentary distraction. He suspected her of
all sorts of things, did not want to descend to insisting on a meeting,
hardly wrote to her and did nothing but wait in an arm-chair for her to
come, or at least to let him know what had happened.
There were a few sunshiny days and he ventured into the park, wrapped up
in a rug. He wanted to wander about by himself with his dark thoughts
near the lake, but there were always with him Krafft, Paul, Holz, Rohn,
or the charming and dreamy poet Charles, who always had something on the
tip of his tongue but never said it. Instead he discoursed on science,
personal courage, success and heroism and God knows what else. Prokop
listened with one ear; he had the impression that the Prince was making a
special effort for some reason or other to interest him in ambition. Then
one day he received a roughly scrawled note from the Princess, telling
him to wait and not to be shy. Directly afterwards Rohn introduced him to
a laconic old gentleman in whose bearing everything revealed the officer
disguised as a civilian. The laconic gentleman inquired of Prokop what
he proposed to do in the future. Prokop, somewhat nettled by his tone,
answered sharply and magnificently that he was going to exploit his
inventions.
“Military inventions?”
“I’m not a soldier.”
“Your age?”
“Thirty-eight.”
“Occupation?”
“None. And yours?”
The laconic person became rather confused. “Do you intend to sell your
inventions?”
“No.” He felt that he was being examined and sounded officially. This
irritated him and he answered very shortly and only here and there would
he give them a fragment of his erudition and this only because he saw
that it pleased Rohn particularly. Actually the Prince was radiant and
was all the time looking at the laconic gentleman, as if to ask him:
“Well, what do you say to that miracle?” But the laconic gentleman said
nothing and finally took leave of them politely.
The next day Carson appeared very early in the morning, rubbing his hands
and evidently full of something extremely important. He babbled all sorts
of nonsense, all the time trying to sound Prokop. He threw out all sorts
of vague words, like “future,” “career” and “splendid success,” but would
say nothing more, while Prokop did not like to ask any questions. And
then there arrived a strange and important letter from the Princess:
“Prokop, to-day you will have to make a decision. I have done so and do
not regret the fact. Prokop, at this last moment I assure you that I love
you and will wait for you as long as may be necessary. And even if we
must separate for a time—and this must be so, since your wife may not be
your lover—even if we separate for years, I shall always be your dutiful
betrothed. I am already so happy about it, that I simply cannot speak
of it; I walk about my room overpowered and repeat your name. Darling,
darling, you cannot imagine how unhappy I’ve been since this happened to
us. And now do what is necessary for me to be able really to call myself
your W.”
Prokop couldn’t understand what it all meant; he read it several
times and simply was unable to believe that the Princess meant quite
simply ... he wanted to run round to see her but was too agitated and
bewildered. Was this again some feminine extravagance which was not to
be taken literally and which he really didn’t understand? While he was
reflecting like this Uncle Charles entered, accompanied by Carson. Both
looked so ... official and serious that it flashed through Prokop’s head:
“They’ve come to say that they’re sending me away to that fortress;
the Princess has been plotting, and now here we are!” He looked round
for some weapon, in case it should come to force, selected a marble
paper-weight and sat down, mastering the beating of his heart.
Uncle Rohn looked at Carson, and Carson looked at Rohn with the mute
question of who was to begin. Then Uncle Rohn said: “What we’ve come
to tell you is ... to a certain extent....” He was beginning as usual
hesitatingly, but suddenly he pulled himself together and continued more
confidently: “My dear friend, what we have come to tell you is something
very important ... and discreet. It is not only in your interests that
you should do this ... but on the contrary.... To put it shortly, it
was first of all _her_ idea and ... as far as I am concerned, after
careful consideration ... in any case we must leave her out of it; she is
self-willed and passionate. Apart from that, it appears that she’s taken
it into her head ... in fact from every point of view it would be better
to find a suitable way out of the difficulty,” he concluded with relief.
“The General Manager will explain the position.”
Carson, as the General Manager, put on his spectacles very seriously.
He looked quite disturbingly important and very different from what he
had ever been like before. “I consider it an honour,” he began, “to
interpret to you the wishes of our highest military circles, who wish you
to connect yourself with our army ... naturally only with the highest
technical service, with duties which are related to your work, and that
straight away in the capacity of—so to speak ... I mean to say, that it
is not a military custom to employ civilian specialists apart from war,
but in your case, in consideration of the fact that the present situation
approximates very closely to that of war, and with special regard to your
exceptional significance, which is enhanced by the present conditions,
and ... and taking also into consideration your peculiar position or
rather, to put it more precisely, your extremely private obligations——”
“What obligations?” Prokop interrupted him hoarsely.
“Well,” stammered Carson, somewhat embarrassed, “I mean ... your
interests, your relation....”
“I never spoke to you about any interest,” said Prokop sharply.
“Aha!” said Mr. Carson, as if refreshed by this rudeness, “of course you
didn’t; there was no need to. We didn’t flaunt that up at the castle. Of
course not. Purely personal considerations, that’s what I mean. Powerful
intervention, you understand? Of course you’re a foreigner—but that’s
been arranged,” he added quickly. “It’ll be enough if you put in a
demand to become a citizen of our State.”
“Aha!”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, only aha!”
“Aha! that’s all, eh? All you have to do is to make a formal demand and
... apart from that.... Well, you will understand of course that ... that
we should demand some guarantee, eh? You will have to earn the right to
the honour which is being bestowed on you ... for exceptional services,
eh? Let’s assume that ... that you hand over to the Army Council ... you
understand, that you hand over.”
There was a dead silence. The Prince looked out of the window and
Carson’s eyes disappeared behind the glitter of his glasses. Prokop was
deeply uneasy.
“... that you hand over ... simply hand over ...” gulped Carson, also
breathing with difficulty.
“What?”
Carson wrote a large K in the air with his finger. “Nothing further,”
he said, relieved. “The next day you’ll get a document nominating you
as an _extra statum_ captain in the engineers ... stationed in Balttin.
Straight away. So.”
“That is to say only a captain to begin with,” said Uncle Charles. “We
haven’t ventured any farther. But we have been given a guarantee that if
it should suddenly come to a war——”
“Within a year,” cried Carson, “within a year at the latest.”
“—as soon as war breaks out—whenever and with whomever it may be—you will
be appointed a general in the engineers. And should—as the result of the
war—the form of government be changed you would also be given the title
of Excellence and ... in short at least a baronetcy to begin with. Even
with regard to this ... we have been given an assurance ... from the
highest quarters,” concluded Rohn almost inaudibly.
“And who told you that I should like that?” said Prokop icily.
“But my God!” cried Carson, “who wouldn’t? They’ve promised me the rank
of knight; it doesn’t mean anything to me, but it’s not given me on my
own account. But for you it would have quite special significance.”
“So you expect,” said Prokop slowly, “that I shall hand you over
Krakatit.”
Mr. Carson would have sprung into the air, but Uncle Charles restrained
him.
“We take it,” he began seriously, “that you will do everything, or ...
it may be ... make every sacrifice, to save Princess Hagen from any sort
of illegal and ... impossible position. Under certain conditions ... the
Princess is allowed to marry a soldier. As soon as you are a captain your
position will be regularized ... by a strictly secret engagement. The
Princess will of course go away and return as soon as she can secure a
member of the ruling house as bridegroom for the wedding. Until then ...
until then we expect you to earn the right to a marriage which we feel
to be good both for you and for her. Give me your hand. You need not
decide just yet. Consider the matter carefully, consider what your duties
are and the sacrifices which you have to make. I could appeal to your
ambition, but I am speaking only to your heart. Prokop, she is suffering
beyond her strength and bringing to love a greater sacrifice than any
other woman. And you too have suffered. Prokop, you are suffering with
your conscience, but I will not try to exert any pressure on you because
I have confidence in you. Consider the matter carefully, and tell me
later....”
Mr. Carson nodded his head, this time really deeply touched.
“That’s so,” he said. “I don’t come of any sort of family myself, but I
must say that ... that ... I tell you, that woman has race. God! one can
see straight away....” He struck the region of his heart with his fist
and blinked his eyes. “Man, I’d throttle you if you weren’t worthy....”
Prokop was not listening. He sprang up and marched up and down the
room with his face distorted with rage. “I—I must, eh?” He ground out
hoarsely. “So I must? Good. If I must ... you’ve diddled me! But I didn’t
want——”
Uncle Rohn stood up and quietly put his hand on his shoulder. “Prokop,”
he said, “you must decide yourself. We don’t want to hurry you; consult
with the best that there is in you. Ask God, love or conscience or
feeling or I don’t know what. But remember that this does not only
concern you but her who loves you so much that she’s ready to....” He
waved his hand hopelessly. “_Au revoir!_”