Dinner had been over an hour at Castle Warnow. Frau von Wallbach, Elsa, and Count Golm, who had been invited to dinner, were sitting in the drawing-room round the hearth, on which but a small fire was burning. Although only just the end of February, the day had been wonderfully sultry. François even had to open the window, and it was not to be wondered at that the Baroness should have been seized with one of her bad headaches at dinner, and directly they got up from the table should have begged leave to withdraw. Carla had gone to put on her habit, not wishing to lose the opportunity of riding once more, escorted by several gentlemen. Herr von Strummin, who had paid a neighbourly morning visit and remained to the early country dinner, now wished, or was obliged, to return home, and had gone to see after the horses. Count Golm, who had really intended to spend the evening at Warnow, now thought it would be better, in consideration of the Baroness's indisposition, to return to Golm after the ride without again dismounting, and at once took leave of the ladies. He had hoped that Elsa, to whom he had addressed himself, would have protested, at least with some polite phrase, which he might have accepted as genuine. But Elsa was silent, and Frau von Wallbach with difficulty concealed a fit of yawning, as she leaned back in her arm-chair, and with her hand before her mouth, seemed to be making a minute inspection of the ceiling. The Count bit his lip.
"I am afraid we have not been very lively company for the ladies," he said. "Strummin was really unbearable. I believe he drank three bottles to his own share, and spoke about as many words. I think such silence must be catching, or is it in the air? It is really just like May, when the first thunderstorms come. What a pity that Captain Schmidt did not accept your aunt's invitation, Fräulein Elsa! he might, perhaps, have told us the meaning of this wonderfully sultry state of the atmosphere. I wonder why he did not come?" The Count seldom missed an opportunity of reflecting upon Reinhold in what he imagined to be a peculiarly sarcastic and witty manner. It could only be the consequence of the blind hatred with which, from the first he had honoured him. Reinhold had once visited Warnow during the last week, and that for an hour only. They had certainly never given any one the slightest indication by which a clue could be found to the nature of their mutual relations, yet the Count's last remark sent the blood up into Elsa's cheek.
"Captain Schmidt only expressed his regret that he had no time to avail himself of our invitation to-day," she said.
"I should like to know what a man like that has to do," returned the Count. "He does not, so far as I know, manage the boat himself, but looks on comfortably from the shore. A mere sinecure, it seems to me."
"Perhaps you do not clearly understand the duties and cares of a man in such a position, Count Golm?"
"Very likely. For instance, I cannot understand why it is his duty, or why he gives himself the trouble to interfere in the strangest and most perverse way with my harbour works. Amongst other things, I know it for a fact that we owe to his suggestion, or rather his denunciation----"
"Forgive me for interrupting you," said Elsa; "the gentleman of whom you are speaking possesses the regard, I may say the affection, of my father; he is my--friend, received by my aunt at Warnow. I do not think it right to allow him to be cried down here--in his absence."
"But," cried the Count, "you completely misunderstand me. I had not the slightest intention of maligning that gentleman. I call it a denunciation, because----"
"Perhaps you will be so kind as to take some opportunity of mentioning the matter before him; I am certain that he will give you a satisfactory answer. Dear Louisa, will you excuse my going to see after my aunt? she may want me." Elsa bent over Frau von Wallbach's chair, then, drawing herself up, made the Count a civil but cold bow, and left the drawing-room.
"This is too much!" said the Count, looking after her; "what do you think of that, Frau von Wallbach? To make such a fuss about this man, who cavils at everything. Just imagine that he may manage to bring matters to such a pass, that we shall not dare to demolish the dunes on the left of Ahlbeck, in spite of the position being absolutely necessary to us as a depôt for our materials! He asserts that the dunes are a protection for the whole coast. Just fancy! Sixty feet of beach at the narrowest part, and then to talk of protecting the coast! Absurd! And our dear President of course----"
"My dear Count," said Frau von Wallbach, turning her head towards the Count, "what does it all matter to me?"
"Pardon me, my dear lady," said the Count; "I thought----"
"And I am already bored to death," exclaimed Frau von Wallbach; "good gracious, how bored I am! This week--oh! this week! If I could only write to Wallbach to come and fetch me back!"
"We should miss you dreadfully," said the Count.
"I think you would get on very well without me," said Frau von Wallbach; "and besides, my dear Count, this cannot go on any longer. Either you must make up your minds, or you must give it up. Do you think Elsa is blind?"
"Bah!" said the Count, "Fräulein Elsa has got her interesting Superintendent of Pilots!"
"Yes," said Frau von Wallbach; "you are always talking about that; but I have lately watched them both closely, and I tell you it is nonsense."
"I have it on the best authority."
"From Signor Giraldi, of course; he knows everything! And yet it was Signor Giraldi who originally interested himself in your engagement to Elsa. I cannot understand it. It is such a bore to be groping in the dark like this." The Count, for whom there were also many obscure points in this delicate affair, thought it high time to break off the conversation.
"I think the horses must have been brought round," he said, rising and kissing Frau von Wallbach's hand; "excuse me for to-day; to-morrow, if you will permit it, I will call again. I want to show Fräulein Carla the harbour works. She interests herself very much about them. I hope that you will be of the party.Au revoir!" He hurried away without waiting for the lady's answer. As he passed hastily through the anteroom, from which doors opened on all sides, Carla came towards him, holding her whip in one hand and in the other her hat and gloves.
"Your sister-in-law is still in the drawing-room," he said out loud.
"Thank you," replied Carla equally distinctly. He made her a sign with hand and eye.
"Have you examined this charming old painting yet?"
"Which one!"
"This one, here! look!" They had moved so far on one side that they could not well be seen from the drawing-room, of which the portières were open.
"One only," whispered the Count.
"You are mad!"
"The first--and last to-day." She put up her lips to him.
"Angel!"
"Really charming!" said Carla out loud; and then in a whisper, "For heaven's sake, go away!" She vanished into the drawing-room, and the Count rushed into the corridor. Neither had remarked, their whole attention being directed to the drawing-room, that at the moment when their lips met the portière of a second door, which led to the inner apartments, was lifted, and as quickly dropped again.
"Is Elsa gone?" asked Carla. "I wanted to say good-bye to her." Frau von Wallbach turned her head so far as to be able to see Carla if necessary. "I have spoken to him."
"What did you say?" asked Carla eagerly.
"That it is too boring here, and I cannot stand it any longer."
"That was all?"
"It was enough for me. You must manage for yourself."
"But Edward himself thinks your presence necessary here."
"Your brother cannot expect that I should bore myself to death for you." Carla shrugged her shoulders. "You will be in a better temper to-morrow. Good-bye!"
"I go to-morrow, you may depend upon that." To hear a decided resolution from her sister-in-law was something so extraordinary, that Carla, who was already at the door, turned round again. "But, Louisa----"
"Well, I do not see it at all," said Frau von Wallbach. "Elsa is always amiable to me, much more so than you are. I was really sorry for the Baroness to-day, to see the trouble she took without receiving the slightest thanks from you, and I am sorry for poor Ottomar. Whatever he may be, he does not show me that he thinks me a fool, as you do, and I do not think it seemly that behind his aunt's back in her own house----"
"Warnow has long belonged to the Count," said Carla.
"It is all the same. We are staying here with the Baroness, and not with the Count. If you wish to stay with the Count, marry him--for all I care. But I think you would be sorry if you gave up Ottomar, and I do not see how it would be possible now. However, do as you please--I go!" The unheard-of obstinacy of her sister-in-law began to make Carla really uneasy. She laid her things down on a chair, knelt by Louisa's side, and as she held and stroked her hand, said in a soft coaxing voice, "My sweet pet will never hurt me so. She will not leave poor Carla in her need. Ottomar is too bad. I know now, from Giraldi, why he proposed to me, because he was refused by Ferdinanda Schmidt, and he is still madly in love with her, and is making use of his former mistress to win her back. And Giraldi says that he has so many debts that his whole inheritance would not pay them, even if Elsa--and Giraldi knows everything, everything, I tell you--married that man; and you yourself would hardly wish to have the wife of a Superintendent of Pilots for a sister-in-law--would you, my sweet pet!"
"That is all nonsense," said Frau von Wallbach, with a feeble and fruitless attempt to draw her hand away from Carla's. "You never had scruples about Ottomar's mistresses formerly. I am certain that the Count also has his mistresses--all men have; and the same with regard to his debts. The Count has certainly as many--and perhaps more."
"But not such bad ones," said Carla hastily. "He has terrible debts, Giraldi says."
"The fact is," said Frau von Wallbach, "you are over head and ears in love with the Count."
"And if I say yes, will my sweetest Louisa remain here?" whispered Carla, suddenly throwing her arms round her sister-in-law and laying her head on her shoulder.
"You will see, no good will come of it." François looked into the room. "I beg pardon, but the Count has sent to ask if mademoiselle----"
"I am coming," cried Carla, stretching out her hand for her hat. "You will, will you not, sweet pet?--please fasten the elastic of my hat behind--you will remain! Thanks! Adieu, sweet pet!" She once more embraced her sister-in-law, took her gloves from the chair, and hastened away, her skirt trailing far behind her.
"If it were only not such a bore!" said Frau von Wallbach, sinking back in her chair. When the Count came down, the horses had just been brought round. Herr von Strummin was sitting on a bench which encircled the trunk of a wide-spreading lime-tree, and playing with the point of his riding-whip in the fine gravel.
"You have come at last?" he said, looking up angrily.
"Fräulein von Wallbach wishes to say good-bye again to the ladies," said the Count, seating himself by the side of his friend, "and it is rather a long business. We shall still have some little time to wait."
"So much the better," said Herr von Strummin; "I have not for a long time had the pleasure of speaking to you for a minute alone. So, without any beating about the bush--I am very sorry, but I must have back my five thousand thalers."
"I am very sorry too, my dear Strummin," replied the Count, laughing, "because I cannot repay them."
"Cannot repay me!" exclaimed Herr von Strummin, as the colour grew still deeper in his red face. "But you told me that I could count upon it at any time."
"Because I naturally supposed that you would not choose just the most unsuitable time. You know that I must pay off that mortgage to-morrow."
"Why did you give notice to pay it off? It was most imprudent. I told you so from the first."
"I wanted to save the interest; and if you can get back two million for one--in the meantime--of course--as things stand at present----"
"You may be thankful that the directors have postponed the date of payment of the second instalment, which was due to-morrow."
"Certainly," said the Count; "it is very kind of the gentlemen. I should have been in a terrible position; but it has not made my situation even now particularly pleasant. That confounded mortgage! My creditor is most disagreeably pressing; he says he must have the money back."
"Perhaps it may now transpire who this creditor really is whom you make such a mystery about?"
"I have given my word of honour----"
"Then say nothing. It is all the same to me, moreover; and if you can pay half a million to-morrow to the gentleman in question, you can also raise my five thousand!"
"I do not know yet whether I shall be able to pay!" cried the Count impatiently--"Lübbener--Haselow and Co.--I could not stand Lübbener any longer--unlimited orders to sell; but if to-morrow our shares go down still further--they stood the day before yesterday at forty-five----"
"And yesterday at twenty-five!"
"Impossible!" cried the Count.
"Good heavens, man! have you never troubled yourself to inquire, then?"
"I--I--my letters lately--the presence of the ladies here--there are so many claims upon me----"
"So it seems," replied Herr von Strummin, taking a letter out of his pocket. "I got my banker to write to me yesterday, as I saw what was impending, and have carried his letter about with me since this morning. I have already been over to Golm, too, to tell you of it." He unfolded the letter: "Sundin-Wissows were offered freely to-day at thirty-five; no buyers. They then rose to forty-five on large purchases. When it became known, however, that Lübbener himself was the buyer, merely to keep up the price, they fell rapidly, and closed at twenty-five! Please telegraph distinct orders whether to sell at any price. A further fall is inevitable.' There you have the whole affair."
"It is certainly bad," murmured the Count.
"And whom have we to thank for all this?" cried Herr von Strummin. "You--you only! You first led us into the affair, and promised all sorts of things, and then prudently left us in the dark until you had pocketed your profits as promoter. Then we fell further into the trap, and had to pay up heavily; and finally you throw half a million into the market, and bring down the value of our own shares. And I, like a fool, gave you the last penny I had; and instead of looking after your own affairs, as it was your bounden duty to do, you hang about here with the women, and----"
"I think that last clause has nothing to do with the matter." said the Count, getting up.
"Nothing to do with it!" cried the other, also springing to his feet. "Very well! very well! ruin yourself if you please, but at least leave other people out of the game. And I tell you, that if by twelve o'clock the day after to-morrow my five thousand thalers, which I lent you on your word of honour, are not lying on my table at Strummin to the uttermost farthing----"
"For heaven's sake do not speak so loud," said the Count; "you shall have your money, although I am convinced that the great trousseau is only a pretext----"
"A pretext? a pretext?" cried Herr von Strummin, raising his rough voice if possible still louder; "pretext indeed! when Meta is herself gone this morning to Berlin, to----"
"This morning?" said the Count, with a jeering laugh; "excuse my remarking,mon cher, that was very imprudent of you! Our shares may rise again, and--the stone-cutter will not run away." Herr von Strummin's light blue eyes almost started out of his burning face. He became suddenly hoarse with passion.
"What, what, what!" he snarled. "A stone-cutter? An artist! and a great artist, who every year makes his six to ten thousand--a stone-cutter?"
"I only say it because you always call him so yourself."
"I can call my son-in-law anything I choose, but if any one else permits himself to do so, he shall eat his words as sure as I----"
"You gentlemen must certainly have grown very impatient," said Carla, who came out of the door just at this moment.
"Not at all," said the Count, turning on his heel and hastening towards her.
"Yes, very impatient!" cried Herr von Strummin, who had suddenly recovered his voice. "I was only waiting to take my leave; I must be at Strummin in half an hour. I hope the conversation will get on better without me; I have the honour----" He snatched the reins of his great strong-boned black horse out of the groom's hand, swung himself into the saddle, and sticking his spurs into the animal's sides, galloped out of the courtyard.
"Good gracious!" whispered Carla, "what does it mean?"
"A little row," said the Count, hiding the excitement into which the altercation had thrown him as well as he could under a forced smile; "nothing uncommon between old friends."
"And the cause?"
"A last attempt, it seemed to me, to get a Count for a son-in-law, before accepting a sculptor." The Count had assisted Carla into her saddle, put the riding-whip into her hand, and was now arranging her skirt. Carla bent towards him: "You bad man, I will give you a lecture on the way."
"Pity it cannot be without a witness," whispered the Count, with a look towards the groom, who was holding the reins of the other two horses.
"You are really too bad!"
"At your service," said the Count out loud, and he stepped back and signed to the groom. He swung himself on to his horse, and started off with Carla, followed by the groom at a considerable distance. He had had some trouble in getting into his saddle.