CHAPTER XXIII.
[MISCHIEF FOR IDLE HANDS].
Bertha Von Wangen was seated at breakfast on the balcony. She had risen quite early to enjoy the dewy freshness of the morning which had followed the storm of the night before, and Elise and Clara were her companions. The lady of the mansion was not fond of solitude, and, moreover, she was desirous of knowing how her guest had passed the night. For this purpose she had sent her maid to question Fräulein Lieschen in the blue room an hour previously, but Elise was no longer there,--she had resigned her post to a maid so soon as her patient's quiet, regular breathing showed that he was sleeping naturally. Thus, while Elise now poured out the coffee, she replied to Bertha's inquiries as to how the night had been passed; Wangen, meanwhile, pacing the garden-walk below, within hearing, with his cigar. He disappeared, however, when the physician from Ostrowko was announced, and Elise eagerly awaited his return, although from fear of Bertha's spiteful observations she suppressed all show of anxiety in her face or manner.
Nor was Bertha herself so easy and careless as she would fain have appeared while waiting for the verdict of the doctor. As, years before, she had striven at Castle Osternau to manifest none of the interest excited in her mind and heart by the tutor, so now she feigned indifference with regard to his state, and spoke of the obligation of receiving a man of Pigglewitch's condition beneath her roof as a burdensome duty, hoped the "poor creature would soon be able to pursue his journey," and twitted Elise with the eager philanthropy which had led her to transgress the bounds of strict propriety. But here Clara, with her ready championship, interfered, and, embracing her dearest Elise, rather stormily declared that everything that she did was "good, and kind, and perfect."
In fact, the mistress of Hugo von Wangen's heart and home had by no means forgotten the Candidate of former days, or the interest with which he had inspired her. Her life, so different from any which she had imagined and hoped for in her girlish dreams, bored her from morning until night. No children had appeared to bless her loveless marriage, and, perhaps, to open their mother's heart to nobler aspirations and a higher ideal of duty. She was entirely unable, from the intrinsic shallowness of her nature, to appreciate her husband's nobler qualities or his intense chivalric devotion to herself. She was idle and weary, and her empty mind and heart were ready to welcome any unworthy passion that could bring them amusement and occupation. The image of the enigmatical tutor of Castle Osternau arose before her invested with a thousand attractions, and she actually felt envious of Elise who had been able to watch beside him. Yes, the girl was always in her way.
The doctor stayed but a few minutes in the blue room. Bertha distinctly heard his footsteps descending the stairs, and his only, so her husband must have remained with the Candidate. Why had the physician left so soon? Had he come too late then? She was possessed by a feverish anxiety, she longed to run out into the corridor and question him; but no, Elise must not suspect her of eagerness to hear his verdict. She was doomed always to be forced to feign before Elise.
At last, after some minutes, which seemed to her hours, Wangen entered the room; one look at his face was enough to show that he brought no bad news, and she sank back negligently in the arm-chair from which she had half sprung up to meet him.
Hugo advanced with a beaming smile; his first glance was for his wife, but she was evidently so uninterested in what he had to say that he turned to Elise, whose eager eyes showed the depth of her anxiety. He nodded kindly to her:
"Good news, Fräulein Lieschen: your patient is all right. He awoke perfectly conscious, and the doctor says his wound is nothing to signify. He has had a wonderful escape, and is now dressing, in hopes of presenting himself to the ladies in half an hour, with a bandage about his head, to be sure, but scarcely enough of an invalid to make himself interesting on that score."
Elise flushed crimson, and her eyes were suffused for a moment; she said nothing, but her joy and relief were so evident that Clara loudly expressed her sympathy:
"Now all is well once more, darling Elise, and you will not cry, as you were doing this morning when Bertha sent for you."
"No, no need for tears," Wangen said, gaily; but he grew grave as he turned to his wife with, "I bring you a special message, Bertha, from our guest. He asks permission to present himself to you, to thank you for the hospitality which he has received beneath our roof. He requested me to announce his visit to you."
"I really do not consider a visit from Herr Pigglewitch of such importance as to need a special announcement," Bertha made reply. "The man has evidently not lost the good opinion which he formerly entertained of himself."
"But in this instance there is some reason why you should be prepared for a visit which else might have surprised you not quite agreeably. Herr Pigglewitch wishes to present himself to you without the mask which he wore at Castle Osternau, as his true self and our future neighbour, Herr Egon von Ernau."
"It is he then? Ah, I knew it, I knew it!" Elise exclaimed, involuntarily.
The effect produced upon Bertha by the name of Ernau was magical. She lost entirely her hardly-won self-control, and, starting up, gazed alternately at her husband and at Elise with eyes aflame.
"You knew it? You were his confidante, and leagued with him against me?" she cried, her voice trembling with anger.
"No, Bertha; how can you even imagine such a thing?" Elise calmly replied. "He never uttered a word to me in confidence; but once, when we were alone, and I had distinctly expressed my low estimation of Herr von Ernau, he reproved me for my harsh judgment, and as he went on to explain how Herr von Ernau might have suffered from evil influences, he spoke so from his heart that I suspected he was defending himself, and not another. Then, when he left us and Herr von Ernau suddenly reappeared in Berlin, I suspected still more strongly who my teacher had been. I never revealed this by a word, not even to my father and mother; I had no right to betray his secret so long as he guarded it himself, but for me it was a secret no longer."
"You knew yesterday evening then that we had Herr von Ernau beneath our roof? Ah, now I understand your eagerness to tend and nurse the wounded man."
"Dear Bertha, how unkind, how unjust you are!" her husband said, reproachfully.
"Of course you think me unjust, and Elise the model of all sweetness and compassion. She could have had no interested motives. The poor Candidate and the wealthy Egon von Ernau were alike to her."
"I have given you no reason, Bertha, to speak thus insultingly. Let me go to my room until you are able to compose yourself and think better and more justly of me."
"Oh, you will not be allowed to stay there long; you will speedily be summoned to receive the acknowledgments of your grateful patient. Clara can be his Mercury."
"Clara will come with me, and I shall stay in my room so long as Herr von Ernau remains at Linau. Since I make it a special request, I am sure that you, Herr von Wangen, will not mention my presence beneath your roof. I pray you promise me this."
"But, Fräulein Lieschen----"
"I can take no refusal to give me this promise. It is the only way in which you can atone for Bertha's unworthy suspicions. Come, Clara, you will surely obey me?"
"Indeed I will--go with you and stay with you, my dearest Elise!" the girl exclaimed, impetuously. "I see how Bertha hates you, but I will love you all the more." She took Elise's hand and drew her gently towards the door, casting an indignant glance at her sister-in-law as she passed her.
Wangen had been moving restlessly about the room while his wife and Elise had been speaking. Every word of Bertha's cut him to the heart. He could not but sympathize in Clara's honest indignation, and the vague consciousness that he was taking part against the wife whom he so adored made him miserable. "I did not think you could be so unkind," he said, sadly, when he and Bertha were left alone in the room.
Bertha heard his words, but she did not heed them; her eyes were bent thoughtfully upon the floor. Suddenly raising them, she said, "Did you tell Herr von Ernau that Elise is here?"
"No, I forgot to. I was so amazed to find him perfectly conscious, and then to hear him declare himself Egon von Ernau, that I never thought of Elise during our short conversation."
"You need not excuse yourself, dearest Hugo, you were perfectly right. Ernau must not know that Elise is here. If he is to fall a victim to her snares, it must not be beneath our roof. Oh, I suspected her air of unconscious innocence long ago! How craftily she has plotted to compass her ends! I never dreamed that it was for the wealthy Egon von Ernau that she was casting her nets four years ago. I thought her enamoured of the poor Candidate. Her exclamation just now opened my eyes. Now I understand why, knowing that Plagnitz was so near us, she instantly consented, greatly to my surprise, to come to us as Clara's governess. Oh, I have been blind! but now that I see it all, her schemes shall be foiled!"
Wangen had listened in growing distress to his wife's voluble accusations of Elise. For the first time since his marriage the glow upon Bertha's cheek, the angry light in her fine eyes inspired him with anything save admiration, although he was too good-humoured to be seriously provoked with her. "I cannot comprehend you, my dearest," he said, sadly. "How can you give rein to such unkind fancies?"
"They are not fancies," Bertha insisted, with vehemence. "Your good nature blinds you, but you must be made to perceive the truth. Elise shall not attain her ends, however. I owe it to poor Herr von Ernau to save him from this Circe. You and I wronged him deeply years ago. We will atone for it now in coming to his rescue."
"I do not understand you, Bertha. What wrong did you and I ever do to Herr von Ernau?"
"Have you then quite forgotten the past? Was I not all but betrothed to him, and did I not forget him so soon as I learned to know you? Scarcely had I heard of his death when I lent an ear to your vows, and when afterwards he would have claimed his rights I repulsed him with aversion. He loved me. Now, since I know that he knew me at Castle Osternau, I can understand why he left Berlin in despair after learning of my betrothal to you. You have heard the sad story from my father. Do you not see how we have embittered the unfortunate man's life? I could not help it. I loved you, but I am conscious of the wrong I did him. Do you not feel this with me, my dearest love?"
She clasped her hands about his arm and looked up at him, her eyes swimming with tenderness, and Wangen thought he had never seen her so surpassingly lovely. What was there that he could refuse her? What proposal of hers could he gainsay?
"Do you not see that it is our duty to be doubly kind to him to atone for the wrong our love has done him?" she asked, still gazing into his eyes.
"Why--yes, of course, my darling; but what can we do?"
"Receive him as a dear friend, be to him the best of neighbours, and, above all, prevent his falling a prey to the arts of a thorough coquette. Who knows but that in time he may take a fancy to Clara?"
Wangen laughed outright. "What an idea!" he said. "Ah, trust a woman for match-making! That child!"
"That child is now a wonderfully lovely girl, and will in a couple of years be well worth the wooing."
"Nonsense! nonsense, my darling!"
"Promise me at least not to let Herr von Ernau know that Elise is here."
"The fact cannot be concealed."
"Trust me to see that it is. Only say that you will not tell him of it."
He promised, although he could not persuade himself that Fräulein Lieschen was what his wife represented her. How could it be that he had been so mistaken in her? Still, his respect for his wife's superiority of mind, his entire confidence in her keenness of insight, so far beyond his own, forbade his seeming to doubt what she asserted so positively. And then when she looked into his face with those pleading eyes he was as wax in her hands.