CHAPTER LIII.
The reddish, flickering glow of a wood fire lighted up the interior of a small, isolated house which had formerly served as a dwelling to a station-keeper, but was now pressed into service for the sentinels of the outpost. The room did not bear an expression of cosiness with its bare, smoked walls, low ceiling and small, barricaded windows, but the tremendous logs which flared and burned in the uncouth stone fireplace offered a very welcome warmth, for it was bitterly cold out of doors, and the whole country was buried in the snow of a severe winter.
The regiment here was hardly better off than their comrades before Paris, although they belonged to the Southern army corps.
At present two young officers were entering, and the one who still held the door open called laughingly to the one preceding: "Please bend down, Herr Comrade, or you might take our door frame along, for our villa is in rather a dilapidated condition, as you see."
The warning was not without need, for the giant figure of the guest--a Prussian Lieutenant of the Reserve--was not at all in proportion to the door. Nevertheless, he succeeded in entering safely and looked around at the four walls, while his companion, who wore the uniform of a South German regiment, continued: "Permit me to offer you a seat in our 'salon,' which is not so bad considering the circumstances. We have already had it worse during the campaign. So you are looking for Stahlberg? He is with my comrade out at the post, but will probably return directly. You will have to be patient for a quarter of an hour."
"With pleasure," assured the Prussian. "I see from that that Eugene's injury is really as slight as he reported. I looked for him in the hospital, and heard that he was making a visit to the outposts, but as we shall probably march on by to-morrow, I did not wish to let this opportunity pass by unimproved, and therefore came to see him now."
"His wound was indeed only slight--a shot in the arm, which is already far advanced toward healing, but will, nevertheless, disable him for service for a short time. You are a friend of Stahlberg?"
"Yes, and connected besides through the marriage of his sister. I see that you do not remember me, Your Highness. Let me give you my name--Willibald von Eschenhagen. We met last year----"
"At Furstenstein," interrupted Egon von Adelsberg quickly. "Certainly, now I remember you perfectly. It is remarkable how the uniform changes one; I really did not know you at first."
He glanced with a half-admiring look at the once awkward country squire who had appeared so ridiculous to him, but who now possessed a stately, military appearance.
It was not the uniform alone, though, which had changed Willibald so completely. What love had begun the campaign had finished by tearing him from the accustomed surroundings and circumstances. The young Baron had not only, as his Uncle Schonan expressed it, "become a man," but had developed into a true, genuine man.
"Our meeting at that time was a brief one," continued the Prince, "but nevertheless you will permit me to offer my congratulations? You are betrothed----"
"I believe you are under a mistake, Your Highness," interrupted Willibald with some embarrassment. "Although I had been introduced to you at Furstenstein as the future son-in-law of the house, but----"
"That has been changed," finished Egon, smiling. "I knew it, for the comrade of whom I spoke just now is Lieutenant Waldorf, the happy fiancé of Baroness Schonan. My words were meant for Fraulein Marietta Volkmar."
"At present Frau von Eschenhagen."
"What! You are already married?"
"Have been for five months. We were married just before marching orders came, and my wife is now at Burgsdorf with my mother."
"Then accept my congratulations on your marriage. But really, Herr Comrade, I ought to call you to account for the unwarrantable damage you have done to art. Please tell your wife that, as far as I can learn out here in the campaign, the entire Residenz still mourns her loss in sackcloth and ashes."
"I shall not forget it, although I fear the Residenz has not much time for such mourning at present. Ah, the gentlemen are returning--I hear Eugene's voice."
Steps were heard outside and the expected ones entered. Young Stahlberg greeted his relative with an exclamation of the most joyful surprise. He had not seen Willibald during the campaign, although both served in the same army corps. He still bore his arm in a sling, but otherwise looked well and happy.
Eugene did not possess the beauty of his sister, and the feature of decided will-power which the daughter had inherited from her father was missing. The son showed a gentle, more conciliatory nature in his appearance as well as demeanor, but still he resembled his sister closely, which might have been the cause of Prince Adelsberg's intimacy with him.
His companion, a handsome young officer with sparkling, saucy eyes, now approached, and the Prince performed the introduction.
"I will not fear that the gentlemen will challenge each other when I mention the names," he said, jestingly. "They are obliged to be called--so then, Herr von Eschenhagen--Herr von Waldorf."
"God forbid! For my part I am peace personified," cried Waldorf gayly. "Herr von Eschenhagen, I am glad to meet the cousin of my fiancée, and so much more so because he is already in the bonds of holy matrimony. We also would have liked to do as you did--marry before the march--but my father-in-law put on his grimmest mien and declared, 'Gain victory first and then marry.' Well, we have done the first continually for five months, and as soon as I return home I shall speedily ask for the second."
He cordially shook the hand of his bride-elect's former fiancé, then turned to the Prince.
"We brought along something for Your Highness--something we seized outside. Orderly of Rodeck, advance to His Highness--the Lieutenant, Prince Adelsberg."
The door opened, and in spite of the gathering twilight the Prince recognized the wrinkled face and snow-white hair of him who entered. He started.
"All good spirits defend us! It is Peter Stadinger!"
It was, indeed, the live Stadinger who stood before his young master. He did not seem to be wholly a stranger to the others, for although they now saw him for the first time, they greeted his appearance with the liveliest joy.
"Above everything, let us have light to take a good look at the 'Waldgeist' of His Highness," cried Waldorf, lighting candles and holding them with comical solemnity close before the old man.
Egon laughed.
"You see, Stadinger, what a well-known and frequently spoken of person you are here. Now let me introduce you in proper form. Behold here, gentlemen, Peter Stadinger--celebrated for his unequaled churlishness and his moral lectures, which make one quake. He probably thinks I cannot exist without them, and he will doubtless give to me here also upon the battlefield the satisfaction of this friendly habit. I hope that some of it will fall upon your heads, gentlemen--and now begin, Stadinger!"
But the old man, instead of obeying, grasped the hand of his master in both of his and said in a heartrending tone: "Ach, Your Highness, how we have trembled and feared for you at Rodeck!"
"Well, that is polite!" said Eugene Stahlberg, but the Prince assumed a displeased air.
"So? And you therefore took to your legs speedily and left everything to go topsy-turvy at Rodeck. I should not have thought you would neglect your duty like that!"
Stadinger looked at him in doubting perplexity.
"But I have come according to orders. Your Highness has written me to make haste and come and take Louis from the hospital--you would attend to the travel and everything. I arrived this noon, and found the lad as well as could be expected. The doctor thinks I can take him home with me in a week, for then all danger would be over. But the kindness Your Highness has shown to Louis and all the others from Rodeck who are in the army can never be told. May God reward you a thousand times!"
Egon withdrew his hand impatiently.
"It is 'Herr Lieutenant' now, remember that. I insist upon my military title--and what does this mean, now that when I count upon your churlishness you are meek as a lamb and give us a pathetic scene! I forbid it! This Louis, gentlemen, is a grandson of this old Waldgeist--a fine, brave fellow, but he has a sister who is much handsomer. I am sorry to say this senseless grandfather sends her away regularly when I go to Rodeck. Why did Lena not come along? You should have thought of bringing her."
This proved effective against the meekness and affection, which were as unusual as embarrassing.
Stadinger drew himself up rigidly and replied with his usual terseness: "I believed Your Highness had no time here in the war to think about such foolishness."
"Aha, now it is coming!" said the Prince under his breath to Waldorf, who stood beside him, but aloud he continued: "That is where you are very much mistaken. A fellow gets uncivilized in the war, and when I return home again----"
"Then Your Highness has promised to get married at last," reminded the old man in the most emphatic tone, which called forth general laughter among the young officers. Egon joined it, but his laugh sounded forced, just as did his reply:
"Yes, yes; I have promised, but I have reconsidered the matter in the meantime. I may keep my word in ten years or perhaps in twenty, but no sooner."
Stadinger, who in spite of the command would not have used the title of Lieutenant under any consideration, because that would be a humiliation to the ducal family in his eyes, flew into a high state of indignation and gave free vent to it.
"If I do not almost believe it! If Your Highness has really for once a sensible thought, it does not hold good for twenty-four hours--and your sacred father a married man, too! Man has to marry, anyhow, and all foolishness stops of its own accord after marriage."
"Now that he is in the run of it, gentlemen, let him moralize to you," cried Egon, and the young officers, to whom this was great fun, teased the poor Stadinger until he lost all respect and exhibited himself in the full halo of his admonitory nature.
Half an hour later Willibald and Eugene Stahlberg approached the Prince to take leave.
"You march on by to-morrow?" he asked.
"At daybreak. We march toward R----, where Major-General von Falkenried is stationed with his brigade, though it will take several days to reach there, for the whole country between here and the fortress is occupied by the enemy, and we have to clear our way."
"But tell the General, Willy, that I shall follow in at least a week," said Eugene. "It is bad enough that I have to remain behind so long on account of a shot wound not worth mentioning. Next week I shall report myself well, whatever the doctor may say, and after that I shall join my regiment without delay--I hope before the capture of R----"
"You must, indeed, make haste then," said Egon, "for resistance does not last long usually where General Falkenried stands; we have seen that often enough. He is always in front with his men always the first to storm a place, and has already won inconceivable things. It seems as if no impossibility exists for him."
"But he has the good luck to be always put in the front," grumbled Lieutenant Waldorf. "Now again he is to take R----, while we lie here, God knows how long. And he will take possession of it--there is no doubt of that--perhaps he has taken it already. News reaches us only by roundabout ways so long as the enemy stands between us."
He arose to escort the two gentlemen out, while the Prince remained behind.
Standing before the fire with folded arms, he gazed into it, and his face bore an expression not in accordance with the gayety which he had but now been showing. Seriously, yet gloomily, he looked into the dancing flames, and the shadow would not leave his usually sunny eyes.
He seemed to have forgotten the presence of Stadinger, but as the latter made himself heard by clearing his throat, he started.
"Ah, you are still here? Remember me to Louis and tell him I will come to see him again to-morrow. We don't have to say farewell yet, as you remain here for the present. You did not think we had such gay times here? Yes, one makes life easy as possible when one has to be ready every day to lose it."
The old man stood before his master and looked sharply into his eyes, then he spoke half aloud:
"Yes, the gentlemen were gay and Your Highness the gayest of all but you are not happy in spite of it."
"I? What do you mean? Why should I not be happy?"
"I don't know that, but still I see it," insisted Stadinger. "When Your Highness used to come from Furstenstein, or were up to all sorts of things with Herr Rojanow, you looked different and laughed different, and just now when you looked into the fire it seemed to me as if Your Highness had something very heavy upon your heart."
"Get away with all your observations!" cried Egon, to whom his old Waldgeist was again becoming uncomfortable. "Do you suppose we are always jolly? I should say that when one has the bloody battlefield always before the mind, earnest thoughts come near."
Nothing could be said to that, and Stadinger remained silent, but he could not be deceived. He knew quite well that something was wrong with his young master, and that something was hidden behind this ostensibly exhibited gayety.