Why should Egon be repelled by this frank display of cordiality? He could not tell. As Herr von Massenburg spoke, the resemblance between his daughter and himself increased; but this did not lessen Egon's distaste for the man. Every friendly word that he spoke seemed to the young fellow a conscious falsehood, and he reciprocated but coldly the other's kindness.
Nothing deterred by Egon's reserve of manner, Werner continued to pour forth his joy upon the occasion of this 'resurrection,' as he called it, and his self-congratulations that it was not too late to prevent the mischief which might have ensued upon any longer continuance in the belief of Egon's death. "Your father knows," he said, "how pained I was to be forced to resign all our delightful schemes for the union of our families, and that I am all the more rejoiced now that the hope of their fulfilment blooms afresh."
"If I am not mistaken, Fräulein von Massenburg is betrothed to a certain Herr von Wangen?" Egon said, quietly.
"True," Massenburg replied, no whit embarrassed. "In the distressing situation in which my daughter was placed, I was forced to have recourse to some means to vindicate her imperilled reputation. A very well-to-do landed proprietor, an honest but rather insignificant young fellow, proposed for her. I gave my consent, hard as it was for me, and harder still as it was for my daughter to submit to the lot thus decided upon for her. She considered herself, so she wrote me, as the widow of one so suddenly snatched from her and from the world. The supposition under which both Bertha and myself, as Herr von Wangen well knows, were induced to give our consent to the betrothal proves to be erroneous, and the betrothal is consequently void. I gladly consent to declare it so, since your father informs me of your readiness to accede to our old plans."
"But Fräulein von Massenburg and Herr von Wangen?" Egon asked.
"Bertha will be happy to be liberated from a tie that is odious to her, and Herr von Wangen must resign himself to the inevitable. I will write to him to-day, and shall rejoice to welcome you, my dear Ernau, as my future son-in-law."
"I regret, Herr von Massenburg," Egon said, quietly, but firmly, "that I can make no claim to the title with which you would honour me. I could never consent to be the cause of the rupture of an engagement which has been publicly announced."
"What new whim is this?" the Councillor exclaimed, angrily. "Why did you send me to Herr von Massenburg?"
"I did not send you, sir."
"But you made no reply when I told you that I would arrange that the betrothal should be declared void."