Elise made no reply, but the shadowy smile that hovered about her mouth seemed to indicate that she had her own opinion with regard to what was so incomprehensible to Wangen, who dwelt at length upon the unaccountable bestowal of Herr von Ernau's confidence. He was very sorry that he had been able to have only five minutes of conversation with Storting, but he was resolved to drive over to Plagnitz shortly and have a talk with his friend about the dear old times.
At mention of the dear old times Elise sighed, whereupon Bertha bestowed upon her a glance of displeasure: she too remembered them, but they were anything but dear to her. Suddenly recalling in her displeasure her cause of offence with Clara, she said, ill-humouredly, "We have had enough of your Herr Storting for the present: the account of your meeting him drove out of my head for a while the urgent request I was about to make you that Clara should be sent to boarding-school. You have no idea how pert and headstrong the child is becoming. Elise seems quite unable to govern her, and I really must appeal to you, both for the girl's sake and my own. Elise's incapacity is a great disadvantage to her pupil."
"That is not true!" Clara declared.
"Hush, Clara! I am talking with your brother and guardian."
"But, Bertha, I cannot hush when you say what is not true. You began our quarrel, and Elise did all she could to prevent it. It was your fault that I was pert; you made me angry by threatening to ask Hugo to send me away from here----"
"That is precisely what I ask of him," Bertha angrily declared. "You hear, Hugo, how impertinent the child is. You cannot hesitate as to what should be done."
She was angrier than her husband had ever before seen her, but her anger became her. To Hugo she looked adorably beautiful, with her large black eyes flashing, her cheeks flushed, and her lovely lip curled. He did not like angry people, he was too easy and good-natured himself, but even anger charmed him in his wife. He said, smiling, "My darling, my darling, you exaggerate. Fräulein von Osternau, will you have the goodness to take Clara to her room for a while, that I may quietly discuss this matter with my wife?"
Elise inclined her head in assent and withdrew, taking Clara with her. The girl went willingly, but cast a glance of defiance at her sister-in-law as she left the room, thus further exasperating Bertha's angry mood. "Surely, Hugo," she said, when the husband and wife were alone together, "you cannot wish to expose me to such insult at the hands of a child? I cannot have Clara in the house any longer."
"You will listen to reason, darling," Wangen replied, in his easy, good-humoured way, "when your present irritation has subsided. You know how gladly I comply with every wish of yours if I can do so, but you must not require of me the impossible. Clara is my only sister. I promised my mother on her death-bed to be a father to her, and I promised my father never to allow her to leave me, except to become the wife of some worthy man. I cannot break such promises; and really the child is good at heart and affectionate; she is a little pert and forward, perhaps, but she responds instantly to kindness. You see how devotedly attached she has become to Elise."
"That is just it. Although you will not see it, they are leagued against me. Elise hates me. Years ago, at Castle Osternau, she showed only too plainly her invincible dislike of me. I never can forget how I was forced then to feign affection for her, and how she never neglected an opportunity to repulse me. Then I was dependent, now it is her turn,--her turn to feign and dissemble, although I can see how it galls her pride to do so."