"But Lieschen? I have heard you say you should be glad to have Lieschen marry Albrecht. What if she should take a fancy to the Candidate?"
"No fear of that. The little witch has no idea of taking a fancy to any one, and as for the wish I may have expressed to you some time ago, I confess that I no longer cherish it. It arose from my desire to indemnify our cousin for the loss of the estate, but Lieschen's happiness is my first consideration, and I do not think Albrecht is the man to make a woman happy. He is wanting in force of character, he cannot forget his gay life in the capital, indeed I am afraid that he has continued it in his frequent visits to Berlin, and that he is in debt again. But why should we puzzle our brains with what the future has in store for us? I cannot deny that it is a disagreeable sensation, the not knowing what to think of this strange man, I wish we had some one else, even although much more awkward and uninstructed, for Fritz's tutor, but since we have him and have undertaken certain obligations with regard to him, they must be fulfilled. We must show him all the respect we would have Fritz feel for him, we must receive him into our domestic circle that he may feel at home here, but in the mean time we must observe him closely, and should he neglect his duty, or prove to be unfitted for his situation, we can, as we agreed to, part with him."
"But Lieschen?"
"Will take piano-lessons from him. Do not worry yourself unnecessarily; you can always superintend the girl's music-lessons if it will make you less anxious to do so, and can soon convince yourself that there is no danger for the child in Herr Pigglewitch."
Frau von Osternau was not so easy in her mind, but she did not contradict her husband, she only resolved to watch her daughter and the Candidate closely, not only during the music-lessons, but at all times when they were together. The idea of her child's entertaining any warmer feeling for Herr Pigglewitch than that which a pupil should have for a teacher was extremely distasteful to her. She was not reassured when, soon after the above conversation, she saw the riders return from their visit to the harvesters, and observed the gentle, happy smile with which Lieschen thanked the Candidate for the ready, easy aid which he lent her in dismounting. The mother imagined that she perceived a change in her unconscious child.
Fritz, who had preceded his sister and her cavalier, and had been seeing that his favourite pony was properly attended to, rushed into the room. He had a long story to tell his father and mother, first about the charms of his new tutor during the study-hour, and then of his wonderful riding. "Even Herr Storting grew pale when he saw Soliman tearing down to the Oster, but Herr Pigglewitch didn't care, he only laughed; ah, he knows how to ride! why, he rides better than even Cousin Albrecht!"
Fritz poured out his raptures over his new tutor, much to his father's delight, while Frau von Osternau's maternal anxiety was sensibly increased. She was hardly pleased when her husband sent old Hildebrandt to invite the Candidate to take tea with the family at eight o'clock, in the sitting-room; it seemed to her that it was too speedy a welcome to the domestic circle.
But her fears were appeased when Lieschen, having taken off her habit, made her appearance, and talked without reserve or embarrassment of her ride. The very fact of her expressing with perfect frankness her admiration for the fearless rider and his courage reassured her mother, and when the girl went on to give a faithful account of her conversation with the Candidate, and the rebuke she had administered to him for entertaining such wicked ideas with regard to suicide, her parents exchanged glances of entire satisfaction.
"Was I not right?" Herr von Osternau asked his wife, with a smile, and she nodded a pleased assent. Lieschen's freedom from all reserve had quite reassured her, although, as she repeated to herself, her fears had not been altogether groundless, since the girl's interest in the stranger was evident from her manner of speaking of him. Even when she blamed him there was an unwonted seriousness in her voice and manner, she really seemed to have suddenly grown older.
Egon appeared punctually at eight o'clock in accordance with his invitation, and immediately afterwards Albrecht arrived, not by any means pleased to find the Candidate installed as a member of the circle. His humour was not improved by hearing Herr von Osternau request the tutor to consider himself henceforth as one of the family, joining them at tea whenever he felt so inclined, without further invitation, a privilege hitherto enjoyed by the Lieutenant alone. The two other inspectors never appeared at the tea-table without being specially invited to do so.