"My Dear Fritz,--Forgive me for delaying my thanks for your prompt response to my request. You must have daily expected my reply, but I could not before inform you exactly when Bertha would go to you. Almost immediately after the arrival of your letter Werner von Massenburg came to me in a state of great perturbation, to tell me that Egon von Ernau had probably not killed himself, but was knocking about in the mountains somewhere. One of his intimate acquaintances had seen him in Breslau two or three days after his disappearance. Werner had himself seen this acquaintance, a certain Baron von Freistetten, and had heard the tidings from his own lips. The Baron assured him that as he was driving to the railway-station in Breslau he had seen Ernau on the sidewalk, walking very quickly. The Baron was in a hurry to catch his train, and so had not accosted his friend, but he knew him well enough to be sure that it was he. He nodded to him from the carriage, but Ernau was looking at some books in a bookseller's window, and did not perceive him. If he had known that Ernau was reported dead, the Baron would certainly, even at the risk of losing his train, have stopped and identified the missing man; but he had been absent from the capital for some time, and knew nothing of the gossip current there. However, he is ready to take his oath that the man whom he saw was no other than Egon von Ernau.
"Werner fairly shook with agitation as he recounted this wonderful story to my wife, to Bertha, and to me; he had just come from the Councillor Ernau, whom he reported as quite as much agitated as himself by Freistetten's statement. They discussed what was best to do under the circumstances, and decided that a notice should be sent to the newspapers contradicting the report of the suicide of young Ernau, who had merely left Berlin upon a pleasure-trip. The Councillor was also to engage the police to make search for his son in Breslau. They agreed that if, as they both believed, Egon von Ernau still lived, nothing should be changed in their former arrangements. The Councillor was convinced that his son would not think of relinquishing his claim upon Bertha's hand, especially after the public scandal to which his disappearance had given rise.
"You know Werner Massenburg, and how sanguine he is; nothing that I could say as to the possibility of a mistake on Baron Freistetten's part had any effect upon him. His hopes were again high, and he thought it quite natural that young Ernau, who had always followed the impulse of the moment, should have chosen this time for a short absence from Berlin. According to the unanimous verdict of his companions, the young man was ready to commit any folly, and to carry out, regardless of the feelings of others, any project that might occur to him.
"Neither I nor my wife was convinced by what he said, but Bertha listened to him with sparkling eyes, and declared that nothing should induce her to leave Berlin until the matter of Egon's absence was fully explained; she would write to you instantly and decline your invitation with thanks. I dissuaded her with difficulty from doing so.
"Again, after her father had left us, I entreated her to pause and consider. If young Ernau still lived, his want of regard for the feelings of others had proved him entirely incapable of making a wife happy. I painted her future linked for life with so eccentric, selfish, and blasé a husband; but my words had no effect whatever upon her, she only smiled. Her smile is wonderfully lovely, but it did not then seem lovely to me, it made me shudder.
"She had, she declared with calm decision, no anxiety for the future if she could but attain her desire of becoming young Ernau's wife. If the young man did really, as was by no means certain, feel a certain antipathy for her, which had been the cause of his temporary flight, it should be her task to cure him of his dislike. Without vanity, she was conscious of possessing enough beauty to inflame the heart of any man susceptible to a woman's charms, if she so desired to do. Therefore she must stay in Berlin. So brilliant a match must not be resigned without a struggle. Herr von Ernau's reputed eccentricities mattered nothing to her; he was immensely rich, a gentleman, and born and bred in the best society; these advantages outweighed all else. She laid no claim to idyllic bliss in marriage, she was perfectly indifferent as to whether she could love or even esteem her future husband, if he could but satisfy her requirements in the life she wished to lead, and if, above all, he could deliver her father from his pecuniary embarrassments.
"My good wife listened with positive horror to these declarations, and I was indignant. I cannot tell you how unlovely, with all her beauty, Bertha seemed to us; and we have not recovered from the effects of this impression. The girl has taken the greatest pains to please us since then, and has been charming and bewitching, but in vain. I cannot but think, whenever I look at her, of her sordid views of life, and I do not trust her cordiality; it comes from calculation. She wants to stay with us in Berlin, and therefore she flatters and caresses my wife and myself and anticipates all our wishes.
"Werner supposed that the notice sent to the papers would put a stop to all scandalous gossip, but such has not been the case. You can have no idea of the annoyance to which we have been subjected; my wife actually talks of retiring from society.
"Under these circumstances Bertha must not remain with us any longer at present. I explained this to her to-day and told her that she really must leave for Castle Osternau to-morrow morning. Her eyes flashed as I spoke, and she was evidently tempted to make an angry retort, but she possesses immense self-control: she thanked me most amiably for allowing her to stay with us until now in spite of the annoyance she had caused us. She declared herself quite ready to start for Castle Osternau to-morrow, but at the same time begged that she might return to us if Egon von Ernau ever made his reappearance in the capital. This request was preferred so bewitchingly that I could not but accede to it.
"So Bertha will arrive at Castle Osternau towards evening to-morrow. I know, my dear Fritz, how much I ask of your wife and yourself when I beg you to keep her with you for some time, but I cannot help hoping that this visit may turn out well. Bertha can be extremely delightful if she chooses to be so, and I am sure she will so choose in this case. Farewell. I send a thousand affectionate messages to your wife from her grateful old uncle,