What could Herr von Osternau reply to such arguments? he did not try to reply, seeing that Bertha's mind was fully made up.
That afternoon Herr von Wangen and the Lieutenant both took their departure, and at noon of the following day a lengthy dispatch was received at Castle Osternau. It announced the full and free consent of Herr Werner von Massenburg that the betrothal should be made public, and also stated that Herr von Wangen would certainly return by noon of the next day to his fair betrothed.
He did so punctually, beaming with delight, overjoyed at the reception he had met with from his future father-in-law. In truth, Werner von Massenburg had bestowed his paternal blessing upon the union so soon as he was informed that no dowry was looked for. Of course, Herr von Wangen's delicacy led him to suppress this last fact, as also the slight circumstance of Werner's explanation as to his present pecuniary embarrassments, in view of which Herr von Wangen had signed a checque for two thousand marks to relieve the worthy gentleman from his temporary trouble. On the other hand, he told with great delight how Werner had hastened to present him to several of his friends, among whom were Herr von Sastrow and his wife, whom he had called upon, and from whom he had received cordial congratulations. Herr von Sastrow had declared that this betrothal would put an instant stop to all malicious gossip.
Herr von Wangen was in such a state of rapture that there were positively no shadows in the picture which he painted of his journey. The Lieutenant had been the most delightful travelling companion, only unfortunately they had not seen each other after parting at the Berlin railway-station. Werner von Massenburg was a fine, open-hearted man, just such a father-in-law as he had always wanted, and Herr von Sastrow and all the father-in-law's friends were most delightful people. But what filled the young man with the wildest joy was that Werner had expressly desired that the marriage should take place as soon as possible, since he disliked long engagements.
When Bertha declared with a blush that she should be guided entirely by the wishes of her betrothed, and when Herr von Osternau expressed himself willing to dispense with the services of his third inspector so soon as harvest should be over, that the young man might immediately betake himself to West Prussia and undertake the charge of the family estates, Herr von Wangen was transported to the highest heaven of felicity.
He adored his charming betrothed, and never noticed that Lieschen's manner towards her was more coolly reserved than ever, nor dreamed that he was the object of the sad, compassionate expression that sometimes appeared in the young girl's eyes. He was fairly intoxicated with bliss. He was perpetually with his betrothed. She paid him visits in the fields, she went to meet him when he returned to the castle. And then the evenings, the delicious evenings! Herr von Wangen did not observe that the little circle was in general silent and monosyllabic, that Lieschen bent silently over her embroidery, and that Herr von Osternau frequently resigned himself to revery. So long as he could exchange glances with Bertha and hang upon every word she uttered, his cup of happiness was full to the brim.
Herr von Osternau was far from easy in his mind. He could not forget the sad event that had so lately occurred, and he shared his wife's anxiety upon another point. Since Lieschen had so boldly entered the lists for Pigglewitch against the Lieutenant, Herr von Osternau had agreed with his wife in believing that the young girl's feelings for the tutor were warmer than those of a pupil for a teacher. He took a lively interest in the young man, indeed he was surprised to find how much he missed his conversation and his charming music, but he could not but see that his wife was right in regarding the tutor as a most undesirable son-in-law. Lieschen's attachment to him caused him all the greater anxiety since he could not reconcile it with his sense of justice to dismiss the young man as his wife advised.
The old Herr really dreaded, therefore, the Candidate's return, and he had a sense of relief when day after day passed and the tutor did not come back to the castle.
Five days had thus gone by without bringing tidings of either the Lieutenant or the Candidate, when the post-bag brought two letters for Herr von Osternau, one from Berlin addressed in the Lieutenant's handwriting, and the other postmarked Hirschberg and addressed by Pigglewitch. This last Herr von Osternau opened first, read it, and then turned to his wife. "A strange letter!" he exclaimed, "as strange and enigmatical as its writer. Only listen." And according to his custom of reading aloud to his family all his letters which contained nothing private and confidential, he read aloud: "Farewell! I cannot tell you how hard it is for me to part from you, from the generous, high-hearted man whom I so respect, from my dear pupil Fritzchen, who has grown into my heart, and from the kindly family-circle where I have passed such happy hours. But it must be done in spite of the pain it gives me, pain increased by a sense of guilt. You trusted me and I deceived you. My entire life in your home was a lie. Even now, when I am going from you, I cannot tell you the truth, I can only pray you to forgive a most unhappy man, who never can forget the gratitude he owes you. Farewell!"
"There is no signature," said Herr von Osternau, handing the letter to his wife. "The man is in all respects a riddle, only one thing seems clear, and that is that we shall not see Herr Pigglewitch again."