“Why surely, dear, you did not find anyone at Seon with whom you could fall in love! I beg Major Stultz’s pardon, but—a—the company at Seon is a——”
“Oh, there were some very nice people there this year; Count Zedwitz and his family—his son, I am almost sure, proposed to Hildegarde, though she won’t acknowledge it.”
“Count Zedwitz! why, surely, Hildegarde would not be such a fool as to refuse such a——”
“Hush, dearest—it’s the greatest possible secret; and Hildegarde would never forgive me if she knew——”
“I don’t believe a word of it,” said the Doctor’s wife, arranging a stray ringlet; “I don’t believe a word of it. Hildegarde would have talked if there had been even a shadow of probability of such a thing. As to her having refused him, that is out of the nature of things! I suppose, dear,” she added, shaking back her curls, “I suppose he turned to you when he was tired of Hildegarde? Did she frighten him with a fit of fury, as she did me the day I read the letter from her father, which she had mislaid in the school-room? Do you remember how she stormed and called me dishonourable, and said I was capable of any horrible act? I never forgave that Mademoiselle Hortense for not taking my part; but all the governesses were so proud of Hildegarde’s beauty, after her picture was painted, that she was allowed to do as she pleased.”
“Don’t talk of her,” said Crescenz, in a low voice; “I know you never liked her.”
“They called us the rival beauties at school, you know, which was quite enough to make us hate each other all our lives; but now that I am married, all rivalry has ceased. I have got a position in society, especially since the Doctor has been called in to attend the royal family, and——”
“You don’t say so,” exclaimed Crescenz, interrupting her.
“Yes, my dear, he is not exactly appointed, but when the other physicians were out of town, he was sent for to attend one of the ladies of the court, who had been obliged to remain behind from illness, and she promised to use all her influence for him; indeed, his practice is so extensive that he does not require anything of the kind—but then for appearance’ sake—and it sounds well, you know—it sounds well!” and she played with her pocket-handkerchief, which was trimmed with very broad cotton lace. “But I forgot, you were going to tell me that you had fallen in love with somebody at Seon; if it were not this Count Zedwitz, who was it?”
“Nobody,” said Crescenz, wiping her eyes with her little cotton handkerchief, ornamented with a few coarse indigo-dyed threads for a border; “Nobody!”