About an hour afterwards, Hildegarde returned home, and changed her dress. She found her father, mother, and Major Stultz talking eagerly in the drawing-room; the moment she appeared, her father exclaimed, “See there is Hildegarde already in mourning! I am sure a natural feeling of propriety induced her to put on a black dress.”
“A natural feeling of pride,” cried Madame Rosenberg; “she wishes people to know that a Count Raimund was her cousin; her aunt, however, the Countess, examined her superciliously enough through her lorgnette to-day, without in the least appearing to remember the relationship.”
“What is the matter?” said Hildegarde appealing to her father.
“The matter!” cried Madame Rosenberg. “Your father most absurdly wishes you and your sister to put on mourning for your worthless cousin, and proposes Crescenz’s marriage being deferred until after Easter. Heaven knows, in these cholera times, where we may all be in six or seven weeks.”
“Babette!” said her husband reproachfully, “this is going too far.”
“Well, I did not quite mean to say so much, but I am against any further delays; let the girls wear mourning if you wish it, and I promise to arrange the wedding so quietly that no one will know anything about the matter.”
“This is a reasonable proposal,” said Major Stultz. “Crescenz can put on her mourning after her marriage and wear it for six months, if you wish it.”
“A few weeks, for decency’s sake,” said Mr. Rosenberg, “I certainly do desire. Count Oscar at least acknowledged the relationship, and his parents’ neglect cannot alter the position of my daughters, or prevent them from mourning the unhappy end of their mother’s nephew.”
In the meantime Hamilton had approached Hildegarde. and asked her how her friend had borne the intelligence.
“We did not venture to tell her. She still thinks and talks of cholera; but,” she added, in a low voice, “imagine Madame de Hoffmann taking me aside, and in the most abrupt and unfeeling manner informing me of the real facts, fixing her small inquisitive eyes on my face the whole time. She little knew how well prepared I was for her intelligence.”