"Nothing! nothing!"
She strove visibly to command herself, and succeeded in doing so somewhat, but the strange look did not leave her eyes, and she involuntarily retreated gradually, drawing Eugen with her almost by force.
Hermann turned away quickly.
"I will not disturb your first meeting with your braut," said he, laying a sharp, sarcastic accent upon the word. "I am going to drive back to the Castle. Au revoir!"
With a hurried bow he left the room and gained the outer door.
So that was Gertrud Walter, Eugen's betrothed, the "little Bürgermädchen," who had appeared so distasteful to his haughty friend, because she "stood in the way of a man's career, and would draw him down to her own narrow sphere." Yes, to be sure, he had pictured her differently, but what a strange contradiction between her childish appearance and the very unchildish answers which she knew how to give. Neither met with the Count's approval; on the contrary, he was vexed that he had allowed himself to be the least impressed by this girl. And then--why did she hate him? Hermann was a closer observer than his passionate friend, he knew very well that it was not fright nor fear, but actual hate, a glowing, energetic hate, which he had seen in her eyes at the mention of his name, such as he had never before seen in any woman's countenance. For what reason did she hate him?
"Bah, I know how it is, Eugen must have betrayed to her in his letters, that it is I who always urge him against this match, and Mademoiselle Walter sees in me the hostile element which threatens her happiness, and therefore honours me with her hate. A pity she wastes her energies on such a small matter!"
The Count's lips curled scornfully, and he mounted to the box in very bad humour, took the reins from the groom, and drove away at a sharp pace. There was a dark, defiant look in his face, as he drove the horses almost recklessly before him; but when, at the end of the village, he met two old women by the wayside, who were on the point of turning out of the way for the Count's equipage in a great hurry, they observed, to their great astonishment, that the Count drove aside and flew past, at some little distance from them.
CHAPTER IV.
Evening had come, but the sultriness of the day still remained, in the west a great thunder cloud hung threateningly, and the harvest people hurried homewards. Without any suspicion of the coming storm, since the wood hid the lowering clouds as yet, Gertrud Walter walked slowly along the footpath which led to the Schloss. She looked still graver and more thoughtful than in the morning, for Eugen's whole being seemed so strangely altered and disturbed. He had not been able to hide his visible disquiet and agitation, had seemed unwilling to answer her questions, and had hurried away, after barely a quarter of an hour's conversation with her, under the pretext that his presence was necessary at the Schloss. Gertrud was certainly embarrassed at this behaviour, but had not the slightest suspicion of anything seriously wrong, she had perfect faith in her fiancé's explanation, that an unpleasant circumstance had occurred, which had greatly annoyed him, and she waited impatiently for the night's meeting, in which he had promised to explain all. She wished to have some share in his unhappiness, wished to advise, comfort, help, so much as she could--she little imagined what explanation awaited her.