Winterfeld frowned, and turned away, but Max went on, quite undisturbed:
"This anxious hesitation and avoidance of a happiness which by a bold stroke you might yet secure, this overstrained delicacy of feeling, these doubts and scruples, will last until you find yourself forestalled by another less delicate than yourself, and then for a second time you will wear the willow. Yes, I see my words offend you, but I tell you this--whereas, and seeing that, you cannot get the better of this unreasonable love of yours, you must marry. The thing is as clear as day."
"Your experience would naturally lead you to suggest such a course," said George, with a forced smile. "You have made trial of the remedy with the happiest result. Your wife is a charming creature."
"Yes, she does honour to my treatment, does she not?"
Chatting thus, they had completed the round of the garden, and now again approached the house. In the veranda sat Dr. Brunnow and his daughter-in-law, who was reading the newspaper to him. The Doctor was certainly much aged, and it was not difficult to see that he was ill both in body and mind. His former irritability had vanished, and had given place to a sort of dull apathy which but rarely kindled with a gleam of the old passionate fire. Agnes, on the other hand, had developed into a blooming young woman, uniting with all her own gentleness of aspect a certain new dignity of look and bearing. A boy of about two years was playing at his mother's feet. Directly he caught sight of the gentlemen, he rose to his feet, and, still with a rather tottering gait, ran forward to meet his father. Max cleared the steps at a bound, and threw the child high in the air.
"Look at this young man," he cried, with paternal pride, holding the sturdy, rosy-cheeked youngster towards his friend. Then he turned to his wife, "George will stay with us to-day, dear," he said. "He must set out on his journey again to-morrow, I am sorry to say--but until then he will be our guest. Will you see that all is made ready for him?"
The young wife was indeed charming in her manner, as she turned, and in gracious words expressed to her husband's friend the pleasure his visit gave her. Then she rose, wishing, she said, to make sure that the spare room was in perfect order.
"I will take the boy with me," she observed. "He is accustomed to have an hour's nap at noon. You will carry him up to his bedroom for me, Max, will you not?"
"I must stay with George," replied her husband. "The young one must learn to get upstairs by himself. He is big enough."
"As you like, dear," said Agnes, with sweet and ready acquiescence; "but Rudolph is so used to be carried by you. He will cry, if you won't do as he wants."