"No, Benno, 'tis not so bad as that. I have simply been forced to make my father- and mother-in-law understand that their untitled son-in-law is perfectly capable of maintaining his position."
"Aha! 'sits the wind in that corner?' What has happened?"
"Not much. As I told you, we promised to finish our wedding-tour by a visit to my wife's parents in Heilborn, where my mother-in-law is taking the waters. We found her there in a very exclusive circle, which graciously admitted me, although it made me quite sensible that I owed the honour to my having married a Baroness Ernsthausen. I showed but little appreciation of the amiable reception accorded me, inasmuch as I declined joining a picnic arranged for yesterday. Of course this provoked much aristocratic indignation; my respected mother-in-law declared me a tyrant, maintaining that her friends alone were fit associates for her daughter, and at last inducing Molly to be obstinate. I told her she was perfectly free to accept the invitation for herself, and she did so."
"And went without you?"
"Without me. An hour afterwards I was on my way to see you,--I meant at all events to see you before I went back to the city,--leaving behind me a brief note explaining my absence."
"It was a great piece of audacity on your part to marry into so aristocratic a family," said Benno, shaking his head. "You see marriage by no means puts an end to your troubles."
"No, but I was perfectly well aware that I should have to fight my way to independence."
"Can you be quite sure of your wife?"
Gersdorf smiled, both at the words and at the grave tone in which they were uttered: "Indeed I can. Molly is still a child, it is true,--a spoiled child who has never been trained,--but her heart is true as steel. Do you suppose I enjoyed leaving the wayward little creature? She must learn that a husband's rights are to be respected; if I had yielded to my mother-in-law on this occasion there would have been no end to her interference, and that I will not tolerate."
It was plain to see that it had not been easy for the young fellow to keep his resolution; his eyes turned longingly to the window that looked out on the road to Heilborn, while Benno sat lost in admiration of his cousin's strength of character. He himself would have made any sacrifice to a tyrannical mother-in-law rather than grieve a woman whom he loved.