She had seemed lost to and forgotten by her former husband until she suddenly reappeared in Germany, where Major Falkenried now held an important position in the large military school at the Residenz.
* * * * *
It was about a week after the arrival of Hartmut at Burgsdorf. Frau von Eschenhagen was in her sitting-room with Major Falkenried, who had but just arrived.
The topic of their conversation seemed to be very serious and of a rather disagreeable nature, for Falkenried listened with a gloomy face to his friend, who was speaking.
"I noticed Hartmut's changed demeanor the third or fourth day. The boy, whose mirth at first knew no bounds, so that I even threatened to send him back home, suddenly became subdued. He committed no more foolish pranks, but roamed for hours through the woods alone, and when he returned was always dreaming with his eyes open, to such an extent that one had almost to awake him. 'He is beginning to get sensible,' said Herbert; but I said, 'Things are not going right; there is something behind all this,' and I questioned my Willy, who also appeared quite peculiar. He was actually in the plot. He had surprised the two one day. Hartmut had made him promise to keep silent, and my boy positively hid something from me, his mother! He confessed only when I got after him seriously. Well, he will not do it a second time. I have taken care of that."
"And Hartmut? What did he say?" interrupted the Major hastily.
"Nothing at all, for I have not spoken a syllable to him about it. He would probably have asked me why he should not see and speak to his own mother, and only--his father can give him the answer to that question."
"He has probably heard it already from the other side," said Falkenried bitterly; "but he has hardly learned the truth."
"I fear so, too, and therefore I did not lose a minute in notifying you after discovering the affair. But what next?"
"I shall have to interfere now," replied the Major with forced composure. "I thank you, Regine. I apprehended trouble when your letter called me so imperatively. Herbert was right. I ought not to have allowed my son to leave my side for an hour under the circumstances. But I believed him safe from every approach here at Burgsdorf. And he anticipated the trip with such pleasure--he longed for it almost passionately. I did not have the heart to refuse him. He is happy, anyway, only when absent from me."