"Willy, what do you say to it? Willy, do you not hear? I actually believe he has fallen asleep."
Alas! the supposition proved correct. While the March of the Janissaries thundered over the keys, Willy had softly and sweetly fallen asleep, slumbering so soundly that he did not even now awake. This seemed too much for his mother, who had also approached. She grasped his arm sharply.
"But, Willy, whatever does this mean? Are you not ashamed of yourself?"
The young lord, shaken and scolded on all sides, finally aroused himself and sleepily gazed around. "What--what shall I---- Yes, it was beautiful, dear Toni."
"I believe it," cried the Chief with an angry laugh. "Do not trouble yourself to play any more, my child. Come, we will let your groom-elect have his nap out in peace. He has good nerves; one must confess that."
Saying which he took his daughter's arm and left the room, where the fullest maternal wrath now broke over poor Willibald. Frau von Eschenhagen, already provoked by the preceding conversation, did not spare her son, but justified only too well the reproaches of her brother-in-law. She scolded the engaged and soon-to-be-a-husband young man like a schoolboy.
"This surpasses everything conceivable," she concluded in highest indignation. "Your father was not very much at courting, but if he, after two days' betrothal, had fallen asleep while I was entertaining him with my music, I should have aroused him very unceremoniously. Now, do you go immediately to your fiancée and beg her pardon. She is quite right to feel offended."
With which she grasped him by the shoulder and pushed him very emphatically toward the door.
Willy accepted it all very humbly and remorsefully, for he was indeed shocked at his untimely slumber; but he could not help it--he had been so sleepy and the music was so wearying.
Quite crushed, he entered the next room, where Toni stood, rather offended, at the window.