"You are not compelled to show so exceeding much respect and awe, Herr von Eschenhagen. I will allow you to remain near the piano. Has not Toni told you that I am on the stage?"
"Toni--no!" Willibald burst out, having lost his composure completely. "But she is waiting for me. I must return to Furstenstein. I have tarried here already too long."
"You are very polite," laughed the girl, gayly. "That is not very flattering to us, but since you are engaged you must naturally return to your fiancée."
"Yes, and to my mamma," said Willibald, who had a dark feeling that something awful threatened him, before which his mother appeared as a saving angel. "I beg your pardon, but I have stayed here already too long----"
He stopped, for he remembered that he had already said that once, and searched for other words, but could not find any, and, unhappily, repeated the phrase for the third time.
Marietta almost choked with laughter, but Dr. Volkmar declared politely that they did not wish to detain him any longer, and begged him to take his regards to the Chief Forester and Fraulein von Schonan.
The young lord scarcely heard. He looked for his hat, made a bow, stammered a few words of adieu and ran off as if his head was burning. He had but one thought--that he must leave as quickly as possible; that gay, teasing laugh made him crazy.
When Volkmar, who had escorted Willibald to the door, returned, his granddaughter was wiping the tears from her eyes, quite overcome with laughter.
"I believe something is wrong with Toni's betrothed here," she cried, putting a delicate ringer to her forehead. "At first he ran behind me, mutely carrying the bag like a fish wife; then he seemed to thaw at my singing, and now he is seized with an attack of something and runs away to Furstenstein to his 'mamma,' so quickly that I could not even send a greeting to his betrothed."
The doctor smiled a little plaintively. He had observed closely and guessed whence came this sudden change of manner in his guest.