"In that case a change of place would necessarily follow," continued the Assessor. "I should in all probability remove to the capital. I have influential connections there. You do not know the capital, Fräulein ..." And thereupon he began to describe the city life and amusements, to vaunt the influential relatives, skilfully contriving to group all these advantages around himself as central figure. Gretchen listened, half curious, half thoughtful. The brilliant pictures now unrolled before her were seductive to the eyes of a young country-bred maiden. She leaned her blonde head on her hand, and gazed meditatively at the table-cover. Evidently, to her thinking, the drawback lay in that unavoidable corollary of the present Assessor and future Counsellor. The latter saw his advantage right well, however, and made no delay in following it up. He prepared to open a full battery on the besieged fort.
"But, in spite of all this, I shall feel lonely and desolate there," he said, pathetically, "for I shall leave my heart behind, Fräulein Margaret."
Gretchen grew frightened. She saw that the Assessor, who after pronouncing her name had made a long dramatic pause, was now rising from his chair with the unmistakable intention of falling on his knees before her. The solemnity and ceremony with which he went through these preliminaries to a love scene were, however, destined to prove fatal to him. They gave the girl time for reflection. She sprang up in her turn.
"Excuse me one minute. I think--I think the house door has fallen to. Papa won't be able to get in when he comes back. I must go and open it!" and she rushed out of the room.
The Assessor stood with his dramatic pause, and knees half bent to do her homage, the picture of consternation. It was the second time to-day his chosen one had fled from him, and such bashfulness began to be inconvenient. But it never occurred to him to think of a serious resistance. She was acting from caprice, coquetry, perhaps even--the suitor smiled--fear of his irresistible ascendancy. Evidently she dared not say him nay, so took flight in charming confusion, postponing the decisive moment. There was something exceedingly consoling to the Assessor in this thought, and though he regretted having once more failed to attain his object, he never doubted of his final victory. He so thoroughly understood what he was about!
The pretext used by the young girl was not altogether a vain one. The hall door, pushed by some careless hand, had really closed with a bang. It is true that, at his return, the steward would only have had to call from outside to one of the maids to have it opened; but his daughter did not seem to think of this. She rushed through the adjoining room out into the hall.
An exclamation of pain and one of alarm resounded in the same instant. As Gretchen violently thrust open the door, a stranger, who at that very moment had grasped the handle from outside, struck by the sudden rebound, staggered back several paces and would have fallen, if some one who was with him had not caught and supported him.
"Good gracious, what is it?" cried the girl.
"I beg your pardon a thousand times," said a timid voice in a tone of great courtesy.
Gretchen looked up in surprise at the man who excused himself so politely for having nearly been knocked down, while yet in the act of raising himself to an upright posture. Before she had time for an answer, the other stranger drew near and addressed himself to her.