It needed not Oldenburg's sagacity to see that this message, which might have been carried just as well by a servant, had a deeper meaning. Helen had taken the very greatest pains to state her request in a natural tone of voice, but the effort was visible, and this and Emily's intent gaze, together with her ghastly pale face, furnished a very clear commentary to Helen's words.
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"I shall obey your orders promptly and literally," said the baron, bowing, and leaving the ball-room with longer strides than usual.
In the mean time, Oswald had wandered about in the room without a fixed purpose. He had at first intended, as soon as he had spoken to Helen, to return to Bruno, but it occurred to him that the boy might be really asleep, and that he should then only disturb him. Perhaps, also, the vague hope of seeing Helen once more, and that demoniacal power which drives men, unconsciously and unwillingly, to drift towards their fate, kept him from carrying out his resolution. Hardly knowing how he had come to that part of the house, he suddenly found himself in one of the rooms on the other side of the château, where a number of gentlemen were crowding around a large table. Some were seated, others standing. Baron Barnewitz sat in the middle and held bank. He had apparently had much luck. Large piles of gold and silver and bank-notes lay before him, and were continually increasing. Felix sat near him. He played passionately, but, as it seemed, without luck. His face was very red, his eyes bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead swollen into knots. He hardly listened to what some of his friends behind him said; some of whom tried to encourage him, while others dissuaded him. Oswald happened to come to stand right opposite him; Felix only noticed him after some time, and it was very perceptible that his restlessness increased more and more. He drank glass after glass from a bottle that was standing at his elbow, and doubled and trebled his stakes, without any other result than that he lost twice and thrice as much as he had done before.
Another roll of gold had just wandered from his place to the great pile before Barnewitz; Felix drew out his pocketbook, and selected a very large bank-note from the papers it contained.
"You do not mean to venture the whole sum at once, Grenwitz?" asked Grieben, bending his giraffe-like neck over him.
"Are you mad, Grenwitz?" said Cloten, who had just entered with Sylow.
"Ah, pshaw!" replied Felix. "That shortens the process."
"Faites votre jeu, messieurs!" cried Barnewitz, taking a new pack of cards in his hand.