E. Werner

“ Eugen clenched his fist in boundless rage.
"Hermann, you are--"
"No insults!" said the Count, authoritatively, raising his hand. "I should have thought you have often enough had opportunity to test my courage. To-day's scene is the open breach of a friendship which has long existed only in name. In the future our paths must lie apart--let that be sufficient."
If Hermann really wished to avoid irritating Eugen still further, he ought not to have spoken in this proud, scornful tone. It robbed him of the last particle of sense remaining to him, and drove him finally to the use of force. ”

“ She was still silent an instant, the words would not come to her lips, and it evidently cost her a powerful effort, as she at last asked--
"You have consented to a duel with Herr von Reinert?"
Hermann shrugged his shoulders.
"You can bear me witness that I have done all that was possible to avoid it, but Eugen knew how to compel me to it. There are forms, the hurtfulness and foolishness of which one sees, and yet one has to bow to them. After what has passed between us, my honour gives me no other choice than to defend it with a weapon in the hand. I must bow to necessity." ”

“ An expression of inexpressible scorn curled Hermann's lips.
"Ah! so it has got as far as that! She throws that in your face, and you endure it?"
"Have I a weapon against it?"
"It lay with you to make yourself independent. I imagined that just your wife's rank and riches would be a spur to urge you to rise to an equal height through your own powers."
Eugen heaved a sigh of resignation.
"Confound it, Hermann, you take it for granted that I have an iron nature like yours, which never needs rest nor refreshment, which pushes forward unceasingly and takes everything by storm. ”

“ In our little capital, where every scandal sleeps unforgotten, to wake again through love of talk, to the ruin of some family--in our own principality, where every important post depends upon favour at Court, and in the midst of a nobility whose prejudices are not yet touched by the faintest breath of advancing opinion, my career would, indeed, have been shattered if Gertrud Brand had become my wife. ”

“ Do not hold me back, I must go."
"And do you really imagine," cried Hermann, "that I will let you go? Oh, your incomprehensibleness does not alarm me any longer. You have given a right over you by this sacrifice which I shall know how to use."
Gertrud looked earnestly at him for a moment.
"No," said she at last, "with this sacrifice I have torn every tie between us for ever. What has happened does not exist for the world, and the daughter of the thief, Brand, can never be the wife of Count Arnau." ”

“ Eugen longed to protest and entreat against his friend's intentions, which he dimly portended, but it was already too late. A dress rustled before the door of the pavilion, and a young lady crossed the threshold.
Countess Antonie Arnau was certainly a being whose appearance could well justify the passion of a young artist. A slender refined figure, and a face of truly poetic beauty. A pair of dark eyes, full of dreamy fire, looked out from a somewhat pale face, surrounded by dark hair, artistically arranged, and falling thickly on her white embroidered morning dress. ”

“ A half stifled cry of delight escaped her lips; she involuntarily raised her arms, and was on the point of hurrying away, when she suddenly remembered Hermann's presence. A deep flush suffused her countenance, she let her arms fall and remained where she was, as if rooted to the ground. The Count had followed the direction of her eyes, and now saw the cause of this sudden change. Eugen Reinert, who, after a hasty question in the passage, strode hastily into the room without observing his friend.
"Gertrud! Um Gotteswillen, you here!" ”

“ Only few, in face of such a choice, would have possessed the courage for conflict; they would have succumbed to swoons or tears, only listening to the voice of the heart, and turning away from the fateful decision. For her own unhappiness Gertrud was not one of the weak ones. A lonely, sad youth, containing bitter experiences enough for a whole life, had steeled her to endurance, but also given her that hardness, which happy people know nothing of. ”

“ Eugen would not show any generosity; she knew that he was revengeful, like all weak people, and seized the opportunity gladly to revenge himself upon the man whose intellectual superiority had so often oppressed and embittered him, and he, too, was sure of his weapon, and seldom failed in his mark.
She fell down on her knees, and in speechless anxiety raised her folded hands. She knew now for whom this prayer was offered, and had known yesterday, when that grave, hard voice had asked so gently, "Gertrud, why do you hate me?" ”

“ Hermann made no answer, his eyes sought the ground darkly.
"Answer me, Count Arnau! If any one on earth has a right to ask, I have. What do you know?"
"All!"
In his blunt, broken tone, lay the whole dashed down power of his nature in one word; the girl stood for a moment as if struck by lightning. ”

“ And you were silent years afterwards, as perhaps no other child would have been, and that made my guardianship of you easy. Must the man, then, hesitate, and be ready to throw off the burden of responsibility he has incurred by no fault of his own?"
Hermann did not answer, but looked moodily into the distance.
"If only we could find a trace of the wife and child! Your enquiries were fruitless, but I renewed them with redoubled zeal, every possible means of discovery are at my command now, but in vain. It really seems as if they had disappeared from the face of the earth." ”

“ The iron law of duty, hitherto the single principle of her life, here, too, silenced every other voice, and, silently, and warningly came back the remembrances of the past, still sleeping unforgotten in her inmost soul. Every bitter hour in which her childhood had been so rich, every tear which she had shed, every humiliation she had endured, the mother's dying bed, the picture of her never known, but yet passionately loved father--all, all passed vividly before her, and as these remembrances poured upon her, the girl's features grew hard and cold, till at last, with dark decision she arose. ”

“ Certainly the young face showed no trace of this, except in the one feature, the childish brow showed no furrow, the mouth no hard lines, but only in the eyes this shade lay deeply, as she lifted them, now, full of gravity and reproach.
"A human life does not seem worth much in your eyes, or surely you would have given more thought to his danger."
Count Arnau looked greatly astonished at this reprimand, and measured the youthful admonitress with a long, surprised glance. ”

“ The Count seconded the grandmother's proposal most decidedly, but Ottilie was anxious and disturbed, and strove against the decision. She did not like losing her only son, whom she loved so tenderly, and called it cruel kindness to take away the only comfort of the long, weary days of illness--but in vain--mother and husband, usually most indulgent to the gentle patient, for once withstood her wishes with incomprehensible hardness, and the Countess, too weak and too little accustomed to independent resistance, was obliged to comply. ”

“ Slowly Gertrud drew it out and gave it to him; he opened it, the Präsidentin's eyes hung in breathless suspense on his features.
No one spoke for some seconds, but the Count leaned more and more heavily on the table, his cheeks pale as death; with averted face he at last, without speaking a word, gave back the paper, threw himself into a chair, and covered his eyes with his hand.
The Präsidentin knew enough.
"Mademoiselle--" it was in vain that she endeavoured to make her voice firm, it trembled audibly--"Mademoiselle, you can, and will not, make any use of this document; it accuses the dead." ”

“ The Präsidentin was silent, but her face betrayed what she thought of this answer--so this was the end of that unspeakable, glowing passion, which had once torn away the Gräfin Arnau from all the bounds of reason and sense! Hermann well understood his grandmother's look and shrug of the shoulders; was it not he who had favoured the match? It is always painful to have to confess to an error, and today the Count seemed little in the humour for it. As he came in, his eyes had flown restlessly and searchingly through the room, and the cloud which already lay on his brow had become darker. ”

“ The Präsidentin leaned back in her arm chair, and once more thought over all the plans and hopes connected with her grandson's future alliance, this grandson who had always been the dearest to her, and who had fulfilled all her expectations so brilliantly. But it would have astonished her somewhat, had she seen how Count Hermann, in spite of his petition to be allowed to rest, had not yet thought of going to his room, but went off at once from another side to the park, and in spite of the midday-heat, wandered about in it on all sides. ”

“ But this expression suddenly changed; she had been looking towards the Schloss, which one could see to the left through the tall fir trees, and with the sight of it some dark remembrance seemed to come back to her. A shade passed over the youthful features, and her lips pressed themselves together, her clasped hands loosened, she passed her hand several times hastily over her forehead, as if she would smooth away some tormenting thought, and then looked anxiously towards the spot where she expected Eugen to appear. ”

“ It was Gertrud, once betrothed to Reinert. The Präsidentin observed his surprise.
"Ah, so! Mademoiselle Walter--the Herr Count Arnau."
She bent down to her two grandchildren and gave them her cheek to kiss.
Hermann's bow was returned with the most measured formality and coldness, and not the slightest change in Gertrud's face betrayed her recognition. She took the children's hands, and at once prepared to leave the garden house.
"Do not make the walk too long to-day, mademoiselle, it is too hot for the children."
"I will see that they do not go too far, we will not go beyond the park to-day." ”

“ Her voice became firmer as she went on, but something like a smile crossed the Count's features.
"Will you prevent it?"
"Yes!" replied she energetically. "I shall appeal to the Präsidentin, and Frau von Reinert, that both by their influence may--"
"You will not do that!" interrupted Hermann, gravely and sternly. "You will not misuse the knowledge which a chance possessed you of. This is a matter which concerns us men alone, and must be settled by us alone. ”

“ Do you imagine that his daughter would refrain from avenging him?"
"Do not build too many hopes on this paper; our tribunals cannot proceed against the dead, and as for the living--we are ready for any sacrifice, for any reparation within the bounds of possibility--" She stopped suddenly, even this energetic woman's eyes sank almost timidly before Gertrud's. "Take care, mademoiselle!" cried she, breaking out into anger, "take care not to drive us to do our utmost. The family of Count Arnau is still powerful and influential enough, and they will risk all, if it concerns their honour. ”

“ Then why will you torment the girl for weeks, perhaps months, with uncertainty as to her future, and anxiety about you? You intend to spare her by giving her the poison by drops, and, after you have attracted to yourself all the womanly anxiety and tenderness she is capable of, you will give her the boundless humiliation of hearing that her fiancé, whom she imagines in the depths of need and despair, is the chosen spouse of the rich Countess Arnau, is about to make one of the most brilliant matches in the country. ”