Читать книгу The Sign of Flame - E. Werner - Страница 11

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The warm, golden light of a clear September day lay over the green ocean of forest, which stretched as far as the eye could reach. These immense forests had covered this part of Southern Germany for countless years; trees one hundred years old were no rarity among them. The whole bore the character of a mountainous forest, for hills and dales succeeded one another.

While the railroads spun their web all around the country, drawing one place after another within their grasp, this "Wald," as these miles and miles of wooded land were briefly called by the people, lay still and deserted, like a green island, almost untouched by the life and strife around.

Here and there a village rose from the forest green, or an old castle, almost in ruins, gray and dilapidated. There was one exception to it, in a powerful, old, gray edifice which stood upon a height and overlooked the whole vicinity. This was "Furstenstein," once the hunting lodge of the sovereign, but at present the habitation of the Chief of all the foresters.

The castle dated from the beginning of the last century and had been built with all the waste of space of that epoch when the hunting lodge of the Prince had to accommodate for weeks the whole court suite.

Furstenstein was only partly visible at a distance, for the forest covered all the castle mount, the gray walls, the steeples and bow windows lifting themselves from among the crown of green firs. The size of the old structure was only apparent when one stood before the entrance portal, for many additions belonging to later times were attached to it. It was to be understood that decay here was carefully kept back, for the numerous rooms of the upper floors were kept in readiness for the commands of the Prince, who came here occasionally in the fall.

The similarly extensive lower floor was given to the chief of the forest department, Herr von Schonan, who had lived here for years, and who knew how to make the loneliness agreeable by keeping a very hospitable house and by frequent sociable visitings in the neighborhood.

He was entertaining guests at present. His sister-in-law, Frau Regine von Eschenhagen, had arrived yesterday, and her son was also expected.

The two daughters of the house of Wallmoden had made very desirable matches, the elder one marrying the lord of the Burgsdorf estates and the younger one Herr von Schonan, who belonged to a wealthy South German family. In spite of the distance separating them, the sisters and their families had remained in intimate association, and even after the death of the younger one, which had occurred several years previously, these family connections were continued.

This friendship, however, had a quality of its own, for Herr von Schonan was always on the war-path with his sister-in-law. As both natures were terse and inconsiderate they came to a tussle at every opportunity, made up regularly, deciding to keep the peace in future, but the promise was broken just as regularly. A new difference of opinion would come up in the next hour, the dispute would be carried on with fullest passion, until it again raged with undiminished power.

Just at present a very unusual harmony seemed to prevail between the two, who sat upon the terrace before the entrance room.

The Chief Forester, who in spite of his advanced years, was still a very stately man, with strong, sunburned features and slightly gray but thick hair and beard, was leaning comfortably back in his chair, listening to his sister-in-law, who, as usual, was monopolizing the conversation.

Frau Regine was now near her fiftieth year, but had scarcely changed in the last decade. The years could not make much impression upon her strong physique; a little wrinkle perhaps here and there in the face, a few silver threads mingled with the dark hair; but the gray eyes had lost none of their keen clearness; the voice was as full and steady, the carriage just as energetic as formerly. It was very evident that the lady bore the sceptre in her domain now as before.

"As I said, Willy will be here in a week," she was saying. "He had not quite finished with his harvest work, but it will soon end, and then he will be ready for the betrothal. The affair has long been settled between us, but I decidedly advocated the delay, for a young girl of sixteen or seventeen years has all sorts of childish tricks still in her head, and cannot preside well over an orderly household. But Antonie is now twenty years old and Willy twenty-seven; this suits exactly. You are satisfied, are you not, brother, that we now arrange the betrothal of our children?"

"Quite satisfied," affirmed the Chief Forester; "and we are of the same opinion in all else concerning it. Half of my money will fall to my son after my death, the other half to my daughter, and you can also be at rest about the dower which I have set apart for the wedding."

"Yes, you have not been stingy about it. As to Willy, you know he has had possession of the Burgsdorf estates for three years. The money, according to the will, remains in my hands. After my death it will, of course, fall to him. The young couple will not be in need. Sufficient care has been taken for that; therefore all is decided."

"Yes, decided. We will celebrate the betrothal now and the wedding in the spring."

The thus far clear sky was darkened now by the first cloud. Frau von Eschenhagen shook her head and said dictatorially:

"That will not do, the wedding must occur in the winter, for Willy will not have time to marry in the spring."

"Nonsense! One always has time to marry," declared Schonan, just as dictatorially.

"Not in the country," persisted Frau Regine; "there the motto is, first work and then pleasure. It has always been so with us, and Willy has learned it, too."

"But I emphatically beg that he will make an exception in the case of his young wife, otherwise the deuce may take him!" cried the Chief angrily. "Besides, you know my conditions, Regine. My girl has not seen your son for two years; if he does not please her, she shall have a free choice."

He had attacked his sister-in-law in a most sensitive spot. She straightened herself to her fullest height in her offended motherly pride.

"My dear Moritz, I credit your daughter with some taste at least. Besides, I believe in the old custom of parents choosing for their children. It was so in our time and we have fared well with it. What do young people know of such important things? But you have always allowed your children their own way too much. One can see there is no mother in the house."

"Is that my fault?" demanded Schonan, angrily. "Should I have given them a stepmother? In fact, I wished to once, but you would not consent to it, Regine."

"No, I had enough of marriage with one trial," was the dry answer, which roused the Forester still more. He shrugged his shoulders sarcastically.

"Why, I shouldn't think that you could possibly complain of the late Eschenhagen. He and all his Burgsdorf danced entirely after your piping. Of course, you would not have gotten the upper hand of me so easily."

"But I should have had it in a month," remarked Frau Regine with perfect composure, "and I should have taken you under my command first of all, Moritz."

"What! you tell me this to my face? Shall we try it, then?" shouted Schonan in a passion.

"Thank you, I shall not marry a second time. Do not trouble yourself."

"I have not the slightest idea of it. I had enough of it with that one jilting; you do not need to do it a second time"; with which the Chief Forester pushed back his chair angrily and left.

Frau von Eschenhagen remained quietly seated. After awhile she called in a quite friendly manner: "Moritz!"

"What is it?" sounded crossly from the other side of the terrace.

"When is Herbert to come with his young wife?"

"At twelve o'clock," came the curt reply.

"I am glad of that. I have not seen him since he was sent to your capitol, but I have always said that Herbert was the pride of our family, whom one could parade anywhere. He is now Prussian Ambassador to His Excellency at your court."

"And a young husband of fifty-six years, besides," said Herr von Schonan scornfully.

"Yes, he took his time to marry, but then he has made a splendid match for all that. It was surely no little thing for a man of his years to win a wife like Adelaide, young, beautiful, rich----"

"And of burgher descent," interrupted Schonan.

"Nonsense! Who asks nowadays after a pedigree when a million is involved. Herbert can make use of it. He has had to get along with small means all of his life, and the position of ambassador will require more display than the salary will admit of. And my brother does not need to be ashamed of his father-in-law, for Stahlberg is one of our first industry men and a man of honor from tip to toe, besides. It was a pity that he died after the marriage of his daughter, for she has surely made a sensible choice."

"Pouf! You call it a sensible choice when a girl of eighteen takes a husband who could be her father?" cried the Chief, drawing near in the heat of the controversy. "Of course when one becomes a baroness and the wife of the Prussian Ambassador, one plays a big rôle in society. This beautiful, cool Adelaide, with her 'sensible' ideas which would do credit to a grandmother, is not congenial to me at all. A sensible girl who falls heels over head in love and declares to her parents, 'This one or none at all,' is much more to my taste."

"Well, these are beautiful ideas for a father!" cried Frau von Eschenhagen indignantly. "It is exceedingly fortunate that Toni has taken after my sister and not after you, for otherwise you might live to see the like in her. Stahlberg raised his daughter better. I know from himself that she obeyed his wish when she gave her hand to Herbert, and so, of course, it is all right and as it should be. But you do not understand anything about educating children."

"What! I, a man and a father, not understand the bringing up of children?" shouted Schonan, cherry-red with vexation.

The two were in the best possible condition to fly at each other again, but fortunately they were interrupted this time, for a young girl, the daughter of the house, stepped out on the terrace.

Antonie von Schonan could not be called exactly pretty, but she had a stately figure like her father and a fresh, blooming face, with light brown eyes. Her brown hair was folded in simple plaits around her head and her dress, although suitable to her position, was also plain. But Antonie was in those years when youth displaced every other charm, and as she drew near, fresh, healthy, stately in her whole appearance, she was exactly the daughter-in-law after Frau von Eschenhagen's own heart, and she nodded in a friendly way to her.

"Father, the carriage is returning from the station," said the young lady in a very deliberate, somewhat drawling tone. "It is already at the foot of the castle mount. Uncle Wallmoden will be here in fifteen minutes."

"What, tausend! They have driven like lightning!" exclaimed the Chief Forester, whose face brightened at the news. "Are the rooms all in order?"

Toni nodded as calmly as if that were a self-evident fact. As her father started off to look for the carriage which was to bring his guests, Frau von Eschenhagen said with a glance at the little basket which the young girl carried: "Well Toni, you have been busy again?"

"I have been in the kitchen garden, dear aunt. The gardener insisted that there were no pears ripe as yet, but I looked for myself and gathered a basketful."

"That is right, my child," said her future mother-in-law, highly satisfied. "One must have her eyes and hands everywhere, and never rely upon servants. You will some day be a splendid housekeeper. But now let us go. We will also meet the uncle."