"For two years she mourned deeply; nay, I often watched her with real anxiety; but at last time and her healthful nature a.s.serted their rights. She grew stronger, gradually became calmer, even gay, and for the last year has been the same vivacious child she was five years ago.
Now you know all, honored sir, and can judge for yourself."
_Heinrich_ gazed into vacancy long and thoughtfully. At last he said, kindly, "Under such extraordinary circ.u.mstances people must of course make exceptions. You are an honest man, Herr Inspector!"
"I thank you, Herr Geheimrath!"
"But now, tell me, has it never occurred to you to send some one after this strange girl, to see what direction she takes?"
"She always went to the stand of hackney-coaches and drove away in one of them. There is a consistency in everything she does, which would sometimes terrify one if he had not learned to know her kind heart."
"I thank you for your report. Farewell, Herr Inspector." _Heinrich_ took his hat and went out.
"Albert must be free! the Prison Fairy must become mine!" said he, as he left the prison.
IX.
FRAULEIN VERONICA VON ALBIN.
Thus his resolution was at last formed. He perceived that Albert"s liberation was the only price with which he could again purchase the confidence of the obstinate girl. The impressions he had received during his voluntary confinement in the cell convinced him of the unwarrantable cruelty he should commit if he allowed poor Albert to suffer unjustly any longer. The useless hours of waiting for the Prison Fairy had increased his interest in her to a longing, and the inspector"s story gave him the a.s.surance that she was worthy of a sacrifice. The simple experience of this afternoon had destroyed the web of doubt that overpowered him. He intended to treat the whole affair with the ease of a man of the world, and disarm the malicious public by a display of amiable qualities which no one could resist, and which must of course win the heart of the Prison Fairy. He was conscious of the power of his personal attractions, and, after he became accustomed to the thought of a public examination, took pleasure in the idea of making all his advantages sparkle in the light of her delighted glances. Since there was no other way of gaining possession of her, he ordered the investigation of Albert Preheim"s murderous a.s.sault to be once more taken up by the courts.
A week pa.s.sed away before the matter was publicly discussed, and during this time _Heinrich_ and _Henri_ pursued but one object: to find the Prison Fairy. But all plans were set at naught by the cunning obstinacy with which she eluded him. Ottmar went daily to the jail and showed the prisoners every conceivable kindness, but none of them could tell him anything more than that she had not come of late. The poor men were almost in despair,--it was the first time for five years that she had remained away so long. No one could explain the cause. _Heinrich_ knew it and wondered at her firmness,--it could not be indifference that made her avoid him so anxiously; and this thought goaded his impatience to its height.
The day of the examination came. Upon this all his hopes were fixed.
The galleries of the hall were crowded. Ottmar, the haughty, dreaded aristocrat, enters the lists to defend a poor, persecuted plebeian, and confesses his own error to prove the innocence of his _protege_. This was the rumor that ran through the whole city. Every one wanted to see it for himself before he believed it; and instead of the malicious public he had expected, appeared a joyful throng, already half conciliated. A crowd of ladies of all ranks and ages had also a.s.sembled to see the famous Ottmar in the role of a penitent sinner. It is characteristic that women in general will not pardon the smallest error if it is concealed, while, on the contrary, they will forgive the greatest sin if an appeal is made to their generosity by a frank confession. _Heinrich_ hoped to find this experience confirmed by the Prison Fairy, and was persuaded that his conduct on this occasion would completely subdue her defiance. The examination began. All eyes were fixed compa.s.sionately upon the pallid Albert, broken down in the flower of his years, as entered the court-room with tottering steps, supported between two gendarmes.
The presiding officer opened the proceedings by a short history of the case, the statements of the absent Severinus were read aloud, and pa.s.sed on for the a.s.sent of the accused and the witnesses. At first no one paid much attention to the course of affairs. They had learned five years ago that the charge against Albert was a heavy one, so they were now only curious about the examination of the witnesses, and that strange, familiar murmur of impatience became distinctly audible after the presiding officer had finished his speech. But, eagerly as the public awaited Ottmar"s entrance, he still remained behind the door of the witness-box. At last the presiding officer commanded Baron von Ottmar to be summoned.
A satisfied "ah!" ran through the crowd, as a gust of wind rustles through withered leaves, when _Heinrich_ appeared. With all the power of his natural and acquired charm of manner he revealed the psychological causes of the event, and with convincing legal acuteness represented them in their relations to the law. He forbearingly concealed the name of Albert"s betrothed, and confessed his fault with the dignity of a man who, on the ground of great and n.o.ble qualities, feels ent.i.tled to rise above the errors of his youth, and has no timidity in acknowledging a wrong if by so doing he can avoid a greater one. While _Heinrich_ was speaking he scanned the galleries, and _Henri_ gazed into many a beautiful, joy-beaming face, but the one both sought was absent.
All hearts yearned towards Ottmar; only she for whom all had been done unsympathizingly avoided the sole opportunity which might show him in a more favorable light. And yet he could not believe it; she _must_ be there, and had probably only concealed herself from his gaze.
This doubt aroused the greatest agitation. Almost mechanically he continued to play his part as a n.o.ble man. He had spoken so admirably that there was very little left for Albert"s lawyer to say; but his thoughts were not fixed upon Albert, but the gallery; and the more firmly he was convinced that the Prison Fairy was not there, the more his joy in his good deed disappeared; he no longer dared hope to gain access to the obstinate fairy by any such means.
The court had summoned old Anton from his home to give his testimony; but he had not yet arrived, so another session must be called. If she did not appear then, he had lost the game.
Just at that moment a thought entered his mind which might place him on the right track. She could have obtained her remarkable education only in scientific circles, and had probably been reared in a very intellectual family. Ottmar proposed to make a round of visits to all the prominent literary and scientific people in N----. "She is not a native of this capital, her German is too correct for that, so I will begin with the strangers," he thought. He had hitherto confined himself exclusively to the court circle, and was entirely unknown in the society he now proposed to seek.
Sunday intervened between the first and second session of the court, and Ottmar availed himself of it. He drove around the city in his elegant carriage all the morning, and was everywhere cordially received. Many, beautiful and ugly, forward and retiring, simple and highly educated young ladies were introduced to him. She was nowhere to be found.
When he paid the last visit on his list, and there also met only unfamiliar, commonplace faces, he asked the friendly head of the household, in an under-tone, whether he could mention any particularly interesting people whom a stranger in N---- ought to know.
The old gentleman reflected a short time, and finally inquired whether he had yet heard nothing of old Fraulein Veronica von Albin.
"Oh, you must seek her out!" he exclaimed when _Heinrich_ answered his question in the negative. "She is a perfect original, a petrifaction of the period of sentimentality, and withal a really intellectual person, in whose salon you will find every one who has any pretensions to fame, and is enrolled under the banner of poetry and sensibility."
Wearied by his minute explanation, _Heinrich_ expressed his thanks, inquired the way to her dwelling, and drove thither. He had made it a duty to follow every suggestion of destiny, but knew in advance that he should not find what he sought in the home of a sentimental old maid.
The carriage stopped before a ma.s.sive stone house. Two colossal figures on the right and left of the door held lanterns adorned with intricate iron scroll-work in the fashion of the last century. The lower windows were grated with thick wrought-iron bars, and the heavy oaken door did not lack the shining bra.s.s lion"s head, with the ring in its mouth.
Above the door was a somewhat weather-beaten coat-of-arms, carved in stone, overshadowed by a tiny balcony provided with manifold sculptured ornaments and iron scrolls. _Heinrich_ pulled the bell. The door was opened, and when he entered a statue placed in a niche in the staircase extended its arms as if in welcome.
A pleasant subdued light fell upon the stone stairs through a tall pointed window, and _Heinrich_, most agreeably impressed by this old-fashioned but ma.s.sive luxury, mounted the broad stone steps.
A precise, respectable servant was standing on the landing, and silently ushered him into a little antechamber. Ottmar gave him his card, and he went forward on tip-toe to announce him. For a few moments _Heinrich_ had time to admire the few but costly articles of furniture, rich carpet, and Chinese vases in the anteroom. His hopes began to sink. The quiet, pedantic spirit which breathed from these carefully preserved relics of a former century could not have trained the original, modern, enthusiastic nature of the Prison Fairy.
At last a pair of richly-carved folding-doors were thrown open. The old servant, with a low bow, silently motioned to him to approach, and _Heinrich_ entered a large apartment, furnished in the ancient French style, with silken curtains, and a polished, inlaid floor. The sofas and chairs were of richly inlaid walnut, covered with faded but heavy yellow damask. An old-fashioned screen, ornamented with an embroidered coat-of-arms, stood before a huge stove adorned with Chinese designs.
On the clumsy carved tables lay magnificent velvet, covered alb.u.ms, faded and time-worn, as well as small new books of every description. A gilt eagle extended its wings over an immense mirror, and a pair of sphinxes supported a marble pier-table, bearing a clock. Family portraits, centuries old, stared solemnly from the walls, and fresh roses breathed their rich fragrance over this peaceful image of bygone days.
Almost at the same moment Ottmar entered, the lady of the house, Fraulein Veronica von Albin, advanced through a pair of folding-doors directly opposite to him. She had a slight ethereal figure, whose movements still retained the elasticity of youth, and a pair of beautiful blue eyes sparkled in a wrinkled face, over which at least seventy years had pa.s.sed. Thin white curls were carefully arranged around the kindly old forehead, and an old-fashioned but dazzlingly white morning dress rustled softly around her. She advanced, or rather floated, towards Ottmar, and held out both hands.
"You are most welcome, Herr von Ottmar," she said, with so cordial an expression that the latter bowed low in astonishment. "You wonder at my affectionate address, do you not?" she continued, offering him a chair.
"It is because we always think those whom we know so well must know us.
Since the public legal investigation you have become common property, and indeed such property as every one would most gladly appropriate to himself."
"Have you been present at the examination, Fraulein?" asked Ottmar.
"Certainly; and I can a.s.sure you that I became very mach attached to you in the few hours I saw and heard you. Nothing could have afforded me greater pleasure than to receive this visit. Thank G.o.d, I am old enough to be able to tell you so without embarra.s.sment," she continued, smiling.
_Heinrich_ found the youthful old Lady possessed very good taste, and involuntarily thought "women are really attractive only at the beginning and end of life."
"My dear Fraulein," he began, "you do not know how happy your kindness makes me. I am a stranger here, and seek those who will understand me.
The empty life of the court no longer satisfies me. I long for something else, and come to you because I was told that I should here find what I sought; and indeed I hope if I meet with it anywhere it will be here."
"I think you may be right," said she, looking at him with winning affection. Old age, by relaxing the lids, had drawn a veil over the bright blue eyes, but a glance so full of soul, and pure youthful emotion, beamed from them that _Heinrich_ gazed at her with increasing admiration. "Not that I imagine you could find amus.e.m.e.nt in an old woman like me, but I have the pleasure of drawing young and brilliant people around me, in whom you will surely find something to please you."
"You certainly have some relations?" asked _Heinrich_, expectantly.
"Not exactly relations," she said, shortly; "but it is a great mercy that G.o.d gave me the faculty of living with young persons, and that there is at least nothing repulsive in my old age. The young people cling to me, and daily bring new joys into my quiet house."
"Permit me to ask you one question, Fraulein," said _Heinrich_,--then hesitated a moment, and continued in a very different tone: "How is it possible that time has pa.s.sed you by without leaving more traces?"
"Yes, it is singular. I have really remained twenty years behind my true age. The machinery continued to move, but the hands were stopped by a great shock, and never overtook the time. It is a strange, sorrowful story, and some day when we are sitting by my cozy, singing tea-urn I will tell you about it."
"A sorrowful story?" asked _Heinrich_. "I should have thought you were very happy and contented."
"Yes, I am now. Time effaces everything, and I seem to myself like a transfigured spirit. I have no longer anxieties or wishes, look upon life calmly and impartially, and love all men. My body, as you see, is no very heavy burden, and thus, thank G.o.d, I am not so widely separated from the angels."
There was such a depth of earnestness concealed under these jesting words that _Heinrich_, strangely moved, pa.s.sed his hand over his brow.
It seemed as if a good genius with a gentle smile had raised him to a height from whence he could view at a single glance all the perishableness and emptiness of life. "Oh, who could bring heaven so near as you?" he said, at last.
"Dear friend," she replied, with a winning glance, "there is also a heaven upon earth in our own b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Do not seek it without, but within your heart; then you will not _come_ into heaven for the first time when you die, but _remain_ in it always."
"My dear Fraulein"," pleaded _Heinrich_, "permit me now and then to linger a short time in yours until I have created one of my own. Will you?"
"Certainly; with the greatest pleasure. It does you honor that, without any other design, you can take pleasure in spending a few hours with an old lady like myself; and I a.s.sure you that your good intention will be rewarded,--rely upon it."