A faint reflection of pleasure crossed the girl"s face.
"Then perhaps you can tell me if my little brother can ever be cured?"
she said, eagerly.
"I can tell you. Bring me the child."
Evila went into the kitchen, and after some trouble persuaded the cripple to come out of his shelter in the chimney. This poor victim of man"s cruelty was a miserable object. He looked as if nature had exhausted the stuff of which he was made; not one of his limbs fitted the other, and his will seemed to have no power over his body.
Evila took the sick boy upon her knee, and kissing his cheek, withered like a bit of dried parchment, told him not to be afraid, for that the stranger was a kind gentleman.
Felix examined the limbs of the cripple with all the attention of an experienced surgeon, and then with a professional air said--
"The injury can still be cured; it requires only time and care. There is in Vienna an orthopedic inst.i.tution expressly for such cases; cripples are there treated, and grow up strong, healthy boys."
"Ah!" cried the girl, taking hold of Felix"s hand. "Would they take Janoska there? But it would cost money, which I haven"t got. I might get employment in this inst.i.tution where cripples are made straight again. I would serve them well if they would cure my little brother."
"I don"t see any reason why he shouldn"t be admitted," returned Felix, gravely, "especially on my recommendation. I have great influence, and a word from me--"
"You will say it, won"t you, and G.o.d will forever bless you?" cried the girl, throwing herself on her knees and covering the hands and feet of the pretended doctor with kisses. "I will serve them; I will work for them day and night. They need not keep a dog; I will be their dog, and guard the house for them, if they will make Janoska straight, so that he need not beg at the church-door. Is it far to Vienna?"
Felix laughed. "You don"t think you could carry the boy to Vienna, do you? I will manage the journey for you. When I have once promised, I keep my word. I have my carriage here; I will, if you like, take you both to Vienna."
"Oh, I will sit by the coachman, with Janoska on my lap!"
"Very well, my child," returned Felix, with the air of a patron. "I am glad to help you; therefore, if you have resolved to take your brother to Vienna to have him cured, I shall give you the opportunity. Be ready to-morrow morning when you hear the post-horn sound. That rough fellow who beat you just now will be taken by the pioneers corps, who recruit next week, and he will have to serve his four years. Now, here is some money for you, that you may buy some warm clothing for the boy, for the nights are cold, and I travel day and night."
The sum of money he placed in the girl"s hand took away her breath, and left her no voice to thank him. Two bank-notes, ten pounds each--a fortune to a poor girl. The gentleman was a great n.o.bleman; he was a prince. He was, however, already on his way before she could speak a word, and it would not do to run through the street after him.
Evila then gave way to her joy like a child, as she was. She laughed, ran about the room carrying the boy, set him on a seat, knelt before him, kissed and hugged in her arms his emaciated body.
"We are going away, Janoska, my heart"s darling, in a coach to Vienna.
Ho, ho, little horse, ho! In a coach with four gee-gees all hung with little bells! And Janoska will sit in my lap. Janoska will have good medicine and good food, and his feet and his hands, his back and his chest will get straight. He will be a big fellow, like other boys.
Then we will come home, not in a coach, but on our feet. We go in a coach, and we come back on two feet without a crutch!"
Then the poor little cripple began to laugh like her. Evila ran off to the store, and bought for the child a warm winter jacket, a cap, and boots; still, she could not, even with these stupendous purchases, spend half of the money. What she had left she determined to return to the gentleman.
Now it was full time to go to church. Her friends wondered to see her come in alone. They asked her where was Peter? Evila answered she had not seen him that day. It went against her conscience to tell a lie before ma.s.s, but then, when one is placed in a situation that one must lie, what can be done? A woman or a girl who has been beaten by her betrothed or her husband must deny it. G.o.d pardons the lie, and society demands it.
Peter Saffran was nowhere to be seen in the church. Evila felt terribly ashamed when the clergyman from the pulpit gave out for the third time the banns of her marriage. And there would be no marriage!
Tears came into her eyes and sorrow filled her heart at the thought that she was leaving her home, her bridegroom, her friends, all the places she knew, the things she was accustomed to, and was going out into the world alone. These thoughts preyed upon her all day, until she was obliged to go out and look for Peter Saffran. She suspected where she would find him.
In the depths of the woods at the bottom of a mountain ravine lay a cottage, or hut, where, at the time of the recruiting, the men and boys who wanted to avoid the conscription would hide themselves for weeks, until the officers would have gone on to another place. Not one betrayed their hiding-place; and here, no doubt, Peter lay concealed.
Evila went blindly through the thicket. The night was dark, the wood still darker. From the mountain came the growling of the hungry wolves. The girl trembled with fear, but went her way, nevertheless, resolved to find her betrothed, although she was sure he would again beat her. On the path she picked up a stick, and as she went along she beat the bushes, crying, "Go away, wolf!" But her heart beat wildly when, with a rustling sound, some beast flew away through the brushwood. She was getting deeper into the wood, and every moment it was growing darker; still she kept on her way.
At last through the darkness she saw the glimmer of a light in a window. This was the hut. Her breath came shorter as she drew near to the house, from whence came the sound of bagpipes mixed with shouts.
They were very merry inside. She stole softly to the lighted window, and peeped in. They were dancing. Evila knew the girls who were there; they were none of her companions; she and her friends crossed the street when they met these. The piper sat upon the pig-trough, and when he blew his instrument grunted like so many pigs.
Among the men Evila saw Peter Saffran. He was in high spirits, leaping so high as he danced that his fist struck the ceiling. He danced with a girl whose cheeks had two spots of red paint. Peter had both his arms round her waist; he threw her up and caught her again, kissing her painted face.
Evila turned away in disgust and hastened back through the woods, unmindful of the cries of the wolves and the howling of the wind. She had not even her stick; that she had dropped, and she had no means of beating the bushes.
That evening Felix Kaulmann came again to Ivan.
"I want to have your last word," he said. "Will you join my speculation?"
"I don"t change my mind so quickly," returned Ivan, coldly. "My answer is the same as it was this morning--I will not."
"Very well. I have acted in a friendly manner in this matter, and now I tell you frankly that, as you do not choose to join me, I shall start the company alone, always leaving it open to you to rescind your determination and to join me if you wish. I cannot say fairer than this, and I trust we shall always be good friends. You will forgive me if I try to pick up some of the diamonds which are scattered about."
"I leave you perfectly free to do what you can."
"I shall avail myself of your permission, and the day will come when I shall remind you of your words."
Ivan"s forehead contracted as he thought, "What does he mean? What can he take from me? Not my coal-mine; that is mine by right of possession, and the law protects me. The cut on the neighboring mountain? So he may! What I have suffices for me."
"Good-luck to your company!" he said, aloud; "and many thanks to the director."
So they parted. Early next morning Ivan was roused from his sleep. It was the post-horn which sounded the note of Felix Kaulmann"s departure. Ivan wished him a happy journey, then fell asleep again.
Later, as he was leaving his house, he met Peter Saffran at the door.
The miner presented a sorry figure. His features bore the impression of his night"s dissipation; his eyes were bloodshot, his hair ragged, his dress in disorder.
"Now, what is it?" asked Ivan, angrily.
"Sir," said the man, in a hoa.r.s.e voice, "that doctor who was with you yesterday--his name?"
"What do you want with him?"
"He has carried off Evila!" burst out Peter. In wild agitation he s.n.a.t.c.hed the hat off his head, tore his hair, and raised both his hands to heaven.
In the first moment Ivan was conscious of feeling a cruel satisfaction.
"It serves you right, you beast!" he said. "Serves you right! What business had you to ill-use the girl--your promised wife--on the very day that you were called for the third time?"
"Oh, sir," cried the miserable man, his teeth chattering, and beating his head with his hands, "I was drunk! I did not know what I did; and, after all, it was only a few blows with a light strap. What was that?
With us common people it is nothing. A woman likes a man the better when he cudgels her. It is true; but to leave me for a gentleman--"
Ivan shrugged his shoulders and went on his way. The miner caught him by the tail of his coat.
"Ah, sir, what shall I do? Tell me, what shall I do?"
Ivan, however, was in no mood for giving advice; he was angry. He pushed Peter away, saying, sternly:
"Go to h.e.l.l! Run to the tavern, drink brandy, then choose among the girls whose company you frequent another bride, who will be only too glad if you are drunk every day in the year."
Peter took up his hat, put it on his head, looked Ivan in the face, and, in an altered voice, said:
"No, sir, I shall never drink brandy again; only once in my life shall I taste the accursed thing--once. You will remember what I say, and when I smell of it, when I am seen coming out of the public-house, or when you hear that I have been there, then stay at home, for on that day no one will know how or when he will die."