Casimir also had guffawed at the words of the fool. It was a rough jest, no doubt, but who would take the folly of a fool seriously?
Only Heinrich remained pale and silent, and pressed his lips together till the blood came.
"Come, comrade, why so dumfoundered? Surely you are not angry?" bawled Casimir.
But Heinrich continued moody and sulky.
The grand banquet was not terminated, but interrupted by a ball. The Starosta himself gave the signal by lighting his big meerschaum pipe, whereupon the other gentlemen followed his example, and began their beloved fumigation by the side of their black coffee. The musicians thereupon quitted the dining-room, and a short time elapsed, during which they also took a snack, and then the music began again over the heads of the guests, in the upper story of the palace, which could be reached from the dining-room by means of a spiral staircase.
As soon as the inspiring notes of a mazurka burst forth from above, the fiery youths spurned their chairs away, and without waiting for a special invitation, hastened up the spiral staircase into the dancing-room. Those of the elderly gentlemen whose feet were capable (after dinner) of grappling with the tortuous stairs, followed them.
On the upper floor was the dancing-room, brilliantly illuminated with wax candles, where were now a.s.sembled the flower of the belles and the pick of the stately matrons of the Lithuanian capital--a goodly company who reached the ballroom by the opposite staircase.
Heinrich, swallowing his wrath, and oblivious of the pangs of hunger, also hastened up to the dancing-room, which was now quite full of ladies.
The girls were standing, the more mature women were sitting, according to custom.
Heinrich also found the idol of his heart among the girls. Six years before she was a growing little la.s.sie, now she was a damsel in full bloom. In those days they had dearly loved each other, and had sworn that they would belong to none else. There stood the beautiful and charming Tatiana in front of her mamma. She was wearing the Russian national costume, with an ap.r.o.n embroidered with pearls and a coif adorned with precious stones. She was the daughter of a Russian _chinovnik_[20] whose father had been sent from St. Petersburg to keep the Poles in order.
[Footnote 20: Official.]
The beautiful girl had grown in a marvellous manner during these six years, she was the tallest among the damsels present, and her lofty Russian coif made her appear even taller than she was.
Just then a good many couples were dancing a mazurka.
Heinrich made his way up to his former ideal, and, bowing first of all before her dear mamma, with a chivalrous flourish demanded the hand of her daughter for a dance. It was six years since last he had seen her.
The stately damsel proceeded deliberately to draw off her long, embroidered gauntlet.
Heinrich was amazed. What an odd custom for a lady to draw off her glove when invited to dance!
The young lady extended her hand towards Heinrich, her smile was somewhat peculiar.
"Miss Tatiana?" stammered Heinrich.
"Well, doctor! I thought you wanted to feel my pulse!"
Heinrich was crushed. They were making game of him. He was no cavalier, but only a doctor, apparently. He rather wondered the lady did not protrude her tongue as well, to make the consultation quite complete. It only needed that.
He seemed to have lost the use of his limbs, and stood there like a stone idol. But some one speedily came to his a.s.sistance by shoving him out of the way. It was Casimir. He signified that he desired a dance with the lady by simply stamping the ground with his foot, as became a cavalier, and she immediately gave herself up to him, and Casimir pa.s.sed his arm around her slim waist and flew with her among the maze of dancers.
Heinrich gazed after them in stupefaction. So that was his former sweetheart, and this his former comrade! How the girl"s eyes sparkled when she gazed at the face of her partner! They seemed to hold one another fast by the eyes. The mazurka has its charm, certainly. The cavalier stands in the midst with his arms folded, after dismissing his partner, who moves gracefully round him in a circle. Yet the damsel gazes continually into the eyes of her cavalier, and the magic of his eyes draws her back to him again. And then it is as though they were whispering to each other.
When the dance was over, Casimir led his partner to the credenz-table and offered her refreshments. Thither also strolled Tatiana"s papa, worthy Nicholas Eskimov. The girl embraced her father, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered something in his ear. Then she flew back into the _colonne_ on the arm of her partner. There are many figures in the mazurka, Heinrich had every opportunity of studying them to the end from a window recess.
When the dance was over, Casimir returned his partner to her mamma, and after a good deal of genuflecting and hand-kissing, took his leave of her. Heinrich at once hastened to his comrade and began to reproach him.
"Why did you take my sweetheart from me?" he asked.
Casimir first of all regarded him with amazement, and then laughed in his face.
"What a foolish chap you are! Why, it was only natural that I should have the first dance with the fair Tatiana in our own house. That is the custom all the world over."
"Why is it the custom all the world over?"
"Why? It seems to me that you do not realize that during the six years when you and I have been walking up and down the earth, not only the little girl has grown something bigger, but her papa also. The chinovnik, whom six years ago you helped to copy legal doc.u.ments, is nowadays Governor of Grodno. His Excellency now lives in the town, and orders about even my father, the Starosta. And I am only my father"s little son. Little Tatiana has grown big while you weren"t looking at her, if you want her you must grow bigger yourself. Only don"t make such an ecce h.o.m.o face; go, rather, and pay your respects to his Excellency, the Governor. He is a very big wig now, I can tell you!"
CHAPTER V
EVERY ROAD LEADS TO ST. PETERSBURG--BUT WHITHER DOES ST. PETERSBURG LEAD?
And now it suddenly dawned upon Heinrich why Tatiana"s papa, Nicholas Eskimov, was placed next to the Bishop. Truly he was a great potentate!
A far-seeing idea popped into Heinrich"s brain. He went to the credenz-table, where refreshments were being distributed, and where also the Governor was delighting his eyes with the spectacle of the pretty girls dancing, and at the same time sipping a gla.s.s of iced sherbet.
He bowed deeply before him, and saluted him in Russian--
"Zdorovuyte!"[21] he said.
[Footnote 21: "Your health!"]
The Governor tapped the doctor on the shoulder.
"So you have come home! And got an appointment too, I hear?" said he.
"But I don"t want to keep it."
"Then what _do_ you want?" asked Eskimov, regarding the youth through his gla.s.s.
"A wider career. Here at Bialystok there is no scope for a doctor, especially if he be a h.o.m.opathist. Here, if anybody is ill he wants the doctor to drink the medicine with him in whacking tumblers, and won"t accept a recipe unless it covers a whole sheet of foolscap. True there will be no end of bleedings and cataplasms, but the whole of modern medical science is absolutely thrown away upon them. There is no getting on here. The Pole lives in his traditions. I want to go to St.
Petersburg. There there is a fine open career for an enterprising doctor. St. Petersburg is the new Rome. Every road leads to it. I beg your Excellency to give me letters of introduction to your acquaintances in the Tsar"s capital, that beneath their protection I may go on to prosper."
"Well, I should like to pack you off myself and I"ll give you the letters of introduction at once. When do you want to go? To-morrow!
Immediately! So much the better. But hold! my son! We never give anything gratis in our part of the world, we always like something in exchange. Apparently you are the good comrade of young Squire Casimir, eh?"
"That depends."
"But I noticed just now that when Squire Casimir finished dancing with my daughter just now you had a private chat with him. At least answer me this question: if a Pole gives his word to any one, does he keep it?"
"Well, I can tell your Excellency so much: if a Pole gives his word to a comrade, he will go through fire and water for him; if he gives his word to an enemy, he will return to his prison; if he gives his word to a tyrant, he will bear that tyrant"s yoke;--but if he gives his word to a pretty girl he will forget it as soon as he turns upon his heel."
"It is not only the Poles who do the last thing. But just one more question, and accordingly as you answer it truthfully I shall know what to think of you. You heard the congratulations made to the Starosta when he announced the betrothal of his son to a Viennese Princess; you saw her portrait, for the Starosta let you have it. Tell me truly, on your honour, which is the lovelier of the two, my Tatiana or the Viennese Princess?"