"Good Heavens, does the world still hold Krak?"
"Of course. She"s rather an old woman, though. You"ll be kind to her, Augustin? She was always very fond of you."
"I will treat Krak," said I, "with all affection."
Surely I would, for Krak"s coming put the crown of completeness on the occasion. But I was amazed; Krak was utterly stuff of the past.
My mother did not appear to desire my presence longer; I had to take up my own position and receive farewells.
A dreary half hour pa.s.sed in this occupation; at last the throng grew thin. I broke away and sauntered off to a buffet for a sandwich and a gla.s.s of champagne. There I saw Wetter and Varvilliers standing together and refreshing their jaded bodies. I joined them at once, full of the news about Krak. It fell rather flat, I regret to say; Krak had not significance for them, and Wetter was full of wild brilliant talk.
Varvilliers" manner, on the other hand, although displaying now no awkwardness or restraint, showed unusual gentleness and gravity with an added friendliness very welcome to me. I stood between my friends, sipping my wine and detaining them, although the room was nearly empty.
I felt a reluctance to part and an invincible repugnance to my bed.
"Come to my quarters," I said, "and we"ll have cigars."
Varvilliers bowed ready a.s.sent. Wetter"s face twisted into a smile.
"I must plead excuse to the command," he said.
"Then you"re a rascal, Wetter; I want you, man, and you ought not to be expected anywhere this time of night."
"Not at home, sire?"
"Home least of all," said Varvilliers, smiling.
"But I have guests at home," cried Wetter. "I"ve left them too long. But Her Royal Highness didn"t invite them; besides it was necessary to practise the song."
"What? Are they with you?"
"Should I send them to a hotel, sire? My friends the Struboffs! No, no!"
Sipping my wine, I looked doubtfully from one to the other.
"The King," observed Wetter to Varvilliers, "would be interested in hearing a rehearsal of the song."
"But," said I, "Krak comes to-night, and I daren"t look as if I"d sat up beyond my hour."
Wetter laid his finger on my arm.
"One more night," he said. Varvilliers laughed. "I have the same old servant. He"s very discreet!"
"But you"ll put it in the Vorwarts!"
"No, no, not if the meeting-place is my own house."
"I"ll do it!" I cried. "Come, let"s have a carriage."
"Mine waits," said Varvilliers, "at your disposal. I"ll see about it,"
and off he ran. Wetter turned to me.
"An interesting quartette there in the recess," said he.
"And an insolent fellow looking on at it," said I.
"I"ll write an article on your impulsive love-making before all the world."
"Do; I can conceive nothing more politic."
"It shall teem with sincerity."
"Never a jest anywhere in it? Not one for me?"
"No. Jests are in place only when one tells the truth. A lie must be solemn, sire."
"True. Write it to your mood."
And to his mood he wrote it, eloquently, beautifully, charged with the pa.s.sion of that joy which he realized in imagination, but could not find in his stormy life. I read it two or three days later at Artenberg.
"Hey for the wedding-song and one night more!" he cried.
We rolled off, we three, in Varvilliers" carriage.
CHAPTER XXVII.
OF GRAZES ON THE KNEE.
There was no doubt that they practised the marriage-song. Coralie"s voice echoed through the house as we entered. For a moment we paused in the hall to listen. Then Wetter dashed up the stairs, crying, "Good G.o.d!
Wooden, wooden, wooden!" We followed him at a run; he flung the door open and rushed in. Coralie broke off her singing and came to greet me with a little cry of pleased surprise. Struboff sat at the piano, looking rather bewildered. Supper was spread on a table at the other end of the room. When Struboff tried to rise, Wetter thrust him back into his seat. "No, no, the King doesn"t want to talk to you," he said. "He wants to hear madame sing, to hear you play. Coralie, come and sing again, and, for G.o.d"s sake sing it as if it meant something, dear Coralie."
"It"s such nonsense," said Coralie, with a pouting smile.
"Nonsense? Then it needs all your efforts. As if--as if, I say--it meant something."
Varvilliers, laughing, flung himself on a sofa. I stood at the end of the piano, Wetter was gesticulating and muttering on the hearthrug.
Struboff put his fingers on the keys again and began to play; after a sigh of weariness Coralie uplifted her voice. It came fresh and full; the weariness was of the spirit only. The piece was good, nay, very good; there were feeling and pa.s.sion in the music. I looked at Struboff.
His fingers moved tenderly, tears stood in his little eyes. Coralie shouted perfect notes in perfect heartlessness.
"My G.o.d!" muttered Wetter from the hearthrug, and bounded across to her.
He caught her by the arm.
"Feel, feel, feel!" he cried angrily.
"Don"t be so stupid," said Coralie.