Helene turned and looked at Von Barwig. He stood there in silence, his slight figure seeming to tower above everything in the room. Even Stanton, tall as he was, seemed dwarfed by the strong personality of the music master. At this moment Joles made his appearance. "A number of ladies have arrived, miss," he said to Helene, his quick eye catching sight of Von Barwig without looking at him. "They are in the reception-room."
"I must go at once," said Helene. "I forgot all about my birthday reception."
"Young Mr. Cruger and his father are asking for you, sir," Joles said quietly to Mr. Stanton.
"Ask them to wait--I must see this gentleman," said Stanton, indicating Von Barwig. Joles bowed himself out. Helene was pleased that her father acceded so readily to her wishes. She went to him and placing her hand on his arm said in a low voice:
"Let him explain, father! I want him to come back to me. It will make me very happy--please--this is my birthday."
Stanton nodded, but made no reply. Helene gave Von Barwig an encouraging smile and went out of the room, quietly closing the door after her.
Von Barwig had been studying the man before him. There was quite a silence.
"Well, Henry?" he said after a few moments.
"Anton," murmured Stanton in a low tone as if ashamed to speak. Von Barwig"s eyes glittered as he heard his name familiarly p.r.o.nounced by the man he was regarding with deadly enmity.
"The world has revolved a few times since I last saw you--but I am here," he said, repressing his anger; and this repression gave a curiously hard and guttural effect to his voice.
"I have been expecting this moment for a long time," said Stanton in a conciliating tone. "I"ve tried to forget."
"You have been very successful," replied Von Barwig. "You have forgotten your own name for sixteen years. A prosperous friend has a poor memory, Henry."
"I have not prospered," said Stanton quickly; "that is, not in the real sense of the word. I am rich, yes; but I am not prosperous."
"You have changed your name?" said Von Barwig.
"Yes; my uncle Stanton died in California. I took his name when he left me his great fortune."
"That is why I could not find a trace of you," said Von Barwig thoughtfully.
Stanton thought he detected signs of relenting in Von Barwig"s voice.
"I suppose there"s no use my telling you how sorry I am for----"
"Sorry, sorry!" almost screamed Von Barwig. "Does that bring back anything? Does that put sixteen years in my hands? d.a.m.n the empty phrase "I am sorry" when there is no use in being sorry!"
"I have repented, Anton! Before G.o.d I have repented!" said Stanton huskily. "She made me repent, and G.o.d knows she repented. She never had one happy hour since she left you!"
Von Barwig was silent.
"This is the only blot on my life--the one blot on my life," cried Stanton.
"And that one blot was my wife and child," said Von Barwig. "While you were at it you accomplished a great deal. Mein Gott, you were colossal! You always were a d.a.m.ned successful fellow, Ahlmann," he added vindictively.
"Before G.o.d, Anton," cried Stanton with a show of emotion, "I didn"t mean to do it; I swear I didn"t. It was a mad impulse! It"s not in my real nature."
"Nature never makes a blunder. When she makes a scoundrel she means it," said Von Barwig.
Stanton started and then looked through the library window. His sharp ear had detected the sound of carriage wheels stopping in front of the house.
"What are you going to do?" he asked quickly. The fear of exposure was doubly increased by knowledge of the fact that his guests were arriving. Von Barwig made no reply.
"Barwig, for G.o.d"s sake don"t ruin me! At least, I"ve given the child everything. She knows nothing, and the world respects----"
"The world always respects a successful rascal," interrupted Von Barwig with a harsh laugh. "Of all people he is the most respected. Why, if I had not found you, I have no doubt you would live on a church window-pane after you died! But now I antic.i.p.ate that everybody shall know your virtues while you are alive. I cut off that window-pane! I am going to baptise you, Ahlmann; I give you back your name."
"Anton, Anton! Why not sit down calmly and talk it over?" pleaded Stanton.
"Ah, you were always a polite man, the kind women like; a man born with kid gloves and no soul. Now we take off the gloves; we show you as you are," and Von Barwig shook his finger at the man opposite him.
There were echoes of laughter out in the hallway; Stanton heard them and trembled. He recognised the voices of Mrs. Cruger"s nieces. If these gossips, ever found out the truth, he thought, not a family in New York but would be acquainted with the facts in twenty-four hours.
"Anton, be calm," he pleaded. "Give me a few days to think it over."
"No!" declared Von Barwig.
"A few hours," pleaded Stanton.
"No!" repeated Von Barwig; "not even a few minutes."
Stanton moved toward the door.
"Stay here!" commanded Von Barwig. He was plainly master of the situation now, for Stanton instinctively obeyed him. "If I let you go into the next room it might be sixteen years before you got back again!
Sit down."
Stanton obeyed him and there was a slight pause.
"You know what a scandal this will make," he pleaded.
"I know," replied Von Barwig in a quiet tone. "I know!"
"The whole country will ring with it," said Stanton.
"You shouldn"t have prayed so loud, Ahlmann," replied Von Barwig with a sardonic smile. "You laid too many cornerstones; your charities are too well known. You should have kept them a secret and not blazoned your generosity to the whole world. When you fed an orphan or a widow you shouldn"t have advertised it in the newspapers."
Stanton looked at him and saw no hope.
"You"re going to ruin me?" he asked.
Von Barwig made no reply.
"You"re going to tell her?" demanded Stanton.
"Yes," replied Von Barwig in a quiet tone; "I"m going to tell her."
"You"d better think first."
"I have thought."