"Do not attempt to follow me a single step. Your protection would be as unendurable as is your presence. How often have I to repeat that?"
"Ah, how angry she can get," said the count with a malicious laugh. "Ah, I must be repaid for those hard words. I must have a kiss from those rosy lips which speak so harshly."
He made a movement to take her in his arms, as the girl drew back, really alarmed now, but in the same moment he lay sprawling upon the sward, a heavy blow, well aimed, having thrown him to the damp ground, where he lay, a most contemptible object!
Marietta turned, more alarmed than ever, in the direction from which the blow had come, and the angry, hot expression on her face was succeeded by one of boundless surprise, when she saw who it was that had come to her aid so suddenly, and now stood by her side gazing grimly at the prostrate man whom he had put in this humiliating position with such evident satisfaction.
"Herr von Eschenhagen--you?"
Count Westerburg had in the meantime risen with some difficulty, and now advanced threateningly toward his new enemy.
"Sir, what do you mean by this? Who has given you the right--who has given you the right--"
"Stay where you are! Don"t advance a step nearer this lady," interrupted Willibald, placing himself in front of Marietta, "or I"ll send you flying under those trees, and you won"t get up from the second blow as soon as you did from the first."
The count, who was neither very large nor very rugged, and who had felt already the weight of this young giant"s fist, measured Willibald for a minute, but that was long enough to convince him that a hand to hand scuffle could only result one way.
"You will give me satisfaction--if you are capable of giving satisfaction," he began in a half-suffocated voice. "Probably you don"t know that you have before you a--"
"A low scoundrel whom it will give me pleasure to discipline," said Willibald, composedly. "Remain where you are, if you please, or I shall be obliged to do it on the spot. My name is Willibald von Eschenhagen of Burgsdorf, and I am to be found at the residence of the Prussian amba.s.sador, if you have anything more to say. I beg you to accept my protection, Fraulein, and I"ll pledge myself that you"ll not be insulted again."
And then something unheard of, almost past belief, happened.
Herr von Eschenhagen, without awkwardness or embarra.s.sment, with the grace of a gentleman of the old school, offered Fraulein Volkmar his arm and led her away, without troubling himself farther about the low scoundrel!
Marietta had accepted his arm, but she spoke no word; as soon as they were out of hearing she began, with an agitation which was anything but natural to her: "Herr von Eschenhagen--"
"Yes, Fraulein?"
"I--I am very grateful to you for your protection. But the Count--you have insulted him deeply--he will challenge you, and you will accept his challenge?"
"Certainly, with the greatest pleasure," answered Will, and a smile broke over his face which proved that such a state of affairs would give him great gratification. His stupidity and obtuseness had disappeared, he felt he was a hero and deliverer, and was very well satisfied with himself. Marietta looked up at him in speechless surprise.
"But it is terrible that all this should happen on my account," she remonstrated. "And that it should be you, of all men."
The last remark did not please the young man.
"You evidently regret that, Fraulein," he said rather stiffly. "But under such circ.u.mstances you cannot always have what you want. I was near by, and you were forced to accept my services even though I do not stand very well in your esteem."
A flush crossed Marietta"s face as she remembered the time when she had poured the vials of her wrath and contempt over this man who now came to her rescue so bravely.
"I was thinking of Toni and her father," she answered softly. "I am altogether blameless, but if I should be the cause of tearing you from your bride--"
"Then Toni would have to accept it as an intervention of Providence,"
answered Willibald, upon whom the mention of his betrothed seemed to make no impression. "One can but lose his life once, and there is no use looking on the worst side, either. Where shall I take you, Fraulein? To Park street? I think I heard you lived on that street."
She shook her head violently.
"No, no; I cannot walk, I shall call a carriage; there are some over there. I had meant to go to Professor Marani, to practice a new part, but I cannot sing now."
Willibald turned his steps in the direction where the carriages were standing, and they went on in silence until they came near them.
Marietta stopped then, and turning to her escort, said anxiously:
"Herr von Eschenhagen, must it be? Can nothing be done?"
"Well, hardly. I knocked the count down, and called him a low scoundrel, and most fellows would regard that as sufficient grounds for a duel.
But, don"t you worry about it. The whole affair will be over to-morrow or next day, with only a couple of scratches to tell the tale, in all probability."
"And I shall have to wait two or three days in anxiety and uncertainty.
Cannot you send me some news?"
Will looked down into the dark, tearful eyes, and a light came in his own such as had gleamed from them on the first day he saw the little "singing bird."
"When all is happily over, I"ll come myself and bring you the news if I may?"
"Certainly, certainly. But if it should end unfortunately, if you should fall?"
"Then hold me in kinder remembrance than you have done hitherto," said Willibald, earnestly and cordially. "You took me for a coward. O, don"t say a word, you were right; I have felt it bitterly enough, but I was accustomed always to obey my mother, who I knew loved me devotedly. But now you see that I know also how a man should behave when he sees a defenseless girl insulted, and I will avenge that insult--if need be with my blood."
Without waiting for an answer, he hailed a driver, a.s.sisted Marietta into the carriage, and repeated to the man the street and number which she gave him. She placed her little hand in his for a moment, and gave him a long look, then, as the carriage rolled away, she threw herself back on the cushions with a loud sob. Will looked after the carriage as long as it was in sight, then he threw his shoulders back and said, with a sort of fierce pleasure:
"Now, have a care, Herr Count. It will be a real pleasure for me to have a shot at you."
CHAPTER XI.
The short November day was nearly over, and the twilight shadows were lengthening rapidly, when Prince Egon, returning from a short walk, entered his brilliantly lighted palace.
"Is Herr Rojanow in his rooms?" he asked a footman.
"Yes, your highness," the servant answered with a respectful bow.
"Then order the carriage for nine o"clock, to take us to the castle."
So saying Egon sprang quickly up the stairs, and hastened to his friend"s apartments, which were on the first floor, not far from his own, and which were furnished with all the old-time magnificence of a princely house. A lamp was burning on the table in Hartmut"s little study, and he himself, looking weary and dejected, was lying full length upon a couch.
"He of the laurel wreath is taking his rest," said the prince, laughing, as he entered the room and came quickly forward to his friend. "I can"t find fault with you this time, for you haven"t had a minute"s rest to-day. There"s something exciting in being the rising star in the poet"s heaven, but it"s hard on the nerves, I must admit. People are vieing with one another to do you honor. You certainly had an overwhelming reception to-day."
"Yes, and we must go to the court to-night," Hartmut answered in a tired, indifferent tone; evidently the prospect was not an enlivening one.
"We must, indeed. The high and mighty desire to do homage to the hero of the hour, my dear aunt at the head of them. You must know that she thinks she"s the embodiment of soulfulness and poesy herself, and that she has discovered a responsive spirit in you Praise the Lord! She"ll leave me alone for a while, and if she gets very deep in her illusions, she"ll forget ail about the marriage plan, for the time at least; but you seem to be very indifferent to the ducal favor which, by the way, is quite p.r.o.nounced. You hardly speak. Are you ill?"
"I"m tired. I wish I could escape from all the noise, and go to Rodeck."
"To Rodeck? That would be a fine place in the November mists and the damp, leafless forests. Ugh, it gives me the horrors."