The Northern Light.
by E. Werner.
CHAPTER I.
The grey mist of an autumn morning lay upon forest and field. Through its shadowy vapors a swarm of birds were sweeping by, on their Southward way, now dipping low over the tops of the tall fir forest, as if giving a last greeting to their summer homes, and then rising high in the air; turning their flight due South, they disappeared slowly through the fog.
At the window of a large manor-house, which lay at the edge of the forest, two men stood, watching the course of the birds and conversing earnestly with each other. One was a tall, stalwart figure, whose firm and erect bearing betokened the soldier fully as much as the uniform he wore. He was blonde and blue-eyed, not handsome, but with a strong and speaking countenance; a typical German in form and feature. Yet something like a shadow lay upon the man"s face, and there were, wrinkles, on his brow which surely were not the result of age, for he was yet in the prime of life.
"The birds have started already on their journey to the south," said he, after watching the flight attentively until they had finally disappeared in the cloud of mist. "The autumn has come to nature and to our lives as well."
"Not to yours yet," objected his companion. "You are just in the hey-day of life, in the full strength of your manhood."
"True enough, as to years, but I have a feeling that age will overtake me sooner than others. I often feel as if it were autumn with me now."
The other man, who might have been a few years the speaker"s senior, was slender, and of middle height, and clad in civilian"s dress. He shook his head impatiently at his companion"s last observation. He appeared insignificant when compared with the strong, well-built officer near him; but his pale, sharply cut face wore a look of cold, superior repose, and the sarcastic expression around the thin lips, together with his aristocratic air and bearing, suggested a hidden strength behind a feeble exterior.
"You take life too hard, Falkenried," he said reprovingly. "You have changed strangely in the last few years. Who would recognize in you now, the gay young officer of other days? And what"s the reason of it all?
The shadow which once darkened your life has long since disappeared. You are a soldier, heart and soul, and have repeatedly distinguished yourself in your profession. A high position awaits you in the future, and the thing above all others is--you have your son."
Falkenried did not answer; he folded his arms and looked out again into the mist, while the other continued: "The boy has grown handsome as a G.o.d in the last few years. I was quite overcome with surprise when I saw him again, and you yourself, told me that he was unusually gifted and in many things showed great talent."
"I would that Hartmut had fewer talents and more character," said Falkenried, in an almost acrid tone. "He can make verses quick enough, and to learn a language is child"s play to him, but as soon as he tries some earnest science, he"s behind all the others, and in military tactics I can make nothing of him at all. You cannot comprehend, Wallmoden, what iron severity I am constantly compelled to employ."
"I fear you accomplish little by this same severity," interrupted Wallmoden. "You should take my advice and leave your son to his studies.
He has not the qualifications for a soldier. You must see that for yourself by this time."
"He shall and must acquire those qualifications. It is the only possible career for such an intractable nature as his, which revolts at every restraint and to which every duty is a burden. The life of a student at the university would give him unrestrained liberty; only the iron dicipline of the service will force him to bend."
"The only question is, how long will you be able to force him to do your will? You should not deceive yourself; there are inherited tendencies which will not allow themselves to be repressed or eradicated. Hartmut, now, is in appearance the counterpart of his mother; he has her features and her eyes."
"Yes," a.s.sented Falkenried gloomily, "her dark, demoniacal, glowing eyes, which cast their spell upon all who knew her."
"And were your ruin," supplemented Wallmoden. "How often did I warn and advise you then; but you would not listen. Your pa.s.sion had seized you like a fever and held you like chains. I declare I never have been able to understand it."
Falkenried"s lips were drawn in with a bitter smile.
"I can readily believe that you, the cool, calculating diplomat, you, whose every word is weighed, are protected against all such witcheries."
"I should at least be cautious in my choice. Your marriage carried unhappiness on its face from the very beginning. A women of a foreign race, with strange blood in her veins and the wild, pa.s.sionate Sclave nature, without character, without understanding of what we here call duty and morality; and you with your rigid principles, with your sensitive feeling of honor, it could ultimately lead to but one end. And I believe you loved her in spite of all, until your separation."
"No," said Falkenried, in a hard tone, "the fire burned out in the first year; I saw that only too clearly. But I shrank back from publishing to the world my household misery by a legal separation. So I bore it until no choice remained, until I was forced. But enough of this."
He turned abruptly on his heel and looked from the window again; but the quick movement betrayed rather than concealed the torture which he with difficulty repressed.
"Yes, it takes a great deal to tear up a nature like yours by the roots," said Wallmoden earnestly. "But the divorce freed you from the unhappy bond, and why should you not bury the memory as well?"
Falkenried shook his head and sighed heavily. "One cannot bury such memories; they are forever rising from their supposed sepulchres, and just now--" he broke off suddenly.
"Just now; what do you mean?"
"Nothing; let us speak of other things. You have been in Burgsdorf since day before yesterday; how long do you expect to remain?"
"About two weeks. I haven"t much time at my disposal, and am for that matter only nominally Willibald"s guardian, for my diplomatic position keeps me out of the country most of the time. The guardianship really rests in the hands of my sister, who rules over everything."
"Well, Regine is equal to the position. She governs the great estate and the numerous servants as though she were a man."
"And gives her orders like a cavalry officer from morning to night," put in her brother. "Recognizing all her excellent qualities, I, nevertheless, feel a slight creepy sensation whenever I am constrained to visit Burgsdorf, and I always leave the place with shattered nerves.
They live in a most primitive fashion over yonder. Willibald is a perfect young bear, and of course at the same time the apple of his mother"s eye, and she, by the way, is doing her best to bring him up as a bluff country squire. It"s useless to enter any protest, and, for the matter of that, it seems just what the youngster"s good for."
Their conversation was interrupted at this moment by a servant, who entered and handed his master a card. Falkenried glanced at it.
"Counsellor Egern? I am glad of that. Tell the gentleman to come in."
"You have a business engagement I see," said Wallmoden rising. "Then I"ll not disturb you."
"On the contrary I beg you to remain. I have had an intimation of this visit and its purpose, and know what will be the result of our conversation. The question is--" He did not finish, for the door opened and the lawyer entered. He seemed surprised not to find the officer alone, as he had fully expected, but Falkenried took no notice of his ill-concealed astonishment.
"Herr Counsellor Egern--Herr von Wallmoden, secretary of legation," said the host, presenting them. The man of law bowed with cool politeness as he took the seat offered him.
"I have the honor of being known to you, I believe, Herr Major," he began. "As your wife"s attorney at the time the suit for divorce was in progress, I had the opportunity of making your acquaintance." He paused as if expecting an answer; but Major Falkenried gave no sign beyond an affirmative nod.
Wallmoden was all attention. He could understand now his friend"s irritation on his arrival.
"I come to you to-day in the name of my former client," continued the counsellor. "She has authorized me--have I your permission to speak freely?"
He glanced at the diplomat, but Falkenried answered shortly: "Herr von Wallmoden is my friend, and knows all about this affair. So you may speak freely."
"Very well. The lady has, after an absence of many years, returned to Germany, and naturally enough wishes to see her son. She has already written you about the matter but has received no answer."
"I should think that was answer enough. I do not wish any such meeting, and I will not permit it."
"That sounds very blunt, Herr Major. Frau von Falkenried, in that case, has--"
"Say Frau Zalika Rojanow, if you please," interrupted the Major. "I believe she a.s.sumed her maiden name again when she returned to her own country."
"The name does not signify on this occasion," responded the lawyer composedly. "The question concerns only and alone a mother"s natural desire, which the father neither can nor dare refuse, even though, as in this case, the son has been unconditionally adjudged to him."
"Dare not? But suppose he does dare?"
"In so doing he will overstep the limit of his rights. I beg you, Herr Major, to consider the matter quietly before giving so decided a no. A mother has rights of which no judicial decree can ever divest her, and one of those rights is the privilege of seeing her only child again. In this case my client has the law on her side, and she will appeal to it, too, if my demand meets with the same refusal as did her written request."
"Very well, she can make the attempt. I"ll run the risk. My son does not know that his mother is living, and shall not learn it now. I will not have him see her or speak with her, and I will know how to prevent it, too. My no is absolute under all circ.u.mstances."
This declaration left nothing to be wished for as regarded energy; but Falkenried"s face was deathly pale, and his voice had a hollow, menacing sound. One could see how fearfully the interview had excited him. He was scarcely able to preserve the semblance of outward composure.
The attorney seemed to see the uselessness of further endeavor, and only shrugged his shoulders.