interrupted Prince Egon, not wishing to lose an opportunity to anger his aunt. "The Stahlberg manufacturies have a worldwide reputation, and are as celebrated across the ocean as here. I had an opportunity, when I was in North Germany, to learn something about them, and can a.s.sure you that these works, with their iron foundries and enormous factories, their colony of officers and army of workmen, could absorb many a little princ.i.p.ality, whose rulers have no such unlimited power as had the baroness" father."
The lady threw her princely nephew anything but a friendly glance; his interference was to her mind most uncalled for.
"Indeed! I had no conception of such greatness," said she innocently. "I shall have to greet your excellency from this time forth as a great ruler."
"Only as a regent of the empire, your highness," answered the amba.s.sador, seconding, a little apparently harmless joke. "I am only my father-in-law"s executor, and guardian of my wife"s younger brother, who will a.s.sume the entire management of the works as soon as he reaches his majority."
"Ah, indeed. The son will have to learn to keep a watchful eye over his inheritance. It is really astonishing to me to see what in these days can be accomplished by the energy of a single man. It is all the more creditable, too, when he, like the father of our dear baroness here, springs from the people. I think I heard that, but I may be mistaken!"
Princess Sophie knew well that the amba.s.sador, with his old Prussian n.o.ble ancestry would find this rehearsal of his father-in-law"s station in life anything but pleasant, and it gave her great satisfaction to note that none of the little group who surrounded her, lost a word of the conversation, which was meant to humiliate the lovely new comer.
Baroness von Wallmoden drew herself up proudly as she replied:
"Your highness has been correctly informed. My father was of the people, and entered the capital a poor boy with no means whatever at his command. He had many and great struggles, and worked for years as a simple artisan, before he could lay even the foundations for his great undertaking."
"How proudly Frau von Wallmoden says that," cried the princess laughing.
"O I love such childlike attachment, above everything. And Herr Stahlberg--or was it von Stahlberg? The great industrial heads often get t.i.tles of n.o.bility."
"My father took no such t.i.tle, your highness," said Adelheid, meeting the other"s glance quietly but directly. "It was offered to him but he refused it."
The amba.s.sador pressed his lips tightly together; he could not forbear thinking this last utterance of his wife very undiplomatic. The countenance of the princess a.s.sumed at once an irritated expression, and she answered, with an unconcealed sneer:
"Well, it is at least fortunate that this aversion was not inherited by the daughter. Your excellency will know how to appreciate it. Please give me your arm, Egon. I want to find my brother."
She bowed coldly to those around her as she took the arm of her nephew, in whose face was plainly written:
"Now it is my turn."
He did not deceive himself, his aunt had no intention of seeking the duke; she turned into an adjoining room with her young kinsman that she might have him under her eyes without interruption for a little time. At first she expended her anger against this unbearable, arrogant Frau von Wallmoden, who boasted of the vulgar pride of her father, while she herself married a baron for his t.i.tle, for, of course, she could feel no love for a man who was old enough to be her father. Egon was silent for he had speculated on that matter himself. How had so unequal a marriage ever come about? But his silence just now was resented by his incensed aunt.
"Well, Egon, why don"t you say something? Really it does seem as if you were this woman"s sworn knight, you are by her side continually."
"I always do homage to beauty, when it comes in my way, you certainly know that, my dear aunt," explained the prince, striving to shield himself, but he only brought down a fresh storm on his head.
"Yes, I know that--I"m sorry to say. You have in this particular always exhibited great folly. You do not seem to remember all my warnings and admonitions before you started for the Orient."
"O, yes, I do," sighed Egon, to whom the very memory of those endless lectures was an oppression.
"Really! But you have not returned more sensible or settled. I have heard things--Egon, there"s only one salvation for you--you must marry!"
"For heaven"s sake! Anything but that!" exclaimed Egon, in such a voice of affright that the princess shut her fan with an angry snap, as she said in a sharp tone:
"What do you mean by that?"
"O, nothing but my own unworthiness to enter into such a holy state. You yourself, your highness, have often a.s.sured me that I was specially created to make a wife unhappy."
"If the wife does not succeed in making you better. But you are a hopeless case. At any rate this is neither the time nor the place to discuss so serious a matter. The d.u.c.h.ess is planning a visit to Rodeck, and I am thinking of accompanying her."
"What a charming idea," said Egon, to whom the thought of an invasion by his n.o.ble kinsfolk was even more terrifying than the marriage plan. "I am rejoiced that Rodeck, notwithstanding its isolated situation, contains something worthy of notice just at present. I brought a good many curiosities home with me from my journey, among other things a lion, two young tigers, and some very rare snakes."
"But not alive?" interrupted his aunt.
"Of course, your highness."
"The Lord preserve us! Your life is not safe."
"Oh, they"re not so dangerous after all. Only a few of the beasts have broken away; the people are so afraid of feeding them--but they were caught again and have not done any harm up to this time."
"Up to this time! A nice condition of affairs, I must say," exclaimed the princess angrily, "to keep every one in the region in constant danger of their lives. The duke ought to forbid you such diabolical amus.e.m.e.nt."
"Oh, I trust not, for I"m just trying to tame them. But I have some domesticated creatures to show, as well. Among my servants are several lovely girls who are well worth looking at in their picturesque national costumes."
Egon thought with a shudder, as he made this a.s.sertion, of the wretched old woman for whose appearance he had to thank the ever-watchful Stadinger, but he had not miscalculated the effect of his announcement.
His amiable aunt drew herself up with an angry snort, and measured him with no conciliatory glance.
"Oh, you have them at Rodeck also?"
"Yes, indeed; and little Zena, the granddaughter of my old steward, is a lovely little thing, and if you do me the honor of visiting me, dear aunt, I"ll--"
"I will not go near the place," his aunt interrupted sharply. "There must be nice goings on at Rodeck anyway, which keep you there with that young foreigner who is another of the curiosities you brought from the Orient. He looks like an out and out brigand."
"My friend Rojanow? He longs for the honor of being presented to you above all things. I may introduce him now, may I not?" and without waiting an answer, he hurried away to fetch Hartmut.
"Now its your turn, my boy," he said, seizing his friend by the arm. "I have been the sacrificial lamb long enough, and now my angelic aunt must have some one else to turn on the spit. She wants to marry me off at once, and she thinks you"re a veritable brigand, but, G.o.d be praised, she won"t come to Rodeck. I"ve made that my special care."
The next moment the two friends were standing before the princess, and Egon presented the latest victim with an amiable smile.
After the princess"s abrupt departure, Herr von Wallmoden remained for a few minutes chatting with the little group which the irate lady had deserted. Then, offering his wife his arm, he walked slowly through the long salons, greeting an acquaintance here, or saying a word to a friend there, until they had reached the last of the gaily decked suite which happened to be empty. The tower-room was used generally only as a resting place and a point of observation, from which a very good view of the forest heights could be obtained, but to-day it was richly carpeted and the walls were hung with heavy tapestries, while choice plants were scattered about in artistic groupings and designs, so that the little room was as shaded and picturesque as could be desired, and a rest to both eye and brain, after the glitter and noise and light of the larger ones. The amba.s.sador had judged aright in thinking he would have an uninterrupted moment with his wife, for whom he now drew forward a low chair.
"I must call your attention to the fact, Adelheid," he began in a low, condemnatory tone, "that you were guilty of great imprudence, just now.
Your speech to the princess--"
"Was in self-defence," the young wife broke in. "You understood, as well as I, the object of the whole conversation."
"That"s as it may be. You have, on your first entrance into society, made an enemy who will make both you and me feel her animosity very keenly as time goes on."
"You!" Adelheid looked at him in surprise. "Will you, the amba.s.sador of a great nation, have anything to fear from a malicious woman, who happens to be related to the ducal house?"
"My child, you do not comprehend," responded her husband, coolly. "An evil-tongued woman can be more dangerous than any political opponent, and Princess Sophie is famed in this respect; even the d.u.c.h.ess herself fears her slanderous tongue."
"In that the d.u.c.h.ess and I differ--I do not fear her."
"My dear Adelheid," said the amba.s.sador with a superior smile, "that proud movement of the head does you great credit. But at Court, you must learn to do as others do. One cannot give royalty a lesson before too many witnesses, and that is what you did when you spoke of your father"s declination of a t.i.tle of n.o.bility. It was not necessary for you to be so explicit concerning your father"s origin."
"Should I have falsified?"
"No, but it was a well known fact--"
"Of which I am proud, as was my father before me."