"I was questioned the other day at Furstenstein. Princess Sophie was just returning from a walk and beckoned me to her to ask me a few questions."
"The deuce she did!" muttered the prince, who saw mischief. "And what answers did you give her?"
""Your grace need feel no uneasiness," I said, "of living animals we have only monkeys and parrots at Rodeck, and there"s never been a snake about the place; a sea serpent was coming, but it died on the way, and the elephants broke loose before they were shipped at all, and went back to their palm groves--so his highness told me. As to tigers, we have two, but they are stuffed, and we"ve only the skin of a lion in the large hall, so your grace can see that no harm will come from them.""
"No, but enough will come from your tattle," said the prince, angrily.
"And the princess, what did she say to it all?"
"Her grace only smiled and then asked me about the women employed here at Rodeck, and if all the girls in the region were not here. But I said," and Stadinger threw his head back proudly, ""all the women at the castle, your grace, were engaged by me. They are all industrious and honest; I have seen to that; but his highness ran away when he caught sight of them, and Herr Rojanow was more put out than the prince even, so the gentlemen never paid but one visit to the kitchen." Her grace was very kind and gracious to me, and took leave of me very well contented, I could see that."
"And I"d be very well contented to send you to the devil, you old fool.
To spoil it all with your long tongue," exclaimed the prince, furious now.
The old man, who thought he had done everything for the best, looked at his young master in perplexity.
"But I only told the truth, your highness."
"But the truth"s not to be spoken at all times."
"Oh, I did not know that."
"Stadinger, you have a bad habit of answering back--perhaps you also told the princess that Zena had been in the city for several weeks?"
"Yes, your highness, she asked me about my granddaughter, particularly."
"What"s the trouble with Stadinger now?" asked Hartmut, who came out at this moment, also attired for the day"s sport, and who had caught the last few words.
"Oh, he"s been making a first cla.s.s fool of himself, that"s all,"
explained the exasperated prince. The oldest servant of a princely house could not allow such an insult to pa.s.s.
"I beg your highness"s pardon. I have not been making a fool of myself at all."
"Perhaps you believe it is I who have been doing it?"
Stadinger looked his young master well over and then replied, discreetly:
"I do not know, your highness--but it might be so."
"You"re an old bear," cried the prince sharply.
"The whole forest knows that, your highness."
"Come on, Hartmut, there"s nothing to be gained from this old ghost of the woods," said Egon half angry, half laughing. "First you place me in all sorts of embarra.s.sments, and then you defend yourself by giving me a lecture."
With that he went off with Rojanow to the carriage. Stadinger remained standing in a respectful att.i.tude, for he never meant to be rebuked for lack of respect to "his highness." It never occurred to him to yield an inch of ground; that was for Prince Egon to do, but not for Peter Stadinger.
Egon was almost of this opinion himself. He related what had occurred to Hartmut as they drove along, and with a comical despair he concluded:
"Now can you imagine what kind of a reception that most worshipful aunt of mine will give me? She evidently suspected that I wanted to keep her away from Rodeck. Now my morals are saved in her eyes, but at the expense of my love of truth. Hartmut, you must do me a favor; you must be my lightning rod. Expend all your power of fascination upon that imperious kinswoman of mine. Dedicate a poem to her if necessary, but at least shield me from the first fierce flashes of her anger."
"Well, I should have thought you weather-proof in that particular by now," said Rojanow smiling. "You must have had cause for forgiveness before this for such enormities. The d.u.c.h.ess and the other ladies will be on horseback to-day, will they not?"
"Certainly; they could see nothing from the carriages. By the way, did you know that Frau von Wallmoden was an accomplished horse woman? I met her day before yesterday returning from a ride with her brother-in-law, the head forester."
"Ah, then we"ll know where to find Prince Adelsberg to-day."
Egon, who had been leaning back comfortably, sat erect now, and said, as he gave his friend a searching look:
"Not so spitefully, I beg of you. You are not often in the company of the lady in question, I grant that, and you bear yourself as if you were only a looker-on at others, but I know you well enough to understand that you and I are very much of the same opinion concerning her, nevertheless."
"Well, and if we are--would you consider it a breach of friendship on my part?"
"Not in this instance. For the object is unattainable by either of us."
"Unattainable?" an ironical smile played around Rojanow"s lips.
"Yes, Hartmut," said the young prince, half in earnest, half in jest, "the lovely, cold northern light, as you have named her, remains true to its nature. It gleams on the horizon distant and unapproachable, and the icy sea above which it shines is not to be broken through. The lady has no heart. She is free from every feeling of pa.s.sion, and that is what gives her her enviable security. Here you must acknowledge all your influence, all your boasted powers are frustrated by that icy breath; you are chilled through, and so you keep your distance."
Hartmut was silent. He was thinking of the moment in the tower room when he had begged for the bright blossom. She had refused him, but no icy breath had enveloped the young wife while she stood trembling beneath his pleading glance and words. He had seen her daily since then, but had seldom gone near her, but he knew that now, as before, she was under his influence.
"But, in spite of it all, I cannot tear myself loose from this foolish fascination," Egon went on in a dreamy tone. "It always seems to me that the ice and snow will disappear as if by magic, and warmth and light burst out in full bloom in their stead. If Adelheid von Wallmoden were still free--I believe I"d try the experiment."
Rojanow, who had been lost in thought as he gazed steadily into the mist which yet shrouded the hills, turned around suddenly and violently now.
"What experiment? Do you mean by that, you"d offer her your hand?"
"That thought seems to excite you greatly," said the prince, laughing out loud. "Yes, that"s precisely what I mean. I have no such prejudice against trade as my respected aunt, who would go into convulsions over the very thought, and even you don"t seem to take to the idea any too kindly. Well, you can both calm yourselves, his excellency her husband, has already secured the prize, and he"ll never change her into a creature of warmth and light with those tiresome diplomatic speeches of his--but the man is happy; he has had no end of good luck."
"Call no man happy until his death," said Hartmut, half-aloud.
"A very wise remark, only not quite original," answered Egon. "Do you know that at times you have a look in your eyes which is positively alarming, like a demon. Forgive my saying so, but you looked this moment as if you were one."
Hartmut did not answer.
They were just turning from the forest into the broad road, and Furstenstein, with its ducal flag flapping gaily in the morning wind, was plainly visible on its wooded height.
Half an hour later, their carriage rolled along the broad graveled carriage-way, where all was life and bustle. Every servant of the household was stirring; carriages and saddle horses were standing ready for the start, and nearly all those invited to join the hunt had arrived.
As the gay throng started on their way, the sun suddenly burst forth through the mist, and as it shone down on the glittering cavalcade just leaving the castle, it made a brilliant and impressive picture.
The duke and d.u.c.h.ess rode at the head, closely followed by their numerous suite, and then came the many guests. All the younger women were on horseback, and the whole party were in full hunting costume.
Away they rode in the clear sunlight of a bright autumn morning. Over the hills and meadows and through the woods. Shots were fired on every side, and the flying deer broke through the thicket and across the clearing, while the whole hunting park resounded with the din of the sport.
The whole corps of foresters had been summoned by the head forester, who saw to it that no arrangements were lacking to make the day a success.
He felt that this was peculiarly his affair, and that no mishaps of any sort should occur.
They arrived about midday at Bucheneck, a small hunting lodge belonging to the duke, which lay in the center of the forest, and which could offer shelter in case of any unfavorable change in the weather. To-day no such precaution seemed necessary, as the weather was glorious, only somewhat too warm for the season. The sun beat down almost too fiercely, as they took their breakfast in the open air.