"How absolutely splendid!" she exclaimed. "John, it is really true. I know my Almanach de Gotha--all the t.i.tles." Turning, now, to Kreutzer, she beamed upon him with a cordial smile which plainly took no count of all the frowns which, in the past few minutes, she had sent in his direction. "But Lichtenstahl is a magnificent estate. How does it happen that you--"
"The estate was lost to me, Madame, through the folly of my ancestors; but--their pride I have inherited. Therefore, although I know that I cannot prevent this marriage, I will not give consent to it." He turned, now, to his daughter. "Rather, Anna, I go from your life forever!"
"You shall not!" the girl cried. "You are my dear, kind father. I won"t let you go alone. I"ll stay with you, close beside you, while you live."
She threw herself into his arms and Kreutzer, there enfolding her, looked proudly out above the wonderful bowed head of the distressed and sobbing girl at Mrs. Vanderlyn. This time there was a note of triumph in his voice--a note of triumph which had not been there, even when he had made the announcement of the glory of his birth and family.
Mrs. Vanderlyn looked at them in chagrin. A slow flush spread upon her face.
"_Now_, mother," her son asked, "what have you to say?"
She forced a sigh as of a self-effacing resignation, but upon her face there lurked, in spite of her, a little smirk of satisfaction--of sn.o.bbery which had been gratified, at last, after many disappointments. Her manner had changed utterly. Her tones were honeyed, now; her glance was quite as sweetly motherly as she could make it as she looked from Anna to her questioner and back again.
"What have I to say? My boy, I cannot let you lose your happiness....
And the dear man"s confession has made everything so different!" An ecstatic smile spread on her face. "Why, John, he is a friend of the dear Emperor!" She turned, now, again to Kreutzer. Everything considered she made good weather of it on a difficult occasion. "My dear Count," she pleaded, "won"t you reconsider, please?"
The old flute-player shook his head. "I do not wish to hurt your feelings, Madame, but it is impossible--impossible."
"Mother," said John Vanderlyn, not viciously, but, still, a little wickedly, "you are up against it. He"ll never reconsider."
"But he must! He must!" said Mrs. Vanderlyn, entirely capitulating.
"There is nothing I won"t do!" She turned, imploringly, to Kreutzer.
"Listen. To-night I hold a reception. It shall be in your daughter"s honor and I will, while it is going on, announce her engagement to my son." She took the ring which the flute-player had pa.s.sed over to her, and, holding it between her thumb and forefinger, advanced towards Anna with it. "See, I will, myself, put on the ring."
John protested, though, at this. "No, mother," he said hastily, "I will attend to that."
He took the ring from her reluctant fingers, and, raising Anna"s hand, slipped it into place in open token of betrothal. Then, with an air of manly resolution the young man turned to the father. "And I"ll do more," he said. "You and Anna shall not be parted. I"ll buy the old estate of Lichtenstahl and you shall be its master, as you ought to be, as long as your life lasts. You"ll let us be your guests, perhaps, and there we"ll all be happy. Eh?"
"I beg you to consider the happiness of our children," Mrs. Vanderlyn said humbly.
Herr Kreutzer smiled. Conditions, now, were different indeed. No longer was he scorned as a poor flute-player, unworthy to become connected with the house of Vanderlyn by marriage.
"Ah," said he, "you beg of me! Well, that is different. Your happiness, my little Anna ... so ... I will see. Only give me just a little time to think of it alone."
"Of course," said Mrs. Vanderlyn, with a deep sigh of relief. "Come, Anna darling, we must get home in time to dress for the reception. My dear Count, I"ll send the motor back for you. You"ll surely come?"
"Perhaps I come," said he indifferently. "Possibly."
But he turned to Anna with a beaming face on which love shone, triumphant. "At least, my Anna, it is not goodbye--and that is very good. _Nichtwahr_?"
"No, father; it could never be goodbye with us. Together always, father--always--always--us--together."
She ran to him and hid her head upon his breast.
A moment later and the girl had been borne off by Mrs. Vanderlyn in triumph. John gave his hand to Kreutzer and the aged flute-player pressed it, smiling at him with approval.
As his future son-in-law went out the old man stood and gazed long at the open door. Upon his face there were the lines of happiness, not worry, as there had been for so many years, not bitter grief as there had been that day.
There came a clatter on the stairs which broke the reverie which held him, and he stepped forward to the door, peering out into the hall to see the cause of the unusual noise. An officer approached, and, tightly gripped by her right arm, he held M"riar.
"Say," said he gruffly. "You Mr. Krootzer? Wot? Yes? Well, this kid comes to the station-house and hollers that she"s stole a ring and somebody that ain"t had anything to do with it is gettin" pinched fer stealin" it. The kid acts plumb bug-house, but Sarge he says fer me to come around and see wot"s up. Wot is she, dippy? Did she re"ly steal a di"mond? This don"t look like wot you"d call a likely place to find a di"mond."
"No," said Herr Kreutzer, after he had had sufficient time to sense the meaning of the officer"s strange statement, "she did not steal a diamond, or anything. It was good of you to bring her home to me. The dear child--she suffers from,--er--what you call emotional insanity, I think. A little too much love for an old man and his daughter, possibly. That is what I think. It is nothing worse than that. Thank you, very much, for bringing her to me. Take this, sir, for your trouble." He handed him, with bland benevolence, his last dollar.
"Say, I"m gettin" it a good deal better than the cop wot come here to this house a while ago. He"s bein" stuck together at the hospital in a dozen places, they tell me. He"s like a jig-saw puzzle."
"Ah, I wonder what could have occurred to him."
The officer went down the stairs.
"Come in, my child," the flute-player invited M"riar. "Soon you will be better, doubtless. Yes, I feel quite certain that you will be better, soon."
He softly closed the door behind them.
"M"riar," he said slowly, "sit down by me. I think I play you something--just a little something--on my flute."
"My heye!" said M"riar, entranced.
"But no," said Kreutzer. "First come to me. Ah, give me a kiss. Always shall you have a home with me or with my Anna."
Spellbound, after he had kissed her, she sat close by his feet upon the floor until he finished playing and laid down the flute. "I s"y!"
she murmured, then.
THE END