"Professor Fabian," said he, "you have sympathised with the great loss which my family, and, with it, the whole scientific world, has experienced. The letter you wrote to my uncle long ago convinced him that you were blameless with regard to the intrigues which had been directed against him, that you at least could recognise his great merits without envy or jealousy. He expressed so much to me himself, and did you ample justice. The eulogistic notice, which you have dedicated to his memory, does you great honour; it has been a source of consolation to his surviving relatives. I thank you in the name of the family."
Fabian heartily pressed the speaker"s hand, which the latter had voluntarily extended towards him. His predecessor"s hostile att.i.tude and the a.s.sessor"s grudge against him had weighed heavily on his soul, innocent as he knew himself to be of the mortification endured by both.
He condoled with the afflicted nephew in terms of the sincerest sympathy.
"Yes, at the University we all deeply regret the loss of Professor Schwarz," said Gretchen; and she was hypocritical enough to offer, in her turn, a long string of condolences on the death of a man whom she had thoroughly detested, and whom, even in his grave, she could not forgive for his criticism on the "History of Teutonism."
"And so you have really tendered your resignation?" asked the steward, adverting to another topic. "You are leaving the service of the State, Herr a.s.sessor?"
"In a week," a.s.sented Hubert. "But, with respect to the t.i.tle you give me, Herr Frank, I must permit myself a slight correction. I ..." Here followed a dramatic pause, far longer and more impressive than that which in bygone days was intended to prelude his love declaration, during which pause he looked at his auditors successively, as though to prepare them for some most weighty intelligence; then, drawing a long breath, he concluded, "I was yesterday promoted to the rank of Counsellor."
"Thank goodness, at last!" said Gretchen, in a loud whisper, while her husband caught hold of her arm in alarm, to warn her against further imprudent utterances. Fortunately, Hubert had not heard the exclamation. He received Frank"s congratulations with a dignity befitting the occasion, and then bowed graciously in reply to the good wishes of the young couple. His placable frame of mind was now explained. The new Counsellor stood high above all offences committed against the former a.s.sessor. He forgave all his enemies--he even forgave the State, which had shown so tardy an appreciation of his worth.
"The promotion will make no change in my determination," he continued, it never having occurred to him that to this very determination he owed his advancement. "The State sometimes finds out too late the value of its servants; but the die is cast! I still, of course, fulfil the functions of my former position, and in this, the last week of my official activity, an important trust has been confided to me. I am now on my way to W----."
"Across the frontier?" said Fabian, in surprise.
"Exactly. I have to consult with the authorities there relative to the capture and reddition of a prisoner charged with high treason."
Gretchen gave her husband a look which said plainly: "There, he is beginning again already! Even the Counsellorship has not cured him of it"--but Frank had grown attentive all at once; he disguised any interest he might feel in the subject, however, and merely remarked in a careless, indifferent way--
"I thought the insurrection was at an end."
"But there are conspiracies on foot still," cried Hubert, eagerly. "A striking proof of this is now before us. You, probably, are not aware as yet that Count Morynski, the leader, the soul of the whole revolution, has escaped from prison."
Fabian started, and his wife evinced a lively surprise; but the steward only said quietly, "Impossible!"
The new Counsellor shrugged his shoulders. "It is, unfortunately, no longer any secret. The fact is known already all through L----, where Wilicza and Rakowicz still form the centre of general interest. Of course, Wilicza is beyond suspicion now, under Herr Nordeck"s energetic rule; but Rakowicz is the residence of the Princess Baratowska, and I maintain that that woman is a source of danger to the whole province.
There will be no peace so long as she remains in the land. Heaven knows whom she may now have stirred up to rescue her brother. Some reckless madman it must have been, who sets no store by his life. The prisoners under sentence of deportation are most closely guarded. Notwithstanding this, the accessory has, or the accessories have, managed to establish communication with the Count, and to furnish him with the means of escape. They have found their way into the interior of the fortress, have reached the very walls of his prison. Traces have been found which show that the fugitive was there received by them and conveyed past posts and sentries, over fortifications and ramparts--how is still an enigma. Half the sentinels on duty must have been bribed. The whole fort is in commotion at the unheard-of boldness of the enterprise.
Scouts have been out all over the neighbourhood for the last ten days, but no clue has as yet been found."
Fabian at first had merely listened with some interest to Hubert"s story, but as he heard such repeated mention of the amazing boldness of the undertaking, he began to be uneasy. A vague presentiment arose in his mind. He was about to put a hasty question, but just in time he met a warning look from his father-in-law. That look distinctly forbade him to speak. The Professor was silent, but his heart quailed within him.
Gretchen had not noticed this dumb intelligence between the two; she was following the tale with nave and eager attention. Hubert went on:
"The fugitives cannot be far off, for the escape was discovered almost immediately. The Count has not yet pa.s.sed the frontier, that is certain, and it is equally sure that he will make for it and attempt to get over on to German territory, where he would be in less danger. He will probably turn his steps to Rakowicz in the first place, Wilicza, thank G.o.d, being now closed to all such scheming plots and intrigues, though Herr Nordeck does not happen to be there just at present."
"No," said the steward, speaking with much decision. "He is over at Altenhof."
"I know; he told the President he was going there when he called to take leave of him. This absence of his will spare him much trouble and annoyance. It would be very painful to him to see his uncle captured and given up, as he will be beyond a doubt."
"What, you would give him up?" cried Gretchen, impetuously.
Hubert looked at her in astonishment.
"Of course; he is a criminal, convicted of treason to a friendly State.
Its Government will insist upon his being delivered up."
The girl looked from her husband to her father; she could not understand how it was they neither of them joined in her expostulations, but Frank"s eyes were fixed on something in the far distance, and Fabian uttered not a syllable.
Brave Gretchen, however, was not so easily intimidated. She indulged in a series of no very flattering comments on the "friendly State," and even directed some very pointed remarks against the Government of her own land. Hubert listened in horror. For the first time he thanked G.o.d in his heart that he had not made of this young lady a Counsellor"s consort. She was proving herself unfit to be the wife of a loyal official. There was a taint of treason in her too!
"In your place, I should have refused the mission," she concluded at last. "Just on the eve of your retirement, you could very well have done so. I would not have closed my official career by delivering up a poor hunted captive into the hands of his tormentors."
"The Government has named me Counsellor," replied Hubert, solemnly emphasising the t.i.tle, "and as such I shall do my duty. My State commands, I obey--but I see that my carriage has got safely over the critical spot. Madam, adieu; adieu, gentlemen. Duty calls me away!" and with a bow and a flourish, he left them.
"Did you hear, Emile?" asked the young lady, when they were once more seated in the carriage. "They have made him a Counsellor just a week before he retires, so that he shall have no time to do anything stupid in his new capacity. Well, he can"t do much harm in future with the mere t.i.tle!"
She went on in this way, discussing her old friend"s advancement and Count Morynski"s escape at great length, but received only short and unsatisfactory answers. Her father and husband had become remarkably monosyllabic, and it was fortunate that they soon reached the Wilicza domain, for the conversation began to flag hopelessly.
The Professor"s wife found many occasions for surprise, some even for annoyance, during the course of the day. What perplexed her most, was her father"s behaviour. He was undoubtedly pleased to have them there; he had taken her in his arms that morning and welcomed them both with such hearty warmth, yet it seemed as though their coming, which had been announced to him by a telegram the day before, was not quite opportune, as though he would willingly have deferred it a little. He declared himself to be overwhelmed with business, and appeared indeed to be constantly occupied. Soon after they got home, he took his son-in-law with him into his room, and they remained nearly an hour closeted there together.
Gretchen"s indignation waxed hot within her on finding that she was neither included in this secret conference, nor enlightened as to its nature by her husband. She set herself to watch and to think, and suddenly many little things, which she had noticed during the journey, recurred to her mind. Skilfully putting these together, she arrived at a result, the correctness of which, to her mind, admitted of no doubt.
After dinner, the husband and wife remained alone together in the parlour. The Professor paced up and down the room in a manner very unusual to him, striving in vain to hide some inward uneasiness, but too much absorbed by his thoughts to notice the silent fit which had overtaken his young companion, generally so animated. Gretchen sat on the sofa, and watched him for some time. At last she advanced to the attack.
"Emile," she began, with a solemnity not exceeded by Hubert"s, "Emile, I am shamefully treated here!"
Fabian looked up, greatly shocked.
"You! Good Heavens, by whom?"
"By my papa, and, what is worst of all, by my own husband."
The Professor was at his wife"s side in a moment. He took her hand in his, but she drew it away very ungraciously.
"Shamefully!" she repeated. "You show no confidence in me whatever. You have secrets from me. You treat me like a child, me, a married woman, wife of a Professor of the J---- University! It is abominable!"
"Dear Gretchen," said Fabian, timidly, and then stopped.
"What was papa saying to you just now, when you were in his room?"
enquired Gretchen. "Why do you not confide in me? What are these secrets between you two? Do not deny it, Emile, there are secrets between you."
The Professor denied nothing. He looked down, and seemed extremely oppressed and uncomfortable. His wife darted a severe, rebuking glance at him.
"Well, I will tell _you_, then. There is a new plot on foot at Wilicza, a conspiracy, as Hubert would say, and papa is in it this time, and he has dragged you into it too. The whole thing is connected with Count Morynski"s rescue ..."
"Hush, child, for Heaven"s sake!" cried Fabian in alarm; but Gretchen paid no heed to his adjuration; she went on quite undisturbed.
"And Herr Nordeck is not at Altenhof, that is pretty sure, or you would not be in such a state of anxiety. What is Count Morynski to you, or his escape either? But your beloved Waldemar is concerned in it, and that is why you are in such a flutter. It has been he who has carried off the Count--that is just the sort of thing he would do."
The Professor was struck dumb with astonishment at his wife"s powers of discernment and combination. He was much impressed with her cleverness, but a little disturbed to hear her count off on her fingers those secrets which he had believed to be impenetrable.
"And no one says a word to me of it," continued Gretchen, with increasing irritation, "not a word, although you know very well I can keep a secret, though it was I, all by myself, who saved the Castle that time by sending the a.s.sessor over to Janowo. The Princess and Countess Wanda will know everything. The Polish ladies always do know everything. _Their_ husbands and fathers make confidants of them--_they_ are allowed to take a part in politics, even in conspiracies; but we poor German women are always oppressed and kept in the background. We are humiliated, and treated like slaves ..." Here the Professor"s wife was so overcome with the sense of her slavery and humiliation that she began to sob.
"Gretchen, my dear Gretchen, don"t cry, I beseech you. You know that I have no secrets from you in anything concerning myself; but there are others implicated in this, and I have given my word to speak of it to no one, not even to you."
"How can a married man give his word not to tell his wife!" cried Gretchen, still sobbing. "It does not count for anything; no one has a right to ask it of him."