A Sister's Love Part 35

"Never did I hurry down those stairs so quickly as on that night, nor did Klaus ever take me in his arms so impetuously, so full of thankful jubilation, as then, when he came toward me to lead me to the cradle of his child. The strong man was quite overcome, and the first words that he whispered to me were again: 'How Anna Maria will rejoice!'

"If ever a child was welcomed with joy it was this one. His presence worked like a deliverance upon us all; even Brockelmann and Isa spoke pleasantly to each other to-day. Isa's anxiety about her darling had reached the highest pitch, and she had left her place in the room of the young mother to the quiet old woman; and Brockelmann--well, she would not have been the honest old soul that she was not to rejoice with her master over his son. Whatever grudge against Susanna may have still lingered in her heart, this day wiped out; with a truly motherly tenderness she presided at the sick-bed. And did it fare better with me?

I, too, old creature that I was, knelt down between the bed and the cradle, and kissed the little pale face again and again; in this hour everything with which she had once troubled us was forgotten.

"And Klaus sat at his writing-desk and wrote to Anna Maria. 'Do you think she will come?' he asked as he came in again. He had sent a special messenger to E---- with the letter to his sister. 'Will she come?'

"'Surely, Klaus!' I replied.

"The messenger was gone three days; then he returned with a letter from Anna Maria. Heartfelt words it contained, here and there half blotted out by tears. She would come soon, she wrote, come soon--in a week or two, perhaps--but would it be right to Susanna?

"I was sitting by the bed of the young wife as Klaus came into the room with this letter. She was holding the small bundle of lace in her arms.

Isa had had to adorn the young gentleman's toilet to-day with blue ribbons. Susanna played with him as if he were a doll, and wanted to know what color would best suit the young prince. She was so merry and pretty about it, and laughed so heartily when the little thing made a queer, wry face.

"'Oh, see, just see!' she called to her husband. 'Who does he look like now? Only look!' Of course we stood in dutiful admiration and looked at the little creature. But Brockelmann, who was just going through the room, said: 'Ah, I have seen it from the first moment. He has a real Hegewitz face; he looks most like his aunt, Anna Maria.'

"Susanna started up as if the greatest injury had been done her. 'It is not true!' she whispered, and kissed the child. But Klaus had heard it, nevertheless; he had grown very red, and slowly put the folded letter in his pocket, and an expression of disappointment pa.s.sed over his face. He sat down by Susanna and kissed her hand, but did not mention his sister's name.

"What Klaus wrote in reply to Anna Maria I never learned; but he said: 'Anna Maria is always right; it was well that she did not come immediately, as I wished.'

"And three weeks more pa.s.sed. Susanna already walked up and down on the gay mosaic pavement of the terrace occasionally, and Isa walked about in the sunny garden with the blue-veiled child. Then one rainy evening, about six o'clock, a slender woman's figure walked into my dim room.

"'Anna Maria!' I cried joyfully; 'my dear old child, are you really here again?'

"She put her arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder. 'Yes, aunt,' she said softly, and I felt her heart beat violently. 'Yes--but now take care that I may greet Klaus first alone; we have so much to say to each other!'

"He had entered, meanwhile, before I could answer. 'I saw you coming through the garden, Anna Maria,' he cried joyfully, holding her two hands; 'thank G.o.d that you are here again!'

"The next instant she fell, weeping, on his neck. They had so much to say to each other; I would not hear them beg forgiveness of each other, and went softly out.

"And Susanna? I asked myself. I found the young wife down-stairs in the salon the sound of her merry laugh came toward me. There were one or two ladies from the neighborhood there, and Isa had just brought in the child. There was so much laughing, chattering, and congratulating that I got no chance at first to inform Susanna that her sister-in-law had arrived. At last the ladies took their leave, and we two were alone.

Susanna walked up and down the great room, playing with the child.

"'So stupid,' she scolded, 'that I don't know a single cradle-song! But I can't bear the silly things they sing here, about goslings and black and white sheep. But it is all the same, he doesn't understand the words.' And lightly she began the old refrain:

'Home have I come, and my heart burns with pain.

Ah, that I only could wander again!'

"'Susanna,' said I, quickly, 'Anna Maria has come back, a little while ago.'

"She stood still, as if rooted to the spot. I could no longer distinguish her features in the deep twilight, and she spoke not a word.

'Susanna!' I cried, in a low, reproachful tone.

"Just at that moment Brockelmann brought in a light. 'The master is coming with Fraulein Anna Maria!' she cried joyfully. 'Oh, Fraulein, Anna Maria--how pleased she will be with that little doll!'

"Hand in hand Klaus and Anna Maria entered the room. She had been weeping hot tears, but now a smile was on her lips, and she went up to Susanna, who had dropped into the nearest chair.

"'Let everything be forgotten, Susanna,' she begged. 'Let us be sisters!' She knelt beside her and kissed the slumbering child. 'I shall love him very much!' And now she raised her tear-stained face to Susanna and offered her lips, but the young wife slowly turned her head to one side.

"Anna Maria stood up instantly; a reproachful look met Klaus.

"'Susanna!' said he, going up to his wife and taking the child from her arms, 'give Anna Maria your hand and be at peace with her!'

"Slowly she extended her right hand, coldly and briefly the two hands touched, then the young wife went quickly out of the room, and directly after Isa came to take away the child.

"'Why have I come?' said Anna Maria, bitterly.

"Klaus walked up and down with long strides. 'Forgive her, Anna Maria,'

he begged; 'she is still ill, still weak. I will speak quietly with her.'

"'No, Klaus,' replied the girl; 'wherefore? I will be no disturber of the peace. She is your wife, you are happy, and I--I will go away again.'

"'But this is your father-house! This is _your_ home as well as _mine_!'

he cried, irritated. 'By Heaven, I would never have believed that it was so hard for two women's hearts to agree!'

"Isa called him to Susanna. He went in; we heard him speak loud and vehemently, and then heard Susanna crying.

"'I shall go away again to-morrow, aunt,' said Anna Maria, and her pale face with the red eyes had the old stubborn expression. 'I did not come to make discord.' How I pitied the girl! I knew well how hard it had been for her to take the first step toward Susanna, what a struggle it had cost her proud heart, and yet she had done it for Klaus's sake, and for----

"Klaus returned, leading Susanna on his arm; he took her hand and placed it in Anna Maria's.

"'There now, be reconciled," he said, with a sigh. 'Give each other a kiss; there must be no more allusions to old tales. I forbid it herewith!'

"They did kiss each other, but their lips touched only lightly. We then sat down, and Klaus and I started a conversation with difficulty. Anna Maria talked about her convent, but after had to stop; it seemed all the time as if she were choking down the tears. Susanna spoke still less, and only answered when Anna Maria asked about the child, and upon a direct remark of Klaus. Brockelmann, who summoned us to the table, burst out with the question whether Anna Maria were to a.s.sume the direction of the housekeeping again.

"'I am not going to remain here,' she replied, smiling sadly.

"'We shall see about that,' said Klaus, quickly. 'First of all, the child is to be baptized, and then I have so much to talk over with you--everything has been lying over! No, you can't go away again so quickly.'

"'When is the christening to be, then?' I asked.

"'Oh, we have not talked about that at all yet, have we, Susanna?' said he, turning to her.

"'No, but it must be soon,' declared the young wife. 'Isa says it is not proper to wait more than four weeks.'

"'As you like,' he replied, heartily glad to have the way paved for some sort of an understanding. He hoped, indeed, that these two would become reconciled, and that Anna Maria would stay in the father-house.

"Yes, she did stay, but it came about in a different way from what he thought.

"Anna Maria came in search of me the next morning. To-day I first saw how she had altered; her face had grown thin, and fine lines were drawn about her mouth. She was sad and sat still by the window.

"'Have you seen the baby to-day?' I asked cheerfully.

"She shook her head. 'Klaus wanted to take me in with him, but Isa said Susanna was at her toilet. I only heard him try his voice.'

"'And have you talked with Klaus about the christening?'

"She nodded. 'On Monday,' she replied, 'and in the day-time. Susanna wishes a great festivity.'