Clear the Track! Part 46

What was poor Peter Hagenbach to do? He pocketed the thanks and covered his shameful retreat by bestowing a kiss upon his beloved. In this first dispute the "weaker" half had come off with flying colors and the stronger had had to lower his flag--it might be an omen----

Meanwhile Dernburg was in his office, receiving announcements from the works that were anything but quieting. At other times, any unusual occurrence had found him either in the midst of or at the head of his workmen, but now he avoided any contact with them. Of late he had not spoken a word to any of the men, or taken the least notice of any, although he went daily to the works.

He stood at the window, lost in melancholy brooding, for the moment entirely alone, and slowly turned around when the door was opened, believing that some new announcement was about to be made. In the next second, though, he shrank back and stared at the intruder, as though he could not believe his own eyes.

"Egbert!"

Egbert closed the door behind him, but paused on its threshold, while he said in a low voice:

"I beg your pardon for having once more made use of my old privilege, of entering unannounced--it happens for the last time."

Dernburg had already recovered his self-command, his eyes flashed portentously, and his voice was chilling in the extreme.

"I certainly did not expect to see you again at Odensburg. Here Runeck, pray what leads the new delegate to me? I thought that we two were to have no more to say to one another."

Runeck might have expected such a reception, but his glance was fixed reproachfully upon the speaker.

"Herr Dernburg, you are too just to make me responsible for the excesses of election-day evening. I was in town----"

"I know--with Landsfeld. And from there the movement was directed."

Egbert turned pale and quickly drew one step nearer. "Am I to bear this reproach, too? Is it possible that you believe I could have had a share in those insults, that I could have known of them and not prevented them?"

"Let us leave that," said Dernburg in the same cold tone. "We are now only political opponents, Herr Runeck. As such we shall occasionally meet in public life, but there no longer exists between us relations of any other sort. If you really have further communications to make to me, I would prefer to have them in writing. Since, however, you are here this time, what would you have of me?"

"I _could_ not select writing as my medium," returned Runeck, firmly.

"If my coming surprises you----"

"Not at all! I am only astonished that you seek me here in my office.

Your proper place is over yonder at the works among your const.i.tuents, who are just about to repeat the proceedings of election-day. Will you not place yourself at their head, and lead them against me? I am prepared for that step!"

One who had looked at the young engineer must have seen how deeply he was wounded by these cruel words, and he was no longer able to maintain his calm demeanor. "Dernburg, not this tone!" he cried. "Shake out over me all the vials of your wrath--I will bear it--but do not speak to me in that tone; such a punishment I have not deserved."

"Punishment? I thought you had outgrown my discipline," said Dernburg, with intense bitterness, although he did indeed drop the mocking tone.

"Once more, what will you have here? Would you, perhaps, offer to protect me from those over there? They will obey the mere nod of their own delegate. I thank you, I shall cope with them single-handed. Half the men already repent of their enforced resolve to lay down their work, and to-morrow will resume it. But I forbid them to go to work unless they submit unconditionally and renounce their leaders."

"Dernburg----"

"They will not venture upon that, think you? Maybe so. You hold them with too tight a rein. Well, then, war is openly declared. You forced me to extremities in the first instance, now extremities I _will_ have."

Runeck was silent for a few minutes, then he said with sad earnestness: "That is a hard saying."

"I know it. Think you I do not know the trend of coming events, if the ten thousand engaged in my enterprises take holiday for weeks, perhaps for months? The people will be driven to wretchedness, to despair, and I must be the witness of it. The responsibility for this, however, rests upon you and your fellows--you have left me no choice. For a generation, peace and blessedness had their abode at Odensburg, and whatever a man could do for his workmen, that I did. You have introduced discord and hatred, the dragon-seed has sprung up. See to it, now, how you shall manage the harvest."

He turned away impetuously, and several times strode up and down the room. Then he paused in front of the young engineer, who, with clouded brow and downcast eyes, stood there without attempting a reply. "You are very likely afraid of the spirits that you have exorcised yourself, and would now like to play the part of mediator?" he asked, with scornful intonation. "You would be the last to whom I should accord such a privilege. I want to hear nothing of mediation in general. The bridges are broken down between me and these people, henceforth we have to treat with one another only as enemies."

"I have not come as a mediator," said Egbert, straightening himself up.

"My coming, in general, has nothing to do with this affair. What leads me here is a painful duty that I cannot escape from. It concerns Baron von Wildenrod, to whom you have promised Maia's hand."

Dernburg started and looked at him in surprise.

"What, you know of this engagement! Never mind: I no longer make any secret of it."

"And fortunately I have heard of it in time to interpose."

"Will you make any objection to it?" asked Dernburg, sharply. "There was a time when I would have admitted your claim to her, when the way to Maia's hand and heart stood open to you.--You know what blocked it up. You have sacrificed your love, like everything else, to your 'convictions.'"

"I never loved Maia," returned Runeck, firmly. "I saw in her only my young playmate, Eric's sister, and never entertained for her any other feelings than those of a brother."

This explanation was given with such decision that it was no longer possible to doubt its truth.

"Then in this, too, I have been mistaken," said Dernburg, slowly. "But what concern, then, of yours is my daughter's marriage?"

"I want to guard Maia from becoming the prey of a--villain."

"Egbert! have you lost your senses?" exclaimed Dernburg, pa.s.sionately.

"Do you know what you are saying? This mad accusation----"

"I shall prove. I would have spoken long ago, but I have only just succeeded in obtaining the doc.u.ments, only just learned of the Baron's plan to usurp control of Odensburg, together with Maia's hand. Now, I must speak, and you must listen to me."

Dernburg had turned pale, but still revolted against giving credence to this unheard-of thing that seemed to him inconceivable.

"I shall require the proofs of you for everything," resumed he, menacingly. "And now go on, I am listening!"

"Baron von Wildenrod has the reputation here of being rich, but in reality is not worth a stiver. It must be twelve years now since he forsook the diplomatic career, because his father's loss of fortune deprived him of all means of maintaining himself in proper style. The old Baron shot himself, and the family had only to thank their n.o.ble name for the interposition in their favor of the reigning Prince. He bought the estates, that were heavily enc.u.mbered with debt, satisfied their creditors, and granted the widow a small pension as long as she lived. The son forsook Germany and has never since been heard of in his native land."

Dernburg listened with darkly contracted eyebrows. He had once received a different account, which, indeed, contained no direct untruth, but concealed the decisive element, namely, the ruined fortunes of the family.

"I became acquainted with Oscar von Wildenrod three years ago,"

continued Runeck. "It was in Berlin, at the house of a Frau von Sarewski, a wealthy widow who lived in very handsome style. I gave her children drawing-lessons, at which she was often present, and by her desire I drew a sketch of an addition planned for her villa. This met with her full approval, and she wanted to give me a sign of recognition, by inviting me to one of her evening entertainments. I dared not decline, for I was dependent upon the fees I received from teaching drawing for the means to continue my studies. A perfect stranger in that fashionable circle, which inspired me with not the slightest interest, I retired that evening into a side-room, where the brother of the lady of the house was seated at cards with a few other gentlemen. Among them was Baron von Wildenrod, who, as I learned from their conversation, had been in Berlin for three months, and expected to pa.s.s the winter there. He was strikingly favored by fortune in his play, while the others had just as decided ill-luck. The brother of Frau von Sarewski, pa.s.sionately devoted to card-playing, set the stakes ever higher and higher, his losses being proportionate, while Wildenrod had already won a little fortune. This whole carrying-on was repulsive to me, and I was in the act of withdrawal, when an elderly gentleman, a Count Almers, who was likewise among the card-players, suddenly seized the Baron's hand, held it fast, and, in a voice quivering with rage, p.r.o.nounced him a black-leg."

"Did you see that yourself?" asked Dernburg, sternly.

"With my own eyes! I was also a witness to that which followed. The gentlemen sprang to their feet, and everything was astir; the loud talking pro and con brought all the other guests, Frau von Sarewski also making her appearance. She begged and implored those present to let the matter rest, and spare her house the notoriety of a public scandal. Wildenrod acted the man of outraged, deeply wounded feelings: he threatened to challenge the Count, but made use of this show of indignation as a pretext to withdraw as speedily as possible. Now Count Almers declared that he had been on the track of this deceiver for a long while, but had only to-day found the opportunity to unmask him. He insisted upon following up the investigation, since Wildenrod moved in the first circles, and elements of this sort must be ruthlessly ejected. The entreaties of Frau von Sarewski and the representations of her brother finally had the effect of moving the witnesses to keep silence, provided that Wildenrod could be induced to leave the city at once. This was superfluous, for he had no idea of either challenging the Count or attempting to clear himself. The next morning it was discovered that he had taken his departure in the night."

Those were plain facts that Runeck reported, but his bearing and tone gave to the narration a frightful emphasis. It was seen what a crushing revelation this was to the listener, although he gave no outward sign of sympathy.

"What else?" said he, bluntly and roughly.

"I neither heard nor saw anything more of Wildenrod until the moment when he made his appearance at Odensburg, as Eric's future brother-in-law. I recognized him at the first glance, while he had no recollection whatever of my personality: a hint that I gave he repelled with great haughtiness."

"And you concealed this from me? You did not mention it at once?"

"Would you have believed me without proofs?"

"No, but I would have set investigations afoot and learned the truth."

"I did that in your stead. I had manifold relations with Berlin, that I now availed myself of: I turned to Wildenrod's native place and to Nice where Eric had made his acquaintance, and it was not my fault that months elapsed before my inquiries were answered. What you would have done was attended to by me, and information was given to me as a stranger that would hardly have been obtainable by you, under the circ.u.mstances. Nevertheless, I did think of warning you, provisionally, but then, I suppose, you would have dissolved the tie on which depended the happiness of Eric's life, and that would have been the death of him. He told me himself, once--when apparently without design I suggested such a possibility--that to lose Cecilia would be the death of him. I knew that he spoke the truth--such consequences I could not and would not take upon myself."