The Alpine Fay Part 14

Foreign treasures from every zone were here heaped up in such lavish profusion as only years spent abroad, and abundant means, could make possible; but the arrangement of this almost priceless collection would have driven a man of science to despair. There was not the faintest attempt at order of a scientific kind,--picturesque effect alone was aimed at, and this was achieved; groups of exotic plants placed here and there combined to present a picture before which all preconceived ideas of a genuine 'collection' vanished.

Rugs of the richest Oriental fabrics and colours covered the walls and draped the windows and tables; gorgeously ornamented weapons were hung against these tapestries; cabinets contained specimens of gla.s.s and porcelain exquisite in hue and shape; skins of tigers and lions were spread upon the floor; and Said and Djelma in their fantastic costume added to the foreign effect, which was heightened by the yellow light which penetrated the coloured gla.s.s of the windows and bathed the whole in what seemed a magical southern sunshine.

Waltenberg was a delightful cicerone. He led his guests from one room to another, explaining and pointing out rare objects of art, and enjoying to the full their appreciation of his treasures. As he told of how and where this and that article had been obtained, his hearers were impressed with the strange, unreal character of the life the man had led. It was natural that he should address himself especially to Erna, for the girl's remarks showed intense interest in the fantastic character of her surroundings. Elmhorst preserved a courteous but cold reserve in his expressions of admiration, and Alice and Frau von Lasberg were soon wearied.

Gersdorf, who was familiar with his friend's collection, played the part of guide to his betrothed; by no means an easy task, for while Molly desired to see and to admire everything, her chief object of interest was her Albert. She fluttered about like some gay b.u.t.terfly just escaped from the chrysalis, and was so like a joyous child at sight of each new and rare object, that Frau von Lasberg felt it her duty to interfere, although she knew well how little such interference would avail. She actually barred the young girl's way while Gersdorf was talking with Alice.

"My dear Baroness, I really must remind you that there are proprieties which a young girl must observe when she is betrothed. She should preserve her feminine dignity, and not proclaim to all the world that she is quite beside herself with delight. A betrothal is----"

"Something heavenly!" Molly interrupted her. "I should like to know how my granduncle behaved; if he longed to dance all day long as I do?"

"One would suppose you still a child, Molly," the old lady said, indignantly. "Look at Alice; she too is betrothed, and has been so for only a few days."

Molly clasped her hands with an expression of mock horror: "Oh, yes, but heaven defend me from a lover like hers!"

"Baroness, you forget yourself!"

"Indeed I cannot help it, madame; but Alice is quite content, and Herr Elmhorst is the pink of courtesy. All that one hears is, 'Does this please you, my dear Alice?' and, 'Just as you choose, my dear Alice.'

Always polite, always considerate. But if Albert should treat me with such cool deference, his manner always at the freezing-point, I should straightway send him back his ring."

Frau von Lasberg heaved a long sigh. It was plainly impossible to impress Molly with a sense of decorum, and she held her peace, whereupon the girl, forgetting all the old Baroness's admonitions, shot off like an arrow to rejoin her lover.

Meanwhile, Elmhorst had entered into conversation with Veit Gronau, who had been presented to him as to the rest as Waltenberg's private secretary, and who, true to his expressed opinion that the presence of ladies was an honour but not a pleasure, held himself aloof from them.

Of course they talked of the objects about them, and Wolfgang said, pointing to the negro and the Malay, who were busy in bringing forward for closer inspection various articles indicated by their master, "Herr Waltenberg seems to prefer foreigners for servants; and you too, Herr Secretary, in spite of your name and your German tongue, appear to me more than half a foreigner."

"You are right," Gronau a.s.sented. "I have been away from Germany for twenty-five years, and never thought to see old Europe again. I met Herr Waltenberg in Australia; that black fellow there, Said, we brought back from an African tour, and we picked up Djelma only the year before last, in Ceylon, which is why he is still so stupid. We lack only a pig-tailed Chinaman and a cannibal from the South Seas to make our menagerie complete."

"There is no disputing about tastes," Elmhorst said, with a shrug; "but I am afraid that Herr Waltenberg has become so entirely estranged from his native land in all his habits of life that he will find it impossible to live here."

"We have no idea of doing so," Veit replied, with blunt frankness. "How under heaven could we ever reconcile ourselves to the dull existence led here? We shall leave Germany as soon as possible."

Involuntarily Wolfgang breathed a sigh of relief. "You appear to have no special love for your native land," he observed.

"None at all. As Herr Waltenberg says, one must outgrow all national prejudices. He delivered me a long sermon upon that text when on the ship coming home a bragging American undertook to revile Germany."

"What! you quarrelled with him for so speaking?"

"Not exactly. I only knocked him down," Veit said, coolly. "It did not come to a quarrel; he picked himself up and ran to the captain, who made himself rather disagreeable, but Herr Waltenberg finally interfered, and paid the man for his outraged dignity, and I was quite a distinguished person thereafter. Not another word was uttered in dispraise of Germany."

"I had a deal of trouble, however, in arranging the affair," said Waltenberg, who overheard the last words. "If the man had refused to be appeased, we should have had no end of annoyance. You behaved like an irritable game-c.o.c.k, Gronau, and the provocation was not worth it."

"Why, what would you have had me do?" growled Gronau.

"Shrug your shoulders and keep silent. Of what importance is the opinion of a stranger? The man had a right to his views, as you had to yours."

"You seem indeed to have outgrown all 'national prejudice,' Herr Waltenberg," Wolfgang said, with evident irony.

"I certainly consider it an honourable distinction to be as free from prejudice as possible."

"But under certain circ.u.mstances one neither could nor should be thus free. Doubtless you are right, but I should have been in the wrong with Herr Gronau; I should have acted as he did."

"Indeed, Herr Elmhorst? Such sentiments from you surprise me."

"Why from _me_?" The tone in which the question was put was sharp and cold.

"Because you seem to me perfectly capable of preserving your self-control. Your entire personality is indicative of such decision, such perfect command of circ.u.mstances, that I am convinced you always know what you are about. Unfortunately, that is not so with us idealists; we ought to learn of you."

The words sounded courteous, but the sting in them made itself felt, and Elmhorst was not a man to allow them to pa.s.s unresented. His look grew dark: "Ah, indeed? You consider yourself an idealist, Herr Waltenberg?"

"I do,--or do you count yourself among them?"

"No," Wolfgang said, coldly; "but among those quick to resent an insult."

His att.i.tude and manner were so provoking that Waltenberg perceived the necessity for moderation, although his nature rebelled against yielding to the 'fortune-hunter' who confronted him so proudly. What turn the conversation might have taken, however, it is impossible to say, for Herr Gersdorf here interrupted it. He had no suspicion of what was going on, and turned to Wolfgang with, "I have just heard, Herr Elmhorst, that you leave town to-morrow. May I beg you to carry my warm remembrances to my cousin Reinsfeld?"

"I will do so with pleasure, Herr Gersdorf. I may tell him of your betrothal?"

"Certainly. I shall write to him shortly, and trust we may see him upon our wedding-tour."

Waltenberg had turned away, quite conscious that he could not possibly provoke a quarrel with his guest, and well pleased that Gersdorf had intervened. Veit Gronau, however, seemed suddenly interested.

"Pardon me, gentlemen," said he: "you mentioned a name which I remember from the time of my boyhood. Are you speaking of the engineer Benno Reinsfeld?"

"No, but of his son," Gersdorf said, in some surprise,--"a young physician, and a friend of Herr Elmhorst's."

"And the father?"

"Dead, more than twenty years ago."

Gronau's rugged features worked strangely, and he hastily pa.s.sed his hand across his eyes:

"Ah, yes, I might have known it. When one inquires after twenty-five years he finds death has been busy among his friends and comrades. And so Benno Reinsfeld is gone! He was the best of us all, and the most talented. I suppose his inventive genius never brought him wealth?"

"Had he a gift that way?" asked Gersdorf. "I never heard of it, and it was never recognized, for he died a simple engineer. His son has had to make his own way in the world, and has become a very clever physician, as Herr Elmhorst will tell you."

"An extremely skilful physician," Elmhorst declared; "only too modest.

He has no capacity for bringing himself and his talent into notice."

"Just like his father," said Gronau. "He always allowed himself to be thrust aside and made use of by any one who knew how to do so. G.o.d rest his soul! he was the kindest, most faithful comrade man ever had!"

Meanwhile, Waltenberg had joined Erna von Thurgau at the other end of the room. He had just shown her a rarely beautiful specimen of coral, and as he replaced it he said, "Have you been at all interested? I should be so glad if my 'treasures,' as you call them, could arouse more than a fleeting interest with you; I might then look for some indulgence in those grave eyes, in which I seem always to read reproach. Confess, Fraulein von Thurgau, that you cannot forgive the cosmopolite for becoming so entirely estranged from his home."

"At least I can now make excuses for him," said Erna, smiling. "This enchanted domain is fascinatingly bewildering; it is difficult, nay, almost impossible, to withstand its spell."

"And yet these are only the mute, dead witnesses of a life inexhaustible in beauty and charm. If you could see it all in its home where it belongs, you would understand why I cannot exist beneath these cold northern skies, why I am so powerfully attracted to lands of sunshine. You too would find their charm irresistible."

"Perhaps so. And still I might be possessed in your lands of sunshine by intense yearning for the cool mountains of my home. But we will not dispute about a question that only a trial could decide, a trial that I shall hardly make."