United States or Peru ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The mistress of Ostwalden was in her forest home and alone; she had received news from her brother telling her he would march at once, and as her journey to Berlin to see him would be futile, she had been persuaded to remain in the south until after Willibald's marriage.
"Well, Will, can't you answer your sweetheart?" said his mother, fastening her sharp gray eyes on her son. "You know best all the circumstances. Do you think you can afford to remain here?" There followed a short pause. Willibald's glance met his mother's; then he turned toward Toni and said, in a half-depressed tone: "No, Toni, I must go home there is nothing else for it."
"If need be with my blood," these had been Willibald's last words to her and they rang in her ears. "O, God be merciful. Not that! not that!" Suddenly a tall, manly figure turned the corner and came forward hastily through the little street, evidently in search of some special number, and as Marietta looked down she gave a cry of delight, for she recognized Herr von Eschenhagen.
I haven't much time at my disposal, and am for that matter only nominally Willibald's guardian, for my diplomatic position keeps me out of the country most of the time. The guardianship really rests in the hands of my sister, who rules over everything." "Well, Regine is equal to the position. She governs the great estate and the numerous servants as though she were a man."
The baron found that it would be necessary to tell his nephew about his old friend at once. On the very day of their arrival, Hartmut Rojanow's name was mentioned several times in Willibald's presence. He asked promptly to whom the name belonged, and was answered, 'to a young Roumanian poet. An unmistakable wink from his uncle was all that saved him from further questions.
She had never changed her ultimatum regarding her return to Burgsdorf, and it is needless to add, Willibald had not changed. Adelheid asked her to go home with her and she had gone, feeling that her threat had as yet borne no fruit. Frau von Eschenhagen believed she could effect a revolution of feeling in Willibald's heart by this move.
He believed that his friend was out of his mind, and Willibald's next statement quite overpowered him, without weakening this suspicion. "I had a quarrel early this morning with an insolent fellow who attempted to insult a lady, Fräulein Marietta Volkmar of the Court theatre of this city.
Volkmar and he told me all about it, so I came over to offer our services to the bride, but as Willibald's mother is here, there's little for me to do." "Ah, your services will be heartily welcome, uncle," said Willibald cordially. "Well, well, I won't be sorry to see my nephew married," said the head forester, kindly. "You've become a very romantic young man of late.
Of course, among other things, she spoke of Willibald's and Toni's betrothal, of which Wallmoden fully approved. The subject had been worn threadbare long years ago, so there was little really to be said. And now Frau von Eschenhagen branched off on another theme. "Well, Herbert, how do you feel now you're a married man?" asked his sister.
Herbert von Wallmoden, Frau von Eschenhagen's brother, Willibald's guardian and his own boyhood's friend. Rojanow felt a sharp cut like a dagger thrust through his breast.
Word Of The Day