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Updated: June 11, 2025
He spoke to me once more with the friendly familiarity of past days before he met the too-fascinating widow on the bridge. "My dear boy, tell me frankly, do you notice any change in Keller?" "I see a change in both of you," I answered: "you are not such pleasant companions as you used to be." Mr. Engelman blew out a mouthful of smoke, and followed it by a heavy sigh.
"Even the finest women have their faults. You will find Madame Fontaine perfectly charming; but don't be too ready to believe that she is in earnest." Mr. Engelman felt infinitely flattered, and owned it without the slightest reserve. "Oh, David! David!" he said, "are you jealous of me already?" Two days passed, and I perceived another change in Mr. Engelman.
"As intimate, madam, as a young clerk in the business can hope to be with a partner," I said. "A clerk in the business?" she repeated. "I thought you lived in London, with your aunt." Here Minna interposed for the first time. "You forget, mamma, that there are three names in the business. The inscription over the door in Main Street is Wagner, Keller, and Engelman.
Was she merely keeping up appearances, on the chance that he might yet be useful to her, in some other way? The trifling change which I observed did not appear to present itself to Mr. Engelman. I turned away to Minna. Knowing what I knew, it grieved me to see that the poor old man was fonder of the widow, and prouder of her than ever.
He was alone in the position described by the clerk and, poor old man, he was indeed weeping bitterly! I put my hand with all possible gentleness on his shoulder, and said, with the tenderness that I really felt for him: "Dear Mr. Engelman, what has happened to distress you?" At the sound of my voice he looked up, and caught me fervently by the hand.
I have done my sketch; I am quite at your service." She forestalled me in finding the opera-glass. "I really had no other chance of making a study of the chimney-piece," she went on, as she handed the glass to me. "Impossible to ask Mr. Engelman to let me in again, after what happened on the last occasion.
The elder doctor left in charge heard the words, and answered them, addressing himself, not to Mr. Engelman, but to me. He caught me by the arm, as I was leaving the room in my turn. "Poison!" the doctor whispered in my ear. "Keep it a secret; that's what he means." I ran to my own bedchamber and bolted myself in.
We were all three drinking our coffee before going to the theater, and Joseph was waiting on us, when the rheumatic old housekeeper brought in the letters, and handed them to me, as the person who sat nearest to the door. "Why, my good creature, what has made you climb the stairs, when you might have rung for Joseph?" asked kind-hearted Mr. Engelman.
Engelman has really set his heart on the woman with the snaky movements and the sleepy eyes. Can you certify to that?" "Positively. Her refusal has completely crushed him." "Very well. Then I mean to make Madame Fontaine marry him always supposing there is no other man in his way." "My dear aunt, how you talk! At Madame Fontaine's age! With a grown-up daughter!"
Engelman remarked. "Pooh!" cried Mr. Keller. "I didn't mean to offend you," said Mr. Engelman. "Allow me to present you with one of my roses as a peace-offering." "Will you be quiet, and let me speak?" "My dear Keller, I am always too glad to hear you speak! You put ideas into my poor head, and my poor head lets them out, and then you put them in again. What noble perseverance!
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