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Updated: May 19, 2025
She threw herself on the couch in her room just as she was, in her bicycling costume. She drew up the rug and wrapped herself in it. And Hannah Gropphusen lay thus till far into the night, staring with wide-open eyes into the darkness of the room. A few days later Marie Falkenhein came through the garden gate to Kläre Güntz's house.
Only such remarkably active and circumspect officers as Wegstetten and Madelung could manage to satisfy both claims upon them: their ordinary military duties, and the merely personal likes and dislikes of the commander of the regiment and the brigadier. Gropphusen let his battery go as it pleased; he was in one of his wild fits. But Träger and Heuschkel quite lost their heads.
Thereanent the regiment received an official letter, in which it was pointed out to the authorities that Captain von Gropphusen was accused of desertion, and was to be reported at once in case of his reappearance. This was, of course, only a matter of form, for Gropphusen had no doubt left the kingdom long before.
For one must be polite to a wife who is by birth a von Lüben, and the daughter of the head of a department in the War Office. Reimers was not, like his comrades, accustomed to spend the greater part of his leisure in frivolity and flirting. It therefore never occurred to him to conceal his admiration for Frau von Gropphusen.
It went pretty deep with him that time with the Gropphusen; you can believe me as to that." "Still, one does not cling for all eternity to such a useless sort of business." Güntz was not quite convinced. "Well, we must hope not," he said. "And, really, the two would suit each other excellently." Walking up and down the room he continued: "Yes, in all respects.
With the returning spring Hannah von Gropphusen seemed to awaken from her depression. She had one great passion, to which she eagerly resorted as soon as the days became fit for it: this was tennis. In their small garrison she had no real match; the only person who came anywhere near her was Reimers.
It was only in watching this peaceful activity that Frau von Gropphusen recovered her equanimity. Her face would then lose its unnatural fixity of expression, and she would draw a deep breath, as though eased of a heavy burden. "It is so peaceful here with you, Frau Kläre," she said sometimes. "It does one good." Güntz shook his head over her weird conduct.
Naturally the interesting news was eagerly carried to Frau von Gropphusen, and she was narrowly watched for the effect of the communication; but nothing could be detected. No flinching, no pauses in the conversation, no alteration in the expression of her face or of her voice. What a pity that there was no theatre in the town, when they so thoroughly enjoyed such little dramas!
And on this occasion even the women had taken the side of their own sex. For Gropphusen had been getting wilder and wilder; it could hardly fail that legal proceedings would before very long be undertaken against him for his scandalous behaviour. The injured wife had returned only a few days ago, probably for a last painful attempt to preserve appearances.
In reality Kläre had only become intimate with two of the ladies. After Marie von Falkenhein she foregathered chiefly with Hannah von Gropphusen. The latter was a real puzzle to her new friends. She was always alternating in her moods from one extreme to the other.
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