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The fine gentlemen all play, drink, fool with women, gamble; it's only a question of the one a little more, the other a little less." Wegstetten objected modestly. "Pardon me, sir, not all. My old sergeant-major " He got no further. Falkenhein interrupted quickly: "You mean Schumann? Yes; there you are quite correct.
In fun the colonel asked him: "Have you got a ribbon like that on your night-shirt too?" "You are pleased to jest, sir!" answered the little fellow indignantly, from the back of his long-legged bay mare. "After all," said Falkenhein to me later, "I was just as proud of my first medal in the year 1870!"
Marie von Falkenhein was secretly enraptured with Kläre Güntz and her "sweet baby"; while Kläre took to her heart the fair young girl who had so early lost a mother's love. From this time the social status of the former governess was completely changed. Frau Lischke invited that "delightful" Frau Güntz to her select coffee parties.
Madelung left almost immediately after Falkenhein, and the majority of the married men followed his example. At last only lieutenants remained, except Major Schrader and Captain von Gropphusen. The one other senior officer, Captain Mohr, did not count.
Falkenhein had again begun to walk up and down the room, not awaiting a reply. At last he turned again to Reimers. "Well, the matter must take its course," he said, in a somewhat calmer tone. "One thing, however, I ask you to do for me. Directly all is over to-morrow, will you come and tell me quite privately? I shall hear officially from Kauerhof. He's to be umpire, isn't he?
The young girl did not represent the immediate necessity of his life which he now found lacking. That lay in a different sphere. For this reason he was glad that Falkenhein and Güntz had left the garrison. No one should be there to see how the guiding star which he had followed so ardently all his days was now setting in diminished glory: no one should be by when his whole life suffered shipwreck.
Reimers thought sadly of his honest friend Güntz, and the rude things he had been wont to say about such follies as these. But chance threw in his way a gift which to some extent compensated him for the loss of his friend. He and Colonel von Falkenhein were brought together; and, by the irony of fate, at one of these same odious balls.
The lieutenant's face took on a self-satisfied expression, which seemed to say: "Of course from me nothing less could have been expected." Falkenhein, who always kept a watchful eye on each one of his officers, and who up to that moment had not heard much in favour of this young man, thought it best to take down his pride a little.
The colonel paused, and smiled a little to himself as he thought over the conversation. The general had been nearly bursting with rage, and would not have permitted such opposition from any one else to go unpunished. But Falkenhein was a recognised favourite of the old monarch; he had been the king's hunting-companion for days together, and was surer in his position than even the general in his.
There was no doubt that his intentions were serious. Well, he had no rivals to fear. Falkenhein was poor every one knew that. He could have very little income beyond his pay. And his daughter? Oh, yes, she was a pretty, graceful creature; but she was not brilliantly beautiful, and therefore could not have any very great expectations.
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