Felix Lanzberg's Expiation Part 15

And she stays a few days; the first of these, the eventful Wednesday, has already dawned, is in fact nearly over.

Klette and the Countess are chatting in the drawing-room. The three gentlemen are firing at sparrows in the park, quite a bloodless occupation, which the sparrows seem to consider a good joke, and they laugh at the shooting with their ironical black eyes. They flutter about like will-o'-the-wisps. In vain does Pistasch, who seems particularly bent upon this sport, approach softly the trees where they crouch--krrm--and they are gone.

For probably the tenth time Pistasch has cried, "The infamous sparrows are cleverer than I," has at last fixed his eye upon a comfortable old grandfather sparrow, who sleepily philosophizes on the thick branch of a nut-tree, but before he has aimed he hears from the open windows of the drawing-room loud laughter, the gay ripple of the Countess, and the deep, rough ha! ha! ha! of Klette.

"How amused the ladies seem to be," he says, turning to his companions, forgetting the sparrow patriarch.

"I do not understand how any one can laugh at that Cantharis," grumbles Scirocco.

"Oh, she is surely relating something piquant about us," says Pistasch.

"It is incredible how greatly interested the ladies are in our doings, that is to say, in our evil doings."

Now the shadows have become much longer. Klette has withdrawn to don a wonderful cap of yellow lace and red ribbons, and the men have returned from their bloodless hunt, to exchange their gay s.h.i.+rts and light summer suits for solemn black and dazzling white.

"Rudi," cries the Countess, as she hears a light and yet somewhat dragging step--Scirocco limps a little--pa.s.sing her dressing-room door.

"Have you any commission, Mimi?" asks Scirocco, with his good-natured obligingness, as he enters the room. The Countess has dismissed her maid, is already in dinner toilet, suppressed laughter sparkles in her bright brown eyes, the corners of her mouth twitch merrily. "No!" she replies to his question. "What commission should I have for you!--Ah!

You came from the greenhouse?" pointing to a couple of flowers in his hand.

"Yes. I wished to give the gardener some directions in regard to the flowers for your guests. I remember that Elsa cannot bear gardenias, and Linda--hm--the Lanzberg raves over stephanotis."

"You really might have omitted the bouquets today," says Mimi, vexedly.

"My greenhouses without this--thanks to the fair and those stupid theatricals--are pretty well stripped."

"Elsa has never dined here without finding her favorite flowers beside her plate," remarked Scirocco, calmly. "I can neither pa.s.s over Linda, nor will I punish Elsa for the misfortune of having a Miss Harfink for sister-in-law. Why are you laughing so, Mimi, what seems so amusing to you?"

"My own simplicity," cries the Countess. "I was so very stupid."

"Mimi, I do not understand you in the least," says he in astonishment.

"Oh, I took your protection of this pretty Lanzberg for unselfish philanthropy!" The Countess interrupts herself to laugh.

"Unselfish philanthropy! Say rather ordinary justice," cries he, becoming somewhat violent. "What are you thinking of? What are you driving at?"

"Your discretion is admirable! You understand no hints."

"Ah, indeed!" cried Scirocco, pale with rage. "Ah, indeed! and the Cantharis told you that--that was what you were laughing over so immoderately?"

"But Rudi, never mind. I do not take it amiss in you," cries the Countess good-naturedly, restraining her levity.

"But I take it amiss in myself to have given rise by my thoughtless inconsiderateness to such infamous inventions!" cried Scirocco, "for, once for all, Mimi, Mrs. Lanzberg is horribly calumniated by such."

"There are cases where perjury is permissible," says the Countess, indifferently. "Do not trouble yourself, I will never speak of the matter."

Then Scirocco steps close up to his sister. "Mimi!" cries he, hoa.r.s.ely, "do you know that I am wounded, seriously wounded by your suspicion?

Pray consider the meanness which you ascribe to me! I have worked for Felix's rehabilitation so as to be able to carry on a convenient love affair with his wife, on the risk that the world, bad as it is, discredited as he is, should say that he voluntarily paid this price for my a.s.sistance. His wife was indifferent to me, but even if she had charmed me I would have avoided her like the plague rather than throw another shadow on Felix's compromised existence. Poor Felix! And I imagined that I had been of some use to him."

Impossible not to believe in his honest excitement. "Pardon, Rudi,"

whispers the Countess, "I had not thought."

"Never mind that, Mimi," he murmured, "besides it is better that I know what people say. I can at least act accordingly--to-day. This venomous serpent will surely watch my every glance. However, I must hurry--_a tantot_, Mimi!"

With that he rushed out, had only just time to change his clothes when he heard a carriage approach.

"Poor Felix!" he murmured thoughtfully and sadly, "I can do nothing more for you; they have tied my hands."

Thus the last shadow of pleasure which Linda might have had at the dinner has vanished.

The Lanzbergs arrived a few minutes before the Garzins. Scirocco received them at the foot of the terrace, offered Linda his arm, with somewhat formal politeness, and escorted her to his sister in the drawing-room, not in the cosey, brown wainscoted one, but in a ceremonious chamber hung with Gobelins. The Countess rose at her entrance and took two steps to meet her, then introduced her to those present with her usual absent-mindedness, naturally to Rhoeden also, at which Linda began to laugh; but as no one joined in her merriment, her pretty, attractive face suited itself to the universal gravity.

Poor Linda, she so petted, so spoiled, to-day sees not a welcoming face, even among the men.

The Countess exchanges polite commonplaces with her, while she addresses remarks to Klette in between. The chair near the sofa on which Linda sits remains empty. Pistasch, whose humorous talents are to-day wholly imperceptible, presents the appearance of a distinguished statue, and exchanges a few words with Eugene, while Scirocco with unnatural liveliness has entered into a conversation with Felix.

At last the Garzins appear--every one thaws. The Countess does not walk, no, she runs to meet Elsa, kisses her on both cheeks, scolds Garzin for permitting his wife to look so pale, accidentally steps on Linda's train, turns round and says, "Ah, pardon me, Baroness!" a perfectly polite little phrase which makes Linda feel as if cold water had been thrown over her.

The dinner is announced. Scirocco takes Linda in with the same strange formality which she perceives in him to-day for the first time. At the table a charming surprise does indeed await her--a bouquet of stephanotis and gardenias.

"Oh, Scirocco!" cries she, perhaps a very little too loudly, "that is too lovely! It reminds me of Rome," she adds softly.

She is already so nervous that she would like to burst into tears at the pretty attention. Her eyes sparkle, and a fleeting blush crimsons her cheeks. Scirocco is sorry for her. "I am glad that you appreciate my good memory," says he, bending slightly towards her. Then he notices how suddenly no less than three pairs of eyes watch him closely, those of Klette, Pistasch, and Rhoeden; he feels that Linda's excited manner is most suited to strengthen this distrustful trio in their suspicion, and immediately turns to Elsa.

"I could not conjure up any white elder, unfortunately, Snowdrop," says he, shaking his handsome head vexedly.

"Even with the a.s.sistance of all the seasons, you could hardly have found anything more beautiful than these white roses," she replies.

She sits at Scirocco's left.

Linda cannot eat, and finds no opportunity to speak, and relate the gay little stories which are her specialty. Pistasch, who sits at her right, contents himself by from time to time dutifully making some remark to her concerning the weather, the country, and such perfectly neutral subjects, excluding all intimate conversation, and Scirocco, her old friend, on whose homage she had relied so surely, to-day has nothing but etiquette for her. She listens to his conversation with Elsa. Elsa and he were playmates together. She calls him by his given name, he calls her Snowdrop, which pretty nick-name he had discovered for her years before. Both laugh lightly over old reminiscences which they share, and ask each other about old, half-forgotten friends.

Pleasant confidence on her part, smiling courtesy on his, marks their manner to each other.

Linda feels more and more depressed.

Felix, more gloomy and embarra.s.sed than usual, scarcely raises his eyes from his plate. Except Scirocco, who absolutely cannot help her, nor dares, only one notices and pities her misery--Erwin.

"What has become of your wild gypsy, Snowdrop?" asks Scirocco, among other things.

"My wild gypsy has become a very tame gypsy, who lets my little daughter ride her very good-naturedly," replies Elsa.

"Ah, Litzi rides already; then I must accompany her some day soon,"

says Scirocco.

"Do not break her heart. She likes you better than any one else now,"

says Elsa.

"That is quite mutual," he a.s.sures her. "I hope you will bring Litzi up for me."

"Since we have been at Traunberg I have not yet been able to find a suitable saddle-horse." Linda turns to Scirocco.