Withered Leaves Volume Iii Part 5

"You forget to whom you are speaking. Such susceptibility, however, is a superfluous quality in the masters at my school."

"What would a teacher of youth be, who possessed no susceptibility for the beautiful?"

"Many pupils and their parents complain of your partiality. I find that they are right. I have examined the corrected copy-books very closely.

You show such partiality to that fat Iduna; orthographical mistakes, which, for the others, you mark with thick red lines, in her case you treat as clerical errors, which you do not count, which you do not put down in the margin or add up. Thus Iduna always receives a good notice.

And yet that girl brought forward the unutterable nonsense that Egmont did not marry Klrchen because it would have been inconvenient, and marriage, especially owing to ladies' dress, costs too much money; although lace was made in Brussels and Flanders, and was cheaper than with us. And this sentence you did not even cross out, while you accompany the poetical ideas of other girls with red notes of interrogation."

"Iduna possesses sound common sense, although she is of a prosaic nature. We must encourage it. On the other hand, it is a master's duty to eradicate betimes all that is too fantastic; life does not fulfil such foolish dreams."

"As well as Iduna, you favour Clara, who is not her inferior as to voluptuous form; it seems that you like full-blown roses."

"You are mistaken, Frulein; besides, my private taste has nothing to do with my profession and your establishment. It is thoroughly feminine to recognise no principles, and to impute everything to the affections."

"Because," interposed Lori, "in a boarding school they are ill-weeds, which must be eradicated first of all."

"As you like to decide upon matters which do not belong to your duties as princ.i.p.al, although, as a girl, they may be interesting to you--"

"The distinctions which you make are unsuitable--"

"Then I must defend my taste against your accusations. I do not love such phlegmatic contented natures. I love what is fine and piquant--vivacious, intellectual eyes, dainty figures--"

"I thank you for your confessions, but I am not in a position to listen to them any longer; I must leave you. But yet, I must request better themes for German tasks, and greater impartiality--and you will obey my orders."

"Certainly; 'Thoughts on the awaking of Spring' shall be the next theme for our first-cla.s.s, and Iduna shall receive the worst report. You had better take your fur instead of your cloak, Frulein! It is bittterly cold, as the sentries say in 'Hamlet,' before they see the ghost. Can I a.s.sist you? That pink bonnet becomes you charmingly, dear Frulein! You can wear the most youthful colours, but smooth bands of hair would suit you better than these corkscrews. Good-by!"

With a mocking smile, but a fiery glance at the young mistress, the audacious Doctor took leave. Lori was indignant at his daring, and at the superior tone which he a.s.sumed, but she was still more angry with herself that she had not been able to keep him within bounds; that she felt subdued before him, as was Mark Antony before Csar's genius. She must procure advice, it was high time.

Soon Lori was seated in the confectioner's shop, and waited eagerly for the result of her pink note.

Blanden entered: he went excitedly and hastily through the apartments; he had received the note, and connected its contents with Giulia, who occupied all his thoughts. For this reason he had acceded to its invitation, although the preparation for his meeting with the Lieutenant claimed all his time. He recognised Lori, and went towards her; she thought it advisable at once to acknowledge her authors.h.i.+p of the note. Blanden seated himself beside her, and listened absently to her communications. The less Lori really had to say, the longer she spun it out: she began with their meeting at the sea-side, with the friends.h.i.+p which Professor Reising had always entertained for Blanden; she painted pictures of the short time they had been together, in the most vivid colours. Blanden sat there so dreamily; was he revelling in the same recollections; did he smile in silent delight, or only out of politeness?

Now Lori began to talk about herself; she drew a touching sketch of her childhood and youth. Blanden's eyes became more and more concealed beneath their lids, imparting a dreamy appearance to him; was it fervour or abstraction?

In the midst of her recital Lori watched the play of her listener's countenance with nervous attention, and was miserable that she could not fathom the impression which her words made upon him, because this was the princ.i.p.al object of the meeting. She hardly dared confess to herself that she had perceived how forced was his attention, and that his pulses did not seem to beat any higher.

She sought to awaken a deep interest by representing how difficult it was for a girl to fight her way through the world; she had bought the school, but now stood there quite isolated, helpless in many respects.

She complained of several governesses, especially of the rebellious master.

"Then I should dismiss him," said Blanden, with great composure.

"It is not so easy as you think. He has his faults, but it is difficult to find a subst.i.tute. Besides, he is thought something of in society.

In such an establishment one has not only to think of the daughters, but also of the mothers. And, as far as the mothers are concerned, he is a veritable Faust; he possesses the keys to their hearts."

"But he would listen to serious remonstrance."

"He treats me, I hardly like to say it, as a loveable little person, who, by mere chance, has been wafted to the head of the school; as a cypher, to which some small capital has put a figure before it. If he knew that I am not quite unprotected, that my brother-in-law, that my brother-in-law's friends support me--"

"It is a knight's duty to protect ladies who implore protection," said Blanden. "I shall always fulfil that duty. If the young Doctor should be guilty of anything in the least degree unbecoming towards you, reckon upon me; I shall call him to account."

This sounded so delightful, so hopeful! Lori's heart exulted, her eyes rested with such confiding trust upon the knight, who vowed his services to her; words of grat.i.tude flowed warmly and fervently from her lips.

Now she had gained courage to prosecute her research as to whether the knight had already borne any lady's colours.

"You surely lead a very solitary life in Kulmitten?" asked she, a.s.suming a most significant air, and emphasising the word "solitary"

very markedly.

"I shall spend the winter mostly in the town," replied Blanden.

The man with the iron mask, thought she, he denies his flowers, but has he, like many, only warm feelings in his verses?

The suspicion that those lines did not originate from him still appeared incredible to her.

"One who has lived so long in Hindustan, amongst the lotus-flowers, may, indeed, find it very desolate here with us."

She cast a sympathetic glance at Blanden, who was so impolite as to look at his watch at that very moment.

"Lotus-flowers, the cradle of the G.o.ds," continued Lori, raising her eyes like her sister Ophelia, for which, however, she had not the long silken lashes; she had no talent for moonlight of the soul.

"Nothing looks so poetical when seen quite closely," said Blanden, "as in the poet's verses, neither lotus flowers, nor G.o.ds, nor bayaderes.

The lotus flowers are of as beautiful a pink as your bonnet, Frulein, Nevertheless, the holy plant possesses a very prosaic side, too; bread can be made from its fruit."

Was this meant for a significant or, perhaps, even a malicious allusion? Lori had plenty of time for reflection, because immediately after Blanden politely took leave, while he repeated that he should always be ready to protect her.

A feeling of great uncertainty took possession of her. All that Blanden said was so cool, so distant. Had she been mistaken? Did the castles of Kulmitten and Rositten belong to those in the air? or was he only teasing her? Did the merry cupids take refuge in his flowers and lines of poetry, while he acted the part of grave invincibility?

As Lori left the confectioner's shop, she had to pa.s.s readers, who were deeply absorbed in their newspapers. One gigantic sheet was suddenly lowered, and behind it appeared the moustache of Dr. Sperner, who greeted the princ.i.p.al of the boarding school with a slight bow, and smiled familiarly, as she strolled past him.

After a sleepless night, in which the ardent desires of her heart were driven to flight by the implacable calculation of her understanding, and after mature consideration, she was obliged to acknowledge a defeat, which, happily, she had suffered in total secrecy. In the morning she again found a bouquet of flowers and a note:

"Ah, these runes, dear, pray decypher, Put an end to my love's pain; For 'tis not Iduna I love, No, I love but you alone!"

This was the height of impudence. The moustachioed teacher cast his mask aside. In her own establishment had sprung up the ill-weeds of poetry and bouquets.

Should she give him notice?

Under existing circ.u.mstances she resolved not at once to speak about these love poems, so opposed to all rule, but to hold farther mental debates with herself.

Iduna's next exercise teemed with red corrections. Lori rewarded Dr.

Sperner for them with a grateful smile.

CHAPTER IV.

IN THE FOREST OF JUDITENKIRCHEN.