The Breaking of the Storm Volume Iii Part 12

"Only a man cannot have everything at the same time," said Justus.

"But I will keep quiet before those chatterers until it suits one of them to speak out. I will settle it, believe me, in five minutes!"

Ottomar suddenly rushed away from Justus, "Like a falcon after its prey," thought the latter, "Oh, this fatal honour! What sacrifices has Moloch already required! Poor boy! I like him in spite of all the harm that he has already done and that he still seems intent upon doing.

Well, I cannot hinder him with the best will in the world. Good gracious!--already half-past one!"

Justus had of his own accord promised Meta to leave the party at twelve o'clock punctually. He looked round for Antonio, who was talking eagerly, near the table at which Ottomar and the other officers had supped, with the piquante young lady whom one of the officers--not Ottomar--had conducted to supper, and who, now that Ottomar was also gone, appeared to have been left behind by the whole party.

"He is always making up to somebody, is Antonio," said Justus, as he watched the insinuating manners of his handsome a.s.sistant and the smiles of the young lady. "Let him be; I shall not get him to come home with me."

He looked from Antonio to the tall painter who was in hot argument with a few men who belonged to the "young men's table." "He will soon finish them off," thought Justus, just as two or three men left the group and came with angry faces towards him.

"You took upon yourself to wish long life to Lasker!" said a swarthy youth.

"And I hope that he will long gratify that wish," answered Justus, with a courteous bow, as he continued on his way past his astonished interlocutor.

Ottomar, meanwhile, had gone up to the Baroness, and, without taking the chair next to her, although it, as well as half those at the table, had long been unoccupied, said in a loud voice, as was necessary to the deaf old lady in the noise which prevailed around:

"Pardon me, Baroness, but will you allow me to trouble you with a question?"

The Baroness looked at him through her immense gla.s.ses. She knew at once what Ottomar wanted to ask, and that Baroness Holzweg must have repeated what she had told her, and she was determined not to allow herself to be mixed up in the matter.

"Ask anything you like, my dear child," she said.

"Certain rumours which are circulating in this company, about myself on the one hand, and Fraulein von Wallbach on the other, and which have come to my ears from Herr von Grieben amongst others, are traced hack to you, Baroness, as Grieben has them from his aunt, Frau von Holzweg, and she a.s.serts that she had them from you."

"That is a long preamble, my dear child," said the Baroness, to gain time.

"My question will be so much the shorter. From whom did you hear this story?"

"My dear child, all the world is talking about it!"

"I cannot be content with that answer, my dear lady; I must know the actual person."

"Then find him for yourself!" said the Baroness in her rudest tone, turning her back upon him.

Ottomar bit his lip, and went straight up to Herr von Wallbach, who, having vainly sought for some willing messenger through the whole room, now returned to the Baroness to tell her that he would go and look for the carriage himself.

"Baroness Kniebreche has commissioned me to discover the actual person who has set in motion certain rumours about myself and your sister. Am I to find him in the person of that sister's brother?"

"Really, Werben," said Herr von Wallbach, who had turned very pale, "this is not the place to talk about such things."

"That comes rather late, it seems to me, from you, who have spoken of it here, as it appears, not once, but often, and with many people.

However, I have naturally no desire to enter into a controversy, but simply to make sure of the fact that this story, impossible as it seems, emanates from you."

"But really, Werben, I may have--it is just possible--made some communication to our old friend Baroness Kniebreche."

"Pardon me one moment, Herr von Wallbach. Herr von La.s.sberg, would you be kind as to come here for a minute to hear an explanation which Herr von Wallbach will be good enough to give me? You say, Herr von Wallbach, that it is quite possible you may have made a certain communication to our old friend Baroness Kniebreche. Will you oblige me by going on?"

"I really do not know what communication you are thinking of!" cried Herr von Wallbach.

"Do you mean to compel me to mention names?" asked Ottomar, with a scornful movement of his lip, whilst his flas.h.i.+ng eyes seemed to pierce Herr von Wallbach's, who stood there helpless, in painful perplexity.

"I think this is sufficient," said Ottomar, turning to his companion; "of course, I will put you _au courant_ at once. Herr von Wallbach, you will hear more from me to-morrow, for to-day I have the honour----"

Ottomar took his companion by the arm, and walked back to his place with him, talking to him with pa.s.sionate eagerness, whilst Wallbach was surrounded by several of his acquaintances, who from a distance had watched the scene between him and Ottomar, and now wished, with all discretion, to know what had pa.s.sed between him and his "brother-in-law."

"I cannot engage myself without first speaking to Herr von Werben,"

Bertalda was just saying, her eyes s.h.i.+ning with the desire to dance with the handsome young Italian.

"Are you engaged to that gentleman!" asked Antonio.

"No, but he brought me here in his carriage, and is to take me back again. He wanted to go before. There he comes, ask him--or I will do so myself."

Ottomar, who had just parted with his companion, with a shake of the hand and the words, "To-morrow, then, at eight," was now close to them.

"This gentleman--Herr Antonio Michele, wishes to dance the next waltz with me," said Bertalda. "They are dancing upstairs quite merrily."

Ottomar did not answer immediately. He had already once or twice looked at Antonio, who had sat corner-wise to him at the artists' table, without being able to recollect where he had seen that handsome dark face before. Now as he looked into the black eyes, he knew it was in Justus's studio. This was Justus's Italian a.s.sistant, whom Ferdinanda had warned him against, of whom she had said that he persecuted her with his love, that she trembled before his jealousy! In the black eyes which were fastened upon him there gleamed, in spite of the courteous smile upon the lips, an evil flame, as of hate and jealousy mingled. An inexpressible mixed feeling of contempt, disgust and terror pa.s.sed through Ottomar. After all he had already suffered this evening, that this should be added!

"I must beg you to excuse the lady," he said in his haughtiest tone; "I was just going to offer her my carriage to return home in."

Antonio had discovered long ago from the artists, who were greater frequenters of the theatre than himself, who Bertalda was.

"I will see the lady safely home by-and-by," he said, with an equivocal smile.

The blood flew into Ottomar's face.

"Insolent fellow!" he cried between his teeth, as he lifted his hand.

Antonio started back and put his hand to his breast pocket. Bertalda threw herself almost into Ottomar's arms, and drew him on one side. At that moment, a perfect swarm of men, who had a.s.sembled for a game of pool in the billiard-room, poured into the conservatory between the disputants.

Their startled countenances, their violent gesticulations, their loud and confused words, all proclaimed that something unusual had occurred, and that they brought terrible news. But the terrible news had already spread from the other side--from the vestibule into the supper-room. It had already reached the dancers above, who were hastening down the broad stairs, whilst many others met them from the supper-room. "Is it possible?--Have you heard?--Good heavens!--Pretty work!--Who would have thought it!--A man like that!--Let us get away--No one can get away till the house has been searched!--We shall see about that!--Good gracious! where is papa?--A gla.s.s of water. For heaven's sake! don't you hear?"

No one heard. Neither the servants, nor the guests, who were streaming out of the rooms into the vestibule and cloak-room, where there was soon a positively dangerous crowd.

It was in vain that some calmer people attempted to quiet the mob; in vain that the released police officer and his men tried to stem the current. The terrified people crowded in confused ma.s.ses from the brightly-illuminated house, which was still echoing with the noise of the festival, into the dark streets, through which the midnight storm was howling.

BOOK VI.

CHAPTER I.