Problematic Characters Part 78

"Yes, why?"

"Did you not intend asking him out for a few days during the hunting season? I am afraid it would look badly if we were to drop him so suddenly altogether."

Emily had blushed deep purple as she said these words; her usual presence of mind seemed to have forsaken her utterly.

"Invite him out!" cried Adolphus; "well, would not that be nice? So as to make the stupid report immortal that Lisbeth has started about you and him,--invite him to our house?--why, rather----"

"I pray you, Adolphus, be quiet! They can hear you all over the room!"

"Listen to me, little one," said the young man, in a low but very decided tone of voice; "I do not like that. You know I love you dearly, just as much as a brother can love his sister; but, for that very reason, I must take care to keep you from doing foolish things. And I shall take care, I a.s.sure you!"

With these words he turned his back upon her and went to join the others.

Emily could hardly repress her tears. Her anxiety increased with every hour. She must find means--one way or another. The resolute girl bethought herself of a desperate step.

She went up to Helen, who was sitting not far from her on the divan, with some other ladies, and said:

"One word, Helen."

"What is it?" asked Helen, rising.

"Come a little more this way.--Helen, you like Doctor Stein? I know you do!"

"What do you mean?" asked Helen, and the tell-tale blush rose to her pale cheeks.

"Never mind. I like him, too. Like him very much indeed, if you will have it,--and that is why I ask you to tell him--you can do it, and I cannot do it, or I would do it myself--to leave the party. Cloten, and my brother, and the other men are furious about him. I am afraid they have made a plot against him. Pray, pray, Helen, tell him to go--at once--I should be beside myself if the slightest difficulty arose between him and my brother or Cloten."

"But where is he?" said Helen, who knew, from other reasons, how very probable Emily's apprehensions were. "I believe he has gone up stairs again."

"If you are not sure of it, make it sure. Why not ask that servant there?"

"Have you seen Doctor Stein anywhere?" asked Helen.

"He is on the other side of the house, in the card-room."

"Oh G.o.d! what shall we do?" asked Emily.

"Baron Oldenburg!" called Helen, "will you have the kindness to come here for a moment?"

"With pleasure, Miss Helen," said the baron, who had been examining a picture on the wall, his hands folded behind his back.

"What are you going to do, Helen?"

"Never mind! Will you do me a favor, baron?"

"_Mais, sans doute!_"

"Do please find out Doctor Stein; he is in the card-room, and tell him I wish he would go back to Bruno at once. Do you hear: at once?"

It needed not Oldenburg's sagacity to see that this message, which might have been carried just as well by a servant, had a deeper meaning. Helen had taken the very greatest pains to state her request in a natural tone of voice, but the effort was visible, and this and Emily's intent gaze, together with her ghastly pale face, furnished a very clear commentary to Helen's words.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"I shall obey your orders promptly and literally," said the baron, bowing, and leaving the ball-room with longer strides than usual.

In the mean time, Oswald had wandered about in the room without a fixed purpose. He had at first intended, as soon as he had spoken to Helen, to return to Bruno, but it occurred to him that the boy might be really asleep, and that he should then only disturb him. Perhaps, also, the vague hope of seeing Helen once more, and that demoniacal power which drives men, unconsciously and unwillingly, to drift towards their fate, kept him from carrying out his resolution. Hardly knowing how he had come to that part of the house, he suddenly found himself in one of the rooms on the other side of the chateau, where a number of gentlemen were crowding around a large table. Some were seated, others standing.

Baron Barnewitz sat in the middle and held bank. He had apparently had much luck. Large piles of gold and silver and bank-notes lay before him, and were continually increasing. Felix sat near him. He played pa.s.sionately, but, as it seemed, without luck. His face was very red, his eyes bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead swollen into knots.

He hardly listened to what some of his friends behind him said; some of whom tried to encourage him, while others dissuaded him. Oswald happened to come to stand right opposite him; Felix only noticed him after some time, and it was very perceptible that his restlessness increased more and more. He drank gla.s.s after gla.s.s from a bottle that was standing at his elbow, and doubled and trebled his stakes, without any other result than that he lost twice and thrice as much as he had done before.

Another roll of gold had just wandered from his place to the great pile before Barnewitz; Felix drew out his pocketbook, and selected a very large bank-note from the papers it contained.

"You do not mean to venture the whole sum at once, Grenwitz?" asked Grieben, bending his giraffe-like neck over him.

"Are you mad, Grenwitz?" said Cloten, who had just entered with Sylow.

"Ah, pshaw!" replied Felix. "That shortens the process."

"_Faites votre jeu, messieurs!_" cried Barnewitz, taking a new pack of cards in his hand.

"Have you done, Grenwitz?"

"Yes. All right!"

"Queen of hearts for me. Ladies always for me. Thanks, Grenwitz. Glad to see you again in that way."

Felix did not look as if he could reply to such a friendly wish. His confused glance wandered around the table, and at last remained fixed on Oswald.

"Ho, there!" he cried, at the top of his voice, "bring me a gla.s.s of wine, sir!"

It was not until all eyes were turned upon Oswald, that he became aware of being himself the person to whom these rude words were addressed.

"The fellow does not seem to hear well," exclaimed Felix. "I say, bring me a gla.s.s of wine, do you hear?"

"I believe a gla.s.s of water would be more useful," replied Oswald, in a calm, firm voice, and without changing his position.

It was so still in the room, one might have heard a needle drop.

"How do you like that, gentlemen?" said Felix, looking around. "My uncle keeps a nice set of servants, don't you think so?"

"You had better show him who is master in the house," said Sylow.

"Or let him stay in school an hour longer," suggested Grieben.

"Or better still: Give him the switch, with which he punishes the poor boys," said Cloten.

"Or punish him with the contempt he deserves," added Breesen.