A Sister's Love Part 36

"'Well, Brockelmann will be in despair!' I cried; 'and Klaus will not be exactly enchanted. But what is he to do?'

"'What is he to do?' asked Anna Maria, in astonishment. 'He is to exercise his authority as her husband, and say "No!" Great heavens! has she entrapped you all together, that you still do what _she_ wishes?'

She had sprung up. 'Everything, everything here dances as she pipes, even Brockelmann. She has trained you all like poodles; you do beautifully, if she only raises a finger!'

"'Anna Maria,' I begged, 'do not be so angry right away; she is still ill, and she----'

"'No, no,' cried the girl, 'it is dreadful here! What has become of Butze, our dear old Butze? Where now are order and regularity?

Everything goes topsy-turvy, and things run over each other in order that the gracious Frau need not wait. Whether or not the master of the house gets his dues, or the servants theirs, is of no consequence, if only madame smiles and is friendly. I wish I had never come back!'

"'Anna Maria,' said I, 'are these your good resolutions?'

"'Oh, have no fear,' she replied, her lips quivering. 'I have repented bitterly enough letting myself be carried away _once_; I shall not do so again. But in my father-house I shall not stay; the torment would be greater than I should be able to bear.'

"She went to the window and looked out. Klaus was just riding in at the gate; he had probably been in the fields. His eyes sped to the ground-floor, and he kissed his hand up there. 'Susanna is standing at the window with the child,' thought I.

"'Klaus looks fatigued,' remarked Anna Maria. 'Is he well all the time?'

"'I think so,' I replied; 'at least, I do not remember his having complained.'

"'Complained!' she repeated. 'As if Klaus would ever complain!'

"But he did complain; we met him at the breakfast-table down-stairs.

Anna Maria was right; he looked wretchedly. 'I have a fearful headache,'

he said, as she looked at him with a troubled face.

"Susanna did not hear it. 'Klaus,' she begged, coaxingly, 'we will illuminate the garden day after to-morrow, shall we not? Will you get me some more colored paper lanterns?'

"'Yes, Susy, willingly,' he replied; 'but I have no messenger. If you had only spoken of it earlier; Frederick has already gone to the city for Brockelmann, and I can spare no one from the harvesting, for I must make use of the little good weather.'

"'But you did know it, Klaus,' she pouted; 'I thought it would look so charming when evening comes, with the whole garden hung with lanterns.'

"He pa.s.sed his hand over his aching head. 'Forgive me, my darling, I had forgotten it; I had so much on my mind. You shall have the lanterns.'

"'Have you written the invitations, Klaus?' the young wife continued.

"'Yes, yes,' he replied, 'I did it all very early; they are already on the way, and you shall have the lanterns to-morrow.'

"'To-morrow?' she asked, disappointed.

"'If my headache is better I can ride over this afternoon,' he said.

"Anna Maria sat by silently and looked at her plate. Then Isa brought in the child; Susanna was still eating. 'Oh, do give it to me,' begged Anna Maria, her eyes s.h.i.+ning. She rose and went to the window, and scrutinized the little face.

"'He resembles our family, Klaus,' she said; 'he has your nose and your kind eyes.' And she kissed him tenderly.

"Isa had hurried out again. There was a great din in the usually quiet house; beating and brus.h.i.+ng everywhere, and everything seemed to be turned upside-down. Klaus rose at length. 'Anna Maria,' he asked, going up to her, 'would you help me to go over some things in my books which it is necessary to attend to?'

"She looked up joyfully. 'Gladly,' she said, 'but must it be done to-day? You look so wretchedly.'

"'Yes,' he replied, 'I would like to put the matters in order; the headache will surely go away.' I took the child from Anna Maria, and the brother and sister went out.

"Klaus did not come to dinner; he had gone to lie down. When he appeared at coffee he looked red and heated. Anna Maria looked at him in concern.

'Only don't be ill, Klaus,' she said anxiously.

"He smiled. 'Perhaps the ride to the city will do me good.'

"'For Heaven's sake!' cried Anna Maria and I in one breath. 'You surely are not going to take that long ride?'

"'Oh, it will do no harm!' And he looked tenderly at Susanna, who lay on one of the low divans, playing with the bows of her dress. She made no reply; she did not say: 'If you have a headache, why stay; it is only a childish wish of mine.' She did not ask: 'Is it really so bad?' She was simply silent, and Klaus went to order his horse.

"'Susanna,' begged Anna Maria, very red, 'I think he really has a violent headache; do not let him go.' She spoke in real anxiety. Susanna stared at her coolly. 'He is his own master,' she replied, 'he can do as he pleases.'

"'Yes; but you know that only your wish--if he should be ill you would reproach yourself.'

"Susanna laughed. 'Klaus ill? How funny! Because he has a little headache?' And she went humming into the next room. Then we heard her call out of the window: 'Good-by, Klaus, good-by!'

"'She means no harm,' I said, taking Anna Maria's trembling hands.

"'It is heartless!' she said, and went down into the garden.

"Klaus did not return until nearly dark.

"'Your package will come soon,' he said to Susanna. 'Sturmer has it in the carriage; I met him in the city; he had just arrived with the Luneburg post.'

"'Sturmer?' she asked, in an animated tone. 'Did you invite him to the christening, Klaus?'

"'No; indeed, I forgot it,' he replied.

"She flung her arms about his neck. 'Oh, do write to him yet,' she coaxed. 'Yes, please, please! Mercy,' she cried then, 'you are quite wet!'

"'Well, it has been raining hard for two hours,' he replied. 'But don't be offended if I do not write to-night, for I feel miserably; to-morrow will do? I would like to lie down.' He kissed her forehead and went into his sleeping-room. I saw how he s.h.i.+vered, as if he had a chill. 'Thank G.o.d that Anna Maria did not hear,' I thought; but I went to tell her that Klaus was not feeling well, while Susanna sprang up to hasten to her writing-desk, and with a happy smile took up a pen.

"Anna Maria was in her room. I told her that Klaus was lying down on his bed. She sat quite still. 'Poor Klaus,' she whispered.

"'Sturmer is back again, too, my child,' I added. She made no answer to that. We sat silent together in the dark room.

"After a while Brockelmann's voice was heard at the door. 'Fraulein, perhaps it would be better if you were just to look after the master.

The gracious Frau'--she spoke lower--'probably knows no better; she sits there chattering to him, and he doesn't seem at all well to me.'

"'Anna Maria had sprung up impetuously. Then she slowly sat down again.

'Dear aunt, go,' she begged.

"'Willingly,' I replied; 'I only thought you should be the one to go to him.'

"'I?' she asked, in a tone that cut me to the heart. 'I? No; it is better that I should not go; I could not keep calm.'

"I found Klaus's sleeping-room brightly lighted, Susanna sitting by the bed, her tongue going like a mill-clapper. Over the nearest chair hung a pale blue silk gown, richly adorned with lace; the candelabra were burning on the toilet table, and the lamp stood on the little table beside the bed, throwing its dazzling light right into Klaus's red eyes.

He held a cloth pressed to his fore head and was groaning softly.