Quicksands Part 8

And the first hour of Egon's tutors.h.i.+p began. It went better and easier than he had imagined. He contrived to interest his little pupil upon the spot, and the boy's cleverness and capacity interested him in turn.

Egon could hardly believe that an hour had really pa.s.sed when, upon the last stroke of six, Lieschen made her appearance as her mother's amba.s.sador to carry off Fritz.

"We are to go to the meadows by the Oster," Lieschen said, to appease her brother's discontent at being forced to leave his new and delightful occupation. "It will be so pleasant there; even all the maids are busy raking the hay. Can anything be more charming than harvest in such glorious weather? If you will come with us, Herr Pigglewitch, I can perhaps fulfil the wish you expressed to-day in derision, and do something in aid of your neglected education. You may be very learned, and speak Greek and Latin, as well as English and French, but every peasant-lad here in the country will laugh at you if you know nothing of the simplest farming work; there an ignorant country-girl like myself can instruct you."

"You will find me an attentive and grateful pupil, Fraulein Lieschen."

"Then come with us in our walk, that I may enter immediately upon my new office."

"Are we going to walk?" Fritz asked. "No, Lieschen, let us ride. We have had no ride to-day. You would rather ride, Herr Pigglewitch, would you not?"

"I like to ride, but since I have no horse----"

"Do you know how to ride?" Lieschen interrupted him. "Is riding taught at the schools? Oh, if you like to ride you can easily have a horse; but no, now I think of it, I must not offer you papa's riding-horse, he does not like to have Cousin Albrecht or the inspectors ride it, and Herr Storting and Herr von w.a.n.gen are both using their horses to-day.

There is Cousin Albrecht's second horse, but I don't know whether he would allow----"

"And even if he would I should not take advantage of his permission."

"But Soliman is in his stall," Fritz interposed.

"We must not offer Herr Pigglewitch Soliman, he is too wild and uncontrollable. No one can ride him except Cousin Albrecht, and he has, as you know, Fritz, been thrown twice."

"I do not think Soliman would throw me," Egon said.

"Oh, you do not know how tricky he is," was Lieschen's grave reply.

"Even Cousin Albrecht, who is a very skilful horseman, has as much as he can do to control Soliman; he advised papa to sell the beautiful creature at any price, for he never can be cured of his tricks."

"You make me really anxious to try my fortune with Soliman. There is no pleasure in riding a quiet horse. The pleasure in riding comes from the necessity of straining every muscle and exercising all one's will to keep one's horse well in hand."

"But indeed Soliman is too dangerous, I cannot have him saddled for you," said Lieschen.

"If there were any real danger it would but make the temptation to ride him greater. Surely one ought eagerly to seek occasion for investing our commonplace existence with interest by means of physical and mental exertion. One might perhaps find life attractive if one had to struggle for it, it would then cease to be such an intolerable bore."

"I do not understand you, Herr Pigglewitch," Lieschen replied, staring at Egon in wide-eyed wonder. "What wicked nonsense are you talking? I cannot comprehend your meaning perfectly, but I can see that you are wrong in speaking thus before Fritz."

Here was another deserved reproof! But it did not offend Egon. The youthful moralist, with her dark, reproachful eyes raised to his, was so very charming. She was a lovely fairy when she laughed, but an angel when she spoke so gravely.

"I will try to improve, and to set a watch upon my tongue," Egon rejoined, humbly. "If you had not spoken of danger, Fraulein Lieschen, I should not have exposed myself to your censure. There is really no danger for me in riding an unruly horse. I a.s.sure you that I can control him."

Lieschen was hard to convince, but the certainty of power shown in Egon's continued persuasions to be permitted to ride Soliman had its effect at last. Fritz was sent to order Soliman, with his sister's mare and his own Shetland pony, to be brought round, and Lieschen ran off to put on her habit, a.s.suring Herr Pigglewitch that she would meet him at the side-entrance from the court-yard in five minutes.

Fritz fulfilled his commission with delight, but old Wenzel, the groom, shook his head dubiously when he heard that Soliman was to be saddled for the Herr Candidate. No good would come of it, he said; but since Fraulein Lieschen had ordered it, it must be done. He was just leading the restless, dancing animal from his stall when the Lieutenant, on his return from the meadow, rode into the court-yard.

"Halloo, Wenzel! what are you about?" he called out. "Are you saddling Soliman? Who is going to ride the brute? I hope my cousin has no idea of such a thing?"

"No, Herr Lieutenant, the master is not well enough to ride at all to-day. The Herr Candidate is to ride Soliman."

"What! he? Nonsense! Who ordered him saddled?"

"Fraulein Lieschen sent Master Fritz to tell me to saddle him."

"Another of her crazy notions. She probably supposes that the Herr Candidate has six necks and will not mind breaking one. Soliman will throw him before he is fairly in the saddle."

"So I think, Herr Lieutenant. It will never do. But I have Fraulein Lieschen's orders."

"You're right, old fellow, there's no gainsaying them. Go on, saddle Soliman for the Candidate; it will be a very interesting sight. What is it to me," Albrecht muttered to himself, "if the insolent scoundrel breaks a leg or an arm? it will teach him to know his place."

He rode across the court-yard to the side-entrance, where Egon and Lieschen were already waiting, Lieschen looking wonderfully lovely in her close-fitting habit and little round hat set jauntily upon her golden curls.

"I am glad you have come, Cousin Albrecht," she called out to the Lieutenant. "Herr Pigglewitch has taken it into his head to ride Soliman, because there is no other riding-horse in the stables except yours. I have allowed myself to be persuaded to have him saddled, but I knew I was wrong. Now you can relieve my mind, cousin, by offering Herr Pigglewitch your other horse."

"I would do Be with pleasure," the Lieutenant replied, "were I not convinced that Herr Pigglewitch rides as admirably as he plays billiards. It would be an insult to him to dissuade him from riding Soliman, who is fiery, to be sure, but much better than his reputation.

If, however, Herr Pigglewitch is afraid----"

"No need to discuss my state of mind, Herr Lieutenant," Egon said, sharply.

"Beg pardon, I meant no offence, but only to offer you my lamb-like riding-horse, should Soliman be too fiery for you."

"Thanks, I prefer to ride Soliman."

"Good luck to your preference! It will afford you pleasure. You have no spurs, I see; take my riding-whip. A good cut at the right moment will inspire Soliman with respect."

"Your manner to Herr Pigglewitch is odious, cousin," Lieschen interposed. Her anxiety lest the Candidate should meet with an accident increased every minute. She reproached herself for the consent she had given, which could not now be withdrawn, and her fears were confirmed by the malice in the smile with which her cousin listened to the Candidate's declaration that he should ride Soliman.

There was nothing to be done, however. Old Wenzel was leading up Soliman, keeping a sharp watch upon the spirited creature lest he should break loose from him.

"The brute is perfectly wild to-day, he would not bear even the Herr Lieutenant," the old man muttered, intentionally loud enough for Lieschen to hear, while his glance towards her seemed to say, "If any accident should happen it will be all your fault."

"I do most earnestly entreat you, Herr Pigglewitch," Lieschen exclaimed, her anxiety reaching its height, "to give up riding Soliman!

Let us walk, I pray you. Do, for my sake!"

"Against such words I am defenceless," said Egon, who had approached the beautiful animal and was gently stroking its back, but who now retired.

"You're right; very wise and prudent," said the Lieutenant. "Lead Soliman up and down a little, Wenzel, you need not take off his saddle, I will ride him after a while to show Herr Pigglewitch that the horse is not so wicked after all. But you are quite right, Herr Pigglewitch, to accede to Lieschen's request. Soliman might be dangerous for a tyro in horsemans.h.i.+p. You shall take my Iduna here for your ride with Lieschen, she is as quiet as a lamb and will not throw you, I'll engage."

Egon bit his lip; his eyes sparkled with irritation and the colour rose to his check.

"Do you still persist in your request, Fraulein Lieschen?" he said to the girl, in a low voice. "Do you wish me to be thus derided and accused of cowardice? I will keep my word if you insist upon it, but put yourself in my place, and I think you will not desire it."

"No, I do not," Lieschen rejoined, with an angry glance at her cousin.

"It will be your fault, Cousin Albrecht, if there is any accident, and I never will forgive you for it as long as I live."

A smile of victorious malice was the Lieutenant's only reply, but it faded from his face the next moment to give place to an expression of sheer amazement. Without the aid of the stirrups the despised Candidate had swung himself into the saddle, and caught up in a firm hand the bridle which old Wenzel dropped. Soliman reared, but his rider kept his seat as quietly as if he were upon the meekest of horses, smiling down at Lieschen, who was pale with terror.

"Have no fear, Fraulein Lieschen," he called down to her. "Soliman will know in a few minutes that he has found his master."

"Wait until he tries some of his tricks," the Lieutenant muttered between his teeth.

And Soliman proceeded to do so; he was not yet conquered. He tried the same tricks that had twice unseated the Lieutenant and thrown him in the dirt,--the same tricks that had forced his former possessor to sell the magnificent creature for a mere song. He reared again and again, then, standing on his hind legs, turned round and round quickly, and finished by leaping and plunging wildly.