Part 55 (1/2)
Wildenau watched her intently.
”She has just gone to Cannes, where the old duke is staying, and the announcement of the engagement is daily expected.”
”It is impossible--it cannot be!” murmured Josepha, trembling in every limb.
”But why not? She is free--has a right to dispose of her hand--”
Wildenau persisted.
”No--she is not--she cannot marry,” cried Josepha, starting from her sofa in despair and standing before them with glowing cheeks and red hair like a flame which blazes up once more before expiring. ”For Heaven's sake--it would be a crime!”
”But who is to prevent it?” asked Wildenau breathlessly.
”I!” groaned Josepha, summoning her last strength.
”You?--My dear woman, what can you do?”
”More than you suppose!”
”Then tell me, that we may unite to prevent the crime ere it is too late.”
”Yes, by Heaven! Before I will allow her to do Joseph this wrong--I will turn traitor to her.”
”But Herr Freyer has no right to ask the countess not to marry again--”
”No right?” she repeated with terrible earnestness, ”are you so sure of that?”
”He is only the countess' lover--”
”Her lover?” sobbed Josepha in mingled wrath and anguish: ”Joseph, you n.o.ble upright man--must _this_ be said of you--!”
”I don't understand. If he is not her lover--what is he?”
Josepha could bear no more. ”He is her husband--her legally wedded husband.”
The baron almost staggered under this unexpected, unprecedented revelation. Controlling himself with difficulty, he seized the sick woman's hand, as if to sustain her lest she should break down, ere he had extorted the last disclosure from her--the last thing he must know.
”Only tell me where and by whom the marriage ceremony was performed.”
As if under the gaze of a serpent the victim yielded to the stronger will: ”At Prankenburg--Martin and I--were witnesses.” She slipped from his hand, her senses grew confused, her eyes became gla.s.sy, her chest heaved convulsively in the struggle for breath, but the one word which she still had consciousness to utter--was enough for the Wildenaus.
When, a few hours later, Freyer returned with the physician and the priest, whom he had thoughtfully brought with him, he found Josepha alone on the sofa, speechless, and in the last agonies of death.
The physician, after examining her, said that an acute inflammation of the lungs had followed the tuberculosis from which she had long suffered and hastened her end. The priest gave her the last sacrament and remained with Freyer, sitting beside the bed in which she had been laid. The death-struggle was terrible. She seemed to be constantly trying to tell Freyer something which she was unable to utter. Three times life appeared to have departed, and three times she rallied again, as if she could not die without having relieved her heart of its burden. Vain! It was useless for Freyer to put his ear to her lips, he could not understand her faltering words. It was a terrible night! At last, toward morning, she grew calm, and now she could die. Leaning on his breast, she ceased her struggles to speak, and slowly breathed her last. _She_ had conquered and she now knew that _he_ would conquer also. She bowed her head with a smile, and her last glance was fixed on him, a look of reconciliation rested on her Matures--her soul soared upward--day was dawning!
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE LAST SUPPORT.
There was alarm in the Wildenau Palace. The countess had suddenly returned, without notifying the servants--in plain words, without asking the servants' permission. She had intended to remain absent several months--they were not prepared, had nothing ready, nothing cleaned, not even a single room in her suite of apartments heated.