Part 48 (1/2)
”Yes, and on each occasion he has had to listen to a paternal lecture in which his brother-in-law has been held up as a pattern and extolled to the skies. I declare it has needed all my predilection for the model to keep me from detesting you! In fact, the whole marriage project dates from that. In one of these judicial encounters, I made the mistake of saying 'Arthur did much worse in his time; it is only since he has been married that he has become so remarkable for his excellence,' and then it immediately occurred to my father to have me married too.
”Well, I don't care! I have no objection to make to Alma, and besides I shall take example by you and Eugenie. You began your wedded life with the utmost indifference, if not with downright aversion, to one another, and you have ended by turning it into a perfect romance which has not spun itself out yet. Perhaps it will be the same with us.”
A very sceptical smile played round Arthur's lips.
”I doubt it, my dear Con; you hardly seem to me to be cut out for a romance, and remember, every woman is not a Eugenie.”
The young Baron laughed out loud.
”I declare, I thought something of that sort would come out. Just the same tone in which Eugenie said to me this morning, when we were talking of this: 'You cannot think of placing Arthur on a level with other men!' I must say you are stretching out your honeymoon to a good length.”
”We had to do without it at first, and one is generally inclined to take double of a thing one has waited for. So you really cannot stay?”
”No, my leave is out this evening. I came over princ.i.p.ally to tell you my father and brothers would soon be here. Good-bye for the present, Arthur.”
His horse having been brought round while they were talking, he swung himself into the saddle, waved an adieu to his brother-in-law and galloped off. Arthur was about to return to the house, when an old miner appeared on the terrace and took off his hat to the master.
”Ah, Manager Hartmann!” said Berkow in a friendly tone. ”Were you coming to me?”
The Manager came up with a respectful, but at the same time confidential, manner.
”Yes, if you will excuse it, Herr Berkow. I was out there yonder giving the orders, and I saw you come out with the young Baron. I thought I should like to thank you at once for having appointed Lawrence to be Deputy. It has brought great gladness to our house.”
”Lawrence has shown himself so clever and capable during the last few years, he deserved the post, and he may want it with his ever-increasing family.”
”Well, he has enough for his wife and children, I take care of that,”
replied the Manager good-naturedly. ”It was a right good thought of Martha's to make it a condition that he should come and live in my house. I am not left quite alone in my old age so, and I can take some pleasure in their children. I have nothing else left me in all the world.”
”Cannot you get over the old grief yet, Hartmann?”
The Manager shook his head.
”I cannot, Herr Berkow. He was my only son, and though he oftener gave me pain than joy, though at last he had got far beyond all control of mine with his wild ways, still I cannot forget my Ulric. Ah, well-a-day! why was an old man like me saved just for that? With him everything went down into the grave for me.”