Part 11 (1/2)

”'You are hard to please,' said the emperor. 'How do you like the little Malikowsky?'

”'What name was that?' suddenly asked Berger, who had been sitting immovable, his brow buried in his hand, and who now, for the first time, raised his head.

”Malikowsky, old gentleman,” repeated Mr. Schmenckel. ”Another Russian slice, landlord. With your leave, gentlemen. I'll fill my pipe once more.”

Oswald looked at Berger. He felt as if a strange nervous twitching was agitating his calm, serious features, and as if the eyes betrayed an unusual excitement but the next moment Berger had again hid his brow in his hand. Mr. Schmenckel continued his story:

”'The little Malikowsky?' I asked. 'Who is she?'

”'Have you never noticed a lady in black who sits very near the imperial box? Pale face, large eyes, chin rather long?'

”'Certainly, your majesty; but she seems to be a shy bird.'

”'Nonsense! dear Schmenckel; sheer nonsense! Between us be it said, the lady once stood in somewhat nearer relations to our house than I liked.

We have given her a husband, a Polish n.o.bleman who was ruined; her reputation was not very good, his is very bad; he has nothing, she has half a million souls----'”

”How much is that in Prussian money?” inquired the fat habitue of the Green Hat, who kept a grocery-store in the town.

”Five million dollars, twenty-six silver groschen, and fourpence--'thus they suit each other exactly. When she wants to get rid of him for a time, she sends him to his estates in Poland. Just now he is again on his travels. You had better make a conquest of her, and I will say then that Schmenckel, of Vienna, is not only the strongest and the handsomest, but also the luckiest man on earth.'

”'Your majesty's wish is my command,' I replied, and went home considering how I could win the heart of the beauty. 'Only by doing something which no man ever yet has been able to do,' I said to myself, and then, gentlemen, it was I invented the famous Schmenckel-act, with the three cannon b.a.l.l.s of forty-eight pounds each. On the first evening I played with one of them as with a boy's ball--she smiled; on the second I played with two--she clapped her tiny hands; on the third I played with all three of them--she threw me a bouquet. I was sure of my success now. But here, gentlemen, I must beg you to excuse me if I follow my invariable custom when a lady is mentioned in my recollections, and if I only suggest, therefore, in a general way, that the same evening a pretty maid presented herself at my rooms and asked me to follow her to her mistress who was dying of love for me. I may add that Schmenckel, of Vienna, has too good a heart to let anybody die for him, and least of all for love for him, if he can help it, and that the next four weeks belonged to the happiest of his whole life.”

”You are a fortunate man, director,” said the native of Fichtenau, who had been for four years secretly in love with the daughter of an alderman, and had already triumphed so far over all obstacles as to have obtained, almost, a kiss from her.

”As you take it, young man,” replied Mr. Schmenckel, with paternal benevolence, ”where there is much light, there must also be dark shadows. I ought properly to let my story end here, but I suppose I must finish it for the benefit of such young hot-blooded creatures as you are. Master Miller, and you Cotterby, you abominably fast man, and you Pierrot, the greatest scamp I know. Well, just listen, gentlemen!

The pretty maid was not less pa.s.sionately fond of me than her mistress, for, as I said just now, in that matter of love all the women are alike What happens, therefore? One fine evening, as I was drinking my cup of tea with the lady--in all honor and propriety, gentlemen, upon my word of honor--somebody suddenly knocks with great violence at the door which leads into the count's apartment, and which was locked from inside. 'Open the door! open the door!----'

”'Great G.o.d, the count!' whispered the countess, pale with terror.

'Nadeska has betrayed us.'

”'Open the door'--and here followed a fearful oath--'open the door!'

”'Well,' said I, 'that's a nice predicament; what's to be done next?'

”'Schmenckel, you must save me.'

”'With pleasure; but how?'

”'I'll slip into my chamber, and lock the door behind me.'

”'Very good; but what am I to do?'

”'You have broken into the house, through that window'--and as she said this she opened the window, took the candelabra with the lights, pa.s.sed through the second door, locked it, and began to cry as loud as she could--'Help! Help! Thieves!'

”Well, gentlemen, just imagine my position, if you can. Before I could collect my five senses the door was broken open, and the count rushed in, holding two pistols in his hands, and five men-servants with lights and big sticks behind him.”

”How did the count look?” Berger asked in a low voice, without raising his head.

”Well, old gentleman, I had not exactly time to look closely at him. I only know that he was a fine-looking, tall man, with a pair of eyes that fairly burnt with fury. 'Ah, I have caught you, rascal?' he cried.