Part 17 (2/2)
”Then you really think of making this ridiculous affair public?” said Anna Maria, in a tone which she meant to be ironical.
”I do not understand you, madame!” replied Mr. Timm, with an air of ingenuous simplicity which, in a farce, would have earned him the applause of all the connoisseurs in the pit.
”I mean: do you really intend, contrary to our wishes and intentions, to expose to common gossip and the scoff and scorn of vulgar plebeians, an affair which concerns no one but our own family, and which, moreover, has been forgotten and buried these many years?”
The applause of the connoisseurs would have become louder and louder, as they watched the peculiar expression in Mr. Timm's face.
”Contrary to your wishes and intentions ... An affair which concerns no one but your family ... I really have not the advantage of knowing how I am to interpret the lady's words. I find it impossible to believe that a lady who is so universally known for her stern sense of justice as the Baroness Grenwitz should wish anything different from the last will of a dying man, when chance or providence brings it about, when, against all human expectations, that last will can after many years be fulfilled; I find it impossible to believe that. But what am I saying?
You will laugh at me that I have taken a jest, by which you wished to ridicule my over-great desire to serve you, for a moment in good earnest. Do I not know better than anybody else that I have acted exactly according to your views by preserving all the doc.u.ments, the sacred relics of departed friends, like a precious treasure, and by doing whatever I could do towards securing the property to the rightful owner? Do I not know that your hesitation, your incredulity, your mistrust even, are only the result of your apprehension to awaken in the heart of a fellow-being brilliant expectations, which may not be realized, for, however improbable, it is not absolutely impossible that we may be mistaken. Do I not know that all the parties concerned are of one and the same opinion, and that your husband, whom you have no doubt promptly informed of all the details, is overjoyous to pay off an old debt which fortunately is not yet extinguished by limitation?”
The position of a captured she bear, whom the increasing heat of the bars of her cage forces to rise on her hind legs and to dance as gracefully as she can, while she would like nothing better than to break out of her prison and to tear her adversary to pieces, resembles exactly that of the baroness as she was now sitting opposite to Mr.
Timm. The cruel irony with which Mr. Timm appealed to that sense of justice and equity of which she had boasted all her life, and of which she after all had nothing but the outward appearance, seized her like a hot iron. Her cold, selfish heart boiled over with indignation. Rage and fury filled her soul. She would have liked to strangle Timm, who sat smiling before her--to stab him, poison him. And she could do nothing, nothing, but swallow her wrath, and to say with all the calmness she might command:
”Mr. Timm, you do not look upon the matter exactly as we do; and it is, of course, quite natural that you, who are standing outside, should also see nothing of it but the outside. Unfortunately I am too tired to-night to explain to you my own views of the affair. I have requested my nephew, Felix, to do it in my place, and I beg you, therefore, to look upon anything he may tell you as if it were coming from myself. I am fully persuaded that you will find no difficulty in choosing between the good will of the family of Grenwitz and the friends.h.i.+p of a nameless adventurer. Good-by, Mr. Timm!”
”Regret infinitely not to be able to have the pleasure of seeing you any longer, baroness,” said Mr. Timm, accompanying the baroness to the door; ”hope it is nothing but a pa.s.sing indisposition, which will soon disappear after a good night's rest. Hope you will rest well, madame!”
And Mr. Timm closed the door after the baroness, came back, sat down in his easy-chair opposite to Felix, put his hands on his knees, and said, in a dry, short manner, which contrasted very strangely with the smooth kindness of his language so far:
”_Eh bien!_”
No answer came for some little time. The two men looked for a few seconds at each other with sharp, suspicious glances, like two combatants who try to find out their weak points--like two tricky gamesters, each one of whom knows how carefully he must watch the hand of the other, and who yet is not quite sure that he will not be duped.
They both remembered, moreover, that there was an old account to settle between them, which dated back from the time when Ensign Baron Grenwitz had treacherously abandoned Ensign Albert Timm in order to save himself (it was a matter, of security on a bill), and Felix knew perfectly well that Albert was one of those men who, whenever they can get the law or the right of the stronger on their side, insist upon being paid by their debtors to the very last farthing.
He had therefore to summon all his skill and self-control, in order to overcome an unpleasant sensation which threatened to master him as he faced his adversary, who was armed _cap-a-pie_ and utterly without pity. Still he succeeded in a.s.suming a tone of good-natured frankness (which sat very awkwardly upon him) as he said:
”I think, Timm, we had better treat the whole matter without reservation or trick, like men who know the world and what they are about.”
”If you know as well what you are about as I do, why, then, the whole thing is easily settled,” replied Albert, dryly.
”Well, tell me then frankly, what do you ask?”
”I am the seller, you are the buyer; it is your duty first to say distinctly what you wish to buy.”
”We want the originals of those papers on the table, and your word of honor that you will never inform any one, whosoever it be, by writing or by word of mouth, or in any other way, of the discovery which you have made.”
”_Bon!_ I understand what you want.”
”And what do you ask on your side?”
Albert bent over a little, and said in a low but very distinct voice, with his eyes firmly fixed on his adversary:
”Twenty thousand dollars in Prussian current money, payable between now and eight days.”
”The devil!” cried Felix, jumping up from his chair, in spite of his feebleness, and running around the room. ”Twenty thousand dollars! why, that is a fortune.”
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