Part 25 (1/2)
”Why, she is plainly little more than a child,” said Frau von Treumann.
”She is twenty-five,” said the princess.
”Rather an old child,” observed the baroness.
”She looks much younger. But twenty-five is surely young enough for this life, away from her own people,” said Frau von Treumann.
”Yes--why does she lead it?” asked the baroness eagerly. ”Can you tell us, Frau Prinzessin? Has she then quarrelled with all her friends?”
”Miss Estcourt has not told me so.”
”But she must have quarrelled. Eccentric as the English are, there are limits to their eccentricity, and no one leaves home and friends and country without some good reason.” And Frau von Treumann shook her head.
”She has quarrelled, I am sure,” said the baroness.
”I think so too,” said Frau von Treumann; ”I thought so from the first.
My son also thought so. You remember Karlchen, princess?”
”Perfectly.”
”I discussed the question thoroughly with him, of course, as to whether I should come here or not. I confess I did not want to come. It was a great wrench, giving up everything, and going so far from my son. But after all one must not be selfish.” And Frau von Treumann sighed and paused.
No one said anything, so she continued: ”One feels, as one grows older, how great are the claims of others. And a widow with only one son can do so much, can make herself of so much use. That is what Karlchen said.
When I hesitated--for I fear one does hesitate before inconvenience--he said, '_Liebste Mama_, it would be a charity to go to the poor young lady. You who have always been the first to extend a sympathetic hand to the friendless, how is it that you hesitate now? Depend upon it, she has had differences at home and needs countenance and help. You have no enc.u.mbrances. You can go more easily than others. You must regard it as a good work.' And that decided me.”
The princess let her work drop for a moment into her lap, and gazed over her spectacles at Frau von Treumann. ”_Wirklich?_” she said in a voice of deep interest. ”Those were your reasons? _Aber herrlich._”
”Yes, those were my reasons,” replied Frau von Treumann, returning her gaze with pensive but steady eyes. ”Those were my chief reasons. I regard it as a work of charity.”
”But this is n.o.ble,” murmured the princess, resuming her work.
”That is how _I_ have regarded it,” put in the baroness. ”I agree with you entirely, dear Frau von Treumann.”
”I do not pretend to disguise,” went on Frau von Treumann, ”that it is an economy for me to live here, but poor as I have been since my dear husband's death--you remember Karl, princess?”
”Perfectly.”
”Poor as I have been, I always had sufficient for my simple wants, and should not have dreamed of altering my life if Miss Estcourt's letters had not been so appealing.”
”_Ach_--they were appealing?”
”Oh, a heart of stone would have been melted by them. And a widow's heart is not of stone, as you must know yourself. The orphan appealing to the widow--it was irresistible.”
”Well, you see she is not by any means alone,” said the princess cheerfully. ”Here we are, five of us counting the little Letty, surrounding her. So you must not sacrifice yourself unnecessarily.”
”Oh, I am not one of those who having put their hand to the plough----”
”But where is the plough, dear Frau von Treumann? You see there is, after all, no plough.”