Volume I Part 8 (2/2)
”It seems one must be rude to you in order to arouse your interest,”
remarked Ella, almost reproachfully.
”Yes, it appears so,” agreed the Captain, with perfect composure. ”We 'adventurers' are a peculiar people, and require different treatment to ordinary mankind. You have taken the right course with me. Since you read me my lecture so unsparingly, I have left all the house in peace; I have behaved towards my uncle and aunt with the most perfect respect and deference, and even robbed my Indian stories of all their appalling effects, simply from fear of certain rebuking eyes. This can surely not have escaped your notice?”
Something like a half-smile crossed Ella's countenance as she asked--
”It has been very hard for you, then?”
”Very hard! Although the state of affairs in the house should have made it somewhat easier for me, they have not been of a description lately, on which one could exercise one's love of joking.”
The pa.s.sing gleam of merriment vanished immediately from Ella's face at this allusion; it bore an anxious, beseeching expression, as she turned to her brother-in-law.
”Yes, it is very sad with us,” she said, softly, ”and it becomes worse from day to day. My parents are so hard, and Reinhold so irritated, so furious at every occurrence. Oh, my G.o.d, can you do nothing with him?”
”I?” asked Hugo, seriously, ”I might put that question to you, his wife.”
Ella shook her head in inconsolable resignation. ”No one listens to me, and Reinhold less than any one. He thinks I understand nothing about it all--he would repulse me roughly.”
Hugo looked sorrowfully at the young wife, who confessed openly that she was quite wanting in power and influence over her husband, and that she was not permitted to share his longings and strivings in the least.
”And yet something must be done,” said he decidedly. ”Reinhold irritates himself in this struggle; he suffers tremendously under it, and makes others suffer too. You had been crying, Ella, as I entered, and in the last few weeks not a day has pa.s.sed without my seeing this red appearance about your eyes. No, do not turn aside so timidly!
Surely the brother may be allowed to speak freely, and you shall see that I do more than talk nonsense. I repeat it; something must be done--done by you. Reinhold's artistic career depends upon it, his whole future; and in the struggle his wife must stand at his side, otherwise others might do it instead, and that would be dangerous.”
Ella looked at him with a mixture of astonishment and alarm. For the first time in her life she was called upon to take a side openly, and some result was looked for depending upon her interference. What could be meant by ”others” who might take her place? Her face showed plainly that she had not the slightest suspicion of anything.
Hugo saw this, and yet had not the courage to go any farther; as going farther meant planting the first suspicion in the mind of the so-far quite unconscious wife--being his brother's betrayer--and unavoidably calling forth a catastrophe, of whose necessity he was nevertheless convinced. But the young Captain's whole nature rebelled against the painful task; he sat there undecided, when chance came to his help.
Some one knocked at the door, and immediately Jonas entered, carrying a large bouquet of flowers.
The sailor was surely more prudent when he executed such commissions for his master. He knew from experience, that the latter's offerings of flowers, although received with pleasure by the young ladies, were not always treated the same by their fathers and protectors, and although with possible secret annoyance, he always took care to go to the right address. But this time Hugo's casual remark that the flowers were intended for his sister-in-law, caused the mistake. Jonas never doubted that the Captain's remark, meant merely to s.h.i.+eld his brother, was made in earnest; he therefore went straight to the young Frau Almbach, and presented the flowers to her, with the words--
”I cannot find Herr Reinhold anywhere in the house, so had better deliver the flowers here at once.”
Ella looked down in surprise at the beautiful bouquet which, arranged with as much skill as taste, showed a selection of the most perfect flowers.
”From whom are the flowers?” asked she.
”From the garden,” answered Jonas. ”Herr Reinhold ordered them, and I have brought them; but as I cannot find him--”
”That will do. You can go,” broke in Hugo, as he stepped quickly to his sister-in-law's side, and put his hand on her arm as if to stop her. A sign gave more stress to his order, and Jonas rolled away, but could not help wondering that the young Frau Almbach received her husband's attention in so peculiar a manner. She had started suddenly, as if she had been seized with a pain at her heart, and become ashen white. But the Captain stood there with knitted brows, and an expression on his face as if he should have liked best to throw the expensive flowers out of the window. Fortunately, Jonas was too phlegmatic to trouble himself much about the state of affairs in the Almbachs' house; owing to the warlike footing on which he stood to the servants he learned but little about it; so, after wondering slightly, he gave it up, and being satisfied he had executed his orders conscientiously, troubled himself no more about the giver of them.
Deep silence reigned a few seconds in the room. Ella still held the bouquet convulsively in her hand, but her usually quiet, listless countenance, with its vacant, almost stupid expression, had changed curiously. Now every feature was dilated as if in agonising pain, and her eyes remained fixed and immovable upon the gay, blooming beauty, even when she turned to her brother-in-law.
”Reinhold gave the order?” she asked, as if striving for breath, ”then the flowers only came by mistake to me!”
”Why then,” said Hugo, with a vain attempt to soothe her, ”Reinhold ordered the flowers; well, surely they are for you?”
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