Part 51 (2/2)

Reddening with pride and pleasure, Reimers replied: ”If you are kind enough to think me worthy of such a mark of distinction, sir, I can only promise to do my best.”

The colonel nodded, and continued: ”I can well believe in your good intentions. But now, how about the Staff College?”

”Under these circ.u.mstances,” replied Reimers quickly, ”I will of course gladly give up the Staff College.”

”That's just what you shall not do!” returned Falkenhein. ”You shall go to the Staff College. It is my wish, in your own interests and in that of your career, my dear Reimers. Perhaps the matter could be arranged by your postponing your examination for a little while. You will probably in any case have to wait patiently for quite six years to come before you get the command of a battery. Be my adjutant for the first two years of that period, and then go in for your examination. By that time I shall probably be no longer in the regiment. Well, what do you say?”

Reimers agreed with pleasure. There seemed nothing but good fortune for him that day. Apparently all his wishes were to be fulfilled. Would it not perhaps be best to propose at once for the hand of Mariechen? Was not this just the right moment, after receiving such a conspicuous proof of Falkenhein's esteem and goodwill? But finally a piece of pure punctilio prevented him from carrying out his intentions. It was not at all correct to make a proposal of marriage at the time of receiving an official notification.

At luncheon that day it was continually, ”Your health, Reimers!” ”Good luck to you, Reimers!” or the orderly would be at his elbow with a message: ”Captain Blank, or Lieutenant So-and-so, would like to drink a gla.s.s of wine with you, sir.” And Reimers pledged his friends gaily across the table. He had invited Guntz and little Dr. von Froben to a bottle of champagne, and grew more reckless as time went on. When lights were brought for the cigars Guntz said to him: ”You're a bit screwed, my boy. You'd better go and sleep it off.”

But Reimers had become exceedingly jovial. ”Oh, it's nothing at all!”

he declared. ”I'm going for my ride now It was postponed on account of the announcements to-day.”

”That'll do nicely, my son,” said Guntz; ”that will put you right again.” And he looked on smiling as the new senior-lieutenant swung himself into the saddle. The first attempt miscarried, and even the successful one was accomplished with difficulty; but the rider sat firmly enough in his seat when he got there and Dorothy had no tricks.

Guntz waved merrily to his friend as he turned off into the forest.

The mare's hoofs sank deep into the soft sand; she soon allowed herself to fall into a lazy pace, and Reimers did not press her. Dorothy stretched out her neck and drew the bridle through her rider's fingers; he let it hang loose.

Reimers now became aware for the first time that the gla.s.ses and half-gla.s.ses in which he had answered his friends' congratulations must have amounted to a considerable number. If he tried to concentrate his thoughts on any particular subject, they slipped away from him in the most perverse manner. He reflected vaguely that this was the kind of mood in which he had of old committed all manner of pleasant follies and youthful indiscretions. And why not? Was he not young, and a free man?

How delightful was this solitude after the noise and smoke of the mess-room! It was now about six o'clock, and a heavenly June evening.

The sun was still high, but the heat was no longer oppressive; the air felt soft and caressing. The dense forest on either hand was wrapped in stillness; no sound penetrated between the slender stems of the trees; the horse's tread in the soft sand made only a slight swis.h.i.+ng noise.

At a crossing of the ways the mare came to a standstill, stretching out her nose towards a narrower lane, and snuffing the air. Finally she turned off the sandy road on to a gra.s.sy bridle-path. Reimers gave her her head; this was probably a short cut to the neighbouring village.

Now the wood became thinner. Cleared patches or young plantations alternated with the groups of tall pine-trees, and presently a fairly large meadow appeared on the left. The hay had already been carried; but in one corner the last remains of the crop had been collected and heaped together. This little hayc.o.c.k exhaled a penetrating fragrance, the essence of forest, gra.s.s, and suns.h.i.+ne, which the mare sniffed at longingly.

Suddenly there came over Reimers an irresistible desire to stretch himself out in the hay and rest there for a little. Without further thought he dismounted, pushed some hay to the mare with his foot, pa.s.sed the bridle round the trunk of a pine that stood solitary at the edge of the field, and threw himself down on the soft gra.s.s. He pillowed his head on his cap, and buried himself deep in his rustling couch. He drew out along stalk and chewed at it; it still retained the sweet gra.s.sy taste. Thin wisps fell across his face, and between them he looked up into the blue sky, lazy and contented. Perfect stillness reigned around him; only as from time to time he turned his head the dry gra.s.s crackled and rustled, sounding in his ears like the snapping of twigs and branches.

At last his eyes became painful from staring so long into the dazzling blue of heaven. He shut them; all now was red instead of blue, and to lie with closed lids was grateful and delicious after the blinding light. He cast one sleepy glance at the mare. She stood there flicking her sides with her tail, and kept trying vainly to get some hay from the ground into her bit-enc.u.mbered mouth. He thought of slackening the curb for the poor beast, but was too lazy to stir.

While he was dozing off it seemed to him as if something light and fluttering pa.s.sed him by; and for a moment he became aware of another perfume added to the scent of the hay--something faint, yet distinct.

But he kept his eyes closed; nothing external mattered to him.

Reimers was awakened by a gentle p.r.i.c.king and tickling. It felt as though a wisp of hay were pa.s.sing lightly over his mouth, backwards and forwards. He s.n.a.t.c.hed at it, and a long stalk remained in his hand. His eyes were slightly dazzled; he was gazing straight at the sun, already considerably lower in the sky.

Lazily he looked around him. Thank goodness, the mare was still there, her head turned towards him, her ears p.r.i.c.ked attentively.

And here--close beside him? A woman sat there; a dainty little figure, dressed in some light silken fabric, on her fas.h.i.+onably-curled golden hair an enormous straw hat, above which nodded brilliant scarlet poppies. She sat with her back to him, and was trying to pick out the longest stalk from a tuft of gra.s.s that grew at the edge of the meadow.

Reimers rubbed his eyes. Devil take it all! was he still dreaming? A subtle odour came wafting from the rustling silk of her attire, a breath of depravity, as though hailing from the corrupt life of some big city; a bewildering, insinuating atmosphere, that had of a sudden overpowered the delicious freshness of hay and pine-trees.

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