Part 37 (1/2)
”At what price?” asked the Colonel, suddenly, with darkening face.
”No, no; it is not as you think, or as Eugen will persist in believing.
I have not been forced. Herbert gave me my free choice. He explained to me that the matter was much more serious than I had thought, that all sums lost at play must be paid, and that the affair might yet a.s.sume serious proportions on account of the wounding of the policeman. He explained that it would be very embarra.s.sing for him in his position, to be personally mixed up in such an affair. 'You desire me to save your brother,” he said. ”Perhaps I can do it, but I place my present position, and my whole future at stake by so doing, and one hardly cares to do that for any one less than a brother, or brother-in-law!”
Falkenried rose with a start and paced the room once, then he stood before his friend's wife, and said in an angry tone:
”And in your deadly anxiety, naturally you believed him?”
”Do you mean that it was not so?” questioned Adelheid.
He shrugged his shoulders as he answered:
”Possibly. I understand little of diplomatic considerations, but I know that Wallmoden showed himself a greater diplomat than ever in this hour.
What answer did you give him?”
”I begged for time, it had all come on me so suddenly. But I knew not a moment was to be lost, so the same evening I gave Herbert the right to rescue his brother-in-law.”
”Naturally,” muttered Falkenried with keen contempt. ”Wise Herbert.”
”He left for Rome at once,” continued Baroness von Wallmoden, ”and returned eight days later with my brother. He had succeeded in getting Eugen off without making him conspicuous; his name was not even mentioned in the papers as connected with the affair. How Herbert did it I never knew. He spent money like water, and he told me later that he pledged half his fortune to cover the gambling debts.”
”That was very magnanimous, when he was about to gain a million by the sacrifice. And what did Eugen say to this--transaction?”
”He did not know of it at the time, for he returned at once to Germany, as had been arranged before. Herbert came to the house now, daily, and my father grew to like him, and when Herbert finally proposed to him for my hand, I was thankful that the affair had taken the turn it had, and my father imagined he had been paying court to me all this time. But Eugen was not to be deceived. As soon as he heard of our betrothal, his suspicions were aroused, and he wrung the truth from me. Since then he has reproached himself continually, and has a hatred for Herbert, notwithstanding my repeated a.s.surances that I was not coerced, and have had no cause to regret my marriage, and that I find in Herbert an attentive, considerate husband.”
Falkenried looked searchingly in her face as if he would read her inmost thoughts.
”Are you happy?” he asked at last, slowly.
”I am contented.”
”That is much in this life; we are not born to be happy. I have done you an injustice, Ada. I thought that the glitter of court life, the opportunity to marry a baron and an amba.s.sador had tempted you to become Frau von Wallmoden, but I find instead--I am sorry, Ada, that I did you an injustice.”
He extended his hand as he spoke, and in the motion there was a plea for pardon.
”Now you know all,” said Adelheid with a deep sigh, ”and I beg you not to discuss the subject with Herbert. You see for yourself he did nothing dishonorable. I repeat to you he used no force, my love for my brother was the only force. I could not have expected Herbert to exert himself as he had to do in Rome--for a stranger.”
”If a woman had come to me under such circ.u.mstances, I should have saved her brother--without stipulations,” Falkenried exclaimed.
”Ah, you--I would have followed you with a light heart.”
These words disclosed unconsciously how hard had been the struggle within this girl's breast. If a sacrifice had to be made, far easier to make it to the dark, gloomy, rigid man who, notwithstanding all his bitterness and hardness, she could trust implicitly, than to the polite and attentive husband who had taken advantage of her inexperience and fear.
”You'd have had a sad lot in that case, Ada,” the colonel answered with a shake of the head. ”I am one of those human beings who can give or receive nothing more in this world; life was over for me long ago. But you are right, it is better for me not to discuss this matter with Wallmoden, for if I gave him my opinion--but he is and ever will be a diplomat.”
The conversation was over and Adelheid rose and said in her usual quiet tone:
”And now shall I show you to your room? You must be fatigued after your long journey.”