“This is wonderfully interesting,” said Carla; “and it will interest the Count extremely.”
“Without doubt,” said Giraldi, returning the letter to his pocketbook. “By the way, what a wonderful woman you are, never once to have asked where I got this. In the meantime, I propose that we do not communicate this until you are certain of one thing.”
“And that is?”
Giraldi bent towards Carla and looked straight into her eyes.
“That you do not finally prefer to bestow your hand upon Count Axel Golm, instead of on Ottomar von Werben.”
“You are really too bad. Signor Giraldi, do you know?” said Carla, flicking him on the hand with her pocket-handkerchief.
“If you say so! But look here, my dear young lady! any communication with regard to Elsa’s maritime fancy would in the end determine the Count to give up his suit; and until now it has appeared to us most convenient for all parties to marry him to Elsa. If you want him for yourself, and it seems so, well, that may also be managed; but in your place I would not be too hasty. We can keep the game going as long as we like. Why not drain the sweetness of courtship to the last drop? The more so that Ottomar—great minds are never shocked at truth—scarcely appears to appreciate, at its true worth, the happiness which awaits him in the arms of the cleverest and most agreeable of women.”
“Which means, if I am not mistaken,” said Carla, “that Ottomar must do as you wish; you have got the whip-hand of him. Well I know, dear friend, how powerful your hand is; but I confess that in this case I do not understand where the power lies. That Ottomar has had mistresses—very likely has them still—well! I have read Schopenhauer, who says nothing about monogamy, because he could nowhere discover it, and I should not like to be the first woman to find her beloved the less interesting because he is pleasing to other women. His debts? Good gracious! name anyone to me who has none! and my brother says they are really not so bad. My brother urges our hastening on our wedding, and so does my sister-in-law now. The General is, as you know, most inconveniently obstinate in carrying out his plans; and society will be greatly injured if we are not on our wedding tour by the beginning of ; on Ottomar must enter upon his office at St. Petersburg.”
“Let us make our arrangements accordingly then, if we are otherwise agreed,” answered Giraldi. “By the middle of you will discover that your finely organised nature will no longer stand the strain of the season, and that, before you enter upon the new period of your life, you absolutely require quiet and repose, which you cannot procure in town, and can only find in the retirement of the country. And then it falls in admirably, that at that very time the Baroness, my dear friend, impelled by the necessity of rest, seeks a shelter in quiet Warnow. I have for this purpose reserved the castle and park from the Count, who this morning became the possessor of the property. He will be delighted that Fräulein von Wallbach should share the retirement of her betrothed’s aunt. Not alone! The Baroness, at her own urgent request—mark that—will be accompanied by Fräulein Elsa. The Count, whose business at that time—and particularly the harbour works at Warnow—makes his residence in the country a duty, will do everything to cheer and enliven the ladies’ solitude. Your brother—I myself—will come and go. What a spectacle, to watch the spring awaking in the country, on the shores of the ocean, perhaps to see the further blossoming of dear Elsa’s quiet fancy for the man of her choice, who has gone to his new post—he has lately been made Superintendent of Pilots—I think they call it so—at Wissow, just the same distance from Warnow as the Count is at his house. How do you like my little plan?”
“Charming,” said Carla, “à deux mains. But is it practicable?”
“Leave that to me. Give me your two pretty hands upon it, that you will support me.”
“There, you have them.”
“And I impress my lips upon both of them in confirmation of the agreement.”
“I really must venture to disturb your tête-à-tête,” said Herr von Wallbach, entering from the drawing-room. “The company have all arrived. Only Ottomar, whom we must again give up, and the Baroness still fail us.”
“I forgot to tell you,” said Giraldi, as he greeted Herr von Wallbach, “that the Baroness begged me to make her apologies—an indisposition—her nerves are so shaken—”
“What a pity,” said Herr von Wallbach. “Will you have the kindness, Carla, to tell Louisa? It makes no difficulty, as I was to have taken in the Baroness. Baroness Kniebreche claims you, Signor Giraldi.” Giraldi bowed. Carla had gone. “One moment,” whispered Wallbach, holding back Giraldi by the arm. “I am glad, very glad, that the Baroness is not coming. This is a day of surprises. Today, to our inexpressible astonishment—Lübbener cannot get over it at all—Golm paid the half million down! The concession, for the publication of which we feared we should have weeks to wait, as there was still some difficulty about the security, will appear tomorrow in the Gazette. Yes, my dear sir, you may rely upon it. I know it for certain from Herr von Stumm, who implored me not to betray him. It was to be a delightful surprise, on the part of the Ministers, for us; and—and—my dear friend, I am not easily put out of countenance, but c’est plus fort que moi—from the same unquestionable source I have learnt that the General’s name does not appear in the Military Gazette which will be published tomorrow.”
“Which means?” asked Giraldi.
“Which means that he is passed over, and that, according to our ideas, he will be forced to send in his resignation.”
“How extraordinary!”
