“Per aspera ad astra!” panted the President.
“I congratulate you, sir!” said the General.
“There was a good deal of luck in it,” answered Reinhold modestly.
“And people must have luck, I suppose!” cried Elsa, who had quickly conquered that curious feeling, and now relapsed into her gay spirits.
The little company proceeded farther over the dunes. Reinhold again in front, while Elsa now kept with the other gentlemen.
“It is curious enough,” said the General, “that our mishap should occur just at this part of the coast. It really seems as if we were to be punished for our opposition; and certainly if my opinion that a harbour for men-of-war would be of no good here does remain unshaken, it seems to me now that we ourselves have nearly suffered shipwreck here, that a harbour of some sort—”
“Is an object devoutly to be wished!” cried the President; “heaven knows it is. And when I think of the fearful cold I shall catch from this nocturnal walk in the horrible wet sand, and that I might instead be sitting in a comfortable railway carriage, and could sleep in my own bed tonight, I repent of every word that I have spoken against the railroad, and on account of which I have quarrelled with all our great people here, and not least with Count Golm, whose friendship now would be very convenient to us.”
“How so?” asked the General.
“Castle Golm, according to my reckoning, is only four or five miles inland from here; the little shooting-box on the Golmberg—”
“I remember,” interrupted the General; “the second headland to the north—on our right. We cannot be much more than a couple of miles from it.”
“You see,” said the President, “how convenient that would be! and the Count is probably there. To speak the truth, I have been secretly counting on his hospitality, in case, as I greatly fear, we cannot find decent accommodation at the farmhouse, and you will not overcome your objection to going to Warnow, which certainly would be the simplest and most comfortable arrangement.”
The President, who had spoken with many pauses and pantings for breath, here stood still; the General answered in a morose tone:
“You know that I am not on terms with my sister.”
“But you said that the Baroness was in Italy.”
“She was to return about this time; has perhaps already returned, and if she were not I would not go to Warnow, if it were but ten paces from here. But we must hasten to get under shelter, or to all that we have already gone through we shall add a thorough ducking.”
For some time past, in fact, single drops had been falling from the thickening masses of cloud, and they had just with quickened steps reached the farmyard, and groped their way between two barns or outhouses, over very uneven ground, to the house from whose window the light gleamed, when the storm, which had long been threatening, broke in full fury.
IV
It was a small, low house, strangely disproportioned to the tall, broad-shouldered man, whose attention had been called by the furious barking of the yard-dog, and who now, thrusting back a yelping cur with his foot, received the belated guests in the doorway which he nearly filled. Small and low also was the room on the left hand into which he led them, and very scanty its furniture.
There was another room opposite, said Herr Pölitz; but he was not quite sure whether it was in order. He hoped, too, that they would excuse his wife; she could not come to them at once, but would soon have the honour of waiting upon them.
As the man spoke he arranged chairs with awkward politeness at the large round table which stood before the hard little sofa, and invited them to sit down. His hospitable efforts were evidently well meant, but there was a depressed tone in his voice which did not escape Elsa. She begged to be allowed to go in search of the mistress of the house, and without waiting for permission left the room, but came back in a few minutes, and after sending away the farmer under the pretence that his wife wanted to speak to him, said:
“We cannot remain here; these good people, with whom affairs do not seem to be very prosperous, have two sick children; the poor woman does not know which way to turn; it would be cruel to add to her anxiety by asking her to entertain so many guests.”
“Then there really remains nothing to be done but to claim hospitality from the Count,” said the President, turning to the General; “the Count and I are the best friends in the world; our little differences are quite beside the question in such a case as this. Besides, he is very likely not at his shooting-lodge, and we shall only have to do with his steward. It is altogether my opinion that we should migrate to Golmberg. The only question is how to get there?”
The farmer, who had meanwhile returned to the room, would not hear of the proposal. The weather was frightful, and even should the rain soon stop, the roads were bad; his wife would manage; the gentlefolk would make allowances.
The gentlemen looked irresolutely at each other, but Elsa stood firm.
“Men know nothing about such things,” said she; “this is woman’s business, and I have settled it all with your wife, Herr Pölitz. She is making me a cup of coffee now, and the gentlemen shall have some brandy and water. And while we refresh ourselves Herr Pölitz shall send a man on horseback to announce us at Golmberg, so that we may not arrive quite unexpectedly. If the Count is at home we owe him so much consideration; if he is not, so much the better—we shall only have to do with the steward. Then when the rain has stopped, Herr Pölitz will have the horses put to—”
“I have only a cart to offer you,” said the
