Part 18 (1/2)
”I don't understand you, dear madam,” said the a.s.sessor, ”at least I do not know what connection Frau Brandow's reputation could have with this very disagreeable affair.”
”Then I don't understand you,” replied Ottilie.
”It will be best,” answered Sellien, ”in order to avoid further misunderstandings, to tell the ladies plainly what the point in question really is. True, Herr Wollnow charged me to be cautious; but the flattering obstinacy with which my wife rejects my timid attempts to induce her to stay here, compels me to withdraw from my diplomatic position. Herr Wollnow has just informed me that my confident expectation that Brandow would have the ten thousand thalers ready, which I was to receive from him to-day, is all an illusion. To be sure, Brandow wrote me about a fortnight ago, and made no secret of his embarra.s.sments; but he's such a clever fellow, and has always helped himself out of his sc.r.a.pes when the pinch came; at any rate, he made no answer to my encouraging letter, and as I said before, I supposed he would not let me come for nothing, but on the contrary have everything ready. Now, however, I hear from your husband that matters are very different, in fact quite desperate. Brandow's credit is entirely exhausted. Herr Wollnow says that n.o.body could be found on the whole island who would lend him a thaler, since the two Pluggens and Redebas, who have kept his head above water so long, declared yesterday in Wollnow's counting-room that their patience was exhausted, and he would not get another s.h.i.+lling from them. Instead of that, they were to get something from him, that is, they were to receive a very large sum within a few days. They mentioned fifteen thousand thalers; but Herr Wollnow thinks there was probably a little exaggeration about it. But even if this was the whole amount of Brandow's indebtedness--which is undoubtedly not the case--he is still a lost man. The convent confidently expects that Brandow will pay his two years' rent to-morrow. If he does not, it will certainly make use of its right, and proceed to expel him from Dollan, and then Brandow will be as thoroughly and completely ruined as a man can be.”
”Poor Cecilia! Poor, poor Cecilia!” cried Frau Wollnow, bursting into tears.
”I am sorry for her,” said the a.s.sessor, playing with his long nails.
”But what can be done?”
”Emil must help them!” exclaimed Frau Wollnow, removing her handkerchief from her face a moment.
”He will beware of that, as he said just now; it is pouring water into the Danades seive.”
”But you, dear Herr Sellien, you are his friend; you cannot see your friend go to ruin.”
The a.s.sessor shrugged his shoulders. ”Friend! Dear me, whom don't we call by that name? And my relations with Brandow are very superficial, mere business connections, if you choose to call them so; are they not, my dear wife?”
”Certainly, certainly,” murmured Alma.
”And I should be giving up this very business relation if I allowed Alma to accompany me, when the situation was so critical. In the presence of ladies it is very difficult not to touch the chords of tender feeling, and it seems to me extremely desirable to avoid the possibility of doing so. Are you not of my opinion, dear Alma?”
”It is a very disagreeable affair,” said Alma.
”Is it not? And why should you expose yourself to it unnecessarily? I knew my wise little wife would yield the point at last.”
And the a.s.sessor tenderly kissed Alma's hand.
”But in that case it seems to me you must stay here too, my dear Herr a.s.sessor,” said Frau Wollnow.
”I? Why? On the contrary, it is only prudent for me to appear as natural as possible. I know nothing; I suspect nothing. Of course I shall be extremely sorry when Brandow takes me aside and tells me he can't pay; but I'll wager the dinner will be none the worse for that, and taste none the worse to me. His red wine and champagne were always superb.”
Frau Wollnow rose and went out upon the balcony. She must breathe the fresh air, even at the risk of having her new silk morning-dress spoiled by the rain, which was now falling quite heavily from the gray sky. ”Poor, poor Cecilia!” she repeated sighing, ”and there is no one who can and will save you.”
She remembered that she had brought her husband a dowry of fifty thousand thalers, but she could not touch them without Emil's permission, and Emil would not allow it. Should she try to move him by throwing herself prostrate at his feet? She could almost have laughed outright at the extravagant idea, especially when she imagined the astonished expression her husband's face would wear; but the tears again sprang to her eyes and mingled with the rain-drops that beat upon her burning face. Suddenly the husband and wife within were roused from their low-toned, eager conversation by a loud exclamation from the balcony. ”Gotthold, good heavens, Gotthold!”
”Where, where?” cried the a.s.sessor and his wife with one voice, as they hurried out upon the balcony.
”There he comes,” said Ottilie, pointing towards the square, across which a man with a broad-brimmed hat, pulled low over his eyes, was walking directly towards the house.
”He isn't so tall as Brandow,” said Alma, who was critically inspecting the new-comer through an opera-gla.s.s.
”What can he want?” asked her husband.
”We shall soon know,” said Frau Wollnow, as with a vague feeling of anxiety she pressed her two companions back into the room.
But Gotthold had only asked for Herr Wollnow, the maid-servant informed them, and she had been ordered to show him into Herr Wollnow's counting-room. The interview, whatever its purport might be, lasted much longer than was at all agreeable to the impatient waiters, and after an hour, during which the a.s.sessor had rather increased than lessened the ladies' impatience by a detailed account of his adventures with Gotthold in Sicily, Herr Wollnow appeared alone. They were astonished, amazed, and scarcely satisfied when Wollnow said that Gotthold had only gone to the Furstenhof to change his clothes, and would come back if his business gave him time. They wanted to know what business could be so pressing that Gotthold had selected Sunday morning for its transaction.
”The ladies must ask that of himself,” said Herr Wollnow; ”he has not taken me into his confidence. All I know is, that he is going to drive back to Dollan with our friends here, return to-night or to-morrow morning in the same excellent company, from which he antic.i.p.ates a great deal of pleasure, and then continue his journey without further delay. It seems that the point in question concerns the hasty purchase of a few gifts, with which he wants to surprise his host and hostess at Dollan at parting; at least he wanted me to give him a sum of money which is rather large for mere travelling expenses, but I can say no more.”