Marlitt_The_Second_Wife.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
of a headache than you imagine. , you had better
look to the lady. miserable intrigue to which she has so
deftly and willingly lent herself seems to have agitated her."
was reading, had shivered with a
nervous chill. crimson floating mist seemed to fill the
room, hideously distorting with its waving clouds the coun-
tenance of the , as he sat opposite her.
profound icy night encompassed her. a feeble smile,
she extended both hands towards where was standing,
and, as he caught her in his arms, with a low cry, she fainted.
minutes later a carriage drove furiously towards the town,
to bring a physician to the bedside of the mistress of
werth, who was dangerously ill.
. 297
.
lovely sunny autumn days glided by in the &th
valley. mild, warm breeze was heavy with the fragrance
of beds of mignonette, and wild grapes hung their purple
clusters on the gray walls of the tower and around the clus-
tered pillars of the columned walk.
blue curtains were drawn close behind two windows
upon the ground-floor of the castle. of these windows
was open, and the odorous afternoon breeze stirred the heavy
silken folds ; and now and then they were drawn aside for a
moment, as if by the wayward hand of a child. fiery sun-
beam would then penetrate the blue twilight and awaken
glittering reflections on the mass of ruddy golden hair within,
lying loose upon the white coverlet of the bed. weeks
there had been a struggle between life and death for the pos-
session of the girlish form lying there ; but since yesterday
the physicians had been hopeful, and now, just as a sunbeam
" slid, a sunny fleck," down upon the gently-heaving breast,
the dark eyelashes were raised, and the first glance of return-
ing consciousness dawned in the veiled eyes. fell upon the
man who sat at the foot of the bed, where he had been stationed
ever since he had laid his fainting wife upon her couch of pain.
the first time in his hitherto careless existence, he had
gone through every stage of that indescribable agony by the
sick-bed of one whom we love, which leads us long for
death, since every nerve is on the rack, and the future, when
the sufferer whom we watch shall be no more, seems a long
erucl night.
298 .
")ul!" would have imagined when in the -
dorf chapel he heard with such supreme indifference those
lips pronounce the " yes," that in a short time a whispered
word from them would so intoxicate him with delight ?
took the little hand in his and covered it with kisses, then
laid his finger on his lips. eyes wandered smilingly from
his face, and opened wide in amazement. from
the table, a tumbler of cooling drink in her hand, the red-
haired, unlovely lady whom we have seen in
approached the bed . had telegraphed for
her on the terrible night when was taken ill. had
been his stay and support, the homely girl with her clear
wise head and her heart full of self-sacrificing maternal love
for his young wife. hand but hers had ministered to
, and her ministry had been indeed a labour of love.
by a gesture imposed silence upon the invalid, but
she smiled, and whispered, " is my child ?"
" is well," said . " has written half a dozen
tender letters a day to his sick mamma, they lie there in a
pile."
" ?"
" in the castle. room adjoins the tutor's, and he
is eagerly hoping for the time when he may be admitted to
kiss the hand of his lovely advocate."
eyes drooped slowly, and the invalid fell into a deep
and refreshing slumber.
days later she slowly walked through her rooms, for
the first time, upon 's arm. was the last day of
, and the vault of the summer sky was still blue
and clear ; it was only now and then that a yellowing leaf
fluttered to the ground. rose-thicket was still blossom-
ing profusely, and the green of the velvet lawn was spring-
like in hue. world without was as lovely as if no icy
winter were at hand.
. 299
young wife paused in her salon opposite the glass door.
, , how divine it is to live, and "
" , ?"
" to love," she said, nestling close to him. as she
spoke she shuddered, as she listened with terror in her eyes to
the rolling of wheels outside the room.
" is driving his goats through the hall," said,
soothingly. " assured, the wheeled chair, that was always
pursuing you in your delirium, has long since vanished from
." was the first time that he had referred to
what had happened. bit his lips. " owe you an explana-
tion ; should set your mind at rest, , and the physician
has granted his permission ; but can no more speak of it all
than can enter the garden where such wretched
scenes were enacted. , our prudent, sensible sister, will
tell you in your blue boudoir everything that you must desire
and ought to know."
she lay upon her lounge beneath the blue satin ceil-
ing. of evil for a lifetime lay between this hour and
the moment of her first entrance into this little blue boudoir,
and yet but a few months had elapsed. no link in tho
chain could have been missed that had bound together two
beings at first so coldly indifferent to each other. could
not yet look boldly back upon the past, she did not know what
had followed upon that last moment of consciousness, in which
she had been aware of the confronting
in unbroken arrogance and impertinent malice. picturo
was graven upon her soul, present to her like the ineradicable
jessamine perfume, that was wailed towards her from time to
time, as if by the phantom hand of the " airy, lace-woven
soul," from out the shining blue folds of the satin ; it made
her restless.
sat beside her. entered, with a basket
of grapeb that had cut for the ladies. " the
000 .
special trellis," she said. " are the
best grapes in the garden ; he always used to send the finest
to the duchess, and the rest were sold: even little
was not allowed to have one."
had evidently received instructions from thus
to allude to former arrangements ; it had not been done before
in 's presence.
" did the leave ?"
asked .
" very next morning, madame. came through the
pillared corridor that night, crosser than had ever seen him.
1 knew where the shoe pinched. were all standing in
the hall. ' are you all gaping and staring at, the whole
rabble of you ? to his reverence,' he said to , ' and
beg him to come immediately to my room. 1 stood
stock still, and all the rest vanished. ' is the matter ?'
he asked ; and then the fellow told him what had happened,
and that he could not go for his reverence, for he had gone
away. was standing beneath the stairs. my dying day
never shall forget that moment; had to carry him up-
stairs. did not go to bed,f the night was spent in packing
up ; once or twice he went and peeped into his reverence's
room, as if he thought the priest must be there, and the next
morning, at seven o'clock, he left the castle."
" is a worthless man, this ," said ,
whilst took some of the grapes out to where
was still driving his goats up and down the gravelled path.
was playing passenger in the little carriage. " did
not take leave of his grandchild : he must have forgotten him.
few days afterwards he gave some signs of life, in claiming
through his lawyer a third of 's estate.
is to be sold; wishes never to see it again, after he
has once left it. a glimmer of the pond in the distance
agitates him. will not go immediately to ,
. 301
however, but will postpone for awhile that supervision of hi
estates which he has determined to undertake for the future.
you know, darling, where you will light the -
tree this year? the white salon at , where papa
always had it placed for us. has rented the castle and
the park from the creditors, and you are to grow strong and
well there. shall go first, to arrange everything; the new
furniture is all ordered. writes me that old is
quite distracted with joy to think that the 'fine old times' are
coming again. shall not have mamma with us, however.
is just as happy as since gave her her choice
whether to be at or to spend the winter in .
course she did not hesitate for a moment, and will only
remain in long enough to receive your husband and
yourself, and then, as she writes me, a ray of sunlight will
once more illumine her 'forlorn and lonely path.' is a
matter of opinion, of course, my child. goes with
us cannot spare so faithful a servant; and, besides,
he did not wish to separate her from , who, after a course
of study with the tutor, is to be sent, as von , to
, to pursue his artistic studies there. pre-
server, the huntsman , is chief forester at -
hausen, whither he will shortly carry his pretty little bride.
think this is all that am to tell you, in accordance with the
request of your lord and master, who flatters himself that he
has arranged matters to please you. know, dear, am
not prone to raptures ; and yet could chant a perpetual hymn
of praise when see how my darling is loved. what do
you think of the fact that , , of ,
have rented the huge hostelry at , for myself, from
the creditors, and am about to convert it into an extensive
flower-manufactory ? approves my undertaking, and
has loaned me the capital to make it possible, trusting, as
do, that shall succeed in redeeming, at least in part, by my
26
302 .
exertions, what lavish extravagance and folly lost to us.
give me strength for my task !"
was silent; and lay back with closed eyes, her
hands clasped on her breast, her lips wreathed in a happy
smile, scarcely breathing, as if even her lightest sigh might
disperse all these lovely pictures of the future. a
shade passed over her brow, and she started. " priest,
" she exclaimed.
" has vanished without a trace. is thought he has
sought the shelter of the cloister. can do you no harm,
rest assured. will never venture to appear in public again ;
the affair has made so much talk, and the inhab-
itants of the capital are so exasperated, that his patroness the
duchess, has judged it wise to retire to for awhile, to
benefit 'an attack of weakness of the chest.'"
entered, followed by the two boys.
" , how can thank you !" cried his young wife.
laughed, and sat down beside her. " thank met
1 an honest and incorrigible egotist, have
arranged everything to conduce to my own future happiness.