Wichert_The_Green_Gate.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
CHAPTER I.
THE train was rushing through one of the many tunnels on
the road across the Apennines from Bologna to Florence.
In a second-class carriage the flame of the dim oil lamp
in the roof was just dying out. It flashed up fitfully now
and then, as if to look after matters in the carriage ; and at
each revival a fat, middle-aged Italian woman, leaning back
against the black cushions in a corner, opened her sleepy eyes,
only to close them immediately. By her sat a puny little
man, the end of a cigar held loosely between the fingers of
the hand that hung down at his side, his hat upon the back
of his head, evidently, judging from the tone of the con-
versation lately carried on between himself and the lady, her
husband. In another corner crouched a Frenchman, his
knees drawn up almost to his chin, his feet cased in em-
broidered slippers ; the travelling-bag hanging above him pro-
claimed him a commercial traveller. The third corner was
occupied by a man who had entered the carriage at Poretta,
and had transferred a number of stones from his various
pockets to a small wallet which he carried, already neary full
of such treasures. From the colour of his hair and beard,
indeed, from the entire character of his face and figure, he
would have passed for Italian, and he exchanged several fluent
remarks in that tongue with the guard before the train left
the station at Poretta. Immediately afterwards, however, he
S32G73
6 THE GREEN GATE.
had addressed a young man sitting opposite him in German,
receiving from him several curt answers in the same tongue,
which provoked the smiling observation, " I was not mistaken,
then, in supposing you a countryman of mine ? Only a German
could cast such keen and longing glances from the carriage-
window during the short delay at the station. Confess that
the frequent tunnels that have snatched from your gaze and
plunged into blackest night so much of the romantic scenery of
the Apennines have fairly disgusted you, and that you are ready
to cross the mountains on foot that you may see something
of the country and its inhabitants." The stranger admitted
that it was so, except that his slight knowledge of Italian
made any departure from the beaten track of travel impossible
for him, while really one was indemnified now and then for
the sudden subterranean night by exquisite glimpses of moun-
tain and valley, their beauty certainly enhanced by force of
contrast. Never had the time flown so quickly, he thought,
as during these last few hours. " We are a contented race,"
the other responded, " and we are never at a loss to find rea-
sons for enjoyment." And there the conversation halted for
awhile.
The traveller who had shown such readiness to be pleased
maintained during the remainder of the journey his eager
attitude at the open window, determined to lose no glimpse,
however fleeting, of picturesque beauty. He sat, leaning
forward upon his elbow, immovable, even while the train
passed through the longest tunnels, gazing out upon the black
walls of rock, dotted here and there with sparks from the
locomotive, patiently waiting for the first glimmer of daylight
to dawn upon the blackness, heralding a return to blue,
sunny skies, lovelier than ever after the moments of " shades
forlorn." Evidently his mind was so absorbed in thus wait-
ing and enjoying that he had no time for conversation : as if
fearful of losing some instant view if he allowed his attention to
THE GREEN GATE. 7
stray even momentarily, he returned monosyllabic answers to
questions addressed to him, scarcely turning his head as he
spoke. Nevertheless, his more vivacious neighbor opposite
contrived to learn that he was a merchant, or the son of a mer-
chant, and from a commercial city in Northern Germany, that
he had never been in Italy before, and hoped to travel as far
as Palermo. It was best, he thought, to plan as extensive
a journey as possible, since there was no knowing when he
should be able to leave his native place again. This was his
most lengthy remark, made in the pitchy darkness of a seem-
ingly interminable tunnel.
And now they had just entered the last. " Be prepared
now," said the other, " to enjoy something really worth seeing,
as I remember it upon my last visit to Italy, when I was obliged
from lack of time to make use of the railway. I usually pre-
fer the old road across Lojano and Pietramala. We are about
to leave all these rocks, and at our feet we shall have the lovely
valley of the Arno. The sun is just low enough to give it to
us in its most beautiful aspect. See, the light is beginning to
gleam on the damp stone there !"
He was right; the view was enchanting. Around, the gray,
rugged rocks were still keeping sentinel. Far below lay the
pretty town of Pistoja ; around it the broad valley, dotted
with villas, and, in the distance, the spires and turrets of
Florence. Even the Italians cast satisfied glances through
their window, and the Frenchman stretched his neck curiously.
An " ah !" escaped the parted lips of the North German, but he
gave no further expression to his admiration. There was but
little time for enjoyment of the distant view as the train pur-
sued its winding way down the mountain-side.
It is a charming ride of about an hour from Pistoja to
Florence, through gardens of olives and fruit, past charming
villas, with glimpses of the valley bounded by the spurs of the
Apennines, or, on the other side, of the fruitful plains of the
8 THE QREEN GATE.
Arno. The North German seemed never to weary of all this
magnificence. It was quite late when he took out his guide-
book, looked for Florence in the index, and buried himself in
descriptions of hotels and rates of droschky hire.
The train, once arrived at the " Station Centrale," was soon
emptied. Those who had been for so long shut up together
in the narrow space of the same compartment scarcely bowed
in token of adieu; each one was busied about his or her
own individual interests. At the top of the steps leading up
and out from the depot into the public square were stationed
the agents of the various hotels, each bawling out the title of
his special caravansary, " Gran Bretagna," " Italia," " Porta
Rossa," " Bonciani," " Nuova York, ponte alia Carrajd," " Roma,
Roma !" The carriages were ranged in line beside the narrow
sidewalk, their doors all wide open.
The traveller, who had hitherto been so easily content, now
seemed suddenly to become fastidious ; or was it a simple fit
of indecision that prompted him to walk slowly to and fro past
the open doors of the carnages, reading and re-reading their
titles, but apparently forgetting to enter any one of them ?
As he was turning at the end of the long row, he perceived
his fellow-traveller slowly approaching him, and his face bright-
ened at the sight. " I will see where he stops," he evidently
said to himself, "and follow his example."
" Well, signer," his former companion began, " has your
Baedccker left you in the lurch ? In truth, choice here is no
easy matter. All these gorgeous vehicles appear to have just
come brand-new from the same manufactory, they are equally
bright with varnish and gilding, and I cannot decide whether
crimson or green plush cushions are the more attractive. They
tell nothing of the quality of the various hotels to which they
severally consign their prisoners. Once place your foot within
them, and there is no escape. Well, can you not make up
your mind ?*'
THE GREEN GATE. 9
" I should like to select an inn," the other replied, " where
they speak German and I could have German cooking."
" Ah, there is no way of telling anything about that from
these vehicles ; and, besides, in Italy an Italian manage is sure
to be the best. Follow the customs of the country, is my
motto."
" You seem to be familiar with the place, sir ; perhaps you
can "
" Familiar ! This is not, to be sure, my first sight of ' Firenze
la bella,' but my stay here has always been very short, and I
have the poorest memory for the names of hotels. Roma,
Italia, Gran Bretagna, in all these Italian towns really there
seems to be no specific difference between them. I suppose it
is of small consequence which we choose. Suppose we leave
it to chance ? always a sure refuge for travellers."
" I agree," the other at once assented, evidently glad to be
taken in charge.
" Name some number, then."
"A number?"
" Any number you choose."
" Twelve."
" Agreed ! To the right or the left ?"
" To the right."
" To the right be it, then. One two three " and he
counted on until he came to the twelfth vehicle in the row.
" This is the one. Admirable ! Gray plush, mirrors at the
end, and wonderfully clean. Pray get in ; I have hopes that
we have drawn a prize." He threw his travelling-bag with
a loud rattle of the stones inside upon the seat, and helped
his companion to enter. " Have you any luggage ? Of course
you have. Give me your ticket. How many pieces?"
The conductor now made his appearance and took matters
in hand. In a few moments the trunks were all tumbled
up upon the roof of the carriage, the porter had been paid,
A*
10 THE GREEN GATE.
and the vehicle was jolting along across the Piazza Santa
Maria Novella to the old part of the city, past the Palazzo
Strozzi, and into one of the side-streets off the Via Condotta.
There it drew up before an antique structure with a spacious
entrance and a huge portico. With its dingy stone abutments,
and its small square windows in the lower story, protected by
rusty iron gratings, it looked more like a prison than a resting-
place for travellers in search of entertainment. He who had
go recklessly invoked chance to aid, looked at his companion
with a sly smile, but the latter exclaimed, with a beaming coun-
tenance, " We could not have done better. I delight in these
old places, and live in just such another in my own home.
Oh, the houses in my part of Germany still preserve the
memory of the times when a man did well to build his dwell-
ing like a small fortress. Here in Italy the architecture "
He would probably have continued to discourse fluently
upon the difference between the mediaeval architecture of
Northern Germany and of Italy, but his mentor was already
out of the carriage, and, as he entered beneath the portico,
called over his shoulder, " So much the better, so much the
better. Shall I order an apartment for you ?"
" If you will have the great kindness to do so," was the
reply, as the speaker slowly entered the house, glancing ap-
provingly at the facade and examining with interest the two
figures of stone at the entrance, each of which held in its hands
a winged wheel. Gravely following his guide, who was con-
versing with great vivacity in Italian, he reached the inner
court, around which ran galleries, while a little fountain gaily
bubbled and leaped in one corner, whence a broad flight of
steps, much worn in the lower portion, led upwards.
The preliminary discussion soon came to an end ; the lug-
gage was carried up-stairs, and the stranger, as he took his
protege's arm and followed to his room, remarked. " The prices
are not too high, although, for such a smoky old dungeon
THE GREEN GATE. 11
But it will be better inside. The present host, they say, is an
enterprising fellow, and has determined to make a first-class
modern hotel out of this mediaeval albergo. Signor Uccello*
is, you will be glad to hear, a German by birth ; with us he
would be ' Herr Vogel.' He will do himself the honour to
wait upon us at dinner. You will dine ? Dinner will be
served shortly."
Meanwhile, they had passed along a gallery lined with faded
frescoes and through an archway lighted by gas. " Here,"
said the waiter, pointing to a marble doorway with broad fold-
ing-doors, " is the dining-hall, where dinner will await the
signori in a few moments. A magnificent apartment ! only a
few months ago restored at great expense. The rooms of the
signori are here," and he threw open two doors, and, entering,
drew aside the window-curtains. " The signori will be charmed
with the views, not very extensive, but so interesting. By
leaning out a little, one can plainly see the tower of the Palazzo
Vecchio. Oh, it is a most central situation, the very middle
of the town."
While the experienced traveller, without paying any attention
to the man's praises of the house, was testing the comfort of
the beds and lounges, the other was examining the elaborate
carving of the wainscot blackened by age. " This must be
German work," he said ; " I have seen similar patterns in
Nuremberg, only they are much finer in this olive-wood." The
waiter, not understanding a word he said, assured the signori
that in the course of a year Signor Uccello would have all that
old trash removed; all the rooms were to be "restored" and
papered suitably, but such alterations took time.
" Is it possible that so barbarous a work of destruction can be
permitted in Italy?" cried the stranger, in dismay. "I should
be only too happy to pass my life in such a room as this !"
* "Uccello" is the German "Vogel" and the English "Bird."
12 THE GREEN GATE.
"Aha, you are a lover of antiquities !" remarked his fellow-
traveller, who was just inspecting the washing-apparatus. " If
that is the case, you have certainly come to the right place,
for, unless I greatly err, we are in the palazzo of some extinct
noble Florentine family, whose very name is probably not
known to more than ten living men. Has this house been
a hotel for many years ?" he asked of the waiter.
" Very many," the man replied ; " but it was formerly in bad
hands, and has been left to go to ruin. An old palazzo,
signer."
" What family did it belong to ?"
The man shrugged his shoulders. " No one can tell you
that, signer. There are many hotels here that once belonged
to Italian nobles. But no one cares to know their history,
except now and then some learned professor."
"You hear," his questioner observed to his companion.
" The builder of this palace could hardly have foreseen that
it would one day be converted into an inn for the accom-
modation of strangers, ignorant even of his name. Tempora
mutantur"
Some minutes later the two men were seated at table in
the dining-hall, which, although it scarcely justified the waiter's
enthusiastic praise, was nevertheless a noble room. The boasted
"restoration" had here, fortunately, effected nothing more
than a papering over of some old frescoes on the walls, and a
sweeping and scrubbing of the marble floor. Although the
beautiful ceiling plainly showed traces of decay, nothing had
been attempted in the way of repairing it. The young anti-
quary bestowed far more attention upon it than upon the table
before him.
His neighbor touched him to attract his notice to some
dish that was passing. " Do you know," he said, with a laugh,
" that I am tempted to explore Florence with you ?"
" You are very kind. But are you not familiar with it?"
THE GREEN GATE. 13
" I mean mediaeval Florence. I know the modern city
pretty thoroughly, and might be a tolerable guide for you, but
I have but small knowledge of mediaeval Florence."
" I thought that was what every one came to see."
" Oh, the place has a multitude of attractions. I think life
here may be very delightful even if one does not visit the
Uffizi daily. And hitherto it has been to me only a stopping-
place upon my various journeys. If ever I make a wedding-
tour, I shall come here and explore the place."
" You enjoy nature, it seems, more than art?"
" Hm ! What interests me in nature can hardly be enjoyed
in your acceptation of the word. I am a student of natural
history, and of course I must explore the mountains."
" That, then, is the reason why your travelling-bag was
filled "
" With stones ? Yes ; I must draw water everywhere for
my mill. You understand why I gave a week to Poretta,
with its remarkable sulphur springs, and intended to pass
only a single night at Florence. Now, as I said, I am tempted
to stay a day longer."
His companion took from his pocket-book a card and handed
it to him. " Allow me to introduce myself," he said.
He of the dark beard bowed, with a smile. " Philip Am-
berger," he read, half aloud, " and no designation. I sus-
pected a secret associate in you, I admit, for that you were a
merchant, as you hinted in the railway-carriage "
" I may perhaps be called a merchant," Amberger inter-
rupted him. " The calling has been an inheritance in our
family for centuries, and my late father wished that both his
sons should take an interest in commerce. My inclinations
were early opposed to trade."
"You have a brother?"
" Moritz Amberger. He is a genuine merchant, and we
each accord all freedom to the other. My father, it is true,
2
14 THE GREEN GATE.
hoped we should work together Oh, thank you !" This
exclamation had reference to the card that his neighbor
handed to him at that moment : " ' Dr. Xaver Schonrade,
Professor,' ah, Professor : I thought so."
They shook hands. " Our dessert will have a better relish,"
the Professor said, kindly. " What do you say to a walk
through the town afterwards?"
Amberger agreed. " It is bright moonlight," he said ;
" nothing could be more delightful."
Signor Uccello presented himself to the two gentlemen as a
compatriot. His German name had been " Vogelstein," but
some twenty years previously, when he came to Italy to found
a home in a new country, he had, for the sake of brevity,
dropped the "stein," and upon the occasion of his marriage
translated " Vogel" into " Uccello." " The reverse was my own
case," the Professor remarked. " To be sure, I had no 'stein'
to throw aside, and I am not married, but my name I trans-
lated into German from Italian, much to my mother's disgust,
although she, as well as myself, was born on the other side of
the Alps."
Amberger made numerous inquiries with regard to the old
palazzo, which greatly interested him. Its present possessor
could tell him nothing concerning it, except that the family to
whom it had formerly belonged had either become extinct at
the close of the previous century, or had been exiled after the
confiscation of their estate in revolutionary times. " We con-
stantly find," he continued, " in Italy, no less than in Ger-
many, trade usurping the former habitations of the nobility,
now falling to decay. I myself was born in one of those old
dens, half castle, half fortress, that had been deserted by its
former masters. It was just sufficiently preserved to afford
a shelter to iny father, a simple gardener. Thereby hangs a
long story."
No curiosity was expressed with regard to the host's " long
THE GREEN GATE. 15
story." Amberger remarked that, in his opinion, trade should
show more reverence for antiquity and art, and mentioned
with admiration the wainscoting in his bedroom. The host
replied that few travellers could find pleasure in such dark,
gloomy walls, and that one must cater for the popular taste.
" But if you would like to see more of this queer old carving,
gentlemen," he continued, "I should be proud to show you
my own private apartments. Nothing has yet been restored
there; my wife says we must think last of ourselves, and
my daughter imagines that she really likes the old rubbish,
and has even had her room furnished with old rickety fur-
niture that we found in the attics. Perhaps you may like to
see it."
Amberger accepted his invitation with thanks. The daugh-
ter pleased him even before he had seen her.
CHAPTER II.
THE moon was high in the deep-blue heaven when the two
men began their after-dinner ramble. The Professor conducted
the young man, towards whom he felt a most friendly inclina-
tion, along the beautiful Via Calzaioli, where every outline
stood out clear and soft in the lovely moonlight, to the Bap-
tistery, then through narrow streets to the Piazza della Si-
gnoria, where Amberger stood amazed at the moon-illumined
mass of the Palazzo Vecchio, and then beneath the gleaming
arcades of the Uffizi to the silvery waters of the Arno. They
sauntered on for awhile, watching the gliding river, and then
took shelter beneath the awning before a confectioner's shop,
to enjoy an ice. Here Amberger again showed himself ready
for conversation.
16 THE GREEN GATE.
11 When you entered the compartment of the railway
carriage," he said, " I took you for a child of this lovely land,
and your remark at dinner awhile ago convinced me that I was
not entirely mistaken. You said, did you not, that you had
translated your name?"
" My mother's name yes," replied the Professor, taking
out his cigar-case.
Amberger laid his hand upon it. " Try these," he said,
offering him several cigars of his own. " I have contrived to
smuggle a few in my trunks."
The Professor accepted them as frankly as they were offered.
"Never despise the gifts the gods provide you," he said.
" These are indeed a rare enjoyment here."
" Your mother's name did you say ?"
" I did. That most excellent lady, whom I revere as well as
love, has seen fit persistently to withhold from me. the name
of my father, although I am thoroughly convinced that she
has no reason to be ashamed of it. In my own estimation a
mere name is of small consequence, and I attach as much
value to my mother's as to my father's. Beyond even the pos-
sibility of doubt I know my mother to have been married,
and then divorced from her husband. Did I say she withheld
his name from me ? That was scarcely a fair statement of the
fact. She never alludes to any circumstance of her married,
life, all memory of which is evidently most painful to her, and
I never question her regarding it. As far back as I can. recol-
lect, she was an opera-singer, oh, I assure you, quite a celeb-
rity in her time, and now for some years she has been living
upon the income resulting from the property purchased with
the smaller part of her savings, and from the investment which
she made in me of the larger portion, in giving me the best
education that Europe could afford. Indeed, I owe to her
everything that I am, and why should she not claim the right
to bestow upon me her name also, a name which has been
THE GREEN GATE. 17
held in high honour in the musical world? She is called
1 Camilla Bellarota.' " *
" Ah, and that you translate by "
" The German ' Schonrade,' which you read upon my card.
My schoolmates translated my name for me when I was a boy
at school, and the translation was preferable to the distor-
tions of the Italian name that boyish fun or malice suggested.
When I published my first book in Germany, in the German
tongue, the change of name seemed to me but natural, and
then it became a fixed fact. And if my name is known to
science, I now surely have a right to say that I made it
myself."
" The best right in the world !"
" It was diflicult for my mother to accustom herself to it.
She is by no means free from family pride, and boasts that the
Bellarotas were of noble blood. Small as her knowledge of them
is, she likes to speak of it. She was only ten years old when
her father, who had spent most of his life in Germany, died.
He was attached as a singer and actor to the court of a Ger-
man prince, but always maintained that he was of noble birth,,
and married the descendant of one of our old decayed noble
families. His wife died at the birth of their first child, and
shortly afterwards he himself, already advanced in years, lost
his voice, and with it of course his position. He then appears
to have dragged out ten years more of life, travelling from place
to place with his little daughter, needy and forlorn, until his
death occurred in the hospital of a town in Northern Germany
where he had in his youth reaped golden harvests as a favourite
tenor. Carlo Bellarota left no papers behind him to throw
any light upon his birth or history ; all that was known of him
* "Bellarota" is the German "Schonrade," and the English "Fair-
wheel," as the German "Schonberg" is the French "Belmont," and the
English " Fairhill" or " Fairmount."
2*
18 THE GREEN GATE.
was that he had borne that name ever since his stay in Ger-
many, which dated from the beginning of the present century.
My mother has often declared, without indeed explaining her
words, that the want of her father's baptismal certificate had
been the great misfortune of her life. According to a few
sentences written on the fly-leaf of an old missal, the owner
of the book was a certain Pietro Bellarota, whose only son
Carlo was. Carlo himself has added a few sentences, stating
that his father died in prison, whither he was sent for political
offences, having endeavoured to restore to his country the re-
publican form of government under which it had once been
so great and prosperous. In the attempt he had lost not
only his liberty, but the remains of what had once been great
wealth, and his son was forced to live an exile among strangers,
his only inheritance, apparently, this missal, which had been
the companion of his father's captivity. He never mentions
the name of the town where the family had once been rich
and great, but states that a branch of the name in Rome, and
another in Naples, had been advanced by papal protection
and royal patronage, and that his father's fate would have been
a happier one had it not been for his faith in the possibility of
an Italian republic, to which he was always true and loyal."
" And have you never made any further search into your
family history during your frequent sojourns in Italy ?" asked
Amberger, with great interest.
" Only very superficially," the Professor replied. " I must
confess I take very little interest in such matters, and that I
think my time can be far more profitably employed than in
prying into a pedigree to which I am quite indifferent. My
grandmother and my father were Germans, and, independently
of that, I myself belong, both in mind and education, to your
nation. Why, then, should I seek to gratify an idle curiosity ?
For my good mother's sake I instituted a few inquiries in
Rome and Naples, and found our name here and there in old
THE GREEN GATE. 19
official registers ; but it would have cost an immense amount
of time to pursue these investigations to any result. And what
would it have availed me even if I had come across this very
Pietro Bellarota? His son Carlo's baptismal certificate is lost;
it was once, I understand, searched for fruitlessly. I am quite
willing to leave the illumination of the darkness here to
chance ; and if it should never be illumined, I shall most cer-
tainly die as calmly as the bourgeois Professor Schonrade as
though I were sure of a resting-place for my bones in the
Bellarota family vault. However, I am none the less fond of
Italy, and, in proof of my affection, frequently pursue my
scientific researches within its borders. That is all I can do
for the land of my grandfather."
He beckoned to a waiter, and paid the reckoning. It was
late when they slowly walked back to the hotel, where, before
entering, Amberger inspected from all sides the stone figures
that graced the doorway. Silently and thoughtfully he then
followed the Professor, who ran up-stairs two steps at a time,
whistling an opera-air. In his own apartment, before going
to bed, Amberger spent some time in examining the carved
wainscot, copying a few of the most remarkable arabesques
into his sketch-book. In the next room the Professor made
a great rattling with his bits of stone, but was soon quietly
asleep.
The next morning they did not meet at breakfast. The
Professor, as he passed Amberger's door on his way to the
dining-hall, knocked gently ; but, finding that the young mlan
still slept, he drank his coffee alone and went out, leaving
word with the porter that he had a couple of business visits to
pay, and would return in an hour or two. Philip Amberger
had an abundance of time, therefore, to wander about and'
examine the different stories and galleries of the old palazzo,
to admire the faded frescoes, and to linger in the court-yard,
allowing the water of the little fountain to trickle over his
20 THE GREEN GATE.
hands, already tanned by the Italian sun. Here he was soon
joined by Signer Uccello, who, af.er inquiring how- he had
slept, had a couple of chairs placed in the cool ^hade, and
began a lively description of all that was worth seeing in
Florence. The most superficial observer could hardly think
of leaving it for three or four weeks at the least. He really did
not speak as a host from interested motives. He had not yet
seen Florence thoroughly himself, but then, to be sure, he was
greatly confined by his business. His daughter Lucia, how-
ever, than whom there could be no better cicerone for all that
was interesting in Florence, assured him that she had never
exhausted the interest of the place. Travellers were too much
in the habit of merely passing through Florence on their way
to Rome. Amberger made inquiries as to the dealers in an-
tique objects of interest, remarking that he was a collector
The host mentioned two or three names, but promised to ask
his daughter for further particulars, she was much interested
in such matters. Amberger hereupon reminded him of his
yesterday's promise to show him his own dwelling-rooms, and
was immediately conducted thither, Signor Uccello, as he led
the way, remarking that it would be better that his guest
should hear what Lucia had to say about Florentine antiquities.
Signora Uccello, a rather stout dame, in a morning-wrapper,
was profuse in excuses for her husband, " who imagined that
there could be anything in such gloomy, shabby old rooms to
interest a traveller of distinction." She bewailed the want
of air and light in her apartments, declaring that she should
die if her husband did not rebuild them thoroughly ; indeed,
she would rather be buried in San Miniato than live in such
a dreary prison. Her husband shrugged his shoulders and
smiled diplomatically. Evidently she had rung the changes
upon this theme until he knew them all by heart. When she
was called away, he observed, " Women would be miserable
without something to complain of. She hardly looks, I think,
+THE GREEN GATE. 21
as if she had been deprived of light and air." Then he
knocked at a door almost black with age, the carving of
which had already attracted Amberger's attention, and called
out, " Lucia, Lucia, may we come in ?"
The door opened heavily, but without noise, and the slender
figure of a girl appeared upon the threshold. The room
behind her was lighted from the side opposite the door, and
was already streaked with the morning sunlight, making a
golden background for the figure, which, enclosed in the heavy
door-frame, stood out against it like some old picture. The
sunlight played over the dark carving of the wainscot and
the carved backs of some curious old leather-covered chairs.
The floor of light-blue and yellowish marble seemed trans-
lucent, and the high Venetian glasses on the chimney-piece
against the mirror in its faded frame were like air-blown
bubbles. Lucia wore a dark-blue dress, with a short-sleeved,
low-necked bodice over a white under-dress, gathered to the
throat, with full pufied sleeves. At her girdle, which was
fastened by a silver buckle, hung a small bag of antique
fashion and workmanship, and the ruffle at her neck was con-
fined by a coral necklace as by a red ribbon. She had her
mother's black hair and her father's blue eyes. Philip Am-
berger thought he had never seen so lovely a picture, and was
not sorry that his guide's lengthy explanation as to the pur-
pose of their visit gave him time to admire its grace and
beauty.
Lucia turned her large, quiet eyes upon the stranger, as her
father spoke, and then, with a gentle smile, stood aside and
allowed him to enter. She had been working before an easel
in the deep recess of a window, painting a copy of an old pic-
ture of a Madonna. The room was furnished entirely in the
style of the sixteenth century, furniture, carpets, pictures, and
tapestry all genuinely old. Lucia took a lute from a lounge
that filled one corner, and prayed the signori to be seated. Sho
22 THE GREEN GATE.
herself took possession of an arm-chair that she drew forth
from behind the easel. Signer Uccello excused himself on the
plea of business, and the young people were left alone.
Philip Amberger seemed to himself to be living in dream-
land. His knowledge of Italian was but small, and now he
could not remember a word of it. Lucia assured him that
she perfectly understood German, although she could hardly
venture to speak that tongue, and her replies could be made
in her own language. He availed himself of her permission
to speak German, and the conversation soon flowed easily
enough. Lucia displayed her little store of antique treasures
with much pride, and was pleased to find in him the enthu-
siasm of a genuine connoisseur, especially when he admired the
carved wainscot of her room, worm-eaten although it certainly
was here and there. " This room shall not be touched," she
cried, " however the rest of the dear old house may be spoiled
to suit modern taste, or rather want of taste." He applauded
her resolution, and noted particularly a figure that was con-
tinually repeated in the wood-work of all the rooms, that of
a graceful, elaborate circlet. "Yes," she rejoined, "you will
find this symbol, whatever it may mean, everywhere through
the house, with such variation as the skill and ingenuity of
the carver have been able to effect. And you will observe that
the two marble figures at the entrance also bear this same
ornamented ring in their hands. And on the ceiling of the
dining-hall the same figure which must have been a favourite
with the former possessor of the mansion occurs continually."
" Perhaps," Philip suggested, " it may have formed part of
the escutcheon of the former lords of the mansion ; I have
seen similar heraldic devices in old German houses."
She led the conversation to Germany. " I should like to
cross the Alps," she said, " and see my father's old home.
But it must be in the depth of winter. We have cold weather,
and even snow now and then here in December and January ;
THE GREEN GATE. 23
but I want to see such a winter as my father describes, where
the rivers are frozen over, icicles hang from the trees, and the
frost makes flowers upon the window-panes."
" The unknown always attracts us," he replied, smiling.
" We Germans come here to look for skies that are always
blue, and warm sunshine, and you want to shiver in the blasts
of our Northern winter. Shall you not be able to carry out
your wishes ?"
" Hardly, signer, hardly."
" You should come to us. My mother, who worthily main-
tains her position as a merchant's wife of the old German
school, would welcome any one who could genuinely enjoy our
German winter ; and my study is quite such another room as
this, only not so charming. I invite you now."
She laughed merrily. " A charming plan ! I wonder what
my father would say. That my German blood makes me
restless, I think. But a girl, you see, signor "
A knock at the door interrupted her, and Professor Schon-
rade appeared, to carry away his companion. He paid very
little attention to the curious furniture and objects of antique
art still scattered upon the chairs and tables, and seemed to
regard Lucia as only one of a class, a young girl with whom
a few words might very pleasantly be exchanged now and
then. This vexed Philip, who had no mind to be carried off
thus peremptorily. But the Professor never noticed his re-
luctance to leave, and all that the young man could do was to
ask and obtain permission to repeat his visit shortly.
" A pretty face," the Professor remarked, as they reached
the street.
Amberger made no reply. Pretty, indeed !
They visited the Cathedral. The Professor paid but scant
attention to what Philip thought points of great interest, and,
when they had made the rounds, merely remarked, " 'Tis a pity
that we must continue our walk, it is so delightfully cool here."
24 THE GREEN GATE.
An unsympathetic silence was Philip's only reply ; he could
have stood for hours in the blazing sun with pleasure before
some of these treasures of art.
Schbnrade hailed a fiacre. " To San Marco ! That is the
pi ace for you," he cried, as they entered the vehicle. " Haunted
by memories of Savonarola. Pictures so old that you can't
distinguish their subjects at all. Convent cells oh, every-
thing fascinating ! I shall gloat over your enthusiasm, if you
will only enjoy less egotistically than in the Cathedval."
" I am apt to be very quiet in the presence of great beauty
and antiquity," Amberger remarked.
" Not a good habit, my dear fellow-countryman on the
paternal side," laughed the Professor ; " our enthusiasm ought
not to live in a snail-shell, and should even be able to endure
a poor joke now and then."
They grew more and more at ease with each other. Am-
berger became less reserved, and Schbnrade more sympathetic.
Their breakfast in a birraria was greatly relished. The Pro-
fessor proposed a visit to a mosaic-factory, and here each could
thoroughly enjoy Amberger the artistic workmanship, and
Schbnrade the rare kinds of stone. Thus the time passed
quickly enough before they returned to dine at the hotel.
The first thing that Amberger did after they were seated at
table was to look up at the ceiling. Perhaps he imagined that
from the medallion in the centre a girlish face like Lucia's
might look down upon him. At any rate, she was quite right
about the figure to be found there, the circlet ornamented
with a graceful tracery of leaves was here in the frame en-
closing the frescoed centre of the ceiling. And, upon a closer
examination, the ring was surely a
" What in the name of Heaven are you doing, my dear
fellow ?" cried the Professor ; " you will give yourself a stiff
neck. Is the old ceiling really worth letting your soup get
cold for?"
THE GREEN GATE. 25
Ambcrger gazed absently at him. " An idea has suddenly
occurred to me, Herr Professor," he said, mysteriously.
" Ideas are sure to occur suddenly," the other said, drily.
" Well, may I share it ?"
" Good heavens, 'tis a very important one for you !"
" Indeed ? I am quite curious."
" The Bellarota family, of whom you told me yester-
day-
" Ah, pray don't disturb your dinner on their account."
" No, no, I am really in earnest. They belonged to Flor-
ence."
" Perhaps they did."
" They did ! they did ! and we are now in the Palazzo Bella-
rota."
The Professor pushed back his chair and gazed at the young
man, as if slightly doubtful of his sanity.
But Amberger was no whit abashed by the gaze. " Look
up," he continued. " What do you see there ? A circlet
enwreathed with flowers; in fact, nothing more or less than
an ornamented wheel. Look attentively, and you will see the
hub in the centre, and the spokes radiating from it. It is a
wheel, a beautiful wheel, bella rota. It is repeated every-
where through the house, over windows and doors and upon
the floors ; the two stone figures at the entrance bear it winged
in their hands. There is no doubt of it at all."
The Professor laughed aloud. " Take your ease, I pray you,
in the palace of my forefathers," he said, with a gracious wave
of his hand, " and regard honest Signor Uccello simply as my
major-domo, at your service. Although, for the present, cir-
cumstances over which I have no control compel me to en-
dure the sight within my ancestral halls of this motley assem-
blage, chiefly vagabonds from the North, who conceive that
the payment of a certain amount of filthy lucre gives them a
right to strut and swagger here, yet I confidently hope that
B 3
.
26 THE GREEN GATE.
in a short time my geological investigations will place me in
possession of a deposit of gold sufficient to redeem my family
estate. You, however, my dear fellow, to whom I owe the
discovery that will reinstate the lawful owner in his rights,
must consent to be my guest for this day at least. Signor
Uccello, a bottle of your best, if you please."
Amberger was half vexed, and yet could not help smiling.
' But look, am I not right ?" he persisted ; " and is it not
worth the trouble to follow out this evident clue ? If I were
in your place, I would never rest
y Until your thirst for knowledge were appeased, anti-
quary that you are ! Is it of any possible consequence to the
development of the human race that we should know whether
a certain Dr. Schbnrade from Berlin be the lineal descendant
of the noble Bellarotas of Florence, or whether his grand-
father found it best to invent a pretty name for the opera-
bills, that the world ' mundus vult decipi] you know
might believe in his genuine Italian tenor? Solve me this
problem !"
" But you cannot be indifferent "
"I am, utterly. If, to be sure, an advertisement were to
appear in the public journals announcing that a large treasure
had been discovered indubitably the property of a genuine
scion of the Bellarotas, I might But I am thoroughly
convinced that the noble race was impoverished before the
doors of the family vault closed upon it, and it is far more to
my liking to regard myself as a homo novus, who is to found
a new dynasty, a wife, 'tis true, is wanting as yet. And, by
the way, an exalted idea occurs to me. What if I regained
the palace of my fathers by marriage? That charming little
Uccello with whom I found you to-day
But here Philip Amberger was seized with a sudden fit
of coughing, and was obliged to leave the table.
Before retiring for the night, the Professor paid him a visit
THE GREEN GATE. 27
in his room, and found him writing. " Dutiful man that you
are," ho -cried, " is there a future bride at home, who must be
thus remembered daily ?"
" Not at all," the young man -explained. " I am writing
to my sister."
" You have a sister, then ? Tell her that you have en-
omntered an insufferable man here, but that, fortunately, lie
iji obliged to set off to-morrow for the mountains."
" What ! are you going so soon ?"
" You recognize the portrait, then ? So much the better,
write it down."
" But, my dear Herr Professor, if you would only read this
letter "
Schonrade held out his hand and looked kindly into the
frank eyes that met his own. " I don't know why it is," he
said, " but I feel sure we are not saying good-bye forever. I
believe in animal magnetism, and in the sympathetic attraction
caused by it. For the present, farewell !"
Amberger shook him cordially by the hand. lie had per-
haps been somewhat vexed by him, and had cherished a secret
wish that he might not see all of Florence in his society ; but
that was forgotten now, and something really like sadness took
possession of him as the door closed and he was left alone.
He wrote to his sister that he should probably remain " a
long time in Florence, to become entirely familiar with the
treasures of art that it contained." He did not add that in
the process he relied upon Lucia's support and assistance. In
fact, there was no allusion to her in the entire letter.
28 THE GREEN GATE.
CHAPTER III.
CouNCiLLOR-OF-CoMMERCE Wicsel, a portly, middle-aged
gentleman, with a round, smoothly-shaven face, straight, fair
hair, and a snowy-white cravat, was seated in the Moorish pa-
villion belonging to his mansion in the Thiergarten Strasse, de-
liberately eating an ice from a pretty little, pink-glass saucer.
Opposite him, by a Japanese table, in a rocking-chair, his
head thrown back, his eyes fixed upon a Chinese lantern
hanging from the ceiling, and a cigar between his thin lips, sat
a somewhat younger man, with a sallow face, in which no
amount of repose or absence of expression could obliterate the
deep wrinkles around the corners of the mouth. Ilerr Otto
Feinberg was certainly taking great pains to appear intensely
comfortable, as if, in his easy rocking-chair and suiokmg the
best cigars, nothing in the world had much power to interest
him, least of all, perhaps, the subject of which he 'was speaking.
In fact, he hardly spoke at all : merely throwing, as it were, a4fe
word or two now and then up to the ceiling, and then pausing
to note if haply it might fall near the Councillor and be caught
by him in its descent. Thus the discourse was pursued, its
subject was a new railway enterprise.
Behind them, nearer the bow-window that looked out upon
a beautiful group of palms and other tropical plants, the Coun-
cillor's wife, very much dressed, reclined upon a Turkish divan.
She had an open book in her hand, from a circulating library,
as its cover proclaimed ; but more than half of her attention
was given to a cockatoo with a yellow crest, who upon his
stand, at a little distance, was playing all kinds of antics. She
numbered, perhaps, rather nearer forty than thirty years, and
iu her youth must have been pretty. But now all freshness
THE GREEN GATE. 29
of colour had faded from her face, and her eyes had a weary
look in them, betokening either physical suffering or perpetual
ennui.
Upon the trim gravelled walk, outside in the garden, two
young girls were sauntering arm-in-arm. One might have
been a couple of years younger than the other, and both were
pretty, very pretty, although they were very unlike. The
younger, tall and slender, with a delicate oval face, resembled
the Councillor's wife ; the other was shorter, more vivacious,
with teeth like pearls, dimples in cheeks and chin, and masses
of fair hair. A tall young man, dressed after the latest fashion,
with an unimpeachable cravat and lemon-coloured gloves, was
walking with them, trying at every turn of the path to keep
his place by the side of the younger girl.
The elder talked the most. " Do you often go to the
theatre, Mr. Fairfax?" she asked.
" Not very often," he replied, with an English accent. " I
do not like the German drama."
" What is your objection to it?"
. " Oh, it is stupid. Every one is so possessed with the idea
of being natural that it grows tiresome."
" I thought the greatest praise that could be bestowed upon
an actor was to call him natural. Did not you, Lilli?"
The younger girl, whom she addressed, did not seem to
have been attending to the conversation. " Oh I " she
stammered, looking appealingly at Mr. Fairfax, as if to sum-
mon him to her aid.
" You Germans," he said, " are so ready to be pleased, to
make up for any deficiencies, to see more than is really visible.
I, for my part, when I go to the theatre, must have my atten-
tion riveted by the force and power of the acting."
They were approaching the pavilion. The lady at the
window arose and beckoned to Mr. Fairfax. The young
girls co jtinued their promenade.
3*
30 THE GREEN GATE.
"Tell me something to amuse me," the Councillor's wife
said to the young man as he entered, and she motioned him
to a seat beside her. " My book has tired me so."
"A German novel, is it not? German novels are always
very tiresome."
" We ought to have gone to some watering-place long ago,
but my husband really cannot leave his business. Would you
go with us to Wiesbaden, Mr. Fairfax?"
" I am entirely at your service, my dear madame. You kno .v
that I have nothing more nearly at heart than to become inti-
mately known to you all."
" Do you not find our dear Lilli still very much of a child ?"
" I could not desire to see her otherwise. Were her char-
acter entirely formed, I could scarcely hope to produce the
lasting impression which I now trust to be able to make upon
her pure, child-like nature."
The lady extended her hand to him. " You are not dis-
appointed, then?"
He imprinted a kiss upon it. " Should I be here now if I
were ? Let me confess that I have passively submitted to the
arrangement made long since by our respective fathers, only
because I was fully resolved that, when we met, all right of
decision should be accorded to our hearts alone."
" I was sure of it, and we too "
" I never could have denied the heart its rights ; although
at the same time I admit that, as a practical man, the union
of our two houses was anything but a matter of indifference
to me. Nothing would so insure the stability and success of
our great business undertakings ; s an alliance of this close
nature between the English and German firms."
" I never understand anything of the kind," said the lady,
casting down here yes; "but my husband agrees with you,
and he loves Lilli most fondly. What do you think of my
daughter's friend, Katrine Amberger?"
THE GREEN GATE. 31
" Oh, a very pretty, lively girl."
"Do you know I was half undecided whether to invite her
here just at this time? I was afraid she would quite throw
my Lilli into the shade."
"Surely, dear madame, you cannot be serious? Fraulein
Lilli can only be a gainer by the contrast." v
"Do you think so?"
The conversation halted here. In a few moments the Eng-
lishman began again, without any apparent connection with the
previous topic :
" Moritz Amberger seems to me rather a rash speculator.
I scarcely know the resources of his house, however. Friiu-
lein Katharina's property, I suppose, is secured to her?"
" I really do not know ; probably it is," the lady answered,
carelessly. " Herr Otto Fcinberg there a prudent man, I
am told is a suitor of hers, and her brother, I understand,
favours the alliance."
Their talk was then pursued almost in a whisper, for the
subject of it was near at hand. Herr Otto Feinberg was still
puffing forth rings of cigar-smoke, lolling back in his rocking-
chair. Quite a cloud of it had collected about the Chinese
lantern hanging from the ceiling. " There can be no doubt,
my dear Councillor," he drawled, in his affectedly indifferent
monotone, " that the projected road will in a few years be a
source of immense profit. There are so few difficulties to
overcome along the entire line, for freight-trains will inevita-
bly prefer this shorter and more convenient route to the great
business marts, and the advantage that must accrue to the
projectors .is evident." He paused an instant, and, without
altering his attitude, slightly turned his head and cast a keen
side-glance at the Councillor, who was just transferring the last
spoonful of ice from the saucer to his mouth. As no syllable
either of assent or of dissent was uttered, there was nothing for
it but the direct question, " Well, what do you say to it ? Will
32 THE GREEN GATE.
you join us ? Will you recommend it to your English asso-
ciates, and under what conditions?"
Then for the first time the Councillor appeared to take the
matter into consideration. That is to say, a wavy line made
its appearance upon his smooth forehead, and he inclined his
head slightly to one side. A minute elapsed, nevertheless,
before he decided to open his mouth, and he then remarked,
as if casually, " Is Amberger to be with you?"
Feinberg shrugged his shoulders. " I should let him sup-
pose that we could Jo without him, at least until I am quite
sure of him. Moritz is, as you know, betrothed to my niece
Sidonie, but my niece Sidonie is capricious, and my brother
Ignaz is very weak in that direction. Moritz has promised me
his influence with his sister Katharina, but then he is in great
measure dependent upon his brother Philip, and Philip is not
to be relied upon. You see, we have some need of caution ;
but if you really desire "
" My wish need not be taken into consideration at all," said
the Councillor, with a deprecatory wave of his hand. "Admira-
ble as your project is, there are two objections to it which
would have to be removed before I could hope to gain for it
the confidence of my English friends."
Feinberg sat upright in his chair. " Two objections?"
" Two objections. If the road is what it ought to be, it
must traverse the boundary-line. You will have to do with
two diiferent governments, and you will hardly reconcile their
separate interests."
Feinberg smiled. " Oh, as to that, we shall enlist several
large firms beyond our borders, who will find it for their owu
interest to use their influence for us. All that has been
thought of."
The Councillor deliberately lighted a cigar, and, smoking it
slowly for a moment, inhaled its fragrance with an air of great
content. " My dear friend," he then said, " depend upon it,
THE GREEN GATE. 33
those people will require to be well paid, and what they gain
you will lose."
" Who will lose ? The public must pay for all these un-
avoidable expenses."
" If they can be estimated beforehand. But perhaps it is
so. You have probably considered it well, and find there is
enough profit insured to make the project sufficiently attract-
ive. Will not our own government, however, give you some
trouble ?"
" Hardly. Why should it?"
" Then I am better informed than you are. It will give
you trouble. If I understand you correctly, you rely upon the
enlargement and co-occupation of the present depot."
" Of course, of course !"
" Let me inform you that your proposals on this point will
be emphatically rejected emphatically !"
Feinberg tilted his chair forward and leaned both arms upon
the table. " But for what earthly reason ?"
" What reason ? A very palpable reason, my dear fellow.
Your town was built in old Hanseatic times, when there was
more thought of defence against sudden attack than of easy
communication. Consequently, the central streets leading to
and from the railroad depot scarcely afford a passage for the
traffic of to-day, accidents, more or less grave, are continually
occurring, freight-wagons are so often blocked up that all the
exertions of the police are necessary to preserve order. Under
no circumstances will the government allow of any farther ob-
struction to traffic there."
" Oh, you exaggerate matters."
" That may be ; but I happen to know, through a confiden-
tial friend, that this view of mine is the one at present enter-
tained by the ministry. The erection of a new depot on the
other side of the town will certainly be made one condition of
your success, and then the question arises whether the site for
B*
34 THE GREEN GATE
it can be purchased, and, what is far more important, whether
such site will seem to the government sufficiently accessible
from all parts of the town, in view of the increase of traffic
which the new road should produce As far as my own
knowledge of your town goes, narrow gateways here and
there connect the central streets with the old fosse, and in
some of these streets two wagons could hardly pass each
other. Whole rows of ancient mansions would have to be
pulled down to allow of free passage-way. I doubt whether
you and your brother have thought of this."
Feinberg knocked the ashes from his cigar. " Who would
have thought of it ?' : he said, with irritation. " We must see
the burgomaster, we must the deuce !"
The Councillor arose, and pulled down his waistcoat. " At
any rate, my dear fellow," he said, composedly, " the plan is
not yet so mature that we need come to any decision. Suppose
we walk a little."
His guest also arose, and with him descended the steps into
the garden, bestowing but small attention upon the palmettos
arid large-leaved plants on either side of the path.
Meanwhile, the two girls had been engaged in what, to judge
from their air and gestures, was a very serious and interesting
conversation. Lilli was no longer so mute as in Mr. Fairfax's
presence. When he was first called away by her mother, he
was for awhile the subject of conversation. Lilli asked what
Katrine thought of him and of his conduct to her, and
Katrine replied, smiling, that his aim was easily discovered.
This seemed to terrify Lilli, who then confessed that she had
suspected him of paying her particular attention, and that she
also thought she could see that her parents favoured him.
" What do you think of him yourself?" Katrine asked.
Lilli could not say. Mr. Fairfax seemed very amiable, and
certainly was extremely handsome, but she could not bear the
idea of any previous arrangement between their parents, such
THE GREEN GATE. 35
as she suspected ; and then oh, there was something else.
Naturally, her friend begged to know what this something
was, but for some time Lilli could not be prevailed upon to
reveal its nature, glad though she evidently would have been
to disburden herself of her secret. At last she extorted a
promise of the deepest secrecy from Katrine, and then con-
fessed, blushing crimson the while, that the previous winter
she had been one of a class of young girls who had met
weekly at the houses of their several parents to enjoy the
instruction imparted in a series of lectures given by a cer-
tain distinguished Professor ; and this ^Professor he might
not be so regularly handsome as Mr. Fairfax, but he was
quite young, and so interesting had been invited to many
entertainments at which she also had been present, and had
called upon her mother; and for her he was oh, he was
the only man worth thinking of in the world ! Unfor-
tunately, several others of his youthful hearers shared her
sentiments ; some decided coolnesses had arisen among them
in consequence. Since then, to be sure, Emma Finkenstein
and Theodora Hellmann had been betrothed to two officers,
and Melinda Vanderbeeren, who was the most enthusiastic
of all, was as good as engaged to her cousin ; for her own
part, she could not understand such fickleness, her heart
was constant. Thus far she had got in her revelations, when
Katrine asked, in astonishment, " Has any promise passed
between you?"
" Heavens, no !" Lilli replied. " That would have been im-
possible. But I have vowed to myself that none but he "
She stopped, and turned away her face.
" Has he by word or sign given you to understand "
Lilli shook her head.
" Has he so distinguished you from the rest that } r ou must
believe "
" Oh, how could he ? Mamma was always by, and of
36 THE GREEN GATE.
course he talked with her. But he was very kind to me, and
often looked at me during the lecture ; he must have felt
"The matter has gone no farther, then," said Fraulein
Amberger. " Does he continue his visits?"
" He did until late in the spring, when he went on a jour-
ney somewhere. That was the time that Mr. Fairfax first
began to come every day. and it was very wrong of me, but
I had really almost forgotten the Professor as entirely as his
lectures, when "
" When ?"
" When we met him yesterday as we were out driving. He
touched his hat so kindly, it went to my very heart. Mr.
Fairfax, who sat opposite me, noticed how pale I grew, and I
really felt ill. Katrine, if he comes again and he will I
know it She pressed her friend's arm close to her side.
" But I can see nothing to distress you in such a prospect.
If he really loves you "
" Ah, that would be terrible !"
"How terrible?"
" My father and mother would never consent. Think ! a
Professor, and with no money ! If he only had rank !"
" But if you love him, Lilli "
" Yes, but how can I be sure of that ? And if I do, I
would not for the world let him know it ; and I never should
have the courage to disobey my father and mother. Oh, how
unhappy I am !"
Lilli spoke in accents of despair, and pressed Katrine's
soft little hand. Her friend was silent for awhile, and then
said, gently and gravely, " But you really do not dislike Mr.
Fairfax?"
"How could I?" asked Lilli. "But I owe it to my
heart "
" Do your heart no violence," Katrine counselled, with a
laugh, " and listen to me. If the Professor makes his appear-
THE GREEN GATE. 37
ance, I will see whether it is not worth while to fall in love
with him myself, out of pure friendship, my dear."
" It is no jesting matter," Lilli replied, with an air of gentle
reproach. The two gentlemen just then passed them ; as they
did so, the Councillor good-humouredly patted his daughter on
the cheek, and Feinberg handed to Katharina a rose-bud which
he had just plucked in no amiable mood. " Is mamma right,"
Lilli whispered, when they had pursued their opposite paths,
" in saying that Herr Feinberg makes sure of winning you ?"
Katrine waved to and fro in the air the rose-bud, which she
held by the extreme end of the stem. " Is that what ' mamma
says ? Very likely there may have been some fine business
arrangements agreed upon among the higher powers. I, how-
ever, fortunately reserve for myself "
At that moment Lilli's arm twitched her own so perceptibly
that the rose-bud fell to the ground. " What is the matter?"
she asked, in surprise, without stooping to pick it up.
" The Professor !" Lilli tremblingly whispered in her ear.
Katharina looked up. A gentleman had entered the garden,
and was just taking off his hat to the Councillor, revealing a
broad brow, a face tanned by the sun, and masses of close
black curls. " I have just returned from my Italian journey,"
he said, in a mellow, melodious voice, " and hasten to pay my
respects to you all."
Wiesel greeted him cordially, and presented him to Fein-
berg as " Professor Schonrade, one of the most distinguished
scholars of our capital, and my daughter's instructor in in
What was it that you taught her, my dear Professor? these
things slip one's memory so easily !" The Professor took no
notice of the question, but turned towards the pavilion, where
he observed the Councillor's wife. She rose, and came towards
him, and, after he had kissed her hand, presented " Mr. Fair-
fax, of the great firm of Fairfax & King, in London." The
Englishman greeted the guest rather formally, and the Pro-
4
38 THE GREEN GATE.
.fessor deigned the merchant no other notice than an easy
bow. The cockatoo grew uneasy on his perch, and lifted his
yellow crest with a shrill cry. " Aha ! there you are, old
friend !" cried the Professor, as he stepped up to the bird and
stroked down its ruffled feathers.
The two girls now ascended the pavilion steps. Schonrade
bowed to Lilli, and looked rather curiously at her fair com-
panion, who was, on her part, certainly interested to observe the
man who had turned so many heads. Two pairs of very fine
eyes gazed for an instant into each other, and were apparently
well pleased with what they saw. The Councillor's wife drew
her daughter towards her, and presented " Friiulein Katharina
Arnberger, the sister of a valued friend of my husband's, and
one of Lilli's very dear companions."
Katrine gently inclined her head and cast down her eyes,
but the Professor was evidently interested. " Amberger ?" he
asked. " Did I understand the name aright?"
The Councillor's wife assented, and to her inquiry as to what
interested him, he replied, " Oh, the strangest chance. You
have a brother Philip, Friiulein Amberger ?"
" I have. At present absent from home, in Italy."
" Yes, in Italy. Do you know, I had the pleasure of making
his acquaintance a few days ago in Florence, and even of lodg-
ing with him in the palace of my ancestors?"
Katharina laughed : " In the palace of your ancestors ?"
" Oh, it is too long a story to rehearse at present, but per-
haps at some future time It must be the fact, for Ilerr
Philip Amberger vouches for its truth, and I have the greatest
respect for his archaeological wisdom."
" He is riding his hobby in Italy, then ?" his sister observed.
" How did you leave him ?"
" Apparently in the best of health, after a whole day of
irritation at my defective comprehension of art and antiquity.
I really should not wonder if he had the entire palace where
THE GREEN GATE. 39
he now is packed up in boxes and transported across the Alps,,
together with Signer Uccello, the host, and his pretty daughter,
who is wonderfully well versed in a knowledge of the contents
of every rubbish-shop in Florence."
" Yes, he squanders an immense quantity of money that
were better employed in business with those tastes of his."
Feinberg here interposed.
Katrine gave him a withering glance. " I think Moritz's
stud more expensive than these hobbies of Philip's," she said,
carelessly.
" And there must be such queer fellows," Wiesel here
struck in, affably. " For my part, I like to buy pictures. All
modern, though : they are the only ones to hang up in our
houses. None of your old masters ; thank Heaven, there are
churches and museums enough for them. We people of to-
day want fresh, bright colours, eh, Herr Professor ?"
" I am hardly a competent judge," Schonrade replied. " You
would find my principal tastes and occupations queerer still, I.
am afraid ; since I would with pleasure pay more for the fossil
impression of some fish that was alive and swimming mil-
lions of years ago yes, even for a single fish-scale than for
your finest champagne breakfast, my dear Councillor."
Wiesel laughed good-humouredly. " You wise ones are queer
fellows," said he. " Every one to his liking, say I !"
The Professor turned to Lilli : " And you, lady fair, have
you been pursuing your researches into prehistoric times with
enthusiasm since we met?"
Lilli blushed to the roots of her hair. " To tell the truth,
Herr Professor " she stammered.
" You have not even opened the horrid book that I recom-
mended to you, and have entirely forgotten all that I had the
honour of communicating to you in my lectures," he inter-
rupted her, with a bright smile. " That is quite as it should
be. Such matters rarely do more than awaken a short-lived
40 THE GREEN GATE.
w curiosity in young ladies, and I disapprove of overloading their
memories."
" Oh, I remember a great deal," said Lilli. " Only the other
day I had a dispute with Mr. Fairfax about "
"What? a dispute?" her mother asked, playfully shaking
her finger at her.
" About chalk, and I was victorious."
" Fraulein Lilli took notes of your lectures," the English-
man added, " and swears by their correctness."
" Rather rash on her part, I think," said Katrine, with a
look at which her friend blushed still more deeply.
" Oh, no penalty attaches to scientific perjury," said the
Professor. " And really very little importance is attached to
chalk nowadays. In a short time no one will know what is
meant by the phrase to ' chalk up a score.' Such a simple
style of book-keeping will be entirely buried in oblivion."
The conversation continued merrily enough, Schonrade
taking the lead, involuntarily appealing most frequently to
Katharina Amberger. He stayed until after supper, and was
entreated by his host and hostess to repeat his visit shortly.
His promise to do so was most conscientiously kept.
Wiesel could hardly have been the cause of his visits ; Fein-
berg had left the city ; and although Mr. Fairfax, upon a nearer
acquaintance, proved to be a man of culture, rather agreeable
than otherwise to the Professor, the Councillor's wife did not for
one moment suppose him to be the attraction. Scarcely a day
passed that did not bring him, if only for a few minutes, "just
because he was passing." " I really hardly understand myself,"
he said, " why, as soon as I shut up my books and go out for
my daily walk, I am sure to find myself before long at this
house. I really cannot pass by without coining, in.' 1
" And why should you wish to pass us by, my dear Pro-
fessor ?" the lady inquired, with an encouraging smile.
" Because I ought not to be so weak as to be unable to resist
THE GREEN GATE. 41
the enchantment of this garden," he replied. " My feet are
stayed as by magic, my hand is forced to lift the latch of the
gate, and, before I know it, here I am, not even attempting to
stammer out an excuse for my presence."
" As if it needed any ! We so enjoy our evenings in your
society !" she declared, casting down her eyes. " Do we not,
Mr. Fairfax ? Am I not right, young ladies ?"
The Englishman hastened to confirm her words, Lilli grew
crimson and nodded to Katrine instead of to her mother, while
Katrine gave an odd little laugh and shot one glance from
beneath her long lashes at the Professor, who could not take
his eyes from her.
" Very well, then," he said ; " I will come until you are
really tired of me, and I trust to your friendship to tell me
when it is so."
And thus he came regularly every evening. Even the rainy
weather, which, although it was the middle of summer, set in
and lasted a week, did not delay his visits iu the least. He
himself laughed at his own punctuality, for which he did not
seem at all dependent upon his watch.
To tell the truth, the Councillor's wife was greatly inclined
to ascribe to herself that power of attraction which the Pro-
fessor had described as so magical.
She would have been virtuously indignant if her most con-
fidential friend had believed her capable of unfaithfulness to
her husband, towards whom, although she had never felt any
enthusiasm of affection, she had always, and, in her younger
days, in spite of various temptations, preserved that mixture
of respect and esteem which her relations with him required.
Surely he had good cause to be as free from jealousy or mis-
trust of her as he certainly was. It had assuredly never yet
occurred to her to cherish any actual sentiment for the inter-
esting Professor that could be in any way offensive to her hus-
band ; but in order to pass away the time that hung so heavily
4*
42 THE GREEN GATE.
on her hands, she read such a quantity of novels that her head
was filled with all sorts of sentimental nonsense, and it enter-
tained her to give her foolish fancy free play, and imagine her-
self a heroine of romance, who might have sentimental trials
if she chose. To be sure, it was rather an unpleasant reflec-
tion that, although she was still so young as not to have out-
grown those needs of the heart which her rather phlegmatic
but very worthy husband was ill fitted to satisfy, she hud
a grown-up daughter on the probable eve of marriage. Re-
clining upon her luxurious lounge, with a book in her hand
that condoned so amiably all small deviations from the right
and brought matters to a crisis so entertainingly, extricating
the heroine so deftly from her delicate distresses, it was easy
to fancy to herself many an exciting and thrilling scene, wherein
she always played the principal part, and which she could lead
to a tragic or a cheerful conclusion according to her mood of
the moment. To the Professor was assigned the part of -the
ami de la maison, concealing beneath the quiet mask of friend-
ship the most dangerous qualities. Suppose he should find
her alone here some day, and, throwing himself at her feet,
declare his passion, and then suppose that, before she had time
to recall him to himself, Wiesel, or her daughter, or even the
housemaid, should come in and surprise them. Here were
three startling contingencies. Without any fault of her own,
her husband might insult her by most unworthy suspicions,
and his jealousy once aroused might transform him to a
blood-thirsty tiger; or Lilli herself might cherish a secret
passion for the Professor, and distressing scenes would then
ensue between the mother and the daughter, in which, natu-
rally enough, Mr. Fairfax would come to play a part ; or the
housemaid, in possession 'of such a secret, might prove her
tyrant and tormentor, embittering her existence, until matters
should be made smooth once more by an open confession and
a touching scene of forgiveness. All these situations were fre-
THE GREEN GATE. 43
quent in books, why should they not exist in reality ? She did
not actually believe that they would come to pass, but the con-
templation of their possible' occurrence had for her an inex-
haustible charm. And her romance was not, after all, quite
air-spun ; there must be some reason for the Professor's con-
stant visits. It was so good of him to bestow upon her so
much of his time; why should she not be grateful, without,
of course, allowing him to perceive how much more she gave
to him ? why should her hand not tremble slightly when he
kissed it as he took leave of her ? why should not her fingers
contract in a slight pressure ? why should not her pale cheek
flush beneath his gaze, her weary eye brighten ? It was all a
device, to be sure, to relieve the tedium of her existence. So
long as he retained his attitude of respectful deference, why
should not she encourage his advances, since she could repel
them when she chose ?
It was a pity that no one was more entirely unconscious of
all her coquettish manoeuvres than Schonrade himself. The
Councillor's wife, with her languishing airs, her irritable nerves,
her idleness, and her want of culture, had never attracted him
in the least, although, of course, he was courtesy itself towards
her, indebted to her hospitality as he was. It never entered
his mind that she could attribute the duration and frequency
of his visits to her own charms, but he felt too sensibly the
value of her good will to neglect any opportunity of paying
friendly court to her, and perhaps sometimes he was even
more courteous than the occasion demanded. Wiesel himself
thought the Professor a great favourite, but he had entire
( onfidence in his better half, and was glad to profit b,y the
improvement that was evident in her daily temper of mind.
She did not talk nearly so much of her nerves or of visiting
some watering-place.
Lilli accounted after her own fashion for the Professor's
increased attentions to her mother, from whom she seemed to
44 THE GREEN GATE.
have inherited the capacity for inventing startling situations.
Every day she saw more clearly that Schb nrade had perceived
her preference, and was now doing all that he could to ingratiate
himself with her mother, that her sympathies might be enlisted
upon his side when the decisive moment should arrive. She
knew well that he could never hope for success in his suit ; but
when she trembled at this thought it was not irr the anticipa
tion of a conflict with her parents or with a sense that life was
empty without him, but with pity for the poor man of whose
misery she should be the cause. In a frank self-examination
she Avas obliged to admit that she did not really care for him.
He had impressed her greatly by his learning, his judgment,
and his manly maturity of thought, but in the familiar home-
circle his image lost the misty charm with which distance had
invested it : he was altogether too real ; he was older than she
h-act" supposed, and not nearly so handsome ; she was never at
her ease with him ; in fact, he was far better suited to be her
mother's companion than hers. She turned with relief to the
young Englishman, although he was not half so interesting.
And the poor chUd was distressed to see that the Professor
never suspected danger in Mr. Fairfax, but treated him with
all the courtesy and kindness possible, as if he were too sure
of the future to be affected by the presence of a rival. She
would have liked to warn him that his hopes were vain, if she
had only known how to begin ; at all events, she could treat
him with increasing coolness, while she was amiability itself to
the Englishman. She took it quite ill of Katharina that she
had not kept her promise. " You said," she complained, " that
}ou would make the Professor fall in love with you, that I
might be absolved from my promise to myself, and you have
done nothing, nothing at all for me, although I have told you
everything. Do you call that friendship?"
Katrine kissed her, and whispered, soothingly, " Wait awhile ;
all may yet be well. I can't help his taking no notice of me."
THE GR&EN GATE. 45
But she knew better. Schb'nrade's visits were all on the fair
Katharina's account, and he was at as great pains to convince
her privately of this as to conceal his preference for her from the
.rest of the household. Every one was so self-occupied that he
succeeded admirably. True, minutes, sometimes only seconds,
of time were all that were vouchsafed to him in which he could
approach her unobserved ; but he made the best use of them,
and, when he ventured to hope that he was understood, love
quickened his inventive faculty, and he resorted to a hundred
devices for showing her his preference unobserved by the
others. And Katrine understood him. There seemed to have
existed a mutual understanding between them from that first
evening when these two people, until then entire strangers,
had first gazed in each other's eyes.
The Professor belonged to an order of men hitherto unknown
to Katharina, and she could not but wonder to find herself so
entirely at ease in his society. At home, those composing
her social circle were chiefly her brother's business friends, or
elderly scholars, who were invited to the house upon the occa-
sion of any festivity. Now, for the first time in her life, she
had the opportunity of daily intercourse with a man still young
who belonged to the first rank of social and mental culture,
accomplished, learned, and yet evidently taking the greatest
delight in her society, scarcely more than a school-girl though
she were. He knew so much, and yet made no pretension ;
his views of life were so cheerful, and yet so profound. It
was delightful to converse with him, feeling that, so far from
looking down upon her, he enjoyed her gay replies to his own
brilliant remarks. And he did indeed enjoy them. How
musically she laughed ! and what magnificent masses of fair
hair she had ! and then her eyes !
His eyes, too ! Katrine thought them entirely different
from all other eyes in the world. They fairly spoke, and she
believed she could understand what they said. And if he
46 THE" GREEN GA TE.
handed her a flower, and their hands met for an instant, it was
something to remember all day long.
Each day brought some fresh proof of mutual understand-
ing, and each parting glance carried with it the hope of the
next meeting.
Who could wonder that the Professor found the Councillor
very agreeable, his wife very interesting, Lilli most amiable,
and even the young Englishman quite entertaining ?
One afternoon, upon presenting himself at the villa at the
usual time, he learned to his great regret, from the servant,
that the family were from home and would not return before
night. He left his regards for them, and with downcast looks
sauntered slowly through the garden towards the gate. As
he passed by a rose-bush he stopped to admire a full-blown
rose which he and Katrine had noticed for its beauty as a bud
on the previous evening. He could not resist taking it in his
hand and carrying it to his lips ; not for the sake of inhaling
its fragrance no, he kissed it, and then, as if by that act
he had made it his own, he broke it from its stem. Sud-
denly he heard a well-known voice exclaim, " Oho ! I call
that robbery ! "
He looked round, startled, and saw Katharina Amberger
in the pavilion. She was sitting at a small table, with her
writing-materials before her, and shaking her pen at him with
an air of playful menace. He could almost have shouted for
joy-
" Are you really at home ?" he cried, going directly to-
wards the pavilion.
" If you are sure this is not my ghost."
" I can hardly make up my mind upon that point yet."
" Oh, you don't believe in ghosts?"
" Don't I ? I believe with all my heart in good spirits."
" And how can you tell, Herr Professor, that a spirit is a
good spirit ?"
THE GREEN GATE. 47
" Good spirits never vanish. I simply repeat the old for-
mula, ' All good spirits praise the 1 Lord !' " He raised his
hands like Doctor Faust. " You are there still ?"
" I have not yet quite learned to fly through the air on a
broomstick."
" Then you must allow me to believe you the very best
spirit ever veiled in a mortal form. May I come in?"
She extended her arms across the space between the slender
pillars. "No ; 'twill not do. I have a headache."
He was standing on the lowest step, his hat in his hand,
and there was a look of entreaty in his fine eyes. " Ah, you
have a headache ! " he said, with compassionate credulity.
"And so I stayed at home," she continued, letting her
arms drop ; " for indeed I must write letters. Mamma ex-
pects one, and Philip "
" Oh, he can wait," lie interrupted her. " You have no
idea how shadowy one's home becomes in Italy."
" Was that your case ?"
" Oh, I had nothing to become shadowy but a mother, and
she has always been most indulgent." And he ascended
another step.
" Mothers are not always indulgent," she observed, and her
forehead contracted into a slight frown, as she rested the end
of her silver pen-holder against her chin.
" She won't mind my staying a minute."
"I'm not sure of that."
He hesitated. " May I offer you this exquisite rose ?" And
as he spoke he mounted the last step and stood beside her.
" To make me your accomplice in theft," she said, retreat-
ing to the table.
" It is the same that we admired yesterday in the bud," he
said ; " to-morrow it would have faded." And then, more
seriously, " I pray you, do not refuse this rose."
Her face, too, suddenly grew grave. She stretched out her
48 THE GREEN GATE.
hand and took the flower, saying nothing, but, with downcast
eyes fixed upon it, seeming to wait for him to take leave of
her.
He felt that he ought not to remain any longer, and yet
he could not stir from the spot. When would such another
moment be his ? Perhaps never again. Katrine alone !
Good heavens ! what mortal man could make his bow and
carry away his, heart full to overflowing from such a presence ?
Such a one would deserve to fail. This moment was his
own : he would not lose it. His heart throbbed almost pain-
fully ; he sought Katrine's eyes, but her long lashes were not
raised.
" Frilulein Katharina," he said, in a low voice, "may I ask
one question of fate ?"
" It will not answer," she replied, in as low a tone.
" You are my fate," he rejoined, with a hurried earnest-
ness that evidently startled her, " and you can answer if you
will."
He waited a moment, listening for some word from her ;
but none came, and she grew very pale. Then she slowly
raised the rose in her hand to her lips, and held it there.
He thrilled with delight. Had he not kissed it too ?
" You must know already what I would say to you," he
continued. " I love you. But the consciousness that you
know it does not content me. I must ask you
The rose in her hand trembled violently. " No, no !"
she begged, " do not ask not now not here oh, do not
ask!"
" And should I obey you, what should I carry from yoin
presence ? A restless heart. And what should I leave here ?
A restless heart. No, we must understand each other now,
now that we stand here face to face. Do not fear lest too
much happiness should cause me to forget that you are not
in your own home, that others who are to be consulted arc
THE GREEN GATE. 49
far from here. But answer me, I entreat you, as you would
answer your own heart. Can you, will you, give your happi-
ness into my keeping ?"
She clasped her hands about the flower, and, looking full in
his face with eyes in which joy and pain were strangely blended,
said, " I will."
For one instant it seemed to him that the impulse to throw
himself at her feet, to clasp her to his heart, was irresistible.
But he retained his self-control ; his eyes alone, flashing with
exultation and glowing with love, betrayed the ecstasy of hap-
piness that he felt. Thus they stood for a minute gazing into
the depths of each other's souls, and then he said, gently, " My
eyes kiss you, Katrine."
A burning blush suffused her cheeks, and she whispered,
" Go, go ! I cannot bear this. We must not meet again thus."
"No, not thus," he cried; "you are right. To-morrow
morning I shall start for your home, present myself to your
mother and brother, and ask your hand from them."
Her look grew timorous and startled. " And if they
refuse ?"
"Oh, how can they?" he interrupted her. "How could
they destroy our happiness ? With the knowledge that you
love me, I fear nothing. Surely there is no reason why I may
not woo and win you."
Katrine smiled gratefully upon him, but her look was still
troubled. " You do not know you cannot imagine how all
the habits of an ancient merchant race My father's will
gives my brothers great power over me; and my mother "
" She shall know that her child's affection is given to a man
of honour, in whom she can trust."
" But she has prejudices and opinions that you do not
dream of. She never will comprehend Oh, heavens !
how could I without first obtaining her consent "
" Do you repent, Katrine?"
50 TEE GREEN GATE.
11 No, no, no !"
" Then let us hope for the best. And if we fearlessly cling
to each other, who can separate our hearts ?"
He held out his hand to her, and she placed her own
within it. Then he turned hastily away, and, with a gay
"Au revoir" hurried down the pavilion steps and towards the
garden-gate.
Katrine looked after him. Once he turned, and their gaze
met, and then he vanished among the trees.
She wrote no letters that day.
CHAPTEK IV.
THE Professor turned into the first cross-street leading to
the Thiergarten, and pursued his way for a time, scarcely
knowing whither he was going. Suddenly he hailed a
passing droschky, and gave directions to be driven to a
house in the Charlottenstrasse. His mother lived there.
From old Hanna, who occupied a position between ser-
vant and friend, in former times she had been first chorus-
singer, and then dresser, he learned that her mistress had
gone to the theatre. " Would he not await her return ?" she
asked, opening the door into the pretty little drawing-room.
But he was too restless to spend half an hour here quietly
waiting. He would return in a little while, if it were not
too late, and he walked slowly along towards the Lindens and
the opera-house, thinking that he would wait for his mother
there.
He could hardly tell why he was so determined to see her
before he slept, but so it was. He had nothing especial to
say to her, for he could not yet tell her of what at present
THE GREEN GATE. 51
filled his heart and mind. But he could not bear to be alone,
and no one in the world was so near to him as his mother,
He reproached himself with having rather neglected her of
late, and wished to atone for such short-comings. And thus
he walked to and fro before the opera-house, waiting until the
performance should be over.
He wondered whether his mother had ordered a carriage.
He knew that she preferred driving to walking, but living in
Berl'n was expensive, and she avoided all unnecessary outlay.
The opera was, however, one of the necessities of her life,
she could economize elsewhere ; he knew that her supper
would be a frugal one, and that he could hardly hope to be
invited to share it. The noble Signora Camilla Bellarota had
some very German traits, and her son, in whose veins there
was a still larger admixture of German bloo/i, was sometimes
greatly amused by them, although he respectfully concealed
such amusement. But to-day he longed to give her some
special proof of his affection. He had no cause to resort to
philosophical reasoning, he knew instinctively that the affec
tion with which his heart was overflowing, unlike other treas
ures, increased the more it was bestowed. If there was any
loser by this new love of his, it was his mother, who had
hitherto had no rival in his heart.
He was not afraid of missing her in the crowd. She took
a child-like delight, not perhaps in striking attire, but in
bright colors, and usually wore at night a scarlet wrap, that
was easily distinguished. She was taller, too, than most
women, and treading the boards of the stage had given her
an unmistakable stateliness of carriage. Her son would have
recognized her among thousands without seeing her face. He
looked this evening for the scarlet wrap, and soon found her
whom he sought, and for whom he had selected the best of
the long row of nacres drawn up against the sidewalk.
Camilla smiled brightly as she recognized her son's noble
52 THE GREEN GATE.
figure standing hat in hand among the crowd outside of the
house, and waved her hand, in which she still held her fan
and opera-glass. He addressed her in her paternal tongue,
and offered her his arm to conduct her to the carriage. She
took it with a grace that was all her own, making no remark
upon his filial attention, to which she was indeed accustomed.
" Why did you not tell me," he asked, " that you were
going to the opera to-night? I thought that now that
our principal prime donne have gone, and the season is
over "
" But I love this opera," she interrupted him, quickly. " I
used to sing in it very often, and then I like to hear those of
our singers who, although they are not stars, have still suffi-
cient voice and culture to give great pleasure. I know from
experience how much they suffer in being deposed from the
front rank to give place to some favourite voice whose reputa-
tion may not, after all, be genuine. And the ensemble to-night
was excellent. I have been greatly entertained."
While she was speaking, he had put her into the carriage
and seated himself beside her. " You know," he said, in a tone
of gentle reproach, " that I am always at your service as an
escort, although my means, unfortunately, do not allow of my
keeping a carriage for you." She leaned lightly upon his shoul-
der, tapped his hand gently with her fan, and said, with a
laugh, " All in good time. You have been fairly buried in
your books since your return. Confess, now, that you are glad
not to have me interrupt you."
If there had been light enough in the carriage, Camilla
would have seen him blush ; and the jolting of the vehicle
accounted for the stammer with which he muttered some ex-
cuse for the infrequency of his visits. His conscience pricked
him, and he could hardly understand such a state of affairs ;
a few short weeks previously he would have affirmed that there
could be no secrets between his mother and himself, on his
THE GREEN GATE. 53
side. Surely what had thus changed him was most incompre-
hensible.
The carriage stopped. The Professor handed his mother
out, and she took his hand as if in farewell. " When will you
come again?" she asked.
He thought he know why she was so ready to dismiss him,
but determined to pay no heed. " Haven't you a little time
for me now ?" he inquired. " You cannot sleep immediately
after the opera."
" Certainly, certainly," she said ; " but if you have had no
supper " touching upon the point she would have avoided
if possible.
" Oh, I have had quite enough," he hastened to assure her,
and with perfect truth, although his food had not been of the
" meat that perisheth."
" At this season of the year I take nothing after the theatre
but a glass of lemonade and a biscuit," she remarked, thus
making all due explanation of her frugal meal.
As they went up-stairs, she gave orders to have the two large
lamps in the little drawing-room lighted. The Professor listened
with a smile ; he knew how his mother liked to have her room
brilliantly lighted for her guests, and that he was the most hon-
oured among them. She herself lighted the candles upon the
piano, and, sitting down for an instant, ran her fingers lightly
over the keys in a reminiscence of the opera she had just heard.
As we know, the Professor really had nothing of importance
to say to his mother ; he only wanted to be with her for awhile
And so he leaned comfortably back in an arm-chair, smoking,
by special permission, a cigarette, while Camilla sat upon a
lounge, preparing her lemonade. They talked easily and gayly
upon all manner of indifferent subjects. The still beautiful
woman, with masses of black, slightly waving hair, and large,
fine eyes, was an adept in this kind of conversation, which her
stage career had given her abundant opportunity of cultivating.
54 THE GREEN GATE.
The Professor could have no better relaxation after a day of
hard work than in listening to her gay talk. She seemed to
wear her heart upon her sleeve, but it was no easy task to dis-
cover its depths.
He was more absent-minded than was his wont, and, like an
unskilful steersman, allowed the conversation to drift too near
what he wished to avoid. After his return from Italy he had
told her of his meeting with a young man in Florence who
had " discovered the palace of his ancestors," without, however,
mentioning Philip's name, then a matter of indifference to him.
Now he referred to the story again, and she reminded him that
he had told her all about it.
" But to my surprise," he said, " there is a sequel to it. I
met at Councillor Wiesel's, the other day, a young girl, a sister
of Philip Amberger's."
" Amberger ?" she repeated, in a tone of inquiry.
"Does the name interest you?" he asked, pleased that she
should pursue the subject.
" I knew a family of that name," she said, with some hesita-
tion, "buHt is long since."
He mentioned the town to which they belonged, and she
nodded thoughtfully, without replying. " A very charming
young person," he remarked, and then was vexed with himself
for saying anything so commonplace about Katharina Amber-
ger. Camilla replied merely by an indifferent " Indeed ?" and
then changed the subject of conversation.
Again he steered his craft in among the shoals. He was
thinking, he observed, of taking another journey. This in-
terested her, and she asked whither he was going and how long
he should be gone. He named the town where Katharina
lived, and, to divert any suspicion of the real purport of his
journey, laid great stress upon the fact that it had always
been a member of the Hanseatic League, and must certainly
contain many interesting relics and architectural curiosities
THE GREEN GATE. 55
from those old times, well worthy of study. Then, just as
he directed towards her what was intended for an indifferent
glance, he saw that she had grown very pale and was looking
at him anxiously.
"How came you to think of that?" she stammered. All
cheerfulness had vanished from her face, which wore a hard,
stern expression.
" I told you " he replied ; and, without venturing to
repeat his former pretext, broke off", and said, " It seems to
affect you strangely."
She hastily assented. " It does, it certainly does. Do not
go there, my son."
" But why not? Do you know the town ?"
Her dark eyes suddenly glistened with tears. She arose and
went to her writing-table, and took from it a little bronze easel
upon which was a picture in a medallion-frame, at which she
looked for a moment and then returned it to its place. The
Professor let his cigar go out and regarded her with amazement.
" The name of this town seems to awaken recollections that
agitate you," he began, after awhile. "Will you tell me "
" No, no!" she cried, resuming her seat; "it is nothing!"
"Nothing, mother?"
" It has long been nothing, and never shall be anything
again. Only this, your grandfather, Carlo Bellarota, died
there."
" There ?"
"In the public hospital, poor and homeless. He, great
singer that he was ! I have talked with those who heard him
in his best days ; they spoke of him with enthusiasm. And,
only a few years before his death, he had had a perfect ovation
in that very town ; laurel-wreaths were thrown upon the stage
at his feet. And when he lost his voice, his sole possession,
what was he ? A beggar, left to die in a hospital. He, of
so ancient a race ! Was it not enough that he was forced to
56 THE GREEN GATE.
leave hfe country and seek his fortune as a wandering exile ?
How hard to see his wife die in giving me birth, and to leave
me with no means of support ! In those days there were none
of these premiums, these benefits, that enrich even mediocre
talent ; and he so hated mediocrity. He was a singer by the
grace of Grod and of art. Oh, his like would be hard to find !
And so he died poor. But that among all those who had feted
and caressed him not one was found to hold it an honour to offer
the poor broken man an asylum in his house, not one, not
even that Amberger who prided himself upon never missing an
opera, is an insult that I never can forget, Xaver, that I
never will forget, and that you never should forget when you
enter the gate of that town whose best-born citizens are such
sordid tradesmen."
" Were, mother, were," he corrected her. " You are
speaking of more than forty years ago. Everything is
changed since then. And you were a child, with no judg-
ment; you could not know "
" But I could see, I could see," she said, coming to his side
and raising her clear voice. " Did I not see him lying in his
rough cofiin, my father, Carlo ? And when, years afterwards,
I wished to erect a cross upon his grave, did I not have to
search for it among the resting-places of the nameless dead ?
Even the one who But do not say a word in excuse
of such miserable neglect, those who live there now are of
the same race."
The signora's cheeks glowed, her dark eyes flashed: she
raised her right hand in menace; there was perhaps some-
thing theatric in her air and manner, but they were, neverthe-
less, full of grace and dignity. Her passionate outbreak did not
surprise the Professor, who well knew her filial reverence for
her father's memory, and who had often heard her indulge in
similar complaints. She usually, however, studiously avoided
mentioning names, and he thus learned now for the first time
THE GREEN GATE. 57
the name of the town where Carlo Bellarota had ended hia
career. Here, then, was where his mother's early youth had
been passed. Had the Amberger family any associations with
that past of hers ? It terrified him to hear her utter the name
of Katrine's father or grandfather.
He made no reply, but sat, with downcast eyes, sunk in his
own thoughts, as Camilla walked to and fro in an agitated
manner in the apartment, finally seating herself, and drinking
her glass of lemonade. The more he thought, the more un-
likely did it seem to him that her aversion to the place spoken
of was the simple result of the unmerited neglect that her
father had experienced there. She must be thinking of ex-
periences of her own ; all that she had hitherto carefully con-
cealed from him must now be present to her thoughts. What
was it ? And could it have any possible influence upon his
own wishes and hopes ?
After a few minutes he felt her hand upon his arm. " Do
not go there," she said, calmly and gently; "give up this''
journey, Xaver !"
He bent over and kissed her hand. " Carlo Bellarota sleeps
as peacefully beneath the green sod as under a marble monu-
ment," he replied, gravely. " His best memorial is in his
child's heart. Why, you yourself, think of the thousands
whom you have enchanted by your voice ! And do you
look for any reward from them ? Must I hate the thankless
public that has forgotten you ? The tide^of life obliterates
us all. Let us submit with composure."
" It is not only that," she said, as if speaking to herself and
not for his ear, " it is not only that : I have other reasons
for wishing you not to go near that place."
" And these other reasons, will you tell me what they are,
mother ?"
She compressed her lips, and thoughtfully leaned her chin
upon her hand. "No," she said, at last, sternly; " no, Xaver,
c*
58 THE GREEN GATE.
I vowed I would be silent, and I will be silent. You never
shall learn what I suffered before I became what you have
always known me, the singer, Camilla Bellarota. You will
not love your mother the less, I hope ?"
He gave her a loving smile. " You know me well," he
said. " I have always respected your secret, and it is sacred
to me now. Let me ask you one question only, mother, and
answer it with a simple yes or no. That Amberger of whom
you spoke, have you any cause of complaint against him or
his family in reference to your affairs?"
She shook her head. " Neither against him nor against
any one else."
" Then I shall go to-morrow," he said, rising. " I too
have good reasons for acting as I do, and I beg you to trust
me without any explanation on my part."
Camilla sighed sadly, but made no farther attempt to in-
duce him to resign his purpose ; she seemed convinced that
it would be fruitless. The conversation was not renewed again,
the Professor only remarking, as he took his leave, "No one
will suspect Professor Schonrade of being the son of the
prima donna Camilla Bellarota."
" No one there would know the singer Camilla Bellarota,"
she said, shaking her head, as she dismissed her son with a kiss.
The Professor did not go home immediately. The day had
been a most important one, marking a turning-point in his
life. Fair as the road which he had hitherto travelled lay
behind him, he could not borrow from retrospect any cer-
tainty as to the path upon which he had now entered. He
knew his mother's passionate temperament, and that she often
ascribed undue weight to unimportant matters when they
affected her personally ; yet he could not but feel that he had
just stirred within her memories relating to the gravest and
most important interests of her life, and, perhaps, of his own.
For the first time, the veil in which she had so carefully
THE GREEN GATE. 59
shrouded the ten years ensuing upon her father's death irri-
tated him. During that time he had been born. Now he no
longer belonged solely to himself ; others would have a right
to inquire into circumstances and antecedents that were a mys-
tery to him. What could have happened ? what accidental
discoveries might prove obstacles to his hopes and wishes ?
He began to regret that he had not made his mother his con-
fidante. Perhaps his confidence would have begotten confi-
dence on her part. But it was too late now : affairs must take
their course.
CHAPTER V.
EARLY the. next morning Schb'nrade left Berlin upon his
proposed expedition.
The nearer he drew to his journey's end, the more restless and
uneasy he became ; and indeed he had cause for wonderment
in the changed aspect of his life and of himself. He had
reached the age of thirty without having been once seriously
attracted by any woman ; he had been given over entirely to
scientific studies, and had gradually come to believe that men
of his stamp were never destined to be bound in rosy chains.
And suddenly he had fallen blindly in love, like some boy cf
twenty, with a charming child of eighteen, and was captive
to a pair of beautiful eyes, to masses of fair hair, and to
roguish dimples in cheek and chin. He had known nothing
but that she enchanted him, he, a professor who had writ-
ten and published thick books upon the most abstruse subjects,
and who believed he had left all youthful follies far behind
him. He had seemed to himself older than he really was, because
he had achieved results that usually belong to older years,
and because so many of his colleagues were gray-haired men :
60 THE GREEN GATE.
but he had suddenly awakened to the consciousness that he
was a young man, with the best right in the world to be only
a young man ; and he was confused and dismayed by the dis-
covery. He had not been without a certain self-esteem, it
certainly was not vanity, the consequence of his conscious-
ness that he was widely known and valued. But his latest
triumph had been achieved entirely without the assistance of
his scientific attainments, nor could they have any share in
making this triumph a practical gain to him. It was certainly
embarrassing to present himself among people who had most
probably never heard either of him or of his investigations,
and from whom he wished to demand a treasure which they
had carefully guarded, and which they apparently desired to
intrust to far other hands. Like Philip Amberger, he looked
constantly out of the window, not to admire the country, how-
ever, but to divert his troubled thoughts.
He laughed to himself as he followed on foot into the town
the porter who took his small trunk in charge. It would
hardly have been thought that his errand was the wooing of
a wealthy merchant's daughter.
The porter, who evidently knew not what to make of him,
asked, " To what hotel ?" and received, somewhat to his as-
tonishment, the reply, " To the best, of course." He then
turned into a street lined with stately old mansions, " Lange
Strasse," as the signs at the corners proclaimed. Towards the
middle of it it widened to a little market-place, on one side
of which stood the Rathhaus, a curious old building, with deep
arcades on the ground-floor, irregular gothic windows, and
a huge pointed roof. A fountain built of piles of hewn stones,
surmounted by a gigantic Neptune, was but scantily supplied
with water ; several slender streams trickling through metal
pipes, peeping out here and there, into the empty basin. The
opposite building, also very ancient, was, as the porter ex-
plained, the Arsenal. But there were no longer any cannon
THE GREEN GATE. 61
there, he added, as in " olden times ;" the lower rooms
were occupied as a market, and the upper story as a museum.
Not far beyond this little square a large building of modern
construction stood, conspicuous among its gabled brethren,
the " Hotel Europa," the man said, " and the best in the
town, mein Herr."
Again our Professor laughed to himself, as he refused to
be directed to an upper story by the host, but took possession
of two apartments on the first floor, where " he could receive
visits without a blush," and where he soon completed his
toilette standing before the long mirror in its faded gilt frame.
He judged it best to proceed immediately to pay the important
visit that was the purpose of his journey.
He was conscious of a kind of desperate inclination to make
a jest of the whole affair, and, when the servant came in answer
to his bell, gravely asked whether he did not look like a mil-
lionaire, enjoying the fellow's embarrassed glance at his small
trunk, reposing upon the stand that had evidently been in-
tended for a nobler freight. The man was reassured, how-
ever, by his inquiry as to where the Messrs. Amberger re-
sided. " The Messrs. Amberger ?" he repeated, with a bow,
hurrying to the window and opening the shutters wide. " You
cannot possibly miss the way, sir. If you will kindly look
from this window, that is the way to their house, one of
the oldest in the town, built in old Hanseatic times. Very
wealthy they are, although "
" Although ?"
" Oh, the Messrs. Amberger are the very first people in the
place, but they do say that most of their money was made
by old Peter Amberger, grandfather of the present gentleman
and a very different man. He had a great deal to do with
grain ; he built many storehouses, and supplied quantities of
lading-vessels for foreign traffic. The present gentlemen have
nearly entirely given up that business ; they are bankers,
6
62 THE GREEN GATE.
Herr Moritz is, I mean, for Herr Philip Amberger cares
nothing for any business, and Frau Barbara Amberger doesn't
count."
" "Why doesn't Frau Barbara count ?"
" Oh, so they say. Yes, whenever she is mentioned, they
say, ' She doesn't count,' although "
"Another although?"
" She is stout and strong enough, it would not be easy to
thrust her aside, when she drives out in her landau she takes
up all the back seat."
"And the house, the house, my good fellow?"
" Oh, yes. You go up the 'Lange Strasse' to the turn, and
then to the left through the Bremer Grate, and you will see
upon the hill the old Cathedral with the big and little tower ;
there, just by the hill, is the Amberger mansion."
" By the hill ? That is why they are called Ambergcr*
then ?"
The man looked completely puzzled. " Oh, 'tis their family
name, sir."
The Professor hurried away in the best of humours, his
courage quite restored.
The Amberger mansion had not escaped restoration. Plate-
glass windows had been inserted in the side looking towards
the street, and the massive old stone portico had been provided
with a flight of steps far too ornamental and airy for its solid
proportions, while an accumulation of scaffolding and ladders
in a narrow side-street indicated that the front, weather-
stained and gray with age, was to be renovated. Schonrade
was no great enthusiast for architectural antiquities, but as
he looked up at the venerable building he shook his head and
muttered, " A pity ! a pity !"
The thought occurred to him that Philip's absence was
* " Am Berge," the German for " by the hill."
THE GREEN GATE. 63
taken advantage of in a way that would not prepare for him
a very joyful return. As he ascended the steps, he learned
by the signs on either hand that the Messrs. Amberger were
agents and general agents for all sorts of insurance companies
and grand lotteries, directors also of a steamboat company, and
negotiators of bills of exchange.
The lower story of the house seemed to be entirely ap-
propria.ed to business purposes. Although it was quite late
in the afternoon, men were hurrying hither and thither, and
the chink of money was heard uninterruptedly from the rooms
on either side of the great hall. One of the doors standing
open revealed a long row of desks, at which clerks were busily
writing.
He had no bills to exchange, no insurance to purchase.
For a moment he thought of buying a lottery-ticket that
would be sure to win if his love were unsuccessful ; but this
was but a grim jest, and he ascended the staircase to the second
story, where were the dwelling-rooms of the family. A servant
in livery took his card from him, and, ushering him into a
drawing-room, assured him that madame would receive him
immediately.
Self-possessed as he usually was, his heart beat a little faster
than was its wont. Everything about him produced the im-
pression of solid and ancient wealth, the English carpets, the
heavy curtains, the pictures on the walls, the ponderous chan-
deliers, all of the costliest and best. " You are no better than
a beggar in the estimation of these people," he said to him.
self two or three times.
A servant drew aside the portiere, and Frau Barbara Am-
berger appeared upon the threshold, short and stout, unmis-
takably like her daughter, although not so much of a blonde.
Her thick black silk fitted her plump figure without a wrinkle,
a small cap of fine lace rested lightly upon her gray hair, a
heavy gold chain was passed several times around her neck
64 THE GREEN GATE.
and shoulders, and the fingers of her small white hands were
covered with rings. She cast a searching glance at the Pro-
fessor, who was standing in the middle of the room, and who
involuntarily bowed unusually low. Perhaps she suspected a
commonplace petitioner in him, for she did not immediately
ask him to sit down, but inquired, with an air of cold dignity,
" Is your business with me, sir, or with my son ? In the
latter case, his rooms are on the lower story."
" I have requested the honour of an interview with yourself,
madame," he answered, advancing a step and bowing again.
" I arrived only an hour ago from Berlin, and hastened
hither."
This threw no light for the lady of the mansion upon the
object of his coming. She scanned him afresh, and said,
slowly, " Herr Professor Schonrade, your card says, I believe."
" Professor Schonrade, madame. I must pray you to ex-
cuse "
" Not at all, not at all," she interrupted him ; " I am quite
at your service. Something with regard to lectures, I sup-
pose. The present season, to be sure "
" I have no intention of making any such demand upon
your patience, madame," he observed, with a smile ; " but pray
accept my thanks for your readiness to render me assistance,
an assistance of which I stand greatly in need in another
direction; and in the first place let me give you the latest
news from your daughter, whose acquaintance I have had the
great pleasure of making at Councillor Wiesel's."
" Ah, my daughter ! Indeed ?" exclaimed Frau Amberger,
and a gleam like April sunshine passed across her face. " But
pray sit down, Herr Professor. Oh, yes, yes, at Councillor
Wiesel's. Katrine is there on a visit, learning something of
life in a large city. My son has had business relations with
that house a very solid and excellent one for a long time,
and the girls became acquainted with each other at Wiesbaden
THE GREEN GATE. 65
last summer. At their age friendships ripen fast. Lilli, to
be sure, is a little younger, but very well brought up, well
taught, perhaps a trifle too learned. But her mother likes
that. Were you her tutor ?"
There was a change in these last words from the easy con-
versational tone of the first sentences, and they were -accom-
panied by a look that said plainly that the speaker was still
puzzled with regard to her visitor's presence, the object of
which she should be glad to learn.
The Professor understood the look perfectly. " I have
never occupied a position as tutor, madame," he said, with a
gentle shake of the head, "but as soon as the doctorate was
accorded to my rather youthful ambition, I betook myself to
travel, in pursuance of the practical part of my studies. I
then gave private instruction at one of our universities, and
a year ago I was called to Berlin to occupy the chair of Pro-
fessor of Natural Science."
It seemed strange enough to him to be thus declaring his
title and dignities to an entire stranger, but he apprehended
the necessity of establishing his position before proceeding
farther. His information did not entirely fail to produce the
desired impression, but it was too meagre to satisfy Frau Am-
berger's desire for enlightenment. She felt that she must still
treat him with a certain prudent reserve, the needful gauge for
his importance being yet wanting. The mention of his travels
was some satisfaction ; no one could travel without means ; he
must have some private fortune. This, therefore, was the topic
to pursue, and she inquired what countries he had visited.
Schonrade was not very well pleased to find the conversation
thus diverted from Katharina, but he could do no less than
f llow Frau Amberger's lead. " I have, in following the path
of sulphur, madame," he said, " devoted myself principally to
volcanic regions. The most remote points of my expeditious
have been Iceland and Mexico. My work upon extinct craters
6*
66 THE GREEN GATE.
has found favour with men of science, but it can scarcely recom-
mend itself as a favourite in a lady's drawing-room."
Frau Barbara Amberger cleared her throat slightly, " dallied
with her golden chain," and looked up at him in some embar-
rassment. After awhile she observed, " A few days ago I
read something about volcanoes in an illustrated magazine 5
perhaps you wrote that? It was very amusing."
The Professor regretted that his publications could scarcely
be called amusing, and mentioned that he had, during the pre-
vious winter, given a short course of popular lectures in the
circle of which Frau Wiesel and her daughter were members.
" Then I was not entirely wrong in regarding you as Lilli's
instructor," the lady declared, with a self-satisfied air.
" Oh, I assure you I am very proud of my lady pupils," he
replied, gallantly.
A pause ensued in the conversation. Frau Amberger had
exhausted her inquiries, and seemed to think that the visit had
lasted long enough. The Professor was pondering the con-
tinuance of his campaign. He was forced to admit that he
had, as yet, made no approach to the fortress. As he did not
rise to take leave, she remarked, in a meditative tone, " It is a
pity that my son Philip is not at home ; he is thought some-
thing of a scholar, and he could have shown you his curious
collections."
Here was a topic of mutual interest. Schonrade told of his
accidental meeting with Philip in Florence, and was listened
to with interest.
" He must have been greatly pleased with Florence," said
his mother. " He stayed there several weeks, and now writes
us from Rome that he shall go no farther south, but probably
return thither for a second visit."
The Professor smiled diplomatically. " He has made the
acquaintance in Florence," he observed, " of a young person
who is quite an authority upon those matters of art in which
THE GREEN GATE. 67
he is so much interested, but whether she can be transported
across the Alps, like one of his favourite Etruscan vases, is, of
course, doubtful as yet."
Either she did not, or did not choose to, understand his jest.
" He is a dear, good fellow," she said, " but entirely spoiled for
business. My late husband might have yielded to his wishes,
and allowed him to study as he pleased ; he will hardly be
forced to play the schoolmaster for his living."
This last observation so plainly indicated her own point of
view, that her guest began to doubt whether he should be
thought quite right in his mind if he touched upon his own
aspirations, and he could not regret that the visit was here
interrupted by the entrance of a young man whom he rightly
divined to be the chief of the house of Amberger. Frau
Barbara presented the two men to each other, and the Pro-
fessor rose to go.
Moritz was very unlike his brother in appearance. He had
a round, smooth face, quick, lively eyes, carefully-parted hair,
and altogether the air of a man who was no stranger to the
joys of good living. He held a little riding-stick in one hand,
and had a trick of inserting the thumb of the other in the
armhole of his waistcoat and drumming upon his chest with
his fingers. As he spoke, there was now and then a slight
contraction of his left eyelid, which seemed to say, " Listen,
and you will learn something worth hearing." Perhaps this
habit had been acquired in his counting-room in his character
of man of business. He announced that he had taken advan-
tage of the fine weather to arrange an expedition for the
afternoon with the Feinbergs. He and Sidonie were to ride
with a couple of young officers, and he had ordered the carnage
for Madame Feinberg and her husband and brother-in-law.
But if Frau Barbara, as he hoped, would join them, Otto
Feinberg should be her escort. They were to go out to
Seehausen and take supper. Orders had been sent out, and
68 THE GREEN GATE.
they would have excellent fish ; the wiiie he meant to supply
from his own cellar.
" I am surprised to hear of it first at this late date," said
his mother, with some pique. " Why did you not tell me of
it at dinner?"
He kissed her hand. " Because I only heard of it myself a
little while ago. This morning a sail in our new boat had been
decided upon, but at dinner Sidonie laid a wager with Herr
von Otten that her mare would leap like a bird a ditch which
his brown gelding refused yesterday, and it must be decided.
You know that when Sidonie once gets an idea into her
head "
She sighed. " Yes, yes, she often gets such ideas into her
head. You ought to get them out again, Moritz."
He looked at her in amazement. " I ?" he asked, and it
sounded as if he thought himself the last to be able to effect
such a change. His mother went on, without heeding his ex-
clamation, in a tone of disapproval : " What a wager ! Sidonie
will break an arm or a leg some day in these wild rides of hers.
And then to race with an officer for a wager !"
" I shall be with her, mother," he reminded her.
She shook her head. " It does not please me. I saw you
from the window the other day you rode meekly behind her
like her groom."
" Only in your eyes, mother," he said, tossing his head. "It
would be ridiculous for me to be always close at her elbow.
May I order your phaeton ? They thought it odd at the Fein-
bergs' the other day that you so often pleaded an engage-
ment."
" They thought it odd ?" she asked, stiffly. " I should sup-
pose that Madame Feinberg knew " Moritz stopped her
by a glance towards their guest.
The Professor now took leave, Moritz having taken but small
notice of him, seeming quite absorbed by the proposed expe-
THE GREEN GATE. 69
dition. Frau Barbara thanked him for his visit, but made no
inquiries as to the length of his stay in town. A longer delay
was impossible; even before he clearly appreciated that he
had not advanced one step towards his aim, he found himself
descending the steps. The great hall-door was closed and
secured behind him with iron bolts ; just such a door seemed
to close between himself and all that he hoped to attain.
As he walked slowly along the street, he had never seemed
to himself so stupid, so devoid of expedient. Pie would have
liked to take the next train for Berlin, but how could he face
his Katrine ? He must await some fortunate chance which
might bring him into closer association with her family ; some-
thing must happen, something should happen. But how to
dispose of his time until the next day in this strange place,
without books or occupation of any kind ?
The assiduous waiter made civil inquiries as to whether he
had found the house, and it suddenly occurred to the Professor
to ask, why he knew not, how far it was to Seehausen.
" About a mile, or a mile and a half," the man replied. " A
delightful road, impossible to miss it, through the Kramer-
gate and the Neustadt and the English garden, by the broad
alley, to the ferry ; then along the right side of the river,
through a fine forest of firs, to a small lake. Beyond it lies
Castle Seehausen, belonging to one of our princes, he comes
there to hunt now and then ; to the left is the mill, and the
miller keeps the inn ; very well kept it is too, our first
people patronize it. Shall I order a carriage for you, sir?"
" Is it too far to walk ?"
"No, not too far," the man replied, "but it is more con-
venient "
A sudden thought occurred to the Professor. " Can you let
me have a riding-horse, my man ?"
" A riding-horse ? That, sir, you will find at the livery-
stable."
70 THE GREEN GATE.
" Get me a good riding-horse, and you shall be well paid,
but it must be a good one, remember, and at the door in
half an hour."
The man looked rather puzzled, but bowed, and vanished
obediently.
Twenty minutes afterwards, a groom was walking a power-
ful gray horse to and fro before the door of the hotel, awaiting
the Professor's pleasure.
Schonrade was a practised rider, his seat was excellent, his
horsemanship perfect, and as he rode through the town many
a passer-by turned to look, wondering who the graceful stranger
might be. He rode by the Amberger mansion, and said to
himself, as he saw a phaeton waiting before it, " Frau Barbara
is going, then." After a rapid trot to the English garden, he
let his horse walk slowly along the shady alley, thinking it
likely that the riding-party would overtake him.
And so it turned out. In a few moments he heard behind
him the noise of horses' feet ; he did not turn his head, but
calmly pursued his way, and soon four horses' heads appeared
side by side. Nearest to him rode an officer, then a young
lady in a blue riding-habit, then another officer, and lastly a
gentleman in civilian's dress. They gradually distanced the
Professor, who did not increase his horse's speed, and in passing
each honoured him with a scrutinizing glance, followed, on the
part of the gentleman in civilian's dress, by a slight bow, and
a lifting of his hat. Moritz Amberger recognized him, and
apparently thought him much more worthy of notice on horse-
back than as a guest in his mother's drawing-room. Schon-
rade could see that the others addressed some inquiry to him,
to which he laughingly replied. A hundred steps further on,
the fair rider turned her head and inspected both steed and
horseman, after which she gave her mare the spur, and the
gentlemen followed fast behind her.
By the ferry the road turned aside into the forest. As soon
THE GREEN GATE. 71
as the riders were hidden by the trees, Schonrade permitted his
steed more liberty. Through the winding wood-path he rode,
among high fir-trees and scanty brushwood, until the forest
opened upon an extensive marshy meadow traversed by deep
and broad draining-ditches. The principal ditch cut the road
at right angles, and was bridged across. Near this bridge, in
the middle of the meadow, the riders had halted. Moritz
Amberger's horse stood parallel with the bridge, its master
was evidently to enact the part of spectator. One of the offi-
cers retreated to the border of the forest, then, turning, rode
back and put his horse at the ditch, but it refused the leap.
The other officer made a like attempt, with equal ill success.
At this moment the young lady observed the Professor, and,
seeming to think it a favourable time for displaying her prow-
ess, gathered up her bridle, backed her mare, whose delicate
hoofs sank deep in the marshy ground, and then suddenly
struck her sharply with the whip and gave utterance to the
peculiar cry with which the amazons of the circus encourage
their steeds. The mare reared, and the saddle-girth snapped;
then she planted her forefeet upon the bank of the ditch,
evidently not liking the water, and, as her rider continued to
ply her with the whip, reared again wildly, and the saddle
began to turn. The fair rider's hat, with its floating blue
veil, threatened to fall off her high hair ; she put up her
hand to keep it on, and lost her stirrup. Fortunately, she
retained sufficient presence of mind to clasp the neck of her
mare, that turned and rushed wildly through the meadow
towards a recent clearing, thickly strewn with stumps half
hidden in tall ferns. The young merchant and the two officers
galloped after her, but their pursuit only terrified still more
the already frightened animal.
Schonrade appreciated the danger instantly, and lost no time
in averting it. He motioned to her pursuers to fall back, and,
directing his course to that part of the field whither the mare
7 THE GREEN GATE.
was rushing, met her there, rode neck and neck with her for
a few minutes, during which time he gathered up the hang-
ing bridle, and successfully assisted the rider to regain her seat,
and to soothe her mare, who was soon reduced to order and
brought to a pause.
" I thank you, sir," said Sidonie, arranging her hat upon
her dishevelled locks, with aifected composure. " There was
no danger, indeed, but the situation might have become dis-
agreeable, and I thank you." Then she patted her mare's
neck, and regarded the Professor with a look that was half
curiosity, half approval. " I still insist that my mare can
easily take the ditch," she continued, " but the other horses
refused it, and a bad example is catching. But you know
nothing of our wager. Here comes Herr von Otten most
gallantly. Do not exult too soon, Herr von Otten, you are
not yet out of the woods. You shall see with your own eyes
that I am right."
Moritz Amberger held out his hand to her. " Thank God, 1 '
he said, " you are safe ! I was in terror for you. You never
ought to "
She laughed loudly. " What was there to be afraid of?
The mare would soon have come to her senses, and if the
worst had come to the worst 1 could have thrown myself off.
It is all the fault of my groom, who did not. see to her girth
carefully enough. I think it can yet be made all right."
She turned and beckoned to a man who was tending some
cattle on the border of the forest.
Meanwhile, Schonrade had made acquaintance with the
officers. The second was presented to him as a Herr von
Oschersdorf. He declared that the livery-stable Almansor
was hardly to be recognized under his present rider. " Why,
really," exclaimed Herr von Otten, slightly through his nose,
" I did not know him at all. He is still a fine creature.
Where in the world did you get such an excellent seat?"
THE GREEN GATE. 73
Schbnrade's face was perfectly impassive. " I have ridden
a great deal in Mexico," he quietly remarked, " where one
does not hire horses from a livery-stable." Involuntarily the
hands of the two officers sought their caps, as if for a mili-
tary salute, and Amberger regarded his new acquaintance with
more respect.
In the mean time the herdsman had approached, and by
Sidonie's directions, which she gave without getting off her
mare, the girth was arranged so as to serve its purpose for
the present. While he was busy with it, she talked with
the gentlemen, perfectly at her ease, accepting and lighting a
cigarette which Herr von Otten offered her.
"All the women smoke in Mexico, I believe?" she said,
addressing herself to Schijnrade.
" The bad practice of smoking is almost universal there,"
he replied.
" But you smoke yourself, Herr Professor," she remarked,
in some surprise at his temerity.
" That gives me the right to criticise the habit," he rejoined,
courteously.
The herdsman's task was ended. Sidonie threw him a piece
qf money, and turned her mare off to the meadow again.
" What are you going to do, Sidonie ?" Amberger ex-
claimed.
"To try the ditch again, of course," she replied, with great
composure. He rode up to her and whispered a few words in
her ear. " Don't trouble yourself," she replied, aloud. " I
know perfectly well what to do, and what not to do."
" But, Sidonie, I pray "
She gave her mare the spur. " Better not pray at all,
Moritz ; my mind is made up. There is the bridge, built on
purpose for those who are afraid to leap the ditch."
" Give it up, Fraulein Sidonie! give it up!" both the offi-
cers called out to her ; " the bank on either side of the ditch is
D 7
74 THE GREEN GATE.
too soft." She paid them no heed, but continued to urge on
her mare, who tossed her head wildly at every fresh stroke of
the whip.
" Your horses are both young, gentlemen," observed the
Professor, following the lady ; " you can. do nothing by at-
tempting to force them. They break, and refuse the ditch
because they are unaccustomed to leaping, but they will readily
follow when they see there is no danger. My respectable Al-
mansor, although he is no longer one of the strongest upon
his forefeet, will make a very fair bell-wether. Let them fol-
low him : there is not the slightest danger." As he spoke the
words he passed Sidonie, touched his horse lightly with the
spur, and cleared the ditch with perfect ease. Sidonie fol-
lowed close upon his heels, and the two officers immediately
after her. Amberger's steed still refused to leap, and he
crossed by the bridge, whereat his betrothed railed loudly.
" Herr von Otten admits that I have won my wager," she
added. " It would as certainly have been won if the Herr
Professor had waited a moment longer ; do you not think so,
gentlemen ?' ' What could the gentlemen do but assent eagerly ?
Amberger was vexed at his failure, and declared that he should
sell his horse and buy an animal that could be trusted.
" I'll lay another wager, Moritz," Sidonie called out to him,
" that if you change horses with the Herr Professor you will
immediately find out that Almansor is too weak in the knees
to make that leap, but that your horse can take it easily.
Every horse has as much courage as its rider, and no more."
The young merchant showed no inclination to accept this
wager. " Rather a bold assertion," he muttered, in a tone of
irritation, and then fell silent. When, soon after, the equip-
ages arrived, he devoted himself to Madame Feinberg, who
appeared en grande toilette beside her husband, a little man
almost buried in a huge coat.
Naturally enough, Professor Schb'urade was one of the party.
THE GREEN GATE. 75
Sidonie, in especial, appeared to take great pleasure in his
society, retaining him by her side, keeping up a steady con-
versation with him, and asking him all sorts of questions with
regard to himself. The officers hovered around her, being
only now and then allowed to pick up some crumb of her
favour. Of her betrothed she took not the slightest notice.
When they arrived at the mill, romantically situated by the
lake, Moritz dismounted and helped the ladies to descend from
their vehicles. Madame Feinberg and Frau Barbara Amberger
greeted each other with great formality. Ilerr Ignaz Fein--
berg, small, round-shouldered, with a sly face, little twinkling
gray eyes, and a wide, thin-lipped mouth, walked to and fro,
with his hands in his coat-pockets. Otto Feinberg offered his
arm to Frau Amberger, and conducted her to a seat by a table
beneath a huge linden-tree. She greeted the Professor after
her own measured fashion, manifesting no surprise at finding
him one of the party.
The fat miller, who was also inn-keeper at Seehausen,
showed great respect for his guests. He was all servility and
desire to please. Several bottles of wine were produced from
the boxes of the carriages, and ice was required to cool them.
It was brought in a bucket, the host kmenting the while that,
although he had ordered a wine-cooler some months previously,
it had not yet arrived. " No matter," cried Herr von Otten,
" rustic fashions are good fashions. Eh, madame ?"
Madame Feinberg, to whom his remark was addressed, an
elderly lady with remarkably fine teeth, tossed back over her
shoulder the curl that hung from her huge chignon, and
remarked, in a soft, lisping tone, " I do indeed love pure un-
adulterated nature." Frau Amberger smiled to herself, she
had already taken her knitting out of a pretty little work-
basket, and to Herr von Oschersdorf : s sprightly entreaty that
this "divine evening might not be profaned by labour," simply
replied that she " greatly disliked being idle."
76 THE GHEEN GATE.
Moritz Amberger, who seemed to have forgotten his irrita-
tion, and to wish to make others forget it, paid great attention to
his betrothed, without eliciting from her much notice in return.
She had thrown herself negligently into an arm-chair, in which
some carriage-cushions had first been placed, and now drank
glass after glass of wine, jesting meanwhile with the two offi-
cers, whose replies were not always of the choicest. It seemed
to annoy her that the Professor confined his attentions to Fran
Amberger and paid not the slightest homage to herself; she
mingled in the conversation whenever she could, and tried to
attract his notice. Frau Feinberg regarded her daughter with
great admiration across the table, now and then exclaiming
to Herr von Otto, behind her hand, but quite audibly, " Isn't
she charming? Isn't she lovely and brilliant to-day ?" He
was lavish in his praises ; but Frau Amberger, to whom her
remarks were addressed on her other side, did not assent so
enthusiastically, but gravely continued to knit. Herr Ignaz
Feinberg found the evening to be growing much cooler,
and the air from the lake almost too fresh, in view of which
he had his paletot brought him from the carriage. In one of
its pockets he found a newspaper, and he was soon buried in
the prices of stocks.
The sun was setting. Part of the forest was in shadow,
but the red roof and the high white chimneys of Castle Sce-
hausen glowed in the parting light. Schbnrade called attention
to the beautiful sight. " Ah, heavens, what nature !" cried
Frau Feinberg, with enthusiasm, waving her hand in its straw-
colored glove towards the horizon. Her husband's eyes never
left his paper. Herr von Oschersdorf obligingly thought the
sky, and particularly the " ensemble," magnificent, while Herr
von Otten emptied a glass to the departing sun, with a wish
that " no sadder tear might fall upon its disappearance."
Sidonie suddenly grew sentimental. " When the last sun-
Bet comes " she sighed.
THE GREEN GATE. 77
1 You have no cause for any foreboding, Fraulein Sidonie,"
th-j Professor reassured her. "As long as our earth turns
upon its axis we shall enjoy our beautiful sunrises and sunsets,
the sunsets at least, for I fear that few of this honourable
company appreciate the beauty of a sunrise."
Sidonie leaned her head upon her hand and looked with an
air of melancholy at the speaker. " You jest," she said ; "but
why should not all this splendour fall to decay in a single
tight? Would it be an impossibility?"
" Oh, not at all," Schbnrade rejoined, with great gravity.
' May not this earth be neither more nor less than a huge
bombshell filled with all sorts of stones and having a mine of ful-
minating matter in its centre ? The volcanoes may be nothing
more than the fuse, as Herr von Oschersdorf can explain
to you far better than I, they are filled with combustible
material, *\nd their fire is fanned by the outer air. Let it
once communicate with the centre, and instead of our beau-
tiful earth a hundred little planets will go careering around
the sun, to the wonder of astronomers in Jupiter."
" Don't joke so horribly," said Madame Feinberg. " All
that would be so very unnatural."
Sidonie arose, and observed, with great unction, " This hour,
at least, is ours to enjoy !" She walked to the shore of the lake
and untied the miller's boat from its mooring. The gentlemen
looked after her curiously, and immediately followed her.
She would probably have been allowed to do as she pleased
had not just at this moment the inn-door opened and various
servants appeared bearing smoking dishes, the preparations
for a good supper being at length completed. Moritz Ambcr-
ger remonstrated with her. " Do you wish to go upon the lake
now, Sidonie?" he asked. " The air is quite cool, and the mists
are rising. You have no shawl. Do not leave the party thus."
She drew the. boat by its loosened chain up on the sandy
shore. " I do not require that you should accompany me,"
7*
78 THE GREEN GATE.
she replied, composedly ; " do not come if you dislike the
mists, which are the chief charm to me of a sail in the cool
twilight. My nature craves such refreshment, but that im-
poses no obligations upon you."
Moritz went up to her side and tried to take the chain from
her, saying, in a low tone, " You know how my mother dis-
approves of such extravagances. Pay her, I beg of you, the
respect I have a right "
" Do not spoil the evening for me, Moritz," she interrupted
him, as, laying her hand on his shoulder, she sprang into the
boat.
" But, Friiulein Sidonie," exclaimed Herr von Otten, with
a degree of excitement that was comical, " I pray you look,
see what a splendid fish they have just put upon the table !"
" And Herr Otto Feinberg says there is a wonderfully fine
dish of asparagus to come," added Herr von Oschersdorf ;
" magnifique, he tells me." He smacked his lips. " Can we
leave all these delights to row about the lake in that gray
mist, while the dishes grow cold and the wine grows warm ?
Another time, another time, Friiulein Sidonie."
Sidonie took up an oar and leaned upon it. " What is to
hinder you, gentlemen," she called out to them, "from re-
signing yourselves entirely to the pleasures of the table ? I
propose for once to live upon air. Herr Professor, is your
nature so gross that you prefer fish and asparagus to a lovely
row on the lake? Pray do it no violence on my account."
She prepared to push off from the shore, but did not imme-
diately succeed in doing so.
" I am the only unaccredited guest at that Lucullan ban-
quet," said Schonrade, " and I have not yet ordered my own
supper."
"Oh," Moritz Amberger interrupted him, "surely you
cannot need a formal invitation ? Of course you are our
guest."
THE GREEN GATE. 79
"A little exercise, then, will season the feast,'' said the
Professor, offering him his hand. " Return to the table ; I
will bring you back your lady fair safe and sound. We can-
not let her go entirely alone," he added, in a low tone.
Amberger hesitated. " I am willing to go," he muttered ;
but the Professor was already in the boat, and had pushed
off from the shore.
' Pray hand me the oar, Friiulein Feinberg," he said, hold-
ing out his hand for it.
" No, no ! I will row myself," she exclaimed ; " it is my
great delight. I thank you for coming with me. Pray be
quite at your ease, light a cigar, and take no trouble. Is it
not an entertaining change to be rowed about by a lady, instead
of having to play the courtier? Thank Heaven, neither Herr
von Otten nor Von Oschersdorf came : they would have made
such a fuss aboiit having the oars, very likely nearly capsized
the boat. There would have been no danger for me, however :
I swim very well."
" You swim, too ?"
" Oh, yes. I am an only child, and have been allowed to
learn everything I wished to. Where shall we row ?"
" Towards the middle of the lake, I think, so that they may
keep us in view from beneath the linden."
" For that very reason I should prefer to sail behind that
projecting cape of forest. I do not like to be observed."
" But Herr Amberger will be anxious about you."
" Oh, Moritz ? He must learn to accustom himself to that,
or we shall never get along together."
Schonrade perfectly agreed with her, but, of course, made
no reply.
He leaned over the side of the boat and let his hand dip
into the water, making a little furrow in its mirror-like surface.
Sidonie rested upon her oars and looked at him.
" Is there a moon to-night?" she asked.
80 THE GREEN GATE.
" Too late for us to see it, Friiulein Feinberg."
"Why?"
" If I do not mistake, it does not rise before eleven."
" Let the rest go home without us ; we can find the way to
town alone."
The words were quietly spoken, but they startled Schonrade.
He could not regard them as the na'ive remark of a young girl
ready to rave about moonlight, and careless of propriety. He
already suspected her sentimentality. " You are floating in-
shore, Fraulein Feinberg," he said, grasping a handful of
rushes.
She looked hastily over her shoulder. " True !" she ex-
claimed. " I kept too much to the right."
One or two vigorous strokes of her oar brought the light
skiff into clear water again. The wooded point lay just before
them, the trees rising as it were out of their mirrored present-
ments in the clear lake, and sharply defined against the crimson-
and-yellow horizon. A cricket chirped faintly, and the croak
of a distant frog came from the depths of the forest. Sidonie
rowed around the point ; the mill and the spreading linden
vanished : the castle alone was visible on the left, shrouded
in mist. The lake expanded, and was bounded in the distance
by a flat meadow, above which blue ghost-like vapours were
hovering. Large-leaved water-plants floated upon the water,
lifted dripping now and then upon their long stems by the
stroke of the oar. Yellow water-lilies waved to and fro in the
furrow left in the wake of the boat. Profound peace reigned
everywhere in nature ; it was an evening to awaken memories
of the happiest hours of one's life.
The Professor gazed down upon his hand, still idly toying
with the water. " What are you thinking of so earnestly ?"
asked Sidonie. He was thinking of Katrine, but he did not
say so.
Sidonie urged the boat under the drooping boughs of the
THE CREEN GATE. 81
overhanging trees, and then, letting it drift whither it would
rested upon her oars, leaning her head upon her hand. "What
do you think of those people ?" she asked, after awhile.
" What people, Friiulein Feinberg?"
" Oh, those people ! my father, my mother, my betrothed,
my future mother-in-law, my uncle, my aunt, no, my aunt
is not with us to-day, but those two Von what d'ye-
call-em's ?"
He laughed. "You surely cannot expect an answer?" he
said, throwing away his cigar.
" No answer is an answer," she replied, in a low tone, as if
half to herself, " as when just now I asked you of what you
were thinking."
" I think them all very amiable," he said, evasively, dis-
agreeably impressed by her tone and manner.
" Of course," she rejoined, " very amiable. But, constituted
as you are, you could live an eternity with them without being
attracted by them. Am I not right ?"
" I have so slight an acquaintance with them."
" My father is a man of wealth, which he began to accu-
mulate by stopping the peasants as they passed his door and
buying their grain of them before they took -it to market.
My mother takes four ' Journaux des Modes,' and is always a
day in advance of Paris. My mamma-in-law plays the part
of a worthy patrician dame excellently well ; she does not
consider me her equal by birth, and expects me to regard her
son Moritz's choice of me for a wife as a great honour. Uncle
Otto is a thorough merchant ; he foresees every variation in the
stock-market, and when stocks fall he would see his best friend
ruined without lifting a finger to help him. Moritz
" Pray tell me, Friiulein Feinberg, how I have deserved
such confidence on your part," Schonrade here hastily inter-
rupted her, excessively annoyed at the turn the conversation
had taken.
D*
82 THE GREEN GATE.
" Moritz is a good fellow," she continued, without heeding
his words, " but I am not sure that good fellows wear very
well as companions for life "
" He is your betrothed "
" True, that happens to be so. But it might happen to
be otherwise : it all depends upon me, upon what might be
called my whim. Very sad, is it not, that so much should
depend upon a girl's whim? I should like not to be mis-
understood by you. Sometimes I would claim the right not
to be judged by their standard. Do you think this pre-
sumption ?"
" Fraulein Feinberg "
" Be honest. I can bear blame if it comes from a strong,
upright nature. Our acquaintance, it is true, is but a few
hours old "
" That is unquestionably true."
" But I am surely not mistaken in you. You are a man !
I recognized in the first moment that I saw you "
He leaned over, took up the oars, and urged the boat away
from the trees out into the open lake. Sidonie laid her hand
upon his and prevented his making another stroke. " Oh,
don't !" she said ; " it destroys the entire illusion. It is as
if you wished to drown my words with the noise of your oars.
Are you too proud to hear praise, that is indeed no flattery,
from the lips of a young girl ?"
" Neither flattery nor praise," he said, gravely ; " on the
contrary, I consider it an insult to call. a man manly or a
woman feminine."
Sidonie seemed to feel the sting his words were meant to
convey. She drew back her hand, and was silent for awhile ;
then she said, speaking slowly and without manifesting any
irritation, " And yet we poor creatures must either expose our-
selves to the blame of being unfeminiue or die of ennui."
"You exaggerate !" he exclaimed.
THE GREEN GATE. 83
She shook her head decidedly. " I do not exaggerate. The
ideal woman is best developed in the hard school of necessity,
in sordid circumstances, in the grasp of an iron will. The
virtue most highly prized in her is entire submission. But
now suppose a life fostered in luxury from earliest childhood,
a want of all stern training, a longing for freedom, a feeling
of self-reliance, and a need of a field of action ; then consider
the pitiable inferiority of those who claim a right to rule that
life, and what choice is left save a slavish submission to what
is despised, or a defiant breaking asunder of the trammels that
would bar approach to all for which there is a true affinity ?"
" What that is the whim of the hour must decide," ho
interpolated.
" Not when it really attracts."
" And when does it really attract?"
" When it fetters us."
" Nothing is capable of always fettering a human being,
save duty. Every pleasure palls."
" The right to be happy is born with us."
" That requires proof, but it may be so. The duty to make
others happy is none the less born with us."
" We can only make those happy who choose that we should
make them so."
" Or rather, who possess the capacity to be made happy
by us."
" Then mistakes are unavoidable ?"
" Most assuredly, Fraulein Feinberg."
" And when discovered to be such, what remains for us ?
Resignation ?"
" For gentle natures."
" Or repentance ?"
" For religious temperaments."
" And if one's nature is not gentle, nor one's temperament
religious what then ?"
84 THE GREEN GATE.
Schi5nrade continued to row gently. " I am no doctor of
souls, Fraulein Feinberg," he said, evasively ; " and appar-
ently you are not in need of any such."
She sighed. " Let me assist your Professorship. There
then remains for us life. It is ours with all its needs and im-
perfections, and also with all its chance delights and pleasures."
" And we can play with it until we shatter it," he concluded.
A loud halloo resounded from the shore. The boat had
been seen and hailed by the gentlemen. Schonrade rowed
hastily towards them, without any opposition from Sidonie.
She sat leaning her head upon her hand, gazing into the
thickening mist, through which the outlines of the wooded
points showed like the landscape of a dream. As she left
the boat, she took the Professor's hand and lightly pressed it,
as if by way of thanks. To the many inquiries of the two
officers, her replies, when she answered at all, were short and
monosyllabic.
Frau Barbara Amberger had already driven home : she had
entirely disapproved of the row on the lake. This had annoyed
Moritz at first, but his easy good humour soon asserted itself.
He was rather relieved by the absence of his mother, who, he
well knew, regarded with no favour his relations with Sidonie,
and, indeed, his entire connection with the Feinbergs. He
had long ago given up all attempt to shape his conduct accord-
ing to her wishes, conscious that, should he do so, his engage-
ment to Sidonie would not last a day; and now that she was
not present to watch him, it was far easier to receive his be-
trothed with amiability and conduct her to her place beneath
the linden.
To the surprise of all present, Sidonie expressed a desire to
return to town in the carriage. Her mother tenderly trusted
that her excursion on the water had not been too much for
her, and her father observed, with his own peculiar grace,
that " it was deuced folly to go floating about on that swamp
THE GREEN GATE. 85
in the fog." The young lady, however, assured them that she
felt perfectly well and strong, only she did not care to ride
again at present. She whispered in her mother's ear, " Ask
Professor Schonrade to visit us; he is delightful." And
Madame Feinberg was but too well accustomed to obeying such
directions from her spoiled darling.
Moritz Amberger uncorked the last bottle of champagne,
and insisted upon the Professor's drinking a glass. He seemed
to wish to prove to his betrothed that her trip upon the water
had not aroused his jealousy, but that he knew how to value
a man of Schonrade's stamp. He had drunk considerably,
and was jovial and talkative. At last he offered to resign
his horse to Otto Feinberg, and to ride Sidonie's mare back
to town " lady-fashion," as he called it. The jest was greatly
relished by the two officers, and measures were taken for carry-
ing it out immediately. Moritz tied a large plaid about his
waist for a riding-skirt, and fastened a handkerchief to his hat
for a veil, insisting upon being put into the saddle by Herr
von Oschersdorf, who, accordingly, held his stirrup. Sidonie,
to whom he waved his hand as he rode off, shrugged her
shoulders, but could not help laughing. She seemed tired of
playing the languishing fair one, and perhaps regretted having
asked for a scat in the carriage.
Schonrade conducted the ladies to the vehicle, and, on the
way, Madame Feinberg asked him how long a stay he intended
to make in the town, and if she might learn the nature of the
business that had brought him hither. He replied that his
stay would last but a few days, and then went into some long
explanation about a desire to see all the antiquities of the
place, and a hope of investigating a new species of infusoria in
its waters ; by which ingenious fraud he succeeded partly in
convincing himself, but produced small effect upon Madame
Feinberg, who exclaimed, as he helped her into the carriage,
" My dear Herr Professor, if you wish to see the curiosities
8
86 THE GREEN GATE.
of the town, you must not miss our house. It is one of the
oldest patrician mansions. My husband spent a great deal of
money in buying and rebuilding it a few years ago. It over-
looks the ancient fosse, and the garden-wall is partly com-
posed of the old wall around the town. Oh, you must see it !
Heavens ! on the lower terrace you see nature, pure nature, on
every side !" He promised to pay his respects to them, if the
ladies would allow him. Sidonie followed her mother, and
added, " Pray come, we have nothing in the world to do."
Ignaz was already comfortably ensconced in the back seat, and
gave the coachman a nod to drive off, muttering, by way of
excuse, " The horses will not stand any longer." " We shall
see you soon?" his wife screamed, putting her head out of the
window as they drove off.
Schonrade mounted his horse, and would have been glad to
have no company but his own thoughts, but it scarcely seemed
courteous to take so sudden a leave, and perhaps an acquaint-
ance with the Feinbergs might further his views. So he put
spurs to his steed and was soon by the side of the carriage.
Here, in spite of the noise of the wheels, the ladies man-
aged to keep up a running fire of conversation with him, and
shortly afterwards, when the horsemen were overtaken, the
arriage was quite surrounded by riders. Moritz's lady-like
demeanour was loudly applauded by Madame Feinberg, but
Sidonie ordered him to stay behind in the English garden
until they were out of sight, since she did not choose to be
made ridiculous on entering the town. He meekly did as he
was bidden.
Upon their arrival at the Feinbergs', a servant darted for-
ward to open the carriage-door. " Are you engaged to dine
anywhere to-morrow ?" Madame Feinberg asked the Professor.
He replied that he had no engagement, and received a press-
ing invitation to a family dinner. " And no formal nonsense,"
Sidonie added.
THE GREEN GATE. 87
Schb'nrade rode slowly through the dimly-lighted streets.
He did not know his way, and never thought of finding it
through the rows of houses with pointed gables, above which
the pale moonlight was beginning to gleam. He was buried
in thought, and was recalled to himself by his steed, which
stopped before a large gate and neighed loudly.
A groom made his appearance, and it was manifest that the
horse had wisely chosen to go directly to his own stable since
affairs were intrusted to his guidance. It made very little
difference ; the hotel was close at hand, and the Professor
walked home. And these, then, were the people with whom
he had to do ; he felt very little attraction for any of them.
Frau Barbara Amberger inspired him with a certain respect,
but she was the most unapproachable of all. He pitied Mo-
ritz as one pities a man whom, nevertheless, he feels no call to
assist. He was entirely unlike his brother Philip. As for
Katrine, his Katrine, with her quick intelligence and un-
affected gayety, he could not imagine her in this circle. He
determined not to judge her people, however, until he had
observed them more closely. The Feinbergs were easier to
understand. Sidonie alone was something of a problem. He
could not be quite sure whether she was only a frivolous co-
quette, with an affectation of singularity, or whether she had
pome depth of nature and was only spoiled or misunderstood,
as she herself declared. Whence her sudden confidences ?
What did she mean by singling him out so decidedly ? Was
it a custom with her to conduct herself thus with every new
acquaintance, or was he specially honoured ? Her self-asser-
tion, her caprices, her treatment of Moritz, disgusted him: he
did not even think her pretty or attractive ; and yet when he
remembered the sail on the lake he could not but admit that
he felt a certain temptation to try his influence upon such a wild
and unrestrained nature. He could never have the slightest
inclination to do more, now that his choice for life was made.
THE GREEN GATE.
CHAPTER VI.
AFTER a rather restless night, the Professor determined to
make no further delay in declaring his hopes to the mother
of his love, and accordingly presented himself at an early hour
in her drawing-room.
" You returned home yesterday so early and unexpectedly,"
he began, after the first formal greetings, " that I had no op-
portunity to bid you ' good-evening.' I hope indisposition was
not the cause of your departure."
" You can hardly have missed an old woman," she said,
shaking her head, " while you were in such interesting
society."
" I did, greatly," he insisted. " Let me confess that I went
to Seehausen solely on your account."
She looked at him incredulously. " Then you should not
have been persuaded to sail on the lake," she said, " in the
mist and darkness with a young lady." She tried to say it
jestingly, but her irritation against Sidonie was manifest in
spite of herself.
" I could not allow Friiulein Feinberg to go alone upon the
water," he said ; " and as the other gentlemen were ready for
supper "
" Oh, Friiulein Feinberg would have changed her mind in
five minutes," she interrupted him, not without evident an-
noyance ; " I know the fleeting nature of her fancies."
" But if you did not approve of her sailing, why not have
told the young lady ?"
She sighed. "There are things," she said, "to which we
must resign ourselves. Sidonie is very independent, and my
son no longer owns my rule. Young people of the present
THE GREEN GATE. 89
day do very much as they please, and my opinions I was
very strictly brought up would be thought old-fashioned."
" But in this case," he said, bowing, " you may be perfectly
assured that I am not a man to "
" Oh, pardon me," the matron interrupted him. " I should
rejoice to think you had made a conquest there, did I not
know But why speak of the matter at all ? Sidonie is
betrothed to my son, and will soon be his wife. She will bring
life into this old house; it has already put on a new dress,
which will greatly surprise my son Philip. Well, it is large
enough ; my rooms in it are mine by my husband's will, and
there is space enough in them for Katharina until she
Let us say no more about it."
" My dear Frau Amberger," he replied, moving his chair
closer to hers, so that she looked up in surprise, " it is of her
that I beg to be allowed to speak. What I have to say lies
nearer my heart than anything else in the world. I pray you
to listen to me."
" How am I to understand you, Herr Professor?" she asked,
in some embarrassment.
He looked her full in the face. " You spoke just now of
Katharina, and of a time when she would no longer need your
protection. Suppose that time were already come- "
" How, sir?"
" You must hear me, madame. I have learned to know
and to love Katharina Amberger during her stay in Berlin ; I
have asked her if she can love me, and she has answered
' yes.' In coming here, I had no other aim than to present
myself to you and pray you for your consent. Do not, do not
refuse to give it to me !"
Frau Barbara Amberger sat in her cushioned chair like an
image of stone, her lips slightly parted, her eyes riveted upon
the Professor, who to k her hand and carried it to his lips.
" But how can this be ?" she asked, after a pause, express-
8*
90 THE GREEN GATE.
ing her astonishment in the words that first suggested them-
selves. *
"Indeed, it would be hard to say," he answered, imme-
diately, infinitely relieved and quite ready to treat the matter
gaily. " A philosopher would find it difficult to invent a
formula to explain it ; but it is a truth, and must be treated
as such. I love your daughter, and am convinced that she
loves me. These are facts that no consent given or withheld
can affect. But it depends upon others whether our love prove
fortunate or the reverse, and therefore I entreat your blessing."
Frau Barbara drew away her hand. " But Katharina has
never in any of her letters "
" How could she reveal a secret which she was guarding
closely even from herself? I declared myself only the day
before my departure. I left her, promising to come hither
immediately, madame, to ask her at your hands."
She wrung her hands uneasily, looked down, and seemed to
reflect.
" Does any one know of this ? Do the Wiesels know ?"
she asked.
" How should they ? They were not at home, and I have
not seen them since."
" They do not even know, then, that you came hither?"
"No."
She breathed more freely. " Thank Heaven I Herr Pro-
fessor, I require your promise that no one no one else shall
learn what you have just told me. Indeed, you owe me this
consideration."
Schonrade bowed in assent. " I, too, think that a betrothal
should first be made public through the mother of the be-
trothed."
Frau Amberger moved uneasily in her chair. " You speak
of betrothal, Herr Professor," she said, with some hesitation,
" but matters have not yet gone so far by a great deal.
THE GREEN GATE. 91
Katharina has acted very thoughtlessly, very. I cannot see
how such a tete-a-tete could have taken place while she was
under the Wiesels' roof. I allowed Katharina to go there
because I thought that until her brother Moritz was mar-
ried to Sidonie she would be safer there than here from all
undesirable influences, and now I learn that my daughter has
entered into secret relations with an entire stranger, that she
has had a tete-a-tete conversation with him, and has even
shown so little consideration for her mother as to give utter-
ance to words which you, sir, consider yourself justified in
understanding as an avowal of affection. Herr Professor, all
this confuses and astounds me."
He waited calmly until she had finished ; his expression
plainly showing how powerless was her disapproval. " Ma-
dame," he now said, gently, " I give you my word of
honour that nothing has happened that could in any way
compromise your daughter's maidenly dignity in the eyes of
the strictest parent, unless, indeed, it be a crime to love
me. My declaration was entirely unforeseen by her. I took
her by surprise, and in an unguarded moment obtained from
her the confession of her affection. Whatever reproach you
may think I deserve, madame, Fraulein Katharina and her
friends are blameless."
Frau Amberger shook her head. " Our views upon the
subject are entirely different, Herr Professor," she replied.
" In the circle whose customs and opinions you share, it may
be considered correct for a young man and a young girl to
engage themselves, if they please, to each other, and then to
ask the consent of their parents, who probably have nothing
else to give. But in this ancient commercial town, you must
know, certain good old customs, that accord but ill with
modern ideas, are handed down from generation to generation,
There are here patrician families, who have, it is true, lost
many of their old municipal privileges, but who still retain
92 THE GREEN GATE.
their solid wealth and their pride, and with whom marriages
are contracted after a different fashion from any prevailing
among the common bourgeoisie. Among the oldest of these
patrician families the Ambergers and the Vorbringers, of
whom I am one, belong. I have suffered great pain from
my son Moritz's connection with a plebeian family. Fein-
berg is a parvenu, who had no weight on 'Change as long as
my father lived, but his wealth gives him a certain position
now, and Sidonie is his only child ; but my daughter is my
charge, and the disposal of her hand belongs to me and to her
brothers, whom my husband's will endowed with full rights in
the matter. These are my views with regard to Katharina."
She sat upright and looked haughtily down at the Professor,
whose gloomy gaze was bent upon the ground. " I could not
have believed that such prejudices prevailed anywhere except
in certain narrow aristocratic circles," he replied, after a pause.
" Let me ask, in my turn, How can this be ? How can it be
in these advanced times, in which in reality men are divided
only into two classes, the cultivated and the uncultivated ?
Ask your heart, madame, if you can answer it to yourself to
sacrifice your daughter's happiness to such idols, and then give
me your final decision."
Frau Barbara Amberger compressed her lips and regarded
him sternly. " You confidently assert, sir, that my daughter's
happiness consists in a union with yourself. I do not know
upon what you ground this assertion."
" Upon my honest conviction," he replied. " I know that
I love Katharina unspeakably, and that she loves me. All
else is of minor importance."
" Not to me," she hastily rejoined. " How easily we are
mistaken in our own sentiments ! how soon we yield to a fleet-
ing inclination ! An inexperienced girl, a forward lover,
an unguarded moment, and the happiness of an eternity is
arranged : a happiness that is shivered like glass at the first
THE GREEN GATE. 93
shock. Your conviction, sir, is no warranty for me. I do not
know you, I do not know your family : I heard your name yes-
terday for the first time ; I do not even know whether I could
prudently intrust Katharina's property to your keeping, not
to speak of herself. I love my only daughter too dearly to
dispose of her so recklessly."
Schb'nrade smiled sadly. " How shall I explain to you,
madame, who and what I am ? I foresaw the necessity of
such an explanation, and yet I am unprepared to make it. A
man who has been called to fill a chair in a renowned German
university, where he is regarded with respect by all ranks of
society in our capital, a man who has expended considerable
sums in 'foreign travel to fit him for the duties of his career,
a man who has given to the world the results of his scientific
attainments in a work which has passed through three editions
in a few years and has been approved by competent critics, I
do not know how to characterize this man who now sues for
your daughter's hand, if this does not suffice. Surely you
need no further assurance that I am able suitably to support
even a portionless wife."
The matron reflected. " All this procures you the respect
of your associates," she said, more gently, and somewhat
mournfully. " But in an old merchant family "
"It should do no less," he interrupted her. "There is a
patrician rank in science, and princes should not scorn to ally
themselves with it."
These proud words impressed her. She cast down her eyes,
and drew her golden chain slowly through her fingers. " You
must not think it strange," she said, " that I am cautious
where I am ignorant. You have an office : so much I under-
stand. Now, in our family we have always attached great im-
portance to entire independence. In old times, an Ambergcr
frequently occupied the position of burgomaster, the family
was always represented in the Senate, some of my ancestors
94 THE GREEN GATE.
served as captains of vessels and of land-troops in the wars of
the period ; but such offices were always held simply as posts of
honour ; they were and they remained nicrchanjts. From the
time when the civil government was intrusted to hired officials,
no Amberger and no Yorbringer could be induced to fill an
office. You see, there are offices, and offices, Herr Professor."
" The difference lies least of all, I should say, in whether
labour for the common weal receive remuneration or not. If
any post may be termed a post of honour, it is, I should think,
that of teacher in a great university."
She changed the subject. " Have you any family ?" she
asked.
" My mother is still living. Before her retirement she was
greatly esteemed as an artist."
Frau Barbara started in horror : " An artist !"
"An opera-singer, madame. The name of Camilla Bella-
rota is perhaps not entirely unknown to you."
" Camilla Bellarota, I seem to have heard the name, in
my youth it must have been. Yes, yes, there was a story
I forget. Your mother, then, was an opera-singer indeed !
And your father?"
Schonrade saw all the ground he had gained slipping from
beneath his feet. " I never knew my father," he replied,
somewhat embarrassed ; " he must have died quite young."
" Indeed ! died ?" she said, coldly. " He was an Italian ?"
The Professor really had not the courage to tell all the truth.
" Probably," he said. " He was certainly a gentleman, or my
mother would not have married him. But "why speak of these
things ? I am what I am."
" True, true," she remarked, absently and indifferently.
The conversation began to oppress him. He arose, and said,
" May I dare to hope, madame?"
The lady arose at the same time, and stood still, leaning one
hand upon the back of her chair arid the other upon u table.
THE GREEN GATE. 95
. " I will be honest with you, my dear Herr Professor," she
said, " that you may not deceive yourself. Judging from the
conversation which we have just had, I cannot approve my
daughter's choice, and I shall do all that I can to turn her
thoughts into other channels. But this ought to give you no
offence, for, in the first place, I act upon principles that are far
older than your suit, and, in the second place, I know you too
slightly to allow any question of your personal worth to influ-
ence me. I believe that Katharina is mistaken, and that she
would be far from happy in those circles to which a Professor
and a man of science would introduce her. This I must be-
lieve until I am convinced of the contrary. In conclusion, my
right is more that of refusal than of consent. My husband
was very anxious that the inherited and acquired property of
the family should be kept together. He therefore arranged in
his will that nothing of importance, either of a business nature
or otherwise, should take place without the consent of his sons,
two men widely differing in nature and temperament. Al-
though Philip leaves the business, perhaps, too entirely in his
brother's hands, I must, in such an important event as Kath-
arina's marriage, appeal to their decision if she should oppose
my wishes. Her fortune will then remain in trust with her
brothers. Wait until Philip returns from Italy, and make your
request of my son Moritz in the mean while. The rest must
be left to the future."
The Professor had listened calmly. " Madame," he said,
frankly, " I thank you for your candour. If I had only my-
self to think of, I should say, ' When I learned to love Kath-
arina Amberger, I had no idea that she was an heiress, and it
is a matter of perfect indifference to me whether she possesses
a penny or not. Were she a poor girl, she is still the only
woman in the world whom I would marry, and if she pos-
sesses a fortune, not a groschen should ever be used for my
household that I did not earn myself.' But I cannot be thus
96 THE GREEN GATE.
egotistical. It would be a grief to me to cause discord between
the girl whom I love and her family, or to leave her dependent
upon brothers who blamed her. I shall, therefore, while I do
not swerve from the troth I have plighted, do all that I can to
preserve family peace and harmony. This, niadame, will be my
plan of action."
He approached her and kissed her hand. For the first time,
a gleam of kindliness softened her expression. " That is
spoken like a man of honour," she said, gently, and slightly
pressed his hand. He turned to go. " One more thing," she
called after him : " I trust you will refrain from disturbing
Katharina's peace of mind, and will not seek the continuance
of a relation with her which has not received the sanction of
her nearest relatives."
Schonrade stood proudly erect. " She shall know," he re-
plied, " that under all circumstances I shall love her as dearly
as it is possible for one human being to love another. For the
rest, madame, be assured I shall conduct myself towards her
like a man of honour."
Her face grew dark again. He bowed once more, and left
the house. As he did so, involuntarily the thought occurred
to him, " When, and with what emotions, shall I cross this
threshold again?"
CHAPTER VII.
IT was one o'clock when he reached his hotel, and he would
far rather have taken the first train for Berlin than have stayed
to fulfil his engagement to dine with the Feinbergs. He was
utterly depressed mentally, and he felt physically wearied in
consequence. To have to pass hours in the society of those
THE GREEN GATE. 97
who were entirely indifferent or rather obnoxious to him, was a
terrible prospect.
But he could not return to Berlin without first speaking
with Moritz. He could not neglect this duty, although it was
almost a matter of course that the son, as a good merchant,
would share the mother's views. It would be playing a dis-
honourable part towards Katrine were he to retreat after a
first defeat; his own annoyance must have no weight whatever
in determining his actions. Nothing would so serve to exalt
him in Moritz Amberger's estimation as the attention with
which the Feinbergs seemed disposed to treat him, and any
neglect of their kindness upon his part would prejudice them
against him, and Sidonie's bridegroom would, of course, share
such a prejudice, a result, in the present state of his affairs,
greatly to be deprecated. So he made up his mind to submit
to be entertained with as good a grace as possible.
As all this was passing through his thoughts, there was a
knock at his door. He supposed it was the officious waiter,
and called out, rather irritably, " Come in !" when, to his sur-
prise, Moritz Amberger entered the room.
" I lose no time in returning your call, Herr Professor," the
young man remarked, quite with the air of an old acquaint-
ance. " I venture to think that your visit of yesterday was
not intended exclusively for my mother."
" You are very kind," Schonrade answered, shaking hands
with him ; " and I thank you for an attention which I hardly
had a right to expect. How are you after your yesterday's
exploit?"
"Oh, don't speak of it!" the merchant exclaimed, with a
laugh. " The jest was tedious enough, suited to the wits of
my military friends. Where did you go ? We wanted you to
take a glass of beer with us at our bachelor-club, after the
fatigues of the afternoon, but you were nowhere to be found."
" My steed carried me whither he would," Schonrade ex-
E 9
98 THE GREEN GATE.
plained. " and that was to his own quarters. I am sorry to
have missed the pleasure of your society and the refreshment
of a glass of beer, which I should certainly have appreciated."
Amberger threw himself upon the lounge, and drew off his
glove. " You have not forgotten," he said, as if incidentally,
' : that you are engaged to dine at the Feinbergs' this after-
noon ? Friiulein Sidonie requested me to remind you of it.
You see, she imagines all learned men are very absent-minded,
and that without a reminder you would never remember. Is
she right ?"
" Not at all !" the Professor replied, instantly divining the
cause of the present visit. " I have the best memory in the
world for such matters. I am by no means insensible, either,
to the pleasures of the table."
" No bookworm, then," the young man rejoined. " I was
sure of that when I saw how you rode. Yes, yes, in spite of
all that sages may say, meat and drink are as important to-day
as they were a thousand years ago. And no one understands
that better than the Feinbergs, as I think you will admit
after to-day."
" I have no doubt of it," Schonrade replied. " Your future
father-in-law seems to be a man of wealth."
" He is so considered," Amberger answered, with a know-
ing look ; " and yet the half of his resources is not known.
There are very few such heads for business in the world.
Wherever he takes hold he fairly coins money ; he knows the
people he deals with, knows all their sources of income, plans
a campaign like a field officer, and manoeuvres so skilfully that
his troops always come into play at the right place and time,
and nothing is ever lost except what he has determined shall
be sacrificed. Sometimes I am really very anxious, but in a
perfect fire of telegrams he is calm and cool, and sure of con-
quest. A very remarkable man in his way."
" Is Herr Otto Feinberg his partner ?"
THE GREEN GATE. 99
" No, not his partner. Ignaz Feinberg will tolerate no one
in that position ; even his brother is not allowed to examine
his books. But he is his right hand, as I am his left. In
all his great projects he sends him to feel the way, as it were,
while he himself never stirs from his counting-room, and, as
compensation, he gives him a large share of profit, without
any risk. Otto Feinberg is a man of excellent capacity, but
not very attractive in society, a man who simply eats when
he's hungry and drinks when he's thirsty; it is a perfect
sin to waste fine wine upon him, although he certainly does
appreciate a good cigar."
" What did you mean by calling yourself his brother's left
hand ?"
" Why, you see, he uses me in another way. The firm of
Amberger is one of the oldest and most respected in the
country. Its antiquity stands it in good stead in the com-
mercial world, a reputation inherited from father to son for
centuries outweighs anything that can be done in a single
lifetime. Who knew anything about Ignaz Feinberg thirty
years ago? But five hundred years ago the ships of the
Ambergers sailed the North Sea. Feinberg, rich though he
is, is often glad of the support of an ancient name, and mine
stands him in stead. We often do business together, and I
should but poorly understand my own interest if I ever refused
to go as far with him as he would carry me. In accordance
with his advice, I have had less and less to do of late years with
the old commerce in grain, which is not nearly so profitable as
in former times, and have turned my attention to banking and
exchange. I am able to accommodate him with money, and
receive large interest for it. My father would open his eyes if
he could look into our books to-day." He thrust his hands in
his pockets, leaned back among the sofa-cushions, and laughed.
" But the connection that you describe," observed the Pro-
fessor. " presupposes boundless personal confidence."
100 THE GREEN GATE.
" Of course, of course," Amberger assented ; " but I have
a bit in his mouth. I would not advise any one to follow my
example who was not to be his son-in-law. He is getting
and gaining for his only daughter, and, as you know, Sidonie
is my betrothed."
In spite of the air of easy confidence with which these
words were spoken, they failed to produce the desired effect
upon Schonrade, who could not but remember what he had
heard from Sidonie herself, that Moritz's position as her lover
was dependent upon her whim. If it suited her caprice some
fine day to break the slender thread that bound her to her
present choice, he would, to be sure, regain his freedom, but
most disastrous consequences might ensue in his commercial
affairs.
The fortunate lover, however, left him no time to pursue
these reflections. He took out his watch, held it mechanically
to his ear, although there was not the least reason to doubt its
correctness, and observed, " It is time to go ; shall we walk
together? At present you possess an immense amount of
interest for Friiulein Sidonie, but her appetite for novelty is
amazing. You will have to economize your means of enter-
tainment, Herr Professor ; she would so squander the resources
of a millionaire in this respect as soon to make him bankrupt.
I often laugh at my mother's insatiate appetite for romances,
but it is nothing in comparison with Sidonie's greed of
amusement."
Schonrade smiled as he drew on his gloves. Did Moritz
wish to hint to him that his rapid rise in the young lady's
favour rested upon an insecure basis ? Were his remarks
prompted by a faint feeling of jealousy, or by the simple hu-
mour of the moment ? At all events, he replied honestly enough,
" I should greatly dislike to have to fulfil extraordinary ex-
pectations. An idea that such fulfilment was looked for would
make me unendurably stupid. Fortunately, niy future happi-
THE GREEN GATE. 101
ness would not be shattered even by a sudden fall from
favour."
" Since you are on the eve of departure, as I hear," the young
merchant said, laughing, " it can under no circumstances affect
you as it does Messrs, von Otten, Oschersdorf & Co., who
have dwindled to mere nebulae, after careering about for a day
or two as stars of the first magnitude."
The Professor regarded him attentively. This young man
played his ambiguous part extremely well.
The Feinberg mansion justified the praises bestowed upon it
by its inmates. It was really a remarkable edifice, that had
been adapted within and on the side away from the street to
all the requirements of modern luxury, without destroying the
antique appearance of the building. In former times it had
been bounded on one side by the town wall, and on the other
by a tower in the large garden ; but the wall had fallen to
decay, and its ruins had been used to fill up the ancient ditch,
while upon its massive foundation a graceful addition of iron
and glass led from the ground-floor out into a terraced garden.
A single spacious apartment formed the upper story of this ad-
dition, and the opposite wall as you entered was occupied by
one huge window, extending from ceiling to floor, from which
a flight of steps led first to a lower balcony beneath the old
tower, and then down into the garden. The table was laid
in this apartment. Schonrade expressed his admiration of the
room to his hostess, who was evidently looking for a burst of
enthusiasm from him. " Yes," she rejoined, " our architect
has done extremely well, I think. If you stand here, just
here, Herr Professor, before this wall of glass, you have na-
ture, pure nature, everywhere. Each pane is eleven feet high,
and so well set that you can scarcely see the joinings. The
thin gilt frames are made in imitation of slender tent-poles,
9*
102 THE GREEN GATE.
and the ceiling is, as you see, draped in imitation of a tent.
Oh, yes, if you have plenty of money you can really produce
beautiful effects and surround yourself with nature."
Sidonie offered her hand to the Professor as to an old ac-
quaintance. She wore a summer dress of some fine thin fabric
covered with lace, and a string of large pearls, encircled her
throat. Her airy costume threw into strong relief her rather
broad face, long nose, decided eyebrows, and her stern mouth,
that displayed, when she laughed, teeth dazzlingly white but
rather too large. Schonrade had not thought her handsome
on the previous day, but in her riding-habit and high hat she
had certainly been more interesting than in her present dress.
Her eyes, however, struck him as they had done when he saw
her first, as possessing a peculiar intensity : she fairly riveted
them upon what engaged her attention at the moment. There
needed both assurance and ease to parry their glances. " Do
you know that I sailed on the water all night?" she said to
him, in a low tone, " in my dreams, of course. I saw the
moon rise above the mists, and we sang together the German
folk-song, ' I do not know what it foretelleth' do you sing
when you are awake ? and suddenly a wind blew, far too
strong a wind for the Seehausen mill-pond, and upset the boat.
I was not in the least frightened, however, only frightfully
anxious to know whether you would save me. And you did
save me, but, very drolly, after you had first composedly put on
a pair of kid gloves."
" You see, I knew, Fraulein Sidonie, that you could swim,
and, as my task was merely a conventional one, I was anxious
that it should be perfectly performed," the Professor answered,
in a jesting tone.
Moritz clapped his hands, and cried, " Bravo ! bravo ! That
I call true courtesy."
" Nonsense !" she pouted, toying with her fan. " Like a
hero in a modern novel."
THE GREEN GATE. 103
Ignaz Feinberg was seated in a wheeled chair, an afghan
over his knees, looking through the newspapers. He alone, of
all present, was not in dinner dress, but appeared in the same
gray coat that he had worn the previous day, and which,
judging from the inky splashes on the left sleeve, must have
been the one usually worn in his counting-room. From time
to time he folded a paper together so as to bring into relief
some notice or paragraph, which he would hand to Moritz
Amberger or Otto Feinberg, as either happened to be near
him, without speaking or altering a muscle of his face. From
the recipient would ensue a laconic " hm, hm !" " indeed !"
" not bad," or words of a like nature. After this fashion
Ignaz Feinberg composed for his own inspection a mosaic
picture of the business world of the day, and his relish for
his dinner depended on the effect of the said picture upon his
mind.
The two officers were also invited guests. Sidonie whispered
to the Professor, as they entered rather noisily, " For the sake
of contrast ! And my mother is so fond of a uniform !"
In especial honor of the stranger, old Dr. Sperling had been
invited. He was the head-master of the scientific school of
the place, and had been town-recorder for many years, a
man, in his host's opinion, eminently well fitted to enlighten a
stranger upon all that the town contained of antiquity or in-
terest. His hair was very gray, and his face looked as if' it
were carved out of wood ; he was stiff and angular in his move-
ments, and evidently rather ill at ease in the tight dress-coat
that he had donned in honour of the occasion, but there was
a grave courtesy in his demeanour, and he was treated with
much consideration.
Schonrade's place was between the mother and daughter.
Ignaz Feiuberg sat beside his wife, Moritz Amberger on the
other side of his betrothed. The four other gentlemen occu-
pied the opposite side of the table. " We have arranged a gay
104 THE GREEN GATE.
sight for ourselves," said Madame Feinberg, indicating the
gorgeous uniforms on either side of the old Recorder's black
coat.
" I rejoice in not being a lady," the old man remarked, in a
ponderous fashion. " Were I one, the presence of such attract-
ive neighbours would, I fear, spoil my dinner for me." The
jest was very well received; even Ignaz Feinberg laughed
quietly over his soup-plate.
He, the host, never tasted the exquisite dishes that com-
posed the meal, but, to the Professor's surprise, partook of the
simplest fare, served for himself alone, with a single glass of
claret. His wife felt it necessary to explain apologetically.
" My dear husband is very fearful of injuring his health ; he
trusts his friends will excuse him," she said.
" It has nothing to do with my health," he corrected her;
" I like to eat what I've always been accustomed to. I think
I might be allowed that luxury." Schonrade found it quite
natural, and Sidonie added, " Papa is really a most remarkable
man in this respect; he would have no objection to our con-
juring up here a fairy-palace, if he might have his old counting-
room left just as it is. I could far more easily coax out of him
a check for a hundred thousand thalers than persuade him to
have the threadbare horse-hair covering of his sofa renewed,
or his shabby old desk re-covered. For himself, he clings to
simplicity."
The banker smiled scornfully. " A very fine explanation,"
he said, " but the fact is that I am as superstitious as a play-
actor. On that old sofa, at that old desk, I have come to
occupy my present position, in which, thank God, I can let
my wife and daughter conjure as they please ; but who knows
whether I should find myself as comfortable on velvet and
springs?"
Frau Feinberg was annoyed by his remarks, but the Pro-
fessor said, courteously, "Why should you call it superstition ?
THE GREEN GATE. 105
It is certain that we depend mentally, in some measure, upon
our outward surroundings, and are sometimes actual slaves to
trifles. A new carpet in my study might render me in-
capable for days of bestowing due attention upon my books
or writing ; and an error in a merchant's accounts is not as
readily corrected as a mistake in a scholar's manuscript."
" A mistaken order can throw a whole regiment into con-
fusion," said Herr von Otten ; and Herr von Oschersdorf
remarked, carefully wiping his moustache after his glass of
Canary, " Well, I don't know ; I think I can read my novel
as easily on one sofa as another, always provided that it is not
stupid."
"How can you read novels at all?" asked the Recorder;
and the conversation was turned into another channel.
Moritz Amberger and Otto Feinberg both sat silent. The
former received hardly a crumb of the lively conversation that
his betrothed carried on with the Professor, and, after making
several fruitless attempts to join in it, he rather sulkily devoted
himself to his dinner. Otto Feinberg treated the Professor
with great reserve. He could not believe that he was visiting
the town simply for the sake of amusement ; it seemed to him
significant that he had been seen at the Wiesels', and had here
called nowhere except at the Ambergers'. He put together
this and that, and the result, although hardly clear, was by no
means to his taste. He felt it best to preserve a very formal
demeanour in his presence. Schonrade certainly had no desire
to alter this.
"What is that remarkable building?" he asked, looking
through the wall of glass ; " the one to the left, upon the
hill. It is too far off for me to decipher those architectural
hieroglyphs."
Dr. Sperling cleared his throat ; here was water for the Re-
corder's mill. " That is the ruin of Honeburg, Herr Profes-
sor," he explained, " formerly a massive structure, as may still
E*
10G THE GREEN GATE.
be seen from its remains, consisting at present of only a small
part of the ancient main building, and a portion of the watch-
tower, which once arose to a height of one hundred and twenty-
three feet above the top of the hill, which there commands the
river."
"Why not one hundred and twenty -four feet?" Sidonie
asked, pertly.
" One hundred and twenty-three feet, Fraulein Sidonie,"
the old man insisted, with great gravity. " In the archives of
the town the account is preserved of how the castle was first
injured by the town in 1478, when the Freiherr Botho von
Honeburg was taken prisoner by mounted towns-folk. It is all
recorded there how that the tower was never again rebuilt to
its previous height, although the town suffered severely after-
wards from many a lord of Honeburg. You must know that
the castle was called Honeburg because it was built for an
insult* to the town, and that at one time the lord of Honeburg
stretched an iron chain across the river, which could only be
removed, giving free passage to vessels, upon payment of a
heavy toll. Those were hard times, and the Ambergers were
often forced to take arms with their fellow-citizens to protect
themselves."
'' That would never have done for you, Moritz," Sidonie
said, with a sneer.
" To what use could we put our valiant military," he replied,
with a glance towards the two officers, " if we bankers donned
sword and helmet ?"
" The feud between the town and the Honeburg was pro-
longed through centuries," the learned Recorder continued ;
" indeed, there never was a formal end put to it. The chain,
to be sure, that once spanned the river, now hangs in our town
hall, and since the Thirty Years' War there has been no clashing
* " Holm," the German for " insult."
THE GREEN GATE. 107
of hostile steel on the meadows beyond the ancient fosse. Not
far from here you can see the old gate through which we usu-
ally sallied forth to meet our foes ; it has always been called
the green gate, from its colour, and many an inscription on its
battered surfaco tells of bloody encounters upon the bridge
beyond it, and upon the other side of the fosse. The gate has
not stirred upon its ancient hinges for many years, and the
iron portcullis was removed long since ; in later times the strife
was continued with other weapons. The Freiherrs lost their
wealth, borrowed of the town, could not repay their debt, and
were obliged to mortgage acre after acre of the castle territory.
Lawsuits innumerable ensued ; expensive executions and all
kinds of ruinous processes at last left the Von Honeburgs im-
poverished courtiers and soldiers, with nothing to testify to
their past greatness but the possession of those ruins and the
sandy hill between the town and the river, certainly not an
enviable piece of property. But the old aristocrats could not
rest content, and continued their quarrels with our towns-folk
until lately. We have hardly been quit of them thirty years.''
"Are any of their descendants living?" asked the Pro-
fessor, not without interest.
" The last Freiherr von Honeburg whom we can remember
was a very gay young officer," replied Dr. Sperling, shrugging
his shoulders. " He had an affair with the daughter, or rather
adopted daughter, of a most honourable and patrician mer-
chant, Egidius Kostling, whose house and garden you may see
there near the green gate, and made a great deal of trouble in
his time. But that is a long story." He was not requested to
tell it. In the mean time the ices had been served. Herr von
Otten reached across the table and offered one end of an ex-
plosive bonbon to Sidonie, saying, " Let us recall the ancient
feud with the Honeburg by a salvo of artillery." There was
a laugh, bonbon after bonbon exploded, and the hostess arose
from table amid a most warlike rattle.
108 THE GREEN GATE.
The guests separated into groups. The host returned to his
wheeled chair, and was soon buried in his newspapers. Otto
Feinberg offered the gentlemen cigars, and carried off" the two
officers into the garden, whispering, " Be careful, my child !"
into Sidonie's ear as he passed her. Madame Feinberg ordered
coffee to be served in the balcony of the old tower, retained
Moritz by her side, and began a conversation with the old
Recorder. Sidonie walked through the dining-hall with the
Professor.
" You have seen nothing of the old house," she said, loud
enough to be heard by all ; "and yet it is twice as worthy of
your inspection as this addition. Come, and I will be your
cicerone."
She put her hand within his arm and conducted him through
open folding-doors into the adjoining room, thence through
a dimly-lighted corridor to a suite of apartments the windows
of which looked out upon the street and the narrow alley lead-
ing to the tower. The furniture was everywhere luxurious,
but not distinguished by any special originality. The young
lady hastened on, merely saying, with a shrug, " My mother's
taste," until they reached a flight of six or eight steps deco-
rated charmingly with drapery and flowers, and leading ap-
parently through a very thick wall. In a niche on either side
stood a statue. " Here my Tusculum begins," said Sidonie,
taking her hand from his arm and going before him.
They passed through several apartments large and small,
with high vaulted ceilings and arched windows with deep
embrasures. The Professor approached one of these and looked
out. Beneath him was the balcony where the servants were
placing the coffee-table, on one side the glass wall of the dining-
hall, and in front a distant view beyond the old fosse. He saw
that he was in the tower, which had been skilfully connected
with the house. " This is my drawing-room," she explained,
" this, my library, and here I have a little armory." As she
THE GlfEEN GATE. 109
spoke, she drew aside a curtain hanging before a deep recess,
where were arrayed upon the wall old shields, swords, and
crossbows, with some very handsome pistols richly inlaid with
silver and ivory.
" You are a good shot, I suppose ?" Schb'nrade remarked,
with a smile.
" Each of my follies has had its day," she replied. " This
one went out of fashion some time ago."
The Professor looked around him with the air of a man
prompted rather by courtesy than by curiosity. A single
glance sufficed to show that these objects in the several rooms
had their place there more in the way of decoration than with
any eye to their use.
The library contained rows of volumes in the costliest bind-
ings, all shining with fresh gilding. The little studio would
have delighted a painter ; everything needed was at hand,
even to the life-size lay -figure draped in heavy woollen stuff and
maintaining an attitude that could certainly have been taken
by none but limbs of wood ; but the easel looked as though it
were innocent of any picture save the one in a half-finished
state at present reposing upon it, and which could hardly have
been painted by the untouched brushes thrust into the thumb-
hole of the palette that lay close by.
Schb'nrade did not venture to ask if she were also an
artist. Sidonie took from a stand a portfolio, opened it
upon a table in front of a lounge, and, motioning the Pro-
fessor to be seated, asked, " Are you fond of engravings ?
Here are some rare pictures, if our connoisseurs are to be
trusted."
He sat down and turned over a few. " I am no connoisseur,"
he said, merely glancing at them.
" Nor am I," she rejoined, with an affectation of candour ;
" but I can tell something about these, like a parrot that has
learned its lesson. Here, for instance " She came closer
10
110 THE GREEti GATE.
and almost leaned upon his shoulder, to direct his attention to
the stippling of a Cleopatra.
lie disliked being here alone with Sidonie ; he would have
disliked still more to be discovered here with her by any of the
guests. He turned over the prints still more hastily, merely
lifting the corners of some of them, as if to show how impos-
sible it would be to examine the entire collection.
Sidonie turned away, drew from a cabinet against the wall
a shallow drawer and placed it upon the table. It contained a
collection of minerals, neatly arranged, a bought collection,
in short. "This is in your line," she said, sitting down beside
him, " and will interest you." She was mistaken, the man
of science detested all dilettanteism ; but she had gained her
point : he did not rise.
" Is it true that you leave us to-morrow ?" she asked, as he
courteously examined one specimen after another.
" Most probably, Fraulein Feinberg."
" Possibly not, then ?"
" My business will be concluded to-day."
" Give us a few more days, Herr Professor. I will promise
you an excursion upon the river that shall be delightful."
" You are kindness itself, but I cannot interrupt my home
labours for so long."
" That is a mere excuse. Confess that you do not find us
especially agreeable."
" How could I entertain sentiments so ungrateful ?"
She looked askance at him. " Between ourselves, I am not
very fond of this place myself. I should like to go to Berlin ;
although perhaps not, like my future sister-in-law, to Coun-
cillor Wiesel's. Frau Wiesel is a fool."
Her mention of Kiitharina affected him unpleasantly; he
led away from it. " Where could you be happier or more com-
fortable than in this luxurious home?"
Sidonie sighed. " Believe me, I grow very tired of it all.
THE GREEN GATE. Ill
I like well enough to arrange it, but when it is finished there
is nothing left but the pleasure of showing it, and I had enough
of that long ago."
" You prize the gifts of fortune too lightly, Fraulein Fein-
berg. You do not appreciate the possession of means sufficient
to enable you to shape your surroundings as you please. You
do not know what it, is to be forced to deny yourself."
A sigh still more profound. " I do not know what it is to
be forced to deny myself ! Ah, how little you know me, Herr
Professor ! How poor and unsatisfactory all this frippery often
seems to me ! I know that I should have been happier if I
were still surrounded by the poverty to which I was born. I
should not then have resigned, what I continually miss and long
for, but what can never be mine, a genuine interest in life."
This was the same elegiac mood that had so startled him
upon the lake. It did not seem entirely assumed ; it might
be in some measure the result of genuine feeling. If his
heart had been free, he might seriously have pitied her at such
a moment, and there might have thus arisen a bond of sym-
pathy between them that even a change of her mood might
have failed to sever. As it was, these sudden appearances of
hers in a character seemingly foreign to her nature, annoyed
and embarrassed him excessively ; little prone as he was to
self-conceit, they seemed to him baits held out to win him from
his intentional reserve.
"It is easy enough," he said, more harshly than he in-
tended, " to desire as an advantage that which is universally
regarded as a bar to the enjoyment of existence, if we are per-
f ctly sure that our lives will always be-without it."
She leaned her elbows upon the table, and her strange eyes
looked full and seriously into his own. " Perhaps you are
right," she said. " It is easy. But does it follow that this con-
stant longing is any the less painful ? Suppose, for example,
that a girl longs to be a man, is she not wretched in the
112 THE GREEN GATE.
consciousness of the impossibility of ever attaining her desire,
even although the world may regard her as the most fortunate
of beings ?"
" I suppose it is so," he said, examining attentively a speci-
men of quartz.
" I long to be a man !" she exclaimed. " Laugh if you will,
I have seriously reflected whether it would not be worth the
trouble to simulate at least what I never can become. I might
have studied, have proved life in its profoundcst depths, have
travelled widely ! Aha ! easy enough, are they not, these
dreams ? Do you know that I have even arranged the small
details of the existence that might have been mine ? I per-
petrated, in imagination, the maddest freaks, broke with my
parents, outraged society, made myself unendurable as a girl,
to be allowed to do as I chose. Still it might all have failed.
Ah, you do not know what it is to be the only child of
wealthy parents !"
He crumbled off little fragments of the mineral in his hand
and dropped them into the drawer. " Excuse me," he said,
still more embarrassed by her manner, " but these are danger-
ous whims !"
" I wish I could find some one to chase them from my
brain," she said, as if to herself, casting down her eyes ;
" perhaps I should not wish to develop the ideal in myself,
if I could find it embodied elsewhere. I am capable, I think,
of an entire resignation of self." Suddenly she broke off,
took the piece of quartz out of his hands, threw it into the
drawer, and said, in an altered voice, " Why do you play with
that stupid stone ? It annoys me !" He started and looked
up at her in surprise, like a child detected in mischief. Sh
seemed to regret what she had done, for she hastily gathered
up a handful of minerals from the drawer and put them into
his hand, pressing it with both her own. '' There, play as much
as you choose," she exclaimed, " but listen to me 1"
THE ORE EN GATE. 113
The Professor was about to reply, when Moritz Amberger
drew aside the portiere and entered the room. He looked
vexed, and said, coldly, " Your mother wishes to know whether
she shall send your coffee up to you, since it runs a chance of
growing cold before you come down to drink it."
" Mamma sent no such message," Sidonie replied, darting
an angry look at him as she arose.
" Well, then, I brought it on my own account," he rejoined.
" I would suggest that you should not entirely monopolize the
Herr Professor."
" And I would suggest," she retaliated, " that you should
not intrude upon my special domain unannounced."
All trace of colour left his good-humoured face. " This to
me," he stammered, :- and before a stranger !"
Sidonie seemed to fear she had gone too far. " The Herr
Professor is no stranger, but a friend," she said, more com-
posedly, with a troubled glance at his grave, disapproving face.
" Then permit me," he said, " to act the part of one, and to
entreat you to repair, arm-in-arm, as a betrothed couple should,
to the coffee-table. I can find the way by myself."
She reflected a moment, and then offered her hand to
Moritz, with a loud laugh. " How he stands !" she exclaimed,
apparently once more in excellent humour, " like some poor
penitent praying for mercy. Courage ! courage ! I graciously
pardon." She took his arm, and turning, as she reached the
snail flight of steps, nodded to the Professor : "It was your
wish."
This hasty interruption was the consequence of a conversa-
tion that Otto Feinberg had held with Moritz. He remarked
the lengthened absence of the pair, and added that the Pro-
fessor was not to be trusted. The officers contributed their
mite to Moritz's annoyance by their badinage, and he forgot
the part which he had played so well hitherto, and gave occa-
sion for the war of words in which, as we have seen, he hardly
10*
114 THE GREEN GATE.
came off conqueror ; and he was painfully aware of this as he
conducted his betrothed to the other guests. There was no
trace, however, of the scene just enacted in the demeanour
of those chiefly interested. Sidonie jested gayly about the cold
coffee, Schonrade gratified his hostess by his admiration of
her house, and Moritz described how he had found the Pro-
fessor absorbed in an inspection of Sidonie's minerals. As soon
as Schonrade could find an opportunity, he whispered to him,
" When can I speak alone with you ? I have an important
communication to make." Amberger looked fixedly at him
for an instant, pondering what it could possibly be, and then
said, somewhat grandiloquently, as if a duel were in prospect,
" I am at your service, sir." And the Professor's reply seemed
to hint at the same possibility, " Appoint time and place, if
you please," only there was not a shade of hostility observable
in his expression, which might, indeed, have been assumed.
They walked for awhile in the garden, and then the guests
took leave. " This is not the last time we shall meet," Sidonie
declared confidently to the Professor, and her eyes flashed and
sparkled. " If you do not come here, we shall go to Berlin."
And her mother added, " Pray feel yourself entirely at home
in this house as long as you are in town, my dear Herr Pro-
fessor. You may be sure of always finding nature, pure
nature, here. Am I not right?" He judged silence to ba
his best reply.
THE GREEN GATE. H5
CHAPTER VIII.
IN the street Schonrade joined Moritz Amberger, taking
leave of the others, after courteously thanking the old Recorder
for his interesting information with regard to the Honeburg.
" Where shall we go ?" he asked. " To my hotel ?"
" My house is nearer," the merchant replied, gravely, " and
we shall be perfectly quiet there." The Professor assented,
and they walked on in silence until they reached the Amberger
mansion. Here Moritz produced a key, that admitted them
by a side-door.
They were soon seated comfortably in a small room, fitted
up as a special retreat for its bachelor owner. " I suspect,"
Schonrade began, " that in your secret soul you do not acquit
me of conducting myself towards your betrothed with a want
of due consideration for yourself as her lover. Am I not
right?"
Moritz had by no means recovered from the insult Sidonie
had offered him, and half a dozen plans for repairing his
wounded honour in the stranger's estimation had been chasing
one another through his brain. But they were all very vague
and shadowy, and he now replied, with more composure than
might have been expected, " Sidonie finds a peculiar gratifica-
tion in meeting, as it were, upon equal terms, any interesting
man whom chance brings in her way. I can make no objection
to this, since I myself never belonged to the number of those
thus singled out ; my relations to her, being of a quite different
nature, are not at all interfered with. But the estimation in
which she is held by others cannot be a matter of indifference
to me, and as, since you leave here so shortly, you can scarcely
have any opportunity of seeing how little
116 THE GREEN GATE.
He hesitated ; it was a difficult matter to finish the sentence
without either compromising himself or insulting his compan-
ion. The Professor came to his assistance. " Pray conclude,' 1
he said, with a smile ; " you need not be at all afraid of dis-
pelling any illusions of mine. For your entire satisfaction, let
me tell you, if you have been suspecting a possible Don Juan
in me, that at present I am protected in armour of triple steel
against the lightnings of the finest eyes in the world, and am
incapable of deserving the trouble that feminine caprice might
expend upon me only to make me a target for ridicule after
wards. In a word, I come here as a suitor."
Moritz entirely forgot his diplomatic look, opened his eyes
wide, and stared in surprise. " As a ?" Then suddenly a
load seemed taken from his mind ; all his muscles relaxed, and
he reclined comfortably in his chair. " May I congratulate you,
my dear fellow ? may I congratulate you ?!'
The Professor shrugged his shoulders. " That depends
upon your 'yes' or ' no,' " he said, looking him directly in the
eye.
"Upon my 'yes' or 'no'?" the young man asked, bewil-
dered. " What do you mean ?"
Schiinrade craved his attention, and then unfolded all his
hopes and wishes with regard to Katrine, recapitulated his con-
versation with Frau Amberger, and ended by entreating him
not to act in accordance with " prejudices which the world had
outgrown."
At first Moritz was influenced by the delight he felt at his
own escape from danger ; he nodded kindly from time to time ;
but gradually these nods became rarer, he cast an embarrassed
glance now and then at the speaker, and finally the spirit of op-
position asserted itself in frequent interruptions of " But ,"
and " One moment, my dear fellow ," so that the Professor
had some trouble in bringing his discourse to an end. When he
had finished, Amberger rose, and walked to and fro in the room,
THE GREEN GATE. 117
saying, " But this is most unfortunate, most unfortunate ;
not in itself, good heavens ! not in itself; but as matters
stand," he ran his fingers through his fair hair, "as matters
stand, you don't know you can't know oh, most unfor-
tunate !"
Schonrade waited in silence until he stood still before him,
and said, more sensibly and collectedly, " As for my mother's
objections, they are mere nonsense, not to be disrespectful,
hereditary folly ! Patricians ! What are patricians ? Those
times are past. We are all towns-folk, some with rather larger
incomes than others. One has something, and another nothing,
and many a one who has nothing is more of a man than
those who have something." The Professor sat quietly regard-
ing him in silence. He had said all that he had to say. At
last Amberger noisily pushed a chair near his guest, seated
himself in it, and seized his hand. " My dear Herr Profes-
sor," he said, with a kind of gasp, " I like you very much, so
far, I do, upon my soul I do, and if all is as you say, and
I haven't the slightest doubt that it is, it would give me the
greatest pleasure to call you brother-in-law. Why, in my opin-
ion, my dear Herr Professor, we are honoured the house of
Amberger is greatly honoured by such a proposal from a dis-
tinguished man like yourself. But but " He jumped
up, then seated himself again immediately, and continued, in
quite a changed tone, " Let us lay aside all disguises. I am
one man, you are another ; let us talk together as man to man.
Why should I inspire you with false hopes ? It cannot be,
believe me, it cannot be. Even if I liked you far better than
I do, it could not be. And I will tell you why, I will tell
you why frankly, as my regard for you dictates ; and I may
rely upon your discretion, my dear fellow, may I not?"
Schonrade gave him the desired assurance as to his discre-
tion, and Moritz continued : " We were talking to-day of my
business relations with Feinberg, and, if I remember rightly, I
118 THE GREEN GATE.
called myself his left hand. Now, to be perfectly frank with you,
it is no longer a voluntary matter with me whether I will be his
left hand or not. If I cease to be his left hand, I am nothing,
no more on 'Change than a severed limb to a body. A hu-
miliating confession enough for the head of the house of Am-
berger, confound it ! I feel that, but I know what I say. My
mother has no suspicion of it ; with her old-fashioned views
she could not understand it. There is no danger so long as we
are good friends, but good friends we must remain. Do you
suppose that I would tolerate Sidonie's insufferable caprice
for He paused, perhaps startled by his own temerity,
but collected himself instantly, and continued : " Why, you
have eyes, and know how to use them ; what need is there to
tell you what you must know as well as I do ? Sidonie's whims
are countless, and I must bear the brunt of them, for I am
powerless to remonstrate. I tmist endure them, it is my fate,
at least until after our marriage. I am so deeply involved with
Ignaz Feinberg that I cannot retreat without ruining myself,
entirely ruining myself. To-day I am a man of weight on
'Change, for he supports me ; if he deserts me, I must fall,
and drag down my family with me."
The'Professor tried to follow his meaning, but it was diffi-
cult for him to xmprehend complications of this kind. " How
did all this com about?" he asked, bewildered.
Amberger moved his chair closer and laid a finger on his
arm. " In the simplest way in the world. I inherited from
my father an extensive and profitable business in grain and
transportation ; we owned storehouses, river-vessels, sea-going
shipg, and had an agency in the nearest seaport. Of late years
American competition has been detrimental to our commerce
in grain ; there was more risk in our ventures. By Feinbcrg's
advice, I closed up that business, drew my capital out of it,
and invested it in projects of which he approved. Philip took
not the least interest in such matters, but let me do as I
THE GREEN GATE. 119
pleased. This banking business, if successful, constantly in-
duces fresh speculation, and numerous issues of paper. Large
profits accrue ; but if there is a crisis, one's very means of
living are endangered. I have invested wherever Feinberg
advised, he is prudence itself, and am far too deeply en-
gaged for my means ; I ain the left hand to another man's
head. Feinberg can withdraw without overwhelming loss,
I cannot. My whole aim at present is to conceal how deeply
I am involved."
Sehonrade shook his head thoughtfully. " I pity you," he
said, gravely. " Everything depends, then, upon the continu-
ance of the tie between Fraulein Sidonie and yourself; and
from what I have seen of her "
Amberger interrupted him. " Did she say anything about
it to you?"
" She knows her power over you, and seems inclined to use
it unless you make every concession that she can demand.
And if you are so indulgent "
" Don't you see," the young man again interrupted him,
" that I am steering a leaky vessel against wind and tide ? I
cannot do as I wish."
" I see. But what has my relation with Katharina "
" My dear fellow, it has everything in the world to do with it.
Katharina is my chief stay, unconsciously she is the cause
why my position is not quite so desperate as it would seem.
Ignaz Feinberg has, as you know, a brother Otto, who is
really his right hand. As long as I have a firm hold upon
Otto Feinberg, his brother cannot shake me off, and Sidonie
must pay some heed to what she does. At present I have
thi? firm hold, for Otto Feinberg loves my sister, and I
have promised that, so far as I have any influence over her,
she shall be his."
The Professor sprang to his feet, thoroughly indignant.
" What ! you could give her your own sister to that usurer?
120 THE GREEN GATE.
It is absolutely fiendish ! Why, with these plots and schemes
of yours, you may chance to break her heart, dear, inno-
cent child, with no thought of wrong, with no idea that her
brother can so trade away her life. It is "
"No matter how right you may be," Moritz interrupted
him, uneasily rubbing his forehead, " there is no help for it.
Who could foresee that Katharina, young as she is, would
make a choice of her own ? Why should she not have found
Otto Feinberg a desirable partner for life? He has had
abundance of time and opportunity to win her. Now I see
how unsuccessful he has been, Herr Professor ; to my terror, I
assure you, for my best hold upon his brother is gone as soon
as Otto finds he has no hope. Oh, it is most unfortunate !"
" You certainly would not force Katharina "
" Force ! force ! How can I force her ? But I must keep
my promise, and use, as I said I would, all my influence. If
Katharina, in defiance of her father's will, denies my authority
over her, I cannot, of course, force her to marry a man of my
selection ; but most assuredly I shall never give my consent
to her marrying any one else, never ! Otto Feinberg, now
my friend, would then be my enemy, and I should be lost."
Schonrade folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently
upon the floor. " I expected to meet with opposition," he
said, sternly, " but I never dreamed of contending with such
views as these. Poor child ! Poor child ! Is there no
way "
Amberger grasped his hand. " Deliver me from these fet-
ters I know as well as you do how degrading they are and
I will be eternally grateful to you. I have told you so much
that I might as well confess all. I tremble at the idea of a
union with Sidonie, whom I do not love, and who does not
love me. I know that my weak good nature will soon lose
me all show of authority with her, and my own self-respect
besides. At times, as at present, my whole soul rises in rebel-
THE GREEN GATE. 121
lion against such a fate. And yet yet how can I escape it ?
How can I preserve the honour of the house of Aniberger ?
Only show me how."
The Professor's look was dark and stern. " It seems to me,"
he replied, after a pause, " that you have lost the courage to
make yourself master of the situation, which you doubtless
were at the beginning of your connection with Feinberg.
You have leaned upon him so long that your own powers
have rusted. It may be thus. Throw off his authority by
one vigorous effort, and convince yourself that you can pro-
ceed without his support."
" Oh, you are 110 merchant !" exclaimed Moritz. " No
merchant would talk thus. You cannot see the importance
of this connection, or how much must be thrown overboard
if it be dissolved. My mother's and my sister's fortunes are
involved. I cannot think of myself only. There is but one
possible way, but one, out of my difficulty, and that is too
chimerical to be thought of."
" Tell me, nevertheless, what it is." said the Professor.
" If I could embark, without the knowledge of the Fein-
bergs, independently of them, in some commercial project of
vast importance, and obtain firm footing there, I should com-
pel their respect. The undertaking must be sufficiently large
to make their friendship or their hostility alike a matter of in-
difference to me ; and it is hardly to be hoped that anything
of the kind can be conjured out of nothing for my special
benefit. Therefore, my dear fellow, you must follow my
example : resign yourself to the inevitable, and be thankful
that your fancy is sufficiently youthful not to have taken any
very deep root. Katharina must see that it is impossible for
me to accede to her wishes, and by-and-by, when her heart
has recovered the loss it must sustain, she will be all the more
ready to contract a mariage de conveyance which is in every
way "
F 11
122 THE GREEN GATE.
" Silence !" Schonrade exclaimed, with such vehemence
that Morit-z ceased in amazement. " It is as degrading for
me to listen to such word| as it is for you to utter them.
I sincerely pitied you, but I begin to regret having done
so. You are upon the point of resigning not only the right
of disposing of your property, but also the repose of your
conscience."
" Herr Professor !"
"The repose of your conscience, Herr Amberger. Why
did your father in his will invest you with such authority ?
Because he fully relied upon his son's integrity, and affection
for his sister, which should prompt him to think solely of her
welfare, without any selfish consideration. But you are sell-
ing your sister
" I cannot permit this, sir !"
" I say no more. You know what I think ; oppose me to
the extent of yowr will and ability. But do not suppose that
I shall look idly on and patiently allow myself to be thrust
aside. I will preserve an inviolable secrecy to all save one,
Katharina shall know of your fraternal designs with regard to
her, and she will either obey the dictates of her own heart,
or owe her unhappiness to your shame be it spoken to
you. And for yourself, be sure that this corrupt tree of your
planting will never bring forth good fruit."
He raised his hand with an air of menace; his tall form
seemed invested with a kind of majesty ; he towered haughtily
above the banker, who involuntarily cowered as if he would
have sunk into the ground. The jovial expression of his
good-humoured face had vanished entirely ; his confession had
certainly not procured him absolution. He felt humiliated in
the presence of this man who saw into his very soul, and who
could be hoodwinked by no such plea as would have found
weight with men of his own stamp, how pitiful such men
seemed to him at this moment !
THE GREEN GATE. 123
He would have given worlds to be able to stand erect,
look the Professor full in the face, and say, " You are right ;
I was a coward; but I will be one no longer." But he had not
the courage ; he shut his eyes and stroked his chin. " What
can't be cured must be endured," he thought.
P When he looked up, he was alone. He arose, dipped his
handkerchief in water, and laid it upon his forehead. All his
previous hopes and expectations seemed mere folly to him
now. How could he ever have imagined it possible that
Otto Feinberg could gain his sister Katharina's affection ?
And how would Sidonie receive himself after the events of the
day ? What fresh humiliation was in store for him at this
woman's hands ? What reliance could he place upon Fein-
berg's friendship ? To whom could he turn ? What was to
be the end of it all ?
His excellent physique and the wine he had taken at din-
ner fortunately solved these questions for him for the present,
he fell asleep.
Schbnrade could not so soon find repose from his torment-
ing reflections. After he had hastily left the room and the
house, he began to regret the violence into which he had been
betrayed, and which had perhaps closed the door of approach
for him to Katharina's family. He remembered with a sigh
her close association with these people, upon whom he must
have produced anything but a favourable impression. He could
not even tell her, without wounding her, what a pitiable figure
her brother Moritz had presented during his interview with
him. And should she know that he had parted from him
in anger, what could she think of such a quick-tempered,
impractical lover? He paused for a moment, half inclined to
retrace his steps. " But it would do no good ; the arguments
of each have no force with the other," he said to himself.
" Let matters take their course."
He walked on, at first with hasty strides, as if anxious to
124 THE GREEN GATE.
put as much distance as possible between the Amberger man-
sion and himself, then gradually more slowly. He did not
think again of returning, but, as he reflected, Moritz seemed
to him more and more excusable. A suitor for his sister's
hand, suddenly appearing to the detriment of all his plans and
expectations, could hardly be anything but extremely unwel-
come to him, and when these plans and expectations were first
formed he could have had no possible idea that Professor
Schonrade would lose his heart during a visit at Councillor
Wiesel's. It certainly was matter for gratitude that he had
not dismissed him with the usual set phrases, but had laid
bare the most secret troubles of his life, that he might explain
his refusal of his suit. And the poor fellow was greatly to be
pitied. Nature had formed him for an easy, good-humoured
enjoyment of existence ; he would have been perfectly con-
tent never to soar aboTe the commonplace ; but in an evil hour
he had been induced to resign the certain profits of his father's
business to embark upon the high seas of speculation, and to
propose to Sidonie Feinberg to share his home, as if she had
been the unassuming daughter of some well-to-do merchant.
And Sidonie ! what pains she took to show her lover that she
wore his betrothal-ring solely from caprice !
When he looked around him, he found himself in a quarter
of the town of which he was entirely ignorant. Before him
stretched a long narrow street, lined on each side with tall
houses, and growing still narrower towards the end, where it
was spanned by a gateway. He pondered what he should
do. His business in the town was finished ; he could leave at
any moment. But the next train to Berlin left in the night,
and was not an express train. He had nothing to do, and yet
the evening must be passed after some fashion. Anything but
his room at the hotel ! He would take a long walk to get rid
of the time ; so on he went.
The gateway was connected on the left with a large man-
THE GREEN GATE. 125
sion, the last in the street, with quite a stately facade retreat-
ing some feet from the line of the rest of the row, to give room
for a massive flight of stone steps. The simple arch of the
gateway was, in fact, a public passage beneath a wing of this
house that extended across the street to the last of the houses
on the right, beyond which he observed the outline of an an-
cient tower, not altogether unfamiliar to him. Above the arch-
way were a few small windows with tiny panes of glass, too
few. however, tc relieve the effect of the bare, undecorated ex-
panse of wall, topped by a steep gable, with its little window
near the roof, beneath the rusty weather-cock, that showed in
transparent letters clear against the sky the venerable date
1357. Had he reached the famous Green Gate of which
the Recorder had spoken ? Its colour was difficult to deter-
mine ; it might as well have been called brown as green ;
many a year must have gone by since the painter's brush had
touched it.
He walked through the echoing archway, and found him-
self upon a narrow bridge that could hardly have allowed two
carriages to pass each other. It certainly must be the " Green
Gate" through which he had just come, for in front of him
was the hill crowned by the ruin of Honeburg. He looked
back and upwards, directly into the face, carven in stone in
the keystone of the arch, of a knight thrusting out his tongue
maliciously. That must have irritated many a Freiherr of
Honeburg, he thought to himself, and his grave face relaxed
with a smile. There were not lacking inscriptions in Lutin
and in German, but he contented himself with deciphering one
only, which stated how a certain Hans Kbstling had main-
tained this bridge with his single spear against six armed
horsemen, until the gate could be closed behind him, and had
then sprung into the fosse and swum across to the town.
Schonrade looked down into the fosse. It was dry, and had
been converted here, as at the Feinbergs', into a garden. Old
11*
126 THE GREEN GATE.
trees reared their branches near the railing of the bridge, and
the walls were covered with ivy. Far below him, in what
had been the deepest part of the ditch, rippled a little brook,
winding prettily among the flower-beds, and spanned by rustic
bridges. There was a distant prospect beyond the turn of the
old wall, which enclosed, in turning, an ancient battlemented
tower.
As the Professor stood gazing about him, he became aware,
upon the gravel-walk immediately below him, of an old man
in a blue broadcloth coat of by-gone fashion and a close-fitting
velvet cap. He was walking slowly along, his head bent upon
his breast, smoking a long pipe, and pausing from time to
time before a rose-bush or to look up at some tree laden with
fruit. The most noticeable point about him was that he was
followed gravely by two sleek, well-fed cats, who marched
at his heels like two dogs, stopping when he stopped and
continuing their promenade when he walked on. Evidently
he was an old bachelor fond of animals. But why had he
selected cats for the companions of his lonely walk ? This
old man must have a history.
A woman passed upon the bridge. "Who is that?" the
Professor asked her, pointing downwards.
" Why, old Herr Kostling," she replied, in a whisper.
"Every child in the town knows who he is," she added, as
she pursued her way.
He was seized by a desire to visit the Honeburg also.
He had time enough, and the afternoon was lovely. He could
certainly reach the summit of the hill in half an hour.
\
THE GREEN GATE. 127
CHAPTER IX.
BEYOND the bridge the road forked. To the left it ran
along the fosse, apparently skirting the town, and to the right
it led directly across the fields, towards the Honeburg. Schon-
rade pursued the latter road, which was not nearly so much
worn as the other. Some hundred paces farther on, he passed
a large tile-kiln, and beyond this the ground rose considerably.
From the summit of this rise the road turned to the left,
leading down to the river, to a ferry, where some tall-masted
river-craft lay moored. The Professor looked this way and
that, expecting to find some path to the Honeburg, but there
was nothing between him and the ruin but a strip of sand,
contrasting sharply with the brown heath beyond, overgrown
with low juniper-bushes and young birch-trees. There was
not even a foot-path across this heath, which extended to the
old wall. Schbnrade went back and inquired of a man at the
tile-kiln his road to the Honeburg. " Oh, no one goes there !"
was the laconic reply. He then determined to keep his goal
in view and march straight towards it. He was reminded of
his pathless future.
The sand covered a stony foundation ; here and there grew
tufts of thin grayish-green grass. The most abstemious goat
could not have found pasturage here. But farther on there
was more tender grass growing, and pale-blue harebells were
to be seen among the juniper-bushes on the brown soil. At
intervals there was discovered what at first sight seemed a
pathway in the right direction, but it always proved to be
some old furrow kept open by the rain. Many a year must
have passed since the golden grain had here waved in the
wind or the ploughshare furrowed these meadows. The
birches were six feet high, and among the bushes were the
128 THE GREEN GATE.
stumps of what had formerly been large trees. It produced
a very strange impression, so near a populous town, to come
upon this perfect wilderness, and its effect was heightened by
the view of the old ruin, that loomed larger upon the vision
as one approached it, darkening a portion of the horizon. A
solitary lark trilled high in air, a white butterfly fluttered up
from a harebell, and a belated bee hummed about the cup of a
wild flower ; these were the only signs of life around.
The hill upon which the castle had been built, upon a nearer
approach, was found to be rather insignificant, but it was the
highest point in all the country round, and commanded the
turn of the river. The fosse about it was half filled up and
easily crossed. On the other side massive foundations sup-
ported a wall, crowned here by the lower portion of a tower,
its uneven surface overgrown with wild grape-vine. On this
side there was no trace of gate or door to be seen.
The Professor walked along the wall to where it turned and
made a corner. Here the way was blocked by masses of fallen
stones and tiles ; two window-slits at some elevation had been
boarded up, and were brushed by the boughs of a linden
that had struggled up through the heap of ruins. Farther on
the wall sloped intermittently to the foundation, and above it
nodded and waved the tops of old trees, as if they were grow-
ing in a garden within. Here also no entrance was to be seen.
A little arched doorway of the olden time had been walled up.
On the southern side, however, an entirely different picture
presented itself. Looking quite away from the town, and
perfectly protected by the ruin from the north wind, a strip
of land on the terraced hill had been carefully cultivated,
neatly fenced in, and planted with vegetables of all kinds,
fruit-trees, and grape-vines. Lower down lay small fields of
potatoes and grain, bounded again by a wide extent of barren
heath. The fosse on this side was deeper, but it had been
converted into a shady garden, and was crossed at about the
THE GREEN GATE. 129
centre of the old wall by a bank of earth, probably filling up
the place where had stood the ancient drawbridge. Here
there was a gap in the old wall which had been repaired by
one of modern construction, built of loose stones and broken
tiles, and just where the bank of earth led across the fosse an
opening had been left in this wall, so flanked by two huge
stones, which had probably once formed the arch of a port-
cullis, that a wooden door could be fitted between them. Two
or three stone steps led up to it.
The ruin was inhabited, then, to the no little surprise of
the Professor, who could not remember that the Recorder or
any one at table had mentioned it. He passed easily over the
ditch, and a low hedge on the other side, and then, as no one
was to be seen in garden or meadow, walked up to the door
and knocked boldly. He was curious to know who had built
a nest here among the bats and owls.
A dog began to bark violently from within as he knocked
the second time ; a chain also rattled ; there was no danger,
then, of being attacked.
After awhile a gentle female voice was heard. " Be quiet,
Nero ! what is there to bark at?"
Schonrade knocked again, rather more softly.
" Is any one there ?" the voice asked.
" A traveller begs for admittance," the Professor replied.
" This is not an inn,'' the voice returned. " The town ia
near at hand, where there are lodging-houses in plenty."
" I have just come from the town," he rejoined, " where I
am in an excellent hotel. I will not give any trouble."
" But what do you want here, then ?"
" I will tell you when I am admitted."
" But I must know before you can be admitted."
The Professor frankly stated that he was a stranger, lured
hither by a desire to see the ruins, which he should like to
inspect from within.
130 THE GREEN GATE.
" There is nothing remarkable to be seen here," was the
answer he received.
" I am very tired, and would be glad to have a glass of
water." He listened for a few moments, but no reply came.
" Are you as cautious here now as in the olden time?" he began
again. " Well, then, let me assure you I bring no following
of armed towns-folk. I am quite alone, without even a cane
by way of weapon."
He heard a low laugh above him, and, looking up, saw a
lovely curly head, that disappeared upon finding itself observed.
"What is the matter there, Lena?" a rough voice called
out from some distance. " What is the dog barking at, and
whom are you speaking to?"
" There is a strange gentleman outside, grandpapa," was the
reply, " asking for admittance."
'' What does he want?" The question sounded surly.
" Oh, he wants to see the ruins, and drink some water from
our well."
" He can see ruins enough outside, and you may hand him
out a mug of water."
He was not actually turned away, then. A few minutes
afterwards the bolt was withdrawn and the door half opened.
A slender girl, the owner of the lovely head, appeared upon
the threshold and offered the weary wayfarer a stone mug of
sparkling spring water. The wide sleeves of her embroidered
white linen underdress were rolled up above the elbow ; her
petticoat was slightly caught up, showing pretty little naked
feet. Behind her, on a slight elevation, stood Nero before his
kennel, thrusting his shaggy black head under her raised arm.
It was a pretty picture.
Schonrade drank a little water, but did not return the mug
immediately. " This water is delicious," he said, beginning
another conversation, that he might have time to enjoy the
charming apparition.
THE GREEN GATE. 131
" Indeed it is," the girl replied, with a smile. " I think
you are not very thirsty, though."
" But all the more anxious to see the old castle, now that I
have made acquaintance with the chatelaine."
" The true chatelaine is to be seen here only between twelve
and one at night. Come by here at that time, if you are net
afraid, and perhaps she will wave her veil from the balcony."
She laughed, and held out her hand for the mug.
" Stop !" he exclaimed, withdrawing his hand. " This water
belongs to me, and until I have drunk it I must ask questions
and receive replies."
" Ask, if you please, then."
" Who lives in the Honeburg ?"
" An old gardener, sir, with his daughter-in-law, a widow,
and his grandchild, whom you see before you."
" Is there any road from here to the town ?"
" Oh, yes ; but probably not upon the side by which you
came. There was an old feud between the castle and the
town, and there was always a waste heath on that side. From
here you go down to the river, and there is a road along the
bank to the ferry. But pray drink some more ; I cannot wait
here until the water dries up."
" And I cannot come in ?"
" My grandfather will not permit it ; he wishes to have as
little to do as possible with people outside."
" Does no one know, then, that the castle is inhabited ?"
The girl laughed. " We are not quite such recluses, and,
indeed, it could not be concealed. Huckster-women come
here every morning in summer ; many a table in the town is
supplied from our garden." She looked up at the sky. " But
pray give me the mug, and make haste to go. A storm is
coming up, and it may readily overtake you before you reach
the town."
He also looked, and saw that she was right. But some
132 THE GREEN GATE.
mysterious force seemed to rivet him to the spot. He could
not bear to leave without accomplishing his purpose. " If
I should wait here until the rain began to fall," he said, in a
jesting tone, " you could not have the heart to keep me out
in the open air."
She moved the door to and fro upon its creaking hinges, as
if about to close it instantly. " Better not try," she said.
" Why don't you shut the door?" the harsh voice was
heard again, and a heavy step approached.
" Here conies the grandfather," thought the Professor.
" So much the better ! I shall soon know if I must go away
without seeing the IT'oneburg."
A bony hand, placed above the girl's, opened the door
wide. A man with snow-white beard and hair, but erect and
powerfully built, pushed her away and stepped out. It was
evident that an angry remonstrance with the intruder was
upon his lips ; but it died away without utterance. He
started as if in terrified surprise at sight of the Professor,
knitted his brows, and stood still, the picture of amazement.
" Sir," he stammered.
" Your grandchild refused me admittance," said the Pro-
fessor, " and you look at me as if I were a ghost."
" A ghost," he repeated, darting a keen glance at the
stranger. "A ghost, it might well be so." Then, collecting
himself, and passing his hand over his brow, he asked, " May
I beg you to tell me your name, sir?"
" Professor Schonrade, from Berlin."
The old man shook his head dubiously. " Schonrade, Pro-
fessor Schonrade, no ! 'Twill not do, 'twill not do. But
come in, sir, come in. Be quiet, Nero! lie is chained.
Strange, very strange !"
Most strange indeed the Professor thought this reception,
but he said nothing for the present, as he followed the old man
up the stone steps into the court-yard. It was a spacious
THE GREEN GATE. 133
square ; on the right there was a little garden, and on the left
the remains of the old watch-tower, with a magnificent gateway
of carved stone. Partly within this, and partly built against
it and the wall of the main building, was a pretty little cottage,
with a small stable. The stones from the ruins had afforded
a fine foundation, laid above the old castle cellar, where pro-
visions could be stored, and upon them a frame structure had
been erected, with a projecting roof, the supports of which
were wreathed with wild grape-vines, forming a veranda, be-
neath which ascended the light staircase. No more unique
picture could be imagined than this pretty vine-wreathed cot-
tage in the shade of magnificent old trees, and surrounded by
the ancient castle walls, battered and weather-stained by the
storms of centuries. There, where the pavement around the
basin of the ancient fountain was still preserved, steeds panting
for the battle had once neighed, amid the clang of steel and
the rattle of harness. Peace had built her nest here in the
ruined stronghold of war.
The girl appeared to understand as little as the stranger the
sudden change in the old man's mood. Her eyes, from be-
neath her clustering curls, gazed in surprise at the altered ex-
pression of his stern features, that had lost all harshness, in an
air of dreamy reverie. He followed Schonrade with his glance,
and murmured, shaking his head, " Schonrade ! no no. I
am wrong, I am wrong. It is odd I should be so deceived."
The Professor begged to be allowed to sit down upon the
stone seat by the fountain, and the old man assented.
The girl's mother now appeared from the cottage, a spare
woman with a careworn face, but well dressed, and bade the
stranger welcome. She was quite at her ease, and began to
talk of what interested her in " the world outside." " We
seldom see a newspaper," she said, with a sigh ; " we live a
very lonely life." In reply to his inquiries, Schonrade learned
that her husband had been a sergeant in the army, and had
12
134 THE GREEN GATE.
been killed in the last war. After his death she had come
with her only child to keep house for her father-in-law. Lena
delighted in the life here, solitude was refreshing to her after
her father's death, and she would not have exchanged it for
the gayest life in town. Healthy in mind and body though
she was, nevertheless she was by no means insensible to the
charm of romance which invested these old ruins ; they clothed
with life the chivalric stories and fairy-tales of her childhood.
The mother, with her sorrowful experiences and her ever-fresh
sorrow for her husband's loss, longed for distraction and excite-
ment; she was always glad to welcome a guest in the old ruin.
Had the old man no other son? the Professor asked. Yes,
but he might almost as well have had none, for his elder son
had left home very early in life, and had finally settled in Italy,
where he had married. From time to time they had a letter
from him, but of late years they had been written in very bad
German, he seemed almost to have forgotten his mother
tongue. He was, however, quite well-to-do in the world.
" There is no reason why my father should slave here at his
gardening," the woman remarked ; " we might very easily live
in the town, but he chooses to do it "
" He must do it, my child," the old man declared. " You
cannot understand that property that has been intrusted to
one's charge must be looked after."
While they were talking, a violent wind had arisen, it was
roaring in the tops of the trees, and whistling in all the holea
and crannies of the old walls. Thunder-clouds were banked
high in the western sky. It grew very dark, and some large
drops fell upon the paving-stones.
" You will be sorry that you did not take my advice," the
girl said to the Professor; "the storm will not wait for you."
" Oh, we can't let the gentleman go now," her mother
observed ; " in ten minutes it will rain so that he would be
wet to the skin. He must wait until the worst has passed
THE GREEN GATE. 135
over." As she spoke, she looked towards the old gardener,
who nodded his head in assent. Schonrade was not at all in
a hurry.
He was soon seated heside the old man at a round table in
a comfortable little room, before the windows of which the
vine-leaves were dancing in the storm. The woman placed
before him bread and butter, cheese, and beer. The girl had
vanished, and reappeared in neat stockings and shoes. The
lamp burned brightly, but the rain fell in torrents, and there
was a constant roll of thunder.
The Professor, in his turn, now asked his host's name, and
learned that it was Vogelstein. "And you have a son in
Ttaly ? In Florence ?"
" Yes, yes ; he wrote us last from there that he had under-
taken to keep an inn," the old man replied.
" And I remember now that Signer Uccello told me he
came from this part of Germany," the Professor exclaimed ;
and then ensued question and answer, by which it was made
plain that Signer Uccello was no other than old Vogelstein's
eldest son. Of course they were all upon a friendly footing at
once. The Professor happened to mention, with a touch of
humour, the " Palazzo Bellarota," and on the instant the old
man grew attentive, and laid his hand on his arm, as if to
arrest the conversation at that point, but, seeming then to
bethink himself, shook his head and said nothing. Schonrade
introduced the Recorder's account of the Honeburg, in order
to learn, if he could, how Vogelstein came to inhabit the ruins.
" I suppose," he concluded, " that there is no mystery in the
matter? If there is, I will curb my curiosity."
" Certainly no mystery," the gardener replied. " All is as
plain and simple as possible, too simple to interest any one,
even the diligent police. My family has been closely connected
in a certain way with that of the Freiherrs von Honeburg for
a long time. My ancestors were towns-folk, who centuries
136 THE GREEN GATE.
ago possessed great wealth and took their seats at the council-
board. The Feinberg mansion, which you tell me you have
seen to-day, belonged to one of them, and the inscription on
his monument is still legible in the church of the Blessed
Virgin. There is a long story concerning the loss of our
possessions, which I will only lightly touch upon. In a bloody
feud between the town and the Freiherr, the town had un-
justly thrown two of his followers into a dungeon as robbers,
my ancestor secretly espoused the cause of Von Honeburg,
to whom he was beholden for many a personal kindness, and
admitted him to the town at night by the green gate. In
spite of his friend's aid. however, Von Honeburg was unsuc-
cessful, and the Vogelsteins were deprived of their rights as
townsmen, and forced to fly. I do not excuse his conduct: I
only tell of it to show how the Vogelsteins came to live at the
Honeburg, first as allies of the Freiherr, and afterwards in his
service. The friendship between them continued when what
had given rise to it was wellnigh forgotten. In later times,
when the lords of the castle were frequently absent at court
or in the army, they always appointed the Vogelsteins their
bailiffs, and this continued as long as there was any land left
to look after. My father was bailiff here, but even in his
young days his master was going down-hill, and farm after
farm had to be sold. Ever since I can remember, poverty was
the order of the day, very little more than daily bread was
made by cultivating what land remained. I was very young
when I was obliged to serve in the army, and I was in the
same regiment in which the Freiherr von Honeburg was cap-
tain of cavalry, and in his squadron. Then the French war
broke out, and we took the field. We rode side by side in
many a battle, and once I saved his life when he would not
have given a pin for his chance. He was terribly wounded,
and resigned from his command, retiring upon his pension to
a small provincial town. He had been married shortly before
THE GREEN GATE. 137
the war, and his wife now accompanied him into his retreat
and bore him a boy, to whose education he devoted himself.
As soon as I had served out my time he put me here to take
care of the Hb'neburg, that is, all of it that was left to
take care of, so that a small sum from here was added yearly
to his pension. His son entered the school for cadets, and
was often sent hither in the vacation for the sake of the fresh
country air. After his father's death he came here, a young
officer, and reinstated me in my office for my lifetime ; but he
sold a few more acres, so that I am nothing but a gardener.
He led the gay life of a young officer in many a garrison
town, and was finally ordered to this place. What happened
here "
He interrupted himself, put his hand up to his mouth, and
coughed. Then he looked steadily at his guest for awhile,
moved his lips without speaking, and finally asked, " Do you
not knew ?"
" How should I know?" asked the Professor, in surprise.
" Well, whatever happened," the old man continued, " was,
I plainly perceive, no affair either of yours or mine. I will
only tell you that the lieutenant, my master, came here to the
Hb'neburg one day, and ordered me to put in order the best
room I could find, for that a young lady was coming here to
stay. I looked at him in amazement, and it seemed to me
that he carried an uneasy conscience in his breast. He saw
what I thought, and sl to me, ' There certainly is some
secrecy to be preserved, but it will scarcely result in a siege
of the castle, as in olden times.' I shook my head doubtfully,
and he felt it necessary to reassure me still farther. ' It is
in strict honour,' he said, ' in strict honour ! We are to be
married, but it can't be done immediately. She will be mar-
ried to some one else to-morrow if we do not prevent it.' It
was my duty to obey, and I obeyed. In the night he brought
her across the moor upon his horse, in front of him, after true
12*
138 THE* GRE&N GATE.
knightly fashion, gave her in charge to us, and returned im-
mediately to the town, as she told him to. He came often to
visit her, and one day he brought a priest with him, and they
were married, standing upon the site of the old castle chapel,
just where the altar-stone lies, beneath the large linden. After
that the Freiherr often spent days at a time here, and finally
took up his abode here altogether, having received or taken
his dismissal from the army."
The old man rubbed his brow, as if to freshen up old
memories, or to drive away those that thrust themselves for-
ward unbidden.
"How long ago was it?" asked Schonrade, far more in-
terested in these modern tales of the Honeburg than he had
been by the Recorder's revelations.
" Oh, more than thirty years ago," the gardener answered,
making a silent calculation, "perhaps thirty-five; certainly
more than thirty. I can tell you to a day if I consult my old
day-book, where I wrote it all down faithfully, because I was
one of the witnesses of the marriage. Certainly more than
thirty years."
" And did they live here long ?"
" That depends upon what you call long. Compared with
my lifetime it was not long, but they certainly found it so
although they were very happy together at first. Oh, what s
beautiful lady she was ! She had wonderful eyes, so black
and flashing, not like the eyes of tlA women about here, and,
indeed, she was only h^ilf German. And her hair ! She would
sometimes go to the fountain in the early morning with it
hanging^ all unbraided and loose about her. There was a
bluish lustre to it. and it was so long and thick that it fell
about her like a cloak. I never saw such hair either before
or since."
He looked into vacancy with a glow of enthusiasm on his
wrinkled face, then nodded his head slowly, and passed his
THE GRE^N GATE. 139
hand across his eyes. " This has nothing to do with it." he
began again ; " you wanted me to tell you of myself. But, I
cannot tell why, I cannot drive it all from my thoughts to-
night. Excuse me, sir."
" Oh, go on, pray !" said the Professor, who had grown
very grave, and was listening with eager attention. " What
happened next ?"
" Oh, there is little more to tell," the old man continued.
" Although tney neither of them could have been used to the
solitude of the life here, yet they lived together very happily
for a year and more. A little son was born to them, and their
content seemed perfect. Sometimes we were rather pinched,
for the Freiherr had no pension, and the castle territory was
small indeed ; the young wife, too, had brought her husband
nothing but her beauty and her love. The Freiherr was cross
sometimes, and then his wife used to shed tears in secret.
Once an official came here from the town about some old
debts of my master's, and after that there was many a wretched,
unhappy day. ' We shall soon be at the end of everything,'
the Freiherr said to me one day, ' and have to leave even this
miserable nest, and what then ?' But the Baroness was
too proud to complain either to me or to my wife ; she de-
voured her grief in secret, and her beauty began to fade. I
am sure that the Freiherr never alluded to her poverty to her ;
no, no : that was not his way ; but she probably accused her-
self of being the cause oMiis miserable difficulties. She sang
less .and less in those days. Ah, how wonderfully she could
sing ! I once said in jest to my master, ' The Frau Baroness
would make a great sensation upon the stage !' But he was
very angry with me for my presumption ; perhaps she had
said something of the kind to him before. At last, when their
need was the sorest, a letter arrived that greatly agitated them.
A distant cousin of the Freiherr's, whom he had almost for-
gotten, was dead, and his immense estate, which had been in
140 THE GREEN GATE.
the family for centuries, in default of nearer heirs, fell to
my master. He was also to bear henceforth the title of
Graf von Gleichenau. The future of the young couple was
luxuriously provided for. The Freiherr hurried off to take
possession of his wealth, leaving his wife and child here tem-
porarily."
"And did he never come back?" asked Schonrade, eagerly.
" Yes, he came back once more, I can't tell how long
afterwards, but not at all as he had left. His beautiful wife
may have learned how matters stood from his letters, for she
received him so coldly that it cut me to the heart. I heard
him in the room speaking loud and violently to her as he never
had spoken before, and then I had to go for the doctor, for
she was seized with a violent fit of hysterics ; and the cause
of their disagreement I never discovered, I never tried to
discover it. A notary made his appearance here, with all
kinds of papers for signature, but the Baroness refused to sign
anything. Then the Freiherr gave me money to have the
house put in better order, and to provide for the welfare of
mother and child, and again took his departure. Since then
I have never seen him."
" And his wife? and the child?"
" They stayed here for some time. Letters came and went ;
I never knew what their contents were, for she was silent as
the grave. Once a packet arrived, with five seals, and a large
amount of money written out on the cover of it ; but she
returned it immediately. A few days after that she took her
departure, weeping bitterly as she thanked me again and again
for what little kindness I had been able to show her. She
drove off with her baby, without saying where she was going.
I immediately informed my master of what had occurred, but
I received no reply, nor has he ever answered any of my
letters since. I send him a yearly statement of my adminis-
tration here, but apparently he does not wish to be reminded
THE GREEN GATE. 141
of the Honeburg. I shall die, I suppose, without ever seeing
another line from his hand ; but I will die at my post, like an.
old sodier."
CHAPTER X.
THE Professor rose hastily and left the room. He was
greatly agitated, more so than he cared to show in the presence
of strangers. Had he just penetrated the mystery of his birth,
so carefully guarded from him hitherto by his mother ? He
was certain of nothing, and yet he could have sworn that so
it was.
He stood still beneath the veranda, where the fresh breeze
after the storm brought him coolness and refreshment. The
drops were falling from the vine-leavesj but the rain had ceased.
A few dark clouds were drifting overhead towards the town,
but between them the deep-blue skies were clear. He pon-
dered whether he should not instantly leave the ruin and try
to forget what he had just heard. But how to leave without
making courteous acknowledgment to his hosts for their kind-
ness, when they could not possibly imagine what urged him to
depart? And did it urge him to depart? Did it not rather
bind him by invisible ties to the spot? A short time ago, all
this had been a matter of supreme indifference to him ; now
he grasped eagerly at anything that could be of advantage to
him in his suit. If he was on the eve of what might prove a
fortunate discovery, why avoid it ? His filial duty prompted
no such course. He tapped lightly on the window in invita-
tion to those within, then walked to the fountain and gazed
into its depths, where gleamed the friendly sparkle of a star.
He hailed it gladly, and thought of her whom he loved best.
The gardener, with his daughter and grandchild, joined him.
142 THE GREEN GATE.
" It is time to go," said the Professor, hoping that they would
try to detain him. The old man looked up to the skies and
remarked that the storm seemed to be over. His daughter
happily observed that the meadows and moor were drenched
with rain, and that it would hardly be possible to find the
shortest path to the ferry. Was it necessary that he should re-
turn to the town that night? He replied that there was no
need for such haste, and that if he could have lodging here
he would far rather remain than wander about the damp moor
seeking his way. The woman looked at the old man, who an-
swered her look more kindly than she had expected, with a
" Do as you please." Then the young girl joined in the con-
versation, and suggested the empty room, which, as her grand-
father had told her, the beautiful baroness had occupied with
her little son. That was just what he would like, the Pro-
fessor declared, and the two women hurried into the house to
make the necessary arrangements.
The old man remained, and seated himself on the stone seat,
which was already dry. Schonrade again leaned over the basin
of the fountain. " You seemed greatly struck by my appear-
ance when you first saw me," he began, "and I thought I
heard words from your lips expressive of surprise. Was I
right ? and, if so, may I ask what startled you upon seeing me?"
" You were right," replied the gardener, " you were right.
But I was wrong, although it is most strange "
" What is most strange ?"
" Your resemblance to to "
To whom ?"
" I can hardly say. At first I thought to the Baroness
von Honeburg, of whose sorrows I have told you, and then
it seemed to me that the Freiherr himself But I could
not say whether it lay in the face or figure, in eyes, nose, or
mouth. And now that I am more familiar with your appear-
ance, it fades, and I see perfectly that I was wrong. You must
THE GREEN GATE. 143
not take it ill of the man who has been waiting for more than
thirty years to see his master and the lord of this castle."
The Professor could hardly control his emotion. After a
few moments, he said, " And suppose you had not erred ?
suppose "
The old man turned, and laid a trembling hand upon his
arm.
" I have no certainty in the matter," the Professor con-
tinued, hurriedly, " and nothing can be farther from my
thoughts than any desire to impose upon you or myself. But
there were some strange coincidences suggested by your story,
and my mother, who has always concealed from me every par-
ticular of my birth and early infancy, was averse to my coming
hither. Do you know' the Baroness von Honeburg's maiden
name ?"
" I do."
" Let me tell you my mother's. She is a Bellarota, ,the
daughter of the singer Carlo Bellarota, who died here in the
hospital of the town when she was scarcely ten years old."
" In truth, sir, it was as you say."
" And my name is the German rendering of hers. Schon-
rade is German for Bellarota."
The old man arose, took off his cap, and bowed low. " Then
there can be no doubt," he exclaimed, with heartfelt joy.
" Welcome, welcome, Herr Freiherr, to your ancestral home !"
This solemn address served instantly to change the entire
tone of the Professor's thoughts, to destroy the melancholy
mood in which he was indulging, and he burst into a laugh.
The gardener started, and looked half offended. " Forgive me,
good friend," said Schonrade. " Indeed, you would laugh as I
do if you knew all. Did I not tell you that Philip Amberger
believed he had discovered the Palazzo Bellarota in your son's
hotel ? So it was, and he gravely addressed me there as in
the palace of my ancestors. I come to Northern Germany, and
144 THE GREEN GATE.
find here evidence to prove ray descent from trie Freiherrs
von Hb'neburg, whose oldest and most faithful friend bids me
welcome to my ancestral halls. Is it not better to laugh than
to cry ? tell me."
Vogelstein's face relaxed a little. " Yes, yes," he said, " it
seems strange enough, but many an event in real life seems too
strange for a romance, and why not Oh that I should
live to see the day !"
" Do not let us take a well-founded suspicion for complete
proof," the guest said, warningly. " Permit me to remain, as
far as you and yours are concerned, Professor Xaver Schb'n-
rade, until "
" Xaver ?" exclaimed the gardener. " It was the boy's bap-
tismal name."
" That, too, strengthens the probability. Nevertheless, let
me remain what I know I am until I receive full confirmation
from my mother and the Count von Gleichenau. I lay claim
to only one proof of confidence on your part: tell me whether
you have any papers in your keeping that may throw farther
light upon this matter. You can safely intrust them in my
hands while I am with you here."
" Yes, there are some papers," the gardener said, after a
moment's reflection, "and they must be just where the Frau
Baroness left them, in the upper drawer of the cabinet, in her
bed-chamber. I kept the key. There are both papers and let-
ters, but she cannot have attached much value to them, or she
would have taken the little packet with her. She left in anger,
and bowed down by grief; she may have forgotten them."
His daughter came to conduct their guest to his room.
Lena was standing on the stairs with a lighted candle, and she
bade him a kindly good-night. Vogelstein brought him the
key of the cabinet, and the two men shook hands in silence.
A moment afterwards the Professor stood within the little
low-ccilinged room where, perhaps, his cradle had once rocked.
THE GREEN GATE. U5
He was overpowered, in thus unexpectedly finding his home,
by sensations that were both sad and plea.sing. For awhile
he paused where he stood, near the door, and his eyes grew
dim as he looked towards the window where the wretched
young wife must have often sat, and at the simple couch where
she had passed sleepless nights, and at the wardrobe and cab-
inet of plainest birch-wood which had contained her belong-
ings. What had taken place here between those two people
who certainly had once loved each other dearly? What stormy
experience had assailed the heart that had been left here to
throb in sickening expectation or passionate grief? He thought
he could now understand why his mother had drawn an im-
penetrable veil over all that far-off time, and had withheld
from him the name of the husband who had so saddened her
life and deprived her son of his rights. Hitherto he had felt
only indifference towards this father of his, now he seemed to
hate him as his mother ha'ted him. "It makes no difference, '
he muttered sadly to himself. " I have no father."
He placed a chair in front of the cabinet, and opened the
drawer. He found within, as the old man had said, papers
and letters, which he arranged hastily, and then read one
by one. From them he gleaned a knowledge of what had
happened, but the light and shadow cast upon that past all
came from one direction ; from Camilla there was nothing
save a few words hurriedly written by way of comment on the
margin of some of the letters. The Freiherr's tone in writing
was uniformly gentle and kind; even when he lamented an
obstinate misconception of his good intentions, or enforced
some stern demand, his style never ceased to be characterized
by a respectful forbearance and a cordial good will, that spoke
well for the writer, although they had evidently been but scant-
ily appreciated by the reader. Some sheets were torn in two,
and parts of some were entirely wanting. The seals of others
were still unbroken ; either their contents had been surmised
G 13
146 THE GREEN GATE.
beforehand, or the wife's displeasure upon receiving them had
found vent in this sign of an absence of interest. Until long
past midnight the Professor sat poring over these papers and
unveiling a melancholy past.
It was beyond a doubt that the Freiherr had truly loved
Camilla. How he won her for his wife there was nothing
here to tell, but in one letter he said that he never could for-
get that for his sake she had resigned the certain prospect
of a life surrounded by every luxury ; and this passage was
underscored in pencil several times, by the same hand, evi-
dently, that had appended to it a mark of interrogation. The
son knew his mother too well not to suspect that her proud and
passionate temperament might but too probably have been the
cause of disagreements in her married life that had cooled the
ardour of a husband not especially constant in character. The
fine bond of union must have been somewhat frayed when
the event occurred which necessitated the Freiherr's absence.
True, there followed from Castle Gleichenau the tenderest
letters, that in their constant reference to the idyllic life in the
old ruin were not without a deep tincture of romance, and
that painted in glowing colours the happy future that should
be passed in the midst of wealth and plenty. But soon the
communications grew less frequent and more common-place,
being often confined to excuses, scarcely received as sincere,
for delay in writing. Camilla had apparently answered these
with bitter reproaches, requiring that her husband should
return, or should send for her and her child, for the Frei-
herr renewed his excuses, at first eagerly, then more coldly,
postponing the day of his return, and entreating her not to
think of coming to him until the castle should be ready to
receive her.
At last, in answer probably to renewed inquiries as to the
cause of his delay, ca,me a letter of grave import. It appeared
from an investigation of the title-deeds to the large entailed
THE GREEN GATE. 147
estate of which the Freiherr had just taken possession, that it
could devolve only upon heirs noble on the side of both the
father and the mother, who must themselves be able to prove a
certain number of noble ancestors. The Freiherr apparently
informed Camilla of this fact simply as a preamble to what fol-
lowed ; he thought he had heard her say that her father belonged
to an ancient Italian family of rank. She well knew how little
importance he himself attached to noble birth, how small a
value he had placed upon his own, but, now that this large estate
of Gleichenau had fallen to him, it was of moment to know
whether his son could inherit it, or whether it must devolve
at his death upon another branch of the family. Camilla,
perhaps smarting from a sense of previous real or fancied neg-
lect, appeared to have suspected in this letter a regret upon
her husband's part at having contracted an unequal marriage,
for his next letter contained a remonstrance with her for her
intemperate outbreak of passion, and for her accusations,
which were certainly as yet without foundation. This " as
yet" was again strongly underscored in pencil, and attention
was called to it by exclamation-points on the margin of the
paper. She must have replied, however, that her family was
indubitably noble, for the Freiherr, although he expressed
himself as by no means convinced, promised her that he would
go immediately to Italy, and make all possible inquiries there,
that she might be reinstated in her rights, praying her, until
that should be done, to remain in the Honeburg, since he
desired to present his wife to the noble families in the neigh-
bourhood of Gleichenau in a manner that should insure her a
suitable reception from them.
This last communication must have greatly irritated Ca-
milla, and, indeed, one might easily conclude from it that the
new Count of Gleichenau was nowise inclined to submit to
any social rebuff for his wife's sake. She must have discerned
in such an ignoring of herself a greater want of affection
148 THE GREEN GATE.
than even his previous coldness had prepared her for, and she
dearly saw the loss that threatened her child. In a short
memorandum in her handwriting she accused her husband
of treachery in wishing to make use of the law of inheritance,
to which he referred, in order to rid himself, in his changed
circumstances, of wife and child. There was, besides, the
copy of a letter to a famous advocate, inquiring whether
such conditions of inheritance would hold good in a marriage
contracted before coming into possession of an entailed estate.
The answer was not to be found, but it could scarcely have
been satisfactory, since there were several notes from various
Italian cities, proving that Camilla, in her distress, had insti-
tuted inquiries there upon her own account.
And certainly any impartial judge would have agreed that
the Freiherr spared no pains to discover traces of the Bella-
rotas. There was a good-sized roll of papers, information
procured from magistrates and priests, from which it was
clear that a noble family of the name did assuredly exist,
but no link could be discovered by which Carlo Bellarota
could be associated with it.
Meanwhile, time widened the breach between the hus-
band and the wife. It was undeniable that the Freiherr was
strongly influenced by his new surroundings, and was grow-
ing more and more familiar with the thought of breaking
a bond which his wife's constant mistrust, complaints, and
reproaches threatened to convert into a galling chain. His
proposal for a separation was not surprising. On the margin
of this letter Camilla had written, "Never! never! never!"
There were some lawyer's letters, offering a generous main-
tenance for mother and child ; several of these were much
torn. A letter with them from the Freiherr was still un-
opened.
His return to the Honeburg must have interrupted the
correspondence. The old gardener had told of the meeting.
THE GREEN GATE. 149
Then came an agreement, carefully drawn up, the conditions
of which were most favourable to the wife, signed by the
Freiherr, but not by Camilla. Beneath his signature this
sentence in his handwriting bore a later date : " I hold my-
self bound to all these conditions, even without Camilla's
expressed acquiescence." Xaver knew that his mother had
never received any means of support from this source, and
he must therefore conclude either that his father had broken
his word or that his mother had been too proud to receive
anything at his hands, which last supposition was the more
probable. With this contract he found another paper, that
occupied his most profound attention.
It was an official document, made out with all the legal
formula, in which the Freiherr von Hb'neburg and Graf von
Gleichenau, after a short explanatory introduction, irrevocably
declared that, in the event of his legal separation from his
present lawful wife Camilla Bellarota, whatever opinion might
be entertained concerning blame to be attached to either party,
he not only acknowledged his son, Xaver von Hb'neburg. born
of this marriage, as his sole heir to all that he, as Freiherr von
Hb'neburg, should possess at his death, but that he wished
hereby to make over to him at the present time the Hone-
burg, with all the buildings, gardens, fields, and waste lands
thereto belonging, upon the sole condition that the boy's
mother should be allowed the use and control of it during his
minority. " Small in value as the gift is," the paper concluded,
" it is all that now belongs to the Von Hbneburg race, and by
this act I wish to convince my son, for whom I hope to pro-
vide abundantly from the income of the Gleichenau estates,
that my love endows him with all over which I have power of
disposal." The Professor read this paper three or four times,
examining the seal and the notary's signature. Unquestionably,
here was a document the validity of which could be proved
in any court of law. According to it, he was lord of this ruin
13*
150 THE GREEN GATE.
of Honeburg, in which he had been offered a shelter for the
night, he had been so for thirty years, and learned the fact
now for the first time. The document had been given into
his mother's keeping, and she had valued it so little that
she had left it behind her when she left his birthplace. Was
it because the place had seemed to her so worthless ? Hardly.
But she hated the man who had given it to her son, and she
had left the Honeburg, evidently resolved that her son should
bear her name and should grow up in ignorance of that of her
thankless and faithless husband.
It was strange. As the heap of letters laid aside as read
accumulated on his left hand, his sentiments underwent an
astonishing change. He cordially loved his mother, he was
grateful to her for her care of him, the many sacrifices she
had made in his behalf, and the thousand proofs of her tender
affection ; he could not but admit that one of the chief causes
of her grief and despair had been the thought of her child
who was to lose a father ; her love for her husband had been
most fervent and passionate, her sufferings had been great
in proportion*; and after her life had been shattered, as it were,
the manner in which she had relied solely upon her own
efforts, and refused all other aid, was proof of extraordinary
force of character; and yet he could not but feel more and
more that the man who had wrought all this wrong was some-
thing to him, that he could not be as angry with him as he
seemed to deserve, and that he could not refuse him a large
share of sympathy. Those two people, lie reflected, could
have made each other happy only for as long as their several
peculiarities of temperament were held in abeyance ; if all this
had not happened to separate them, they would not have pur-
sued life's pathway much further arm-in-arm, they would
have become estranged, and perhaps neither would ever have
reached any desirable goal. Camilla Bellarota was a born
artist.
THE GREEN GATE. 151
The further course of events, so far as it was to be gathered
from these papers, strengthened him in this idea. The Frei-
herr declared that during the short period of their marriage
he had become convinced that an enduring union between them
was impossible. He could not compel his wife to consent to
a divorce, but he should henceforth live away from her, and
he hoped that time would bring her the power to see and
judge more clearly as to her course. Her reply to this must
have been the announcement of her intention to go upon the
stage, for a letter from the Freiherr ensued, evidently written
in extreme irritation, in which he distinctly and emphatically
forbade any such step on her part. Several others, all occu-
pied with the same subject, were found, until at last he briefly
and sternly declared that persistence in her determination would
constitute a sufficient plea for a divorce from the Count of
Gleichenau, and that he should not fail to avail himself of it.
This was the last letter in his handwriting, and it was blis-
tered here and there with tears. According to the old gar-
dener, Camilla had delayed her departure from the Hbneburg
for some time after receiving the letter containing money, of
which he had told. Perhaps she had pondered long whether
she should disregard the menace, which was certainly the result
of stern determination on her husband's part. But at last
she had thrown all consideration to the winds, and had gone
forth into the world with her child, to pursue the vocation for
which she was born. The Count of Gleichenau had doubtless
shortly received intelligence of the singer's brilliant success,
and had easily obtained a divorce.
The candle had burned low in the socket ; the Professor
extinguished it, and, throwing the window wide open, leaned
out into the cool night-air. The heavens were clear, sprinkled
with glittering stars, a gentle breeze rustled among the tops
of the trees, and from a crevice in the ruins a moping owl
sent forth its melancholy cry. Was his Katrine asleep and
152 THE GREEN GATE.
dreaming? How little the dear child knew of what was now
agitating his very soul !
Not until after an hour spent in deep reverie did he betake
himself to bed, where he slept until late the next morning.
The gardener's daughter had twice served the coffee, and
twice cleared it away, when he at last appeared for what was
almost a mid-day meal. His healthy nature had recovered its
wonted tone after his hours of sleep ; his nerves were no
longer shaken by the agitating revelations of the previous
evening; he was even ready to jest again. "Bygones are
bygones," he said to himself as he dressed ; " those tears were
dried long ago ; those sighs there is not even an echo of
them left. Each of those two has long passed the meridian
of life, and is upon the downward path ; the chance that re-
vealed all that vanished time to me thus late made it present
to me last night. What influence it may have upon my life
is most uncertain. In the clear light of to-day I will let it
take its place for me also in the past."
Accordingly, he did not fail to compliment the sergeant's
widow upon the excellence of the coffee and the breakfast,
or to observe that Lena was this morning attired very pret-
tily and quite like a town-bred maiden. He discovered also
that the girl was remarkably well educated, more thoroughly
and carefully than many a daughter of the aristocracy who
had masters by the dozen at her command.
" Where will your pretty daughter find a lover in this soli-
tude and seclusion?" he jestingly asked the mother.
She sighed. " It is indeed very lonely and quiet here, but
sometimes we mix with our kind. Almost every Sunday we
go to town to church, and I see many a fine gentleman turn
to stare after my Lena's pretty face. One and another comes
here from time to time ; but the girl holds her head very high,
because the Vogelsteins, she says, have patrician blood in their
veins. And yet I do not say that an upright, honest man,
THE GREEN GATE. 153
with his heart in the right place, would be unwelcome to
us all."
Lena brought a basket of ripe cherries, fresh from the
garden. Her grandfather, in the joy of his heart, had let fall
something of the previous night's conversation, and she asked,
in a tone of gay raillery, " Are you our Freiherr, then, or not ?
How can we pay you due respect unless we know ?"
" Oh, if the Professor does not inspire respect, Fraulein
Lena," Schonrade said, with a laugh, " the Freiherr will come
off but poorly. You are too familiar with the length and
breadth of his noble possessions."
" We cannot tell what they may be worth," the old gardener
gravely interposed. "Not long ago there were some gentlemen
here surveying the meadow and the sandy tract. There was
some talk of a new railroad, and they wanted space for a depot
and machine-shops. They thought I had the disposal of the
land, and offered me a sum for it that I should hardly dare to
mention. And yet I rather think they hoped to drive a close
bargain with so poor a man. They probably had recourse to
the Graf von GMchenau."
From these words the Professor concluded that Vogelstein
knew nothing of the deed of gift. He might have put the
paper in his pocket and carried it off, but he could not for a
moment contemplate such an abuse of confidence. He took
the old man up-stairs and delivered up to him again all the
papers, showing him the important deed and commending it
to his special care. " I cannot ask you," he said, " to let me
take this paper, for I am still only a stranger to you, and must
make good my claim, although I am sure that I could easily
satisfy your mind on this point. But I am not yet certain
whether I shall find it best, in my own interest, to vindicate
my rights here ; and therefore you will certainly not object to
my taking a copy of this deed, and referring, if necessary, to
the original in your possession."
G*
154 THE GREEN GATE.
The gardener gladly consented. " I am sure you are our
Freiherr's son," he said, " and I only pray Heaven to grant its
blessing upon all you undertake."
He brought paper and pen. In an hour Schonrade had fin-
ished, and bade good-bye to his kind hosts. He reached his
hotel in time to pay his reckoning and leave by the express
train for Berlin.
On the long journey he had sufficient leisure to think over
all that had occurred, and to form his plans for the future.
CHAPTER XL
THERE were many surmises in the villa in the Thiergarten-
strasse as to the cause of the Professor's absence for two con-
secutive days. The. Councillor's wife received his card, left
for her with the servants, but had heard nothing further from
him. Katrine judged it best to mention having seen him, as
he had of course been observed to enter the pavilion, but she
naturally made no further reference to his visit, and no one
felt any curiosity on the subject. Who could suspect that
those few minutes had been a crisis in two lives ?
" You must stop at his rooms as you come home from
'Change," the Councillor's wife said to her husband. " He may
be ill, and it would be very unkind to take no notice of his
absence." She found the evenings very tiresome, and had con-
stant headache again.
Mr. Fairfax offered to call on the Professor.
" But why ?" Lilli inquired. " He might think
" What might he think ?" her mother asked, with more
asperity than the timid remark seemed to warrant. " The Pro-
fessor is our dear friend, and it is no more than proper that
THE GREEN GATE. 155
Mr. Fairfax, who has learned to value him, should ask after
his welfare."
Lilli made no reply. She had not altogether regretted
Schonrade's absence, since she had not been the cause of it.
These few days of uninterrupted intercourse with the young
Englishman, during which she had seen very little of Katrine,
who had been busy with some embroidery and seemed to like
to be alone, had convinced her that the society of the man of
science was not necessary to her happiness. The young people
were growing very intimate, and, although no formal declara-
tion had as yet been made, there were many signs of an ap-
proaching betrothal. The Councillor's wife observed this with
satisfaction ; her husband's wishes were on the eve of accom-
plishment.
Mr. Fairfax inquired at the Professor's rooms, and found
that he was absent from the city ; his landlady could not tell
whither he had gone or how long he would be away. Frau
Wiesel thought such a sudden departure very odd, leaving
no address, either. " Did he say nothing to you about it ?" she
asked, turning to Katharina ; ' it is extremely strange." The
poor child felt the blood rush to her cheeks, and bent her head
low over her embroidery, as she replied that she had seen him
but for a few moments, and that probably some sudden occur-
rence
" Of course, of course !" Frau Wiesel assented ; " we shall
soon learn that there is no cause for our anxiety. One grows
so accustomed to seeing people, and then, in turn, to their ab-
sence. He could not have gone to Wiesbaden with us, at all
events." Her thoughts were again occupied with' the contem-
plated pleasure-trip.
Katrine had put the rose that Xaver had given her in a
glass of water, in her own room, and tended it carefully. Be-
fore it withered, he must be back again, she thought. Lilli
wondered at the care thus bestowed. " Why are you so de-
156 THE GREEN GATE.
voted to that one rose ?" she asked ; " there are hundreds far
finer in the garden, and you can have as many of them as you
like every day, you know."
Katrine laughed archly. " This rose is very different from
the rest," she replied ; " can't you see that?"
" Not at all. I think it faded and poor-looking."
" It has a very rare and peculiar fragrance."
" That is pure imagination."
" Perhaps so."
The next morning Katrine found a rose in a vase of water
in Lilli's room. " You too ?" she asked.
" Oh, dear !" she replied, with some embarrassment, " Mr.
Fairfax plucked it yesterday and gave it to me. It is very silly
to save one rose, when there is a garden-full ; but then he did
it so kindly, and said "
What did he say ?"
" Oh, I can't tell you. I ought to have thrown the rose
away, I know."
" Yet there it is in water, and there it will be, I wager, until
it is entirely faded and its fragrance is all gone. Then it will
probably be pressed and preserved."
" What nonsense !"
Katrine shook her finger at her. " Oh, Lilli, how faithless
you are to your Professor "
" Katrine !"
" Out of sight, out of mind !"
" You must confess that all that was very stupid "
" With pleasure, my dear."
Lilli was struck by a sudden idea. " Tell me that rose of
yours "
" Make yourself easy. Mr. Fairfax did not give it to
me."
Lilli pouted prettily. " I'm quite sure of that."
" Oh, indeed !"
THE GREEN GATE. 157
" But did some one else ?"
Katharina laid a finger on her lips. "Don't ask yourself
riddles, my dear, that all your wisdom will never solve."
" What ! you have secrets from me ! And I tell you every-
thing ! Down upon your knees and confess !"
Katrine sighed. " Yes, if you could only give me absolu-
tion." And that was all she would say.
That very day the post brought two letters for " Fr'dulein
Katharina Ambergcr." She took them hastily from the ser-
vant, glanced at their addresses, and put them, unopened, into
her pocket. " From my mother," she said to Lilli, who was
with her.
"And the other?"
" From my brother in Italy," she replied, instantly, without
looking up.
" It did not look like a German hand ; it seemed to me more
French."
" Oh, Moritz often uses the Italian characters."
" Moritz ?"
" I meant to say Philip."
" But that letter had a German post-mark. Let me
see it."
" How curious you are ! I will go up-stairs and read it."
" Why not read it here? I'll not disturb you."
Katharina gave her a kiss, and hurried out of the library.
She locked herself up in her own room, threw herself into
an arm-chair by the window, arid looked at the two unopened
letters in her lap, delaying the decisive moment that their con-
tents would surely bring her. She was not familiar with the
Professor's handwriting, but she never doubted that the second
letter was from him. Yet she opened her mother's first, for
she knew it would be the more important of the two, and she
would read her lover's words when they might be needed as
comfort. Frau Barbara Amberger wrote :
14
158 THE GREEN GATE.
" My DEAR CHILD, I have received a visit to-day from a
certain Professor Schonrade, who has said some very strange
things to me, unfortunately, having reference to you. I can-
not at all imagine that you have given him the encouragement
which he speaks of having received : you could not have so
far forgotten what you owe to your family and to your own
self-respect. At all events, I must interpose my authority to
prevent any continuance of your intercourse with him, and it
is inconsistent with my sense of maternal duty to allow you to
remain any longer beneath a roof from which I have no right
to exclude such bold intruders. To avoid all remark, I do not
recall you to your home, but shall come to Berlin to take you
with me upon a journey, which we can afterwards shorten at
our pleasure. I have informed Frau Wiesel of my plans in a
manner that can awaken no suspicion ; and it is your part, my
dear child, so to conduct yourself that neither we nor you may
experience further annoyance from this disagreeable occur-
rence. All discussion I will postpone until we meet. In the
mean time, hoping to find you the same good and obedient
child that you have ever been, I am your loving mother,
BARBARA AMBERGER."
Katharina knew it all now, her worst forebodings were
fulfilled. The letter dropped from her trembling hand into
her lap ; the enclosure to the Councillor's wife fell upon the
floor. Her eyes grew dim as she looked out of the window at
the acacias waving in the breeze, across the glass containing
her poor rose, the leaves of which had fallen off in the pre-
vious night and were strewn upon the window-sill. She did
not wonder what was to be done, what the future had in
store for her if she obeyed or resisted her mother's will ; her
thoughts were simple sadness for her happiness destroyed.
Now she saw how, in spite of all her prudent foresight, her
heart had been in reality filled with hope that her lover's
THE GREEN GATE. 159
powers of persuasion would have won to him both her mother
and her brother. The dream was over. She burst into tears,
and not until they had relieved and soothed her did she open
the second letter and read :
" MY DEAREST, No oak ever fell at the first stroke of the
axe ; no need, therefore, to lose courage. Certainly it was
rather rash to invade an old patrician house with a modest
demand for the hand of its only daughter ; but there must
be a beginning to everything. The fact is that I have not
prospered in my suit, there is no disguising it. But I do
not at all despair of victory in the end, if you will only be true
and steadfast. Let no reproach disturb you, my darling ; you
have done right in following the dictates of your heart. Some
of Frau Barbara's objections I am sure I could remove by
bringing to my aid a few facts with regard to myself which I
have just discovered by chance. Your brother Moritz has
selfish views with regard to you, so selfish that I cannot but
look upon his opposition with contempt. But even although
this letter were a thick book, I could hardly tell you all in it,
I must speak with you face to face, my own love, must let
you know all that has happened, and advise with you as to
what is next to be done. I have no doubt that your mother
will do all in her power to separate us. This can do no harm
if we are sure of each other, but we must have one confiden-
tial talk to arrange future communication with each other, in
spite of all the Argus eyes in the world. Where shall we meet
for such an interview ? Hardly at the villa, I cannot think
it advisable to make a confidante of Frau Wiesel. She would
not lend her assistance to what your mother disapproved, and
even could we persuade her to befriend us, we should incur
too weighty an obligation by doing so. We had better act in-
dependently. I propose that we should meet at my mother's,
to whom I will tell all, and who will delight to know the girl
160 THE GREEN GATE.
in whom her only son's hopes for a happy future are centred.
She loves me, and she will dearly love you. To-day I shall
pay my usual visit at the villa. I shall at least see you, ah,
what a joy that will be ! But even if we have an opportunity
of saying a few confidential words to each other, they will be
so few that I write you now that you may be ready to let me
know whether and when you can come to my mother, or if
you can propose any better plan. Courage, dearest Katrine,
courage, and just as much daring as will assure me of your
acquiescence in my plan. Always and forever your
XA-VER."
This letter, unsatisfactory as it might be thought, neverthe-
less comforted her extremely. After what her mother had
said, the announcement of her lover's want of success was no
shock to her, and all the rest that he wrote was so reassuring.
She kissed the paper again and again ; no misgiving that her
own resolve could be affected by the opposition of her family
troubled her soul. He loved her and she loved him, here
was a truth for which it was a duty to endure the worst that
could befall. It was only when this first ecstasy of delight in
the consciousness of her lover's strength and fidelity began to
yield to graver reflection, that she could not resist feeling
anxious and troubled. Not only must she patiently endure
and wait, but she must devise some plan for seeing Xaver in
private, and this after her mother's written injunctions for-
bidding all intercourse with him. Reared as she had been in
the strictest obedience to the parental rule, she could not medi-
tate, without absolute terror, any plan for a secret rendezvous
which might, after all, be detected. She knew that she was
incapable of deceit, and to what might she not be exposed?
She must s arrange matters that malice itself should find no
cause for blame in her.
Then she accused herself of too great a dread of conse-
THE GREEN GATE. 161
quences. Of course she would deal frankly and openly with
her mother ; in spite of her displeasure she would confess her
love, and that no power on earth should force her to be false
to it. Love demanded self-sacrifice, and it was hardly a sacri-
fice to conquer her timidity sufficiently to devise means for an
interview with the man in whom she reposed absolute confi-
dence. And the interview would take place in the house of
his mother, a woman universally esteemed, whom she should
be proud to know and love. But how should she explain her
desire for a lonely walk so long as would be necessary for the
meeting ? What if she made a promise that she was unable
to perform ? Suppose the Councillor's wife should not permit
her to go out alone ? There were a thousand difficulties in her
path. The more she pondered them, the more fanciful all her
plans for disguising her intentions seemed to her.
At last she decided that it would be impossible to accom-
plish anything without Lilli's assistance. Surely she might
tell her friend all, and make her her accomplice, as it were.
To be sure, Lilli was not the wisest friend in the world, but
she had been greatly interested in the Professor, and she was
certainly falling in love with Mr. Fairfax. She would under-
stand her and feel for her, and, above all, be silent. Yes, her
friend should know her secret and assist her.
She arose to look for Lilli in the garden. But as she
unlocked her door she seemed to herself over-hasty. She
would wait until the evening : by that time Xaver might have
changed his mind and thought of another plan more easy
of fulfilment. She seated herself at her desk, selected hei
smallest sheet of note-paper, and, in case any word of mouth
should be impossible with all the family present, she wrote,
" I have had a letter from my mother, and she is coining to
take me away upon a journey in a few days. But I shall
be true to all eternity. I know that we must speak together,
and that we have no moment here unobserved. To-morrow
14*
162 THE GREEN GATE.
forenoon, then, at the appointed place, if I can succeed in
arranging a means of getting there. If I do not come it will
not be my fault. I am yery sorry, and very happy. God
grant all may turn out well ! Forever your Katharina." She
folded the note so small that she could easily conceal it in her
hand, put it in her pocket, and then, taking the letter from
her mother to Frau Wiesel in her hand, she went down to the
drawing-room, where she knew she should find the lady of
the house.
Frau Barbara's note gave the Councillor's wife no cause for
suspicion of any kind. " I am sorry," she said, " that we are
to lose you so soon, and Lilli will be inconsolable. But I can-
not wonder that your good mother wishes you to accompany
her upon this journey, which she has been so long desirous of
taking. I rather think she is pining to see Philip, and means
to surprise him at Naples or Rome. Well, I congratulate you
upon so delightful a pleasure-trip. Oh, if my husband would
only consent to let me have our travelling-carriage packed too !
This terrible atmosphere will be my death."
Her maid brought in a new gown which had just arrived
from the most fashionable dress-maker in Berlin, and for a
moment or two the lady luxuriated in fancy in displaying it
at Wiesbaden. Then, bethinking herself again of Katrine,
she said, " Is your wardrobe quite in order for the journey,
my dear child ? People dress so much nowadays, and one
doesn't like to be behind the fashion. Your mother writes
that she shall spend barely a day here ; there will be no time
to do anything then."
It suddenly occurred to Katrine that here perhaps was an
opening for her. She had thought of that, she replied, and
she should like to add somewhat to her stock of laces and
ribbons ; upon which Frau Wiesel declared that the carriage
was quite at her service.
Oh, what a long day it was ! The sun seemed resolved
THE GREEN GATE. 163
never to leave the zenith ; no occupation sufficed to kill the
time. Again and again Katrine held her watch to her ear,
convinced that it had stopped. At last the streets began
to grow gay with equipages and passers-by. The Councillor
came home, and with him Mr. Fairfax. Dinner was over at
length, and coffee was taken in the pavilion. One more hour
must pass.
" How restless you are to-day !" Lilli remarked. She was
playing chess with the young Englishman, but her eyes were
everywhere. " Sit down here by me, Katrine dear, and see
me checkmate my adversary. How many more moves do you
give him?"
Katrine leaned over her and looked at the game. " Mr.
Fairfax takes the greatest pains," she said, " to be beaten.
You cannot avoid being victorious."
" How mean of you !" Lilli exclaimed. " Mr. Fairfax really
plays a much worse game than I do." And, as she spoke, she
captured his last remaining castle. The Englishman smiled
contentedly : he knew he was winning the only game he really
cared for.
Suddenly Lilli moved her chair, and so jostled the little
table that the chess-men tumbled about upon it. " The Pro-
fessor !" It was no news to Katharina, whose sharp eyes
had already detected him making his way towards the house
through the crowd of passers-by. But the Councillor's wife
put up her eye-glass. " At last !" she said, in a tone of satis-
faction ; "he has not forgotten us, then."
Schonrade exchanged one hurried glance of intelligence
with Katharina, and then kissed Frau WieseJ's hand with as
easy a grace as if he had only taken leave of her on the pre-
vious evening. " Do you call it well-behaved, ' ehe a&ktd, " to
leave us as you did, without even letting us know towards
what quarter of the globe we might send after you r w:'sues
for a successful journey?"
164 THE GREEN GATE.
" I hardly hoped I should be missed here," he replied. " I
am greatly flattered by your reproof, madame."
She held out her hand to him again. " Let it be of service
to you, then."
Katharina took her seat upon a low chair opposite him, a
little behind the others, where she could now and then return
his glance unobserved by the rest. To her surprise, he was
easily induced to speak of his absence from Berlin ; but she
soon saw his reason for this want of reserve. A friend had
told him of a deposit of coal lately discovered in a part of the
country where he thought any such deposit impossible. He
had been greatly interested, and induced to interrupt his work
for several days. As he had supposed, however, his journey
was fruitless ; the coal proved to be only a remarkably hard
species of peat. " But do you know, Fraulein Amberger," he
said, turning to Katharina, " that my road led me past youi
native town, and that out of regard for you solely, I assure
you, out of regard for you I stopped two days there ?" Every
one wanted to hear more, and he told all that he could, how
he had accidentally met the riding-party, of the leap across the
ditch, the supper at the mill, his row on the lake with Friiu-
lein Sidonie Feinberg, at which point in his story Katharina
showed signs of restlessness, and of his visit to the Hone-
burg. Evidently he wished to inform Katharina of all these
indifferent matters, that their future interview might not be
occupied with such details. She understood him, and was
grateful. The others were greatly entertained, especially with
the account of the Hb'neburg and its latest possessor, which he
related just as it had been told him by the old gardener, and
which produced the effect of a romance. Of course he made
no mention of either his mother or himself in the matter.
Twilight set in before any one was aware of it.
A walk in the garden was proposed, and the Councillor un-
wittingly did the Professor a great favour by offering his arm
THE GREEN GATE. 165
to his wife. Mr. Fairfax, of course, never left Lilli's side, and,
as a matter of course, the Professor escorted Katharina. To
be sure, the conversation among the party was to a degree gen-
eral ; still, there was an opportunity now and then for a low
question and reply, and, as Xaver and Katrine walked behind
the others, they could saunter more slowly, and the Professor
could press the little hand that lay upon his arm without fear
of being observed. It was indeed a delightful evening.
" And you will come ?" he whispered, when the conversation
between the others was louder than usual.
" I ought not," she answered, in as low a tone.
" But you will come? My mother expects you."
" Does she know ?"
" She knows all."
Frau Wiesel asked a question of the Professor, and they
were interrupted. Xaver took Katrine's hand, and she slipped
into his her note. " It will tell you all," she whispered.
" Thanks, a thousand thanks !"
" And your mother lives ?"
He gave her the number of the house.
It was high time that this important communication should
be made, for the Councillor's wife now complained of the nar-
rowness of the paths, that forbade more than two people to
walk abreast, and, to remedy this, proposed a change, setting
the example by leaving her husband's arm, and waiting for
the Professor, who disguised as best he could his dissatisfac-
tion with this new arrangement. Wiesel, of course, offered
his arm to Katharina, and this degree of change appeared en-
tirely to satisfy Mr. Fairfax and Lilli, who were by this time
arm-in-arm, Lilli not at all sorry to demonstrate thus to the
Professor the hopelessness of his passion.
Thus they remained until they all repaired to the supper-
table. The Councillor's wife had uttered all her choicest com-
monplaces, selected from her beloved romances, about life and
166 THE GREEN GATE.
the world, and, feeling that she had been excessively interest-
ing, applied herself to her supper with an excellent appetite.
Wiesel could not but remark this. " I shall have to engage
you for my family physician, Herr Professor,'' he said, with a
sly glance at his wife.
" Doctor though I am," said Schonrade, not understanding
immediately, " I am, as you know, no physician."
" Your medicines are purely sympathetic," his stout host
continued, facetiously. " See how they suit my wife. For
some days she has lived solely upon lemonade."
" That is of no consequence," his wife remarked, with a
languid smile that was meant to convey a great deal to the
Professor. It was provoking to have Wiesel joking so at her
expense ; but she was not sorry that Schonrade should thus
learn what his society was to her.
" If I am really fortunate enough to be of service to madame
without any merit of my own," the Professor said, gallantly,
" I am doubly sorry that my daily visits here are almost at an
end."
" You are going to deny us the pleasure of seeing you thus
regularly?" asked the lady, rather surprised at this unexpected
turn of affairs.
" I am the greatest sufferer," he continued, in the same tone ;
" but there are duties
"Duties?"
Lilli blushed, and glanced timidly at Mr. Fairfax, her next
neighbour.
" Duties, madame," the Professor continued, " which cer-
tainly do not add to the charm of existence, but which, if neg-
lected, revenge themselves as certainly. For several weeka
past I have not been as diluent as I should be, and the pub-
lisher who has announced my book for this autumn is growing
very urgent. If I am to keep my promise to him, I must omit
some of niy walks during the next month or two." He wished
THE GREEN GATE. 167
to pave the way for the cessation of his visits after Katrine's
departure. Lilli supposed he was devising a fitting pretext
for withdrawing, but entertained her own views as to the
cause of this withdrawal on his part. She gave a little nod
to Katharina, who would understand it all too, she thought.
"Why, we shall be lonely indeed," said the Councillor's
wife. " Do you know that Fraulein Amberger wants to leave
us too ?"
"Must leave you," Katharina corrected her. " My mother
writes me that she wishes to travel for awhile, and that I am
to accompany her. Perhaps she may be here by to-morrow
evening." This was for Schonrade's information.
" You will enjoy yourself greatly, and never miss us," said
Frau Wiesel.
" And whither do you go ?" the Professor asked.
" I think mamma hardly knows that yet herself. She sel-
dom makes any plan of travel, but follows the inclination of
the hour. She enjoys travel more in anticipation than in
reality, I think. She is used to the regularity and order of a
home-life, and she soon wearies of railway-carriages and hotels
and longs for her own peaceful rooms. I foresee that our
present journey will not be a long one : we shall soon turn
our faces homeward." This plausible declaration would, she
thought, forestall any future expression of surprise if the
journey with her mother should, as she suspected it would,
come to a speedy termination.
" By the way, I am forgetting to tell you what your story
of the Honeburg reminded me of," exclaimed the Councillor,
when there was a pause in the conversation. " You spoke of
a Count von Gleichenau. Do you know that there is a gen-
tleman of that name in Berlin at the present time ?"
Schonrade listened attentively. This might be important
news for him.
" Perhaps not the one you spoke of," Wiesel continued.
168 THE GREEN GATE.
" My physician mentioned paying frequent visits to a Count
Gleichenau staying here with his son, who is ill, and whom
his father is moving heaven and earth to keep alive."
" If I am not mistaken," the Professor remarked, evasively,
rf" there are several noble families of that name in Germany.
It would be of small consequence, either, even if the man so
strangely connected with the old romance I have told you
should really be in Berlin, since we do not know where to
find the young Baron Hbneburg. And, besides, who knows
whether the old hermit of the ruin was not, after all, amusing
himself at my expense ?" He was sorry to have told the story
and mentioned the Count's name. He certainly had not reck-
oned upon his sudden appearance on the stage.
The party broke up late in the evening. The lovers were
obliged to content themselves with a slight pressure of hands ;
but Xaver had no need of even this to assure him of his Ka-
trine's fidelity, and he had in his pocket her letter, containing,
as she had told him, a consent to his wishes. He took a long
walk in the Thiergarten before returning to his tods-ings.
CHAPTER XII.
As Lilli was undressing, she heard a knock at her door.
" Is it you?" she asked, knowing that it must be Katrine.
" Let me in," was heard in a whisper ; " I want to speak to
you."
The bolt was withdrawn. " Oh, this is delightful !" said
Lilli, embracing her friend. " Shall we put out the light?"
" If you like. It is bright moonlight."
" Oh, magnificent moonlight !" She. extinguished the candle
THE GREEN GATE. 169
and opened the window-shutters. " Come here and take this
big arm-chair, and I will sit on this little one at your feet.
There, now what have you to tell me?"
" Can you keep a secret, Lilli ?"
" I can be silent as the grave." She laid her hand on her
heart, and nestled close to her friend.
" This is a very important secret, my child."
" So much the better, dear, so much the better."
" And our friendship would be destroyed forever if you
should ever betray to any living creature "
" You need say no more : you know I never tell anything."
" Not to your mother, nor Mr. Fairfax."
" Mr. Fairfax, indeed ! It's likely I should speak of such
things to him !"
" You soon may. Promise me "
" I promise yes, yes I promise !" She was too impa-
tient even to wait to know what it was she must promise so
solemnly.
Katrine leaned towards her, and whispered in her ear, " I
am betrothed, dear."
Lilli started. "You are betrothed? I don't believe it."
" Privately."
" To whom ? to whom ?"
" To Professor Schonrade."
An earthquake could hardly have produced a more startling
effect than did the utterance of this name. Lilli sprang up,
overthrew the little chair upon which she had been sitting, and
stood in her white night-dress, tall and slender in the moon-
light, like a ghost. She seemed actually terrified. "To ?"
she ejaculated, in what was little more than a whisper. For
the moment she could not pronounce the name.
" Certainly it is nothing so very dreadful," her friend said,
soothingly, startled in her turn. " You do not love the Pro-
fessor."
H 15
170 THE GREEN GATE.
" No, no ! I do not love him ! I hate him now !" Lilli ex-
claimed.
" Because he loves me ?"
" No, no ! because I imagined because I told you " She
covered her face with her hands, and hid it on Katrine's shoulder.
" Oh, never trouble yourself about that," Katharina reas-
sured her. " You conducted yourself with such perfect pro-
priety that the Professor never suspected your preference for
him. You ought to be very glad, dear, that I did as you
begged me, and diverted his attentions from you, for your heart
is now "
" Oh, don't say anything about that !" Lilli pouted ; " you
have deceived me, and it is very vexatious to have taken such
pains for nothing."
" You would have liked to repulse the poor Professor, and
to see him waste away in despair."
" Oh, men don't waste away in despair. Who knows but
what, if he really had
" Oh, are you jealous? But the mischief is done now."
" Yes, it can't be helped, and I must endure with heroism.
Oh, you traitors ! But now tell me confess explain how
could it all come about and I know nothing of it?" She
pushed the low chair nearer to her friend than before, and
seated herself again.
" Are you entirely reconciled ?"
" I must be. Tell me all, begin !"
Not until the placid moon had sunk behind the trees did
Katrine slip off on tiptoe to her own room, where she soon
slept calmly, for a plan of operations had been arranged, which
the next day was to see carried into effect. Lilli had shown
herself even more skilful in devices for assisting the lovers
than Katrine had expected, although, as she gave her friend
a last good-night kiss, she solemnly declared that she would
never look upon the Professor again.
THE GREEN GATE. 171
The Couvicillor's wife had finished her breakfast the next
morning when the young girls entered the breakfast-room.
Katrine soon left it to write a few lines to her brother, and
Lilli made use of her absence to carry out the plan formed the
night before. She wished, she said, before her friend left her,
to present her with some token of her affection, and, as Katrine
had mentioned that she was going to spend the morning in
shopping, she proposed to accompany her, and discover what
gift would be most agreeable to her. Her mother thought it
an excellent idea. " And then I need not leave the house to-
day," she said ; " I had meant to accompany Katrine in the
carriage, but really I feel so languid and exhausted that it is a
great relief to have you go in my place. Buy her something
very pretty, she is a dear child." The simple plot was en-
tirely successful.
A little after eleven the two girls were driven from home,
Lilli in most exuberant spirits, Katrine very grave and silent,
to a large shop which possessed the double advantage of
being very near the house occupied by Camilla Bellarota and
of opening upon a parallel street at the back of the salesroom.
" You can leave me and pass directly into the back street,"
Lilli instructed her friend, " as soon as we have asked to see
the laces. I will linger here as long as possible, and then drive
to the other shops, mentioning to the footman that your busi-
ness here is not yet concluded, and that I am to return for
you ; so you will have plenty of time to pay your visit to
Madame Bellarota. Don't hurry too much, dearest Katrine,
you shall have a whole long hour. My regards to your Pro-
fessor, and tell him that he is a most objectionable person, to
induce young girls to disobey their mothers."
The plot was ajj eminent success. Katharina was admitted
by Madame Bellarota's old servant, and conducted to the little
drawing-room, where the Professor received her and presented
her to his mother. Camilla held out both hands to her, and
172 THE GREEN GATE.
kissed her on either cheek. " What a beautiful woman !"
thought Katharina.
Immediately upon his return to Berlin, Schonrade had con-
fided his love to his mother. He would have done so even
had he not felt the need of her assistance, for he could not
endure the thought of reserve in such a matter with a mother
who had always been to him so tender and devoted. Camilla
was surprised, is not every mother surprised when her son
comes to her with a confession of his love for another ?
and perhaps if the course of his love had run smoothly her
old antipathy to everything connected with Katrine's birth-
place would have aroused her antagonism. But that his suit
had been denied by the merchant kinsfolk of his love, a suit
that her maternal pride prompted her to feel conferred honour
where it was proffered, produced an effect upon her mind
most favourable to her son's wishes. She instantly enlisted
herself upon the side of the young people against Frau
Barbara and Moritz Amberger, was indignant at the narrow-
mindedness and cold hearts of "those trades-people," and
evinced the liveliest interest in the girl upon whose steadfast
fidelity in the face of all opposition Xaver placed such im-
plicit reliance. He had a warm partisan in his mother.
She knew nothing as yet of his experiences at the Hone-
burg. He would taste the delight of presenting these two,
dearer to him than all else in the world, to each other before
any awakened memories of old sad days should have cast a
gloom over his mother's mind and aroused her passionate re-
grets. Let her think that he was occupied solely, as he was
chiefly, with his wooing in that old town, and she could for
the present look back with equanimity upon his visit there,
in view of which her thoughts had been filled with such sad
forebodings. His course in the future should be guided by
circumstances.
Camilla was all gentleness and amiability. The charm of her
THE GREEN GATE. 173
manner, her caressing kindness, soon placed Katrine entirely
at her ease, and called forth her son's grateful glances. There
was only one cause for discontent on his part, he was not left
alone with his Katrine for a single instant; to be sure he could
take her hand, draw off her glove, and imprint kiss after kiss
upon her little rosy palm, but here were two people pledged
to each other for life whose lips had never once met to seal
the bond between them.
The time was limited, too limited to allow of any range of
topics of conversation. Xaver reported every particular of
his interviews with Frau Barbara and Moritz, and felt it his
duty to inform Katrine of her brother's views with regard to
Otto Feinberg. " I do not believe," he said, " that Moritz
likes the man ; he certainly has no real friendship for him,
but he is weak, and seems to be entirely influenced by these
business associates of his, to whom he is under certain obliga-
tions. His relations with Sidonie seeru to me most unfortu-
nate, although in the interests of his business he is disposed
to make every concession to her. I think he will be greatly
to be pitied if he ever marries her, for the entire happiness
of his life will be sacrificed by such a union ; and yet it
would be the best thing that could happen for us, for Ignaz
Feinberg would be obliged to stand by his son-in-law, what-
ever his brother Otto might say. If, on the contrary, any-
thing should occur to sever the connection between Moritz
and Sidonie, Otto Feinberg would be your brother's last hope,
and he would do everything in his power to make you yield
to his wishes. You shake your head, dearest Katrine. I
know that all his efforts would be vain, but, depend upon it,
Moritz would present the matter to you under aspects that
might cause you many a hard struggle. Least to be dreaded
in the case will be the loss of your property. In addition, he
will probably tell you that the hostility of the Feinbergs will
bring ruin upon the ancient house of Amberger, and this con-
15*
174 THE GREEN GATE.
sideration will induce your mother, who at present has no
liking for these parvenus, to join her voice to your brother's
in entreating you to sacrifice for their sakes your own inclina-
tions. I dare not conceal this from you, and you must judge
yourself whether your heart is brave enough to endure the
struggle, and whether its sufferings will not be too intense
even in victory."
Katharina looked gravely at Camilla, who was eagerly
awaiting her answer.
" I will never be Otto Feinberg's wife," she said, after a
pause, in a low tone, as entirely devoid of passionate inflection
as it was of faltering or indecision ; " and I will love you
while life lasts. God grant I may be yours one day !"
" Your being so," he replied, " depends upon yourself
alone."
She looked at him with eyes full of fervent affection, and
slowly shook her head. " Not upon myself alone. My heart
is free to choose, and will always insist upon its rights, but
I will never stand before the altar without my mother's bless-
ing. I came resolved to tell you this. If you love me, never
try to make me false to this duty."
" I will do all that I can," he replied, perhaps not altogether
satisfied, " to win her consent. But if she persists in her
opposition, if neither prayers nor argument can move her "
Katharina laid her hand upon his arm. " Do not let us
think of that to-day. Let us believe, as you wrote me, that
everything will come right in the end. I will bind myself by
no promise that could offend my conscience ; and I will not
force a decision which is unnecessary at present, and which
might grieve you. Trust me, I desire nothing more fervently
than to be yours ; and in resigning such happiness I should
be the greatest sufferer. Indeed, you may trust me."
" Right, right, dear child !" Camilla exclaimed, embracing
her. " Xaver is my only son, and dear to me, Heaven knows,
THE GREEN GATE. 175
as son can be to mother. I hold him incapable of an un-
worthy act, and yet Whoever has once built up the
fabric of life upon what has seemed steadfast rock, and felt it
crumble like sand beneath the foot, can never counsel rash or
daring measures, but will rather urge the claims of prudence
and duty. No, no ! Do nothing rash, Xaver, nothing that can
cause yourself or this dear child a future pang of remorse.
Promise me this !"
" Katrine does not, cannot understand you, mother," he
said, half in reproof ; " do not disquiet her unnecessarily."
" You are right," she said, controlling herself. " You can
neither of you understand or know what wretchedness I pre-
pared for myself by ruthlessly following where passion led.
I will not sadden your hearts with my woes, my children. I
will not say a word to shake your firm faith in each other ;
but the chosen of my son shall know that his mother feels as
she does. If my mother had been living, perhaps " She
did not finish the sentence, but turned to Katrine and kissed
her forehead. " Enough, enough !" she said, checking her-
self; " every trial repeats itself in this world ; and yet the re-
verse is true also, that the same experience never occurs
twice." Then, extending her hand across the table to her son,
she said, " You are honest and true, Xaver. He is the best
son in the world, dear Katharina, the very best. And a good
son will be a good husband. I can testify to his noble
nature "
" Mother ! mother !" he interrupted her eulogium.
" Your mother, my son," she went on, " has a right to speak
thus, and your love may listen. It is only because they do
not know you that the Ambergers do not receive you with
open arms. The time will come when they will be proud to
count you among them, and Katrine will be envied "
" Dearest mother, indeed this is more than enough," he in-
terrupted again, with a laugh. " In a few moments more you
176 THE GREEN GATE.
will have them all at my feet begging my pardon for not
appreciating me. No, no, that is the least of our troubles.
There are great material interests in the way of our happiness,
and my chief care must be to remove these obstacles, if pos-
sible. If I succeed here, they will all find me quite charm-
ing, although Frau Barbara Amberger will hardly emulate
my dear mother's enthusiasm."
The beautiful woman nodded gently in assent. The dark
fire in her eyes glowed still, but more calmly. Katrine looked
at her in admiration, and whispered, " Give me a little of the
love you bestow upon him."
" But what can you do," Camilla asked her son, " except
show them what you are ? If you wait until your books and
lectures make a Croesus of you, Katharina's heart may well
be sick with hope deferred."
" I will try to influence them in another way," he replied.
" I have lately discovered several clues that may. if followed
out, lead to very unexpected results. In science we often
thus accidentally come upon something which signifies little
in itself, but, in connection with other facts, reveals some im-
portant truth."
" Do not speak in riddles," said his mother.
" I must for the present," he answered, " for I am not yet
clear in my own mind. But I rely upon my dear mother's
support."
"What? Upon my support ?" she asked, surprised. "Am
I to go upon the stage again to make a fortune for you ? My
voice might still find favour, it is true, but what am I to do
with this old face of mine?"
" Oh, no," he said. " When I think of all I have cost you,
I see what wonders you have already accomplished. We will
consult together some other time upon this matter. The prin-
cipal point to be discussed at present is how to arrange a cor-
respondence between Katrine and myself when we are apart
THE GREEN GATE. 177
from each other. I think even my stern and strict mamma
will admit that we ought to be able to establish a confidential
correspondence between us."
" Yes, lovers must write to each other," she replied, " or
they pine in despair."
" I can tell how it may be safely arranged," Katrine ob-
served, glad of this important concession.
" Quick, quick ! what is it?" Xaver said, kissing the little
hand he held in his.
" Lilli Wiesel is my devoted friend. I have told her all,
and am sure I can rely upon her silence and assistance. We
owe it to her that I am here now without being missed from
her home. My mother will think it very natural that I should
write to her from time to time, and I can easily slip an en-
closure to you into my letters. She will contrive that you
receive it."
" Admirable !" he exclaimed. " But why from time to
time only? It seems to me it will be very cold-hearted to
refrain from a constant interchange of letters. And can I
too rely upon her for my messenger? In that case I shall
take delight in still devoting a portion of my time to visiting
at the villa. Lilli is a charming girl."
"Have you just found that out?" she asked. Of course
he could not divine her thoughts as she put the question.
The hour allowed Katrine fled all too swiftly. She started
up as she heard the clock strike in the adjoining room.
" Good Heavens, it is time I were away !" she cried. " I
must not get Lilli into trouble ! Good-bye !" She embraced
Camilla, and leaned her head for a moment upon her breast.
" My dear good child," Camilla repeated, caressingly, several
times, as she stroked her cheek, " I have been very inhospi-
table, I'm afraid. I have given you nothing to eat, for fear
of interrupting you. The next time when you come to me
you shall be better treated."
H*
178 THE GREEN GATE.
11 With lemonade and cake," laughed Xaver.
" Quite enough to sustain you in Katrine's society," she
retorted. " And now, children, I am going to look put of the
window for one minute, only one." She turned away, and
walked towards the other end of the room. Xaver threw his
arm around Katrine's waist, drew her lithe figure towards
him, and pressed a first lingering kiss upon the lips that did
not shun his own. " Mine forever !" he said, and her happy
but tearful eyes replied, " Amen."
" Now, go," said Frau Camilla, turning towards them, and,
taking Katrine's hand, she conducted her to the door. " Stay
where you are," she said to the Professor, who would have
followed them. " You ought to be satisfied."
He patiently obeyed.
The same evening an important event occurred at the villa.
Mr. Fairfax presented himself with Lilli upon his arm, be-
fore her father and mother, and implored their blessing.
"Are you surprised at my betrothal?" Lilli whispered in
Katrine's ear as they separated for the night.
CHAPTER XIII.
IT cost Frau Barbara Amberger a very considerable effort
to resolve upon this journey. And yet to resolve was not,
after all, the difficult part, for her ideas of maternal duty left
her no choice in the matter, but, with her domestic habits, it
was hard to leave her home. At first she thought of snatching
Katrine away from Berlin, if possible, before the Professor
could contrive to see her again ; but so hasty a departure
from home was hardly possible ; the letter announcing her in-
THE GREEN GATE. 179
tention was dispatched, and then several more days were spent
in preparations for the journey.
She discussed the subject with Moritz, whom she found in
a very strange and cross humour about it. He sneered quite
offensively at all her objections to the marriage, and spoke
of the Professor as if no more desirable son-in-law could be
imagined, and yet he went on to say that the thing was im-
possible, not to be thought of, and that he had prevented any
renewal of the suit, without stating why he disapproved of
the suitor. Naturally enough. He knew he should have to
encounter from his mother objections to his own plans. The
time was not ripe for their disclosure. But this was not all
that made him irritable and sulky. His tete-d-tete with
Schb'nrade had produced an effect that he could not away
with. The truth had been told him for once, and that not by
a man upon whom he could look down, but by one whom he
was obliged to respect as his superior, and, what was worse,
who was in the right. The Professor was right. Disguise it
as he might, he was playing a base part towards his only sister,
for whom he had a genuine fraternal affection, and he was
wronging himself, even while acting only from self-interest.
He had tried his best to shut his eyes as long as he could
to all that was humiliating to himself in his connection with
the Feinbergs ; he could do so no longer, since it had been
immediately manifest to an entire stranger. Ignaz Feinberg
treated him like a child, used him, and tossed him asMe ;
Otto Feinberg was a coarse fellow, who stooped to transactions
in business that even his brother would scarcely undertake ;
and Sidonie did not think it in the least worth her while to
consider his claims upon her when it suited her to ignore
them ; she endured him only so long as he made no assertion
of his rights. He laged inwardly as he plainly admitted all
this to himself. He had serious thoughts of calling " these
insolent upstarts" to a reckoning, of demanding that Ignaz
180 THE GREEN GATE,
Feinberg should balance certain accounts between them, and
of taking Sidonie to task for her treatment of him ; but any
step in this direction was sure to turn out a disastrous one
for him, and he persisted in the inaction for which he despised
himself, until his life grew almost unendurable.
And to crown all, there came a letter from Philip, -that was
by no means welcome in the present state of affairs. Philip,
who was wont to be the most economical of men, suddenly de-
clared himself in want of considerable sums of money. He
talked of purchases and orders to the amount of thousands,
of removing and sending to Germany the entire wainscoting
of a room in Florence, and more nonsense of the same kind.
Philip doubtless supposed himself fully justified in his de-
mands, but Moritz had disposed of all the available means
of the firm, and could not raise the sum he asked for with-
out drawing upon Feinberg. Of course his draft would be
honoured, but it was wretched to place himself under such an
obligation. He had never felt so utterly weak and dependent.
A few days after the Professor's departure, Madame Fein-
berg surprised him by the intelligence that she was going with
her daughter to Berlin to pass some time there. In summer ?
it seemed strange. A visit to some watering-place might
be desirable, but to go voluntarily in warm weather to a large
city, he begged to know their reasons for the plan. " I like
what is odd," Sidonie replied, with a shrug. " Any fool can
find amusement in Berlin in autumn or winter, I want to
see how a large city looks when no one is at home. I like
to play the country-girl come to town to see the sights, to
visit museums and galleries, catalogue in hand, to stare at the
strange beasts in the aquarium and zoological gardens, and
to give the droschky-drivers something to do. Why should
I not? Often as I have been to Berlin, I have seen very
little of it."
Moritz thought any further discussion entirely superfluous.
THE GREEN GATE. 181
His private opinion could not be publicly expressed ; but he
would have given a deal to be able quietly to remark that Pro-
fessor Schonrade was privately betrothed to his sister Katrine.
To see the face with which this intelligence would be received
would have indemnified him for all he had suffered. What
a trump card it would have been ! He thought of Katrine,
and swallowed his vexation.
Madame Amberger could hardly believe her eyes when,
upon driving to the railroad-depot from her home, she found
the Feiubergs, mother and daughter, already descended from
their coupe and about to enter a railway-carriage. She had
not neglected to pay them a farewell visit, but had received no
intimation of this project of theirs.
" A sudden resolve, my dear," Madame Feinberg explained.
" You know Sidonie hates long preparations."
" Quite a surprise for Moritz," said Frau Barbara, rather
tartly.
" Oh, he knows we are going, and will not, I trust, allow us
to leave without coming to bid us good-bye. There he is !
rather late, to be sure. He has paid Sidonie but scant atten-
tion for some time, it seems to me : it is well that he should
miss her for awhile. Will you get in with us, my dear ? we
have taken the whole carriage, so as not to be annoyed by
intruders ; pray "
" I thank you, no," Frau Barbara replied, coldly. " My
maid has arranged my place in the next carriage." And she
bowed and passed on.
" We shall see each other in Berlin," Frau Feinberg called
after her, and Sidonie settled herself in her place as Moritz
came up.
He passed them with a bow, and went to see that his
mother's arrangements were completed, returning as the signal
for departure was given, to exchange a few indifferent words
with his future mother-in-law, as she looked out of the carriage-
16
182 THE GREEN GATE.
window. Sidonie was leaning back in a corner, selecting a
cigarette from a package of them which she had taken from
her travelling-bag. She nodded carelessly as Moritz bade her
a rather formal adieu.
." Do not forget to give my regards to Professor Schb'nrade,"
he could not help calling in at the window after the train was
in motion.
Thus it happened that Madame Amberger and Madame
Feinberg, with her daughter, paid their fii-st visit at the Coun-
cillor's villa upon the same forenoon. Frau Wiesel received
them with all due courtesy, only lamenting that they could
not make their home while in Berlin at her house. To tell
the truth, the household had been rather agitated by a sur-
prising event Lilli's betrothal. Mr. Fairfax was forthwith
presented and congratulated, and Lilli was kissed again.
Naturally enough, the young couple were the chief objects
of interest, and Katrine could retire to the background, to
her great content.
She had never liked Sidonie. Not because of any influ-
ence exerted upon her by Frau Barbara, for that good lady
felt it inconsistent with her maternal duty to give utterance to
any criticism of her son's betrothed ; but it had required only
a very short acquaintance with her future sister-in-law to
convince Katharina that the greatest caution was necessary
in her intercourse with her. She had no taste for Sidonie's
masculine airs and affectations ; she was disgusted by her
coquetry, and she thought her deceitful, if not absolutely
false-hearted. It was an entirely superfluous precaution on
Frau Barbara's part to remove her daughter from the influence
of such an example ; there was not the slightest sympathy
between the two girls. In the beginning of their acquaint-
ance Sidonie had affected a passionate attachment for Katrine,
which had cooled almost instantaneously, and she was only
deterred from openly sneering at her by a degree of haughty
THE GREEN GATE. 183
dignity in Katrine's bearing. Since then there had been just
as much courtesy exchanged between the two astne fact that
they were future sisters-in-law required, and no more.
Meeting now as they did, beneath a strange roof, the inter-
change of a few remarks was unavoidable.
" People are so tiresome when they are just betrothed," said
Sidonie, taking a seat by Katharina's side. " You must be
glad you are to have no more of them."
" I like to be alone," Katrine replied, " and therefore such
happy young people never tire me. It is delightful to see
Lilli so happy and her father and mother so satisfied."
Sidouie replied, " ' Ah, might they ever verdant prove!' I
should thiuk life in England would be very tiresome."
" That depends upon what one expects."
" What a philosopher you are ! Have you learned all this
wisdom in Berlin ?"
" One need hardly come so far from home to learn so much ;"
and then, changing the subject, Katrine asked, by way of
something to say, " Shall you make a long stay here ?"
" Long enough to see if I too cannot learn something here,"
Sidonie replied. " It has seemed to me lately that I know very
little of a great many things that are worth knowing. A few
private lessons could do me no harm."
" What do you mean ?"
" What do I mean ? Why, just what I say. A very clever
Professor dined with us lately, why, you must know him : he
visits here, Professor Schbnrade."
Katharina felt a sudden sinking of the heart ; she remem-
bered the evening sail upon the mill-pond, of which Xaver
had told her. She flushed, and then grew pale. She could not
have told why she so detested to hear Sidonie speak of him,
but she would have liked to get up and run away, to put an end
to the conversation.
Sidonie observed her change of colour. "Oh," she said,
184 THE GREEN GATE.
"you seem to take an interest in him; and no wonder: he is the
most interesting man I have ever met, and I do not deny that
it is partly on his account that I wish to spend some weeks
here. He condescends to initiate certain young ladies into the
mysteries of science, and he shall find me an apt pupil, if he
will consent to be my teacher."
" So far as I know, he is occupied at present in writing a
book ; at least, I think he made that an excuse the other day
for not coming here so often as heretofore. You must con-
side, Sidonie, that any interruption of his work at present
can hardly be welcome to him."
Sidonie tapped her lightly on the shoulder with the ivory
head of her parasol. " How careful you are for the poor Pro-
fessor ! But I understand all this. Nothing is more welcome
to these learned scholars than to be gently obliged to shut
up their books and beguile their time in ladies' society. Oh,
the Professor is a man of the world, however he may con-
sider it his duty to knit his brows upon his students in the
lecture-room ; no one knows him who has not seen him at a
dinner-party. I will lure him from his retirement ; he must
dine with us, drive with us, show us the eights of Berlin ; and
he shall have time and opportunity to expatiate upon the prop-
erties of the surface of the globe upon which we saunter, or
upon the nature of the fixed stars that shine above us on these
lovely summer nights. It will be delightful !"
Sidonie would probably have said all this even if she had
known of the pain she was causing ; but Katrine could not
at present accuse her of malicious intent. What could have
occurred to justify her in speaking thus of Schb'nrade, in
forming such expectations for the future ? For a moment she
was startled into wondering if Xaver had been dazzled and
misled at first AVhat folly ! It was impossible. She
knew Sidonie, and had often been a witness of her arts to
attract every stranger. Xaver was quite innocent ; and yet
THE ORE EN GATE. 185
this much was certain : Sidonie had come to Berlin
on his account, and would do all that she could to entangle
him in her net, whether she thought it worth while to keep
him there or not. The Professor would be frequently thrown
into her society, while Katrine herself must be far from him,
travelling about with her mother, who hoped thus to estrange
him fiom her. Had she anything to fear from Sidonie ? She
could not tell. There were those who praised her beauty,
admired her eccentric style of dress, thought her manners at-
tractive and her wit brilliant. And Xaver ? How had
he ever loved herself, if he could find any attraction in her
opposite ? No, she had nothing to fear from Sidonie, although
she could not feel quite easy in thinking of her.
Madame Feinberg arose to take her leave. Sidonie was
quite ready to accompany her : Katrine was not entertaining ;
her thoughts were evidently elsewhere. Frau Wiesel begged
them to repeat their visit often, and, before they had reached
the garden-gate, made various critical remarks with regard to
them, which were not at all interrupted by the gracious nod
she gave them as they drove off. " Frau Feinberg would be
a dear creature," she said, " if she only had a little more cul-
ture. She is a good soul, but very weak where her daughter is
concerned. I suppose Sidonie rules the whole household at
home, everything she says is regarded as oracular. What a
pity it is to spoil a child so ! She is not in the least like a
young girl, but really conducts herself like a woman of the
world. I should be very sorry to see Lilli dressed so, either,
all to produce a startling effect. It is well they are so rich, or
her husband would have a hard time of it."
Frau Barbara Amberger could have subscribed to every word
of this, but she replied only by a half-smothered sigh and a
troubled face. The Councillor's wife understood these mute
signs, and began to trumpet forth Katharina's praises. " The
dear, good, modest, unaffected, sweet-tempered child had stolen
16*
186 THE GREEN GATE.
her heart, and as for Lilli, she doted on her. She could not
bear the idea of losing her so soon."
Frau Barbara might perhaps have enjoyed this culogium
more thoroughly if she had not been aware of the fact, of
which Frau Wiesel was fortunately profoundly ignorant, that
the " dear, good, modest child" was at present entangled
in a love-affair, and deserved a severe reproof, which her
mother was prepared to administer as soon as she could see
her alone. She wished to take her back with her to the hotel
and leave Berlin that very afternoon, but this the Councillor's
wife would not hear of. So sudden a departure would really
offend her. Lilli's betrothal was to be celebrated the next day,
or the day following that, by as large an assemblage of friends
as could be gathered together at so unpropitious a season,
and the entire evening would be spoiled for the dear child if
Katrine, her best friend, her confidante in the whole affair,
were absent. Lilli added her entreaties, and Mr. Fairfax prof-
fered the same request for Friiulein Katharina's presence on
the happy occasion. Frau Amberger was prevailed upon to
consent in spite of herself, and to permit Katrine to continue
in her present abode until their departure. Of course luvr
mother must consider the villa as her real home in Berlin, and
only the nights were to be passed at the hotel. " I hope to
persuade my husband," Frau Wiesel concluded, " to take me
to Wiesbaden after the betrothal celebration, for the sake of
my health, which has been very poor lately. Why not go with
us, my dear Frau Amberger, and take a course of the waters
to prepare yourself for your journey to Italy, I suppose ?
We have hired an entire house there, and I shall be delighted
to let you have some rooms in it." Frau Barbara thanked
her kindly, but could not so prolong her absence from home.
Katrine was by no means pleased with the prospect of this
trip to Wiesbaden. What was to become of her fine plan
for carrying on a correspondence with Xaver through Lilli ?
THE GREEN GATE. 187
Perhaps he would not even be reminded of her by a letter,
while Sidonie would see and speak with him every day. She
was sad and down-hearted, and would gladly have avoided all
gayety.
The day after his interview with Katrine, Professor Schb'n-
rade paid his mother another visit, and found her most cheer-
fully disposed. She had been very favourably impressed by
Katrine's grace and loveliness, and her first words after her
kiss of welcome were, " I cannot believe. Xaver, that Madame
Amberger will withhold her consent long, after she sees how
truly Katrine's heart is your own."
" In fact, she is only acting like a prudent mother," he re-
plied. " She does not know me as you know me, and may
well doubt whether Katrine has sufficiently weighed all that
in her estimation are very important considerations. If that
were all, we could look forward with confidence to the future ;
time would smooth away all difficulties. Unfortunately, how-
ever, there are deep-rooted prejudices to be overcome, which
we, indeed, from our point of view, may regard lightly, but
which, nevertheless, are insurmountable obstacles in my path.
The Ambergers are an old patrician family, and Frau Barbara
is proud of her name."
" I think Bellarota is hardly inferior to it in antiquity,"
Camilla observed, rearing her head haughtily.
" It may be," he replied, with a shrug; " but you know we
have no means of proving that to the world."
" It is the truth !" she exclaimed. " My father was incapa-
ble of falsehood, and he frequently referred to the antiquity
and nobility of his name. You show but scant respect for
your grandfather if you do not believe his word."
" My belief in the matter is of very little consequence,'' he
replied, calmly. " And you must certainly admit also that it
is hardly an agreeable thing for me to be obliged to refer to
my mother's ancestors for my name "
188 THE GREEN GATE.
Her face grew dark. " You have every right to bear your
father's name,'' she said, " and a name that would abundantly
satisfy Frau Barbara Amberger. But I cannot bear it, I
cannot."
He did not answer immediately, but left her time to become
familiarized with the thought that there must no longer be
any secret between them. Then, taking her hand in his, and
stroking it as if to beg her to be calm, he said, " Mother dear,
I have always respected your desire that I should ask you
nothing concerning your marriage and my birth. Chance has
lately revealed to me all that I ought to know. I only need
that you should simply admit certain facts "
" Chance chance ?" she interrupted him, hurriedly. Her
brow was moist from nervous agitation.
He told her of his walk to the Honeburg, and of all that
he had learned there, confining himself to a bare state-
ment of the facts as he had gathered them. " Was it all so,
mother?" he asked.
" It was all as you have said," she replied, in a firm tone.
II And the judgment you passed upon it, Xaver ?"
" Do not ask me for it, mother."
" But I do ask you. Was I right, or did I rob you when
I deprived you of a name which brought me only pain and
remorse ? No, my son, I obeyed the dictates of a mother's love.
You were all that was left to me, and I could not be to you
what I ought and wished to be if you daily and hourly re-
minded me of the traitor who "
" Mother," he gravely interrupted her, " remember you are
speaking of my father !"
" Oh, I loved him !" she exclaimed, and her eyes flashed
fire. " I loved him as only a woman can love, and he be-
trayed me. I have a right to sit in judgment upon him, and
to condemn him."
" I know how you have suffered," he said, soothingly, " and
THE GREEN GATE. 189
I will do no violence to your feelings, mother. I will not try
to excuse my father to you, for he offended you bitterly,
wounded you to the very heart ; but do not forget "
" From those letters, which should have been destroyed,"
she interrupted him, passionately, " you learned much of my
misery ; but they could not tell you all. You know that we
were happy, and that he threw away that happiness when it
excluded him from the hope of securing to his name the pos-
session of a newly-inherited estate ; but you do not know all
that I had gone through to secure this happiness, which I
fondly dreamed was for eternity, how I had destroyed, anni-
hilated the hopes of others to pave the way No, no !
enough of that! I will not make you your mother's accuser,
my son, and I have atoned for the wrong I inflicted. Oh,
God ! I have atoned for it !"
Xaver placed himself beside her, and put his arm around
her. " Is it sj hard to forgive, then ?" he asked, gently.
" Must what has once been dear be so hated ? Must / hate
what has never even been dear to me, what until a few days
ago did not even interest me ? Do not require what is un-
natural of me, mother dear; remember that I cannot share
your emotions if I should encounter the man who is my father,
whose errors it is not my part to condemn, and upon whom
you revenged yourself by depriving him of the child whom, if
his letters did not lie, he loved tenderly. Witness the deed
that gave me all the property over which he then possessed
any right of disposal."
The proud woman's eyes were bent upon him with an ex-
pression of bitter pain. " You are not thinking, Xaver," she
said, in a voice that she controlled with difficulty, " of seeking
out that man, your father ?"
He felt his hand tremble and his heart throb as in the
presence of some imminent peril. He knew that it would
afford intense delight to the mother whom he fondly loved if
190 THE GREEN GATE.
he could only throw himself into her arms and declare, " No,
no ! I will never know him, never utter his name again." But
he could not allow himself to be so enthralled to her hate as
to be untrue to himself in pity for her suffering, and play the
part her passion would have assigned him. He must not
admit feeling to any voice in this matter, he must see only its
practical side. " The reasons are obvious why I must certainly
think of presenting myself to Count Gleichenau," he said,
with composure, " since I need his confirmation of my right
to the arms of the Von Honeburgs, and to all that remains of
their estates. What use I may make of them I cannot say,
but you can certainly see clearly, mother, that in my present
position they are of great value to me. Frau Barbara Amberger
will not reject the Freiherr von Honeburg as a suitor for her
daughter's hand."
Camilla reclined wearily upon the couch. " You will sac-
rifice your mother's honour," she said, gloomily. It did not
sound like a reproach, but like a wail, she saw that furthei
opposition on her part would be fruitless.
The Professor arose, and paced to and fro in the room,
pausing from time to time, and then continuing his walk. He
suffered much in thus giving his mother pain ; he had taken
counsel a thousand times with himself, before coming to her,
to try to avoid it, but it had always seemed to him that this
frank, open course was the only one to pursue. Now she knew
what he intended, and could assume what attitude seemed
best to her with this knowledge. He had not hoped that she
would approve his intention, but, even although she did all
that in her lay to deter him from fulfilling it, he could do
more calmly and easily what he felt to be right than if from a
desire to spare her feelings he had acted in an underhand
manner and kept her in the dark as to his line of conduct. He
was relieved to know this, and, approaching her again, he leaned
over her, and said, tenderly, " We know each other, mother
THE GREEN GATE. 191
dear ! You have confidence enough in me to be sure that I
could never have the heart to take any action or to concede
anything that could offend your keen sense of honour. I can
promise more. I will do nothing that can prevent you from
pursuing your own path as proudly as ever. I will speak and
act for myself alone, and my own pride, which is of a different
nature, will never allow me to resign my position as a man who
owes all that he is to you."
She sighed, and turned upon him a face that, for the first
time, looked to him as old as her years would make it. He
had always rejoiced that she never seemed to grow old, and
this change terrified him. She held out her hand, and said,
wearily, " It is not easy to see all our hopes fade, when each
hope was born of agony. My pride is broken. Before my
son I am a weak woman, who hardly dares beseech indul-
gence. Follow the dictates of your heart, I forgive you."
He kissed again and again the hand that lay so languid and
cold in his own. Camilla arose, she evidently wished to be
alone to go through the struggle with herself, that could no
longer be postponed. He understood her mutely-expressed
desire, and took his leave.
CHAPTER XIV.
IN his own home he found upon his writing-table two deli-
cate little notes. The first was an invitation from Councillor
and Madame Wiesel to their daughter's betrothal festivity.
Would Katrine be there? It would be easier to speak with
her unobserved in a large assemblage than in the home-circle.
This invitation pleased him.
192 THE GREEN GATE.
The address of the other, a pink billet-doux, was in an un-
known handwriting, apparently a woman's. Still occupied
with thoughts of Katrine, he opened it without curiosity.
Instead of a sheet of paper it contained merely a visiting-card.
Madame Feinberg had the honour to inform him in pencil,
beneath her engraved name, that she, with her daughter, wa3
at present in Berlin, and looked forward to his society in see-
ing all that was worth visiting there. On the other side of the
card another hand had inscribed, " We are longing to see Pro-
fessor Schb'nrade. Pray come soon, and have a great deal of
time for us. S."
He looked at the card with a smile, a smile not of self-
satisfaction, but of satirical humour. He felt sure that
Sidonie was here on his account, but his vanity was not at
all gratified : he was annoyed, feeling that he was likely to be
hampered by the attentions that would be expected of him.
He was not at all what is called a " society man," but was apt
rather to neglect social duties, to leave visits unpaid, and letters
and notes unanswered. He longed now to plead his multifarious
occupations to excuse him from playing cicerone to the ladies.
But he had accepted hospitality from them, he was sure to
meet them at Fraulein Lilli's betrothal festivity, and it was
better to do all that the conventional rules of courtesy de-
manded. He would surely be able to confine his duties
within strictly formal bounds.
He did not go the same day. The next was the one pre-
ceding that of the festivity at the villa, and he presented him-
self at the hotel just after the dinner-hour, the time of day
which was most at his own disposal. The ladies had just
retired to their sitting-room from the table-d'hote, and had
ordered coffee. The Professor made his appearance, preceded
by the waiter carrying a tray.
" Oh, here you are at last, my dear Herr Professor !" Ma-
dame Feinberg called to him from the sofa where she was
THE GREEN GATE. 193
lounging. " Waiter, another cup for Professor Schb'nrade.
You will take coffee with us? We expected you at dinner,
and had the seat next us reserved for you. But I am afraid
you are so spoiled in this huge city that our society presents
small attractions."
Sidonie sat at the window, looking out into the street. On
a chair beside her, and upon the floor, were a multitude of
boxes filled with laces, feathers, and flowers, which had appar-
ently just been purchased. She turned her head after the
waiter had left the room, and with a supercilious air said, half
in jest, half scornfully, " For Heaven's sake don't believe a
word mamma says ! We no more thought of you than did
the chair beside us, which remained unoccupied because no
one ventured to approach us, except a Russian Jew, whom
we frightened away by saying the seat was reserved."
" Your cruel explanation, Fiilulcin Feinberg," he replied,
" was entirely unnecessary to convince me that I was not
missed. I see evidences here of the interesting nature of
your occupation before dinner."
She pushed the boxes off the chair, and thrust them all
into a heap on the floor with her foot. " Oh, do not look at
this nonsense !" she said, w T ith a laugh. " Is it not hard
that we girls are expected to deck ourselves out like dolls ?
and for what ? To please the big children who parade in gay
uniforms or fashionable black dress-coats. Sit here, Heir
Professor; you will be more comfortable than in that creaking
arm-chair. Well, shall we see you to-morrow among the big
children ?'*
" If my dress-coat may be admitted into the category you
allude to, after the good service it has done me," he replied,
as he kissed the hand held out to him in welcome. " It has
already had the honour of appearing before the ladies."
" You must be very fond of it, to take it with you even
upon a business trip," Sidonie said, laughing ; and her mother
i 17
194 THE GREEN GATE.
made several luminous remarks as to the ungraceful cut of tho
gentlemen's coats of the present day, animadverting upon the
taste of their inventor.
Sidonie interrupted her by calling the Professor to account
for not paying his respects to them earlier.
" I aiu so very much occupied, Friiulein Feinberg " he
began.
" Oh, I can't listen to that !" she said, breaking in upon his
explanation. "As long as we are here, you must not think of
your work. Throw away your pen, and let your ink dry up.
Listen to Goethe : ' The lowest of the human brood will teach
you you are a man amongst your kind.' "
The Professor frowned. " Mephistopheles says that, Friiu-
lein Feinberg, the cousin of the serpent. But, after all, the
lowest society is not as dangerous as the best ; and the safest
for a man of science is his books."
This the ladies would in no wise grant. They declared that
they would be generous enough to give him all his forenoons
for himself, but that he must dine with them every day, and
devote to them the afternoons and evenings. He fought des-
perately to retain his freedom; but their persistence so far
conquered him that he was obliged to promise to dine with
them that very afternoon, then to go to a theatre where a new
farce was performing, and to finish the evening by a supper at
a favourite restaurant " unter den Linden."
Half an hour later all three were seated in a barouche, driving
through the Brandenburger Thor. They went to Charlotten-
burg, and sauntered about the garden there for some time,
and then drove directly across the park. " Return through
Thiergarten Strasse !" Sidonie called out to the driver.
Of course they were obliged to pass by the Wiesels' villa.
Sidonie hoped they should be seen by Frau Wiesel or one of
the young ladies, and her mother loudly expressed her desire
to this effect. The Professor devoutly wished that the vehicle
THE GREEN GATE. 195
might lose a wheel, but he said nothing. He could not en-
dure the thought of being seen by Katrine in his present
company, and hardly liked to look towards the villa as they
approached it.
And yet it was no other than Katrine upon whom the
ladies lavished their most gracious nods and smiles. Schbnrade
took off his hat with as piteous an expression as his features
could command. Was she expecting him in spite of the next
day's festivity ? What would she think of his spending his
time in iriving out with these strangers ? It was excessively
annoying.
" Katharina is a dear girl," Madame Feinberg remarked, as
they passed the pavilion ; " I think her the most agreeable of
the family."
" Yes," said Sidonie, carelessly, " very pleasant, a trifle
commonplace."
u A little affected, 'tis true," her mother added; "don't you
think so, Ilerr Professor ?"
This was almost too much. He raged inwardly. " I am
a great lover of simplicity, niadame, and therefore Fraulein
Amberger seems to me a very charming young person."
" She is! she is !" both ladies said, in a breath.
"People are not all alike," Sidonie added.
The farce and the supper fortunately came to an end,
the Professor insisting that both should be at his own ex-
pense, in hopes that the ladies might be unwilling to renew
their obligations to him.
Madame Feinberg declared that now he could not refuse to
dine with them at their hotel the next day. On the contrary,
lie proposer" to conduct them to a really remarkable restaurant,
where he hoped they would be his guests.
" And if we consent this time also," Sidonie said, triumph-
antly, " you cannot possibly refuse to come with us afterwards.
We will accept, mamma."
196 THE GREEN GATE.
" But, my child "
" Good heavens ! we will take our revenge afterwards. So
take care, Herr Professor !"
Thus it was settled. As he accompanied the ladies to their
hotel, Schonrade wondered where he should find the " remark-
able restaurant" to which he was to conduct them.
It was discovered, however, the next day, " unter den Lin-
den," and every preparation was made for a Lucullan banquet.
As they were entering the place, they accidentally encoun-
tered an old school-fellow of the Professor's, with whom he had
never 1 eer. intimate, but whom he was in the habit of seeing
from time to time. Ernst von Fuchs had been in the army,
but his debts had obliged him to leave it, and for some time
he had been living principally upon his title of captain and his
social accomplishments. Although he had run through his
property, and had no visible source of revenue, he lived like a
lord, dressed like an exquisite, was intimate at the best houses
in Berlin, kept a riding-horse, and gave out that he was studying
for the post of engineer in a large manufacturing interest. He
certainly was a man of intelligence, and had been a constant
hearer in the Professor's lecture-room during the previous
winter. Schonrade could not avoid presenting him to the
ladies.
As he was conducting them to the private table provided
for them, a fiendish idea occurred to him. Why not invite this
entertaining " man about town" to join them, and so provide
a door of escape for himself? Ernst von Fuchs was the very
man to captivate them by his manners and conversation. On
the instant he asked the ladies whether they would permit him
to add his friend to their little company, a proposition that
met with a ready assent.
He then returned to his old school-fellow, and proffered his
invitation in a low tone. " Who are they ?" asked Herr von
Fuchs. "Oh, you may be perfectly easy," said Schunrade;
THE ORE EN GATE. 197
"the elder is the wife, and the younger the daughter, of a
millionaire."
" The deuce they are ! and in Berlin only to amuse them-
selves? My dear fellow, I accept your invitation with the
greatest pleasure." A fourth cover was laid, and the lobster-
soup was discussed amid a buzz of lively conversation.
It was a perfect success. Herr von Fuchs rattled away ; his
sm ill-talk was admirable, and now and then quite witty, and
he soon found such favour with Sidonie, always attracted by
novelty, that the Professor took but a second place in her
attention. Before dinner was over, the Captain knew that
she was an enthusiastic horsewoman. He proposed riding to
Ruhwald the next day. " We can ride beside your carriage,
madame," he said to the mother, who could make no objection
to this plan.
" Provided the Herr Professor will drive with me," she said.
" Oh, he must ride with us," Sidonie declared ; " we will run
a race."
" I have no chance with the Captain," he replied, evasively.
" You know how little time I have," Schonrade whispered
in his friend's ear, after they had risen from table. " I pray
you to take the ladies in charge ; they are delightful, as you see."
" Of course, of course, my dear fellow," the Captain replied,
with a chuckle. " I will call upon them at their hotel to-
morrow. Heavens ! what a sage you are, never away from
your books ! Well, so much the better for me ; you might be
in the way. Farewell ; I will attend them, and it is your own
fault if I supplant you."
The Professor shook hands with him, and helped the ladies
into their carriage.
But the evening at Councillor Wiesel's showed him that he
was by no means yet extricated from his difficulties.
It was a wretched evening. First he had to undergo a
meeting with Frau Amberger, whose distant bow revealed no
17*
198 . THE GREEN GATE.
change in her sentiments as yet, and then with Katrine, to
whom he so longed to say one confidential word, but who could
not possibly escape her mother's Argus eyes. She looked so
pale and sad that it grieved him to the very soul. And when
Madame Feinberg and her daughter arrived, and had been
duly received, Sidonie entirely ignored every one else, and
seemed determined to converse with him, and him only.
She had selected another role for this evening, and tried its
effect upon him. An assemblage like the present always made
her melancholy. It was so sad a spectacle, all these people,
gayly dressed, met together for the sake of enjoyment, and
really not knowing where to find it. They stood until they
were tired, staring about to find out that there was nothing to
be seen but what they had seen hundreds of times already ;
they changed their places to say the same phrases over and
over again ; they could not really converse, for fear of being
interrupted ; they ate and drank in the most uncomfortable
attitudes, or went hungry ; they were sleepy from fatigue, and
had to wear happy faces ; all would say, Thank God ! when
the time came to tell their hostess what a delightful evening
they had passed, and to depart ; yet, with all this dreary expe-
rience, they would accept the next invitation. And six or eight
of these people, well selected, might have such a delightful
evening together, without all this expense and show.
Schonrade only half listened to what she was saying. " We
must do as others do," he said.
" Not at all !" she exclaimed, so loudly that it recalled him
to himself. She put her hand upon his arm, and pointed to
two vacant chairs. " Let us at least," she said, " take the lib-
erty of isolating ourselves in the midst of this crowd." He
could do no less than take one of the chairs, while she seated
herself in the other. " If ever I have a house of my own,"
she continued, " I shall break the fetters of this conventional
society and order my life with a view to higher aims." And
THE GREEN GATE. 199
she painted this life so vividly that he could not but compli-
ment Tier upon the picture.
" If only true friends can be found to uphold your efforts,"
he remarked.
" Yes, yes !" she exclaimed, " but those who can be true
friends can find true friends. Have you ever felt the want
of such ?"
He evaded the question, and asked what she thought of
Ilerr von Fuchs. She did not wish to form too hasty a judg-
ment, but he seemed quite endurable. And then she made
various inquiries concerning him, to which Schonrade gave
prudent replies. Sidonie did not let the conversation flag;
she seemed determined to retain him by her side, while from
time to time he could see Katrine's grave face in the dis-
tance.
Frau Amberger in the mean while was obliged to listen
to eulogiums upon the Professor. Frau Fcinberg kept near
her, and spent the time in glorifying him, and telling of his
attentions to her daughter. Really, " dear Moritz" had some
cause for jealousy this time. Apparently she wished to pre-
pare the way for events that were not impossible. Frau Wie-
sel, as soon as his name was mentioned, joined her voice in his
praise to what Madame Feinberg said, and prophesied a bril-
liant future for him. Privy-councillor Bachstelze, a member
of the government and a friend of her husband's, who ap-
proached to utter his congratulations, spilling his wine on the
lady's silken train as he did so, declared that Schonrade was
one of the celebrities of the city, and an ornament to the Uni-
versity. Frau Barbara listened in silence, but by no means in
indifference, to what was said.
She entertained her own private opinion when Katrine came
to her a little later in the evening, complained of headache,
and begged to be allowed to retire to her own room. Sidonie
and the Professor had arisen, and were walking in the garden.
200 THE GREEN GATE.
" I am afraid your absence will be observed," Frau Barbara
remonstrated.
" I have told Lilli," the poor child replied, " and she will
make my excuses, if necessary."
Her mother as she looked at her could not doubt that she
really felt ill, and let her go, in hope that half an hour's rest
would enable her to return to the drawing-room.
" If Sidonie would only keep the Professor forever," Frau
Barbara mentally ejaculated, " I should have both my son and
my daughter again."
Xaver soon missed Katrine, and his restless anxiety was
BO great that he scarcely returned intelligible replies to what
Sidonie was saying. " You are very preoccupied, my dear
Professor," she said. " Where are your thoughts at present?
Evidently not with me."
'' Oh, I am not well, I am quite unwell," he said, by way
of excuse. " I ought not to have come here."
She proposed that they should sit down in an arbour; but
just then two or three officers of her acquaintance came up
to speak to her, and Schonrade took the opportunity to excuse
himself and retire from her side, leaving her to the care of her
military friends.
He found Lilli among her guests upon her lover's arm. " One
second, my dear Fraulein Wiesel," he begged, in a low tone.
She said a few whispered words to Mr. Fairfax, who nodded
and resigned her to the Professor.
" I pity you from my heart," she said.
" You know all, Friiulein Lilli," he rejoined, going at once
to the point. " Where is Katrine ?"
" In her room, I believe."
" Not ill ? She looked so pale."
" Nothing of any consequence is the matter, at least, as far
as I know ; but in her place I should be pale too to see you
spend the entire evening with a lady
THE GREEN GATE. 201
" But, my dear Friiulein Lilli, you must have seen," he in-
terrupted her, " that this lady herself Oh, I am vexed
beyond endurance ! And to-morrow Katrine will be gone,
with Heaven knows what thoughts of nay conduct. If I
could only speak to her for two minutes !"
Lilli reflected. " Really, only two minutes? I am very sorry
for you. I am half inclined to risk something in your behalf."
" Oh, my dear child "
" Hush ! hush ! You don't deserve it of me, but neverthe-
less Come here." She led him through a concealed side-
door to a winding iron staircase. " Go up," she said, " and
knock at the second door on the left. I will keep guard here
for you. Remember, only two minutes !" He hastened up.
Lilli heard him knock twice in vain, and then the door
was opened. She seemed to have waited a long time, when
she again heard steps in the corridor. " Well?" she asked.
" Katrine is quite recovered," he replied, with a beaming
face. " We have just decided that I am to take her to supper
in spite of everything and everybody."
" Bravo ! bravo !"
He took her hand and pressed it gratefully. " Oh, how I
thank you ! Pray go up and bring Katrine down. I will dis-
appear through this door, to meet you by chance in the pavilion
and take charge of Katrine in the face of all the world."
" But what will Frau Ambcrger say?"
" We will think of that to-morrow. To-day is our own."
" Go, go, then !" She closed the door behind him, and ran
up-stairs to help her friend efface all traces of her tears.
"Am I not a fool ?" poor Katrine asked.
Frau Barbara could hardly believe her eyes when she saw
her daughter calmly going to supper upon the Professor's
arm. " I brought her down," Lilli explained, " and begged
our dear Professor to take charge of her. He will soon mako
her well again."
i*
202 THE GREEN GATE.
The old lady turned away with a frown. " We ought to
have left Berlin yesterday," she said to herself.
Sidonie sat at the supper-table in anything but a pleasant
humour. What was the Professor thinking of, to take " such
an insignificant girl" to supper?
CHAPTER XV.
COUNCILLOR WIESEL had spoken of a certain Count Glei-
chenau who was staying in Berlin on account of the health
of his son. Upon inquiring, the Professor learned that this
was, in fact, the possessor of the large entailed estate bearing
his name, and that therefore a journey thither might be avoided.
Count Gleichenau had hired a luxurious house in the Vik-
toriastrasse, which combined all the elegance and comfort of
a winter residence with the requirements of a summer home.
The gardens around it were carefully kept, and there was
an immense retinue of servants, but the life led there was
most retired. The Count received no visits, and never left the
house except to take the drives with his son ordered by the
physician, whose vehicle might be seen several times a day
standing before the mansion, and, when the weather permitted,
the father wheeled the invalid about the garden in a low chair
constructed for the purpose.
The Professor had passed this house several times, less with
the expectation than in the hope of meeting the Count, for he
could not endure the idea of presenting himself as a son to a
man whose face he had never seen since his infancy. His
exterior at least .must be no longer strange to him. One day,
at noon, he passed just as the Count was driving off, a tall,
spare figure, dressed in gray, with a head which would have
THE GREEN GATE. 203
been very handsome but for a certain prominence of the nose
and chin. His gray felt hat was pressed down over his eyes,
his hair was cut short after the military fashion, and his yel-
lowish-whits moustache was drawn out into two long points.
The pale lad beside him leaned back among the cushions of
the carriage, and, despite the warmth of the day, the old man
enveloped him carefully in a thin woollen wrap. As Schon-
rade passed, he lifted his hat, an attention that evidently took
the Count by surprise. He returned the greeting with the
hurried air of one recalled to a duty he had neglected, and
then apparently searched his memory for a recognition of the
stranger, for as the carriage drove off he turned on the seat
and looked back.
The next day the Professor went to the house and sent in
his card. He was instantly shown into the library, where the
Count arose to receive him, the card still in his hand. For an
instant he appeared to remember having seen him before, but
then slowly shook his head in utter ignorance of his guest's
person.
Schonrade for a moment could find no words in which to
open the conversation. His father stood before him, and the
next few minutes would decide whether he had done well or
ill in presenting to him his son. The Count looked worn and
anxious ; there were deep furrows in his forehead and cheeks,
and the green hangings of the room increased his natural
pallor. This man had passed through bitter trials, and their
traces were graven deeply upon his countenance.
" You are looking at my card again, Count Gleichcnau," the
guest began, at last. " Does the name upon it suggest "
The Count put down the card and motioned the Professor
to take a seat. " The name I cannot remember Professor
Xaver Schonrade I must have heard the name frequently,
but my memory is very poor very poor. Xaver, to be sure
Xaver but that has nothing to do with it. It is rather an
204 THE GREEN GATE.
unusual name and I had a son But that has nothing
to do with it." He put up a thin right hand, and reflectively
rubbed his forehead, then dropped it by his side with a slight
inclination, as if to entreat an explanation of the visit.
The Professor thought any longer preparation entirely un-
necessary. It needed but a single word to turn in the right
direction the Count's surmise, already busy with memories of
his son. " The name Schbnrade is only a translation of the
Italian Bellarota," he said, in a tone which he vainly strove to
preserve free from emotion.
" Bellarota!" exclaimed the Count, sitting erect in his arm-
chair. " Bellarota," he repeated, more gently, sinking slowly
back again, while his eyes never strayed from his guest's coun-
tenance. " Why do you tell me that, sir?"
Schonrade bit his lip with a strong effort to conquer his
agitation. " To preface a disclosure," he said, with as much
composure as he could command, " that is thus tardy only
because I have but lately become aware of certain facts. Let
me premise, Count Gleichenau, that the practical importance
of this disclosure concerns yourself alone. I am entirely inde-
pendent, and have created for myself in the world in which I
live a position of which I conceive I have some right to be
proud. I confess that this circumstance had weight with me
when I resolved to seek you out. It must render impossible
any suspicion that this step could be prompted by unworthy
motives. I desire nothing save the acknowledgment of my
rights; any use that I may make of this acknowledgment
will certainly meet with your approval. Will you allow me
to speak ?"
" Go on, go on !" the Count exclaimed, his haggard cheek
flushed with crimson. " Your mother
" Is Camilla Bellarotta."
" Camilla !"
" The divorced wife of the Freiherr von Honeburg."
THE GREEN GATE. 205
"My wife!"
The Count leaned back in his chair, his face grew ghastly
pale, and he pressed his hand upon his eyes. " Camilla Ca-
milla " he murmured.
Xaver was touched. He arose and approached him. " Count
Gleichenau," he said, gently, in a low tone, " what I say re-
quires proof. If I can produce this, and if you are that
Freiherr yon Honeburg, I have the right to call myself your
son. But do not be startled by the idea that you must play
the father to a man whom you have not seen since his infancy,
and who can be no more to you than any other stranger who
may happen to present himself before you. I fully admit
that nature, in such a case, does not assert her claim, filial
love is largely gratitude, and gratitude I owe you none. All
that I, at my age, can hope for is that I have found a man
whose friendship I shall be glad to win, and who may in time
value me as a friend. In time, Count Gleichenau ! It must
take time. Permit me to lay these papers upon your table,
and to take my leave. I shall hold myself aloof until you
see fit to send for me."
" Not yet ! oh, not so quickly!" the Count entreated, as he
took his hand within his trembling grasp and drew him to-
wards him. " Did I not seem yesterday, when I saw you first
when you bowed you bowed to me, did you not ? did I
not seem to be for one instant in a dream of the past, that I
could not explain ? I know now what called it up. Your
mother's features, as a little child you were like her." He
stood up, and drew aside the curtain from before a picture that
hung above his writing-table. "Look," he continued, "here
is all that is left me of Camilla, her picture. She could not
take it from me, because at that sad time it was still in the
artist's possession. How lovely she was, how lovely !"
. Xaver could hardly master his emotion" at finding his
mother's memory thus preserved.
18
206 THE GREEN GATE.
" She is still a beautiful woman," he said, "although "
"Where is she?" the Count interrupted him, letting the
curtain drop, and turning towards him. " Where is she ?
While she was upon the stage, the newspapers told me of her
whereabouts ; but for years now they have said nothing of
her art or of her."
" She withdrew long ago from the stage," Xaver replied,
" and has since been living in great retirement, here in Berlin,
upon the income of her earnings."
" Here !" cried the Count. " And I never knew it ! But
how could I ? I am a hermit. Take me to her ! I must see
her ; I must learn from her own lips that she has forgiven."
The Professor avoided meeting his eye. " Count Glei-
chenau," he said, " my mother knows that I am come to
you, but she does not approve my doing so, and she does not
desire to have any part in the consequences of such a step. I
cannot judge her "
" She is still angry, then !" the Count interrupted, and the
frown appeared again upon his brow. " She will never for-
give. But I will not relinquish all hope, now that I have an
intercessor in her son." He took Xaver's hand and gently
forced him to sit down again, standing the while himself.
" Stay, stay awhile," he said ; " give me at least a superficial
glance at your present life. I too trust we shall be friends."
" Will you not first, for my own satisfaction, look through
those papers ?"
The Count took them from the table and glanced over them
hurriedly. " What do they signify ? A baptismal certificate ;
a certificate of the confirmation of Xavcr Bcllarota ; teachers'
testimonials as to your diligence and acquirements ; a diploma.
I have no doubt that you are Professor Xaver Schimrade,
who sent me in this card, ' alias Xavcr Bellarota,' as your
diploma has it,and that you are Camilla's son and nifne,
as this baptismal certificate attc.-ts. What possible reason
THE GREEN GATE. 207
could a man in your position have for deceiving me ? I know
that Camilla refused to allow her son to bear my name, and.
since I learn that you have only lately discovered what this
name is, I know that she fulfilled her threat, to keep her child
in ignorance of it. God forgive her for taking such a revenge !"
The Professor related all that he thought worth hearing of
his life and pursuits, detailing every particular of his visit to
the Honeburg.
The Count listened attentively, giving from time to time a
nod of assent. " Yes, yes ; it was all as you say," he said,
when the story was concluded. " You have learned from those
letters and papers all the particulars of that sad time, and from
your manner in relating them I see that you do not entirely
justify the offended wife. Oh, I could complete that corre-.
spondence by producing Camilla's letters to me, but I will not
try to excuse the wrong I did by adducing evidence of that
passionate intemperance of thought and word that cooled the
ardour of my affection for her. I grant that the sudden acces-
sion of fortune which transformed me from a needy retired
officer, burdened with debt, to a very wealthy man, from the
possessor of an ancient name, and of nothing else, to a member
of the landed aristocracy, dazzled and bewildered me, confusing
for awhile my estimate of the real value of everything. Per-
haps in time I should have recovered myself, had there been
a gentle, patient hand to lead me back to the right path. As
it was, nothing was more to be avoided, headstrong as I was,
than a hasty misconception of my motives and a passionate op-
position to plans that were but half formed at the time ; and
Camilla But I will not allude to her errors, you see
how difficult it is to look merely objectively at one's own past.
Possibly I regard my conduct now from a point of view that
would then have been impossible to me, and which I have
gained only through the hard trials and bitter experiences of
years. Let me simply acknowledge that I was M'rong. But to
208 THE GREEN GATE.
you, my son, I must recall the fact that at least I left no means
untried to soften the wrong I did. It surely was not my fault
that Camilla sternly refused at my hands every means of sup-
port for herself and our child. I endowed her with a yearly
sum which would have maintained her independently and suit-
ably as the mother of the Freiherr von Honeburg. I sent
her this quarterly, but my letters and enclosures were always
returned unopened. The mediation of friends and of lawyers
was alike fruitless. Once, when I heard from a source to
be relied upon that she was in absolute need, I myself went
to entreat her at least to accept of a loan ; but she refused to
see me, and preferred to take her father's name and wander
about the world as a singer. Every intelligence of her son's
welfare was denied me. I could do nothing save deposit with
a banker the yearly sums I had appropriated to her and your
support, and hope that in future years the property thus ac-
cumulated might be of some use to you or to your heirs. I
was powerless opposed to her pride, she humiliated me at
every turn. And yet I must confess to the admiration with
which her force inspired me. I could not redeem my fault,
I bore it always with me, a burden that increased with years,
like the money that was deposited upon her account. And
now I hear from her son that she is still implacable."
Xaver heard him without interruption, he saw how great
a relief it was to the man to pour out his grief in this way.
Every word carried with it conviction of the kindly disposi-
tion of the speaker. " Why cannot my mother learn to know
you as I see you now ?" he said. " But her heart remains un-
touched by what moves mine. I have only one hope in the
matter: she loves me tenderly ; her pain in knowing me, in
spite of all obstacles interposed by herself, united with my
father, will be overcome, she surely will not be able to close
her heart forever to the friend of a son so fondly loved. This
is my hope."
THE GREEN GATE. 209
The Count pressed his hand, and sat silent for awhile. The
Professor arose and took his hat. " Permit me to retire," he
said ; " you need rest, and I too Farewell. May I come
again ?"
" May you ?" exclaimed the old man, arising and approach-
ing him. " I trust you will not allow a day to pass without
coming to this house. If you knew how sad But no
more of this." Another idea seemed suddenly to occur to
him ; he looked about as if in search of something. " Wait
one moment," he then said ; " I must present my dear com-
panion to you." He opened the door into an adjoining room,
and called, " Kunibert !"
The pale lad whom the Professor had seen in the carriage
appeared upon the threshold. It was plain to see from his
languid air that he had outgrown his strength. " What is it,
father dear?" he asked, in a weak, husky voice, with a shy
glance towards the stranger.
" My poor invalid boy!" the Count said, leading him up to
Xaver. " You need fear no teasing questions from this gen-
tleman, Kunibert ; he is a professor, but no physician. Who
do you think he is ? Look at him well. I trust we shall see
him daily."
The lad looked down, embarrassed. " I cannot tell, sir."
" Of course, of course ; how should you ? But if I should
tell you that your brother Xaver has been found "
The lad looked up quickly, and a flush of pleasure coloured
his pale cheek. " My brother Xaver ? And this gentle-
man "
" Is he," the Professor concluded the sentence, offering him
his hand. " Do you think you can be friends with him ?"
" Easily," the boy replied, after a short pause, regarding
the Professor with boyish frankness. " It will be a jolly
thing to have a real brother of my own. But you are so much
older than I and "
18*
210 THE GREEN GATE.
He was again covered with confusion. His father laid his
hand caressingly upon his shoulder. " It is a great surprise
for you, my boy ; we shall need time to discuss all this to-
gether quietly, and when you meet again I trust it will be like
old acquaintances."
The Professor took his leave, the Count accompanying him
with every mark of cordiality. His emotion seemed at last
to master him ; he seized his son's hands, wrung them in his
own, and turned away, greatly agitated. " To-morrow !" the
Professor exclaimed, as he left the house.
The next forenoon the Count returned his son's visit. He
found Herr Ernst von Fuchs with him, using all his eloquence
to induce him to throw aside his work in the evening and ac-
cept an invitation from the ladies Feinberg to a petit sonper
that they had arranged. " Don't attempt any excuse, my dear
fellow," he said ; " it will not be received. Fraulein Sidonie
would be too much disappointed by a refusal, and would, be-
sides, entertain but .a poor opinion of me as a messenger.
Heavens ! what a man you are ! Here are the ladies perfectly
raving about you, you have only to close your hand upon the
prize that is ready to drop into it, and you retire and take airs
upon yourself like a young girl with a wooer of sixty."
- " I have already given you to understand," Schbnrade re-
plied, " that I have no mind to appropriate this prize. The
field is yours, Ernst."
" Oh, I understand," the other exclaimed : " you believe you
can insure your conquest by seeming to prize it lightly."
" If my tactics are wrong, so much the better for you," said
(he Professor.
" This seems to be a very odd dispute," the Count re-
marked. " Each wishes to accredit the other with assured
success."
Xavcr laughed. " And all about a young lady who is
already betrothed."
THE GREEN GATE. 211
" Bah ! betrothed !" exclaimed Herr von Fuchs. " I do
not believe in that betrothal."
" You, of course, have a right to your opinion," rejoined
the Professor ; " I can only assure you that I know her lover,
a young man of unexceptionable family and large fortune."
" And is that what deters you from frequenting the girl's
society, desirous as she is of charming you to her side ?"
Schonrade paused for a moment. " That does deter me, 1 '
he then replied, decidedly.
" Oh, pattern of chivalrous honour !" exclaimed the gentle-
man. " Is it possible that you do not see that the ladies have
come hither solely on your account ? I found that out the
first hour we were together."
The Professor made a deprecatory gesture. "A very fleet-
ing interest, I assure you ! One could hardly find any foun-
dation there for setting aside the claims of her acknowledged
lover."
" Which no one seems to value less than the lover himself."
" However that may be, my dear Fuchs, however that may
V ))
The gentleman spoke in his ear. " May I hint to Frilu-
lein Sidonie the reasons for your conscientious reserve?" he
asked, with a sly glance. " Of course with all due discre-
tion "
" I empower you to be as indiscreet as you please," said
Schonrade, aloud and evasively.
The ladies' ambassador was not yet content. " And you
will come this evening, my dear fellow ?" he insisted.
" Do not forget that you have promised me this evening,"
the Count remarked, coming to his assistance.
" You hear?" said the Professor, with a shrug.
But Herr von Fuchs was not so easily appeased. " We
shall keep it up very late. Surely you can sacrifice an hour's
sleep to a charming young girl "
212 THE GREEN GATE.
The Professor shook his head.
" Then you must excuse yourself to-morrow morning on
the plea of sudden illness," the ambassador concluded. "I
dare not carry back a decided ' no.' " He thereupon took his
departure.
" I hope you were not constrained in any way by my pres-
ence ?" the Count remarked.
" Rest assured on that point," Xaver replied. " I have
weighty reasons for not leaving the lady in question in any
doubt as to my sentiments." And in a few words he ex-
plained matters to his father.
" I have seen this Herr Otto Feinberg," said the Count, re-
flectively. " There was some project for a new line of railway
afoot, and he came to me in its behalf, to ask for my name
in the undertaking : there was something, too, about their
wanting the land now occupied by the ruin of Honeburg.
I did not like the man, and I made inquiries of one of my
friends in the ministry about his brother's business status and
the chances of his project. He is thought a very wealthy
man at present, but there is no confidence in the stability of
his plans, and obstacles were therefore intentionally placed in
his way. There was another reason why I could do nothing
for him, to which, of course, I did not allude. The Houeburg
does not belong to me."
The Professor sat silent, although his father seemed to
expect some expression of surprise on his part.
" It belongs, and has done so for thirty years, to my son
Xaver," the Count continued.
' : To be frank, I found your deed .of gift among the papers
left at the Honeburg by my mother," said Schijnrade, in some
embarrassment. " The gift was not accepted, and must, of
course, be considered as recalled."
" By no means," the Count rejoined. " I expressly made
any such recall impossible. Who knows whether that heap
THE GREEN GATE. 213
of sand and strip of waste land may not be worth something,
now that "
Schb'nrade laid his hand upon his arm. " Do not let us
speak of that now," he entreated.
" You are right," the Count said, kindly. " Rather let me
hear something of my learned son's occupations and interests.
You must not take it amiss that I have never read your book,
every line interests me now, and I have already written to
my bookseller "
" Unnecessary extravagance," Xaver interrupted him, taking
from his table a book wrapped in thick paper. " If you do
not scorn a gift that costs me nothing "
The Count thanked him cordially, and they were soon deep
in scientific matters. They might have been old acquaintances,
from the tone of the conversation.
CHAPTER XVI.
DURING the following days the father and son spent many
hours together. The Count did all that he could to testify
to Xaver his delight in his new-found son, and the Professor
forgot more and more the reserve of manner which he had
resolved to maintain. He must have been cold indeed if the
old man's kindness and evident desire to do all that he could
to win a place in his affection had not touched him to the
heart.
There was no occasion to decide upon which side lay the
blame of the mournful separation that had hitherto estranged
father and son. They owed it to a fortunate chance that they
were at last together, and every day strengthened the bond
between them, by an intercourse that was a source of mutual
214 THE GREEN GATE.
pleasure and profit. Kunibert too, happy in seeing his father
no longer a prey to constant depression of mind, and cheered
by his brother's society, grew less listless, and more disposed
to second by his own exertions the efforts of his physician,
while he began to manifest an interest in the world around
him, and an intelligence that surprised and pleased both
father and brother.
The Count soon had no reserve with his new-found son.
Xaver learned that his second marriage had been productive
of but little happiness. Kunibert's mother had been one of
a prominent family in the circle of which the young Count
of Gleichenau found himself a member. Within its charmed
bounds the social and political aspects of the present were
entirely ignored ; mediaeval modes of thought were encouraged,
and everything tending to progress was discountenanced and
disapproved. It would have needed the moral force of a re-
former, and the assured calm of a philosopher, to endure such
an atmosphere or to attempt to dispel it. Young Gleichcnau's
only thought was to enjoy a life of luxury, from which his
poverty had hitherto excluded him. No wonder that he had
dreaded to introduce Camilla to this new circle, especially
since she herself heaped proof on proof of her unsuitability
for such a sphere.
As soon as he saw how hopeless it was for him to swim
against the current, he determined to swim with it as far as
was possible. He prescnled himself as a suitor in one of the
most conservative of these ancient families. The lady upon
whom his choice fell had been educated to consider pride,
arrogance, and a haughty demeanor aristocratic virtues, and,
in addition, she was far from strong physically, and was very
irritable. Still, the marriage might have been a happier one
if the wife tad been able to refrain from making claims upon
an affection of which her suitor had frankly admitted to her
he was no longer capable. She soon discovered that his heart
THE GREEN GATE. 215
was sore from the loss of his divorced wife, and she tormented
him with her jealous fancies. He came into repeated collision
with his associates, whose narrow-minded views with regard to
life and the world he was not made to share ; and the loss
of three or four children in infancy still further saddened and
embittered his existence. What, after all, was the life worth
for which he had sacrificed so much ? When, however, after
eight years of marriage, Kunibert was born, and father and
mother in him found a common interest, their life became
far more harmonious ; and the boy had never suspected dis-
union between them, so that after his mother's death, which
occurred when he was fourteen, he felt it no insult to her
memory to learn from his father that he had been previously
married, and to be shown a picture of the first wife, as a care-
fully-cherished relic. Kunibert's delicate health was the cause
of constant absence from Gleichenau, and the Count had come
to Berlin in hope of effecting a permanent cure.
With all his duties, the Professor found time to visit his
mother and to pay his respects to the Councillor's wife.
Of course he contrived to exchange a few confidential words
with Lilli, who, two days after Katrine's departure, conveyed
to him a letter from her and took charge of his reply.
Katrine wrote resolutely but sadly. She had been duly re-
proached and catechised by her mother, but had borne herself
bravely, refusing to make any concession of her sentiments.
Therefore they were to travel longer than had been at first
intended. Schbnrade could tell her that he had found his
father, and was ready to follow her to the ends of the earth,
as soon as he felt himself master of the situation. This he
was not as yet, and he begged her not to require him for the
present to appear before Frau Barbara as the Freiherr von
Huueburg. Everything with regard to this matter must re-
main a profound secret for awhile. " But we can have the
satisfaction of knowing, my darling, that this anchor of hope"
216 THE GREEN GATE.
thus he concluded his letter " can be made use of, in case
of danger, at any moment."
His line of conduct towards his mother was difficult. At
the first few interviews that he had with her after 1 their last
important conversation, she seemed estranged from him, she
received and dismissed him with unwonted formality, she
ostensibly led the conversation to dwell upon commonplace
matters, and refused to second any effort of his to make it
more confidential.
He on his part, however, refused to be deterred from enter-
ing into all the particulars of his daily life, telling how he had
found the Count, and how kindly he had received him; but he
was not at his ease while he talked. It was a gain, he thought,
that Camilla did not absolutely forbid these communications,
but listened without contradicting his favorable judgment.
And our Professor learned to be diplomatic. He knew that
we forgive most readily when we find the wrong that we have
suffered avenging itself. He knew she must find a certain
satisfaction in the knowledge that the wrong-doer had not
found peace in his wrong-doing, but had reaped a plentiful
crop of thistles, and he painted the Count's sufferings, not as
if appealing to her pity, but as if to appease her sense of
justice. Sooner than he had hoped he accomplished his design,
which was not merely to inform her of all that he had learned,
but gradually to temper her resentment and predispose her to
gentler judgments. Of course he did not forget to touch
upon the fact that the Count still cherished her portrait; and
when he found it produced a favorable impression, he dwelt
upon it with more emphasis.
One evening when he went to bring her home from the
theatre she surprised him by the intelligence that she had re-
ceived a grand visit. At first he supposed that the Count had
been unable longer to restrain his impatience, and he was the
more startled to learn that Madame Feinberu' and her daughter
THE GREEN GATE. 217
had done themselves the pleasure of waiting upon " the famous
singer, Camilla Bellarota," the mother of " the well-known
Professor Schonrade." " I really did not know I was a Berlin
celebrity," Camilla said, gaily. " If Friiulein Sidunie has any
brains, she must have inherited them from her father, for
her mother, in spite of the fashion-plate that she makes of her-
self, is extremely tiresome. She admired greatly my flowers
in the window, and declared they were all nature, as if it were
natural for any plant to grow in a flower-stand and be shone
upon through a window by a Berlin sun." Her son laughed.
" She begged for permission," she continued, "to come often to
take me to drive. Well, you know my fancy for driving. But
both the ladies complained bitterly of you. I was to tell you
that you are a most discourteous man, and that you do not
deserve that they should inquire after you, and a great deal
besides. I promised to use my maternal authority to lead you
back to the paths of duty ; but I know better than any one
else how little my maternal authority is worth of late." And
she sighed.
The next morning he received a delicate little note ; the
address was in Sidonie's hand. She wrote, " Your friend has
availed himself of your express permission to be indiscreet,
and my resolve was taken instantly. Set your conscience at
rest. I am free. S."
He was startled, he hardly knew at first by what. Lately
his head had been so full of other things that he really had
some trouble in recalling the solution of this riddle. His
friend ? Who was his friend ? Oh, probably Ernst von
Fuchs, although in his heart he had never accorded him that
title. What was his conscience to be set at rest about ? The
last words, "I am free," were intelligible, and they were what
startled him. He could not but understand why she told him
this, and it was a most startling thought that Sidonie might
have understood his reminder to her of the bonds that hia
K 19
218 THE GREEN GATE.
conscientiousness respected as a desire that she should break
them.
The affair was still more complicated when, towards noon, to
his great surprise, Madame Feinberg presented herself.
Her ordinary placidity had given place to a feverish agita-
tion. She looked pale and miserable. " What will you think
of me, my dear Herr Professor," she began, refusing his offer
of a seat on the sofa, and sitting down in a chair near the
window, " for coming to you here ? But I wanted to speak
with you confidentially, it could not be at the hotel, for
Sidonie must never learn the step I resolved to take, never.
I should lose her confidence forever. It is about something
that she How shall I tell you ?"
" Compose yourself, madame," Schonrade entreated ; " I
trust nothing unfortunate Rely at least upon my desire
to serve you."
She held out her hand and gave him a look that would have
melted a stone. " You are our friend," she wailed, " yes, you
are our friend.- I knew to whom I had to come. You know
all our family affairs, and can judge. Oh, if I had only refused
to let Sidonie take this journey, now that I see what she meant
by it ! But I am a weak mother, a very weak mother." And
she smiled tenderly above the handkerchief with which she
lightly touched first one eye and then the other, as if to dry
an imaginary tear. " You know that Sidonie is betrothed,
betrothed to Moritz Amberger. You know Herr Moritz
Ambcrger ; he is a very good, amiable man in his way, of
an excellent family, the best match in the town, it is true ;
but for Sidonie ' She shrugged her shoulders. " I was
afraid she was too hasty when she said ' yes ' to him, but
her father was so determined ; you see, that is the difficulty.
Feinberg is a man of business ; he looks at things from a
different point of view from ours. He has no love for
nature ; he is devising plans all the time, and when he has
THE GREEN GATE. 219
thought them out they must be carried out ; but the female
heart-
He interrupted this torrent of, words. " Pray consider,
madame, that I "
" The female heart demands its rights," she continued, more
glibly than before ; " and Sidonie has a true and tender heart.
Good heavens ! that child will have entirely between ourselves,
Ilerr Professor a million at least ; she is a match for a prince ;
but she takes no pleasure in wealth, pomp and show leave her
as cold as ice, as cold as ice, I do assure you !"
Here she paused, and appeared to expect some remark from
her auditor.
" Frauleiu Sidonie has sufficient intellect " he began,
in embarrassed assent.
" Intellect !" she interrupted him. " Oh, what an intellect
she has ! Poor Sidonie ! her intellect is her misfortune, her
great misfortune. If she had no intellect her heart would be
lighter. Woman needs a stay, a support, some one to revere ;
she must be all nature, all idealism. She cannot love her
inferior, and Moritz well, you know him. He is Sidonie's
inferior, she cannot love him."
" It is very unfortunate," he remarked, cautiously, " that
Fraulein Sidonie at this late date
"Oh, most unfortunate!" she assented. "It was not until
she saw the contrast between Oh, do not misunderstand
me, my dear Herr Professor, if I say that you you, entirely
unconsciously, unintentionally first opened her eyes to what
she was doing."
"I, madame?"
" You, you ! I do not mean to flatter you, but you are a
man of intellect, a man
" Madame "
" A man of superior talent ; and it chanced that an oppor-
tunity occurred of comparing you with Moritz. From that
220 THE GREEN GATE.
hour Moritz lost all hold upon Sidonie. I do not say it was
your fault, you cannot help being what you are. I only
wish to explain how it was that Sidouie came to leave home ;
and now Can't you guess ?"
He had no need to guess : he knew what had occurred ; his
silence was sufficient answer.
" Oh, yes ; you guess," the lady continued, encouraged.
" Sidonie has broken with Herr Amberger. She is no longer
bound to that insignificant man, whom she never loved."
She looked at him as if she expected from him some ex-
clamation of delight. This utterly confused him.
" I take an interest in all you are good enough to tell me,"
he rejoined, in a dejected tone ; " but if, as it appears, you
fear disagreeable consequences will ensue upon your daughter's
unexpected dismissal of Herr Amberger, I really cannot see
how I It would be a great pity that Friiulem Sidonie
should be over-hasty."
" Over-hasty ?" Madame Feinberg repeated, in a long-
drawn tone that betokened the greatest surprise. She had
evidently expected an entirely different rejoinder. But she
collected herself immediately.
" Yes, over-hasty ! If indeed she has been over-hasty,
my husband will be furious. He was resolved upon this con-
nection, it was so convenient for his business ; he will call
her refusal caprice, and will accuse me of helping to destroy
his plans. It was this that brought me to you as a friend."
She emphasized the last sentence. " I beg you to talk with
Sidonie ; she has such implicit confidence in you. Tell her
what you think; tell her everything, frankly, frankly, just
what your heart I don't mean that, just what your
clear judgment dictates in the way of advice. And if the
poor child remains firm, heavens! her mother could not
blame her for it. Then I pray you advise me how to write to
my husband and Moritz Ainberger, and to represent the afi'air
THE GREEN GATE. 221
to them so as to cause as little of a breach between them as
possible. We might, I think, make every possible concession
to Herr Amberger. Good heavens ! the whole matter, viewed
in a certain aspect, is perfectly reasonable. My husband
wishes his only child to be well cared for. He would give
hor his blessing upon her marriage with a man whom she
loved, whom she loved! That is the chief consideration.
I can see no reason why our son-in-law must be a merchant.
Sidonie has intellect ; she has education ; she is at home in
cultivated society." She coughed behind her handkerchief.
" But why speak of all this ? Do not, I pray you, think
hardly of an anxious mother who, in her agitation, may say
more than You are our friend ! I entreat you to talk
with Sidonie."
She had arisen and seized his hand, which she pressed to
her heart, and then, waving her lace pocket-handkerchief,
slowly walked towards the door, and took her leave without
awaiting his reply. In her carriage her face lost the amiable
look it had worn as she bade her " friend" farewell, and grew
vexed and angry. She had not gained the end she had in
view, but she hoped she had not betrayed too much, if a re-
treat should prove necessary. Some kind of an explanation
must ensue.
The Professor was left in a most unenviable state of mind.
He could not believe that this was all a farce, in which Sidonie
was playing the principal part. Was her mother's distress
real, or affected ? and, after all, what did she desire him to do?
He could not remember one intelligible sentence in all she had
said. She had, of course, wished to sound him, whether
with or without Sidonie's knowledge he could not say. His
situation was unendurable.
" A stop must be put to all this!" lie exclaimed to himself.
" I must be clearly understood, and that immediately. I owe
it to Katrine and to myself, and perhaps to Fraulein Sidonie.
19*
222 THE GREEN GATE.
As yet she has not compromised herself. It is my duty to
tell her the truth."
His resolution once taken, he hastened to fulfil it. On
the steps of the hotel he encountered Herr von Fuchs, just
leaving it.
" Are you going up ?" the gentleman asked.
Schonrade replied that he was.
" Very melancholy mood to-day, highly-tragic ; have just
had a profound discussion upon the subject of death."
" I trust Fraulein Sidonie has no serious thoughts of
dying?"
" There's no knowing. Meanwhile, she has decided that I
must take a box for her for this evening in the Friedrichs-
Wilhelrnstadt theatre. They are going to play ' La Belle
Ilelene.' Fraulein Sidonie finds burlesque the only endurable
thing at present."
" Has Madame Feinberg returned?"
" Yes ; how did you know she had gone out?"
" Another time, my dear Fuchs. Go get your box."
He shook hands with him, entered the hotel, and sent up
his card. He found Sidonie alone.
" You have come at List, then, faithless man !" she called out
to him as he entered the room, sitting erect as she spoke, and
throwing a book upon the table at her side.
" Of course, since I am to offer congratulations."
"Congratulations?" j-he asked, bending a searching look
upon him, as if to read the thoughts concealed beneath those
dark curls, the meaning of the smile that played about his
mouth.
" I am sure you meant I should congratulate you upon the
news you wrote."
" Hush !" she interrupted him, " my mother must not
know." She pointed, as she spoke, to the door into the next
room, which was ajar.
THE GREEN GATE. 223
" You are free," he continued, in a lower tone. " I con-
fess, to be frank, that the intelligence did not greatly surprise
me ; I did not think that tie would last long."
" You knew that my only safety was in breaking it?"
" And yet "
"Yet?"
" One must not deceive one's self, Friiulein Sidonie. There
are natures that are forever longing for what is unattainable,
their only enjoyment is in desiring what they have not.
For them the chain that is lightest will be the most easily
endured."
She cast down her eyes and bit her lip. "And such a
nature you think I possess."
" I do not know you well enough to say, I have no right
to judge. I can only say that my own organization is so en-
tirely different that I must ask for your congratulations upon
my being bound in the strongest of fetters."
Sidonie looked up shyly, and played with the books upon
the table. " You speak in riddles," she said.
" But there is no need that you should take the trouble to
solve them," he continued, with as much easy assurance as he
could assume. " In exchange for your ' I am free,' Fraulein
Sidonie, I have quite as confidential but a very different com-
munication to make : ' I am betrothed !' "
" Betrothed !" she exclaimed, and her features were con-
vulsed for a moment. " You are betrothed ?" she repeated,
slowly, from between her teeth.
" Privately, to a charming girl whose name I cannot give
you quite yet. I need not tell you how perfectly happy
Sidonie, with an angry gesture, forbade him to proceed.
Her brow was contracted in a frown, and she strove in vain
to rise. The Professor's kind heart was touched to see her thus
agitated, her self-control all gone, and he could not continue
to play his part of unconscious ease. He went up to her and
224 THE GREEN GATE.
laid his hand upon her arm. " Fraulein Sidonie," he said,
gently, " surely no word or act of mine "
At that moment Madame Feinberg appeared at the door
of the adjoining room, her face aflame and her eyes flashing.
" Sidonie !" she called, in a tone of command.
Sidonie threw oil his hand and arose. Casting upon him a
look of utter hatred, without speaking a single word, she left
the room, and he heard the door bolted behind her.
Schbnrade stood for one moment as if stunned; he had
done no wrong, and yet he felt guilty to have inspired even
the capricious affection of which alone Sidonie was capable.
lie gravely left the hotel, to go to his father, whom he
usually visited at this hour.
CHAPTER XVII.
KATRINE'S secret was not so well kept as Lilli had prom-
ised it should be. Of course Mr. Fairfax was informed of it
in the deepest confidence ; what girl could keep such a secret
from her lover ? The Englishman could not quite approve, as
matters stood, and advised prudence, but nevertheless allowed
himself to be made use of on occasion to deposit the precious
letters in the post. He cordially liked the Professor, and was
willing to do what he could to serve him ; there was no
treachery to be apprehended from him. But Lilli's head was
too full of her own affairs to pay all the attention to her friend
that she had promised. She did not write as regularly as at
first, and if she was at her desk when the servant announced
Mr. Fairfax she would leave it hastily, without closing her
portfolio, where, perhaps, a half-finished letter of her own,
or an enclosure to Katrine, directed in the Professor's round,
THE GREEN GATE. 225
scholarly hand, would be lying so as to meet the eye of any
one who happened to be in the room. Not until hours after-
wards would she bethink herself of what she had done.
Several times this had happened, and chance had befriended
her, no discoveries had been made ; but upon one occasion
her mother came to her room for the third volume of a novel
that she was reading, just after Lilli had left her desk in this
careless fashion. Naturally, her eyes fell upon the open port-
folio, and, although she was no more curious than most mothers,
it occurred to her that this would be a good opportunity to
discover what the two girls could find to write such long letters
about. She found Katrine's latest letter, arrived only two
days before, a sealed envelope addressed to the Professor, and
a sheet of paper, upon which Lilli had begun : " Dearest
Katrine, I expect the Professor this evening, and will give
him yours, which has just arrived. He is sure to come
whenever I have something for him. As he will certainly
bring a letter for you, that I will send to-night, if possible ; I
write now, because Mr. Fairfax will be here in a little while,
and " This was enough for the Councillor's wife.
This was the reason, then, why Schbnrade had been so fre-
quent a guest at the villa, and why he could so seldom spare
an hour of late ; Katrine Amberger had been the magnet that
now attracted only his letters. This had all been going on
under her very eyes. They were even privately betrothed, and
they had dared to make an accomplice of her own daughter.
It must be confessed that she had reason to blush when she re-
flected that Frau Amberger might possibly suppose that she
had " connived at such disgraceful goings-on." Thus, at least,
she explained her irritation to herself; but it was none the
less true that mortified vanity had a great deal to do with it.
It was too provoking that she should have been so deceived
as to suppose she had any influence in bringing the Professor
so frequently to the house, when all the while he had paid at-
K*
226 THE GREEN GATE.
tendon to her only that she might be kept in a good humour
and further his plans. He had dared to make a tool of her.
It was unpardonable !
She never distinctly admitted in thought that she had not
dreamed of permitting herself in any way to compromise her
husband by receiving an undue amount of attention, that she
had only hoped to find some stimulant for her relaxed nerves,
or that the Professor had never by word or look attempted to
establish, as she would have liked, a more confidential intimacy
with her. She did not touch upon this delicate subject at all
in her conference with herself; it must be blotted from her
memory as if it had never existed. But even as she withdrew
the sting that she had planted in her flesh, she felt that the
wound was painful. She might persuade herself that the pain
proceeded from some other cause, and take comfort, if she
could, in this new form of self-deception.
She was not at all doubtful as to what was to be done. She
could speak to Lilli upon the subject at any time ; but the
Professor must be dismissed as soon as possible. She put
Katrine's letter to him in her pocket, determined to take care
that it reached its destination.
Lilli never thought of the letter in her portfolio until the
Professor made his appearance in the afternoon at the garden
gate. She remembered also hearing her mother ask for the
novel, and that she had afterwards seen it in her hand. Beg-
ging her lover to receive the guest, she ran with a beating
heart to her room. There lay her letter on the table, and the
envelope containing Katrine's last to the Professor was gone.
All search among her papers was fruitless. With tears in
her eyes she returned to the garden.
Mr. Fairfax came to meet her to tell her that her mother
had requested the guest to give her a few moments' private
conversation in the pavilion. She could see them there through
the open door, and Frau Wiesel was just handing him a letter,
THE GREEN GATE. 227
which was undoubtedly the missing one. " Oh, what have I
done ?" the poor child said, turning away.
The lecture that was to have been read the Professor became
considerably modified and abbreviated in his presence: The
sharpest remarks were forgotten as he kissed Frau Wiesel's
hand as usual and inquired after her health. True, she replied
that she had felt quite unwell for several hours, and that he
was to blame if she should have a return of her nervous attacks ;
but the words were not sufficiently severe to prevent him from
bewailing his involuntary fault with exaggerated contrition,
and offering his services as physician. She had no longer any
confidence in his method, she rejoined, and then proceeded to
dwell upon the proofs of confidence he had always received in
her house, a confidence which, she regretted to say, had been
shamefully abused. " You will need no further explanation,"
she said, " than this letter, which Lilli was to have given you,
and which accident has placed in my hands."
She had told him all. But if she expected her words to
produce an annihilating effect upon the Professor, there was
certainly nothing of the kind to be observed in his countenance.
On the contrary, it beamed with what looked almost like mer-
riment as he took the letter from her hand, and, bowing, ex-
pressed his thanks. " I am delighted," he continued, " that
chance has revealed to you what I certainly disapprove of keep-
ing secret. You, madame, whom I have to thank for so many
proofs of friendship, would have been the confidante of my
choice ; but I owed it to you to be silent. Katrine was your
guest, and you can hardly wonder that I wished to save you
from the alternative of either becoming our secret protectress
or forbidding me your house."
" But such an unfortunate occurrence !" she exclaimed,
irritated still further by his composure. " Good heavens !
when I consider to what danger I exposed my own child !"
" What danger ?" he asked, in surprise that was not without
228 . THE GREEN GATE.
hauteur. " Certainly you would not have considered it unprin-
cipled if I had come to you with the intelligence that I had
won your daughter's heart, and a request that you would grant
me her hand ; else your opinion of me must have undergone a
great change lately."
"Herr Professor," she replied, hastily, "I never thought of
anything of the kind."
"Of course not," he rejoined, with a smile. " Fraulein
Lilli's hand was already appropriated, and you could not pos-
sibly regard me in the light of a suitor. But suppose that
Katrine had been your daughter "
" Impossible, Herr Professor!" she interrupted him. "The
question is not how I, kindly disposed as I am to you, might
have regarded the affair, but how Frau Amberger has regarded
it. This correspondence is carried on without her knowledge,
through my daughter's connivance. My course is clear."
He opened his pocket-book, put in it Katrine's enclosure,
and took from it a letter of the same size. " May I pray
you, madame," he said, offering it to her, " to dispose of this
contraband article as if chance had also thrown it in your
way?"
" Do you suppose, Herr Professor "
" Certainly not that you will send this letter to Katrine, as
Fraulein Lilli has done hitherto. Of course not. But I beg
you to betray our love-affair. If you will send this letter to
Frau Amberger, telling her at the same time of your indigna-
tion at discovering that such secret transactions have been
carried on in your house, she can have not the smallest doubt
of your innocence. Perhaps there may be a little room left
on the margin of your letter to say what you may be kind
enough to state in conclusion, that Xaver Schonrade is, after
all, a well-meaning fellow, and that assuredly he cannot be
blamed for losing his heart to such a girl as Katharina Am-
berger."
THE GREEN GATE. 229
This was not the way to appease the Councillor's wife.
" You seem to find the matter very amusing," she replied,
tartly. " I regret not being able to share your enjoyment of
the jest."
He put the letter in his pocket-book again, and arose. " In
the course of a few weeks," he said, gravely, " I hope to send
you the announcement of a betrothal which there will be no
reason for keeping secret. Until then "
" I suppose we can scarcely hope for the pleasure of a
visit from you," she continued his sentence, " since there can
no longer be any interchange of letters here with Friiulein
Katharina Amberger."
He replied to her by a look that she could not meet. Then
he seemed to regret it, and, offering her his hand, he said, in
his former gay tone, " Let us part friends, madame."
She turned away sulkily. He shrugged his shoulders,
bowed low, and took his leave. " Can she feel personally
aggrieved?" he asked himself.
Nevertheless, he was glad that all secrecy was done away
with. Of course he could not expect the irritated lady to
be silent.
No, indeed ! She was too indignant not to take advantage
of the favourable opportunity that occurred the next morn-
ing. Madame Feinberg and Sidonie paid her a visit, the aim
of which was soon apparent. " Have you heard the latest
news, my dear Frau Wiesel ?' ' the mother asked. " Professor
ScKonrade ha ! ha ! ha ! "
" Is betrothed," the Councillor's wife hastily concluded, that
she might be beforehand with her friend.
" And privatel} T ." Sidonie added. "A most juvenile affair !"
" You are so intimate with him, my dear," Madame Fein-
berg went on, " that of course you know to whom, or per-
haps even to you he has "
" One can't prevent people of that sort from pretending to
20
230 THE GREEN GATE.
intimacy," the Councillor's wife observed. " But, really, we
ought to pity dear Frau Amberger "
" Frau Amberger ?"
" Yes, indeed. She must be greatly vexed to find her
Katrine engage herself in such a low affair in a strange house,
like some common governess, or But what is the matter,
Friiulein Sidonie ? You are very pale."
" Oh, nothing, nothing," Sidonie declared, leaning back in
her arm-chair ; " the day is so sultry, and I awoke this morn-
ing with a headache."
" Indeed she did," her mother added, little disposed to
continue the subject of conversation after exchanging glances
with her daughter. Katharina Amberger betrothed to the
Professor ! Here was a revelation indeed, that must be dis-
cussed in private conference.
Sidonie's indisposition shortened their visit. That same
day a long letter to Herr Ignaz Feinberg was dispatched from
their hotel.
Katrine wrote from Munich. It was probable, she said,
that her mother, instead of going to Switzerland as she had
intended, would cross the Brenner to Italy. Philip seemed to
have taken up his abode in Florence, no one could understand
why from his letters. This was what had caused their journey
to be extended. In a postscript she said, " Indeed I should
not love you less, dearest Xaver, if you would let this letter
be my last until we have no more need for secrecy. I suffer
more than I can tell you in behaving with a want of candour
to my mother, to whom, indeed, I have declared that I shall
love you for ever and ever, but who has no idea that I tell
you the same thing almost every day. Do we need to write
to each other? Consider, and decide."
This was all as it should be. He knew that Lilli would tell
her of what had occurred ; but he must himself answer her
request and set her mind at ease. One way was left in which
THE GREEN GATE. 231
he could do this. Before Frau Barbara and her daughter
should arrive in Florence be must have a partisan there. The
time had come to apprise Philip Amberger of his hopes, and
there was no danger that a letter enclosed to him for Katrine
would not reach its destination.
And it was time, too, to have no reserve with his father.
He longed to tell him everything ; and he took advantage of
the first time they were alone together to do so.
The Count was much moved by this mark of his son's con-
fidence. " At last you know that you have a father," he said,
shaking him cordially by both hands. " Of course you have
my blessing, which I trust Heaven will ratify. But there
seem to be obstacles in the way which daunt even a sage
Professor. Let us consult together, my boy, as to what is to
be done."
" I have full faith that the Freiherr von Honeburg, with
whom I should else have very little to do, will meet with a
favourable reception from Frau Barbara Amberger," Xaver
observed, " and the poverty of the Freiherr is of very little
consequence. But Moritz will get into terrible trouble on
my account." He then told his father all the circumstances
of the case, and concluded, " Now, my entire possessions as
Freiherr consist of the Honeburg, since you do not recall
your gift, and, unfortunately, it is no longer strong enough to
stand a siege from poor Moritz's creditors, if the Feinbergs
determine to ruin him."
The Count rubbed his forehead. "Did I tell you," he said,
after some reflection, "that there are contingencies in case of
which the Honeburg may come to be very valuable ? Land is
needed near the town for a railway-terminus, for store-houses
and workshops, and what remains will be enhanced in value
by the vicinity of these buildings. First of all, a wide and
convenient road to and from the town must be arranged ; and
this shall be Moritz Amberger's care. Let him privately buy
232 THE GREEN GATE.
up all the houses on the right side of the narrow street leading
to the green gate; if he conducts the purchase with caution,
their price will not be high. The old wall can be destroyed
to fill up the ditch and make a road which will replace the
bridge, no longer needed as a defence against the Freiherrs
von Honeburg. This all seems perfectly feasible. Amberger
can widen the street, and build in addition a row of shops,
which will bring an excellent rent; for, as you may recollect,
the gables of the buildings there front on the street, and the
houses are very deep. As for the necessary capital, my banker
is yours, and my credit too, if you require it. This is not
enough. Nothing that I can see hinders us from undertaking
the new railway ourselves. Of course without the Fein-
bergs. There are moneyed men enough willing to take part
in such a project as soon as the way is made plain for them.
It is time that men of honour and family interested them-
selves in these projects for the common good. The railway is
an acknowledged necessity. Let us build it."
Xaver listened to his father with eager attention, and at
the same time with the greatest surprise. " I am astonished,"
he said, " to discover a financial genius in Count von Glei-
chenau. How in the world did this plan, which really looks
as if it could be carried out, occur to you ?"
The Count smiled. " I will be honest," he replied, " and
confess that it is not the product of my own brain, and that
for this very reason I am disposed to think extremely well of it.
The projected railway, which it appears is important not only
in a mercantile but also in a political point of view, has a
staunch advocate in an influential member of the government,
who is an intimate friend of mine. His home is in that part
of the country through which the road is to pass ; he has
various relatives and connections there, and is not only inter-
ested in the undertaking, but also understands and is possessed
of ways and means for promoting it. He is a capital financier,
THE GREEN GATE, 233
an indispensable qualification for success, and thoroughly
honest. When he was applied to lately by a committee from
certain merchants contemplating this undertaking, he gave the
matter his earnest attention, and refused to have anything to
do with it, because he saw clearly that the projectors were
working solely for their own advantage. He came to me after-
wards and tried to induce me to take the matter in hand with
several other moneyed men, giving me the outlines of his plan,
which certainly is excellent. At that time, depressed as I was,
I took no interest in it, and declined all his offers. Now I am
another man. Say the word, and I will ask my friend to
dinner to-morrow, present you to him, and he will enter into
all the details with you."
Xaver gratefully acquiesced. His only misgiving was
whether it would be possible to find the capital necessary for
so large an undertaking. But the Count convinced him that
it would be entirely possible. " There is your acquaintance
Councillor Wiesel," he said, "a cautious man, who refused
to be drawn into Feinberg's net, but who is very well inclined
towards any speculation patronized by the government. In
the same way we could command a large amount of English
capital. There is a London firm, ' Fairfax & King,' if I
remember rightly "
"Fairfax?" the Professor interrupted him, "that is the
name of the Councillor's future son-in-law. He is a friend
of mine."
" So much the better; our negotiations with them will be all
the easier. We have enemies in the distance, but friends near
at hand. I am ready to give you my name, which has some
weight in the stock-market. To-morrow, then, the triumvirate
shall be inaugurated."
And so it was. The Count's friend, a Privy Councillor,
proved to be as wise and as willing as the Count had described
him. The first thing to be done, he said, was to obtain pos-
20*
234 THE GREEN GATE.
session of all the old town-buildings that must be cleared
away to insure the government a free broad road for traffic,
and, besides, of the green gate, the bridge just beyond it, a
part of the ditch, and the meadow between it and the Hone-
burg. The tile-kiln beyond the gate must also be purchased,
to give entire control over a large extent of land. Of course
all this property could be procured upon moderate terms only
by keeping secret for the present the view with which it
was purchased. In the mean while, he would so arrange
matters that when everything was thus prepared, the charter
should be forthcoming without delay. He advised that Xaver
should not yet appear as Freiherr of Honeburg, who should
empower Professor Schonrade to act for him, which would
enable him to proceed at once to the purchase of the tile-
kiln and the land beyond the gate in the interest of the pro-
prietor of the ruin. A report could be put in circulation as
to the Freiherr's design to erect a factory upon his estate,
which would satisfy any curiosity that might be excited. In
the town Moritz Amberger must attend to matters, and play
into his friend's hands.
There were long and repeated conferences before Schonrade
was fully instructed. Then he provided himself with all the
necessary documents, and took his departure from Berlin.
THE GREEN GATE. 235
CHAPTER XVIII.
SINCE Frau Barbara's departure the windows in the upper
stories of the Amberger mansion had been closed. Moritz
had occupied exclusively his own apartments, and was much
more frequently to be found in his counting-room than had
been his custom of late. Any one seeing him at work among
his ledgers or walking about on 'Change would have supposed
him ten years older than he really was, he had become so much
graver and quieter. He himself knew well enough the cause of
this change. Since his talk with the Professor his mind had
dwelt constantly upon the words then spoken. Once having
been face to face with the truth, he could no longer veil it
from his eyes. In Sidonie's absence he experienced a sense
of relief, more freedom to collect his thoughts and frame his
resolves. He knew that he had nothing to fear from the
Professor, and if Sidonie should, by any chance, be taught a
lesson in self-control by some humiliating repulse, it would be
all the better for himself. But there were moments in which
he doubted whether she would ever return to him; and these
were his happiest. He acknowledged frankly that he had no
genuine pleasure or satisfaction in the life she delighted to
lead, that the butterfly existence of a man of her world was
abhorrent to him, that his tastes were for simple domestic
pleasures, and he could have sighed like a sick girl at the
emptiness and loneliness of his heart.
He applied himself diligently to his neglected business,
conducted a part of his correspondence himself, reviewed his
ledgers, and became convinced that his entanglements with the
Feinbergs were even more hopeless than he had given t'he
Professor to understand. At the same time he discovered
236 THE GREEN GATE.
that his book-keeper and chief clerk had been acting far more
in the interest of the Feinbergs than in that of his master,
perhaps influenced by secret inducements. He could not dismiss
him immediately, but he watched him narrowly, and threw less
responsibility upon him. Feinberg perceived the change, and
gave him to understand that he was of very little use to him,
and that it would not cost him much to dissolve all business
connection with the house of Amberger.
Sidonie's letter breaking their engagement decided matters.
It increased his anxiety, but the die was cast, and he knew
certainly what he had to deal with. To be sure, Sidonie's
letter was full of diplomatic sentences, designed to leave the
door open for a change of mind ; she spoke of doubts which
had arisen within her as to whether they were fitted to find
happiness together, said that she needed more time for reflec-
tion, and that she must be allowed freedom to follow the im-
pulse of her soul. This meant that he was to consider himself
still bound, but that she was entirely free from blame if she
chose to withdraw from her engagement. The blood rushed
to his cheek as he read, and he replied immediately and briefly
that he considered their engagement ended.
He of course expected that Ignaz Feinberg would at
once announce to him the dissolution of their business con-
nection ; but he could see no change in the man's behaviour
towards him. Moritz could not tell whether the prudent man
of business judged it best to ignore the change of affairs,
or whether he was without information from his wife and
daughter. His own situation meanwhile was a most anxious
one ; and his thoughts would have been far more gloomy if
just at present they had not been occupied in a way that drove
business from his head at times.
The day that he dispatched his final letter to Sidonie, two
strangers from the country desired to see him. He supposed
that they wished to deposit their savings iu his bank, and re-
THE GREEN GATE. 237
ferred them to his book-keeper, but they sent in word to his
office that they wished to speak to the gentleman himself. By
no means in the best of humours, he consented to receive them.
His visitors, an elderly woman and a young girl, were entire
strangers to him. Their dress was plain, but in good taste,
and the servant was evidently in doubt whether to designate
them as "ladies" or " persons " The elder introduced herself
as the widow Vogelstein. She, with her daughter Lena, had
business in the town, and desired to deliver into his own hands
a letter which she had for him from Italy. She laid a certain
emphasis upon the word Italy, as if he could see from it how
important the letter was.
Moritz recognized his brother's handwriting on the envelope.
"Are you in communication with my brother?" he asked,
surprised both at their errand and at the great beauty of
the girl. Could Philip have any private love-affair in this
direction ? If so, he certainly had shown an immense deal
of taste.
" We do not know Herr Amberger," the woman replied,
" but he is staying in Florence with relatives of ours, who
have enclosed to us this letter from him to you, with the
request that we would deliver it into your own hands. My
husband's elder brother left home very young and married m
Italy, in Florence, where he now keeps an inn and seems to
be very well-to-do in the world. It chanced that Herr Philip
Amberger took lodgings there, and, finding that his host came
from the same part of Germany, they were soon very friendly
together, and I think the letter will tell you all there is left
to tell."
" My grandfather would have brought it himself," Lena
added, "but he does not like to come to the town; and, be-
sides, he objected because "
" Because he did not know how the family might receive
the news," Frau Vogelstein completed the sentence. "My
238 THE GREEN GATE.
brother-in-law has given us some hints that cannot be mis-
understood. He has a daughter
" Ah ! And this daughter ?" Moritz exclaimed, a sus-
picion suddenly dawning upon his mind of the cause that kept
Philip so long in Florence.
" This daughter, judging from her photograph," Lena said,
11 must be exquisitely beautiful, and her father is a man of
means. There would be nothing so very strange ''
" Hush, hush, Lena !" her mother interrupted her. " There
are two opinions upon that subject. There were once wealthy
merchants in this town who bore the name of Vogelstein and
were held in high honour, sitting at the council-board, as your
grandfather has told you, with the Ambergers. But times
are changed, very much changed ; we earn our living now
by gardening, and no one cares whether we live or die."
" That cannot make us anything but what we really are,
mother," said the girl, standing proudly erect.
This pleased the young merchant, whose admiration of in-
dependence of spirit was just now very great. " Excuse me
if I read my letter," he said, courteously.
" Pray do so," the widow replied, " that we may know what
to write to Florence."
Moritz, really curious, opened the letter, which, although
scarcely a page in length, was not easily dispatched. The
contents required to be well weighed before they were pro-
nounced upon. At the first few lines the reader's face ex-
panded into a smile, and he muttered between his teeth, " I
thought so ;" then he grew very grave ; and when he had con-
cluded he said, with an air of embarrassment, " My brother
tells me that he is formally betrothed, betrothed to Signora
Lucia Uccello, in Florence."
" Uccello and Vogel are the same name," the girl remarked,
observing him narrowly. " Vogel or Vogelstein, it could make
very little difference in Italy."
THE GREEN GATE. 239
Moritz bowed. " Signora Lucia is your cousin, Fraulein
Vogelstein ; I comprehend it perfectly, and I should express
my pleasure in making the acquaintance of so near a relative
of my brother's choice, if I only knew "
Lena looked at him with so much expectancy in her large
eyes that involuntarily his own fell before her. " If I knew,"
he went on, in a lower tone, " what impression this news will
make upon our mother, who is absent from home, travelling,
You may imagine," and he turned to Frau Vogelstein, " that
this engagement will take her by surprise, and that she will
hardly bestow her approval upon it until she has more exact
information concerning it."
" Of course," the widow assented ; " it would perhaps have
been better if he had asked his mother's permission before
speaking to Lucia, any dissension in his family might then
have been avoided."
" That would hardly have been the part of a man," Lena
declared, decidedly. " Lucia could not have smiled upon a
lover who asked his mother for permission to woo."
Frau Vogelstein, who preserved all through the interview
the most perfect placidity of demeanour, cast a reproachful
glance at her daughter. " You must excuse her," she said.
" Lena is a country-girl, and has not learned to suppress her
opinions. But I know more of the world, and I am not at
all surprised that your first thought is of your mother, since
your father is not living. We ourselves hardly know our
Italian relatives ; but if my brother-in-law at all resembles hb
father and brother, he must be an excellent man, worthy of
all confidence."
"And Frau Amberger," the girl added, "must know her
son well enough to feel sure that he could not choose un-
worthily."
" You are right, Fraulein Vogelstein," said Moritz ; " it
should be so. As far as I am concerned, I have no desire to
240 THE GREEN GATE.
dictate to my brother. He writes me that the affair is en-
tirely settled, and I know how firm he is after he has decided
upon a course of action. I hope he may find all the hap-
piness in life that he anticipates. You must not take it ill
of me that as a merchant I hoped he might choose a rich
wife."
"It seems to me Herr Philip Amberger is rich enough,"
Lena remarked, in a tone of wonder, " to be indifferent to
money considerations."
Moritz shrugged his shoulders, and the corners of his mouth
twitched slightly. " Supposing that to be the case," he said,
after a pause, " a merchant and Philip is a merchant, although
perhaps only in name is seldom so sure of his property that
he may not lose it in a day." He seemed considering whether
he might or ought to say more. Then he held out his hand
to Frau Vogelstein, and made a friendly inclination towards
the young girl, whose cheeks glowed with earnestness. " It
might not signify much, perhaps," he continued, " if some-
thing of the kind did happen, for Philip is a philosopher,
and could, I believe, live as contentedly as Diogenes in a tub.
But we must consider whether the fair Lucia would be equally
willing to resign the adornments of life."
He then asked where the gardener Vogelstein lived, and
was not a little astonished to hear that it was in the Hone-
burg ruins. " Can women live in that old robbers' nest ?" he
asked, gaily. " Diogenes' tub is a comfortable villa in com-
parison. I imagined that old heap of stones too dreary even
fir owls, and here it contains a treasure "
Frau Vogelstein sighed, and Lena looked at him so gravely
.that he could not continue in this tone of easy gallantry. " I
really pity you," he said, with an answering sigh.
" We are not at all to be pitied," the girl rejoined. " A
house like this in the town seems to me a heap of stones.
One may live and breathe in it, but where is the comfort and
THE GREEN GATE. 241
retirement that we enjoy in our hiding-place, where we allow
no one to intrude ?"
" No one ?" asked Moritz, as the idea occurred to him that
he should greatly like to pay a visit to the ruinous old castle.
'* No one !" the girl replied, contracting her eyebrows, while
her mouth laughed archly. " We have a very savage watch-
dog, and no one who does not know how to propitiate him
dares approach the place."
" Lena !" Frau Vogelstein admonished her.
" Has no one succeeded in doing so ?" Moritz eagerly asked,
more and more interested in his conversation with the fair
chatelaine.
" A little while ago, a Professor," she replied, after a mo-
ment's reflection ; " but he was a very learned man."
" Not Professor Schonrade ?" he asked, with a laugh.
She nodded.
" Did even the savage dog respect him ?" he went on. " Oh,
I know him, and I shall beg him to teach me his magic
formula."
" It cannot be taught."
" You must not let the Professor cast a glamour over you."
" Herr Amberger !" Lena arose as she spoke.
" Be careful ; he has already lost his heart."
The girl threw back her head haughtily. " That is his own
affair."
" Unfortunately, mine too," sighed Moritz. " He loves
my sister." He was startled at this sudden confession of his,
but he said it involuntarily, feeling that he must, he knew
not why.
" Your sister ?" Lena asked, evidently surprised and pleased.
" Oh, it is a secret," he replied, lightly touching his lips
with his finger. " How could I be so indiscreet? However,
it is safe with you." He was glad to see that she did not
change colour.
L 21
242 THE GREEN GATE.
"Then you know too who he really is?" she asked.
" Who he is ? AVhy, Professor Xaver Schonrade. Who
should he be ?"
" I keep my secrets better," she rejoined. " Come, mother
dear, our errand is concluded ; we will not disturb Herr Am-
berger further."
Frau Vogelstein took a formal leave, while her daughter
hurried away. " We shall soon meet again," Moritz said, as
he accompanied them to the door.
He seemed to be dreaming. Had Philip's letter not lain
open upon his desk, he might have thought he had been
sleeping. Now that he was alone he read it again, and mado
no effort to control his sentiments. His first impression had
been that Philip had acted very foolishly, and this feeling now
returned upon him in full force. He thought his brother a
thoroughly impractical man ; he knew how averse he was to
ladies' society, and he had believed firmly that he never would
be married ; and now, in his travels, in an inn, he had evi-
dently been allured by the arts of some vulgar coquette, and
induced to contract a most unsuitable alliance, it must be so.
Perhaps he had resolved not to return home, intending to live
upon his income in Florence, believing himself a rich man,
and making his arrangements accordingly. So it would seem
from his recent demands for large sums of money ! And all
this to happen just when his own engagement to Sidonie
was dissolved, his hopes of a wealthy marriage thus suf-
fering woeful shipwreck ; while his business might shortly
receive a shock the consequences of which could not be
estimated ! Scarcely an hour had elapsed since he had dis-
patched his note to Sidonie, and he was already considering
whether he had any ri;j,ht to think of himself and wish for
freedom.
And what a strange dispensation it was by which the man
whose daughter Philip had learned to know and to love hun-
THE GREEN GATE. 243
dreds of miles from here should have a father in this very
place, about whom he seemed to have troubled himself little
until this most unfortunate time for reviving his interest ! He
remembered to have heard that an old gardener lived in the
Honeburg ruin, leading the life of a hermit there ; nay, he
even seemed to recollect visiting the place as a boy with some
school-fellows and being frightened away by the watch-dog. It
was many years since, and these memories might have faded
entirely but for this recent event. Old Vogelstein might be
the best of men ; but what would his mother say ? Philip
should have acted more considerately towards her, and begged
Signer Uccello to continue to neglect his family. But it was
just like Philip to act as he had done, with an entire disre-
gard of all annoyances of this kind.
Thus clouds were rising all around his horizon ; the only
question was how soon the storm would burst upon him from
all sides.
In the anxious days that ensued, it was strange that the beau-
tiful country-girl constantly occupied his thoughts. Beside
her, the free, healthy child of nature, Sidonie seemed like some
painted overdressed doll. He could scarcely see how he had
ever thought a union with such a heartless coquette possible.
He certainly owed it to his brother Philip to return the visit
that had been paid him, and, accordingly, one afternoon he
ordered his horse and took his way towards the Honeburg.
Since Sidonie's departure, the animal had never left the stable ;
it was only with an idea of pleasing her that he had played
the enthusiastic horseman ; and now he would rather have
driven out to the ruin but that he feared there was no car-
riage-road thither, and he did not like to let his people know
where he was going. For the same reason he did not take the
shortest way, through the green gate, but by a distant bridge
and a circuitous route to the tile-kiln. His steed was very
lively, and needed a firm hand upon the bit, all the more
244 THE GREEN GATE.
necessary as there was scarcely a bridle-path on the latter part
of his way.
He arrived at the ditch quite safely, but judged it best to
dismount here and lead his horse, who pricked his ears sus-
piciously, across it and along the hedge bounding the garden
of the ruin. The dog, who must have heard him, began to
bark, and sprang up against the wall. Instantly a voice
that he knew called out from among the trees, " Who is
there ?"
He turned towards the direction whence it came. Lena
started upon seeing a man and horse so near her, but laughed
gaily when she recognized him. A white handkerchief was
wrapped around her head, and she had in her hand a hoe, with
which she had just been weeding the beds.
" How you startled me !" she said, while he had some ado
to control his horse, terrified by her white kerchief and the
barking of the dog.
He excused himself as well as he could, but she still affected
displeasure. " What has such a fine gentleman from town to
do with an old owls' -nest like this ? Did I not tell you that
no one was admitted here ?"
" Yes ; and it was just that which provoked me to try whether
you would not let me be a fortunate exception. It is well
that I have surprised you here, giving you no time to barricade
yourself in the castle."
" We have no desire to do anything so rude," she replied,
approaching the horse and patting him on the neck. " And
it is kind of you," she went on, " to come to see my grand-
father ; he will be glad to see you and to receive you hospi-
tably. He is proud of his ancient lineage, and cannot be
embarrassed by the presence of wealth and station. Surely
those people who can value one another need not be strangers
because one possesses more worldly wealth than the other.
Thus he thinks with regard to my cousin Lucia and Herr Philip
THE GREEN GATE. 245
Amberger ; and I think difference of nationality of far more
importance than any that money can produce. It must be
hard to make use always of a tongue that is not one's own.
I can get along very well in English and French, which I
learned at school; but as soon 'as I wish to speak from my
heart, my tongue is only German. Your brother must speak
Italian perfectly ?"
" He has learned it, then, in Italy," said Moritz, with a
laugh. " He was but poorly provided with that language
when he left home."
" I suppose Lucia is so pretty," Lena observed, " that it is
enough to look at her. You must see her picture ; it can do
you no harm."
" Why not?" he asked. " On my brother's account?"
" No, no," she answered, with a bright blush ; " but you
are betrothed. Oh, we hear even up here of such important
matters."
" But what if your information be incorrect ?"
"What?"
" It is so. I am not betrothed."
" You had better not let that reach the ears of Fraulein
Sidonie Feinberg "
" She would confirm what I say. It is not long, indeed, since
the tie between us was broken ; but we have known for much
longer that we were not at all suited to each other, and there-
fore you startled me, almost, when you alluded to our engage-
ment."
She looked down, as if reflecting whether to pursue the
subject farther, and then, suddenly raising her clear eyes
to his, she said, frankly, " Do you know I am glad to hear
this?"
" You are glad ?" Moritz repeated, in some surprise, but
none the less pleased.
'' Yes ; on your account," she said, with a nod of girlish
21*
246 THE GREEN GATE.
wisdom. " Of course, now that my cousin is to marry your
brother, I take a certain interest in all his family; that is not
to be wondered at, is it?"
" On the contrary," he declared, "it is your duty, Frliulein
Vogelstein, to take the deepest interest in every one bearing
the name of Amberger."
" Well, then," she continued, gravely, " I may tell you that
I never liked the little I have seen of Fraulein Sidonie Fein-
berg. No one likes her, she is haughty, and as heartless
and false as her father, whose wealth was not all honestly
gained. I can see it in her face."
" Heartless and false Yes, yes !" Moritz muttered to
himself. "You are right." He held out his hand to the
young girl : " Thank you."
"For what?"
" For being glad that I am free once more."
" Oh, indeed ! Then I ought not to have said it. I must
keep a better guard upon my tongue."
" Do not do that," he entreated; " we are to be very good
friends, and must begin by being frank with each other."
" Perhaps," she said, blushing again. " But I am keeping
you here. I will go and tell my grandfather. I wonder he
has not come to see what Nero is barking at. We must take
your horse into the court-yard and tie him at the fountain.
They will wonder where I got this steed." And, without heed-
ing Moritz's remonstrances, she took the animal's bridle, and
led him across the bridge through the gate of the court-yard.
A moment afterwards the old gardener appeared, with a
courteous welcome. "Our chronicles tell," he said, " of an
occasion where one of the gentlemen of the Amberger family
was brought within these walls a prisoner; since when, I
believe, this castle has never had the honour of a visit from
them."
" I can easily imagine being a prisoner here," rejoined
THE GREEN GATE. 247
Moritz, with a laughing glance at Lena ; " but I am curious
to see how you have made life endurable in these old ruins,
not only for a recluse, but for a gay young girl."
" The garden is the pleasantest part of our domain," said
old Vogelstein ; " but I shall be glad to do the honours of my
dwelling to you."
His manner was so full of quiet dignity that Moritz entirely
forgot the idea he had formed in his mind of the old " gar-
dener." He was more like a gentleman of the old school, living
in retirement after a busy and active life, occupying himself
with his garden as an enjoyment, not as a duty. The widow
now appeared, and invited the guest into the house. But,
before they went, Lena, with her own shapely arms and hands,
drew a bucket of water from the fountain, and from it filled
a smaller one, to satisfy the thirst of Moritz's horse.
" Why not call the servant?" her mother remonstrated.
" I like to do it," the girl replied.
Moritz found the little cottage charming. In his present
mood he thought it would be easy enough to live there both
summer and winter. To the widow it seemed lonely, and
she often longed for a town life. Lena brought Lucia's
photograph, which she took from a small portfolio full of her
own pencil sketches. Moritz looked through these, while the
conversation turned upon the Florence relatives and Philip.
Vogelstein, with great good sense, remarked that he was, of
course, glad that his grandchild should be so well married, but
that he could not blame the family here if they should object
at first. Moritz, who was fast forgetting how he had thought
of the affair, spoke out bravely in defence of the rights of the
heart, taking a most democratic stand, and, by way of reward,
received not only an approving glance from Lena's bright eyes,
but also permission to carry away with him a sketch of the
interior of the ruins.
" I value such things highly," he said, " taken 'directly from
248 THE GREEN GATE.
nature as they are, even when faulty in execution ; but this
seems to me capital."
Lena was not at all embarrassed by his praise, but replied
that it was easy to see he was no connoisseur.
Vogelstein asked his granddaughter to pluck them some ripe
strawberries from a bed in the garden. " Although they taste
much better fresh from the stalk," she said, rising to do his
bidding. Moritz agreed with her that fruit eaten from a plate
was very poor, and she offered to show him the way to the
berries, a,n offer which was gladly accepted. The mother
called after her child to remind her to tie her white kerchief
over her head.
" Oh, mamma, the winter is long enough to bleach me white
again, and the sun is very low," the girl remonstrated.
" But the kerchief is so becoming," said Moritz.
" In that case " she replied ; and, tying it on, she turned
and curtsied to him, with the merriest laugh in the world.
The gentleman from town was very awkward about pluck-
ing strawberries. He had to be shown all the best places,
and his eyes were anywhere but upon his work.
" Oh, child of cities," Lena cried, "let me show you!" and
she plucked a handful and poured them into his hollowed
palms. Then they walked through the garden admiring the
flowers and the loveliness of the declining day. At last it
was time to take leave.
"You shall have a nosegay to carry with you," said the
girl. " Your knife, if you please, grandpapa."
" Only a single bud," Moritz said.
" Well, then, let it be the loveliest."
" The one plucked by you must be the loveliest."
" No, no ;" and she blushed deeply. " You must say only
what you mean. As a punishment, I shall give you no rose
at all."
Vogelstein led the horse through the gate, and across the
THE GREEN GATE. 249
bridge to a path which ran tolerably smoothly along the ditch.
The animal was very restive as Moritz mounted ; but he held
him still, while he promised to come soon again and bring to
Philip a letter, which Vogelstein could enclose in one to his
son. As he was about to touch his hat in farewell, Lena
handed up to him a rose-bud that she had cut privately. He
pressed the little hand that gave it to him, and stuck it in his
button-hole. " And now, good-by !" he called out, as he turned
his horse and gave him a light cut with his riding-whip.
It was quite superfluous. The restive animal started off,
rushed to the edge of the ditch, then shied, and reared so that
the rider, off his guard, lost his stirrups and was thrown. He
heard a low scream, and saw his steed galloping across the
moor. He rose instantly, but immediately felt an intense pain
in his left ankle. " It is nothing," he reassured his hosts, who
hurried up to him. " But how am I to get my horse again ?"
His foot soon became so painful that he was obliged to lean
for support against the trunk of a tree. " The ankle is not
broken, I trust?" said the old gardener.
" Only slightly sprained," Moritz replied. " But what shall
I do ? I cannot go home." Again he tried to walk, leaning
heavily upon Vogelstein's arm. Lena, pale with terror, sup-
ported him upon the other side. " It must be bandaged,"
her mother said ; " you must stay here until we can procure a
vehicle of some kind."
He assented, with a slight pressure of the pretty arm upon
which he leaned. " I thought," he declared, " that I should
be a prisoner here."
250 THE GREEN GATE.
CHAPTER XIX.
No bone was broken ; but by night the foot was much
swollen and very painful. A couch was prepared for Herr
Amberger in Vogelstein's room, and the old man arose many
times in the night to renew the cold-water bandages that en-
abled Moritz to gain some sleep. In the morning, although it
was no worse, the foot was altogether too painful to use at all,
at least so its owner averred when the widow offered to go
to the town and order a carriage for him. " Keep me here a
few days, I pray," he begged. " The cold water from your
fountain is so healing, and the pure air so invigorating. I
think I never knew what really pure, fresh air is before, and
when I think of sitting for days in my own room, where the
sun does not even come, with my foot up on a chair, the pros-
pect is too dreary. If only my mother were at home, it would
not be so bad."
Vogelstein made no objection to his remaining, only he
was afraid they might be anxious about the master at his
home, especially if the horse had found its way to the stable.
The widow offered to call at Herr Ambergcr's counting-room,
as she was obliged to go to the town to make some purchases ;
and Moritz, seated comfortably in a huge arm-chair, with his
foot on a rest, wrote a note to his book-keeper, directing him
to send a small portmanteau by a servant, and giving him
necessary instructions for the next few days. " There !" he
exclaimed, as he handed her the letter ; " they will know where
I am now. Let them go on for a few more days as they have"
been doing ; a change of affairs will shortly be made. And
could you not, my dear Frau Vogelstein, order the servant to
bring a basket of wine from my cellar ?" The old gardener,
THE GREEN GATE. 251
however, forbade this, stating that the stock of wine in the
castle cellar had not been exhausted since the days of the
former Freiherr.
At the tile-kiln Frau Vogelstein learned that the horse had
been caught and taken to town. The chef did not seem to
have been much missed in the counting-room. The book-
keeper sent word that all should go on as usual.
In the mean while, Moritz sat beneath the vine-covered
veranda, and was taken care of and entertained by Lena.
The hours passed quickly enough. The old man worked in
the garden, but paid him a visit now and then, and joined in
the lively talk. At noon the patient was given a book, and
told to read, since his nurse was to be busy elsewhere. " I
shall examine you upon it this afternoon," she said, archly,
shaking her finger at him. But when the time came, he knew
nothing of the book. His thoughts must have strayed, she
told him.
" Not very far," he excused himself; "only into the kitchen,
where you were."
" Ah, then I suppose you were busy with hopes as to your
dinner. How disappointed you must have been !" was her
mocking reply.
In the evening, which was lovely, there was a great deal of
talk about personal matters. The old man told many stories
of his early youth, and of his life before the young Freiherr
brought his bride to the ruin, upon which subject, of course,
he did not touch. His son's widow had many relatives, well-
to-do people in the country round, and had much to tell of
them and of the virtues of her deceased husband. Moritz
spoke of his business undertakings, and regretted having de-
serted his father's sound business principles, letting his
hearers perceive that he was by no means so solidly established
as was supposed. Lena asked the real meaning of the words
" commercial speculation," of which he had several times made
252 THE GREEN GATE.
use, and his explanation was far from satisfactory. " Why,
chance seems to be the speculator's best friend," she said.
" And sometimes his worst," he added.
He passed an excellent night. At breakfast he assured
Lena that, strange though it might appear, he had dreamed
delightful things of her all night long. " The reality will
seem all the more commonplace," she declared, as she pre-
sented him with a bouquet of roses fresh from the garden.
" I dreamed this very thing just before morning,' 1 he re-
plied, " and that you allowed me to testify my gratitude by
kissing your hand. Let me make that a reality too, I pray."
But this proposal found no favour in her eyes.
The foot was reduced to its original size, but its owner
maintained that the ankle was still painful. Vogelstein ad-
vised him to walk a few minutes at a time, now and again,
so as gradually to regain the full use of it. This would be
impossible, Moritz said, alone, but if Fraulein Lena would lend
him her arm This she did not refuse to do, although she
thought a cane would have answered the purpose as well. In
order to complete his sense of due support, he clasped her
hand and held it tight. Thus the promenades beneath the
veranda grew longer and longer, until they were extended to
the fountain, and to a pretty little seat beneath the trees, just
within the garden wall. Here he must rest, Moritz said, and
here they sat down.
" Do you know what I have been thinking, Lena?" he said,
omitting the Fraulein, as if unintentionally.
" How should I, Herr Amberger?" she asked, in her turn
emphasizing the last two words.
" You love these ruins, do you not?"
" Indeed I do. I look to end my days here."
" Ah !"
"And why not?"
" You are so young yet."
THE GREEN GATE. 253
" I have all the longer to stay here, then."
" But suppose you should be enticed to town."
"How?"
" By some one whom you could love better even than these
dear old ruins."
" But what were you going to tell me you had been thinking
of? Something very wise, I hope."
" I have been thinking that I would buy them ; they cannot
cost so very much."
" Oh, that would be a very bad ' commercial speculation.' "
" Who could think of it as such?"
" I suppose you want to sell the stones for building."
" Do you think me so prosaic, Friiulein Lena ? I wish to
own these ruins, that they may never be disturbed, and in
summer I can come here always."
" And drive us away ? How kind of you !"
" That I never said. What would it be here without you?
I value the place because it pleases you."
"Yes, but if you "
" We will restore the tower, with its crown of battlements,
from which there must be a charming prospect."
" I once climbed up upon a ladder that I placed against the
inside wall, and peeped through one of the narrow windows.
The view was lovely."
" But you must never do that again, Lena ; you might
have fallen. We will have a pretty winding-stair, with a
hand-rail up to the top, where shall be a huge flagstaff, and
on all festal occasions we will hoist a flag that can be seen from
the town. What do you think of having a large L and an
A upon it ?'*
" Oh, I do not think of it at all. Fortunately, the Hone-
burg is not for sale. But we have rested enough." She
arose.
He took her hand and tried to draw her down upon the
22
254 THE GREEN GATE.
seat again, but she resisted. " I have so much to say to you,"
he declared.
" Come to the fountain, then, there is a seat there too, and
we can see better what is going on in the house."
" And can be seen, too."
" Yes ; that is an advantage."
And he did as he was bidden.
Towards evening, Herr Vogelstein came in from the garden
with the information that a light vehicle was coming across
the moor towards the Honeburg. Moritz could not guess
whom it could bring, for of course it must be coming with
some visitor of his. He was supported to the bridge, and ex-
claimed, as soon as he looked at the approaching carriage,
" That is one of Feinberg's equipages ! What can he want of
me ? Probably something unusual has happened on ' Change."
Some hundred paces away from the garden hedge the car-
riage stopped, and a gentleman, whom Moritz instantly recog-
nized as Ignaz Feinberg, descended from it, to come the rest
of the way on foot. " Take me to the arbour outside the
wall," Moritz begged the old gardener, "and tell my visitor
where I am to be found." Frau Vogelstein and Lena with-
drew, pacifying Nero, who was barking furiously.
" What in the world have you been about ?" Feinberg
called out, as he approached the arbour where Moritz was
sitting, certainly looking just at that moment quite ill. And,
as he spoke, he tried to assume an expression of hearty good
will, in which he succeeded but poorly. " Riding out here,
entirely alone! Sidonie will never believe it. Why not con-
fine yourself to the high-road, if you must emulate a cavalry
officer ? I thought you rode solely to please my daughter, who
has many a wild freak, silly girl that she is, but here you are.
I hope your hurt is nothing serious eh ?"
He was wonderfully loquacious. Moritz wondered what
could be the reason for his change of demeanour, as, instead
THE GREEN GATE. 255
of his usual two-fingered shake, he grasped his hand cordially.
With certain people one always asks, " What is the reason of
this?" before accepting any token of friendliness from them.
The repeated reference to Sidonie, too, was not unintentional.
Moritz thanked him with some reserve.
" I should like to carry you away from this old owls'-nest,
my dear friend," Feinberg continued, glancing at the ruins.
" To think of my losing my way in this wilderness in pursuit
of my adventurous son-in-law, ha ! ha ! ha ! Well ?
Will your foot let you get to the carriage if we support you ?_
My coachman will drive us back to town without upsetting
us, quite a feat, it is true. Oh, you will be glad enough to
get back, even although the jolting may not be very pleasant.
Come, then !"
He offered his arm to Moritz, but the young man refused
it, and beckoned to Vogelstein, who was standing near, un-
certain whether or not to withdraw. " I am capitally taken
care of here," he said ; " and, thanks to my kind host and his
family, my foot is much better. Allow me, Feinberg, this
is the castellan of the Hbneburg, Herr Vogelstein."
The wealthy merchant bowed, with a scornful smile, as
if to say, " This was scarcely necessary," and asked, "You will
help me, my good man, I hope, to support the invalid to my
carriage?"
" You seem in great haste," Moritz remarked, keeping his
seat. " It is by no means the case with me. I am extremely
comfortable here, and I shall remain until I can return to
town on foot, unless Herr Vogelstein turns me out." He held
out his hand to the old man.
" You shall stay as long as you please," Vogelstein replied.
" I am but a plain man ; but until you tire of my society "
" There is no need of all these compliments," Feinberg in-
terrupted him. " You can show your gratitude to this good
man another time, and in another way than by subjecting your-
256 THE GREEN GATE.
self to further inconvenience. The first thing to do is to hurry
to town, where you can consult a physician. So make no more
delay, dear friend."
" I desire no gratitude," Vogelsteiu replied, not without a
degree of offended pride. " Herr Amberger is quite aware of
that."
Feinberg buried his chin in his cravat. " Then I cannot
see why "
" I am sorry," said Moritz, " that you should have taken any
unnecessary trouble on my account. I have no wish to change
my delightful quarters at present, unless my presence in the
town is urgently necessary."
"Hm! hin !" Feinberg growled. "A merchant's place, I
should say, is in his counting-room."
" Have you any important information to give me ?" Moritz
asked, in a rather uncertain tone.
Feinberg glanced towards old Vogelstein. " I did wish to
speak with you ; and, since you will not drive to town, I will
stay here a few minutes. If we could be
" I will withdraw," the old man observed, as he went off to
his work.
The merchant sat down beside Moritz, whose eyes were bent
gloomily upon the ground. Feinberg's plebeian manners had
never seemed so repulsive to him. There must be an end to
this, he thought, and sat in dread of the coming conversation.
" Has anything happened in the office?" he asked, with some
hesitation.
"Not that I know of."
" I thought, as you wished to speak
" We have other things to speak of."
" Then you know ?"
"What is there for me to know?"
A pause ensued. Apparently, neither wished to put intx.
words what was in his mind.
THE GREEN GATE. 257
( I supposed," Amberger began, at last, " that Fran Feinberg
might have told you of the change which which "
" Well ? Say what you have to say."
" Which Fr'aulein Feinberg has seen fit to make."
" Frau Feinberg Fraulein Feinberg ! This formality is
odd. I believe Sidonie is your betrothed."
Moritz felt suffocated. " She was," he answered, driven to
speak clearly ; " but Fraulein Feinberg has given me to under-
stand "
" Oh, nonsense, my dear friend!" Feinberg interrupted him,
briskly. " Women are full of whims, we all know that,
and commit follies for which they are afterwards very sorry. I
believe in my heart that they went to Berlin after that Pro-
fessor they were so wild about. Now they have had enough
of him. No need to have any anxiety about that."
" If you had read Fraulein Sidonie's letter to me "
" Oh, yes, yes ; I've no doubt there was an immense deal of
nonsense in it. Women are women, and they seldom write
anything worth reading. You ought not to have answered it."
"But I have answered it."
" Of course, in your first moments of anger. I suppose
your reply was hardly worth reading, either."
" Herr Feinberg !"
" But now you can listen to reason? Or perhaps not quite
yet. Unfortunately, I heard of the matter to-day for the first
time, from my wife, with marginal notes which I will not be-
tray. If I had known about it sooner it should never have
gone so far. Sidonie had entire freedom of choice. I put no
force upon her in your case, much as I desired the match. If
she had wished to marry Herr von Otten, I should have said
'yes.' But after she had decided, it was a very different affair.
I have treated you in a business point of view as my son-in-law,
and I am not going to have my plans interfered with."
Moritz began to understand, and the decided emphasis laid
22*
258 THE GREEN GATE.
upon the last sentence told him that there was no expectation
of any opposition on his part. This was an emergency for
which he was unprepared. What should he what could he
reply ?
Feinberg left him no time to decide. " The business world,"
he continued, " is used to hearing the names of our firms con-
nected, and such customs can never be laid aside without dis-
advantage. I say nothing of the fact that this connection at
present is of use, I may say indispensable, only to yourself.
I am of a grateful disposition, and do not forget that it has
served ine in former years. In conclusion, I do not wish, my
dear friend, to have striven for your benefit in vain. You will
reap the harvest with me. These are very plain and simple
considerations. I think we understand each other."
" I understand you," Moritz replied, hopelessly, swallowing
his indignation.
Perhaps the tone in which he spoke was not sufficiently
submissive, for Feinberg thought it necessary to cast upon him
a keen glance of inquiry. " Well, then," he began again, " you
understand me. It is fortunate that only the writers them-
selves, my wife, and I know of the letters that have passed
between Sidonie and yourself. My wife will be silent, I will
be silent, and as for the betrothed couple themselves "
Moritz drew away from the hand which he was about to
place upon his shoulder.
" As for the betrothed couple themselves, my dear friend,
I am not at all afraid that they will not know how to forget
this little mutual misunderstanding."
" But Sidonie "
" Sidonie thinks no longer as she did a few days ago. In
view of her character, I think that on the whole you did well
to return an instant and decided answer to her letter, instead
of appealing to her father. She did not expect it, and it im-
pressed her. She needs to be impressed : she tires of constant
THE GREEN GATE. 259
indulgence and submission. Now she sees what you really
are, and the effect is evident. My wife tells me that if she had
not written that unfortunate letter to you, it never would be
written now. What does that mean, eh ?"
To Moritz it seemed as if some serpent were winding its
coils about him body and soul. " It may be," he said, almost
with a gasp, " that Sidonie repents her- precipitation."
" What ! Precipitation ?" Feinberg exclaimed. " Repent !
You talk like a school-master or a priest. Why take a whim
so seriously ? You must make allowance for young girls, and
show your own superior wisdom. Come to town, take a sheet
of paper and write to Sidonie as if those warlike epistles had
never been exchanged, and I will insure "
The young man forgot his lame foot, and sprang up in-
voluntarily. " What ! you would have me ?" he ex-
claimed, indignantly.
Feinberg regarded him with extreme surprise, half closing
his eyes, as if to observe him more distinctly. " Yes ; you
cannot wish Sidonie to ask pardon, you know the girl."
" And you require me, a man, so to humiliate myself
" Pshaw !" Feinberg interrupted him, drawing him down
upon the seat again. " Let us talk like practical people. Is
it of consequence that the old relation should be restored,
yes, or no ?"
Amberger looked away, and made no reply.
" Yes, I say," his tormentor made answer. " Yes, in your
own interest. This being so, my dear friend, the question is,
how this is to be brought about ; and you can hardly fail to
see that the first step towards reconciliation must be made by
yourself, especially since I have treated you with such frank
cordiality. Or do you not agree with me?"
Moritz still looked away. He knew perfectly well what his
roply should be, but he also knew the consequences of Fein-
berg's departure in anger. For one moment he succumbed to
260 THE GREEN GATE.
a weak despair. Should he give an evasive answer ? What
good would it do ? Just then he thought he saw something
moving on the other side of the garden wall; and, sure
enough, it was Lena's curly head that appeared for an in-
stant and then vanished. He heard her speaking to Nero,
and the gentle sound of her voice warmed his heart. It was
as if the wall were transparent and he could see her caressing
the dog's shaggy head. He had often envied the animal the
light touch of those pretty fingers. He could not feel her so
near him and still pause irresolute. He turned to Herr Fein-
berg with a face greatly changed in expression. " I will tell
you frankly what I think," he said, firmly. " There never
ought to have been any engagement between Sidonie and my-
self. Now that it is dissolved, dissolved by her, it must stay
so, it is much better for both. Sidonie does not love me,
and I I no longer feel towards her in a way that would
justify me in offering her my hand again. This is my reply
as an honest man."
Feinberg had raised his head so that he quite looked down
upon his bold opponent. " You had better have said so at
first," he said, with icy coldness. "Why let me waste my
words ? You wish the engagement broken. Yes, that is
quite another affair."
" I do not wish it broken," Moritz replied ; " it is broken."
" Then you do not wish it renewed. That amounts to the
same thing." He arose slowly, and began to draw on the
glove which he had hitherto held in his hand. Perhaps he
wished to give his rash antagonist time for reflection.
" Remember that the welfare of your only daughter "
Moritz entreated. The words died in his throat.
Feinberg went on composedly putting on his gloves. " I
am not accustomed to act without due reflection. Do not
overlook the fact that I have offered you an opportunity for
the adjustment of the affair, and that you have refused to
THE GREEN GATE. 261
embrace it, and that the matter at stake is my daughter's
hand, a very delicate matter. I^un driven to suppose that
you wish to insult me, if you "
" Herr Feinberg !" Amberger interrupted him in terror.
" That you wish to insult me," the banker repeated, in the
same cutting tone, " if you reject the attempt at a recon-
ciliation that only requires you to stretch out your hand.
Of course you can expect no further tokens of friendship from
a man whom you insult ; and when two men of business like
ourselves can no longer work together, of course you under-
stand that they must be opposed to each other. "Well, I think
I shall be able to bear it."
" What ! you would "
" I shall show the business world that there is no reason
whatever for my coveting the honour of calling you my son-
in-law. Of course I owe this to myself when this broken
engagement becomes the town-talk."
" You would ruin me ?"
" If it comes to that, I must take care of myself. That
hardly suits you, it seems ? Hm ! Do you wish time for
reflection ?"
Moritz was silent.
" I will give you time for reflection," Feinberg continued,
with a smile that was by no means pleasant to see. " You
shall have forty-eight hours. There need be no word of ex-
cuse or entreaty, only send me a letter to Sidonie, and I
shall consider your part in the affair concluded. If not,"
and his voice grew loud in menace, " I shall publish abroad
the next morning that Sidonie has dismissed you. Adieu !"
He touched his hat, turned, and went down the path to
the moor where the carriage was standing. Moritz heard him
whistling a gay opera-air.
262 THE GREEN GATE.
CHAPTER XX.
THE young merchant felt annihilated. He sank back on
his seat and buried his face in his hands. " Time for reflec-
tion." What was there to reflect upon ? The only question
was whether he should suffer ruin as a man or as a merchant.
And he no longer had only Sidouie to think of; his heart
seemed almost breaking when he thought of the hopes that
he might have to sacrifice.
Thus he sat for awhile, lost in a sad reverie, when a merry
voice addressed him. "Are you asleep, Herr Amberger?"
He started and looked up, to see Lena standing before him.
His face must have worn a pale and dejected look, for she
instantly asked, anxiously, " But what is the matter ? You
are pale as a ghost."
He held out his hand, and nodded sadly. " I cannot "
he muttered to himself, " I cannot."
"You cannot what?" the girl asked, compassionately.
He drew her down upon the bench beside him, and she
made no resistance. " If I only knew " he said, looking
into her clear, frank eyes, that slowly fell before his own.
" Lena, dear Lena !"
She recoiled. " But, good heavens !"
" Do you know who the gentleman was who has just left
me?"
" My grandfather told me."
" And do you know what he wished me to do ?"
" Not ?" She raised her head.
" Yes! yes!" he assented. He saw that she guessed rightly.
She grew very grave and thoughtful, her white teeth rest-
ing upon her under-lip.
THE GREEN GATE. 263
" Something must have happened," he began again, " to
make Sidonie change her mind. For I am convinced that
she and her mother are the contrivers of this plan. It may
perhaps suit the old man very well, since he has made up his
mind to this marriage, and knows his daughter well enough
to know where the fault lies. His social position is not yet
sufficiently well assured ; he "would avoid a scandal and stand
well with the respectable part of the community. Therefore
he has consented to play the go-between, not a role very much
to his taste. He will be all the more resolved upon my ruin
if he has taken this trouble in vain. And he can ruin me.
I have allowed myself to become too deeply involved with
him. What shall I do, Lena? what would you do in my
place?"
She had let him finish without stirring. Now, her hand
trembled slightly, and she turned her face more away from him.
" If you can hesitate," she said, in a low tone, " there is only
one advice to be given you : Go back to Sidonie."
" You advise that?" he exclaimed. " You, Lena !"
A tear fell from her eyes into her lap. " I am sorry for
you, but "
" You advise me thus ! Because you think me a heartless
man, you do not believe in "
" Because you hesitate," she replied, interrupting him. " I
understand how much courage is required to withstand such a
temptation, and you are not brave enough."
" Lena !"
" Examine yourself. You are not brave enough to risk posi-
tion, wealth, and a brilliant future, only that you may earn
your own self-approval."
" Do not forget, Lena, that my mother's, my sister's, and
my brother's property is at stake "
" I do not forget it."
" Yet you blame "
264 THE GREEN GATE.
" I do not blame you. How could I ?"
" But you say I am not brave."
" I do not say that you could not be brave."
" It is impossible, Lena."
She made no reply.
" Quite impossible that I should yield. A week ago, per-
haps I cared very little then what became of me. I did not
know. If I only knew now, Lena !" She arose.
He took the hand hanging by her side in his own. " It
might be," he said, " that I could lose all, and yet be supremely
happy in the possession of a heart worth all else that can
make life dear. I might be brave enough to be true to myself
in poverty, if this poverty were shared by a love that would
make me rich indeed. If I ask you, Lena "
" Do not ask !" she exclaimed, hastily, and her voice and
hes hand both trembled. " You must think of your mother
and your sister, and of yourself. You are still undecided ; what
may seem impossible to-day, because it finds you unprepared,
may seem so no longer to-morrow, after cool reflection. Do not
make your decision more difficult. I am but an ignorant girl,
and have never pondered such matters ; but I think in your
case I would not ask any one to share the responsibility of my
decision, least of all any one whom I cared for."
" You know, then, Lena, that I care for you," he said, carry-
ing her hand to his lips ; " and I must not ask whether you
care for me ?"
" No, you must not," she replied, hastily ; " and you must
promise not to speak of such things while you are our guest
here, or I must go to town and not return. Will you
promise?"
" But only think
" Will you promise ?"
" Well, then yes ! if I may have the smallest hope "
" Unconditionally."
THE GREEN GATE. 265
" Very well ! I will trust to your clemency. I will rely
upon your angelic kindness, your "
" You must rely upon nothing, but must consider prudently
and quietly what you owe to every one. Fortunately, you
owe me nothing, not even a compliment."
" Oh, you are cruel !"
"It is my duty to be so. And now lean upon my arm and
let me lead you in. Do not disturb my mother or my old
grandfather. Why should they know anything about this ?
Your foot will be quite well by day after to-morrow, I think,
so that you can go to town, and if you are very good until
then I will go with you as far as the green gate." He ventured
to press her hand.
" If you are very good, you understand."
All through that evening Lena avoided any tete-a-tete with
Moritz, and the next morning she was very busy. She had
never seemed so lovely to him as now, when he could only
follow her with his eyes. She was evidently determined to
leave him quite to himself; but there was nothing stern or
forbidding in her demeanour ; on the contrary, a happy smile
continually played about her mouth, as if her thoughts were
occupied with pleasant subjects. Before retiring to rest on the
previous night, Moritz had done his best to reconcile himself
to his position ; but his mind was too full of Lena to admit of
other considerations. Sidonie seemed like some far-off delu-
sion, which could never take possession of him again. All there
was to consider was, what the consequences of a break with
Feinberg might be, and whether they could in any way be
averted or mitigated. For this he must examine his books
afresh, and that could be done as soon as he returned to his
counting-room. The elasticity of youth and a kind of blind
reliance upon the chances of trade stood him in good stead
M 23
266 THE GREEN GATE.
in contemplating his future, which did not look so black as it
had done formerly. If the worst came to the worst, it was
but being a small merchant instead of a great banker, and
there was consolation in the thought that there would then be
no objection to Katrine's engagement to the Professor.
Affairs wore a more serious aspect when, towards evening,
he received a visit from a young man in his employ, upon
whose honesty he could depend. He was the son of a man
who had been one of his father's most confidential clerks. He
came because, as he said, he could not answer it to his con-
science not to put his chief and benefactor. upon his guard.
He had long known that the book-keeper was false to the
interests of the business, and that he was even engaged in
speculations with funds that could hardly be rightly come
by. He himself had received orders to make certain entries
which he could not understand, and in answer to his ques-
tions had received replies which had strengthened him in
his suspicions that the books were falsely kept. Nor did it
look well, either, to have the book-keeper receive almost daily
letters from Herr Fcinberg that were not filed with the rest of
the correspondence of the house, or that he should have long
private conferences with Herr Otto Feinberg. So long as
his chief was in the counting-room, he had not felt it his
business to interfere, but in his absence these suspicious
circumstances forbade him to be silent any longer.
Moritz urged him to tell him everything that had come to
his knowledge, assuring him of his gratitude even although
it should be found that he was in error. The young fellow
then related that on the previous evening Feinberg had teen
closeted in the counting-room with the book-keeper until far
into the night, and that to-day various changes had appeared
in the books, in the way of descriptions of stocks, etc., that
plainly showed they had been made in Feinberg's interest.
They consisted mainly of an exchange of perfectly safe paper
THE GREEN GATE. 267
for what Amberger had always considered, even in opposition
sometimes to Feinberg, as unsafe, and would really be of little
consequence if the two firms continued to act in concert, but
would be ruinous to Amberger if any division should occur
between them. Moritz had no doubt that Feiuberg had made
use of his absence and of the reputed intimacy of the two
houses to cripple his former associate ; and he even doubted
whether the treacherous book-keeper could be called to account,
since he could plead ignorance of any possible breach between
the two houses.
Thus much was ascertained, that he could not, without cul-
pable neglect,, resign himself any longer to the dolce far niente
which he had enjoyed for the last few days', and which had
not been without its advantages, since it had helped him to
become more resolved and self-reliant. In his first indigna-
tion against the man who had so grossly deceived him, he sat
down at Vogelstein's desk and indited a letter to Feinberg, iu
which he entirely relieved his mind. He required an imme-
diate restoration of the stocks for which Feinberg had substi-
tuted what he knew to be worthless, and declared all further
business connection with him dissolved, concluding, " I now
understand why you gave me time for reflection. I did not
need it : you did. Whatever I may have to endure from
your hostility, I will never again consent to wear the unworthy
fetters which I regret having borne so long. Begin the cam-
paign : I am ready for everything. But expect no mercy
from an antagonist whom you would endeavour to trample
under foot after having, by his aid, attained a position which
you intend to use for his ruin."
Without reading over the letter, he gave it to the young
man to take to town, directing him to leave it that very even-
ing at Feinberg 1 s door. He himself would be at the count-
ing-room the next morning. His cheeks plowed as, after his
clerk's departure, he approached Lena, who was seated by the
268 THE GREEN GATE.
fountain, engaged in shelling a basket of peas. His foot was
much better, and he limped only very slightly.
" You have had some\mportan.t news?" she said, looking up.
" Most important," he replied, his agitation vibrating in his
voice. " Feinberg is acting a Judas' part towards me. He has
not even awaited the conclusion of the truce, but has broken
into my stronghold in my absence. I must go to town early
to-morrow morning."
" What do you call early ?"
" I must be in my counting-room by nine o'clock."
" And it will take full an hour to walk to town."
Moritz sat down by her, and took a handful of unshelled
peas from her basket. He opened one after another of the
pods, rather awkwardly, to be sure. Lena looked at him with
a smile.
" You take too much pains with them," she said. " See
how easily they open if you only press the right spot."
He leaned towards her, and watched her busy fingers.
" Nothing is difficult if one only understands how to do it,"
he said.
" Try, then."
"May I help you?"
" As much as you please."
He soon grew expert, and the basket was emptied.
" Now you will relish your supper," Lena remarked.
" The last-
She sighed almost inaudibly.
" The last must always come."
" You have not forgotten your promise to go with me as far
as the town ?" he asked, after a slight pause.
" Did I promise ?"
" Oh, you would not break your word, Lena ?"
" But if your foot is well, and it seems to be so, you will
not need me."
THE GREEN GATE. 269
" If you say that, it will grow alarmingly worse ; and I
really do limp a little still."
" Well, then, if I really promised "
" Oh, thank you !" And he arose, as she did.
She took up the bowl of shelled peas, and said, " Will you
not carry the basket foj* me ?"
" With pleasure." And he followed her to the house.
Vogelstein came from it towards them. " You have a grand
servant," he said, shaking his gray head.
" And he has no wages, either," she said, archly, as she
took the basket from him and entered the house.
" Who knows ?" he called after her. " I will serve like
Jacob."
The evening was exquisitely lovely. The little family sat
together till a late hour. Moritz forced himself to forget
his cares. Lena hummed an old folk-song in a low tone, and
he hummed it with her. She sang aloud, and he joined
in a powerful-' second. They sang, " Count the stars in
heaven's vault shining," and "Far in a pleasant valley a
mill-wheel gaily turns," all through. It was quite pathetic
to hear them declaring that they would " die far rather,"
and " all would then be still," and really feeling as if the
words had some application to themselves, although they
never dreamed of dying, and would far rather be happy
together. It rang in his ears after he had retired to rest,
that " Oh, I would die far rather, and all would then be
still," until it really was still, so far as he was concerned, and
he dropped asleep.
The next morning, when he left his room, Lena appeared
in her Sunday costume. " I shall do you no discredit if we
are seen together," she said ; " my mother and niy grandfather
have given their consent to my going nearly as far as the
town."
The widow's coffee and biscuit were delicious, and Moritz
23*
270 THE GREEN GATE.
had an excellent appetite, since he had a whole hour's tete-d-
tete with Lena iu prospect. He thanked his hosts for their
kindness, and would have kissed Frau Vogelstein's hand, but
she would not permit it. Nero's shaggy head was patted,
and they crossed the bridge and walked along the ditch,
past the place where the horse had shied, and out upon the
moor.
The sun was quite high in the cloudless sky, but the air
was cool and refreshing ; the dew-drops were still clinging to
the bushes, and fell like rain upon Moritz's feet as he brushed
past them, leaving to Lena the centre of the narrow path.
How lovely she was, with her slender, girlish figure and her
wealth of fair hair ! He offered her his arm, but she did not
accept it ; nor would she admit that there was any further
need of his being supported by hers.
This was rather a disappointment, and they walked along
silently for awhile, until she seemed to regret that she had so
repulsed him, and while with one hand she gathered up her
skirts to keep them from the dew, she let the other hang down
by her side. His own touched it as they walked, and he began
to talk gaily enough, his fingers the while enclosing, as if
half unconsciously, the little hand that was not withdrawn.
He went on talking, but his words grew more and more con-
fused ; he felt that it was so, yet she did not ask any expla-
nation. After awhile he ceased speaking, and they walked
along silently hand-in-hand, amid the songs of the moorland
larks and the humming of the bees, not daring to look each
other in the face.
The tile-kiln was not very far distant. On the edge of the
moor there were lying huge blocks of stone, singly and in
groups, covered with moss, and forming very inviting seats.
" Shall we not rest here?" asked Moritz.
"No, you ought to be early in town," Lena replied; "we
must not loiter." He made no demur.
THE GREEN GATE. 271
There was still a strip of sand to be traversed before they
reached the road, along which people were passing, and where
Moritz saw it would be impossible to unburden his heart,
which he must do before they parted. "Lena," he began,
after several more steps, " you know that I wrote to Feinb^rg
yesterday."
" You said so," she answered, " upon business."
" Not only that."
Her hand trembled in his, but the other drew her broad
hat down over her face.
" I gave him my decision with regard to what he said to
me the day before."
"Indeed?"
" Yes, Lena; I wrote to him that everything was at an end
between Sidonie and myself, and that I needed no time for
reflection to be convinced that it was so."
" But did you weigh well what you said, Herr Amberger ?
I think you were agitated by the discovery of his treachery."
" No, Lena ; that only hastened my reply. My mind was
entirely made up beforehand, had been made up some time
before, I assure you."
" You will be sorry for it when you get to your counting-
room and find how many annoyances and trials await you."
He pressed her hand. " I shall not be sorry."
" I think you should have waited," she said, timidly.
" What for, Lena ?" he asked, gaining courage from her
shyness. "All delay was dangerous. I am rejoiced to return
to the town a free man ; that is "
He stooped a little, to look beneath her hat, which shaded
her forehead and eyes. Perhaps she did not see this ; at all
events, she did not raise her head.
" That is, Lena," he said, with some hesitation, " when I
say a free man, you know well, in a certain sense that is far
from literally true, do you not?"
272 THE GREEN GATE.
" I know nothing," she said, in a low tone, and her head
bent still lower, although he imagined that a smile played
about her mouth.
He hastily raised the hand that he held, and pressed it to
his lips. She would have snatched it from him. " You must
not," she said.
He refused to release it. " I shall hold you fast," he said
softly in her ear, " until, Lena, you hear all I have to tell you.
The first time I ever saw you, you awoke within me sensations
that I had never before experienced, and in these last happy
days I have clearly learned how poor I was, and how blest I
am now in knowing that I love, love from my very heart.
I cannot see how I can love without being loved in return.
And if you will love me, Lena, nothing will be hard to bear.
I can meet every tempest fearlessly. So tell me, dear, that I
may hope that you care a little for me, and that one day you
will be mine, dear, dearest Lena "
" Oho !" a manly voice near them called out. " Here you
are ! This is delightful."
They started and looked up guiltily. Absorbed in each
other, they had not noticed that some one was approaching ;
and now, there he stood just before them. " Herr Professor!"
they both exclaimed, in a kind of terror.
It was Schonrade. In their flushed faces he plainly read
that his presence was ill-timed, and, holding out a hand to each,
he said, in excuse, "I see I intrude, but indeed I could not
turn away without speaking."
Lena was the first to collect herself. " If we had known
you were coming to the Honeburg, Herr Professor " she
began.
" What, then ? You would not have allowe 1 our friend
here to walk alone to town with his sprained ankle ! I have
been to your house, and heard there what has happened. I
am so sorry."
THE GREEN GATE. 273
" Oh, there is nothing to be sorry about," said Amberger,
not quite able to control his irritation at the interruption.
" My foot is quite well."
" So much the better," said Schb'nrade. " Your few days of
country air seem to have been of great benefit to you. You
are looking incomparably better than when I bade you good-
bye."
Moritz was pleased to hear this. " You never bade me good-
bye, if you remember," he replied, with a smile, "but "
" You are right," the Professor interrupted him. " We
parted in storm and rain, not in the best of humours. Since
then the weather has cleared with me, and here too, I rather
think, eh?" He looked meaningly at Moritz and Lena, who
cast down their eyes. " Those surprises for which we are least
prepared are often the pleasantest. Well, I can keep a secret."
" Under certain circumstances, an excellent trait," Moritz
remarked, " especially when those most interested " He
hesitated, and glanced at Lena's blushing face. " Why did
not you wait three minutes longer?" he blurted out.
" I will leave you this instant," the Professor said, " and
never even look back."
" Then I will go with you," said Lena. " If I guess aright
you were on your way to the Honeburg, and I must return."
" You promised to go as far as the green gate," Moritz
eagerly interposed.
" But I did not know that I might have a companion on
my way home," she returned, with a glance entreating silence.
" I must admit, fair chatelaine, that I was not going to the
ruin on your account," said the Professor, " great as is my
pleasure in seeing you again. My visit is to Herr Amberger,
with whom I have very important business. I arrived last
evening, and, not wishing to impose another guest upon the
Honeburg, I waited until this morning. I did not anticipate
meeting you upon the way."
M*
274 THE GREEN GATE.
" I should like to turn round and go back whence I came
with Fraulein Lena and yourself," said Moritz, dolefully,
"but "
" But Herr Amberger has pressing business in the town,"
the girl continued his sentence, " business which demands his
immediate presence there."
" The young man seems to be well taken care of," the Pro-
fessor remarked, drily.
" Unfortunately, Fraulein Lena is right," Moritz said, with
a laugh. " I must go to my counting-room, where, it is to be
feared, most unpleasant revelations await me."
" It is all the more important, then, that I should speak
with you," the Professor insisted. " I propose that you per-
mit me to accompany you the remainder of the way, in spite
of your present aversion to my society, and that Fraulein
Lena "
" Can find her way back to the Honeburg alone," she in-
terposed, turning away. " Adieu, Herr Professor ! Adieu,
Herr
" Stay !" cried Moritz, barring her way. " Not so fast, I
must have your blind in token of farewell, your hand, Lena 1"
" Take it. And now
" May I interpret as I please ?" he asked, in a low voice.
He felt her hand press his, and as she raised her eyes for
an instant, he seemed to look into her very soul. " I am
brave now, Lena," he said.
" And now," and she curtsied to the Professor, " adieu."
" We shall see you soon again," the latter replied, as he
offered his arm to Moritz.
The girl hurried away. Amberger turned slowly towards
the town. " Is all right ?" Schbnrade asked.
" I hope so," Moritz replied. " Are you still of the same
mind with regard to Katrine?"
" Of course."
THE GREEN GATE. 275
" "Well, then, I may make you my confidant."
"And I offer my heart-felt congratulations. But now we
must cry truce to all thoughts of love for awhile, and sternly
address ourselves to business. Give me your undivided atten-
tion. There is a railway "
Amberjrer was soon an easier listener.
CHAPTER XXL
" I CANNOT imagine why mamma suddenly seems so irri-
tated with our dear Professor," Lilli remarked to her lover.
" It is really no such great crime for him to love Katrine. Even
if it were her own daughter " A faint blush appeared on
her cheek, at the thought that this had once not seemed so
very improbable.
Mr. Fairfax nodded carelessly. " Have you heard the
strange report there is about him ?"
" No ; what is it ?"
" They say he is the son of a very wealthy Count von Glei-
chenau."
" Ah !"
" It certainly is true that he frequents the Count's house
as if he belonged there."
" But his name is Schonrade, which is the same as Bella-
rota, and Katrine has told me that his mother is Camilla
Bellarota, the former prirna donna, whom Sidonie and her
mother have lately been to see."
" Yes, Camilla Bellarota is his mother."
"But how "
" My dear child, Count von Grleichenau may have It
really is no affair of ours. I only tell you what I hear."
276 THE GREEN GATE.
" Do you know the Count ?"
"I saw him yesterday at a business meeting, where pro-
posals were made to our firm. A really hopeful railway
project was under consideration."
" Is my father concerned in it?"
" Not yet. I think he is busied with other things. The
Feinbergs are laying siege to him. I don't know, those men
do not greatly please me. He ought to be cautious."
" Can you not warn him?"
" It is scarcely my place to do so. My estimate of them is
not sufficiently well founded. Although the behaviour of the
head of the firm to Moritz Amberger "
"What about it?"
"Why, there are very damaging reports in circulation.
Amberger has dismissed his principal book-keeper, and writes
to several business friends here that the man was bribed to
defraud him. He claims certain papers as his property that
Feinberg was disposing of here. At all events, Feinberg is
leaving no stone unturned to undermine Moritz's credit and to
ruin him, and has appealed to your father for aid in certain
matters."
"And all because the match is broken off, I suppose."
" Yes ; but Madame Feinberg runs about telling every one
that Fraulein Sidonie herself dismissed Amberger , and it is
easy enough to see why."
"You mean about Ilerr von Fuchs?"
" It is very evident that Sidonie accepts his attentions. He
goes everywhere with her and her mother."
" Yes, he always comes here with them. He must have a
great deal of time to spare."
" He has all his time to spare. A fine son-in-law for
Feinberg he will be ; he will soon set his money circu-
lating."
' But how can Sidonie be so infatuated?"
THE GREEN GATE. 277
" Perhaps she was not in earnest at first. She is a thorough
coquette. Every one is talking about them now, and Herr
von Fuchs is the very man to tunr this to his own advantage,
and compel her to an engagement. Is not that Herr Otto
Fnnberg? He, too, is breathing threatenings and slaughter
against Amberger, because he did not favour his suit with
Friiulein Katharina."
He was right. It was Herr Otto Feinberg coming towards
them, with his hands in his coat-pockets and his hat on the
back of his head, as usual. He immediately asked after the
Councillor, and, when he heard that he was not yet at home,
hoped he might see the lady of the house.
Frau Wiesel had been suffering from a renewal of her ner-
vous attacks. When she was not occupied with her dress,
which, fortunately, disposed of a large part of her time, she re-
clined upon a sofa, turning over the leaves of a novel, or read-
ing scraps from newspapers and magazines. Intimate friends,
like Otto Feinberg, she received without more ado than lan-
guidly raising her head from among the cushions.
" Have you had letters ?" she asked.
He answered, with a toss of his head and a smack of his
lips, a characteristic habit, " Plenty of letters, but the news
is scanty and not greatly to be relied upon."
" Amberger is still afloat ?"
" Still afloat. It is inconceivable how he has kept up for
the last three days. My brother was convinced that he would
sink at the first blow, and he knows his affairs even better than
the young man himself. But he has suddenly developed re-
sources of which we had no idea. Until now he seems to have
redeemed all his paper with perfect ease. The question is,
how long it will last. To operate efficiently, we must know
from what source he derives his means, and how soon it will
be exhausted. I have had several clues, as I thought, but
they have thus far led to nothing. If the Councillor would
24
278 THE GREEN GATE.
only display a little more energy. But lie has suddenly be-
come prudence itself."
" Has my husband really any influence?"
" He could gain it if he chose. He delays proceedings that
would certainly cause Amberger extreme embarrassment and
help to run the fox to earth. But what annoys my brother
still more is, that the Councillor has lately refused the unlimited
credit he has always accorded him. He has suddenly grown
very careful in the examination of securities, almost offensively
exact. He has even refused some of our best paper, in con-
sequence, I believe, of a stupid report circulated by Amberger
or his unknown friend. As he stands high on 'Change here,
we are very much crippled by his want of confidence. If you,
madame, would try to interest him more in our behalf
" I ? You know that in all business matters my husband
admits of no advice or interference. I have said what I
could ; but what can a poor invalid do ?"
Feinberg stroked his pointed chin. " Something decisive
must be done if we would avoid defeat. In his last letter my
brother says he suspects that Amberger has some scheme in
hand from which he looks for entire rehabilitation. His
manoeuvres thus far seem senseless enough ; but there's no
knowing what may come of them. It is possible that he only
wants to inspire confidence in his resources ; but he may have
some project in view that has been hatched in a more brilliant
brain than his own."
" Is Professor Schonrade there still ?" the Councillor's wife
asked, after a pause.
" He is there still," Feinberg replied, in a tone of annoy-
ance. " We cannot make out that man. His betrothal to
Katharina Amberger is at the bottom of the whole difficulty.
If he had been free ! My niece Sidonie took a fancy to
him, and my brother could easily have shaken off Moritz
Amberger."
THE GREEN GATE. 279
Frau Wiesel listened eagerly. " For the sake of the Pro-
fessor ?"
" I think so."
" And Sidonie ?"
Feinberg smacked his lips again. " Really, I scarcely know
what I am saying. Mere fancies of mine, half-spun schemes,
no more. But the fact is that this Professor is a dangerous
man. The money, it is true, that Moritz has so suddenly at
his command, cannot come from his pocket. I know he has
no property ; and a simple Professor cannot possess much
credit."
The Councillor's wife had grown thoughtful. Otto Fein-
berg had dropped a word whicn, in spite of his eager denial
of any knowledge, was quite worth remembering for private
consideration. If Sidonie were concerned, it explained much
in the conduct of the Feinberg ladies that had seemed in-
comprehensible. Self-deceived as she was, she was ready
to blame others for a want of honesty in their intercourse
with her, although she had no claim upon their confi-
dence. She would so like to think that all her annoyance
arose from feeling herself deceived by those whom she had
trusted.
When the Councillor came home and learned from Mr.
Fairfax and Lilli, in the garden, that Feinberg was with his
wife, he made a wry face. " You were right," he said to his
son-in-law, " in advising caution : the Feinbergs seem to have
gone very far, how far is not known at present." And he
went into the house without waiting for a reply.
His reception of his guest was more formal than usual.
"Have you heard the latest news?" he asked, as Feinberg
began to talk of business.
"What is it?"
" Moritz Amberger, after dismissing his chief book-keeper,
has denounced him to the public authorities."
280 THE GREEN GATE.
Feinberg started. " Is lie mad ?"
"Why mad?"
" I should think he would hardly like to have all the world
cognizant of his most private affairs ; and you know that what-
ever is brought into court "
" Gets into the newspapers," Wiesel concluded the sentence,
stroking his smooth chin.
" Certainly."
" Hm ! He must feel very secure, then."
" Do not believe that, my dear Councillor ; on the contrary,
it is the recklessness of despair ; there could be nothing worse
for him."
" It may be so. But in the letter I saw, not addressed to
me, it is true "
" What did it say ?"
" Oh, some odd things. The man seems very confident.
There is a talk of a large undertaking, and there are ugly
stories."
" Ugly stories ?" The thin face grew longer still.
" We will not forestall judgment. What I wanted to say
to you is, that hm ! it seems to be taken rather ill of your
brother that he took the man into his service at an unusually
high salary immediately after Moritz Amberger had dismissed
him."
Feinberg started. " And the inference is ?"
The Councillor shrugged his shoulders. " I do not know ;
but your brother and Moritz were formerly the most intimate
business friends, and it is not usual in such cases "
" My brother's reason for breaking with him is well known,
I think," Feinberg interrupted him. " His insulting with-
drawal from his betrothal '
" Hm ! There are several opinions on that head. Many
say that Fraulein Sidonie dismissed him, and by letter, too,
from here."
THE GREEN GATE. 281
" Because his conduct made a continuance of the engage-
ment impossible."
The Councillor seemed to have but little desire to pursue
the conversation further ; he opened a small cabinet and took
out a box of cigars. " Will you smoke ?" he asked.
Feinberg declined. "I should like to know," he said,
returning to the subject, " what conclusion you individually
draw, my dear Councillor, from the fact that my brother has
engaged a competent book-keeper, of whose possible delin-
quencies he could not have the slightest knowledge?"
Wiesel had lighted a wax taper, and was taking a great deal
of time to light his cigar by it. " Are you sure you will not
smoke?" he asked, evasively.
" By-and-by, perhaps. If you will be kind enough to answer
my question "
" 1 think I gave no opinion," the Councillor said, still
evading an answer.
Feiuberg persisted. " You certainly mentioned certain facts
in connection with each other that you seemed to think "
The Councillor puffed out volumes of smoke, and rejoined,
"Will it satisfy you if I assure you that I really have no
opinion in -the matter? Amberger has claimed as his own
whether justly or not I cannot say certain papers that are at
present in your brother's hands, and the book-keeper is accused
of having contrived their transfer. Doubtless your brother,
my respected friend, will explain clearly how he came into
possession of the papers in question doubtless ! But you can
easily understand that for the present I am only a spectator,
you can readily comprehend this."
Feinberg looked irritated and annoyed. " If that is the
case, I might have spared myself the trouble of coming here
to-day," he said, taking his hat. " My brother thought he had
a right to more confidence ; he will be surprised to find you
confine yourself to the part of a spectator ; fee relied upon your
24*
282 THE GREEN GATE.
active support on 'Change. Fortunately, he does not lack
friends, and I have no desire to interest you in his favour if
you are at all disposed to hold back. I must remind you,
however, that among business men it is my turn to-day and
yours to-morrow. Ignaz may choose to play the part of spec-
tator some day."
" Pray assure him of my unaltered esteem," the Councillor
said, courteously ; " I should be sorry to be misunderstood
by him in any way."
Just then Frau Feinberg and her daughter were announced.
Herr von Fuchs accompanied the ladies. The Councillor's
wife arose, with a sigh, to receive them ; she looked weary and
vexed. Otto Feinberg took his leave.
" I am come to-day to see your good husband," Madame
Feinberg said, after the first greetings. " May I have a few
moments' conversation with you, my dear Councillor?"
Wiesel bowed.
" I will not disturb you," said his wife. " Come with me
to the pavilion, Sidonie."
" No secrets," Frau Feinberg called after them, " no se-
crets, I assure you ; only not in the presence of the young
people "
" Permit me also to withdraw," said the Councillor's wife.
" I am not curious." Herr von Fuchs gallantly offered her
his arm, and Sidonie followed with Mr. Fairfax and Lilli.
Madame Feinberg seated herself on a sofa, and the Coun-
cillor took a chair opposite her. " What can I do for you,
madame?" he inquired.
" Oh, nothing of any great importance," she said, easily.
" I wanted to ask a favour for one of my friends."
" Pray let me hear how I can be of service."
" It will not cost you anything beyond a few words of
recommendation. I wish some suitable position for a man
of excellent family and great natural talent, also, if I am not
THE GREEN GATE. 283
much mistaken, of extensive information and distinguished
social ability."
Wiesel played with the seals dangling at his watch-chain.
" A suitable position, ha ! hm ! May I ask, madame,
what you understand by that?"
The lady furled and unfurled her fan. " Good heavens !"
she said, smiling, " I should think there could be no doubt
about that. A suitable position is, of course, some office of
distinction, with an income corresponding to one's needs."
" The needs of human beings are so various, madame."
" Of course ! Well, then, my dear Councillor, we will as-
sume that these needs are not the most modest of their
kind. I speak of a man belonging by birth to the privileged
classes, and who cannot conform his life to limited means.
Imagine, then, his possible connection with a family sufficiently
wealthy indeed to attach no great importance to the amount
of his income, but who would nevertheless like to see him in
a position commanding means enough to secure him a certain
amount of respect in business circles. Now you perfectly
understand?"
He assented, gently nodding his head. " Will you inti-
mate more distinctly, madame, in what line I can serve you?
I am a merchant and a banker. My influence, if I have any,
is limited."
" Not in the direction where it will serve me," she hastily
remarked. " You are not only concerned in, but at the head
of, various companies, and there are new undertakings con-
templated. I hear something of a new bank, with an immense
amount of capital. You will, of course, have the disposal of
many profitable places among the directors or managers ; and,
even if you can do nothing yourself, you have such influen-
tial friends. A salary of five or six thousand thalers would
do, with a share in the yearly profits. As I said before, the
pecuniary compensation is of less importance than a position
284 THE GREEN GATE.
in the commercial world. I am sure you will do everything
you can to help me."
The Councillor's face still wore the same friendly but un-
meaning smile as at first. " The young gentleman who has
the honour to be under your protection is, I suppose, well
skilled in commercial affairs ?" he asked, apparently quite
innocently.
Madame Feinberg looked up from her fan in surprise.
" How could he be ? I told you Good heavens ! since
when has it been necessary to be so qualified for such offices ?
The man's superior intelligence will teach him in a very short
time all that it is necessary he should know. Surely I am
right ?"
" Most probably," Wiesel replied, settling himself in his
chair. " You know the world, madame ; I am only a little
a very little surprised that you do me the great honour of
applying to me, when your husband possesses at least as
much influence "
" Oh, there is a reason for that," she said, " a very good
reason. My husband would take the greatest pleasure in
being of service to you in a like case, but in this particular
instance he does not wish to be the one to whom Herr
von the young man owes his position. I cannot explain
myself more clearly to-day, my dear Councillor, and, after a
little, you will not need any explanation. I pray you be con-
tent with my mysterious hints, leave my husband out of the
question, and regard this as a matter in which I sololy am in-
terested. There will be no danger of any want of gratitude
for your kindness on my husband's part."
She held out her hand to him as she spoke, and he did not
neglect to carry it to his lips. "'No guerdon at your hands
I ask,' " he quoted, without thinking how little the quotation
suited his desire to be especially courteous. " Of course, as
soon as occasion offers, I shall, in spite of the multitude of
THE GREEN GATE. 285
such applications that are made to me, do all that I can to
fulfil your wishes. You cannot doubt this. May I now ask
the name of the promising young man ?"
Madame Feinberg smiled sweetly behind her fan. " Of
course," she said, "you must know who he is. Do you not
guess ? Herr von Fuchs possesses every qualification to make
him worthy of my recommendation."
Wiesel had suspected who the man was, but he judged it
best to feign astonishment. " Herr von Fuchs ?" he asked,
sitting erect. " The same Herr von Fuchs who "
" Whom we have introduced to you before, and who accom-
panies us hither to-day. A most charming young fellow."
" No doubt, no doubt "
" A cultivated man, who can talk well upon any subject."
" Certainly ! But "
"But?"
Wiesel looked meaningly at the eager lady, and appeared to
reflect whether or not to speak out. At last he said, drily,
" Do you know the amount of his debts, madame ?"
She seemed amazed. " His debts ? No."
" Nor do I, madame. And I have little desire to know."
" Herr Councillor "
" Which, however, does not in the least prevent me from
thinking him a most courteous cavalier, and, upon your recom-
mendation, a very talented man."
Again she opened and shut her fan. " And after all, my
dear Councillor, what are a few thousands, when the man
could not possibly have a very extensive credit "
Wiesel put his head on one side. " Yes, madame ; but if
the gentleman with a limited credit has gone so far, what
would he do with unlimited credit ? If I understand Herr
von Fuchs aright, he is one of those who always need more
than they possess. Such people are not to be trusted with a
great deal, madame."
286 THE GREEN GATE,
Madame Feinberg moved uneasily in her chair. " But
Sidonie is our only child " slipped out before she was
aware of it.
"Oh, Frilulein Sidonie?" Wiesel exclaimed, apparently all
amazement. " Forgive me, madame ; I never dreamed "
" Good heavens ! what have I said ?" she interrupted him,
actually growing pale. " Forget what I said, Herr Councillor;
forget it entirely."
" Be assured of my entire discretion," he replied.
" There is a faint possibility," she said ; " nothing more. I
do not even know whether Sidonie but a mother, you know
my eyes are everywhere, of course "
" Of course, madame," he said, soothingly.
" No one must suspect "
" No one. I have heard nothing ; I know nothing "
" And if there should be any opening, you will-
" Hm ! hm ! Certainly. I should like to show your husband
how glad I am to be of service to him, where such service is
consistent with my principles." And he bowed low.
Frau Feinberg thanked him with a cordial pressure of his
hand. He offered her his arm, and they walked through the
garden to the pavilion, where Herr von Fuchs was the life of
the little party. Sidonie was very silent. Perhaps she was
hiding her own light under a bushel that her companion's
might shine all the more brightly.
After a little while the guests took their leave, upon the
elder lady's plea that the horses would be tired of standing.
"What did Madame Feinberg want of you?" the Coun-
cillor's wife asked her husband, as they walked back from the
garden gate to the pavilion.
Wiesel replied by the question, " What do you think of
Herr von Fuchs?"
" Oh, he's agreeable enough," she answered, in an indifferent
tone. "Why?"
THE GREEN GATE. 287
He half closed his eyes, with a sly expression. " Do you
suspect nothing?"
Her attention was roused. " Is there anything to suspect?"
" Yes ; but I must not tell."
She began to understand. " What !" she exclaimed, " this
Hcrr von Fuchs ?"
" Will soon be one of the directors of a new stock company,
with a salary of five or six thousand thalers, and a large pro-
portion of stock. I am glad you like him. But I must not
tell, you understand, my dear?"
His wife made no reply, but smiled to herself. This was
news to occupy her mind.
CHAPTER XXII.
IN the mean while, Moritz Amberger and Professor Schb'n-
rade were labouring together steadily in the old house with
the cupola, not only to foil Feinberg's repeated attacks, but
also to prepare a crushing blow in return.
The Professor had come just at the right time. True, there
was no need of his influence in determining Moritz's decision,
the final breach had been boldly made between the young
merchant and Sidonie; the Professor could but confirm his
suspicions as to the reason of Sidonie's journey to Berlin, and
her attempt, or rather her mother's, to retract her withdrawal
from her engagement as soon as she knew herself disappointed
with regard to the Professor. Sidonie's written card to the latter
was an entire refutation of all slanderous reports concerning
Moritz's share in breaking the engagement, and gave him a
certain sense of security, since Feinberg was entirely unaware
of this evidence, which could be adduced in case of necessity.
288 TEE GREEN GATE.
The Professor, however, was able to encourage and assist him
in his counting-room ; the plan that he unfolded to him there
was most gratefully received, and the material help that he
proffered him tended not a little to restore the self-reliance
of the young merchant, who had almost given himself up for
lost.
In this last particular it was clearly Schonrade's duty to
act with the greatest caution. The Count of Gleichenau had
most liberally placed large sums of money at his disposal,
but it rested entirely with himself whether or not they should
be appropriated to Moritz's use. If bankruptcy could not be
averted, they must be held in reserve for some new com-
mercial undertaking. Here were novel and difficult tasks for
the man of letters; but he did not evade them. He could
not determine how to act without examining and judging for
himself.
His practical good sense and his clear analytic brain stood
him in good stead. " We must understand matters thor-
oughly," he said to Moritz, who would have been content with
a more superficial examination of his affairs. " We must be
sure of every figure if we would secure a firm basis for our
operations. However bad your case may be, we ought to
know precisely how bad it is ; nothing is so unwise as to
attempt to gloss over the real state of affairs. If I am to
advise you, I must be sure how far my assistance can be of
service to you."
Moritz admitted that he was right. He consented to a
thorough revision of his books and ledgers, and the two men
sat together hard at work, day and night, labouring to throw
some light upon statements that had evidently been intention-
ally made vague and confused. The Professor put himself to
school to learn all that there was to be learned of the mer-
chant's trade, and Moritz, his teacher, ,soon found the advan-
tage of having a pupil whom nothing less than a full and free
THE GREEN GATE. 289
explanation would satisfy. After forty-eight hours of assid-
uous application they scarcely took time either to eat or to
sleep they were able to compare results arid strike a kind of
balance.
Amberger's case was certainly bad, but it was not quite
hopeless. The Professor might feel himself justified in appro-
priating to his assistance the ready money which the Count
had placed at his disposal. Of course it would not suffice
for any unexpected misfortune ; but there was an equal chance
of unforeseen good fortune.
The next few days were full of anxiety. Feinberg opened
his campaign on 'Change, after spreading abroad the news
that Moritz had no chance of ever becoming his son-in-law.
This was quite enough to induce many who knew how depend-
ent Amberger was upon him, and who attached great impor-
tance to the friendship of the millionaire, to turn their backs
upon the young merchant. Significance was now attached to
circumstances before considered quite natural, as, for instance,
the absence from home, first of Philip Amberger, and then
of Frau Barbara and her daughter, doubtless after insuring
their own property from all possible harm from commercial
fluctuations; some of the wisest were quite sure that the fall
from the horse was contrived to arrange for Moritz a hiding-
place in the old ruins from which Feinberg had dragged him ;
he had suddenly dismissed his chief book-keeper in the most
insulting manner, to weaken the value of the man's testimony
against him ; and various other nonsensical statements were
made. Of course Feinberg did nothing to gainsay any ru-
mours of the kind.
As soon as he gave the signal on 'Change for the attack, all
his associates gathered about him and proffered their services.
Every creditor of Amberger clamoured for payment; no one
would trust him with money without security more than suffi-
cient. Of course this state of affairs was made public. The
w 2o
290 THE GREEN GATE.
house of Ambcrger had had a reputation for such solidity that
many had deposited their savings with the firm ; the counting-
house was besieged by people reclaiming their deposits. It
required courage indeed to brave the storm.
Feinberg had been sure that Morit-z could do so only for a
few days. He was mistaken. To his daily-increasing surprise,
he redeemed all his paper, returned whatever deposits were
reclaimed, and was ready with his payments on 'Change even
before they were due. The millionaire and his friends shook
their heads ; public confidence began to be restored ; many who
had hastily withdrawn their money brought it back again.
Feinberg was in a rage, and sent his brother to Berlin to pre-
pare fresh plots. While he was away, Amberger had the in-
solence to publish abroad the fact of the unauthorized exchange
of stocks, nay, even to denounce to the authorities, the book-
keeper who had effected it, and thus to induce an investiga-
tion which might easily compromise Ignaz Feiuberg himself.
No wonder that he redoubled his efforts to overthrow an
opponent whom he could no longer despise.
" We must do nothing by halves," said the Professor. "As
soon as the tempest lulls, we must launch our vessel, the cargo
of which shall indemnify us for the loss the storm has caused."
Moritz, who was in a state of feverish excitement, all the more
intense because he was forced to show a smiling countenance
to the world, was ready for everything, but wondered whether
it would be best for him to begin to purchase houses as if for
himself.
" Our chief aim," Schonrade declared, " is to proceed so
quickly in the matter as to preclude all possibility of Fein-
berg's interference. It will do no harm if people do talk.
Moritz Amberger certainly cannot be in such desperate straits
if he is buying houses." They resolved at last to begin their
work simultaneously, and to conclude it as quickly as possible.
The Professor called upon the Burgomaster, an excellent
THE GREEN GATE. 291
and honest magistrate, in his own house, informing him that
he had expressly avoided going to his office, as he wished to
consult him about a matter that must for a time remain a
secret. He then disclosed to him that the Freiherr von Hone-
burg desired to purchase the meadows and the tile-kiln between
the ruin and the green gate, for the purpose of carrying out an
industrial project that would be of vast service to the town.
He offered to fill up the fosse before the green gate, or to con-
struct a wide bridge over it, which should be maintained at his
own cost, and to establish a broad, convenient road from the
highway to the river, which should be free to all. The magis-
trate acknowledged the advantages that would ensue to the
community, and accepted the offer. The town-architect was
called into council. The Professor did not greatly demur at
the rather extravagant price demanded by the owners of the
tile-kiln for their land, and matters were soon so far in train
that there would shortly be no further need of secrecy.
Meanwhile, Moritz had been negotiating with the owners
of the houses and land in the narrow street leading to the
green gate. Some of them were quite willing to dispose of
their property for a moderate price ; but, by the Professor's
advice, their offers were not closed with at first, the purchaser
stating that he wished to buy a certain number of houses on
this street; which they were, should be determined by the
terms upon which they were offered. In this way it was easy
to learn beforehand whether any opposition was to be met with,
a necessary precaution, since one obstinate landholder would
have ruined the whole scheme. The results of this caution
were most satisfactory : each householder began to underbid
his neighbour in hopes of being preferred, and before a week
was over, Moritz owned as many bills of sale as there were
houses in the street.
Of course Feinberg heard of these doings. At first he
laughed, as at the folly of a man with no head for business.
292 THE GREEN GATE.
He supposed facetiously that Amberger wished to divert atten-
tion from the public squares, where he was playing so poor a
part, to a side-street. But when he learned that property had
really been purchased, he laughed no more, but set his spies to
work, and soon discovered that some scheme was afloat, which
for the present was to be kept extremely private. " I will lay
a cuckoo-egg in his nest," he thought, and gave orders to buy
one of the houses in the middle of the street. There was not
one for sale : Amberger had purchased them all. Then came
the surprising piece of news that the Professor had purchased
the meadows and the tile-kiln outside of the town for the
Freiherr von Hb'neburg. It had all been kept so secret that
when he heard of it the transaction was concluded. There
was no doubt, then, that Amberger and Schonrade were acting
in concert. This Professor had suddenly come to be a very
dangerous man.
" And now we can take a little holiday with clear con-
sciences," the Professor said, one afternoon, when the papers
completing their purchases had all been " signed, sealed, and
delivered." " Let us enjoy a little relaxation."
Moritz was overjoyed. At last he should see his Lena
again.
As they walked along the narrow street, they examined their
property. "In a short time," Amberger remarked, "there
will not be one stone upon another here. After a few years the
men who walk along a broad pavement lined with shop-win-
dows in this place will hardly believe that our forefathers and
we ourselves could have been content with so narrow a pas-
sage. I am still nervous lest we have reckoned without our
host, and should have difficulty with the government about
our charter.
" That is my father's affair," said the Professor; " we may
rest assured, I think, on that point."
They walked through the archway towards the bridge, aud
THE GREEN GATE. 293
Schb'nrade, looking up, called attention to the wide slit where
the portcullis had formerly hung. " Those were odd times,"
he said, pausing for a moment, " when they kept that thing
there ready to crash down upon the skull of any Freiherr von
HiJneburg who should dare to ride beneath it."
Moritz laughed. "And now some peaceful mason, with
his pickaxe, will destroy it and throw it stone by stone into
the fosse. We must have a good photograph taken of it
first."
" It is perfectly certain, is it not," inquired the Professor,
suddenly turning to him, " that this old gate belongs to the
fosse and to the bridge, and can of course be pulled down by
the town? Nothing has been said about that."
" To the fosse and to the bridge?" Amberger repeated, sur-
prised. " I think not."
"What?"
" The gate belongs, I think, to the Kbstling house there ;
the bridge only is the town's, and the public has the right
of way through the gate."
Schonrade thrust his cane into the ground. " The gate is
private property, and this is the first I hear of it ?"
" But I thought "
" A fatal error. Of what use will the meadow and the
street be to us if we do not own the gate?"
" But the gate is worthless to its owner. He will surely
be delighted to have us pull it down and open a view from his
windows of a broad road and the railway buildings. I took
it for granted there could be no difficulty there."
" My dear friend !" The Professor shook his head and
looked anxious. " We never ought to take anything for
granted in such matters. Worthless or not, we need a consent
here that is as likely to be withheld as to be accorded. If I
had dreamed that this gate belonged to a private house "
"We are quite in time for all that," said Amberger, irnpa-
25*
294 THE GREEN GATE.
tiently pursuing his way. " I know old Kostling. It was not
worth while to go to him until everything else is settled."
Scn.Qn.rade did not stir. " Matters of such importance
should not be postponed an hour longer than is absolutely
necessary," he said. "Let us go to Herr Kostling imme-
diately."
" Not now !" Moiitz exclaimed, dismayed at the prospect of
any longer delay. " The old man admits no one at this hour,
I know that. He is very eccentric, but good-natured and
amiable enough if you do not attempt to transgress his rules.
How could he possibly object to the tearing down of that ug.j
old gateway ? It is the merest formality to ask his consent.
Do not spoil our delightful evening. I will attend to it to-
morrow."
The Professor hesitated. " Are you sure that we should
not be admitted at this hour ?" he asked. " I hoped to go to
Berlin to-morrow to report upon the affair, and to have nothing
left to settle. My father wrote me that the railway project
could no longer be kept a secret, and I answered him in good
faith that the application for a charter might be officially
made to the government. Suppose it should be made before
we are sure of matters here?"
Amberger repeated his assurance that there was nothing to
fear, took his arm, and tried to lead him on. "This is folly,"
Schonrade declared. "We have the whole evening before us;
why delay this matter of business ?" He turned round and
drew Moritz with him to the corner formed by the Kostling
house and the wall of the gateway. The steps were broad and
much worn. " It has not always been so quiet and deserted
here as now," the Professor remarked, tapping them with his
cane.
After they had rung several times, the door opened only just
far enough to allow the head of an old woman to peer out.
" What do the gentlemen want ?" a harsh voice inquired.
THE GREEN GATE. 295
" Herr Professor Schonrade, from Berlin, wishes to see
Herr Kostling," Moritz explained. " Pray announce us,
Frau Lutter. My friend leaves town to-morrow."
The old woman glanced at the stranger. " The master is
in the garden," she replied. " Herr Amberger knows that I
dare not disturb him there."
" But my business is urgent," the Professor rejoined.
" Perhaps you will make an exception "
"No business is so urgent that it cannot wait a single day,"
she replied, composedly. " The gentleman may be in a hurry,
but we are not."
" Will you not ask ?"
" There is nothing to ask. I know my duty, and it is plain
enough. To-morrow noon, gentlemen, to-morrow." And the
door was shut in their faces.
" There! was I right?" Moritz asked, triumphantly.
" At any rate, I shall not have to reproach myself with
procrastination," said the Professor, slowly descending the
steps with downcast looks.
As they were crossing the bridge they saw Herr Kostling
taking his walk in his garden. The cats were following him
as before, waving their tails and now and then humping their
backs. " I greatly fear," the Professor remarked, in a low tone,
" that that eccentricity will not be easily managed. I mistrust
a lover of cats : he is always apt to partake of their nature."
" He is not a bad old fellow," Moritz said, confidently,
'only you must know how to deal with him, and not intrude
upon him when he wishes to be alone. Hermits have strange
tastes. Cats are always the special favourites of old maids,
are they not ? And why should not old bachelors prefer them
too ?"
" Has he never been married?"
" No. There is some story of an unhappy love-affair ; but
no one really knows anything about it. I have never known
296 THE GREEN GATE.
him except as we see him to-day. I believe he is hardly sixty,
yet he looks as old as Methuselah." He began to whistle a
merry tune ; with every step he grew gayer and more restless.
The thought of seeing Lena again would have driven any
anxious care from his mind, and, after the hard labour of the
last week, his sares were no longer very anxious. Sanguine
as he was, the relief from his entanglements and the prospect
of a few happy hours were enough to flood all his future with
rosy light. The green gateway might have been far narrower
and gloomier than it was, without depressing his spirits.
He induced his friend, who was still grave and thoughtful,
not to pursue the direct path to the Vogelstein garden, but to
make a detour and come upon it from behind, so as to sur-
prise the inmates of the ruins. They reached the bridge un-
observed, and Moritz sang out boldly a trumpet summons,
that served to rouse Nero instantly. His violent barking was
silenced, however, as soon as he recognized his friends.
" Who is there ?" Lena's voice inquired.
" Open, trusty chatelaine!" Moritz called out. "The young
Freiherr von Hb'neburg approaches, and asks admittance
through me, his faithful squire."
The castle gate flew open. " Welcome, Herr Freiherr !"
Lena exclaimed, with a beaming smile. " Is it really so?"
" It is really so," Schbnrade assented ; " but pray do not
drop the Herr Professor."
" Have you no word for me?" Moritz asked, holding out
his hand. " Heaven knows I wanted to come far more than
he did !"
" I am not sure of that," she said, blushing, and casting
down her eyes.
Grandfather Vogelstein received with a respectful air a letter
from the Count von Gleichenau, and broke the seal on the
spot. " At last! at last !" he said, and a tear rolled down his
furrowed cheek. " And you, honoured sir, are really hLs son ?"
THE GREEN GATE. 297
" And your very devoted friend, my good Vogclstein," the
Professor replied, shaking him warmly by the hand.
Moritz and Lena had strayed off together. The widow
Vogelstein hastened to make preparations for a supper worthy
of the guests, and Schonrade, with the old gardener, went up
to his mother's room, where -he took possession of the papers
and letters to which he had now established his right. He
informed the old man of all that had occurred, and of the
changes that were to take place in the neighbourhood of the
O 1 O
ruins. They were to be left as they were, he assured him,
a memorial of a warlike age happily gone forever. He offered
him a responsible post in the new railway-depot ; but Vogel-
steiu refused this, preferring, he said, old as he was, to remain
a simple gardener in charge of the old place. He could not
weary of asking questions about his old master, the present
Count von Gleichenau, and Camilla. Nor could he be made
to understand why they had never met since the son had
found his father.
Before the hour preceding supper had elapsed, Moritz and
Lena had come to a thorough understanding, and the sum-
mons to partake of the evening meal found them sitting on
the bench beneath the trees, hand locked in hand, and beam-
ing with happiness, a happiness so evident that as soon
as they appeared at the table the Professor asked, in a loud
tone, " May I not congratulate?"
" Indeed you may," Moritz answered, greatly relieved.
" Grandfather Vogelstein, and you too, Frau Vogelstein, Lena
loves me, and I ask her at your hands."
The old man was really surprised, and Frau Vogelstein con-
sidered it her duty to seem so. The Professor came to the
rescue of the party, imprinting the kiss of a future brother-
in-law upon Lena's hand ; then, filling up the glasses of all with
llhine wine, he proposed the health of the newly-betrothed
couple. " God bless you, my children !" the old man said,
N*
298 THE GREEN GATE.
with much emotion, and tears of maternal pride sparkled in
his daughter-in-law's eyes, although she did not forget to re-
mind all present that their supper was getting cold.
A second bottle of wine was brought up from the castle
cellar, and the happy party did not separate until late in the
night.
The moon was high in the heavens as the friends took leave
of one another on the bridge. " I should like to go with ycu
across the moor," said Lena, " if my grandfather will let me."
" Do," said Moritz, eagerly ; " and I will escort you back
again."
" Stop !" exclaimed the Professor. " Another time you can
try how long it will take you to reach town after that zig-
zag fashion. To-night I play Wallenstein to your Max and
Thekla. You must part 1"
Moritz sighed. " Till we meet, then !"
As the two men passed through the green gate, Schb'nrade
said, " I must leave to-morrow afternoon, and all this matter
must be arranged first."
"What?" Moritz asked, as if awaking from a dream.
"Oh, yes," he added, recollecting himself. "Yes, indeed.
To-morrow forenoon. 'Twill not take long."
" If only " the Professor muttered to himself. He could
not feel at ease beneath the shadow of the narrow archway.
When Amberger returned the next day from a lengthened
visit to Herr Kostling, there was not a trace in his countenance
of his former confidence.
"Well?" the Professor asked, eagerly.
" Deuce take it !" Moritz exclaimed. " Old Kostling will
make us trouble."
"Trouble?"
" He refuses to have one stone of the old gate touched !"
Schb'nrade uttered an exclamation of dismay, and struck the
table with his hand. " I thought so !"
THE GREEN GATE. 299
CHAPTER XXIII.
'N the Palazzo Bellarota, as well as in the Honeburg, there
vus a happy betrothed pair ; and it is quite necessary to the
levelopment of this veracious history that the two lovers
jhould be brothers, their two loves near relatives, and that
there should be certain relations between the Palazzo Bella-
rota and the Honeburg, all centring in the person of a com-
mon friend. Most extraordinary combinations and revelations,
those will declare who think their own lives as full of inci-
dent as is natural. But if this were so, the story-teller's prov-
ince would be greatly contracted.
Philip's love for the beautiful Lucia so transformed the man
that he pleaded his causa with an eager confidence quite foreign
to his nature ; and he must have pleaded well, for Lucia un-
derstood him in spite of his imperfect Italian, and consented
to leave her native country for his sake. Her mother hesi-
tated, at first, to resign her only child, lest the " Signor Am-
bergero" should not be all he represented himself; but her
husband easily satisfied her doubts : he knew well enough the
consideration in which his countryman was held at home, and
that his daughter would be well cared for.
At first Philip had no thoughts of ever carrying his bride
to Germany. It seemed to him far better to stay in sunny
Florence ; Lucia could not be at home, he thought, beneath
those gray northern skies and among his formal countrymen.
He liked always to see her in the little room with the dark
carved wainscoting, where he had visited her first, and would
often induce her to stand upon the threshold, as he had then
beheld her. He made acquaintance with a very clever painter,
occupied in copying at the Uffizi, and engaged him upon a
300 THE GREEN GATE.
picture of Lucia, which, as it progressed, was strikingly like
some masterpiece of the Venetian school of art in the six-
teenth century.
To be sure, Moritz's letters, although they by no means
revealed the whole truth, caused him st me anxiety, and sug-
gested a question whether he were justified in withdrawing his
share from the business, and so adding to his brother's per-
plexity. Philip was no business man, but he had sufficient
understanding of business matters to see that some peril was
impending, which it was a partner's duty to help to avert. As
he was about to incur new responsibilities, he could not but
take a more practical view of life. Moritz ought not to be left
to do all the work ; he felt that he must put his own shoulder
to the wheel, at least until he could see his way clear to retire
from the firm without injury to the business, and live upon
his means. Florence or Rome was the goal of his desires, but
he gradually came to be reconciled and to reconcile Lucia to a
sojourn in his native country before this goal could be reached.
Ho would make it as short as he could, he told her for her
consolation.
At all events, as much of the Palazzo Bellarota as could be
transported without inordinate cost should be carried across
the Alps. The wainscoting of Lucia's room could certainly
be transferred thither. There was a room in the old house by
the hill of about the same size and height, he remembered.
If this exquisite carving could be set up there, the windows
hung with old tapestry, and the room filled with Lucia's fur-
niture, she would feel really at home. The young people were
both delighted with this plan ; they examined the carving
closely to find how to divide it into small pieces with least
injury to the beauty of the work. Signer Uccello's consent
was easily gained. Although he had formerly branded the
whole room as " stupid rubbish," he began now to affect the
air of a connoisseur to enhance the value of his gift, reckon-
THE GREEN GATE. 301
ing it as part of Lucia's dowry. " There will be notliing finer
of the kind in Germany," said he.
Philip's surprise was not all pleasure when, one day, there
was brought him from the great hotel " Italia" a note in which
Frau Barbara Ainberger announced her arrival in Florence.
He knew that she was travelling, but he had had no idea
that she would seek him out. The Professor's letter to Katrine
he had smuggled to her at Munich, whence he had supposed
his mother had intended visiting the Salzkammergut. Since
then he had not heard from her, and he readily guessed the
reason for this. Certain hints in his own letters had not
pleased her. He thought he knew why she had come, and
hastened to her, not without some trepidation.
Her reception of him was, as he had anticipated, rather
cool. " I have come for you, Philip," she said. " You seem
to have forgotten that you have a home."
" The ties that keep me here are stronger than you think,
mother dear," he said, resolved to come to a speedy under-
standing
" I trust," she rejoined, sternly, " that you do not contem-
plate lightly assuming serious responsibilities "
He immediately interrupted her. " Gravely assuming the
most serious, mother, and I beg to be allowed to present my
future bride to you."
Thus at their first meeting dissension arose between mother
and son, which Katrine vainly attempted to soothe by begging
them at least to take pleasure in seeing each other again,
after so long a separation. Frau Barbara's pride was too
deeply wounded by her son's betrothal to an " innkeeper's
daughter." " My children conduct themselves after a most
extraordinary fashion!" she exclaimed; "my daughter has
a secret understanding with a schoolmaster, and my son
falls in love in an inn. What would your father have
said ? But I will not suffer it ; I have some right to speak,
26
302 THE GREEN GATE.
and I will see whether my children love and honour their
mother."
" There is no doubt on that score," Philip said, " even al-
though we obey independently the dictates of our hearts. I
am pledged, and my word is sacred ; but even were it not so
already, I confess it would make no difference with me, for
Lucia is worthy to be the choice of an honourable man, and
other than an honourable man I do not desire to be."
Frau Barbara had never heard her gentle Philip speak thus
before. He, formerly the most docile of her children, sud-
denly seemed to ignore her sway entirely. She grew angry
she forbade she scolded she entreated : in vain.
" Only see my Lucia," was his reply.
" I will not see her !" she exclaimed. " I will leave here to-
morrow. Do not have our trunks unpacked, Katharina, we
are going away immediately." This threat was also fruitless.
" I have no power to keep you here," her son said, " but
consider, it will be regarded as a positive insult if you refuse
even to see my future bride. You will never be able to
avoid seeing my wife, for I shall assuredly take her to our
home."
" Then you will compel your mother to leave it," she re-
plied, not, however, with all her former decision.
He went up to her and put his arm around her. " Be kind,
mother dear," he entreated ; " you will not refuse to see and
judge whether your Philip has chosen well? You may be
so happy in your children's love ! Do not spoil their chief
pleasure in life !"
His tenderness so far soothed her that she listened to what
particulars he had to tell of his love, of the worldly estate of
his future father-in-law, and of Moritz's letters, little reas-
suring as they were. Frau Barbara was certainly glad that the
engagement with Sidonie was broken, but she was not at all
pleased at the tone in which Moritz spoke of the Professor,
THE OREEN GATE. 303
calling him his only friend in need. She could not imagine
the need, or how the Professor could come to be of assistance
as a friend.
But it was most welcome news to Katrine. She had ex-
changed no letters with her lover for several weeks ; and she
now learned that he had been busy indirectly in her interest.
The first minute that she could speak privately to Philip, she
begged him to tell the Professor where she was, and to assure
him of her unalterable regard.
" Why not write to him yourself, child?" Philip asked.
Her face beamed : it was too much for her principles. " Oh,
will you take charge of the letter ? And perhaps he may write
a few lines to you "
" Of course, of course. Only write ; I'll take care of the
rest."
" But our mother ?"
"It is our mother's fault if we have to plot and contrive.
I trust she will forgive us by-and-by."
He pondered whether a surprise might not operate in his
favour. Lucia, to whom he of course painted his mother in
a most favourable light, declared herself quite ready to pay
her a first visit. Philip had no fear that in his mother's pres-
ence she would meet with want of courtesy. Frau Barbara
was polite under all circumstances. It suddenly struck him
that he might prepare her for the surprise after a fashion that
would deepen its effect. " Let us postpone the visit until to-
morrow forenoon," he said. " There is no need to be in a
hurry. When my mother has seen something of Florence and
its sights, she will be more in sympathy with its inhabitants."
He betook himself again to the Hotel Italia, and invited his
mother and sister, if they were sufficiently rested, to take a
walk with him. Frau Barbara's mood seemed more encour-
aging, and she said nothing further of leaving immediately.
She took her son's arm, and he conducted them along some
304 THE GREEN GATE.
of the finest and most interesting streets in Florence. His
mother was soon tired. " Why not drive ?" she asked.
" Because we lose half the beauty of the place when we go
along so swiftly," said he. " Let us rest in the nearest cafe, or
stay, we are close by the atelier of an artist friend of mine.
He has a charming picture upon his easel just at present ;
would you not like to see it ? It is by some sixteenth-cen-
tury artist, and has lately been discovered in the attic of an
old palazzo, where it has lain for more than a century, and has
been admirably restored. It has created quite a sensation,
an'd, in the style of the painting, will remind you of the por-
trait at home of our ancestor, Jacobus Amberger, sheriff in
our good town in the time of the Danish war. That must
have been the work of some Venetian artist upon his travels.
We are very near the atelier, and you can admire the picture,
which is a great favourite of mine, until you are thoroughly
rested."
Frau Barbara was interested in his description, and followed
his lead willingly.
The ladies were shown into the atelier, and Philip gave his
friend, the artist, a hint to be silent. Lucia's picture, which
stood against the wall all ready for packing, was hastily placed
upon the easel, and the light arranged.
Frau Barbara sat down opposite it in a large arm-chair,
Katrine stood beside her, and Philip and the artist took their
places near the easel. The group made an excellent genre
picture. The young girl was lost in admiration ; the elder
lady murmured, " Lovely, very lovely, most beautiful in-
deed !" And Philip smiled contented.
"Which do you so much admire?" he asked his mother:
" the execution or the subject of the picture ?"
" Oh, both ! both !" she said, eagerly. " The colouring is
exquisite, the tone so pure. When we remember that it has
been painted for hundreds of years "
THE GREEN GATE. 305
" It is far more like a beautiful copy of an old painting or
a successful imitation of the Venetian school," Katrine con-
tinued her mother's remark. " I think if you could compare
it with other old pictures "
" You doubt its genuineness?" Philip asked.
" I have no right to do so ; and yet there is something
something I cannot explain myself perfectly, but I have a
sensation in looking at it as if I might meet this very girl in
the street to-day, and the old portraits that I have seen before
do not impress me thus at all."
The artist did not understand German. Philip translated
for him what his sister had said, and he smiled significantly.
Frau Barbara did not agree with her daughter.
" The picture is only admirably restored. We ought tc
send our old portrait to this artist : it would be greatly im-
proved." She regarded the picture still more attentively.
" This young girl is exquisitely beautiful. We rarely see
such beauty in our time. Not that we do not see beautiful
girls and women nowadays, but they seldom possess that
distinguished air, that refined grace, which characterizes this
portrait."
Philip with difficulty retained his gravity.
" She must have been of an ancient line," his mother con-
tinued. " You can see that in her whole carriage. The dress.
to be sure, is not very costly, of some blue woollen stuff, if
I see rightly ; but the chain about the neck, and the lace ruff,
give style to its simplicity. I should .never tire of looking at
that lovely face, that graceful figure."
Philip asked, " Shall I buy the picture, then, mother?"
" Oh, the price will be too high."
" I think not ; it is the property of my friend the artist
here, and he will let me have it quite reasonably. We had
better secure it."
Frau Amberger was much pleased.
20*
306 THE GREEN GATE.
" We shall be envied the possession of this treasure at
home," she said.
" I should rather have the original," said Philip.
" The original ? You said "
" I mean the signora herself."
" Oh, the signora herself," his mother repeated, with a smile.
" Yes ; I should be glad of such a daughter-in-law."
Philip shrugged his shoulders and sighed, glancing mean-
ingly at Katrine, who did not seem entirely convinced. He
thanked the artist for his trouble, and then left the studio,
conducting the ladies to their hotel by a roundabout way past
the Palazzo Bellarota. He could not help saying, as they
passed it, " This is the building where the painting was found.
It is now a hotel."
His mother merely glanced up at it ; but Katrine exclaimed,
noticing the marble figures at the entrance, " There are the
men with the ornamental circlets of which
Philip turned to her and put his finger on his lips. " You
will have an opportunity soon, I hope, of observing them more
closely."
He was quite satisfied with the success of his ruse, and
looked forward eagerly to the visit to be paid the next day.
Lucia, by his desire, was dressed in the blue gown in which
she had been painted.
" Wait one moment," he said to her when they had mounted
to the door of his mother's room in the Hotel Italia: "I will
announce you: it will only take a moment." He knocked at
the door and entered, standing near it, hat in hand. " A lady
of Florence wishes to see you, dearest mother," he said to her.
"May she come in?"
She looked at him in surprise. " A lady of Florence
Me ? I know none here."
"Oh, yes, you do! You will soon see that."
Her face grew dark. " Philip, I cannot believe '
THE GREEN GATE. 307
" What?"
" That you would force me to receive "
" Only see her."
He threw the door wide open, and Lucia appeared upon the
threshold. Frau Barbara started in absolute terror, gazing at
her visitor as at some apparition. " But that is " she
stammered.
" Signora Lucia Uccello, my Lucia ; the loveliest and (lie
best girl in Florence."
He took her hand and led her forward. " Did the artist
flatter her ?"
His mother could hardly yet understand. " I never should
have thought !" she murmured. " There is certainly a
most striking resemblance to the old picture !"
" For which she sat," Philip said, with a laugh.
Lucia, who did not understand this reception, looked em-
barrassed.
" Is this your mother?" she asked.
" My mother ; my sister. I will tell you by-and-by why
they look so amazed."
Katrine put a stop to a scene that was beginning to grow
painful, by hastening to embrace Lucia.
" We saw your picture yesterday," she explained. " Philip
played a little trick upon us "
" And my mother was enchanted with so much beauty and
grace," he completed her sentence. " I hope, mother dear,
the original will please you even better than the painted pre-
sentment."
" But I thought the portrait in the studio was an old paint-
ing," she said, still confused.
Philip took her hand. " You cannot but be glad," he said,
gaily, although with inward trepidation, " that my love is not
three hundred years old."
" Your love ?"
308 THE GREEN GATE.
" Receive her as such, mother dear. You cannot find in
the world a daughter-in-law who will love your son more truly,
or who will be more devotedly loved by him."
Frau Barbara appeared to perceive that all further opposition
would be useless, and held it wisest, under such circumstances,
to yield with a good grace. She did not withdraw her hand
when Philip placed Lucia's within it, but drew the beautiful
girl towards her and kissed her brow.
" I cannot tell whether you understand my German, my
child," she said, as an excuse for her hesitation.
Lucia assured her that she understood her father's native
tongue, and that, in a short time, she hoped to express herself
in it with ease.
" I pray you to be patient with me for awhile, dear ma-
dame," she added. " I shall surely learn quickly, for Philip's
sake."
This pleased Frau Barbara. She stroked Lucia's cheek, and
led her to the sofa.
" I frankly admit," she said, " that I have been vexed with
my son for seeking a wife in a hotel. It is a fortunate acci-
dent that "
" Are not marriages made in heaven ?" he interrupted her.
" Do not let us speak of accident, but of Providence. Eh,
Katrine? Providence takes care of us."
" Take care," his mother said ; " do not speak too lightly."
But the tone of her reproof was gentle ; now that she had re-
solved to make the best of it all, she was glad to open her
heart to her new daughter, with whom she was more and more
pleased. At the end of the visit, an appointment was made
for the next day, to see together the wonders of Florence.
" The most curious and interesting of Florentine relics is the
Palazzo Bellarota," Philip assured his mother gratefully, kiss-
ing her hand, " which I discovered myself."
Frau Amberger understood him, and presented herself duly
THE GREEN GATE. 309
there the next day. She found in Signer Uccello a man
who, as she was forced to own, in spite of his being "an
inn-keeper," was by no means to be despised, and the pre-
liminaries of the marriage were soon settled. It was to take
place sooner than had been at first proposed, in order that the
mother and sister of the bridegroom might honour it with
their presence.
Of course the removal of the wainscoting of Lucia's room
was immediately undertaken. Frau Barbara, who privately
counted the cost of transportation, scarcely approved ; but
Philip was fired with the idea of reproducing her southern
home for his bride in the land to which he was about to carry
her, and heeded no remonstrance. A skilful cabinet-maker
was employed to loosen all the carving from the wall and
pack it safely. The work went bravely on, until a certain
panel, in the middle of the wall opposite the windows, resisted
the efforts of the workman to loosen it. Additional force was
used, and it was so far stirred from its place as to allow of a
peep behind it. " I see what is the matter," said the work-
man : " there is a little wooden cupboard built into the wall,
firmly connected with the panel." Philip admitted that he
was right.
" That cupboard must have had some practical use," he
said. " It must have been opened from the room. Let us
find the door." They examined the panel minutely ; in vain.
" There is some secret lock," the cabinet-maker declared,
" purposely concealed by the florid carving. They were very
skilful in such work in those days. I am sure some spot,
some projection, is movable ; we have only to find where it is
to come upon the means of opening the cupboard." This,
however, was no easy task.
The two men pressed, pushed, and turned every projection
in the carving, to no purpose. Lucia brought a light and
examined slowly every figure, to discover some clue to the
310 THE GREEN GATE.
mystery. " It seems to me," said the workman, with whom
it was a point of honour not to be baffled, " that one of the
cheeks of this Eve, who is gazing up at the coveted apple, is
smoother than the other parts of the figure, and her necklace
of berries is suspicious too ; a joint might be hidden there, and
the whole head turn like a rosette. May I use a little force ?"
Philip, whose curiosity was greatly excited, assented ; but for a
long time all their endeavors were without result. They were
just on the point of giving up this spot as hopeless, when an
accidental pressure pushed the whole head below the sur-
face of the rest of the carving, and it was there easily slipped
aside, revealing a key-hole. Every key to be had was tried
in vain. A locksmith who was called in found it impossible
to unlock it with a pick-lock. It could not be forced without
injury to the carving. " Let us preserve the panel intact,"
said Philip ; " the cupboard is not of much consequence ; it is
probably quite empty, and certainly cannot contain a treasure.
Those who knew how to open it doubtless took good care to
remove its contents."
The cabinet-maker said there was no reason why the cup-
board could not be taken out of the wall : it was less securely
fastened there than to the panel. This was attempted, and
with success, the whole cupboard was removed from the wall.
When, after its removal, they shook it to and fro, it waa
plain enough .that there was something inside that changed its
place with the motion. The desire to see what this was took
possession of the whole party, including Signer Uccello and
his wife, and Frau Barbara and Katrine. " Let us open the
cabinet at the back," said Philip, " even if we have to use the
saw."
"That is what I must do," replied the cabinet-maker; " the
work is so admirable."
The by-standers encouraged him to make no delay ; the saw
was put to use, and in a few moments the board at the buck
THE GREEN GATE. 311
of the cupboard fell to the ground. Every one pressed for-
ward to see what the thing contained.
Within lay a roll of paper and a leathern purse. The
latter was scarcely half full. Its contents poured out upon
the table elicited a simultaneous " Ah !" from all present.
They consisted of various articles of jewelry, precious stones,
rings, buttons, seals, chains, etc., of gold. Upon several of
the rings and seals was cut the same device that was to be
found everywhere in the palazzo, a richly-ornamented wheel.
" Here we have the inheritance of the Bellarotas !" Philip
exclaimed, eagerly. c Oh, if the Professor were only here !
He would believe me now. I never had the smallest doubt
about it in my own mind."
He unrolled the papers and looked over them while the
rest were busy with the contents of the purse. " Here is an
important discovery for some people," he said, after awhile,
holding up a sheet of manuscript. " All these manuscripts
have reference to the Bellarota family. Here is a genealogical
tree, bringing the name down to a certain Annibale Bellarota,
ducal chamberlain, who died about a hundred years ago ; and
then we have the baptismal certificates of his son Pietro and
his grandson Carlo. If I remember rightly, Professor Schbn-
rade told me those were the names of his mother's father and
grandfather ; yes, it was Pietro who was imprisoned for polit-
ical offences, and died in confinement. Schbnrade's mother
has a missal, bequeathed by him to his son Carlo, in which
his name is written by his own hand. Good heavens ! and in
this paper he mentions that his imprisonment is certain, that
his death is probable, that he can bequeath to his son Carlo
nothing beyond these few family relics, since all that he pos-
sessed has been spent for political aims. Perhaps his son
may one day amass fortune sufficient to re-purchase the old
family estate. ' But,' he concludes, ' my time is short. I
shall take with me the missal that belonged to the man who,
312 THE GREEN GATE,
in happier days, adorned this palazzo with many works of
art, and who contrived this secret repository. No one knows
that under the movable boss on the cover of this book, that
apparently serves only to confine in its place the ivory head
of Christ, lies the little key to this small receptacle. They
cannot refuse to promise me that after my death this book,
from which I shall derive consolation in my last hours, shall
be sent to my son Carlo, my only legacy to my well-beloved
son, and they will keep the promise, for the legacy is value-
less. God grant you a happier life, my Carlo, than mine has
been !'
" Carlo must have been elsewhere at this time, and perhaps
his father had no opportunity of revealing to him the mystery
of the cover of the missal ; the key may still be concealed
there. It would then be proved beyond a doubt that the Carlo
Bellarota who was a singer in Germany and died there in
want was the Bellarota to whose baptism this certificate tes-
tifies, Pietro's son, Annibale's grandson "
" Xaver's grandfather," Katharina interrupted him. "Oh
if Camilla learns this !"
"What, what, what?" Frau Barbara asked, eagerly.
" Xaver ! yes, it must be Professor Schb'nrade who said he
was a Bellafota, yes. And he is really descended from the
ancient family who owned this crest ? Can it be so ?"
" It seems certain," said Philip. " He himself takes very
little interest in such matters, but his mother attaches great
importance to them ; and who knows what may come of this
unexpected discovery ?"
" Who knows, indeed ?" Katrine observed. " If Professor
Sehonrade does not care for it. this baptismal certificate may
be very useful to the Freihcrr von Honcburg.''
Her mother looked at her in amazement. " The Freihcrr
von Honeburg ? What has he
" Oh, I ought not to have said it!" the girl exclaimed, ter-
THE GREEN GATE. 313
rifled at what she had done ; " but the words came before I
thought, and it cannot be a secret much longer. Xaver
was too proud to tell you this after you had repulsed him.
Camilla Bellarota is the divorced wife of the Freiherr von
IliJneburg, and Xaver is his son, the son of the present Count
Gleichenau."
" And you have never said one word of all this to me,
your mother?" Frau Barbara exclaimed, in great agitation.
" I was forbidden to speak, dearest mother. Perhaps Xaver
could not enter into explanations as yet, and then he hoped
to win you over to his side without them."
i Yes! yes !" the offended lady declared. " I am sure of
nothing; he might have persuaded me to give my only child
to a Professor, it is possible. But if he really has the
right to call himself Freiherr von Honeburg, if his mother
is the grandchild of this noble Pietro Bellarota, why I am
quite bewildered."
" You mean, dearest mother," said Philip, " that you will
no longer refuse to listen to the dictates of your kind heart,
that you will approve Katrine's choice, and that I may write
to my friend "
" Stop! stop !" she interrupted him; " not too fast. I shall
wait and see whether the Freiherr von Honeburg asks me for
my daughter. If he does, why then, indeed, I will forget
that we have ever met before."
Katrine threw her arms around her and kissed her. She
did not repulse her, but looked grave, and said, " For all that,
you are an obstinate, naughty girl."
" At all events, the Professor must have these papers," said
Philip. " I will write to him, to Berlin, this very night. Who
will send him a message?" He looked, as he spoke, at Ka-
trine; but she made no reply, except by a look of arch entreaty
at her mother.
" Well, I have no objection," Frau Barbara agreed, with a
o 27
314 THE GREEN GATE.
smile. " It is fitting that I should congratulate him upon the
discovery. But say nothing else."
" I will take care of all that," said Philip, as he kissed her.
" Had we not better invite him to the wedding?"
" Oh, that would be delightful !" Katrine exclaimed, with
sparkling eyes.
" Signer Uccello and his wife are the persons to decide that
matter," Frau Barbara declared, quite formally, and there the
conversation ended.
CHAPTER XXIV.
IP the Professor had only suspected the contents of the
letter that the post was bringing to him across the Brenner,
he would certainly have been less depressed, or, at least, have
dismissed his cares for awhile. Now he could not forgive
Moritz for his want of caution with regard to the green gate,
and he was still more provoked with himself for his negli-
gence in being uninformed upon the subject. The gate barred
t the street : it must come down, or the whole project of open-
ing a free entrance to the city on this side was a failure. A
long row of houses had been purchased, a vast amount of
capital expended to no purpose, and the money had been in-
trusted to him by his father, who had a right to exact pru-
djnce and caution in its use. More than that, the Count
had already made application to the government for the charter,
and he would be heavily compromised if he could not keep his
promises.
To a man like Schbnrade, the idea of failure through any
fault of his own was intolerable. " We must not despair,"
he said to Moritz. [ I will try what, can be done with Ilerr
Ktistling. I oui'ht to have "xme to him before."
THE GREEN GATE. 315
Moritz looked incredulous as to his success, but made no
reply. He was greatly depressed, and disposed to forebode the
worst. Kostling's refusal had been so decided that he dared
not hope he would change his mind. His answer would have
been the same, he was convinced, if they had gone to him at
first ; but then, to be sure, much time, trouble, and money
would have been saved.
So Professor Schbnrade presented his card to the old house-
keeper, whom we know, in the house by the fosse, and waited
for a long time before he was told that the master was ready
to receive him. He was shown through several darkened
rooms, furnished after the fashion of a bygone day, decorated
with mirrors made in many small pieces, and huge glass chan-
deliers, till he found the old man in a small apartment over-
looking the garden, the windows of which were almost entirely
obscured by dark curtains. It seemed to be the only inhab-
ited room, for in a back corner stood a bed, beside it a set of
book-shelves, and a sofa covered with black hair-cloth ; and
where a single ray of sunlight was allowed to penetrate stood a
writing-table. Chairs with carved feet and high backs stood
stiff against the walls, which were hung with family portraits
so blackened with age, for the most part, that white ruffs
and yellowish faces were all that could be distinguished of
them. On the window-seat beside which stood the writing-
table, the two cats sat opposite each other, immovable as
Egyptian sphinxes ; they might have been stuffed.
Herr Kostling surveyed the visitor with a look of mingled
surprise and suspicion. "I do not know whether yo,u really
desired to speak with me, Herr Professor," he said, in a low,
grating voice ; " but sit down. From Berlin, I believe, from
Berlin. Am I right ?''
" I occupy a chair in the university there," the Professor
replied, unable to master a certain uncomfortable sensation,
but speaking with \\n\c 1 calmness. " My speciality is natural
316 THE GREEN GATE.
science, geology in particular. I am not here, however, in the
interest of science, but partly of friendship. In brief, I am
betrothed to Katharina Amberger, and am of course anxious
to assist Moritz Amberger in certain undertakings, which are
approved by my Berlin friends, and upon the success of which
much depends. May I explain what they are ?"
This question was justified, for at the mention of Amber-
ger's name Herr Kostling had turned away, and his brow
had contracted in such a heavy frown that it might well be
doubted whether he wished to hear more. "As you please, as
you please," he said, crossly ; " but if you come on the same
errand that brought Herr Moritz Amberger here yesterday,
about the gate adjoining my house, you may spare your pains.
Never, never, never !"
This did not sound encouraging. " Let me explain the
matter to you, at all events," the guest entreated: "perhaps
you may see it from a new point of view
" There is only one point of view for me," the old man in-
terrupted him. " The gate belongs to me, and I will not give
it up to be removed, I will not."
" I am ready to offer a very high price for the old relic,"
the Professor said, half as if to himself. " Name a sum."
Kostling laughed aloud, so loud that the two cats, as if
surprised at the unwonted sound, turned their heads and
pricked up their ears. " A very high price !" he exclaimed.
" What does that mean ? A price that far exceeds its real
value? Of course. What real value does the thing possess?
To lookat, it is but a heap of old stones and mortar. How
many times would you multiply itsTalue to make a very high
price ? How many times ?"
" It is not the gate which is of value." the Professor re-
plied. " but the spot on which it stands. Its A T alue is rela-
tive."
Kostling drew his head down between the points of his high
THE GREEN GATE. 317
collar, as into a snail-shell. " What do I care for that? I am
a man who has really no wants, with money enough to gratify
even an extravagant love of pleasure. I have neither father,
mother, brother, sister, wife, nor child ; I am alone in the world.
This huge house is empty. I live in this one room, my stom-
ach is content with the most frugal fare, my books are so good
that I can always read them anew, my garden supplies me with
more fruit than I want, and my friends there," and he pointed
to the two cats, " are as easily satisfied as myself. What good
would some thousands more thalers do us ? We have too
much already." His voice grew lower. " Alone in the world,
alone !"
Schonrade felt that nothing was to be gained in this direc-
tion. " Well, then," he said, " for the sake of the common
good, give up a possession that is of no possible use to you,
but which is in the way of an enterprise that will be of the
greatest benefit to the town. Herr Moritz Amberger was not
empowered to make known to you our plans, but I will not
hesitate to communicate them to you. Listen to me quietly
for a few minutes." He then explained with great clearness
the plan for the proposed railway, and showed the necessity
there was for a wide road to the new depot. " Every obstacle
is removed," he concluded, " except the old gate. Give your
consent to its destruction, and you will confer a benefit which
must give you also satisfaction."
Kostling had closed his eyes ; now he opened them, as if to
see whether the Professor had finished. " Do you think so ?"
he asked, in a drawling tone. " Even if all you say is correct,
what do I gain by t^pRiange ? A noisy street before my
house, above my quiet garden a bridge groaning and creaking
all day with passing freight-wagons, and a railway-depot not
very far off, where locomotives are whistling and shrieking all
day and all night. I love quiet, solitude, and seclusion ; every-
thing that I may still call pleasure depends upon the gratifica-
318 THE GREEN GATE.
tion of this desire of mine for repose. And you would have
me Oh, let us say no more ;.bou ii !"
There was a strange melancholy in his words. Although
they certainly were not intended to move compassion, they
nevertheless did so. " I perfectly understand," the Professor
said, gently, " how little sympathy you can have with our un-
dertaking. But when you reflect upon its real importance,
dofiH it not seem to you culpable egotism to prevent so great a
work, simply that you may secure for yourself a quiet room
and a peaceful garden? If you will take this into considera-
tion '
"Egotism!" the old man interrupted him. "Yes, I am an
egotist ; but I have a better right to be one than you and
all the others who fill the world with clamour that they may
enrich themselves, yes, to enrich themselves. It is their
only aim, however they may gloss it over with fine phrases.
I am an egotist, for I have nothing but myself, and want
nothing but for myself, in the world. I have been left entirely
alone ; what have I to love save myself? Whom have I to
cherish save myself? Who, save myself, is there to expend
a thought upon me ? Look up at these walls. Those are
my ancestors, and I am the last. My race perishes with
me. I have no future; the past alone is mine. Leave me,
then, what belongs to the past; a part of life that can still
gladden these old eyes. I do not wish to die while my body
still lives."
The Professor shuddered involuntarily. What had been
this man's life, to have induced sudi a state of mind ? He
did not know how to reply.
" The old gate !" Kostling continued, after a moment, lifting
his head a little, while a dim fire gleamed in his gray eyes.
" The old gate ! To whom, save me, is it of the smallest ac-
count ? Who, besides myself, can read the story that it tells ?
The history of my race is written upon it, Herr Professor.
THE GREEN GATE. 319
Shall I destroy the story of my line before I, in my person,
have made an end to it? Centuries ago the town bestowed
the gate upon a Kostling, i,s a tcken of high honour, because
he had defended it against an attack from the Freiherrs von
Honeburg with his blood and the blood of his sons, four of
whom were left dead upon the field, bestowed it upon him for
all time, as the ancient document has it, the seals of which are
still well preserved. The Kostlings were the guardians of the
town, and have repeatedly defended the gate and bridge against
the attacks of the knightly Houeburgers ; and the gate is thus
a memorial of loyal citizenship. Is it valueless as such ? To
you, I suppose, it is. What do you care about the archives of
this town and my family ? But I know that they are filled
with quarrels between the Honeburgers and the Kostlings, with
battles about this gate. And the enmity survived even to my
own time, as I know by bitter experience. I owe to it a des-
olate old age." He arose, pulled aside the window-curtain,
and pointed out.- " There are the ruins of the Honeburg.
The castle and the gate have confronted each other in menace
for almost five hundred years. Well, then ? The gate shall
not be destroyed while one stone of the Honeburg is left upon
another. They belong together."
For awhile the old man maintained his attitude at the win-
dow, gazing out at the ruined tower in the distance. If the
Professor could have seen his eyes, he would surely have been
daunted by the hatred that gleamed in them. But he was
pondering the last words that had been spoken, so full of men-
ace, and yet, perhaps, cai^jle of being turned to his advantage.
" And if I should takeyro at your word?" he cried, yielding
to a sudden impulse. " If the ruins of the Houeburg are
utterly destroyed, may the gate fall too ?"
Rustling hastily withdrew the hand that held back the win-
dow-curtain, arid turned an astonished face upon the inquirer.
Some strong expression hovered upon his lips, but it was not
320 THE GREEN GATE.
uttered. He smiled compassionately. " Ah ! you would prom-
ise what you cannot perform," he gravely said.
"You can put it to the test," the Professor replied. "I
propose a formal exchange. If the ruin falls the gate falls."
The old man shook his head. "How would you ?"
" The ruin belongs to me."
" What ? Has the Freiherr sold it, then ?"
" Sir! But you do not know, I am the Freiherr of Hone-
burg, the youngest of the name."
Kostling sank back in his chair and stared at him in wide-
eyed amazement. " You are ? No, no, no !"
" I am Xaver von Honeburg : there is no doubt of it ; the
proof is at your command."
The old man's expression grew terrible in its intensity.
"You are," he faltered "you are ? And this other
name, this " He snatched up the card. " Schonrade
" Bellarota," the Professor translated for him. " My
mother "
"Your mother Camilla Bellarota?" Kostling almost
shrieked. " Oh, it is too much ! too much !" His head
fell back against the high chair, his eyes looked faint, and
his arms hung by his side.
The two cats leaped from the window-seat, across the table,
upon the floor, and purred about their master's legs, humping
their backs and licking his feet and hands. The Professor
was so startled by the effect of his communication that it was
only after the lapse of a minute that he hastened to help the
half-unconscious old man. At histouch the form quivered,
the head moved. "Is it true?" IreRintly asked. "Are you
really Camilla's son, Camilla, who who ? Yes, yes, those
are her features. And you do not know oh, you do not
know?" His eyes filled with tears: he could not speak; but
he began to cough convulsively.
" What do I not know ?" the Professor asked, after a few
THE GREEN GATE. 321
minutes, during which Herr Kb'stling had partly recovered
himself. " May I not learn it now .?"
" No ! no !" the old man gasped. " Oh, Camilla, Camilla 1
Is she alive?"
" She is living."
" And your father?"
" The Count von Gleichenau is also living."
" They are divorced, are they not? Divorced !"
" Unfortunately, they are. They have not seen each other
for more than thirty years."
"Ah! it is the justice of Heaven!" exclaimed Kostling,
clenching his raised hand. " It could not permit them to
be happy, my mortal enemy and my Begone ! begone,
young man ! I repent my words. Leave an old man alone
with his memories."
The Professor grasped his hand. " No/' he said, with
warmth, " I will not leave you now. Heaven is my witness
that I never meant to wound you ; I had no idea of any con-
nection Speak, I entreat you ! The son of your mortal
enemy has a right to learn the cause of this enmity."
"You have heard," Kcstling exclaimed; " it is centuries ,
old, and bequeathed from generation to generation. How
should he and I escape the curse ? Do you not feel it in my
presence? You ask of me what I must refuse; and you will
cross that threshold my enemy. So be it !"
Xaver gravely shook his head. " Not your enemy. It
were a crime to believe that such dissensions cannot die. You
say you are the last of your race ; but my father, if he has
injured you, is not the 1?K of his : I am living, and am inno-
cent of all that has occurred. For my sake speak, and tell
me what atonement I can make during your life."
"No atonement is possible," said Kostling; "there may
be some consolation in the thought that we are all alike un
happy. C::me separates, misfortune reconciles."
o*
322 THE ORE EN GATE.
" Let me guess, then," said Xaver. " You loved my
mother."
The old man sighed heavily. " And she He broke
off, arose, and walked through the room. Then he seated him
self upon a chair near the bed, beside the second window, the
curtains of which were closely drawn. " Yes," he said, in a
low tone, " you shall learn all that words can tell. You will
at least understand then why I But I cannot foretell
your opinion. Perhaps you may judge of such matters like
a genuine Freiherr von Iloneburg, and not at all after my
fashion."
He reflected for awhile, and then began : " My father was
a great lover of opera and of the drama, and he not only went
regularly to the theatre, but he sought the society of artists
and actors who ranked well in their profession, and opened his
house to them (it was not so lonely then as now), besides
often affording them material aid. Ilemembcr, this was at a
time when the actor's profession was not so esteemed as at
present, and when those belonging to it were, with a few bril-
liant exceptions, excluded from aristocratic society. Of course
my father, in a town full of old patrician prejudice, had many
annoyances to encounter ; but he persisted in following his
inclinations and listening to his own kind heart. More than
forty years ago a singer appeared on the stage here, calling
himself Carlo Bellarota. He was something of a celebrity,
and my father valued him, not only because of his fine tenor
voice, but also because he was a man of artistic culture and
excellent breeding. Unfortunately, he soon entirely lost his
voice. The public, always heartlessMn such cases, hissed him,
and the director dismissed him. Pain at being thus ill treated,
and anxiety for the future, made him ill. As he was entirely
without means, he could not pay for his lodgings, and would
have been turned into the street but for my father, who paid
his bills and procured him admission to the hospital, where he
THE GREEN GATE. 323
saw that he was well taken care of. But his spirit was
broken, and his body did not long survive. He died, and
my father, his only friend in his need, had him buried, not
in the pauper burying-ground, but in the churchyard."
Here Kostling paused, overcome, it would seem, by painful
memories. " This Carlo Bellarota," he at last began again,
" had a daughter : her name was Camilla, and she was then tea
years old. The child had been her father's companion in his
wanderings, and had received but very imperfect instruction,
spending most of her time at the theatre among the actors
and actresses, and even dancing in public now and then. The
director of our theatre would have kept her to be educated for
the stage ; this, however, my good father would not allow ; he
took Camilla home and informed his household that she was
to be regarded as his child, very much in opposition to the
advice of his friends, who thought he would do enough, and
more than enough, if he sent her to a boarding-school. But
my father had no daughter, he hoped that Camilla would fill
a daughter's place in his life, at least she would be grateful.
" I was then fifteen or sixteen years old, just at the im-
pressible age, and here was a sister who was, after all, not really
my sister ; the gayest of companions, who, in spite of her
youth, knew so much of which I was ignorant, and who was
beautiful, so beautiful. Yes ! Camilla was exquisitely lovely
even as a child. Her large dark eyes, her waving masses of
black hair, her airy, graceful figure, before long she was my
only thought, and as she grew in intelligence and beauty, and
in tim 3 became the dari'ng of every one around her, the very
apple of my father's eye, I felt sure that Heaven had sent
her to me, and that I should be the happiest mortal in the
world if she could only love me.
" I dared to believe that I was beloved, I believe to this
day that I was beloved. All the time I could command was
spent in Camilla's society. I played with her so long as she
324 THE GREEN GATE.
enjoyed childish amusements. I read with her, studied with
her. I could not sing with her, for a voice had been denied
me, but I was always by when she took her singing-lessons,
and accompanied her on the piano when she practised. She
was mine by every tie of the spirit ; I advised and guided
her ; she confided to me all her little woes, and I shared her
every joy. ' You are the elder, Lorenz,' she used to say, 'tell
me what to do.' When she went into society her gayety did
not separate us. She was passionately fond of dancing, but
I never moved gracefully, and preferred to stand aloof and
watch her at a ball. How often she has left the dance to
walk and talk with me, until I myself would beg her to re-
turn ! As she waltzed, if I stood near, she would smile and
nod at me, and I was happy in her happiness. The next
morning we would sit together gravely over our books. I had
mastered the tongue in which she had always talked with her
father, and I used it in conversing with her. How grateful
she was ! ' You are the only one,' she used to say, ' with whom
I can speak from my heart.' She liked to consider herself a
daughter of Italy, and her mirror told her she was right.
Wherever she went she was the cynosure of every eye, but
she seemed to care nothing for general admiration, I was
always her only cherished friend. Had I not a right to be-
lieve myself loved?
' On her seventeenth birthday, this house was filled with
the fragrance of flowers. How her face beamed with happi-
ness when, upon entcrin the drawing-room, she found the
household assembled there to offer her their gifts and con-
gratulations !
" ' How kind you are to the poor orphan !' she said, when we
were alone together. ' How shall I ever repay you ?'
'"By loving me, Camilla,' I replied, more boldly than I
had ever spoken to her before, and impelled to a confession of
what filled my heart. She seemed not to understand me, for
THE GREEN GATE. 325
she put her hand in mine, saying, ' I do love you dearly ;'
and as she spoke, the tears came into her eyes, and she gazed
into mine, until she must have read my heart there ; for she
suddenly withdrew her hand and cast down her eyes. Then
I threw myself at her feet, and told her that I loved her more
than life itself, and that she must be mine forever. The
storm of passionate expression coming from one usually so
calm amazed her. ' I never thought of this,' I heard her
say. as if to herself. But when I implored her to give me
the answer I longed for, she did not withstand me, but threw
herself into my arms, and whispered, ' Yes, it must be so ; I
can have no truer friend in this world !'
"'God knows you cannot, dearest!' I cried, in a rapture
of delight, as I clasped her to my heart."
As he recalled this, the happiest hour of his life, Kostling
became greatly agitated. He had arisen, and held his hands
aloft, as if actually calling Heaven to witness, while his whole
figure seemed loftier and more dignified than before. But
now he sank down in his chair again, and rested his head on
his hand. Thus he remained, silent, for awhile. The Pro-
fessor did not venture to arouse him from his reverie. " She
did not love him," he said to himself. " She was self-deceived."
" I had expected," Kostling began again, much more
quietly, " that our betrothal would have been a cause of
heartfelt joy to my father. I was mistaken. He seemed, on
the contrary, disagreeably surprised, saying, as Camilla had
done, ' I never thought of this.' He loved his adopted child,
and would have provided handsomely for her, but it had never
occurred to him that the daughter of the public singer who
had died in the hospital could become the wife of his only
son. Free from prejudice though he was, there was a point
where his old patrician pride made itself heard, and it sud-
denly opposed a bar to the fulfilment of my hopes.
" My father said everything to me that fathers are accus-
28
326 THE GREEN GATE.
tomed to say to their sons in such cases; but I refused to
listen. Nothing availed to shake my resolution. The property
that I had inherited from my mother made me independent
of my father in a worldly point of view, and I now offered to
leave him, that he might be relieved from any responsibility
with regard to me. This conquered him. ' No ! no P he ex-
claimed, ' I yield, be happy ! Whatever my son does I will
uphold before the world.' Camilla had known of and justified
his opposition, but he now greeted her as my future wife, and
arranged for a large fete here, at which our betrothal was to
be publicly announced.
" There was present at this fete an officer who had been
stationed in the town for awhile, the Freiherr von Hbneburg.
He, as well as his brother officers, had paid his respects to
my father upon his arrival, and had, of course, received an
invitation. The two men had laughed over the ancient enmity
between their two houses, as at some shadowy tradition. ' We
robber knights had the worst of it,' the Freiherr jestingly
observed. ' There lies our castle in ruins, a study for a
landscape-painter, while the green gate stands stout and stiff,
like a soldier on parade ; and the Messrs. Kostling are en-
throned in their counting-room, while the last Honeburg,
like George Brown in ' La Dame Blanche,' is reduced to his
lieutenant's pay.' This careless good humour pleased my father.
" ' Your inheritance is a noble name,' he replied ; ' and
your sword, which can make it glorious in defence of your
native land, for which I too would give my wealth.'
" 'If we could only have a war! The whole world is weary
of this stupid peace,' Von Honeburg exclaimed.
" It was at this betrothal festivity that Camilla and the
Freiherr first met ; and afterwards they saw each other often
in my father's house, where Von Honeburg was continually
invited, and at all the gatherings made in honour of our be-
trothal by our friends. There were very friendly relations
THE GREEN GATE. 327
established between the young officer and myself; he con-
stantly made decided efforts to obtain my friendship, and I
never took it at all amiss that he paid particular court to Ca-
milla, danced with her continually, and evidently liked to sit
next her at table. Why should she not receive his attentions
graciously? The daughters of the first families of the town
were proud to be distinguished by him, and he knew well
how to recognize talent and beauty. Was not Camilla my
own ? What had I to fear ? Oh, forget forget that she is
your mother !
" There was nothing to prevent our marriage. My father,
however, wished it postponed for a year, and I could not refuse
to yield this to him, who had yielded so much to me. He
told me afterwards that he wished to give us each time to
test our affection, a dangerous precaution ; the reasons then
given me were Camilla's extreme youth and the preparations
to be made for our future establishment. What happened in,
the course of this year, the longest I had then lived, I can
only surmise, and I tell you the result of these surmises as
briefly as I can. The Freiherr was true to the traditions of
his house; he trampled our rights beneath his feet; he stole
Camilla's heart from me ; he beguiled her with his honeyed
words, poisoned her ear with flattery "
" He loved Camilla," the Professor interrupted. " I know
that he loved her."
" He had no right to love her," the old man passionately
exclaimed, " for she was mine. And he never loved her as I
did, for he left her, after she had sacrificed everything to him,
even her conscience. Oh, her conscience warned her and
tormented her for a long time. I could not understand her
sudden changes of mood, from warmth to coldness, her half-
stifled sighs, her hastily-dried tears, her laughter, misleading
even herself. I attributed it all to girlish whim, to nervous
irritability, to vexation at the postponement of our marriage.
328 THE GREEN GATE.
Unfortunately, I was obliged to leave home for a month upon
business. When I returned, I found Camilla greatly changed,
but she evaded all my anxious inquiries. She did not go at
all into society, and I noticed that the Freiherr no longer
visited at the house. Why was it ? 'I desired that his visits
should cease,' she said, and her eyes filled with tears. Has
he been guilty of any rudeness to you ?' I asked, astonished.
She shook her head waywardly, and answered, ' Beware of
him : he is a Honeburg!' "
" I tried to interpret her words innocently ; probably some
unguarded remark of his had oflended her. I begged my
father to shorten our time of probation, and the dav for the
marriage was at last appointed. Camilla seemed glad of this,
and for a week she was almost her old self again. Then I
learned one day that, while I had been busy in the counting-
room, the Freiherr had spent an hour with her. ' Are you
reconciled ?' I asked her, gaily. She looked strangely at me,
and replied, after a minute, ' Yes !' nothing but ' yes !' But
it sounded as if there was much more to say, I could not
understand what. During the next few days she was very
restless, secluding herself for hours at a time in her own
room, and even when she was with me seeming absent in
thought. I remember one conversation that I had with her,
that gave me food for reflection at the time, although I did
not understand her. She asked me whether, in my opinion,
the duty of gratitude ranked higher than the duty to live. I
could not answer her, and she added, ' Men commonly ex-
pect gratitude for the kindness they show us, and yet they arc
more our debtors than we theirs.' I thought this view rather
selfish, and Camilla, her thoughts evidently wandering, said,
sadly, ' When parents lose a dearly-loved child, are they not
consoled by the thought of the joy it has been to them ? It
should console us for the loss of those we love that we have
had the delight of loving them.'
THE GREEN GATE. 329
"'Strange fancies,' I thought, 'born of her agitation on
the eve of a step that is the most important that can be taken.'
I was soon to learn But why probe that torment to its
depths? There is'little more to tell. On my marriage morn
we awaited the bride. Why did she delay so long ? I knocked
at the door again and again ; in vain. I ventured to open
it, she was gone."
Kostling hid his face in his hands, and his frame trembled
with agony. In a few minutes, however, he looked up with
a profound sigh, and said, " It is past. Upon her table I
found a letter. ' I cannot be yours,' she wrote, ' as you wish I
should. I have had a fierce struggle, and, even now that I
have decided, my heart bleeds. I love, and I cannot be your
wife with another love in my heart. It would pain you to
deceive you, it pains you to tell you the truth. What is to be
must be. Call me thankless ; blame, despise, forget me ! I
cannot struggle any longer " I was prostrated as by a
stroke of lightning. Weeks afterwards I began slowly to re-
cover from a violent attack of brain fever. I never have been
well since, I never shall be while I live.
" As soon as I could stand upright, I challenged the traitor.
We fought with pistols in the room above the green gate. I
forced him to make no allowance for my weakness. Three
times my trembling hand missed its aim ; twice he intentionally
shot wide; the third time he disabled me without wounding
me dangerously. Why, oh, why did not his bullet find my
heart ?
"Thus blood flowed again upon the spot which had seen
bloody strife between the Freiherrs von Honeburg and my
forefathers. The old enmity was sealed afresh, and now, when
I look up from my garden at the gate and the old bridge, the
thoughts that fill my life crowd upon me. Do not ask, young
man, that I should look for them in vain, before my eyes close
forever."
28*
330 THE QREEN GATE.
He arose, and, walking to the window, stood -gazing at the
ruin, absently stroking the cats, who had taken up their pre-
vious position on the window-sill. The Professor felt that
any further discussion would be useless, and that it was time to
take his leave. " I thank you for these revelations," he said,
" which have explained much that has been a riddle to me
hitherto. For the first time I now understand my mother,
and how she came to hate the husband she surely loved once.
I understand your suffering : you lost a bride and a sister at
one and the same blow ; but if years cannot dull the pain, is
there not some consolation in what Camilla said, ' I have had
the delight of loving' ? "
He shook his head. " Cold comfort ! No, no ; I do not
choose to be so consoled."
The Professor approached him. " Can you give your hand,"
he said, with gentle cordiality, " to the son of those who have
so wronged you, or must that wrong be visited upon him ?"
Kb'stling hesitated ; then, giving him his hand, hastily turned
away, saying, harshly, " Farewell ! but we must never meet
again."
Schb'nrade made no reply ; but a voice within told him this
could not be. As he left the house, he looked up involuntarily
at the little leaded panes of the window above the gateway.
There the first act of the tragedy had been concluded. He
knew it all no ,v.
THE GREEN GATE. 331
CHAPTER XXV.
IN very melancholy mood Professor Schonrade returned to
his friend Moritz Amberger with the result of his endeavours,
only the result ; Moritz was not sufficiently near a friend to
be informed of all that Kostling had told him. " The old
man has his reasons," he said, " and from his point of view
they are valid. At all events, they must suffice us."
Moritz took a certain kind of satisfaction in learning that
the Professor had effected nothing more than he had been able
to do. " What shall we do ?" he asked, more cheerfully than
the situation seemed to warrant. " It is too provoking that
we cannot get round that old heap of stones."
" Would it not be possible to leave it on one side, and carry
the street past it?" asked Schonrade.
" Impossible ! we should trench upon Feinberg's property."
" Well, then," and the Professor shrugged his shoulders,
" I have nothing more to say."
" Could we not obtain from the government a right of ap-
propriation ?"
' l By no means !" the Professor exclaimed, indignantly.
" Take away the old man's property ? By no means ! I would
have nothing to do with such a measure."
" But if we are governed by considerations of delicacy '
" Better give up the whole project," the Professor declared ,
" which, indeed, I never should have taken up, had I known
our opponent and the trump-card he holds in his hand. I
shall return to Berlin, and write from there as to what is to
be done next."
Thus matters stood. Even when Moritz returned from
'Change and reported that the railway-project was now public
332 THE GREEN GATE.
gossip, and that Feinberg was mustering his forces for a fresh
attack, Schb'nrade was firm in his determination, not to use
the law as a weapon against the old man. He could scarcely
hope for a peaceful adjustment ; but by nothing save a peace-
ful adjustment would he consent to attain their end.
He set out for Berlin with a heavier heart than he had
brought thence. Wherever he turned, trouble seemed to
await him.
But when he reached his lodgings, he found there a pack-
age of letters that instantly absorbed all his attention. It
came from Florence, and contained Philip's and Katrine's
communications, with the papers found in the Palazzo Bella-
rota. Philip described with great minuteness exactly how they
had been found; but it is to be feared that Xaver scarcely
displayed sufficient interest in that part of his package. Ka-
trine joyously informed him that she had betrayed his secret
at the right moment, that her mother was most favourably
inclined towards the Freiherr von Honeburg, and that a few
lines from him to Frau Barbara would surely meet with a
gracious reception. Then came the invitation to the wedding,
and a pressing request not to let the long journey prevent his
accepting it, and a commission to select a wedding-present for
Lucia, that must be " very northern in character," and con-
gratulations for Camilla, which he did not understand, for he
had not yet read Philip's letter through. He looked through
the documents ; they entirely confirmed his mother's state-
ments. For one moment he rejoiced for her sake ; but the
next he asked himself, with a shrug, " What then ? We are
what we are. If Frau Amberger values such things, so
much the better for Katrine and me. It is of no real impor-
tance."
Greatly cheered by this episode, he added Katrine's letter
to the others from her hand, which he always carried with him
in his letter-case, and then, refolding the old documents, took
THE GREEN GATE. 333
them with him to his father. An explanation with him seemed
more desirable even than a visit to his mother.
The Count was delighted to see his eldest son again, an 1
Kunibert was unaffectedly rejoiced to welcome his brother.
Xaver thought him looking much stronger than when he
had left him, and the Count explained that a change in his
condition for the better had undoubtedly taken place. " I
ascribe it in great part to your influence," he continued j
" you have cheered and refreshed my poor boy, who was
doubtless affected by my own melancholy mood. He is begin-
ning to have some confidence in himself, and that will prove
his best medicine."
" I wish," Xaver replied, " that I were always as successful.
Unfortunately "
He began a detailed account of all that had happened. The
Count listened attentively, but without eager interest until
mention was made of the green gate. Then, at the name of
its possessor, he was evidently disturbed, saying, " Yes yes !
it belongs to the Kostling house. The Kostling house there
is a sad story and I and your mother But go on : I am
prepared for everything."
Xaver thought it right to repeat to him his conversation
with the unhappy old man. " Thus the matter stands," he
concluded ; " and I admit that I felt the deepest compassion
for Herr Kostling, although I am convinced that my mother
did not love him, and that neither would have found happi-
ness in their union."
" True, true," the Count eagerly confirmed his words. :: I
will neither defend nor deny the wrong I committed. When
I first knew Camilla, she was betrothed, and I, who knew that
she was so, did not shun her as soon as I felt myself passion-
ately attracted by her, but I trampled upon her lover's right
in striving to gain her affection. There is nothing that can
excuse me but the strength of niy passion, which he can hardly
334 THE GREEN GATE.
be expected to take into consideration. It is, however, per-
fectly true that Camilla loved him only as a friend and brother,
and that even when she promised to marry him she had a
foreboding that she could not make him happy as his wife.
If I had not appeared, Camilla would have come to under-
stand her own heart, and would not have sacrificed herself
to her feeling of gratitudfe, or she would have had even
more unhappiness in that marriage than I afterwards caused
her. We loved from the first moment that we met, with an
intensity against which it was in vain to struggle. As we then
felt, suicide would have been preferable to separation."
" But why such secrecy ?" Xaver ventured to ask. " Would
it not have been better to confess frankly
" I advised it," the Count interrupted him ; " but Camilla
would not listen to me, and it is only justice to her to admit
that our shares in such a confession would have been very
unequal. I owed nothing to the Kostlings, except what was
due from a guest who had been kindly received beneath their
roof, and I was quite ready to be held accountable for my
actions. Camilla, on the other hand, was not only breaking
with a lover, but she was requiting with a blow the kindness
of those to whom she owed a vast debt of gratitude, and from
whom, should she confess, she could not expect absolution.
The thought was intolerable to her of remaining a day, an
hour, beneath their roof after such a revelation. ' If they
would cast me off in anger,' she once said to me, ' I would tell
them all. But they would be gentle and kind to me ; they
would assail me with entreaties to consider, to take time for
reflection ; they would torture my heart, and at last, when it
was all in vain, their patrician pride would prompt them to
play a part before the world that would be sad indeed. No,
I will seem as guilty as I am ; they shall be justified in de-
spising me.' I still hesitated, for I felt that my position as an
officer required a different course ; but what did any consider-
THE GREEN GATE. 335
ation avail against the strength of my passion ? An elope-
ment was arranged, and that very day I sent in my resignation
from the army."
Xaver sighed. " And all the evils that have been the result
of the act may be explained, but not averted. Kostling will
not be persuaded. The failure of the house of Amberger is
certain, and your losses will be by no means small."
The Count did all he could to console him upon this score,
reminding him that the railway undertaking was only post-
poned ; the green gate must come down some day, and there
was no need of putting a stop to the preparations that were
making. There must be a conference with Fairfax and Wiesel,
who were now won over to the enterprise, and if Amberger
still had time "
" And his mother and sister are perfectly ignorant of the
misfortune that threatens them !" exclaimed Xaver. H3 then
told his father of the contents of Philip's and Katrine's let-
ters, and thus came to speak of the discovery of the papers,
which he now laid upon the table.
For his own part, he attached very little importance to the
facts they established ; his mother would doubtless exult, he
Bald, in jest, that she had been in the right ; he did not grudge
her that innocent pleasure. But the Count took an entirely
different view of the matter, judging from his grave face and
the eager attention he paid his son. He did not immediately
make any reply, but unfolded the papers, an 1 began to ex-
amine them. " There is no doubt of their authenticity," the
Professor remarked, by the way, " and there really is very little
to interest you in them." His father pursued his examina-
tion, however, only asking an explanation, from ti.ne to time,
of certain words, the significance of which he found it diffi-
cult to understand. When he had finished, he arose and walked
to the window, where he stood with his back to his son, appar-
ently lost in thought. Whence this sudden change of mood ?
336 THE GREEN GATE.
Could these papers ? Xaver looked them through again
for the sake of occupation.
After awhile the Count returned to him ; he was very pale,
and walked unsteadily, regarding his son with great earnest-
ness as he approached him. " Did you bring me these papers
for a special reason ?" he asked.
Xaver looked up in amazement. " For a special reason ?"
" With any especial aim ? Tell me."
" Not that I know of. I bring you the papers because I
have just received them, and because the manner of their dis-
covery was curious."
" And you care nothing about them?"
" Nothing whatever ! You know that I have made no use
as yet of my Freiherr's crest, and this influx of Italian blue
blood does not interest me much."
The Count slowly shook his head. " Inconceivable !" he
muttered to himself. " Will you leave these papers with
me ?" he asked, after awhile.
" Certainly ; but " and he hesitated.
" But what ?"
"I hardly like to keep them from my mother, who will
take much more pleasure in them than I do."
" Do you think so ? And why?"
" Good heavens ! Why, you know that she really took great
pains to have these facts established."
" To be sure, to be sure !"
Xaver could not comprehend him. " I cannot understand
your emotion, and still less why you should appeal so to me.
These papers "
The Count hastily took his hand. " Forgive me, Xaver,"
he entreated. " You cannot see that Enough, we will
not speak of it now. At some future time, my son. Will you
intrust these papers to me?"
" If my mother "
THE GREEN GATE. 337
" If your mother consents, you would say. But I do not
mean to keep them, except until she sees them, and I pray you
to allow me to take them to her."
" You, father ?"
" I myself."
"You would "
" Take advantage of an opportunity that may never occur
again of approaching her. These papers will be of real signifi-
cance to Camilla only as coming from me."
Xaver sprang up. " You will go to her, to seek a recon-
ciliation?"
" It has long been my desire and intention." the Count re-
plied, gently, " but I could hardly hope for any result from my
efforts if I went of myself, alone. Now I have an errand, and,
even although I gain nothing of what I desire, I shall not be
entirely disappointed. You see I do not wish to rob Camilla."
The Professor rolled up the papers and handed them to him.
" I wish you all success !" he exclaimed. " If my entreaties
can avail anything, they shall not be wanting. I will go to
her immediately, and try to soften her mood. My letters have
been full of all that I could think of that might lead her to
gentler thoughts of you."
Thus he took his leave, quite cheerful again, and his father
repeated to himself, as his son left the room, " Inconceivable !
inconceivable ! Is it possible," he thought, " that he does not
see the immense importance to himself of the discovery of these
papers ? Has his practical sense deserted him on this occa-
sion ? or does he affect ignorance ? No, no ! he is all frankness
and honesty. There is not a drop of falsehood in his blood.
He deserves that fate should deal brilliantly with him,
and, thank God, I can atone for the wrong I committed." He
opened the door into the adjoining room, where Kunibert sat
writing, and, approaching him, laid his hand caressingly upon
his head. " My poor boy !" he said, compassionately,
p 29
338 THE GREEN GATE.
The lad turned and kissed his father's hand. " Why am I
your poor boy ?" he asked. " I feel really well to-day. Haa
Xaver gone ? I hoped he would want to see what I have been
doing while he was away."
" Just at present he is very much occupied with his own
affairs," the Count replied. " He will soon come again."
After a pause, he asked, " Are you very fond of him ?"
" Very fond," the lad replied.
" Would your affection stand a test ?"
His son looked at him with surprise in his large eyes. " Any
test, I think," he answered.
His father put his hands on either side of his head, and
kissed his brow. " Oh, how little we know !" he said, with a
sigh, as he went to his room.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE Professor was glad to have finished his business report
to his father, and, as he walked along the street towards his
mother's house, he recapitulated, in thought, Katrine's letter,
and then reflected upon what course he should pursue to
prepare his mother for the visit she was about to receive. So
preoccupied was he that he scarcely heeded the passers-by, but
walked along with eyes bent upon the ground, when suddenly
an equipage drew up to the sidewalk, so close beside him that
he started, while at the same moment he heard his name called.
In a very elegant vehicle, drawn by a pair of horses, sat
Sidonie Feinberg, by the side of Herr von Fuchs. She held
the reins, and, leaning forward, nodded to Schonrade.
" Is it really you?" she exclaimed, with a laugh. " Oh, I
know ; you have been away, and have given my poor Moritz,
THE GREEN GATE. 339
who was in a bad case, a helping hand. Very kind of you,
I'm sure. Is it true that he has some romantic liaison with
a gardener's daughter ? I congratulate him. An admirable
thing for him ! When will you tell us all about it, my dear
Herr Professor?"
" Friiulein Feinberg, the street is hardly the "
" Hardly the place ? True, my steeds are much too impa-
tient. But you will come to us soon, will you not ? Good
heavens ! this is really the only way to catch you. By the
way, Herr von Fuchs, take off your hat to your old friend. I
have the honour, my dear Herr Professor, to present to you
my future bridegroom. Why do you laugh ?"
" Because your announcement is made so drolly. Permit
me to "
"For heaven's sake, do not congratulate us in the street.
That would be too droll. But come as soon as you can,
most conscientious of men ! You see I am no longer in the
slightest danger from you. I shall, I trust, see you soon."
She nodded again, gave her horses the rein, and drove off.
" ' Birds of a feather,' " the Professor thought to himself, as
he continued upon his way. " This Fuchs ! his debts never
troubled him much. It was written in the stars that he was
to marry an heiress, and there she is. They will be very
content together as long as the paternal million lasts."
His mother was in her most genial mood, busy at her piano,
reading some new music that greatly interested her. She in-
vited her son to lunch with her, and he accepted her invita-
tion, to her surprise, as she immediately betrayed. " What !
will you really stay ?" she asked, with mock dismay. " I was
not prepared for this. But so much the better. I asked you
in good faith. If I am not mistaken, we shall have a couple
of very little birds. We will share them. There will be a
profusion of sweets, at all events." She gave the necessary
orders to her duenna, and settled herself comfortably in the
340 THE GREEN GATE.
corner of the sofa. " And now, nay child, tell me all," she
said.
This was rather a difficult task; her thoughts continually
took a turn suggested by some word of his, and she inter-
rupted repeatedly. He liked to talk thus with her, however ;
and there was much to say, for he told her of Katrine, and
Katrine was in Florence ; Florence, Italy, Italian music, the
Italian opera, Carlo Bellarota, wicked men, each subject fol-
lowed the preceding one so naturally ; and thus they got back
to the Ambergers' native town, and Xaver ventured to speak
of Moritz and his affairs, at first only generally, then more
particularly, but always without touching the point upper-
most in his mind. He did not wish to spoil his mother's
luncheon, and he succeeded admirably ; she ate her bird with
evident relish, and gave her son the largest half of the sweet
omelette, of which, to her great content, he did not leave a
morsel. But when the meal was concluded, it was time to
speak of graver matters.
He then grew absent-minded, not in appearance only, but
in reality, and scarcely heard her as she criticised the candied
fruits and declared that they were nowhere so delicious as at
Venice, until at last she asked him what he was thinking of.
"Anxieties of various kinds, mother dear," he replied, with
a sigh. " I forget them for awhile, when we are so happy
together, but they will return and demand attention. I am
sure you know how this is."
" Indeed I do," she answered, looking at her son with an
air of tender apprehension ; " but I thought you had every-
thing that your heart could desire."
" My heart !" he said, lifting his eyebrows. " Hardly that,
while I see my father and mother alienated "
" Not a word more," she entreated, casting down her eyes ;
" you promised me
" What I am unable to perform," he interrupted her.
THE GREEN GATE. 341
* There are other anxieties too, dearest mother, of a more
worldly nature, and they depend upon circumstances about
which we may be silent, but which are none the less real. Do
you remember the green gate?"
" The green gate ? By the Kostling house ? What of
it?"
"It is in our way, and if it does not come down a large
amount of money will be sacrificed ; Moritz Amberger will be
bankrupt, Frau Barbara Amberger a poor woman, Katrine's
inheritance lost, and Philip will have but a melancholy wed-
ding."
Camilla listened eagerly. " But what connection ?"
He tried to place clearly before her the importance of the
old structure, or rather of the spot upon which it stood, and
then spoke of its possessor, whom he had visited and had
found entirely inexorable. Camilla did not interrupt him, but
sat perfectly still, with tightly-compressed lips. When he
paused, she looked up, as if terrified, for an instant to his face.
" And do you know all that?" she asked.
" I know all that," he replied ; " Kostling has forgotten
nothing, and withheld nothing from me. He is greatly to be
pitied."
" He is greatly to be pitied," said Camilla, resting her head
on her hand. " It was his misfortune to love me, who could
not love him in return. But perhaps I might have learned to
love him in time."
" No, mother, I think not !" exclaimed Xaver ; " I think
not. I felt convinced, from Kostling's own words, that you
never sould have truly loved him. A union with him would
have oeen contrary to your nature ; it would have been misery
as soon as you really understood yourself. But it is greatly to
be deplored that the sisterly affection which you gave him,
and which might have blessed both your lives, could not last.
Now, after such sorrowful experiences, when you have survived
29*
342 THE GREEN GATE.
the tempests of life, and can think and feel more calmly, you
may suspect yourself of having made a mistake. But it was
no mistake ! The heart the heart that loves rejects the
idea. None the less does Kostling deserve our compassion,
for, whether wrongly or rightly, you were the cause of grievous
woe to him, a burden of woe, which, faithful to his sorrow,
he bears about with him to this day."
Camilla shook her head sadly. " I cannot acquit myself,"
she said, "I cannot. Then I thought otherwise; I would
sooner have died than have stood before the altar with him.
But I owed it to him to tell him the truth. His pain might
not have been less, but I should have been spared the re-
proaches of my conscience." Again she leaned her head upon
her hand, and said, as if to herself, " I loved him as a brother ;
suddenly he was my lover, and my own heart was unchanged.
I hardly knew that he did not possess my entire affection
until I had to struggle with a genuine passion, while my feel-
ing for him was unchanged. It was only when I knew that
he had a right to expect of me more than I could give that
I began to suffer unspeakably. I could not tell him. It
seemed too much to hope for that he should forgive me. I
would not ask him for pardon ; if I were guilty, let him know
me so. Afterwards I felt the agony of that sting."
" Its pain would have been less if you could have found
the happiness that you expected in your love," her son ob-
served, taking her hand in his, and leaning towards her. " It
would pain you less now if you would be reconciled to him
for love of whom you transgressed an irksome duty, if
you "
" You speak of your father," she again interrupted him, in
a sterner tone. " How is a reconciliation to be thought of?
Can he himself seriously desire it ? And upon what grounds
could it take place ? He cannot be just to us, cannot !
Can we grant that he was right ? I do not wish to hinder
THE GREEN GATE. 343
you from kissing the hand that thrust you forth, it is your
father's ; but I am bound to him by no ties of nature, and
those which we ourselves devised have been wantonly severed."
" They are not severed, mother !" Xaver exclaimed. " They
exist indestructibly in me. Blot me from existence, mother,
and then say that that year at the Hbneburg was a dream, a
space of time to be regarded as some illusion of fancy. Am I
not my father's and my mother's son ? And shall those two,
who in me are indissolubly united, live eternally apart because,
as frail mortals, they erred ? Ask your inmost heart, mother,
could you hate my father as you hated him had you not loved
him as you loved, had not your love lived on, and ever and
again revolted at his fickleness? And if in his heart he
never has been faithless to you, and if of late his thoughts
have been filled with you and you alone Mother ! Is it
impossible for you to forgive?"
As his words poured forth, full of eager entreaty, he sank
down upon his knees before her, and looked imploringly into
her face, which she tried to avert, as if unwilling to yield to
an agency that was asserting its power over her.
"Not thus, my son," she said, "not thus! Rise, I pray
you ! Do not torture me. Rise !"
" Mother !" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her,
"if you love me 1"
Her hand stroked his black curls, but her face was still turned
from him ; and there was a dreamy fire in her dark eyes.
" Rise !" she repeated ; but her voice faltered.
He only clasped her closer in his arms. " If you love me.
mother, forget, forgive !"
" I cannot," she replied ; but so low and faint was her voice
that her words scarcely reached his ear. She put her arm
around him, and endeavoured to raise his head. He would
not lift it, but buried his face in her lap. At this moment
the bell rang loudly. Camilla started. Xaver looked up,
344 THE GREEN GATE.
without rising from his knees. " Be kind, mother !" he im-
plored, seeking her eyes.
The door opened, and the old servant announced, " A
stranger wishes to '' Then she paused, amazed at the
posture of mother and son.
" I am at home to no one," Camilla said to her, " to no
one at present."
Xaver arose, and took his hat. '' To no one ?" he asked,
eagerly. " Mother, if ! Let me see who " He
opened the door wide, and held out his hand to some one
standing upon the threshold.
" So soon ?'' he asked, in an agitated voice. Then, taking
the stranger by the arm, he led him into the room.
" Mother, it is my father !" he said, in a clear, distinct tone,
like the sound of a bell. " If you love me, mother !"
His eyes completed the sentence. He hastily left the room,
and closed the door behind him, ran down-stairs, past the
wondering servant, and left the house.
Camilla had sunk back upon the sofa ; the Count stood for
awhile motionless in the middle of the room, regarding her
with eager anxiety. Here were two persons who had loved
each other, who had worked each other much woe, and who
now met again, after more than thirty years. Ah, what a
meeting was this ! Where was the youthful form that had
lived so vividly in the memory of each, a mark for affection,
sorrow, anger, and hate ? Here were but the ruins of past
glory and beauty, majestic ruins, 'tis true. Had they but
grown old together ! An abyss of time, that might have
swallowed up the space of an entire human life, was to be
bridged over in a few minutes. It was better thus ; the change
was too great to allow of their taking up their lives where pas-
sion and anger had divided them. All illusions vanished, and
the real clamoured for its rights. That dignified matron was
not the girl, glowing with love and youth, whom the Count had
THE GREEN GATE. 345
adored ; the spare, proud man, with gray hair and furrowed
brow, was not the faithless lover whom Camilla hated. Some-
thing like amazement, that quickly faded into melancholy,
appeared in the countenance of each, to see the other grown
so strangely altered.
And yet there were the same features, only sharpened in
outline, faint in color. Camilla's hair and eyes, the Count's
erect figure and military bearing, upon these time had had
no power. Wherever they had met, each would have instantly
acknowledged, " Yes, it is you !"
" Camilla !" the Count began, at last, as if testing by his
voice her willingness to hear him, and then waiting for a reply.
" Count Gleichenau !" she said, in as low a tone, and yet
trembling to hear herself speak, " I was not prepared for a
meeting "
" To which you would perhaps never have agreed," he
gently interrupted her, " if you had been consulted. I could
not trust it to that chance. But has not Xaver intimated ?"
" My son has indeed spoken of you," Camilla assented,
to prevent his saying more than she thought she could bear at
the moment. " My son is convinced that he has found a friend
in you, Count Gleichenau, and I can but hope that he is not
mistaken."
" He has found a friend," he replied, advancing a step and
speaking warmly, " a father. I thank him that he does not
reject me as a father."
A pause ensued. The Count never averted his gaze from
Camilla ; and she, as if she knew it and feared his eyes, cast
down her own upon her hands, that lay folded in her lap. She
might have been praying for composure and submission, and
perhaps, moved by Xaver's entreaties, she was praying, and the
wayward quiver of her lips was due to the pride that would
not yield the field.
" You have had cause for anger, Camilla," the Count began
p*
346 THE GREEN GATE.
again, " and I may not judge you. I cannot even complain if
you reject the hand held out to you in pledge of peace, for you
are the injured one, you alone have aught to forgive. I can
but pray you to remember that we have one interest in com-
mon, and that its object suffers severely from our disunion.
our son "
" Our son " she repeated, in a faltering voice. " Oh,
that is my bitterest wrong, that for so many years he has not
been our child!"
" I will not exculpate myself," the Count replied. " but he
has forgiven me, and in all else I have sinned against you
alone, to you alone I owe reparation. You were ever a stern
creditor, no repentance, no entreaty, could move your indul-
gence. Well, Camilla, I cannot now undo what is done, but
an accident enables me, at least, to avert the consequences of
my injustice. An accident ! But it is by my own choice that
I make use of it. Listen."
He seated himself at the table before her sofa, and took out
the papers which Xaver had given him. " These papers," he
continued, " which have only been lent to me, and which I
now place in your hands, afford the long-sought-for proof that
your father, Carlo Bellarota, belonged to an ancient Florentine
family of rank, which became impoverished in revolutionary
times."
Camilla sat erect, and looked timidly and inquiringly from
the yellow papers on the table to the Count's face. " These
papers, Count Gleichenau, these papers, and where were they
discovered?"
" In the ancient palazzo of the Bellarotas, in Florence, in a
secret repository behind the wainscot, that had to be broken
open because the key could not be found. The key, Camilla,
is in your possession."
"Mine?"
"You have your grandfather's missal, we have often enough
THE GREEN GATE. 347
turned over its leaves together. Upon the cover there is a
medallion head of Christ. Have you the book here ?"
She stretched out a trembling hand across the arm of the
sofa to a little table whereon lay pictures, portfolios, and some
books in rich bindings, and, taking up one of the smallest of
the latter, she looked attentively for a moment at the head of
Christ, still wearing the crown of thorns above its sorrowing
brow, and then hesitatingly handed it to the Count, as if to
ask, " Why do you want the book ?"
The Count examined the cover closely, felt around the
edge of the medallion, then suddenly turned and pressed it ; it
sprang open, and a key of curious shape fell out upon the
table. " Right !" he exclaimed. " The description is correct.
Who could suspect that the guardian of such important facts
was concealed here ? Too well concealed !"
Camilla had looked on in surprise, extending a warning
hand when the head sprang open, as if she feared the orna-
mentation of the book were injured. She now picked up the
little key, looking from it to its late hiding-place, and then
at the Count. " But how did you learn ?" she asked,
with an expression of the greatest surprise.
He told her of the discovery of the papers, and read to her
some of the most important of them. " I begged Xaver to let
me have them," he concluded, " because I wished to hand
them to you myself. How priceless in value they would have
been to us years ago !"
" Yes, yes, priceless in value !" she assented, looking over
the manuscripts. " And now they are most important to me.
They prove, beyond a doubt, that my father was no vain boaster,
no liar, that he really bequeathed to me an ancient name."
" I never doubted it," the Count observed.
" And yet -" she said, and paused. Her fine eyes, in
which tears, a tribute to her father's memory, were glistening,
grew dark and gloomy.
348 THE GREEN GATE,
" My own belief, however, availed nothing," the Count went
on to say; "proof was necessary. The absence of this proof,
Camilla, was not the only reason why I separated myself from
wife and child to secure to my impoverished name the in-
heritance of a brilliant estate, although that it had weight with
me I do not deny. But of the other reasons I will not speak.
I cannot defend myself without accusing you, and I come here
now only as a suppliant. If the cause I have mentioned be
the sole or the decisive reason for my estrangement from you,
cannot your own pride in the name you inherited teach you
to deal leniently with me ? Still, condemn me for my weak-
ness, if you will; I cannot take advantage of yours. Only
believe the truth, that I loved my wife and child even when
I consented to separation from them, and that what I now do
is in obedience, not to force, but to the joyful promptings of
my heart, although by my act one must suffer who is bound
to me by a near tie of blood."
Camilla listened with agitation. " I do not understand you,
Count Gleichenau," she said. " What do you propose to do,
and who will suffer by your act ?"
" You understand me as little as Xaver understood me," he
replied. " Let me tell you how important these documents
are: they install your son our son, Camilla in all the rights
belonging to the eldest scion of the name of Gleichenau."
" Count Gleichenau," she 'exclaimed, "my son ?"
" Is the legal heir of all my estates of Gleichenau, since
my first marriage is now proved to have been a noble one.
Even if I would, I could not alter it now. I must have de-
stroyed those papers, if I wished to secure the inheritance
to my second son. Kunibert knows what he must resign in
Xaver's favour, and does it most cheerfully."
With these words the Count arose. Camilla made a gesture
as if to detain him. " I cannot comprehend I cannot
Does Xaver know ?" she asked, trembling with emotion.
THE GREEN GATE. 349
" He does not know, because lie has too little regard for
worldly wealth to .think of himself in this matter. He must
learn his good fortune from the mother whom he loves so
fondly. Tell him no, he does not need the assurance
that his father rejoices in his joy."
Camilla arose, and held out her hand. " My son's rights
are established," she said, with gentle dignity ; " I can no
longer frown upon his father."
He bowed over her hand, and pressed it to his lips. " Ca-
milla, car. you forgive ?" he faltered.
" It was Xaver's entreaty," she replied, " and now it is
an easy task."
" Xaver's entreaty," he repeated, warmly ; " yes, we should
one day have been at peace through him, without these papers."
" Oh, if he were only here !" exclaimed Camilla. " If we
could but tell him "
The Count pressed the hand that he still held in his own.
" I trust," he said, " that we three shall often be together in
future. The spell that has parted us is broken, we belong
together. Will you exclude the fourth in our new alliance,
Kunibert?"
" Bring him to me," she said, hastily. " Xaver's brother
shall be welcome, although I am not his mother."
The Count took his leave. " I must not beg for more for
myself to-day," he said. " How much more calm and glad a
heart I carry hence than I brought hither ! But I shall come
and go now every day, and every day will, I trust, bring me
fresh hope for the future."
Camilla made no reply ; but a gentle light in her eyes bade
him take courage.
" Can this be I?" she asked herself, when she was left alone.
30
350 THE GREEN GATE.
CHAPTER XXVII.
AT an early hour the next morning Xaver presented him-
self at his father's.
It was a most unusual time for a visit from him ; but the
Count attributed it to a previous interview with Camilla, and
went to meet him/ with a joyful face and open arms.
The Professor submitted to his cordiality, but hardly re-
turned it, and there was so gloomy a frown upon his brow
that his father feared some unforeseen misfortune had occurred.
" Have you had bad news from Moritz Amberger ?" he asked,
anxiously.
Xaver replied, No, that Moritz had written that he had
heard from Kostling's physician that the old man was ill, too
ill to receive any one, and that therefore all further attempts to
induce him to alter his decision were useless.
"That is to be regretted," said the Count; "but it does not
explain to me your present mood. I thought you would be
so light-hearted ; or do you not know that my interview with
Camilla yesterday paved the way for the happiest hopes for
the future ?"
" I know it," Xaver replied. " I saw my mother last eveningj
and this morning again. I have just come from her. Cer-
tainly no one would more heartily rejoice at the happy issue
of your interview than I, if "
"If what?"
" If a most annoying piece of intelligence had not spoiled
my pleasure."
"What intelligence, Xaver?"
" I have come to speak of it to you, father, before you take
any measures which it might cause us all great inconvenience
THE GREEN GATE. 351
to annul. If you had told me what you meant, to do with
those papers that have been found in Florence "
" Oh, is that it?" exclaimed the Count.
" I was perfectly blind," Xaver continued, " or it never would
have occurred to me to show those papers to you, to intrust
them to you to give to my mother. If you could believe that
I was actuated by a single thought of self-interest "
" Make yourself quite easy on that score," the Count inter-
rupted him, laying his hand upon his shoulder. " I assure
you you have nothing of that sort to fear. I saw immediately
that you had no suspicion of the importance of those papers to
yourself, and I confess I saw it gladly. I should have thought
you perfectly right had you come to me with the papers and
demanded your rights ; but I prized most highly, as a proof
of your unworldliness, your want of all comprehension of their
importance to yourself, and it enabled me to perform a duty as
if I were bestowing a gift."
Xaver's face cleared up a little. " I thank you," he said ;
" but we have not done yet. You seem to be sure that you
have only to give for me to take. No, father. I have been
used, from my early youth, to depend upon my own resources,
and I do not prize what I do not derive from them. Even my
Freiherrship, to which I was born, is of little value in my eyes,
and would be a great bore to me were I obliged to take it
into the lecture-room with me. A man must grow up with
such a title not to be oppressed by it. And now you would
have me alter my whole plan of existence in consequence of a
mere accident, while others whom I love are losers by it. It
is asking too much, father. Because a young man called
Philip Amberger entertains a silly enthusiasm for old curiosi-
ties, and carries it so far that he must tear down and transport
over a hundred miles, to his own home, the entire wainscot
of a room, and because, in doing so, a secret cupboard is dis-
covered, where documents have been hidden, and might have
352 THE GREEN GATE.
remained hidden to the end of time, if they had not heen fer-
reted out by that mole, am I suddenly to be transformed into
another than the man that my education and inclination have
made me, and be transplanted like a tree or a flower ? No !
Chance is an idol that I will not serve, and, so long as I am
free, will not worship."
" Chance !" the Count repeated, shaking his head. " Chance !
Do you not believe in a Providence that shapes our ends, and
brings about, all in good time, results scarcely to have been
hoped for, and never foreseen ?"
Xaver smiled. "I will not make Providence responsible
for the short-sighted acts of mortals. What is neither reason-
able nor necessary I prefer to attribute to chance, and neither
reason nor necessity has anything to do with the finding of
those papers."
" Then all laws of inheritance rest upon very insecure foun-
dations," the Count interposed.
" You cannot force my privileges upon me," Xaver main-
tained ; "least of all such entirely unjust privileges. I have
induced my mother to return those papers to me, they really
are not safe in her hands, and I shall take good care that no
one, even of those most dear to me, shall prevail upon me to
found any claim upon them whatsoever."
The Count looked grave. " This is like you, as I have
learned to know you," he said, after a pause ; " but can you
expect that Kunibert will be behind you in magnanimity?
He has already been informed by me that yours is the elder
and the better right. Do you suppose that he will consent to
take advantage of your refusal to claim it ?"
" He must !" Xaver replied. " There is no way of forcing
me to produce the proof of my capacity to inherit GHeichenau ;
his mere affirmation has no legal weight. He might resign
also, but only in favour of some other branch of the family.
That would be folly. He must not forget that, to secure these
THE GREEN GATE. 353
estates to his family, his father sacrificed, for many years, the
repose of his conscience, and embittered his existence, while
broken hearts "
He paused, and the Count turned away.
" And it stands to reason, is not his right the elder and the
better?" Xaver continued, more earnestly. " He was bred to
it from the cradle ; he has been conscious of it as long as he
can remember thinking and feeling ; it is part of his life. If
he is deprived of what is thus native to him, he will languish
like a plant deprived of air. No ; I will not rob him !"
" Magnanimous as ever," the Count rejoined ; " but if
Kunibert be what I think him "
" Let me speak with him," Xaver begged. " He is reasonable,
and will not refuse to listen to a sensible view of the matter.
I have another reason for my conduct ; you shall admit that it-
is self-interested ; it has had some weight with my mother. I
love Katrine Amberger, and desire to make her my own as
speedily as possible. She gave her heart to Professor Schon-
rade, and did not refuse to love the Freiherr von Honeburg,
since her mother thought him a more suitable match. But
the Majoratsherr Count von Gleichenau would be no mate
for her, the daughter of a merchant, whose ancestors were of
patrician but never of noble rank. My Katrine would be in
constant dread of sharing my mother's fate. She could not
enjoy her happiness for a single day."
The Count bit his lip, and looked down. " I never thought
of that," he said, after awhile.
" But I have !" Xaver exclaimed. " As I feel to-day, the
entire estates of Gleichenau do not weigh a feather against
Katrine's love."
" You are not like your father," the Count observed, with a
smile ; " you would always feel so."
" ' Lead us not into temptation,' " the Professor said, seri-
ously. " No, no, we can none of us be sure of ourselves.
30*
354 THE GREEN GATE.
Could you have distrusted yourself when your whole heart was
filled with the girl whom you loved ? Time changes all that
is mortal. It is well to think and hope the best of ourselves;
but let us, at least, with the innocence of the dove, not forget
so much of the wisdom of the serpent as shall teach us to avoid
snares and pitfalls.^ And then, in sober earnest, for whose
henefit should I force all my inclinations? I myself have
more than enough for my wants, and my children could never
inherit Gleichenau. Are the years of sorrow endured by my
mother and yourself to bear, as their bitter fruit, only one
more disappointed life ? Do not ask me to support this
burden, Let us have peace among ourselves at last ; it can
only be secured by ignoring these miserable papers."
The Count wrung his son's hand, and, without speaking, led
him into Kunibert's room. "He is right," was all he said, as
he left the brothers alone.
Of course, since Kunibert was sixteen, frank, generous, and
excessively fond of Xaver, a very stormy scene ensued. There
were asseverations, entreaties, and even tears upon his part ; but
Xaver maintained his composure, let the boy rave till he was
tired, and came off conqueror at last, by consenting to receive,
for a time at least, a certain portion of the revenue of the
Gleichenau estates. The Count, who was called in as a witness
to this final arrangement, declared, " If Camilla is only content,
my happiness is now complete."
Camilla's pride had found it difficult to surrender the new-
found documents to her son, with the distinct understanding
that, in his possession, they were to be again consigned to
obscurity. Her reconciliation with the Count had been effected
through her joy at their discovery, and she was now called to
rest content with being the mother of a son who might assume
all his inheritance if he only would. She loved him too ten-
derly to acquiesce readily, and there was still too much irrita-
tion in her heart against the Count not to grudge to his son by
THE GREEN GATE. 355
his second marriage that which was not lawfully his. But
Xaver was so resolute that she felt it would be useless to
rebel ; she must yield with the best grace that she could,
and since she had braved so many sorrows in life with an un-
daunted front, it was hardly worth while to succumb now.
She did not at first attach as much importance as Xaver
did to his view of Katrine's future. It is a weakness of
human nature, from which she was not free, to forget to
measure the sorrow of others by one's own in like circum-
stances, and to credit them with an immense power of en-
durance and self-sacrifice. There had been a discussion,
almost amounting to a dispute, between mother and son.
Xaver had not hesitated to say all that he could to make her
look at the case from his point of view, and her passionate
nature had been severely tried. When Xaver left her, peace
had been but superficially restored between them ; but when he
came again in the evening, she had had full time to reflect and
consider, and the result was entire acquiescence in her son's
views.
Of course this was accompanied by a radical change of mood.
As a violent storm passes and leaves the skies serene and blue,
so all that was fiery in her nature seemed to have exhausted
itself, and to have given place to gentleness and benignity.
Xaver found her sitting at her piano, singing one of her
favourite songs, with true artistic enjoyment of the music.
He stood still at the door, which he had opened softly, and
applauded when the song was ended. He saw how it was
with her, and it only needed the gentlest touch upon his part
to restore between them the old cheerful confidence. As a
reward, and to dispose her favourably towards Kunibert, he
told her of their interview of the morning, and this had the
happiest effect.
Thus there was nothing to prevent the Count and his son
from paying Camilla a visit on the following day. All tacitly
356 THE GREEN GATE.
agreed to let bygones be bygones, and to accord the present
its entire rights. The Count treated Camilla with the most
respectful attention, refraining, although his former feeling for
her had returned in full force, from any confidential expres-
sions that might seem to re-establish their former relations,
judging it best that her trust in him should have time for
growth, and that sho in the mean while should give the tone
to their intercourse. Kunibert at first approached her shyly,
fearing lest he should be in the way, but, as Camilla received
him kindly and cordially, he soon became all admiration and
devotion. It seemed as if she wished, through him, to testify
to the Count that all anger had faded from her heart, and
that the boy desired to prove to his father his filial love and
reverence by his attentive consideration for her. As Xaver
and Kunibert were upon thoroughly fraternal terms, it could
not but be that their parents found themselves united in their
children. The greater part of the day they spent together.
Thus everything would have been all that could be de-
sired, had not Amberger's affairs assumed a menacing aspect.
Moritz's letters grew gloomier every day. Feinberg, he in-
formed the Professor, was exhausting every means in his power
to ruin him, stirring up his friends among the civil officers
to make complaint because, in negotiating the purchase of the
tile-kiln and the meadow on the other side of the bridge, the
purpose for which they were bought, i.e., the erection of a
railway-depot, had not been made public. The former owners
of the property on the streets leading to the green gate
demanded immense securities for their payment, and the
mortgage-holders desired to foreclose shortly. At Feinberg's
instigation, a society was in process of formation for "the
preservation of historically famous structures of the ancient
Hanseatic town," and old Dr. Sperling, the Recorder, of course
without any sinister design, was doing his best to induce every
one to become a member of it. There was talk of having; the
THE GREEN GATE. 357
green gate restored after a drawing of the sixteenth century.
A letter to Kostling, signed by many of the towns-folk, had
been written, thanking him for his " loyalty to his native town
in preserving untouched by selfish rapacity one of her most
valued memorials," and, in conclusion, entreating him to resist
with firmness all future efforts to deprive their beloved .town
of any of its antiquarian glory. Furthermore, there was talk
of a petition to the government to forbid, in the interest of the
public weal, any destruction of the green gate, which petition
would doubtless find in other quarters of the town many
signers, who feared that the new railway-depot might interfere
with their trade. The green gate, but lately considered a stum-
bling-block in the way of traffic, had suddenly become a celeb-
rity, the loss of which would be very detrimental to the town.
Thus obstacles upon obstacles were heaped in his path, and he
should be unable to maintain his position if something decisive
did not shortly occur in his favour.
In his last letter Moritz mentioned a new cause of alarm.
Old Kostling was suffering from a disease of the heart, which
might terminate his life at any moment. He was apparently
aware of this, and had deposited his will with the authorities.
Very probably he had decided the fate of the green gate in
this document, and if, as seemed likely, the obstinate old man
had bequeathed to the town a considerable sum for the future
preservation of the old structure, there was an end to all
their hopes.
Schbnrade thought this fear by no means unreasonable, but
he could not confer at present with his committee, since Coun-
cillor Wiesel had at last yielded to his wife's entreaties and
departed for Wiesbaden, accompanied by Mr. Fairfax and Lilli.
A letter written to Mr. Fairfax was answered most cautiously,
the Englishman assuring him of his steadfast friendship, " if
only for Lilli's sake, she would allow no disloyalty," but
proposing that the whole affair should be postponed until the
358 THE GREEN GATE.
fall, when they might try what could be done by legal coer-
cion. Legal coercion ! Just what the Professor wished to
avoid. The Councillor's wife must have benefited by the use
of the Wiesbaden waters, since she sent her regards to the
Freiherr von Honeburg, and a remonstrance for not "dis-
covering himself sooner to his best friends."
Thus, as matters stood, the Professor might have gone to
Florence to the wedding, and even have remained there several
weeks, but, great as was his desire to see Katrine, he was pos-
sessed by a spirit of unrest quite foreign to his nature, that
prevented him from coming to any decision upon this point.
He could not determine to refuse the invitation, but painted
in the warmest words his longing to be once more with her
whom he so loved; still, he hesitated to consent to go, and
even asked whether the marriage might not be postponed.
How the position of affairs might change within a week or
fourteen days he could not tell, but, as is often the case with
very resolute natures, after he had honestly done his best he
could not believe in failure, but looked for something " to turn
up" that should justify his confidence.
Had this " something" happened, when one morning he
received a letter, addressed in a strange handwriting, demand-
ing his sympathy, from a quarter whence alone he could now
hope for succour ? Dr. Kreutzer, a physician, wrote that he
felt it his duty to acquaint him with the fact that he was
attending Herr Kostling, but that he had very little hope of
his recovery from his present attack of heart-disease, since
the patient persisted in aggravating his symptoms by constant
agitation of mind. Spasms and fever were the consequence ;
he raved for hours at a time, and, although in his delirium it
was easy to see what was occupying his mind, there seemed
but little connection in his thoughts. He talked continually
of a sister named Camilla, whom he had lost, described most
vividly the contests between his ancestors and the Freiherw
THE GREEN GATE. 359
von Honeburg, asserting, however, that all enmity should be
buried in his grave, and appealing, when he was questioned
at all, to the testimony of Professor Schbnfade, who knew all
he had suffered. He had so much still to say to him, but he
could not send for him for fear of troubling his mother ; and
then he would repeat perpetually the words " his mother,
his mother," more and more softly, until he fell asleep. " I
learn," the physician concluded, " that you, my dear sir, paid
him a visit and had a long conversation with him just before
his present seizure. His old housekeeper declares that from
that time he never left his room. Her suspicion that your
visit was the cause of his illness is entirely unfounded, since it
is merely the development of a disease from which he has suf-
fered for many years, and which now manifests itself in spite
of the determination with which he has struggled against it.
At the same time, your interview with him, that must Jiave
been occupied, in spite of what Herr Amberger says, with the
discussion of other subjects besides the green gate, has much to
do with his mental agitation ; and, at all events, you seem to be
the only one cognizant of what occasions his distress of mind,
and you are perhaps possessed of the power to relieve it. Two
days ago I found him, to my great surprise, out of bed and
seated at his writing-table. He was, he said, writing his will,
that his peace with God and man might be concluded. I was
commissioned to see it deposited with the suitable legal au-
thorities. Since then he has been much calmer, with a less
frequent recurrence of the spasms ; but his strength is failing,
and I fear that he will not live long. In my opinion, a visit
from you would not be attended with the slightest danger to
my patient, but might, on the contrary, tend to alleviate his
sufferings. At all events, since he is evidently very desirous
of seeing you, I have judged it best to write to you, leaving it
to yourself to act as you shall think best in the case.
" Your obedient servant, etc."
360 THE GREEN GATE.
Xaver hastened with this letter to his mother, who was
greatly affected by its contents, and strongly approved his de-
termination to depart by the next train, that he might be with
the old man in his last moments. She trembled with emotion,
and could not restrain her tears. " Make haste! make haste !"
she said, as if he could hurry the moment of leaving. " I will
tell your father. Oh, how guilty are we if he dies with no
word to us of forgiveness !"
CHAPTER XXVIII.
WHEN, two hours afterwards, Xaver was standing upon the
railway platform, Camilla suddenly appeared. He thought
she had some farewell message to give him, and had brought
it herself, but, to his no small surprise, she announced her inten-
tion of accompanying him. Her luggage was already attended
to. " For days," she said, " I have been contemplating a visit
to the house where, as a friendless orphan, I was so kindly
received, and upon which I brought such sorrow. Whe:a you
first told me of Kostling, I longed to hasten to him and entreat
his forgiveness, but I was withheld by the thought that he
might believe me to be actuated by a desire to promote your
interests. Perhaps even now he may think me prompted by
selfish aims, but I cannot delay any longer ; his hours seem
numbered, and I must not lose the few that remain. It
would be a life-long regret to me not to see him again."
Xaver pressed her hand warmly. " It is like your own
dear self, mother," he replied. " Even if the physician should
forbid you to see him, you will never repent doing all that you
can to retrieve the past. Yes, we will go together."
THE GREEN GATE. 361
The train was not very fall, and mother and son had a
carriage to themselves. Their talk was affectionate and confi-
dential ; there were no longer subjects that must be avoided
between them, and if their discussion still gave pain, the pain
was wholesome, and Camilla did not spare herself.
The Professor established his mother at the hotel, and then
went to confer with the physician, to whom he explained the
relations existing between his patient and the strangers. Dr.
Kreutzer, though he hoped for a good result from their visit,
thought some preparation of his patient was necessary to pre-
vent a shock, and they drove together to the Kostling house,
postponing until afterwards any thought of introducing Camilla
to the sick-room.
Schonrade remained in the anteroom while the physician
entered the sick man's chamber.
After a few minutes he returned, saying, " I was right ; you
are welcome. I asked him frankly whether he wished to see
you, and there was no doubt of his ready assent. Go in im-
mediately, that he may not become agitated in waiting. I
will pay another visit, and then return to see how he is." He
ushered him into the room, and left him.
The two cats were lying on the window-sill, purring loudly ;
at the writing-table sat a Sister of Mercy, the nurse, engaged
with some sewing. The bed had been placed with the head
against the wall, so that it could be approached from three
sides. The old man lying in it raised his head a little, and
stretched out his hand towards his visitor. " You are kind to
come," he said, "to come on my account, the doctor tells me.
I should not have dared to ask it."
The Professor sat down at his bedside. " I could not wait,"
he said, " until you were recovered, to express my hope that
there is no serious danger "
The sick man smiled sadly. " There is no need to conceal
my condition from me," he said ; " I am prepared for every-
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362 THE GREEN GATE.
thing, and, now that I see you once more, I have hardly a wish
ungratified."
The Professor advised him not to look forward to a fatal
termination of his present attack. Painful as the disease of
the heart was from which he suffered, the subjects of it fre-
quently lived to extreme old age.
" Could I think that desirable ?" Kostling gently replied.
" Do not grudge me death, young friend. You know that I
have lived too long already, and am a burden to myself and
others. Do not gainsay me. A man who has lived as lonely
a life as mine must attain self-comprehension at last, or he is
an incorrigible fool. For years I have lived only because I
could not die. Is the continuance of such an aimless exist-
ence to be desired?"
" But could it not be so filled," Schonrade asked, " as to give
it value in your eyes ?"
The old man shook his gray head. " How could that be ?
There are men, unfortunately, so governed by a single idea
that upon it the whole interest of existence depends. How
many have gone through an experience like to mine, and yet
in time their sorrow has passed away, and they have addressed
themselves anew to the building up of their future. He who
cannot forget what is irretrievably lost, is lost himself, a man
to whom the whole world is but a reflection of his own diseased
mind. Such men willingly lay the weight of their woes upon
those in health about them; as they cannot get away from
themselves, they seek to draw others into their companionship,
to infect them with their disease. Why, at our first meeting,
did I relate to you the whole history of my sorrow, to you,
the son of the woman whom it was my misfortune to love,
and who herself loved so unhappily ? Believe me, I have re-
proached myself bitterly for so doing. How hateful I must
have seemed to you ! And yet at that very time I felt my
heart drawn towards you, Camilla's sOn ! I had long since
THE GREEN GATE. 363
forgiven her, and it was against myself that I raged when I
thus tore open the old wounds. There are strange contradic-
tions in us, that no reason can explain, and a sick heart "
His face worked painfully, and he clasped Xaver's hand to
his breast. Xaver returned its pressure most warmly. " You
do yourself injustice," he said. " I should have misjudged
you if you had not spoken, and if you spoke at all you must
have said what you did."
"No, no!" Kostling replied, with a grateful look; "I lost
then all the self-control I had so hardly learned ; and so I
could not bear to die without seeing you once more. Now I
can die."
" And I may tell my mother that you forgive her?" asked
Schbnrade.
" Forgive !" the sick man exclaimed, raising his voice ; " what
have I to forgive ? That she could not love me as I loved her?
It is true there was a tune when it angered me, but if you
could think that all anger against her had not long since faded
away, it must have been because my vivid memory of her gave
to my words a cutting distinctness. No, tell her that those
years of my youth brightened by her sisterly love have been
a precious gift to me, a gift that I would not resign even if, in
exchange, the sorrow that succeeded them could be blotted
out ; that they have been the main stay of my solitary life, and
that I should most surely think of her in my last hour with
the same affection, even although I knew her happy in another's
love."
Xaver's eyes were moist. " I thank you," he said. " My
mother will find the comfort that she needs in your magna-
nimity. You do not know how bitterly she reproaches herself,
how grieved she is by your illness, how gladly she would hear
from your own lips that you have forgiven the ingratitude that
she has so sincerely repented. If she were not afraid "
He paused. The sick man had closed his eyes, and was
364 THE GREEN GATE.
gasping for breath ; his hand had grown cold, and seemed
scarcely able to press that of the Professor, which lay in it.
Evidently great caution was necessary to prevent a return of
the spasms. Xaver stood motionless by the bed for a long
while, until the invalid's breath came more and more gently,
and he fell asleep.
Dr. Kreutzer was quite content with the Professor's report,
and afterwards with the condition of his patient. " He is
apparently much relieved," he said, " and will no longer dwell
upon what has been troubling him. His life must needs be
short now ; all that we can do is to make his few remaining
days as comfortable and happy as possible. Let me arrange
a plan." He told the sick man that he had engaged another
nurse for him, and that he must be prepared for the sight of
a new face.
" Will not my visitor of to-day remain beneath my roof?"
asked Kostling, and fell asleep, with a happy smile, when he
learned that it should be so.
The next morning Camilla sat at the writing-table, in the
Sister of Mercy's accustomed place, and anxiously awaited the
old man's awakening. By the advice of the physician, she
had some sewing in her hands, and a book lay open upon the
table before her, that she might seem to be occupied as was
usual with the attendant. The two cats were lying on the
floor at her feet. The watch above the head of the bed ticked
audibly.
At length Kostling coughed slightly, turned his face to-
wards the window, and opened his eyes. The strange nurse
did not startle him ; and yet there must have been something
about her that attracted his attention, for he lay for awhile
gazing fixedly at her. Seen from his bed, the beautiful pro-
file was sharply defined against the light background of the
window ; and there was a bluish lustre upon the waving hair.
The picture was one to demand admiration, but it stirred
THE GREEN GATE. 365
strange memories, it was unknown and yet familiar. He
gazed at it, closed his eyes to see if he were awake, and
then looked again. His face glowed with pleasure ; he breathed
more quickly ; his hand sought his heart. Did he know
whom he saw before him ? did he still doubt? could he venture
to hope ? was there no fear of dispelling a delightful dream ?
or did he feel that he owed it to himself and to her to main-
tain his self-control ? What were the thoughts passing in the
mind of that man, weary and worn with the sorrows of his
life? -
Camilla had heard the cough, and, by one hurried glance,
satisfied herself that he was awake. Her eyes were now
bent steadily upon her book, but her heart throbbed to her
very temples. She had so often determined how she would
approach him. and what she would say ; but now she was
conscious of nothing save a vague feeling of anxiety. Although
her eyes were downcast, she distinctly felt that Kostling was
gazing at her fixedly, that he was, as it were, photographing
her picture on his mind ; and she grew giddy, as one does when
the photographer removes the cover from the glass of his ap-
paratus and says " now !" For some seconds she lost all sense
of where she was, and of the meaning of the moment. Years
vanished, and she was once more sitting with the playmate
and friend of her youth in his pleasant room in the Kostling
house. Yes, it was the same room that had always been his,
because he so liked the outlook upon the garden. She was
roused by the low call, " Camilla !" and, not knowing what she
did, she answered the familiar voice as she had always done,
so many many years ago, " Lorenz dear?" She looked, and
saw the old man half sitting up in bed, his pale face flushing,
his eyes sparkling with delight.
"It is you !" he exclaimed. " It is really you !" and sank
back among the pillows.
Camilla was herself again in an instant. She saw that he
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must not be left to himself, but that any display of emotion on
her part would agitate him. She went to his bedside, and,
kneeling down, put her hand upon his arm, and said, gently,
" You must be calm, dear Lorenz, quite calm, or I cannot
stay with you ; and I should like so much to stay. Will you
not be perfectly calm ?"
" I will, Camilla," he answered, in a faltering voice ; " only
stay with me."
" We need say nothing more to each other, Lorenz," she
continued, stroking his hand. " We have both consigned all
that troubled us to my son's keeping ; his love has purified
it, and returned to each only what can bless. I know that
I need not ask for forgiveness, and you know that I have
never forgotten my dear brother. Let us not say another
word about it. Dr. Kreutzer will let me stay and take care
of you if he sees that it does you no harm, and that it gives
you pleasure. So be calm, Lorenz dear."
He gently smiled. " I have you again, Camilla," he said,
" and it is as if I never had lost you. Ah, I never lost you,
you have been with me always. But to behold you once more
with mortal eyes before I died was more than I dared to hope,
and it makes life dear to me again."
" Do not talk of dying," she entreated. " Let us hope you
will soon be well again."
" I have been ill," he replied ; " but that is all over now.
Let the end come when it will ; I can face death or life with
equal courage."
Camilla seated herself beside him, and he took her hand.
Thus they talked together, like friends who have long been
separated, and who have much to ask and to learn. Thus
Xaver found them.
" Why have we lived apart so long?" Kostling asked.
The physician himself was surprised to find the old man's
pulse so calm. " Your mother has a soothing effect upon
THE GREEN GATE. 367
him," he observed to Schb'nrade. " We may leave them to-
gether without anxiety. But you must not entertain the idea
that this improvement in his condition gives any hope of
recovery. A heart so diseased as his often ceases to beat very
suddenly."
Two days passed without any perceptible change. By de-
grees Kbstling learned everything concerning Xaver's relations
with his father, even to the latest occurrences that had led to
the Count's reconciliation with Camilla. On the morning of
the third day, after an excellent night, the sick man began
to speak of this again. Camilla would have talked of other
things, but Kbstling said, " I can hear it all without jealousy.
I am really your brother once more, Camilla. If I had the dis-
posal of your hand, and the Count sued for it, I would gladly
place it in his. From all that I hear, he is now worthy of you."
Camilla was silent.
" It is strange," he continued. " I imagined that I hated
the Count as I could hate no other man, and certainly I was
filled with hostility towards him. But now that I know you
reconciled to him, it is as if I partook of your gentler dispo-
sition of mind. I cannot think unkindly of him any longer.
And shall I tell you all ? it seems to me that I must place
the seal upon your forgiveness of him, that it may be full and
complete, and no jot of rancour remain between you. Yes, yes !
I should like to clasp his hand once more in this world, that
the last spark of enmity between the two houses might be
extinguished, and Xaver's inheritance be perfect peace. I
should like it."
Camilla consulted with her son. It was agreed to telegraph
for the Count. The next night he arrived, and the morning
afterwards Xaver announced his arrival to his mother and his
old friend. " We have been talking together in my dreams,"
the latter said. " Bring him to me, and tell him that I know
all there is in his heart ; he must trust me."
368 THE GREEN GATE.
Half an hour afterwards Xaver led his father to the old
man's bedside. The Count was much agitated, and could with
difficulty suppress a passionate entreaty for forgiveness. Kb'st-
ling's hand, too, trembled, and his voice faltered as he said,
" Let us close the book whose pages are inscribed with the
enmity of centuries. I wish to leave this world in peace,
and I will take it with me to lay it down before the throne of
God. And that the cause of the last conflict may be blotted
out, and wrong be made right, receive Camilla from my hand,
Count Gleichenau. For -the first time, she will be truly
yours." He beckoned Camilla, who stood, much agitated, at
a little distance, to approach, drew her towards him, kissed
her, and placed her hand in the Count's. " Be once more
what you were," he said, gently, " when love united you.
God bless you as I do from my heart from my Very
heart "
His words grew fainter and fainter ; at last his lips moved
only in an indistinct murmur, and his head sank forward
upon his breast. Xaver had thrown his arms around him to
support him ; he felt the old man's weight become heavier,
and he laid him gently down upon the pillows. The dying
gaze sought Camilla, the failing fingers clasped the hands that
he had united in his own, and the heart ceased to beat.
For some minutes profound silence reigned in the room,
broken only by a sob from Camilla. Then the Count turned
to her, put his arm around her, and said, " Will you under-
stand his request to us? Camilla, will you honour his last
words ?"
She burst into tears, and threw herself upon his bosom.
Xaver embraced both. " Mother ! Father ! Through con-
flict to peace !"
THE GREEN GATE. 369
CHAPTER XXIX.
LORENZ KOSTLINQ was gathered to his fathers in the family
vault in the church-yard of the old Liebfrauen Church. His
coffin was followed to the grave by half the town. Moritz
and Lena appeared among the chief mourners ; they walked
side by side, and every one now knew that they were betrothed.
A few days later his will was opened. It consisted but of
a few lines. Camilla was the heiress of his wealth ; a hand-
some legacy was left to the town, and his old housekeeper was
recommended to Camilla's care. The fear lest there might
have been a clause directing the preservation of the old family
structures was entirely unfounded.
" He had forgiven before we were aware of it," said Xaver;
" this will, drawn up before my arrival, is an undeniable proof
of his magnanimity. Thank God, no one can accuse us of in-
fluencing his testamentary dispositions !"
" And the green gate?" Moritz asked, who had been not a
little anxious on that score, although from delicacy he had
hitherto refrained from speaking of it.
" It now belongs to my mother," Xaver replied, " and she
certainly will but carry out the wishes of the deceased if she
removes from mortal eyes this memorial of ancient enmity."
" Let the inscriptions and carvings be first carefully pre-
served, to be placed beside our friend's coffin," said Camilla.
" All that then remains of the old gate is yours, to do with
as you think best."
This was the end of their troubles. The gate could be taken
down, the street could be opened ; the great railway-project
was assured, and Moritz Amberger held his head high again
on 'Change. Feinberg felt he was vanquished, and gave up
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all opposition. There was a rumour that he intended leaving
the town for a distant city, where his future son-in-law was to
be his partner in business. It was thought that the latter
needed to be closely watched. Frau Feinberg and Sidonie re-
mained in Berlin, where a magnificent house was purchased, that
the young couple were to take possession of upon their marriage.
Moritz Amberger undertook to conduct the affairs of the
projected railway and put them all in working order. " Let
me show now what I have learned, and of what I am capa-
ble," he said to Xaver. " You can go to Florence, where your
heart already is, with perfect safety."
Old Vogelstein was induced to remove with his daughter
and granddaughter to the Kostling house, as steward of Ca-
milla's rich inheritance. Lena's outfit, also, could be much
more easily provided in town. Camilla, the Count, and Xaver
showered gifts upon her. " Do not make it too easy for my
Moritz to marry a poor girl," she said, gaily. Her mother
was in an ecstasy. " Dear child !" she exclaimed ; " she de-
serves it all for her brave father's sake !"
"Pray make haste," Moritz begged, "that our marriage
may not be long deferred. Of course we must wait for my
mother, who has not yet even bestowed her maternal blessing
upon our betrothal. But let the marriage take place as soon
as possible after her arrival, and there shall be a merry winter
in the old Amberger mansion ! Philip and his young wife,
and I and my young wife ! If the Herr Freiherr von Hone-
burg-Schonrade and his young wife will but spend Christmas
with us, there will be jolly times indeed !"
" Honeburg-Schunrade !" Xaver exclaimed, with a laugh.
" I like the combination ; it shall surely be engraved on my
next visiting-cards. What do you think of the Countess
Gleichenau-Bellarota?" he whispered in his mother's ear.
"For shame!" she whispered, in return. "As if I could
be married from off the stage !"
THE GREEN GATE. 371
Every day Xaver grew more impatient to be off for Flor-
ence, whither he would have departed already, had not Ca-
milla expressed a wish to accompany him, without, however,
seeming in a great hurry to arrange the preliminaries. At
"last Xaver declared that Philip could wait no longer, and the
time of his departure was fixed. That very day the Count
and Camilla had a long tete-ci-tete conversation, after which
the Count took counsel with his son with regard to " a most
important matter." Xaver left him with a cordial grasp of
the hand and an assurance that all should be prepared.
The Count then returned to Berlin, to attend to various
formal arrangements and to bring back Kunibert. In the
mean while, Xaver announced that he wished to take actual
possession of the Honeburg. He took a corps of workmen
thither with him, and returned forty-eight hours afterwards, de-
claring that his castle was now ready for the reception of guests.
" And I desire to invite you all," he said, " to spend to-morrow
with me. My mother, my father, and my brother, who are
to arrive to-night from Berlin, Moritz Amberger and his Lena,
friend Vogelstein and his daughter, and, lastly, Dr. Sperling,
who knows more about the old castle than all the rest of us
together, with the pastor of the Liebfrauen Church, who spoke
so touchingly at Herr Kostling's funeral. These last-named
gentlemen I shall drive over myself; carriages will await the
others at the Amberger and Kostling mansions. I pray you
all to come in festal array."
It was a glorious morning ; the sky down to the very horizon
was as clear and blue as if no clouds could ever veil it ; the air
warm, but not sultry. The occupants of the carriages rolling
through the green gate and across the bridge looked down into
lie ditch where, on the gravel-paths, the lonely old man in the
blue coat was no longer to be seen. Over the beds and through
Jie bushes the two cats were scampering after the birds, they
were now Lena's especial care ; on the moor the larks were
372 THE GREEN GATE.
carolling gaily ; on the tow-path some boatmen were dragging
a skiff along the river by a long rope, its red pennon hanging
limp at the mast-head. When the road near the ruins grew
narrow and uneven, the guests descended from the carriages,
and went the rest of the way on foot to the garden.
As they entered its precincts, a flag fluttered out from a
flower-wreathed flagstaff, on the summit of the old watch-
tower, and from the lofty platform around it floated down the
notes of a hymn, played by a band of wind instruments. A
triumphal arch of flowers was erected over the stone door-posts
of the garden gate, and there was another inside the court-yard,
while all the path to the house was strewn with roses and green
boughs, and the windows were hung with wreaths and festoons
of green. It was a beautiful sight.
Xaver received his guests at the old fountain, embracing
most fondly his mother, who was greatly agitated, and then
clasping his father's hand warmly, without speaking. He was
almost overcome at the thought of all that had here transpired
between these two, so dear to him.
He conducted them within the house, and when, after a
quarter of an hour, they appeared again in the court-yard, a
delicate wreath of flowers rested lightly upon Camilla's black
hair. Xaver conducted them along the flower-strewn paths to
the lindens by the old wall, beckoning to the rest of the guests
to follow. There, above the old altar-stone, a mimic chapel of
greenery had been erected, and within it stood the venerable
clergyman in his surplice, waiting for the pair who now knelt
before him. Xaver laid his hand upon Kunibert's shoulder,
and Moritz and Lena stood arm-in-arm.
Again the notes of sacred music floated down from the high
tower, a most touching sound ; and then the clergyman spoke,
reminding those present how lately they had stood beside an
open grave, to which had been consigned the mortal remains
of a man who had suffered much during his life, but who had
THE GREEN GATE. 373
left the world at peace in his heart with those who had done
him great wrong. " To-day," he continued, "we are about to
fulfil his last and fondest wish, to obey his injunction, to forget
as he forgot, and to remember only as he remembered. At this
solemn moment let his spirit, the spirit of peace and love, hover
about us and consecrate our thoughts. Through conflict and
struggles you have attained peace ; he in whom your love was
strong has reunited you, the son to whom you gave life en-
riches your own fourfold. In memory and oblivion then let
there be solemnized, not a new union, but the confirmation
before these witnesses of the old one, and let it be so strong
that an eternity shall not suffice to dissolve it. God grant that
this may be !"
He then performed the marriage ceremony, and Jaid his
hands in blessing on their heads. The music from the tower .
completed the solemnity.
No one liked the idea of going within-doors on such a glo-
rious day. A table was spread beneath the old linden by the
fountain, and here the guests enjoyed the marriage-feast which
the lord of the castle had prepared for them. " We will return
here in the autumn," said the Count, " when Xaver and
Katrine, Moritz and Lena, celebrate their double marriage,
and we will pass some quiet weeks here. Shall we not,
Camilla?"
She assented. " If Xaver does not need the house."
" Oh," he exclaimed, " there will always be room enough
here for you."
" Then, Moritz," said Lena, with a pretty little pout, " what
is to become of your promise to buy the castle ?"
" It is such a step from the town," Xaver rejoined; " and
a Professor, you must remember, does not have very many
holidays."
The same evening the Count and his wife departed for
Florence with their two sons ; but they travelled too slowly for
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374 THE GREEN GATE.
Xaver's impatience, and he left them at Munich, to hurry on
to his Katrine, from whom he had been separated for what
seemed an interminable length of time.
Ah, what a meeting it was ! Frau Amberger placed Ka-
trine's hand in the Freiherr's, remarking, with a self-satisfied
smile, that she had always thought the Professor was some-
body. Philip presented his Lucia. " It was an exceedingly
clever idea of ours," he said, shaking his friend's hand, "to
leave the choice of a hotel-conveyance to chance !"
" But," the Professor replied, in a warning tone, " suppose
you had said eleven instead of twelve?"
" I cannot," said Philip, " suppose that I could possibly
have been so stupid."
Not long afterwards, a happy party were sitting again around
a table at a marriage-feast, this time not beneath the open sky,
but in the spacious dining-hall of the Palazzo Bellarota. Signor
Uccello did the honours with great dignity. When the cham-
pagne was sparkling in the glasses, Xaver called his Katrine's
attention to the decorated ceiling. She looked up, her fair
hair almost touching his black curls, and with his glass he
described in the air the circlet in the decoration above them.
" Look ! Do you not see," he said, " that we have fortune's
wheel in our escutcheon ?"
She laughed a low, happy laugh, and, looking across the
table, he met Camilla's tender smile.