CHAPTER X

iBornstedt,asfarasIamconcerned,isahopelesswasteoftime." "Axel!" "Trudi?" "Youdon'tmeantosaythatyouarenotthinkingofher?" "Thinkingofher?Ineverletmythoughtslingerroundstrangeyoungladies." "Thenwhatinheaven'snamehaveyougotmeherefor?" "Theanemonesarecomingout——" "Ach——" "Theyreallyare." "SupposeinsteadofteasingmeasthoughIwerestilltenandyouagreatbully,youtalkedsensibly.TheHohensteinsgiveabalmasquéto-night,andIgaveituptocometoyou." "Oh,mydear,thatwasreallykind,"saidLohm,touchedbythetremendousnessofthissacrifice. "Thenbeagoodboy,"saidTrudicaressingly,edgingherselfclosertohim,"andtellmeyouaregoingtobewiseaboutBibi.Don'tthrowsuchachanceaway—it'spositivelywicked." "MydearTrudi,you'llhaveusintheditch.Itisverynicewhenyouleanagainstme,butIcan'tdrive.Bytheway,youremembermyoldKleinwaldeneighbour?Theoldmanwhospoiltyousoatrociously?" "Bibiwillmakeamostexcellentwife,"saidTrudi,ungratefullyindifferenttothememoryofoldJoachim."Oh,whatacoldwindthereisto-day.Dodrivefaster,Axel.Whatataste,tolivehereandtolikeitintothebargain!" "YouknowthatImustlivehere." "Butyouneedn'tlikeit." "You'veheardthatoldJoachimleftKleinwaldetohisEnglishniece?" "YouhaveonlyseenBibionce,andshegrowsononetremendously." "IwanttotalkaboutoldJoachim." "AndIwanttotalkaboutBibi." "Well,Bibicanwait.Sheistheyounger.Youknowabouttheoldman'swill?" "IshouldthinkIdid.Oneofhisunfortunatesonshasjustjoinedourregiment.Youshouldhearhimonthesubject." "Amostdisagreeable,graspinglot,"saidLohmdecidedly."Theyreceivedeverybitoftheirdues,andareallwelloff.Surelytheoldmancoulddoashelikedwiththeoneplacethatwasnotentailed?" "Itisn'ttheusualthingtoleaveone'slandtoaforeigner.Isshecomingtoliveinit?" "Shecamelastweek." "Oh?"Thisinatoneofsuddeninterest. Therewasapause.ThenTrudisaid,"Issheyoung?" "Quiteyoung." "Pretty?" "Exceedinglypretty." Trudilookedupathimandsmiled. "Well?"saidAxel,smilingbackather. "Well?"saidTrudi,continuingtosmile. Axellaughedoutright."MydearTrudi,yourastutenessterrifiesme.YounotonlyknowalreadywhyIwrotetoyou,butyouknowmorereasonsfortheletterthanImyselfdreamof.Iwanttobeabletohelpthisextremelyhelplessyounglady,andIcanhardlybeofanyusetoherbecauseIhavenowomaninthehouse.IfIhadawifeIcouldbeofthegreatestassistance." "Onlythenyouwouldn'twanttobe." "CertainlyIshould." "Pray,why?" "BecauseIhaveagreaterdebtofobligationstoherunclethanIcaneverrepaytohisniece." "Oh,nonsense—nobodypaystheirdebtsofobligations.Thenaturalthingtodoistohatethepersonwhohasforcedyoutobegrateful,andtogetoutofhisway." "MydearTrudi,thisshrewdness——"murmuredherbrother.Thenheadded,"Iknowperfectlywellthatyourthoughtshavealreadyflowntoawedding.Minedon'treachfartherthananelderlycompanion." "Whofor?Foryou?" "MissEstcourtislookingforanelderlycompanion,andIwouldbegratefultoyouifyouwouldhelpher." "Buttheelderlycompaniondoesnotexcludethewedding." "WhenyouseeMissEstcourtyouwillunderstandhowcompletelysuchapossibilityisoutsidehercalculations.Youwon'tofcoursebelievethatitisoutsidemine.Whyshouldyouwanttomarrymetoeverygirlwithinreach?FiveminutesagoitwasBibi,andnowitisMissEstcourt.Youdonotintheleastconsiderwhatviewsthegirlsthemselvesmighthave.MissEstcourtisabsorbedatthismomentinasearchfortwelveoldladies." "Twelve——?" "Herambitionistospendherselfandhermoneyontwelveoldladies.Shethinkshappinessandmoneyareasgoodforthemasforherself,andwantstoshareherownwithpersonswhohaveneither." "MydearAxel—isshemad?" "Shedidnotgivemethatimpression." "Andyousaysheisyoung?" "Yes." "Andreallypretty?" "Yes." "Andcouldbesowelloffinthatflourishingplace!" "Ofcourseshecould." "I'llgoandcallonherto-morrow,"saidTrudidecidedly. "Itwillbekindofyou,"saidLohm. "Kind!Itisn'tkindness,it'scuriosity,"saidTrudiwithalaugh."Letusbefrank,andcallthingsbytheirrightnames." Annawasinthegarden,admiringthefirstcrocus,whenTrudiappeared.ShedroveAxel'scobsuptothedoorinwhatshefeltwasexcellentstyle,andhopedMissEstcourtwaswatchingherfromawindowandwouldseethatEnglishwomenwerenottheonlysportswomenintheworld.ButAnnasawnothingbutthecrocus. ThewildernessdowntothemarshthatdiddutyasagardenwassoshelteredandsunnythatspringstoppedtherefirsteachyearbeforegoingonintotheforestandAnnalovedtowalkstraightoutofthedrawing-roomwindowintoit,bare-headedandcoatless,whenevershehadtime.Trudisawhercomingtowardsthehouseupontheservant'stellingherthataladyhadcalled."Nothingon,onacolddaylikethis!"shethought.Sheherselfworeaparticularlysportingdriving-coat,withanimmensecollarturnedupoverherears."Iwonder,"musedTrudi,watchingtheapproachingfigure,"howitisthatEnglishgirls,sotidyintheclothes,sotrimintheshoes,soneatinthetieandcollar,neverapparentlybrushtheirhair.AGermanMi