CHAPTER VI.
SKILFUL STRATEGY.
On the third day after his return, Pranken set out for the villa. Hestopped at the Justice's, for he wanted to know what he had done. Butthe Justice said, modestly as well as wisely, that he did not think itfitting to take any step before speaking with Herr von Pranken, who hadrecommended his friend to the house; he was ready, however, to drivewith Herr von Pranken to Villa Eden.
Pranken bowed his thanks. He must then himself take a part in theaffair. He did not decline the offer of the Justice, perhaps thepedantic little man might serve as a reconnoitering party, to find outwhere, and in what condition, the enemy was.
In his new frame of mind, Pranken was not inclined to enter into anyintrigue, and he said to himself that this was nothing of that sort;but strategy was always permissible, even required. One must lay holdof the enemy wherever and howsoever he can. Pranken drew himself uperect, and laid down the precise method of proceeding: he would pretendto apologise for Eric, in order to help the Justice accomplish hisobject more directly. He was, again, the spirited, confident, captainof the horse-guards leaping the barriers.
The Justice requested that he would see the ladies, while he got readyfor the drive. He had not yet shaved. The good Justice lived all theyear round in violation of the law; every day his mustaches were liableto fell a sacrifice to the stringent regulation of the Prince, that theofficers of the civil service should not wear a moustache. He gave asan excuse for wearing it his suffering from tooth-ache, but the realreason was, that he wanted to hide the loss of his teeth.
Pranken went up stairs. The Justice's wife welcomed him, and could notfind words strong enough to describe her rapturous admiration of Bella,and the regret of the whole company that Herr von Pranken had not comein for a moment.
"Might one be allowed to ask where you have been?" enquired the wife ofthe Justice.
"I have been to see a dear friend on the lower Rhine."
"Might one ask the name of the friend?"
"Herr von Kempen."
She congratulated Pranken on having such intimate friends; if theycould be always worthy of his friendship. The conversation mightnaturally, at this point, have brought in Eric, but Pranken refrained,and asked after Fraeulein Lina. The mother said that her child waslearning to cook, which every good housewife ought to be able to do;only it was to be regretted that there were no cooks fit to give anyinstruction. Pranken expressed himself in praise of this proceeding,and spoke of the demoralised condition of service, for which they hadto thank the revolutionists, who undermined all fidelity and allbelief.
The lady considered this very true, and was again on the point ofreferring to Eric, when luckily the Justice entered. He had put on hisofficial dress, and his sword, making an almost ridiculous appearance,but Pranken was highly delighted at this respect for the occasion. Theydrove together to the villa. When Pranken left the Justice's house, hetwirled his mustaches, in a most serene state of self-satisfaction andcontent. He is still honorable in the highest degree, shamefully goodwould many of his comrades call it, so to spare the girl. With thisfeeling of exemplary virtue--and it has a fine relish--he was extremelyamiable, and full of elasticity, feeling convinced that he was, everyinstant, a benefactor of the family, and that at no small sacrifice onhis own part.
Lina looked at them from the servant's room near the kitchen, asthey drove off; she stood behind the flowers in full bloom upon thewindow-seat, and, as she inhaled the fragrance of a new-blown monthlyrose, a fragrance not less sweet breathed through her soul. When shecould no longer see the carriage in which her father sat with thebaron, she hastened to the best room, opened the piano, and sang, withclear voice and ardent expression, love-songs to the world in general.Her mother came in, with her hair in disorder, and considered it whollyincomprehensible that Lina should be singing, while two pots put therein the kitchen were boiling over.
"You'll never be anything but an ignoramus; except a little bit oflanguage you learned there, the convent has only made you simpler thanever."
Lina went into the kitchen again, and stood before the hearth, lost inreverie. She would like to have heard what her father and Pranken hadto say to one another.
Their conversation was very constrained. Pranken praised the Justicefor his zeal in keeping his district pure; the Justice complained thathe had, in this case, no overt acts to proceed upon, only a supposeddangerous tendency. He understood how to draw Pranken out, and thelatter narrated many charges, of course wholly unjust, an appearance oftreason among others, which had been brought against Eric. He prayedhim, however, to spare the poor, young man to whom the Prince himselfhad been merciful, and he thanked the Justice for neutralizing theeffects of the impulse, by which he himself had been violently carriedaway. The Justice did not know exactly what course he ought to take,and he was terrified when they came in sight of the villa.
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