THE STORYTELLER

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 1, 7 January 1925, Page 3

THE STORYTELLER

His mother's house was soon one of the most frequented in town. Lily's reputation of being, an heiress, as well as .the supposition that Curt.wo f uld., sopn, be s his. T own master, added to the glitter of a great name, and of a well-kept establishment. It was known that the countess earnestly desired a marriage should take place between the two young people, but that did not prevent enterprising mothers and sons making their own little plans, especially as the parties concerned gave no reason by their conduct for coupling their names together. Curt was decidedly indifferent to his cousin. He was always to be seen of an evening in his mother's drawing-room, but the rest of the day he spent mostly alone. His studies apparently took up his thoughts as well as his time, and the young ladies were one and all indignant at his amiable indifference towards them. Not one of them could boast of his having taken particular notice of her. The countess was probably put out by his conduct; she .had thought her stratagem would be followed by more rapid victory. Towards the end of Carnival she gave a great ball', at "which the whole town, as it is termed, was assembled. Curt did the honors with his usual ease and amiability, as well as with that perfect tranquillity and selfpossession which can only exist when there is no ."attraction" for" us-in;.;the world. "What a charming, well-bred, youth your son is," said an old gentleman to the countess, sitting,.at -the entrance of • the - ballroom amidst a. circle of -chaperones. -He was a great authority .in worldly matters, this worthy old Excellency.;. "He really has the very perfection of bon ton, and is so clever and handsome into the bargain. Quite the son to rejoice a mother's 1 heart! '"'' - The countess bowed her thanks to the compliment, but a, contraction of her features plainly showed that she was not quite satisfied with her son. "->•' The old Excellency noticed- this at once. He Was ; a. knowing and: worldly'-'excellency, and liked to get. at the bottom of all;;;things. "I cannot say how I have always admired his conduct. I have seldom seen so steady a young man. Indeed, he has kept so much aloof, from all the. pleasures. our: town-life that one might almost be anxious for the future. For, alas,.dear countess, is.it not a fact that we must, all sow pur wild oats?" "If, - indeed; that is a necessity, I suppose my son will not be exempt' from |he"gqn"eral rule" the countess" said this so bitterly,"that one could gather she already spoke from experience. .#s:. "V V;;^ This awakened the old Excellency's curiosity to the highest pitch. What reason could the countess have-to blame her son, about whom even the greatest scandalmongers were

*> /-- NORA Translated from the German by Princess Liechtenstein (Published by arrangement with Burns, Oates, Washbourne, Ltd.) "■*•?.; CHAPTER XL—(Continued.)

silent? "Perhaps he refuses to do as mamma bids him, and marry that little golden bird out there," he thought, following Curt with his. eyes, and seeing him turn abruptly away from Lily, who had gone up to him, as if to ask him something. "Your son will soon leave us, I have heard," he began, making a fresh attack upon the countess. "The young ladies will wear mourning, although he treats them with complete indifference. Not one of our beauties can boast of having made a conquest of him." "He is too young to settle down as yet," said the countess coldly. "But you, who are always so well-informed, can surely tell me where he is to be sent?" This time she was . evidently anxious as to the answer she would receive. "Diplomatic secrets!" smiled, the old gentleman. "Moreover, Ido not like to spoil the evening of so amiable an hostess. Mothers do not relish great distances to be placed between themselves and their sons." . "Oh, pray, speak!" said the countess with ill-suppressed impatience. "Will he be sent to North Germany?" "Precisely in an opposite direction, but somewhat further away, countess; nor more nor less than to his Ottoman Majesty. But 'when charming ladies wish a thing not to happen . . . you know, , countess ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut," he added in a whisper. "Our attaches are not so very important that a change on their parts should upset the balance of the State." • "Oh, why?" said the countess quickly. "It :is quite well as it is. We mothers must not wish to keep our sons tied to our petticoats. Moreover," she explained, "Baron X, the present ambassador there, is an old acquaintance of our family. But your Excellency is always so well-informed," she added with a smile, "I don't know where you have not your threads. You are really a very dangerous man!" "The old Excellency smiled, for although he*was- only* an ex-minister, he liked to pass for a man who possessed great influence. As the countess now rose to greet a new arrival, he muttered to himself: "Quite a Semiramis! But I should like to know the reason why. she wants her son to be sent so far away. One really might imagine that he had grown too quickly to- please her. Oh, women! women! who could ever guess at all what their;sweetness and gentleness conceals! • For knows what that shy little .mouse will grow into?" he added, alluding to Lily," who wasnow standing not far from > ; him, always fresh and rosy, but always awk/ward and shy. .She -was.- a favorite with old /gentlemen, who .liked her rosiness, childishf ness, and the" shyness of her manner'; whilst • young men declared- her tiresome and insig-

hificant. v True, she had a few admirers of her fortune-—pattern young men who followed the wise advice of their mothers. With these r apologies ; for lovers she was equally silent &md passive; and reddened and smiled exactly in the same manner to each one. s People gifted with a fine spirit of observation, declared that she always followed her handsome cousin with her eyes, although he JWfcflly avoided her. Just now he had turned Saly avoided away from her, in order to ost rudely away from her, in order to Ji treet with unusual warmth his old friend Dahnow who, passing through town, had not been able to refuse Countess DegenthaPs pressing invitation. "I can't say that you're very civil to your jcousin," said Dahnow in a tone of reproach, as Degenthal led him away into another room. "You were in the middle of a dance." "Ah, bosh! One need not be so civil with relations! Why did she choose me? But now, tell me—What oh earth can have brought you here at the very end of Carnival?" "Oh, just the wish of making a little tour before throwing myself headlong into reading up for the examination. I tell you your cousin can turn out to he a very pretty girl, once she has developed herself a little more. She has such a pretty line about the mouth too." "Really?" said Curt, "do you think so? Oh, I daresay you're right; for me, she belongs to those set of people who do not exist." .//But you exist for her, anyhow. Poor thing! she quite touched me, as she stood there, following you with a sad look upon her poor face, when you left her in the lurch." "Oh, it's all nonsense which has been put into her head, and which she must get out of it again. Dahnow, look here at my talisman. I did not like to write to you about it, but now, see!" and Curt pulled out of his waistcoat pocket a small gold locket, containing the miniature of a lovely face. "Oh! beautiful!" said Dahnow. "So you have remained faithful to her after all! You ; were so silent, and went away so suddenly, that I thought it was all over. But have you any hope of success?" "I have succeeded, I may say; a few conditions have been made; quite bearable ones, too; my mother insisted" upon two years' \ separation and complete secrecy. Did any- ; thing transpire on the Rhine about the whole j thing?" "Oh, very little! It was simply said that your mother had very sensibly called you away. As the director and his family also went away directly, the matter was soon forgotten. 'Students' loves are never thought very much of." "Nous verronsl" said Curt drily, smoothing his moustache, and giving one more look at the miniature before closing the locket. "Where is she now?" asked Dahnow. jk'ill spend the two years to come. I can't bear to think of her in contact with the company, and therefore asked her father to make that arrangement," he added in a changed tone. Dahnow looked meditatively before him. fo you know," ... he began, and then, airing off, suddenly asked: "Apropos what

are your plans? I know you have entered the diplomatic career. Do you remain here during the first months?";. '"Oh no; my studies are over, and I shall probably be sent away as attache to some embassy or other in a few days." "Ah!" said Dahnow, as if relieved. "And now, my good fellow, you're evidently wanted. There is a footman in the doorway looking at you with such a woful face, that you had better try to comfort him." "Ah, yes!" said Degenthal,' "I suppose it is about the supper. We shall' do it without any ceremony, sitting at small tables. You look out for yourself, old fellow. As master of the house, I must take some important personage upon myself. I will come to your table later on; take my cousin in; as it is, you don't know anyone else." "I shall know how to get on, never fear," muttered Dahnow; .and, indeed, lie got on very well, for a short time afterwards he was at the side of the so-called "Belle of the season," amidst a group of fashionable young men, whom he was amusing with his flow of wit and humor. "Ah, Count Degenthal!" now exclaimed the handsome young lady, beaming upon him with her black eves—a thing she had done without success during the whole winter, and she had not yet quite given up all hope of attaching him to her triumphal car. "Count Degenthal, tell us why your North German friend only visits our town now, when our festivities are at an end, and when we are going to cover our heads with ashes." "Because, as I have already observed, I am only a poor heretic, and know nothing about covering my head with ashes. Rut I have the worst of all penances to bear, for I know not what I have lost, unless you compensate me by giving me a turn to-night." "Flatterer!" said Degenthal laughing. "Countess Hedwig, punish him by giving him a great many rounds; for he is like a Turk who prefers looking on when others dance, to.dancing himself." "Ah! then I can guess what has brought you here, Baron Dahnow," said another gentleman. "North Germany has sent us a few artists of the kind, or rather of the jumping and springing kind. The famous Karsten Circus has arrived, and will help to shorten Lent a little." Dahnow so sompletelv engrossed the attention, that, no one noticed Degenthal's sudden change of expression. .'•' : '"" "Baron, how you blush!" cried Miss Hedwig laughing. "So those quadrupeds seem to have more attractions for you than anything or anyone else; Now, see, I declare you're blushing again !" . , . , , , It was strange, but Dahnow did not somehow find as usual a ready answer to the young lady's saucy speech. Degenthal, standing opposite to him, looked at him with surprise. "Did ! you know that the Karsten Circus was coming here?" he said in a somewhat forced tone. "Why, my dear Degenthal," answered DahnoAV with a laugh, "you seem to think very little of the attractions of your town, to notice so trifling an event. Karsten was, moreover, not in B. this year, but further up north." •'•■ ' ':

"And therefore, you have come here in order to find- well, not him, I suppose, here!" said one of the gentlemen. "Chi sa whether it is on account of the quadrupeds! I have heard that Karsten has a daughter who has crated an immense sensation everywhere. Last autumn, one talked of nothing else on the Rhine. I hope she will also show herself off to us!" ~ •■• ' '. ; '.: "Nora Karsten never shows herself: in public," Lily suddenly.said in her quiet voice. "She has never done it, and will never do it either." Everyone looked in surprise at the little speaker. "But what on earth do you know about it?" exclaimed Countess Hedwig. "How do you come by such an acquaintance?" "I know Nora Karsten very well, and am very fond of her," said Lily in the samequiet manner. "I was nearly a year in the convent with her, where she was brought up She was the handsomest and the best of the pupils, and particularly good to us new girls." "Really , Countess Lily, that is an original combination —a rider in the circus, who has been brought up in a convent " "I tell you that she is no circus-rider," repeated Lily obstinately. "Her mother did not wish it, and her father, who was very rich, caused her to he brought up in a convent. At that time we did not know any* thing about her father. Our chaplain told mo all this later on." "What does she look like?" asked Countess Hedwig with curiosity; "and where does she live?" "She is more beautiful than any other girl I know," replied Lily, just a little spitefully. "I don't know where she lives, but I suppose with her father. But one thing I do know, and that is, that she will never do anything which we would not do ourselves; she is much too pious and too well brought up." Lily had become quite red in her vehement defence. Rut for the first time a pair of eyes were fixed with interest upon her; it seemed as .if Degeiithal could bless her for each word she was uttering. For the first time also, he noticed the truth of Dahnow's praise of the line about her mouth. A few minutes later, and ho stood behind her chair. "Can I have the cotillon, little cousin?" he asked -softly. Lily blushed deeply, and nodded in silence she could not bring a "yes" out for very joy at so unexpected and blissful an event. A few hours later, as the cotillon—the dance which lovers prefer— in full swing, the countess could hardly believe her own eves when she saw the couple sitting side by side. Curt seemed absorbed in his conversation, and Lily seemed to be in the seventh heaven. The countess could not hear that it was only because the topic of their conversation was the convent that Curt was so attentive; she only saw the light dancing in Lily's small eyes. What! Had she perhaps been blind until now? Had she not noticed what the intimacy of home-life had brought about? Had she been in too groat a hurry to get her son away? And now it would be folly indeeel

. } to brea^'aiu^ide^^l^'rleVly^un' 'threads. The countess began looking out again for : the old Excellency, and she had not far to * look, for he was always hovering about the ladies' circle. : ||p* "Will you he very much shocked if I shoAV --.'; myself mobile, as most Avomen have the right :.": to be, Excellency?" she said with a sweet i smile. j you are a little changeable, it will only I .■Take you more like other mortals," said the iMid Excellency gallantly. "Constantinople is, after all, very far away—the climate is not healthy; make the necessary sign, and let him be sent someAvhere else." ~...._ "Toujours an service des dames" ansAvered he; "Count X. will certainly be pleased to send any other attache" What variety is there even in unity of thought! At the same moment in which the old Excellency spoke those Avoids, Curt leant reflectively back against his chair, his partner had just left him for a turn .in the cotillon, and he began thinking of what he had heard about the director and his troop being in town. For the first time," he blessed his mother's consideration, in getting him sent away. He also thought of the old Excellency, and whether he could not manage, through

him, to hasten his departure. It was such an unpleasant .idea to be in town with Karsten, and to hear him talked aibout continually. He made up his mind to inquire at once as to the time When the Circus Avould be opened, in order to take the necessary steps beforehand. The day after the hall he rode out at an early hour in the direction of the Circus, where he found workmen employed fitting everything up for the coming representations. He went in at once, hoping to see the director himself. Instead of him, however, he only met the dark disagreeable-look-ing man he had seen once before at Karsten's. He seemed to fill ..the office of overseer, and immediately pressed his questions upon the count, AA'hom he likewise recognised, and whose intercourse Avith the director evidently filled himi with curiosity. Curt thought to himself: "What an odious man that is!" In answer to his inquiries after the director, he ascertained from him that the latter had arrived, but that he had suddenly fallen ill. The man at once offered himself to accompany the count to the hotel in which the director A\-as laid up. Curt refused the offer coldly and proudly, and as he did so, the man looked loAveringly upon him. (To be continued.) ...