The Lost Manuscript Part 38

"It is true," said the Doctor, with convincing sincerity; "I know nothing about these gloves."

"Then we are both victims of a deception," cried Laura, confounded.

"Oh, forgive me, and forget what has pa.s.sed." Guessing the state of the case, she continued: "I beg of you to say no more on the subject.

Permit me to bind your hand with this handkerchief."

He held out his hand; she staunched the blood with her handkerchief, and hastily wound it about the scratches.

"It is too small for a bandage," she said, sorrowfully; "we must put your own over it. This has been a disagreeable day, Doctor. Oh, forget it, and do not be angry with me."

The Doctor was by no means inclined to be angry, as might be perceived from the eager conversation into which they now fell. Their hearts were lightened; they vied with each other in their efforts at sincerity; and when the carriage set them down at their own doors, they bade each other a cordial good-night.

The following morning, Mr. Hummel entered Laura's private room, and laid a blue paper upon the table.

"There was a mistake yesterday," he said; "here is what belongs to you."

Laura opened the paper quickly; it contained an embroidered handkerchief.

"I have also sent back the gloves to the Doctor, with my compliments, informing him that there was a misunderstanding, and that _I_, your father, Hummel, sent him what was his own."

"Father," cried Laura, going up to him, "this new insult was unnecessary. Upon me you may inflict whatever your hatred to your neighbors prompts you to do, but that you should again wound another after what has happened yesterday, is cruel of you. This handkerchief belongs to the Doctor, and I shall give it to him at the first opportunity."

"Exactly," said Hummel; "was it not hemmed and embroidered by your own hands? You are responsible for whatever you do now. But you know, and he knows too, how I feel about these exchanges of civilities. If you choose to act contrary to my expressed wishes, you may. I will not consent to our house being upon terms of exchanging presents, either small or great, with the Hahn's; and since you, as I hear, often meet the Doctor at our lodger's, it will be as well for you to bear this in mind."

He went out of the room complacently, and left his daughter in revolt against his harsh commands. She had not ventured to contradict him, for he was unusually calm to-day, different from his ordinary bl.u.s.tering manner, and she felt there was a meaning in his words that checked her utterance and sent the blood to her cheeks. It was a stormy morning for her journal.

Mr. Hummel was busy at his office with a consignment of soldiers' caps, when he was disturbed by a knock at the door, and to his surprise, Fritz Hahn entered. Hummel remained seated with dignity, till his caller had made a respectful bow, then he slowly rose, and began, in a business tone:

"What can I do for you, Doctor? If you need a fine felt hat, as I presume you do, the salesroom is on the floor below."

"I know that," replied the Doctor, politely. "But I am come, in the first place, to thank you for the handkerchief you so kindly selected and sent me as a present yesterday."

"That's pretty good!" said Hummel. "Old Blucher was painted upon it; he is a countryman of mine, and I thought on that account the handkerchief would be acceptable to you."

"Quite right," answered Fritz. "I shall be careful to preserve it as a keepsake. I must, at the same time, add to my thanks the request that you will deliver these gloves to Miss Laura. If a mistake occurred yesterday in the delivery, as you kindly informed me, it was not my fault. As these gloves already belong to your daughter, I, of course, cannot take them back."

"That's better still!" said Hummel, "but you are in error. The gloves do not belong to my daughter; they were bought by you, and have never been seen by her; and early this morning they were returned to their possessor."

"Pardon me," rejoined Fritz, "if I take your own words as testimony against you; the gloves were yesterday, according to the custom of the country, sent as a present to Miss Laura; you yourself received them from the hands of the messenger, and, by your words, acknowledged them.

The gloves, therefore, by your own co-operation, have become the property of the young lady, and I have no claim to them."

"No advocate could put the case in a better light," replied Hummel easily. "There is only one objection to it. These gloves were non-apparent; they were covered with paper and flowers, like frogs in the gra.s.s. Had you come to me openly with your gloves, and requested to be allowed to give them to my daughter, I should have told you yesterday what I now say, that I consider you a worthy young man, and that I have no objection to your standing as G.o.dfather every day in the year, but I do very much object to your showing my daughter what hereabouts are called attentions. I am not kindly disposed towards your family and, what is more, I do not wish to be; therefore I cannot permit that you should be so towards mine. For what is right for one is fitting for the other."

"I am placed again in the unfortunate predicament of confuting you by your own actions," rejoined the Doctor. "You, yesterday, honored me with a mark of civility. As you have made me a present of a handkerchief, in token of your favor, to which, as I had not stood G.o.dfather with you, I had no claim, I also may say that what is right for one is fitting for the other. Therefore you cannot object to my sending these gloves to a member of your family."

Mr. Hummel laughed. "With all respect to you, Doctor, you have forgotten that father and daughter are not quite the same thing. I have no objection that you should occasionally make me a present if you cannot resist the inclination to do so; I shall then consider what I can send you in return; and if you think that these gloves will suit me, I will keep them as a token of reconciliation between us; and if ever we should stand together as G.o.dfathers, I shall put them on and exhibit them for your benefit."

"I have delivered them to you as the property of your daughter,"

replied Fritz, with composure; "how you may dispose of them I cannot decide. You know my wishes."

"Yes, perfectly, Doctor," a.s.sented Hummel; "the affair is now settled to the satisfaction of all concerned, and there is an end of it."

"Not quite yet," replied the Doctor. "What now comes is a demand I have upon you. Miss Laura, as G.o.dmother with me, prepared and sent me a handkerchief. The handkerchief has not come into my hands, but I have undoubtedly the right to consider it as my property, and I beg of you most humbly to send it to me."

"Oho!" cried Hummel, the bear beginning to stir within him, "that looks like defiance, and must be met with different language. You shall not receive the handkerchief with my good will; it has been given back to my daughter, and if she presents it to you she will act as a disobedient child, contrary to the commands of her father."

"Then it is my intention to oblige you to recall this prohibition,"

replied the Doctor, energetically. "Yesterday I accidentally discovered that you exchanged the gloves I sent to Miss Laura for others which must have excited in her the belief that I was an impertinent jester.

By such deceitful and injurious treatment of a stranger, even though he were an adversary, you have acted as does not become an honorable man."

Hummel's eyes widened, and he retreated a few steps.

"Zounds!" he growled, "is it possible? Are you your father's son? Are you Fritz Hahn, the young Humboldt? Why you can be as rude as a boor."

"Only where it is necessary," replied Fritz. "In my conduct towards you I have never been deficient in delicacy of feeling; but you have treated me with injustice, and owe me due satisfaction. As an honorable man you must give me this, and my satisfaction will be the handkerchief."

"Enough," interrupted Hummel, raising his hand, "it will be of no avail. For, between ourselves, I have nothing of what you call delicacy of feeling. If you feel yourself offended by me, I should be very sorry, in so far as I see in you a young man of spirit, who also can be rude. But when, on the other hand, I consider that you are Fritz Hahn, I convince myself that it is quite right that you should feel aggrieved by me. With that you must rest content."

"What you say," replied Fritz, "is not only uncivil, but unjust. I leave you, therefore, with the feeling that you owe me some reparation; and this feeling is, at all events, more agreeable to me than if I were in your position."

"I see we understand each other in everything," replied Hummel. "Like two business men, we both seek our own advantage. It is agreeable to you to feel that I have injured you, and to me that is a matter of indifference. So let it remain, Doctor; we are at heart, and before all the world, enemies, but for the rest, all respect to you."

The Doctor bowed and left the office.

Mr. Hummel looked meditatingly on the spot where the Doctor had stood.

He was during the whole day in a mild, philanthropic mood, which he at first showed by philosophizing with his book-keeper.

"Have you ever raised bees?" he asked him, over the counter.

"No, Mr. Hummel," replied he; "how could I manage it?"

"You are not very enterprising," continued Hummel, reproachfully. "Why should you not give yourself this pleasure?"

"I live in a garret, Mr. Hummel."

"That does not matter. By the new inventions you may keep bees in a tobacco-box. You put the swarm in, open the window, and from time to time cut your honey out. You might become a rich man by it. You will say that these insects might sting your fellow-lodgers and neighbors; do not mind that; such views are old-fas.h.i.+oned. Follow the example of certain other people, who place their bee-hives close to the street in order to save the expense for sugar."

The book-keeper seemed to wish to comply with this proposition.

"If you mean----" he replied humbly.

"The devil I mean, sir," interrupted Hummel; "do not think of coming to my office with a swarm of bees in your pocket. I am determined under no circ.u.mstances to suffer such a nuisance. I am b.u.mble-bee enough for this street and I object to all humming and swarming about my house and garden."

In the afternoon, when he was taking a walk in the garden with his wife and daughter, he suddenly stopped.

"What was it that flew through the air?"

"It was a beetle," said his wife.