A Little Garrison Part 23

In his heart Borgert was thankful to her for receiving his communication with such composure, and not with the screams and hysterical sobbings which women habitually employ on occasions of the kind.

And as he regarded attentively her pale profile, clear-cut against the light, and saw a tear glistening in her eye, a pa.s.sionate emotion, largely pity for this suffering creature by his side, so pathetic in her dumb resignation, took hold of him, and he drew her into his arms.

Then she murmured:

"Take me along, George!"

In amazement Borgert stared at her.

"For heaven's sake, how did you get such thoughts? How can I do that?"

"Oh, George, you do not know. I cannot bear my life here any longer.

Let me go with you, I beseech you."

"But that is not to be dreamt of. Will there not be scandal enough when I disappear? And then take you along? Impossible."

"In that case I shall go alone. I must leave here--I _must_."

"But why all this so suddenly? What has come to you?"

Frau Leimann gave vent to her suppressed feelings by a violent fit of sobbing. "My husband has beaten me with his clenched fist--see, here are the marks!--because the bailiff had called on me. His treatment of me has become worse and worse of late, and now my hatred, my dislike of him has reached a point where I can no longer see him around me, breathe the same air he breathes; and then,--another thing," and here she broke into weeping again, "I have no money--there is nothing with which I can pay my debts; something--some great misfortune will come--I'm sure of it, George, if I do not leave him peaceably."

Borgert had great pains to quiet the excited woman.

He reflected. After all, her idea was not such a bad one. If she really had made up her mind fully to leave her husband, she might as well go with him; for in that case he would at least have somebody by his side to whom he could speak, to whom he could open his heart,--somebody who would be in the same situation as himself. And when Frau Leimann once more implored him with a tearful voice, he whispered:

"Then come with me. We shall leave to-morrow night."

They began to make plans, and he said:

"Let us talk this matter over sensibly. First, how will you get away from here without being observed by your husband?"

"He is leaving for Berlin to-morrow morning. He has official matters to attend to there. Has he not yet told you about it?"

"No; but this is excellent. And now, have you some money?"

"Yes; I received this morning three hundred marks from my mother, and I have not touched the money because I had resolved on this step."

"Then you are better off than I am, at least for the moment; but I shall raise some money. And third, how will you get your luggage to the station? for, of course, I cannot expect you to run away without some clothes."

"Very simply, George; just ask my husband to lend you his big trunk, and tell him you are obliged to go home on a short leave. I will pack all my things into that, and the orderly will bring it down to you here. The trunk is big enough to hold enough for us both."

"There it is again," laughingly said Borgert. "Women are best for all underhanded work."

"And by which train shall we leave?"

"You will go by the afternoon train, for we will not leave together; that would attract too much attention. I shall follow you on the evening train. I think it will be best to meet in Frankfort. We will meet in the waiting-room of the main station, and there we can talk over everything in quiet. I shall take a three days' leave, so that they will not follow me at once."

"Then we are agreed so far. I will come down here to-morrow forenoon, as soon as my husband has left, and then we can talk this matter over a little more in detail. Just now I'll have to leave you."

Frau Leimann turned towards the door. When she sent a parting nod from the threshold, she seemed once more enticing in his eyes. The heated face was animated, and the glowing eyes radiated life. Truly, she was charming. Borgert lost himself in pleasant speculations about the honeyed existence which they two were to lead hereafter, once that inconvenient husband was out of the way, and all scruples which still clung to them, as the last vestiges of respectability, had been thrown overboard.

Borgert had regained all his good humor; he felt almost buoyant, and as if he could dare undertake anything. There was another consideration with him. His flight, his desertion, his leaving his creditors unsatisfied, and a record of somewhat crooked financial transactions behind him,--all that would now be regarded by people in a wholly different light. The romantic element would predominate in the minds of all the gossips. They would say that these two had fled, because of an overmastering pa.s.sion,--to become united, when unfortunate circ.u.mstances did not permit them to belong to each other in their present plight. There would, of course, be enough scandal even now, but the whole story was going to be lifted by this elopement into a higher sphere; it would take on, so to speak, an appearance vastly more interesting, less vulgar, nay, even aristocratic and excusable,--an entirely different matter from the bald statement that he, Borgert, had deserted for no other reason except a lot of bad debts and unclean financial machinations.

For a moment, it is true, his better conscience spoke, reproaching him with the intention of adding a new crime to his list of old ones; but this warning resounded so weakly within him that it had not the slightest effect. The princ.i.p.al thing, after all, was that he must not let such an advantage escape him simply to save the feelings of others. Such minor considerations could not be allowed to interfere with his plans.

Borgert therefore briskly walked to town, and at the post-office, where the telegraph bureau was located, he wired to a large second-hand dealer in the neighboring city, telling him to pay him a visit the following morning.

Then he returned home and stepped up to Leimann's.

He found his friend busy packing.

"Well, I hear you are to start to-morrow. I only learned it this noon," said Borgert, shaking hands with him.

"Yes; I am not at all charmed with the prospect of this trip, for I had made no arrangements for it; but you know how it is. It is always only at the last moment we receive orders of that kind, often barely leaving us time enough to reach the train."

"Nevertheless, I envy you your trip. As for me, there is a less agreeable one awaiting me."

"What, you are also planning a journey?"

"It is not a matter of choice with me; I simply have to."

"And where are you going?"

"Home, starting to-morrow afternoon."

"Ah, I see. Well, I wish you luck."

"Thanks. By the way, could you lend me a trunk? I should like to take a number of things with me home, and my own trunk is too small."

"Why, certainly; my servant will bring you down the large trunk. I suppose that will answer your purpose?"

"Oh, of course; it will do very nicely. Thanks again."

Borgert could not help perceiving that his visit did not come quite opportunely. Leimann was in an ugly humor and did not let himself be interrupted in his occupation. He was so much engrossed with his own thoughts that the import of Borgert's questions scarcely reached him, and the latter deemed it therefore wise to remain no longer. He made the promise, however, to join the Leimanns at their evening meal.

Reaching his own room again, Borgert felt himself free of a great burden. In his heart he rejoiced at the sudden turn his affairs had taken. The bother and vexation of uncertainty no longer weighed on his mind. "The die is cast!" he mumbled to himself. He would have liked to dance and scream for joy. Another day only, and he would be rid of the whole sorry outfit, and there would be no further occasion to worry.

And with that, such a pretty travelling companion! He really wondered at himself now that this idea had not come to him sooner.

Suddenly it crossed his mind that he had not yet begun to pack. At least he should at once proceed to preliminaries,--arranging and putting aside things, and making ready for packing the more important objects which he meant to take along.

But what was worth while taking? That was the question. He began to pick out things. From over the sofa he took the large silver goblet--the farewell gift from his former regiment--and placed it in an adjoining room on the table.

Rapidly, then, he made his selections: an alb.u.m of family portraits; sundry packages of letters; a couple of riding-whips and crops possessing an intrinsic value,--that is, a metallic one; two of the smaller and more valuable oil paintings; and a large bundle of letters,--these, besides some indispensable clothes, were all he intended to take with him.

When he entered the door at Leimann's at seven, he found them already at table.

Leimann's face wore a black look, and he hardly lifted his eyes to his guest as Borgert entered.