the indiscretion of elsbeth-第4节

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I　thought　he　fancied　some　resemblance　in　me　to　somebody　else。〃



〃Ah！〃　　She　said　something　to　herself　in　German　which　he　did　not

understand；　and　then　added　aloud：



〃You　did　well；　he　is　a　bad　man；　this　photographer。　　Promise　me　you

shall　not　sit　for　him。〃



〃How　can　I　if　I'm　fired　out　of　the　place　like　this？〃　　He　added

ruefully；　〃But　I'd　like　to　make　him　give　himself　away　to　me

somehow。〃



〃He　will　not；　and　if　he　did　he　would　deny　it　afterward。　　Do　not　go

near　him　nor　see　him。　　Be　careful　that　he　does　not　photograph　you

with　his　instantaneous　instrument　when　you　are　passing。　　Now　you

must　go。　　I　must　see　the　Princess。〃



〃Let　me　go；　too。　　I　will　explain　it　to　her；〃　said　Hoffman。



She　stopped；　looked　at　him　keenly；　and　attempted　to　withdraw　her

hands。　　〃Ah；　then　it　IS　so。　　It　is　the　Princess　you　wish　to　see。

You　are　curiousyou；　too；　you　wish　to　see　this　lady　who　is

interested　in　you。　　I　ought　to　have　known　it。　　You　are　all　alike。〃



He　met　her　gaze　with　laughing　frankness；　accepting　her　outburst　as

a　charming　feminine　weakness；　half　jealousy；　half　coquetrybut

retained　her　hands。



〃Nonsense；〃　he　said。　　〃I　wish　to　see　her　that　I　may　have　the　right

to　see　youthat　you　shall　not　lose　your　place　here　through　me；

that　I　may　come　again。〃



〃You　must　never　come　here　again。〃



〃Then　you　must　come　where　I　am。　　We　will　meet　somewhere　when　you

have　an　afternoon　off。　　You　shall　show　me　the　townthe　houses　of

my　ancestorstheir　tombs；　possiblyif　the　Grand　Duke　rampages

the　probable　site　of　my　own。〃



She　looked　into　his　laughing　eyes　with　her　clear；　stedfast；　gravely

questioning　blue　ones。　　〃Do　not　you　Americans　know　that　it　is　not

the　fashion　here；　in　Germany；　for　the　young　men　and　the　young　women

to　walk　togetherunless　they　are　VERLOBT？〃



〃VERwhich？〃



〃Engaged。〃　　She　nodded　her　head　thrice：　viciously；　decidedly；

mischievously。



〃So　much　the　better。〃



〃ACH　GOTT！〃　　She　made　a　gesture　of　hopelessness　at　his

incorrigibility；　and　again　attempted　to　withdraw　her　hands。



〃I　must　go　now。〃



〃Well　then；　good…by。〃



It　was　easy　to　draw　her　closer　by　simply　lowering　her　still　captive

hands。　　Then　he　suddenly　kissed　her　coldly　startled　lips；　and

instantly　released　her。　　She　as　instantly　vanished。



〃Elsbeth；〃　he　called　quickly。　　〃Elsbeth！〃



Her　now　really　frightened　face　reappeared　with　a　heightened　color

from　the　dense　foliagequite　to　his　astonishment。



〃Hush；〃　she　said；　with　her　finger　on　her　lips。　　〃Are　you　mad？〃



〃I　only　wanted　to　remind　you　to　square　me　with　the　Princess；〃　he

laughed　as　her　head　disappeared。



He　strolled　back　toward　the　gate。　　Scarcely　had　he　quitted　the

shrubbery　before　the　same　chasseur　made　his　appearance　with

precisely　the　same　salute；　and；　keeping　exactly　the　same　distance；

accompanied　him　to　the　gate。　　At　the　corner　of　the　street　he　hailed

a　droshky　and　was　driven　to　his　hotel。



The　landlord　came　up　smiling。　　He　trusted　that　the　Herr　had　greatly

enjoyed　himself　at　the　Schloss。　　It　was　a　distinguished　honorin

fact；　quite　unprecedented。　　Hoffman；　while　he　determined　not　to

commit　himself；　nor　his　late　fair　companion；　was　nevertheless

anxious　to　learn　something　more　of　her　relations　to　the　Schloss。

So　pretty；　so　characteristic；　and　marked　a　figure　must　be　well

known　to　sightseers。　　Indeed；　once　or　twice　the　idea　had　crossed

his　mind　with　a　slightly　jealous　twinge　that　left　him　more

conscious　of　the　impression　she　had　made　on　him　than　he　had　deemed

possible。　　He　asked　if　the　model　farm　and　dairy　were　always　shown

by　the　same　attendants。



〃ACH　GOTT！　no　doubt；　yes；　His　Royal　Highness　had　quite　a　retinue

when　he　was　in　residence。〃



〃And　were　these　attendants　in　costume？〃



〃There　was　undoubtedly　a　livery　for　the　servants。〃



Hoffman　felt　a　slight　republican　irritation　at　the　epithethe　knew

not　why。　　But　this　costume　was　rather　a　historical　one；　surely　it

was　not　entrusted　to　everyday　menialsand　he　briefly　described　it。



His　host's　blank　curiosity　suddenly　changed　to　a　look　of　mysterious

and　arch　intelligence。



〃ACH　GOTT！　yes！〃　　He　remembered　now　（with　his　finger　on　his　nose）

that　when　there　was　a　fest　at　the　Schloss　the　farm　and　dairy　were

filled　with　shepherdesses；　in　quaint　costume　worn　by　the　ladies　of

the　Grand　Duke's　own　theatrical　company；　who　assumed　the　characters

with　great　vivacity。　　Surely　it　was　the　same；　and　the　Grand　Duke

had　treated　the　Herr　to　this　special　courtesy。　　Yesthere　was　one

pretty；　blonde　young　ladythe　Fraulein　Wimpfenbuttel；　a　most

popular　soubrette；　who　would　play　it　to　the　life！　　And　the

description　fitted　her　to　a　hair！　　Ah；　there　was　no　doubt　of　it；

many　persons；　indeed；　had　been　so　deceived。



But　happily；　now　that　he　had　given　him　the　wink；　the　Herr　could

corroborate　it　himself　by　going　to　the　theater　tonight。　　Ah；　it

would　be　a　great　jokequite　colossal！　if　he　took　a　front　seat

where　she　could　see　him。　　And　the　good　man　rubbed　his　hands　in

gleeful　anticipation。



Hoffman　had　listened　to　him　with　a　slow　repugnance　that　was　only

equal　to　his　gradual　conviction　that　the　explanation　was　a　true

one；　and　that　he　himself　had　been　ridiculously　deceived。　　The

mystery　of　his　fair　companion's　costume；　which　he　had　accepted　as

part　of　the　〃show〃；　the　inconsistency　of　her　manner　and　her　evident

occupation；　her　undeniable　wish　to　terminate　the　whole　episode　with

that　single　interview；　her　mingling　of　worldly　aplomb　and　rustic

innocence；　her　perfect　self…control　and　experienced　acceptance　of

his　gallantry　under　the　simulated　attitude　of　simplicityall　now

struck　him　as　perfectly　comprehensible。　　He　recalled　the　actress's

inimitable　touch　in　certain　picturesque　realistic　details　in　the

dairywhich　she　had　not　spared　him；　he　recognized　it　now　even　in

their　bowered　confidences　（how　like　a　pretty　ballet　scene　their

whole　interview　on　the　rustic　bench　was！）；　and　it　breathed　through

their　entire　conversationto　their　theatrical　parting　at　the

close！　　And　the　whole　story　of　the　photograph　was；　no　doubt；　as

pure　a　dramatic　invention　as　the　rest！　　The　Princess's　romantic

interest　in　himthat　Princess　who　had　never　appeared　（why　had　he

not　detected　the　old；　well…worn；　sentimental　situation　here？）was

all　a　part　of　it。　　The　dark；　mysterious　hint　of　his　persecution　by

the　police　was　a　necessary　culmination　to　the　little　farce。　　Thank

Heaven！　he　had　not　〃risen〃　at　the　Princess；　even　if　he　had　given

himself　away　to　the　clever　actress　in　her　own　humble　role。　　Then

the　humor　of　the　whole　situation　predominated　and　he　laughed　until

the　tears　came　to　his　eyes；　and　his　forgotten　ancestors　might　have

turned　over　in　their　graves　without　his　heeding　them。　　And　with

this　humanizing　influence　upon　him　he　went　to　the　theater。



It　was　capacious　even　for　the　town；　and　although　the　performance

was　a　special　one　he　had　no　difficulty　in　getting　a　whole　box　to

himself。　　He　tried　to　avoid　this　public　isolation　by　sitting　close

to　the　next　box；　where　there　was　a　solitary　occupantan　officer

apparently　as　lonely　as　himself。　　He　had　made　up　his　mind　that　when

his　fair　deceiver　appeared　he　would　let　her　see　by　his　significant

applause　that　he　recognized　her；　but　bore　no　malice　for　the　trick

she　had　played　on　him。　　After　all；　he　had　kissed　herhe　had　no

right　to　complain。　　If　she　should　recognize　him；　and　this

recognition　led　to　a　withdrawal　of　her　prohibition；　and　their

better　acquaintance；　he　would　be　a　fool　to　cavil　at　her　pleasant

artifice。　　Her　vocation　was　certainly　a　more　independent　and

original　one　than　that　he　had　supposed；　for　its　social　quality　and

inequality　he　cared　nothing。　　He　found　himself　longing　for　the

glance　of　her　calm　blue　eyes；　for　the　pleasant　smile　that　broke　the

seriousness　of　her　sweetly　restrained　lips。　　There　was　no　doubt

that　he　should　know　her　even　as　the　heroine　of　DER　CZAR　UND　DER

ZIMMERMANN　on　the　bill　before　him。　　He　was　becoming　impatient。　　And

the　performance　evidently　was　waiting。　　A　stir　in　the　outer

gallery；　the　clatter　of　sabers；　the　filing　of　uniforms　into　the

royal　box；　and　a　triumphant　burst　from　the　orchestra　showed　the

cause。　　As　a　few　ladies　and　gentlemen　in　full　evening　dress　emerged

from　the　background　of　uniforms　and　took　their　places　in　the　front

of　the　box；　Hoffman　looked　with　some　interest　for　the　romantic

Princess。　　Suddenly　he　saw　a　face　and　shoulders　in　a　glitter　of

diamonds　that　startled　him；　and　then　a　glance　that　transfixed　him。



He　leaned　over　to　his　neighbor。　　〃Who　is　the　young　lady　in　the

box？〃



〃The　Princess　Alexandrine。〃



〃I　mean　the　young　lady　in　blue　with　blond　hair　and　blue　eyes。〃



〃It　is　the　Princess　Alexandrine　Elsbeth　Marie　Stephanie；　the

daughter　of　the　Grand　Dukethere　is　none　other　there。〃



〃Thank　you。〃



He　sat　silently　looking　at　the　rising　curtain　and　the　stage。　　Then

be　rose　quietly；　gathered　his　hat　and　coat；　and　left　the　box。　　When

he　reached　the　ga