the indiscretion of elsbeth-第4章

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〃I　should　not　say　that；〃　returned　the　lady；　with　a　demure　glance　at

her　companion's　handsome　face；　〃and　I　do　not　believe　that　the

Princesswho　first　saw　the　photographthought　so　either。　　But　she

is　very　young　and　willful；　and　has　the　reputation　of　being　very

indiscreet；　and　unfortunately　she　begged　the　photographer　not　to

destroy　the　plate；　but　to　give　it　to　her；　and　to　say　nothing　about

it；　except　that　the　plate　was　defective；　and　to　take　another。

Still　it　would　have　ended　there　if　her　curiosity　had　not　led　her　to

confide　a　description　of　the　stranger　to　the　Police　Inspector；　with

the　result　you　know。〃



〃Then　I　am　expected　to　leave　town　because　I　accidentally　stumbled

into　a　family　group　that　was　being　photographed？〃



〃Because　a　certain　Princess　was　indiscreet　enough　to　show　her

curiosity　about　you；〃　corrected　the　fair　stranger。



〃But　look　here！　　I'll　apologize　to　the　Princess；　and　offer　to　pay

for　the　plate。〃



〃Then　you　do　want　to　see　the　Princess？〃　said　the　young　girl

smiling；　〃you　are　like　the　others。〃



〃Bother　the　Princess！　　I　want　to　see　YOU。　　And　I　don't　see　how　they

can　prevent　it　if　I　choose　to　remain。〃



〃Very　easily。　　You　will　find　that　there　is　something　wrong　with

your　passport；　and　you　will　be　sent　on　to　Pumpernickel　for

examination。　　You　will　unwittingly　transgress　some　of　the　laws　of

the　town　and　be　ordered　to　leave　it。　　You　will　be　shadowed　by　the

police　until　you　quarrel　with　themlike　a　free　Americanand　you

are　conducted　to　the　frontier。　　Perhaps　you　will　strike　an　officer

who　has　insulted　you；　and　then　you　are　finished　on　the　spot。〃



The　American's　crest　rose　palpably　until　it　cocked　his　straw　hat

over　his　curls。



〃Suppose　I　am　content　to　risk　ithaving　first　laid　the　whole

matter　and　its　trivial　cause　before　the　American　Minister；　so　that

he　could　make　it　hot　for　this　whole　caboodle　of　a　country　if　they

happened　to　'down　me。'　　By　Jove！　　I　shouldn't　mind　being　the　martyr

of　an　international　episode　if　they'd　spare　me　long　enough　to　let

me　get　the　first　'copy'　over　to　the　other　side。〃　　His　eyes

sparkled。



〃You　could　expose　them；　but　they　would　then　deny　the　whole　story；

and　you　have　no　evidence。　　They　would　demand　to　know　your

informant；　and　I　should　be　disgraced；　and　the　Princess；　who　is

already　talked　about；　made　a　subject　of　scandal。　　But　no　matter！

It　is　right　that　an　American's　independence　shall　not　be　interfered

with。〃



She　raised　the　hem　of　her　handkerchief　to　her　blue　eyes　and

slightly　turned　her　head　aside。　　Hoffman　gently　drew　the

handkerchief　away；　and　in　so　doing　possessed　himself　of　her　other

hand。



〃Look　here；　MissMissElsbeth。　　You　know　I　wouldn't　give　you

away；　whatever　happened。　　But　couldn't　I　get　hold　of　that

photographerI　saw　him；　he　wanted　me　to　sit　to　himand　make　him

tell　me？〃



〃He　wanted　you　to　sit　to　him；〃　she　said　hurriedly；　〃and　did　you？〃



〃No；〃　he　replied。　　〃He　was　a　little　too　fresh　and　previous；　though

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　i