Part 8 (1/2)

She rushed away and locked herself in her bedroom. Anton stood for a time benumbed, then knocked at her door, and spoke lovingly to her. She made no answer. He threatened to break open the door unless she gave some sign. Then the bolt was drawn; the door opened a little way; and at his feet fell the engagement ring. The door was again closed and bolted; Anton picked up the ring and went away.

CHAPTER XVII.

Landolin turned away from the spring and went into the yard. He stopped a moment at the dog's kennel, and said to himself: ”Chained! Chained!”

Did he feel, and did he wish to say that henceforth he himself was in chains?

He unfastened the dog, and it followed him into the living-room. No one was there. Landolin sat down in the easy chair, nervously grasped its arms, and moved his hands over them as if to convince himself that they were still there. Then he pulled up the loose tops of his boots, as though making ready for a walk. He arose, but went only as far as the table, which he repeatedly rubbed with his hands, as though trying to wipe something off. With a peremptory voice he called to have the supper brought. It was soon ready. His wife sat down beside him. She said nothing; she seemed comforted, even delighted, that her husband was willing to eat; and she forced herself to eat with him.

Landolin told the maid to call Thoma and Anton to supper. The maid returned with the answer that Anton had gone away, and that Thoma sent word that she was not coming. At this, Landolin seized his fork, and struck it through the cloth, deep into the hard table. His wife arose, her lips tightly compressed, and looked with dismay at the sacred family table, as though she expected to see it shed blood after her husband's terrible blow.

The fork was still sticking in the table, when a carriage drew up to the door, and the District Judge and his clerk entered. The farmer's wife had the courage to draw the fork quickly out.

Landolin held out his hand in welcome, but the District Judge appeared not to notice it. Landolin with a steady voice thanked the judge for coming so soon to find out the facts of the unhappy affair.

”Pray be seated, your honor; and you, too, Mr. Clerk,” he said, ingratiatingly; then poured out three gla.s.ses of wine, and taking one in his hand, touched the other two, as a sign to the gentlemen to drink. But the District Judge said curtly: ”No, thank you,” and did not take the gla.s.s. He leaned back in his chair while the clerk spread a paper on the table.

”Sit down,” he said to Landolin; but the latter replied: ”I'm comfortable standing,” and laid his hand upon the back of the chair which stood in front of him. He drummed on it with his fingers, and controlling himself with a violent effort, said:

”Will you ask me questions, or shall I tell it in my own way?”

”You may go on.”

”Your honor, that wine there is pure, for I brought it myself from the vat at Kaiserstuhl; but I think the wine at the Sword is not pure. When I drink during the day, and talk at the same time, it sets me beside myself; but the fright at the accident has brought me to my senses.”

”So you were drunk at the time of the----of the accident.”

Landolin started. ”This is not a man who has come to gossip with me. It is a judge, and a judge over me. Stop! How can being drunk help?” These thoughts pa.s.sed rapidly through his mind, and he replied, almost smiling:

”Thank heaven, I am never so drunk as not to know what I am doing. I can stand a good deal.”

He bestowed a confidential smile on the judge, but when he saw the unchanging gravity of his countenance, he shrugged his shoulders contemptuously, and went on determinedly:

”I can prove that the good-for-nothing fellow got no harm from me.”

”Have you got that down?” said the judge to the clerk; and he replied: ”Yes, I am taking it in short-hand.”

The chair under Landolin's hand moved, for he was dismayed to find that his disconnected expressions were all written down. He now waited for questions to be put to him, and after a little while the judge began:

”Have you not had a violent quarrel, once before to-day, with one-handed Wenzel of Altenkirchen?”

”Have you found that out already?”

”Yes. Tell me how it happened.”

”How it happened? The story is soon told. More than thirteen years ago Wenzel was my subst.i.tute in the army. My father knew him well. He was a boatman. You can ask Walderjorgli if he wasn't. Our families are the oldest in the country----”