Clara held out the strip of linen which she had in her hand and said:

"Pray take some."

Madame Balzer quickly cut a piece off with her scissors, returned graceful thanks, and after again apologizing for her awkwardness, returned to the corpse.

Several ladies who had witnessed the little scene hastened to the litter.

"The man is dead!" they cried, "nothing can be done here!"

Madame Balzer gazed sorrowfully on the corpse.

"Yes, he is dead!" she said, "we were too late!"

And folding her hands she bowed her head and moved her lips in whispered prayer. Deep devotion appeared on her features. The ladies around followed her example, and uttered a short prayer for the soul of the deceased, whose return was perhaps ardently desired in some distant home.

Then they all went on to other beds.

One of the few gentlemen dispersed amongst the numerous and compa.s.sionate nurses, a.s.sisting and advising, was Count Rivero.

He was not far off when Madame Balzer hurried to Clara to beg for some linen.

His large dark eyes rested thoughtfully on the two beautiful women during their short conversation; then he turned slowly away and walked in a contrary direction.

A few hours later the station was empty; the ladies had all returned either to their luxurious palaces or quiet family circles; the poor wounded soldiers had been conveyed to hospitals, to struggle to convalescence, after long days of suffering, or to die.

CHAPTER XXVI.

INSTRUMENTS OF THE CHURCH.

The morning sun shone brightly into Lieutenant von Stielow's room. But not as yesterday did he lie stretched upon his couch in happy dreams; he paced to and fro, with quick and restless footsteps, his pale face looked painfully anxious, and it was evident he had pa.s.sed a sleepless night.

He had spent the evening before with Clara, in the sweet and charming converse of two loving hearts, who say so much, yet never can say enough; an hour had flown rapidly, then she had complained of violent pain from the small wound in her arm; they had applied cooling lotions, but the pain had increased, and the arm had swelled considerably. They sent for their usual medical attendant, and he had tried various remedies; but the poor girl said that the pain became still more violent; the wound was greatly inflamed and the swelling grew larger.

Stielow remained at the Countess Frankenstein's house until the small hours of the morning; at last the doctor, after hearing how the injury had been received, tried a different ointment, and gave the young countess a sleeping draught.

Countess Frankenstein had insisted upon Herr von Stielow's returning home and resting a little, and she promised him early in the morning to call in the celebrated Oppolzer. No one thought there was any real danger; but the young man had pa.s.sed the night in great anxiety, possessed by forebodings he could not overcome.

In the morning he sent his servant to make inquiries, and heard in reply that the countess had slept, and that Oppolzer was expected every moment. He dressed, and prepared to hasten to the countess's house.

He had on his uniform, and was just buckling his sword, when his servant announced Count Rivero.

Stielow made an impatient movement; but at the same time he gave his servant a sign to admit the visitor.

The count entered the room, looking grave, though fresh and elegant.

With a graceful bow he held out his hand to the young baron and said in his resonant voice, whilst his eyes beamed with an expression of warm friendship:

"I heard that you were here with Field-Marshal Gablenz, and I hastened to visit you before you perhaps left us again, to express my joy that you have so happily escaped the dangers of war."

"You are very kind, count," replied von Stielow in a slightly constrained tone; "I'm heartily glad to see you again."

The count seemed to expect an invitation to sit down.

Herr von Stielow looked on the ground with some embarra.s.sment.

Then he raised his candid eyes and said:

"Count, you will forgive me if I speak quite openly to you. I beg you urgently, to repeat the honour of your visit at some other time, that I may have the happiness of increasing our acquaintance, which I hope,"

he added politely, "will become much more intimate; at this moment I must own I am pressingly engaged, and in great anxiety."

"Anxiety?" asked the count, "it is not idle curiosity that urges me to inquire the cause."

"Oh! I hope it is nothing very serious," said von Stielow, "the young Countess Frankenstein--you know I am engaged?"

"I have heard so," replied the count, "and I wished to offer you my hearty congratulations."

Herr von Stielow bowed slightly, and said:

"She is unwell; an extraordinary accident has happened to her, which makes me excessively uneasy; and I was just about to hasten to hear how she was going on, and what Oppolzer, who was to meet her regular attendant this morning, had said."

"Oppolzer consulted?" cried the count with a look of alarm; "my G.o.d! is the countess then seriously ill?"

"We can scarcely think so," said von Stielow, "and yet the symptoms are very distressing; a slight wound on her wrist has become rapidly bad, and has caused her to feel so extremely ill."

"A wound!" cried the count: his face grew very grave and expressed the greatest attention.

"She was visiting the wounded soldiers at the northern railway station," said the young officer, "and another lady slightly hurt her wrist with a small pair of scissors in cutting off a piece of linen; it could scarcely be called a wound; but in the course of the evening the arm swelled and grew stiff, and became violently painful. Fever came on, and the doctor fears that there must have been some drug upon the scissors, what, he cannot ascertain. Under these circ.u.mstances," he said, pressing the count's hand, "you will forgive me, if I beg you to excuse me."

The count had listened very gravely, his face had turned pale, and his large dark eyes looked thoughtfully at the young man's excited face.

"My dear baron," he said slowly, "honestly from my heart I feel the liveliest interest in you; perhaps I can be useful to you. In former years I studied medicine deeply, especially the knowledge of poisons and their antidotes; they once," he added with a slight sigh, "played so important and frightful a part in my country, that the subject interested me deeply. If by an unhappy accident there was anything pernicious or dangerous on the scissors, I may be of some a.s.sistance.

Will you allow me to see the young countess?"

And in a deep voice that seemed to command conviction, he added,

"Believe me, I would not propose my help if I did not believe that if serious danger has arisen, and help is possible, my remedy is certain."

Herr von Stielow had at first listened to the count's proposal in silent surprise, then a look of thankfulness beamed from his eyes, and stretching out his hand he cried hastily,--

"Come!"

"We must drive to my house to obtain the necessary apparatus," said the count; "if it is really a case of poisoning, recovery may depend upon moments."

Instead of replying, the young man seized the count's arm and drew him to the door.

They jumped into a cab that stood ready, driven by one of the best and quickest drivers in Vienna, and in a few minutes they had reached the count's rooms, which were only at a little distance. He got out, and soon returned with a small black casket. They then drove rapidly to Countess Frankenstein's and entered the reception room.