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Gertrude's Marriage By: W. Heimburg (1850-1912) |
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GERTRUDE'S MARRIAGE
W. HEIMBURG TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY MRS. J. W. DAVIS ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
WORTHINGTON CO., 747 BROADWAY
1889
COPYRIGHT 1889 BY
WORTHINGTON COMPANY
GERTRUDE'S MARRIAGE.
CHAPTER I.
"Really, Frank, if I were in your place I shouldn't know whether to
laugh or cry. It has always been the height of my ambition to have a
fortune left me, but as with everything in this earthly existence, I
should have my preferences. "Upon my word, Frank, I am sorry for you. Here you are with an
inheritance fallen into your lap that you never even dreamed of, a sort
of an estate, a few hundred acres and meadows, a little woodland, a
garden run wild, a neglected dwelling house, and for stock four
spavined Andalusians, six dried up old cows, and above all an old aunt
who apparently unites the attributes of both horses and cows in her own
person. Boy, at least wring your hands or scold or do something of the
sort, but don't stand there the very picture of mute despair!" Judge Weishaupt spoke thus in comic wrath to his friend Assessor
Linden, who sat opposite him. Before them on the table stood a bottle
of Rhine wine with glasses, and the eyes of the person thus addressed
rested on the empty bottle with a thoughtful expression, as if he could
read an answer on the label. It was a large room in which they were sitting, a sort of garden hall,
furnished very simply and in an old fashioned style, with two birchen
corner cupboards, which in our grandmother's time served the purpose of
the present elegant buffets, and which, instead of costly majolica,
displayed painted and gold rimmed cups behind their glass doors;
with a large sofa, whose black horse hair covering never for a
moment suggested the possibility of soft luxurious repose; with
six simply constructed cane seated chairs grouped about the large
table, and finally, with several dubious family portraits, among
which especially to be noted was the pastel portrait of a youthful
fair haired beauty, whose impossibly small mouth wore an embarrassed
smile as if to say: "I beg you to believe that I did not really look so
silly as this!" And over all this bright orange colored curtains shed a
peculiarly unpleasant light. The door of the room was open and as if in compensation for all this
want of taste, a wonderful prospect spread itself out before the eye.
Lofty wooded mountain tops, covered with rich foliage which the autumn
frosts had already turned into brilliant colors, formed the background;
close by, the neglected garden, picturesque enough in its wild state,
and shimmering through the trees, the red pointed roofs of the village;
the whole veiled with the soft haze of an October morning, which the
rays of the sun had not yet dispersed. The regular strokes of the
flails on the threshing floors of the estate had a pleasant sound in
the clear morning air. The young man's dark eyes strayed away from the wine bottle; he started
up suddenly and went to the door. "And in spite of all that, Richard, it is a charming spot," he said
warmly. "I have always had a great liking for North Germany. I assure
you 'Faust' is twice as interesting here, where the Brocken looks down
upon you. Don't croak so like an old raven any more, I beg of you. I
shall never forget Frankfort, but neither shall I miss it too much I
hope." "Heaven forbid!" cried the little man, still playing with the empty
wine glass. "You don't pretend to say " But Linden interrupted him. "I don't pretend anything, but I am going
to try to be a good farmer, and I am going to do this, Richard, not
only because I must, but because I really like this queer old nest; so
say no more, old fellow... Continue reading book >>
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