第49章 PART I(48)

He promised to be fat as years grew on him.Has he kept his promise?What is the matter with him?"I hesitated.My aunt eyed me sharply,and put another question before Ihad quite made up my mind what to say.

"If you can't tell me what is the matter with him,can you tell me where he is?I may want to write to him."I hesitated again.Mr.Engelman's address had been confidentially communicated to me,for reasons which I was bound to respect."I am afraid I can't answer that question either,"I said awkwardly enough.

"Good heavens!"cried my aunt,"what does all this mystery mean?Has Mr.

Engelman killed a man in a duel?or run away with an opera-dancer?or squandered the whole profits of the business at the gambling-table?or what?As she put these bold views of the case,we heard voices outside,followed by a gentle knock at the door.Minna entered the room with a message.

"Mamma has sent me,Mrs.Wagner,to ask at what time you would like to dine.""My dear,I am much obliged to your mother.I have only just breakfasted,and I can wait quite well till supper-time comes.Stop a minute!Here is my nephew driving me to the utmost verge of human endurance,by making a mystery of Mr.Engelman's absence from Frankfort.Should I be very indiscreet if I asked--Good gracious,how the girl blushes!You are evidently in the secret too,Miss Minna._Is_it an opera-dancer?Leave us together,David."This made Minna's position simply unendurable.She looked at me appealingly.I did at last,what I ought to have done at first--I spoke out plainly.

"The fact is,aunt,"I said,"poor Mr.Engelman has left us for awhile,sadly mortified and distressed.He began by admiring Madame Fontaine;and he ended in making her an offer of marriage.""Mamma was indeed truly sorry for him,"Minna added;"but she had no other alternative than to refuse him,of course.""Upon my word,child,I see no 'of course'in the matter!"my aunt answered sharply.

Minna was shocked."Oh,Mrs.Wagner!Mr.Engelman is more than twenty years older than mamma--and (I am sure I pity him,poor man)--and _so_fat!"

"Fat is a matter of taste,"my aunt remarked,more and more resolute in taking Mr.Engelman's part."And as for his being twenty years older than your mother,I can tell you,young lady,that my dear lost husband was twenty years my senior when he married me--and a happier couple never lived.I know more of the world than you do;and I say Madame Fontaine has made a great mistake.She has thrown away an excellent position in life,and has pained and humiliated one of the kindest-hearted men living.No!no!I am not going to argue the matter with you now;I'll wait till you are married to Fritz.But I own I should like to speak to your mother about it.Ask her to favor me by stepping this way for a few minutes,when she has nothing to do."Minna seemed to think this rather a high-handed method of proceeding,and entered a modest protest accordingly.

"Mamma is a very sensitive person,"she began with dignity.

My aunt stopped her with a pat on the cheek.

"Good child!I like you for taking your mother's part.Mamma has another merit,my dear.She is old enough to understand me better than you do.Go and fetch her."Minna left us,with her pretty little head carried high in the air."Mrs.

Wagner is a person entirely without sentiment!"she indignantly whispered to me in passing,when I opened the door for her.

"I declare that girl is absolute perfection!"my aunt exclaimed with enthusiasm."The one thing she wanted,as I thought,was spirit--and Ifind she has got it.Ah!she will take Fritz in hand,and make something of him.He is one of the many men who absolutely need being henpecked.Iprophesy confidently--their marriage will be a happy one.""I don't doubt it,aunt.But tell me,what are you going to say to Madame Fontaine?""It depends on circumstances.I must know first if Mr.Engelman has really set his heart on the woman with the snaky movements and the sleepy eyes.Can you certify to that?""Positively.Her refusal has completely crushed him.""Very well.Then I mean to make Madame Fontaine marry him--always supposing there is no other man in his way.""My dear aunt,how you talk!At Madame Fontaine's age!With a grown-up daughter!""My dear nephew,you know absolutely nothing about women.Counting by years,I grant you they grow old.Counting by sensations,they remain young to the end of their days.Take a word of advice from me.The evidence of their gray hair may look indisputable;the evidence of their grown-up children may look indisputable.Don't believe it!There is but one period in the women's lives when you may feel quite certain that they have definitely given the men their dismissal--the period when they are put in their coffins.Hush!What's that outside?When there is a noisy silk dress and a silent foot on the stairs,in this house,I know already what it means.Be off with you!"She was quite right.Madame Fontaine entered,as I rose to leave the room.

The widow showed none of her daughter's petulance.She was sweet and patient;she saluted Mrs.Wagner with a sad smile which seemed to say,"Outrage my most sacred feelings,dear madam;they are entirely at your disposal."If I had believed that my aunt had the smallest chance of carrying her point,I should have felt far from easy about Mr.Engelman's prospects.As it was,I left the two ladies to their fruitless interview,and returned composedly to my work.

CHAPTER XXV

When supper was announced,I went upstairs again to show my aunt the way to the room in which we took our meals.

"Well?"I said.