She was startled from her reading by the snapping of a whip before the window. She looked out quickly--there stood the Baumhagen carriage; the coachman in his white rubber coat and the cover drawn over his hat, the iron-gray horses black with the drenching rain. She opened the window to see if any one got out. Johanna came out and the coachman gave her a letter with which she ran quickly back into the house.
Gertrude was startled. An accident at home? She flew to the door.
"Come at once--I must speak to you without delay.
Such were the oracularly brief contents of the note.
"Bring me my things, Johanna, and tell my husband."
"Frank," she cried, as he entered, hurriedly, "something must have happened."
"Don't be alarmed," he besought her, though unable quite to conceal his own uneasiness.
"Yes, yes. Oh, if I only knew what it was! I feel so anxious."
He took her things from the servant and put the cloak round Gertrude's shoulders.
"I hope it has nothing to do with Arthur and Jenny. They were very strange to each other, yesterday."
Gertrude looked at him and shook her head. "No, no, they were always like that."
"Then I am surprised that he did not run away long ago," he said, drily.
"Or she," retorted Gertrude tying her bonnet.
"I could not stand such everlasting complaints, Gertrude," said he, buttoning her left glove.
"Nor I, Frank. Good-bye. You must make my excuses at dinner. God grant it is nothing very bad."
She looked round the room once more, then went quickly up to her work-table and thrust the note-book into her pocket.
When a few minutes later the landau passed out of the great iron gate she put her head out of the window. He stood on the steps looking after her. As she turned he took off his hat and waved it.
How handsome he was, how stately and how good!
She leaned back on the cushions. She felt a vague alarm--it was the first time she had left the house without him. Strange thoughts came over her--how dreadful it would be if she should not find him again, or even--if she should lose him utterly. Could she go on living then? Live--yes--but how?
It would be frightful to be a widow! Still more frightful if they were to part--one here, the other there, hating each other, or indifferent!