The Fortune Hunter [10]
her.''
Brauner burst out furiously at Hilda. The very presence of this gaudy, useless-looking creature under his roof was an insult to his three gods of honor and happiness-- his ``Arbeit und Liebe und Heim.''
``What does this mean?'' he shouted.
``Where did you find this crazy fellow? Who brought him here?''
Hilda flared. ``I love him, father! He's a noble, good man. I shall always love him. Listen to Otto--it'll break my heart if you frown on my marrying the man I love.'' There was a touch of Mr. Feuerstein in her words and tone.
``Let's have our game, Mr. Brauner,'' interrupted Otto. ``All this can be settled afterward. Why spoil our afternoon?''
Brauner examined Mr. Feuerstein, who was posing as a statue of gloomy wrath.
``Who are you?'' he demanded in the insulting tone which exactly expressed his state of mind.
Mr. Feuerstein cast up his eyes. ``For Hilda's sake!'' he murmured audibly. Then he made a great show of choking down his wrath. ``I, sir, am of an ancient Prussian family--a gentleman. I saw your peerless daughter, sought an introduction, careless who or what she was in birth and fortune. Love, the leveler, had conquered me. I--''
``Do you work?'' Brauner broke in. ``What are your prospects? What have you got? What's your character? Have you any respectable friends who can vouch for you? You've wandered into the wrong part of town. Down here we don't give our daughters to strangers or do-nothings or rascals. We believe in love--yes. But we also have a little common sense and self-respect.'' Brauner flung this at Mr. Feuerstein in High-German. Hilda, mortified and alarmed, was also proud that her father was showing Mr. Feuerstein that she came of people who knew something, even if they were ``trades-folk.''
``I can answer all your questions to your satisfaction,'' replied Mr. Feuerstein loftily, with a magnanimous wave of his white hand. ``My friends will speak for me. And I shall give you the addresses of my noble relatives in Germany, though I greatly fear they will oppose my marriage. You, sir, were born in the Fatherland. You know their prejudices.''
``Don't trouble yourself,'' said Brauner ironically. ``Just take yourself off and spare yourself the disgrace of mingling with us plain folk. Hilda, go to your room!'' Brauner pointed the stem of his pipe toward the outside door and looked meaningly at Mr. Feuerstein.
Hilda, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed, put herself between Mr. Feuerstein and the door. ``I guess I've got something to say about that!'' she exclaimed. ``Father, you can't make me marry Otto Heilig. I HATE him. I guess this is a free country. I shall marry Mr. Feuer--Carl.'' She went up to him and put her arm through his and looked up at him lovingly. He drew her to him protectingly, and for an instant something of her passionate enthusiasm fired him, or rather, the actor in him.
Otto laid his hand on Brauner's arm.
``Don't you see, sir,'' he said in Low-German, very earnestly, ``that you're driving her to him? I beg you''--in a lower tone --``for the sake of her future--don't drive him out, and her with him. If he really would make her a good husband, why not let her have him? If he's not what he claims, she won't have him.''
Brauner hesitated. ``But she's yours. Her mother and I have promised. We are people of our word.''
``But I won't marry her--not unless she wishes it, she herself. And nothing can be done until this man has had a chance.''
It was evident from Brauner's face that he was yielding to this common sense. Hilda looked at Otto gratefully. ``Thank you, Otto,'' she said. He shook his head mournfully and turned away.
Brauner gave Mr. Feuerstein a contemptuous glance. ``Perhaps Otto's right,'' he growled. ``You can stay. Let us have our game, Otto.''
Mrs. Brauner hurried to the kitchen to make ready for four-o'clock coffee and cake. Hilda arranged the table for pinochle, and when her father and Otto were seated, motioned her lover to a seat beside her on the sofa.
Brauner burst out furiously at Hilda. The very presence of this gaudy, useless-looking creature under his roof was an insult to his three gods of honor and happiness-- his ``Arbeit und Liebe und Heim.''
``What does this mean?'' he shouted.
``Where did you find this crazy fellow? Who brought him here?''
Hilda flared. ``I love him, father! He's a noble, good man. I shall always love him. Listen to Otto--it'll break my heart if you frown on my marrying the man I love.'' There was a touch of Mr. Feuerstein in her words and tone.
``Let's have our game, Mr. Brauner,'' interrupted Otto. ``All this can be settled afterward. Why spoil our afternoon?''
Brauner examined Mr. Feuerstein, who was posing as a statue of gloomy wrath.
``Who are you?'' he demanded in the insulting tone which exactly expressed his state of mind.
Mr. Feuerstein cast up his eyes. ``For Hilda's sake!'' he murmured audibly. Then he made a great show of choking down his wrath. ``I, sir, am of an ancient Prussian family--a gentleman. I saw your peerless daughter, sought an introduction, careless who or what she was in birth and fortune. Love, the leveler, had conquered me. I--''
``Do you work?'' Brauner broke in. ``What are your prospects? What have you got? What's your character? Have you any respectable friends who can vouch for you? You've wandered into the wrong part of town. Down here we don't give our daughters to strangers or do-nothings or rascals. We believe in love--yes. But we also have a little common sense and self-respect.'' Brauner flung this at Mr. Feuerstein in High-German. Hilda, mortified and alarmed, was also proud that her father was showing Mr. Feuerstein that she came of people who knew something, even if they were ``trades-folk.''
``I can answer all your questions to your satisfaction,'' replied Mr. Feuerstein loftily, with a magnanimous wave of his white hand. ``My friends will speak for me. And I shall give you the addresses of my noble relatives in Germany, though I greatly fear they will oppose my marriage. You, sir, were born in the Fatherland. You know their prejudices.''
``Don't trouble yourself,'' said Brauner ironically. ``Just take yourself off and spare yourself the disgrace of mingling with us plain folk. Hilda, go to your room!'' Brauner pointed the stem of his pipe toward the outside door and looked meaningly at Mr. Feuerstein.
Hilda, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed, put herself between Mr. Feuerstein and the door. ``I guess I've got something to say about that!'' she exclaimed. ``Father, you can't make me marry Otto Heilig. I HATE him. I guess this is a free country. I shall marry Mr. Feuer--Carl.'' She went up to him and put her arm through his and looked up at him lovingly. He drew her to him protectingly, and for an instant something of her passionate enthusiasm fired him, or rather, the actor in him.
Otto laid his hand on Brauner's arm.
``Don't you see, sir,'' he said in Low-German, very earnestly, ``that you're driving her to him? I beg you''--in a lower tone --``for the sake of her future--don't drive him out, and her with him. If he really would make her a good husband, why not let her have him? If he's not what he claims, she won't have him.''
Brauner hesitated. ``But she's yours. Her mother and I have promised. We are people of our word.''
``But I won't marry her--not unless she wishes it, she herself. And nothing can be done until this man has had a chance.''
It was evident from Brauner's face that he was yielding to this common sense. Hilda looked at Otto gratefully. ``Thank you, Otto,'' she said. He shook his head mournfully and turned away.
Brauner gave Mr. Feuerstein a contemptuous glance. ``Perhaps Otto's right,'' he growled. ``You can stay. Let us have our game, Otto.''
Mrs. Brauner hurried to the kitchen to make ready for four-o'clock coffee and cake. Hilda arranged the table for pinochle, and when her father and Otto were seated, motioned her lover to a seat beside her on the sofa.