‘And Willibald went to the window and suddenly I found he was standing to attention and saluting! And then… he went upstairs to the attic and when he came down he was wearing a military uniform. It was much too small for him — he’s put on weight and he couldn’t get most of the buttons done up, but they were the same buttons I found, with Aggredi on them. And then he saluted again and said: “Herr Lieutenant Willibald Egger at your service!” ’
‘I see. So he had been in the army.’
‘Yes. And after that he became quite different: calm and almost dignified and yet… sort of mad. He said things about dying for his regiment and bringing down the traitor who had betrayed him and so on. I really feared for his reason and I began to… spy on him and to ask the servants to watch him.’ She flushed. ‘They aren’t very fond of Willibald and they’re always ready to listen at keyholes and so on.’
Two days after he had put on his uniform, Egger had driven to a secret destination and when he returned he was more exalted than ever. He fetched his sabres from the attic and he began to make telephone calls to his acquaintances.
‘I heard him talk to Heinrid on the phone — that’s his deputy at the Ministry — to ask if he’d act for him, but Heinrid hates Willibald — he’s opposed him all the time over the plans for the square, and he wouldn’t. But the chiropodist said he would.’
‘I can’t believe this, Frau Egger. No one fights duels anymore.’
‘It’s true, Frau Susanna. I know it’s true. And then yesterday afternoon Willibald made me… you know… come up to the bedroom. And it wasn’t Tuesday or Friday which is when he does it. Well, you know… it was Wednesday. And he kept saying he forgave me.’
‘Forgave you for what?’
‘I don’t know — the buttons perhaps — but he forgave me and he said he’d left me well provided for — though actually the money comes from my side of the family. And why I know it’s serious is because of… The Habit. He didn’t try it once, he didn’t even think of it, he was so lit up. And I’m terrified, Frau Susanna; I don’t know what to do! I don’t want him to be killed. I wish he’d never been born but I don’t want him to be killed and I certainly don’t want him to kill anyone else. He’s a good fencer in spite of his stomach — he goes to the salle d’armes once a week…’
‘It will be just some harmless quarrel from his student days, perhaps.’
‘No, no, you don’t understand. It’s a Field Marshal he’s challenged.’
I didn’t hear any more, but I wasn’t hysterical, I promise you. I put on my coat, but before I left the house I went down to the workroom and cut off a double length of black veiling which I fixed under my hat so as to conceal my face. It was only then that I ran into the street to find a cab.
It was not the corporation dump — on the contrary. There was a notice saying It is Forbidden to Leave Litter and a smell of gas from a nearby gasometer.
But the rest of it was the exact landscape of the nightmare I’d had when I lay in Gernot’s arms and he’d joked about challenging the man with the camels: the birches, the snow, the carriages of the seconds drawn up by the road — and I knew for certain that the creeping wretchedness of the last weeks had led me to this moment: to Gernot lying dead, his blood staining the ground.
Yet I managed to walk (or rather to stumble, for my double layer of veiling made it almost as difficult to see as to be seen) as far as a tree to which I clung.
At the end of the field on which I stood was a narrow belt of birches, then a meadow beside the river. It was there that they were assembled. I could make out two men in uniform — Gernot’s seconds — and a little round man in a brown overcoat, the chiropodist, perhaps. Another, a tall man in a frock coat and top hat, was bending over a black bag: the doctor. The principals were further off. I just caught a glimmer of Gernot’s scarlet and blue and then it was gone.
I’d intended to throw myself between the combatants, to scream, to threaten to call the police — God knows what I’d intended, but it didn’t matter because all I was able to do was hold on to the tree. Then one of Gernot’s seconds caught sight of me and hurried across: a Captain of Dragoons.
‘Frau Egger! This is terrible. You must leave at once — at once! This is no place for a woman.’
‘I… can’t.’
‘My dear lady, I assure you there’s nothing to be anxious about. It’s just a routine matter. The duel was forced on… the gentleman for whom I’m acting but he has everything under control. They’re only fighting to first blood — the most your husband will receive is a scratch on the cheek. Now please return to your carriage.’
He left me. I heard someone counting out the paces, heard a word of command. The tree to which I clung was an oak; they’re strong trees, neither of us fell down. I couldn’t see the combatants, but I could hear… Hear the clash of the sabres going on and on… then an oath… a scream…
The doctor, his coat tails flapping, began to run.
I didn’t faint. I would have liked to, but I didn’t, and when they brought the stretcher through the birches, I saw that the blanket shrouding the still figure covered also the face.
It was the little fat man they sent to tell me.
‘Madam, we have the gravest news. You must be brave. Your husband is dead.’
‘It was his own choice.’ The Captain of Dragoons who had followed spoke tersely. ‘There’s no doubt about it. Both parties are agreed.’
The little fat man nodded. I was sure he was the chiropodist: he looked kind, like someone acquainted with ailing feet. ‘Herr Egger impaled himself on the Marshal’s sword.’
‘Nonsense,’ snapped the Captain. ‘If he’d done that the Marshal would have been able to pull back. He deliberately failed to beat off an intended feint attack that was only meant to keep him at a distance. It was not the action of a gentleman.’
The chiropodist looked shocked. ‘Frau Egger, your husband died a glorious death by his own will. You must accept his choice.’
‘Yes… thank you. And the Marshal?’
‘Very distressed,’ said the Captain. ‘Naturally.’
Gernot von Lindenberg now appeared between the trees. He did not look distressed. He looked tired, angry — and alive!
‘This is a bad business,’ he said. He pulled back a corner of the blanket, let it drop. ‘You’d best take him straight to the mortuary.’
‘But sir, if we are going to hush this up —’
‘It no longer amuses me to hush things up, Captain. I shall make my report direct to the Kaiser.’ And to the chiropodist and Egger’s other second, who had just been sick behind a tree: ‘This matter is entirely my responsibility, gentlemen. Your names need not appear.’ Then he caught sight of me, approached, bent over my hand. ‘Madame, I am sincerely desolated. I did everything to avoid the conflict and everything to avoid serious bloodshed, but your husband was a skilful fencer. If I’d guessed his intention I could have thwarted it, but it never occurred to me. I trust you will allow me to see you safely home?’
I bent my head, allowing it. We walked some way in silence, his hand under my arm. When we were out of earshot he dropped my arm abruptly and turned me round to face him.
‘Are you mad, Susanna? Are you absolutely out of your mind? What do you mean by coming here? I’ve spent three interminable months keeping away from you so that I could tie this business up without involving you and now you come here like a madwoman in a novel and —’
‘I’m veiled,’ I said crossly. ‘How did you know me?’
‘How did I know you? How did I know you? Dear God grant me patience!’
We had reached his carriage. The man in the driving seat jumped down, saluted — and grinned at me. Another person undeceived by my disguise.