For a moment Meier’s face was distorted. But only for a moment. “I’ll do just what I like,” he said pertly, and shut the safe. “Anyway, you’ve got no business to be here at night.… You’ve just pinched a letter of mine from my room.”
“My lad,” said the Lieutenant threateningly and came two paces nearer. But he was a little nonplussed by this incredible cheekiness. “My lad, do you see this?”
“Of course I can see the thing,” declared Meier, and scarcely a tremor in his voice betrayed how unpleasant he found the sight of the pistol. “And I could have also got myself one of those cannons; there are enough of them lying in the drawer there. But I decided I could get on without it—I knew you were coming,” he added somewhat boastfully.
“Oh, you knew, did you?” said the Lieutenant slowly, observing the ugly little fellow intently.
“So you’re a conspirator! You want to plan a Putsch, eh?” said Meier mockingly, beginning to feel sure of himself. “And yet you didn’t notice that there was a girl in the next room the whole time, here in the office. While you were in my room. And she heard everything that you and Vi said. There, that surprises you!” But the Lieutenant did not seem at all surprised.
“So there was a girl hidden here, was there?” he said calmly. “And where’s the girl now? Still in the next room?”
“No,” said Meier boldly. “Not this time. We’re quite alone, so you needn’t be alarmed. Your lady fair’s taking a little walk with my lady fair. But you can naturally imagine,” he added warningly, when he saw the Lieutenant make an involuntary movement, “what my girl will say tomorrow if anything happens to me. Or do you want to shoot us both?” he said, tickled by his own impudence, and laughing.
The Lieutenant threw himself into a chair, crossed his legs and thoughtfully lit a cigarette. “You’re by no means stupid, my lad,” he said. “The only question is whether you’re not too clever. May I inquire what your plans are?”
“Indeed you may,” said Meier readily. Now that he had convinced the Lieutenant that it was wiser not to do anything to him, his only desire was to come to an understanding with the man. “I’m clearing out of here!” he said. “I’ve already knocked off—well, you saw it just now at the safe.” But the Lieutenant did not move an eye. “I’m well within my rights to take the money. My wages are owing to me. Besides, can you imagine what miserable wages they’ve been paying me here on account of the inflation? If I am taking a little, then it’s not so much by a long chalk as what the Rittmeister’s stolen from me.”
He looked at the Lieutenant challengingly, as if expecting him to agree. But the latter merely said: “That doesn’t interest me. Where are you intending to go?”
“A little further away,” said Meier with a laugh. “I find that the country around here smells sour. I was thinking of Silesia or perhaps Mecklenburg.”
“Fine, fine,” said the Lieutenant. “Very sensible. Silesia’s not bad. But where are you going now?”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.” The Lieutenant spoke a little impatiently. “I can quite understand that you’re not taking a train tomorrow morning from the local town, where everybody knows you.”
“Now? Oh, just to a village nearby.”
“I see, to a village? Which, may I ask?”
“What’s that got to do with you?” This interrogation, behind which something was hidden, made Meier quite nervous.
“Oh, it has a little to do with me, my lad!” answered the Lieutenant coolly.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I like to know, for example, the whereabouts of someone who is aware of my relations with Fräulein von Prackwitz. In Silesia not a soul would be interested; but here in the vicinity he might hit on the idea of making money out of his knowledge.”
“I would never think of such a thing,” said Meier indignantly. “I’m not such a scoundrel as that. You can rest assured, Lieutenant, I’ll keep my mouth shut. In such matters I’m a gentleman!”
“Yes, I know,” said the Lieutenant unmoved. “Well—what’s the name of the village?”
“Grünow,” said Meier hesitating, not really knowing why he shouldn’t give the name, seeing that the Lieutenant already knew everything.
“Grünow. Why particularly Grünow? I suppose you mean Grünow near Ostade?”
“Yes, my girl suggested it to me. She wants to visit me there on Sundays, for the dances.”
“You want to dance there as well? Then you’re going to stay there some time?”
“Just a few days. On Monday I shall be clearing off, leaving from Ostade. You can rely on that, Lieutenant.”
“Can I?” said the Lieutenant thoughtfully. He stood up and went to the drawer which Meier had previously pointed out to him. He pulled it open and regarded its contents. “Yes, you’ve got a couple of very nice blunderbusses there,” he said patronizingly. “You know what, Herr Meier? I’d take one of those things along if I were you.”
“What should I do with it? No, thanks!”
“You are going through the forest, and there are all sorts of rogues on the prowl now. I’d take the thing with you, Herr Meier; I myself never go about without firearms. Nothing like being prepared.” The young Lieutenant had become almost loquacious, so worried was he about the life of his friend Meier.
But the latter persisted in his refusal. “No one’s going to do anything to me,” he said. “No one’s done anything to me yet. That old thing just tears your pocket.”
“All right. Do what you like!” the Lieutenant said in sudden irritation and laid the pistol on the safe. He nodded curtly to little Meier, said, “Good evening,” and was already out of the office before the other could reply.
“Queer,” said Meier, and stared at the door. “He was very queer at the end. But still,” he went on to comfort himself, “all these chaps are like that. They first talk big and then there’s nothing behind it.”
He turned round and regarded the pistol. No. He’d have nothing to do with such a thing. It might even go off in his pocket. Where was Mandy? He’d have to have a look. She was well able to carry the suitcases for a bit.…
He went to the door. No, first he’d better put the pistol away again. It would look so silly there tomorrow morning.
He had the weapon in his hand, and again he hesitated.
As a matter of fact, he’s quite right, was the thought that darted through his head, a weapon is always handy.
He went to the door, switched the light out, left the house. At every step he noticed the weight of the pistol in his hip pocket.
Queer—gives you a feeling of strength, a thing like that, he thought, not dissatisfied.
III
And Meier had only to go a few steps to see the two girls sitting on a bench. Next to them stood the Lieutenant, talking. At his approach the fellow looked up and said: “Here he comes.” His proximity to the two girls, his whispering with them, this remark, all irritated little Meier. Advancing, he said crossly: “If I’m intruding I can go away again.”
No one seemed to have heard him, no one answered.
“I suppose you three have some nice secret among yourselves,” he said provokingly.
Again no answer. But now Violet stood up and, addressing the Lieutenant in a polite and formal tone, said: “Are you coming?”
“You needn’t be stand-offish to him on my account,” cried little Meier angrily. “We know what you’ve been up to!”
With astonishing calm the Lieutenant took the girl’s arm and walked away with her into the park, saying not a word.
“Good night, sir, good night, madam. Pleasant dreams!” Meier called after them contemptuously.
The Lieutenant turned round and called out to Amanda: