A Fearful Responsibility and Other Stories | Page 9

right on
to Venice. That shows you couldn't place any dependence upon what he
said. He said he expected to be put under arrest for it; but he didn't
care,--he was coming. Do you believe they'll put him under arrest?"
"I don't know--I don't know," said Elmore, in a voice of grief and
apprehension, which might well have seemed anxiety for the officer's
liberty.
"I told her it was one of his jokes. He was very funny, and kept her
laughing the whole way, with his broken English and his witty little
remarks. She says he's just dying to go to America. Who do you
suppose it can be, Owen?"
"How should I know? We've no acquaintance among the Austrians,"
groaned Elmore.
"That's what I told Lily. She's no idea of the state of things here, and
she was quite horrified. But she says he was a perfect gentleman in
everything. He belongs to the engineer corps,--that's one of the highest
branches of the service, he told her,--and he gave her his card."
"Gave her his card!"
Mrs. Elmore had it in the hand which she had been keeping in her
pocket, and she now suddenly produced it; and Elmore read the name
and address of Ernst von Ehrhardt, Captain of the Royal-Imperial
Engineers, Peschiera. "She says she knows he wanted hers, but she
didn't offer to give it to him; and he didn't ask her where she was going,
or anything."
"He knew that he could get her address from Cazzi for ten soldi as soon
as her back was turned," said Elmore cynically. "What then?"
"Why, he said--and this is the only really bold thing he did do--that he

must see her again, and that he should stay over a day in Venice in
hopes of meeting her at the theatre or somewhere."
"It's a piece of high-handed impudence!" cried Elmore. "Now, Celia,
you see what these people are! Do you wonder that the Italians hate
them?"
"You've often said they only hate their system."
"The Austrians are part of their system. He thinks he can take any
liberty with us because he is an Austrian officer! Lily must not stir out
of the house to-morrow."
"She will be too tired to do so," said Mrs. Elmore.
"And if he molests us further, I will appeal to the consul." Elmore
began to walk up and down the room again.
"Well, I don't know whether you could call it molesting, exactly,"
suggested Mrs. Elmore.
"What do you mean, Celia? Do you suppose that she--she--encouraged
this officer?"
"Owen! It was all in the simplicity and innocence of her heart!"
"Well, then, that she wishes to see him again?"
"Certainly not! But that's no reason why we should be rude about it."
"Rude about it? How? Is simply avoiding him rudeness? Is proposing
to protect ourselves from his impertinence rudeness?"
"No. And if you can't see the matter for yourself, Owen, I don't know
how any one is to make you."
"Why, Celia, one would think that you approved of this man's
behavior,--that you wished her to meet him again! You understand what
the consequences would be if we received this officer. You know how

all the Venetians would drop us, and we should have no acquaintances
here outside of the army."
"Who has asked you to receive him, Owen? And as for the Italians
dropping us, that doesn't frighten me. But what could he do if he did
meet her again? She needn't look at him. She says he is very intelligent,
and that he has read a great many English books, though he doesn't
speak it very well, and that he knows more about the war than she does.
But of course she won't go out to-morrow. All that I hate is that we
should seem to be frightened into staying at home."
"She needn't stay in on his account. You said she would be too tired to
go out."
"I see by the scattering way you talk, Owen, that your mind isn't on the
subject, and that you're anxious to get back to your work. I won't keep
you."
"Celia, Celia! Be fair, now!" cried Elmore. "You know very well that
I'm only too deeply interested in this matter, and that I'm not likely to
get back to my work to-night, at least. What is it you wish me to do?"
Mrs. Elmore considered a while. "I don't wish you to do anything," she
returned placably. "Of course, you're perfectly right in not choosing to
let an acquaintance begun in that way go any further. We shouldn't at
home, and we sha'n't here. But I don't wish you to think that Lily has
been imprudent, under the circumstances. She doesn't know that it was
anything out of the way, but