I begged him to
purchase the finest estates that the country had to offer, in the name
of his daughter, and to charge the cost to me. A father could, in such
matter, best serve a lover. It gave him enough to do, for everywhere
a stranger was before him, and he could only purchase for about a
million.
My thus employing him was, at the bottom, an innocent scheme to remove
him to a distance, and I had employed him similarly before; for I
must confess that he was rather wearisome. The good mother was, on the
contrary, somewhat deaf, and not, like him, jealous of the honor of
entertaining the Count.
The mother joined us. The happy people pressed me to stay longer with
them that evening--I dared not remain another minute. I saw already
the rising moon glimmer on the horizon--my time was up.
The next evening I went again to the Forester's garden. I had thrown
my cloak over my shoulders and pulled my hat over my eyes. I advanced
to Mina. As she looked up and beheld me, she gave an involuntary
start, and there stood again clear before my soul the apparition of
that terrible night when I showed myself in the moonlight without a
shadow. It was actually she! But had she also recognized me again? She
was silent and thoughtful; on my bosom lay a hundred-weight pressure.
I arose from my seat. She threw herself silently weeping on my bosom.
I went.
I now found her often in tears.
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