“Nothing, except that Baron Thorwick arrived there yesterday.”
“Yes, I know that he wanted to consult that old Mecklenburger, Levin, about his marriage. Do you know the result of his interview with the governor?”
“To-day at noon, when I left, he had not yet seen the general.”
“What! and he arrived last night! You surprise me, Musdœmon. And had he seen the countess?”
“No, noble master; besides, I do not know him.”
“And how, if no one has seen him, do you know that he is in Throndhjem?”
“Through his servant, who was at the governor’s palace yesterday.”
“His servant declares that as soon as he arrived, he set off for Munkholm, after first visiting the Spladgest.”
“For Munkholm! For Schumacker’s prison! Are you positive? I always suspected that honest Levin of being a traitor. For Munkholm! What can be the attraction there? Did he want to ask Schumacker’s advice also? Did he--”
“Noble lord,” interrupted Musdœmon, “it is by no means certain that he went there.”
“What! Then why did you say so? Are you trifling with me?”
“Pardon me, your Grace! I merely repeated what the baron’s servant said. But Mr. Frederic, who was on duty yesterday at Munkholm, saw nothing of Baron Ordener.”
“That’s no proof! My son does not know the viceroy’s son. Ordener may have entered the fortress in disguise.”
“Yes, sir; but Mr. Frederic asserts that he saw no one.”
“That’s a different matter. Did my son really say so?”
“He assured me of the fact three separate times; and Mr. Frederic’s interests in this case are identical with your own.”
This suggestion quite relieved the count.
“Ah!” said he, “I understand. The baron, on his arrival, must have wished to take a short sail on the fjord, and his servant fancied that he went to Munkholm. After all, why should he go there? I was foolish to take alarm. My son-in-law’s lack of eagerness to see old Levin proves, on the contrary, that his affection for him is not so strong as I feared. You will hardly believe it, my dear Musdœmon,” added the count, “but I actually imagined that Ordener was in love with Ethel Schumacker, and I constructed a romance and an intrigue out of this journey to Munkholm. But, thank God, Ordener is not such a fool as I am. By the way, my friend, how fares it with that young Danaë in Frederic’s hands?”