When
she found them empty, she opened the door of the old fencing-hall by some
strange impulse. Here Salo was crouching half fainting on the floor. He
told her that it was nothing to worry about, and that he had only lost
consciousness for a moment. She had to help him to get up, however, and
he came downstairs supported on her arm. The Baroness never said a word.
She stayed in her son's chamber till the physician who had been sent for
had gone away again. Then returning to us, she sat down beside Leonore
and me and told us that we ought to know what had happened. Apparently
she was very calm, but I had never seen her face so pale. She informed
us that when she had spoken to her sons about their future plans, she had
discovered that neither of them had ever spoken about it to the other.
Now they both declared to her that their full intention had been for
years to come home after the completion of their studies and to live in
Wildenstein with her and Leonore. Bruno was quite beside himself when he
found that Salo had apparently no intention to yield to him in the
matter, so he challenged his brother to a duel in order to decide which
of them was to remain at home. Salo had been wounded and, losing
consciousness, had fallen to the ground. Bruno, fearing something worse,
had disappeared. The doctor had not found Sale's wounds of a serious
nature, but as he had a delicate constitution, great care had to be
taken. When I left the castle that day I felt that all the joy and
happiness I had ever known on earth was shattered, and this feeling
stayed with me a long while after.
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