Transcriber's Note:
Page scan source: http://www.archive.org/details/signofflame00werniala
"My son'. My only child! Do you not know your mother?"
Hartmut retreated, startled. "My mother is dead," he said
in a low tone. Page 26. The Sign of Flame.
THE SIGN OF FLAME.
FROM THE GERMAN OF E. WERNER
TRANSLATED BY
EVA FREEMAN HART AND E. VAN GERPEN
"Give me a nook and a book,
And let the proud world spin round."
A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS,
52-58 DUANE STREET, NEW YORK
Copyright, 1902. BY A. L. BURT COMPANY.
THE SIGN OF FLAME.
Translated by Eva Freeman Hart and E. Van Gerpen.
THE SIGN OF FLAME
CHAPTER I.
Through the gray fog of an autumn morning a flock of birds took flight;sweeping now, as if in farewell, close to the firs, so recently theirhome--rising now to a goodly height, directing their flight toward thesouth, and disappearing slowly in the veiled distance.
The gloomy eyes of a man standing at a window of the large castle-likemansion situated at the edge of the forest, followed this flight.
He was of tall stature and powerful in physique; the erect bearingwould have betrayed the soldier even without the uniform which he wore:his features not handsome but strong; hair light, and eyes blue; inshort, a typical German in appearance; but something like a shadowrested on those features, and the high brow bore deeper furrows thanthe years seemed to warrant.
"There, the birds are already leaving," he said, pointing to the flockwhich fluttered in the distance until lost entirely in the mass of fog."The autumn is here in nature and also in our lives."
"Not yet in yours," interrupted his companion. "You are standing infull strength at the height of your life."
"Perhaps so considering years; but I feel as if old age would approachme sooner than any one else. I feel much like the autumn of the year."
The other gentleman, who was in civilian dress, was probably older thanhis companion. His stature was of medium height and frail. At firstsight he appeared almost insignificant beside the powerful form of theofficer, but the pale, sharply outlined face bore an expression ofcold, superior calm; and the sarcastic line around the thin lips provedthat behind the cold composure expressed in his whole manner somethingdeeper lay concealed.
He now shook his head with displeasure.
"You take life too hard, Falkenried," he said reproachfully; "you havechanged remarkably in these last years. He who has seen you as a youngofficer, merry as the day, would not recognize you now. And why allthis? The shadow which once clouded your life has long ago vanished;you are heart and soul a soldier; you receive distinction at everyopportunity; an important position is assured you in the near future