The Indiscretion of Elsbeth Page #6

"The Indiscretion of Elsbeth" by Bret Harte is a nuanced short story that explores themes of love, trust, and societal expectations in the context of the American West. The narrative centers around Elsbeth, a young woman torn between her independent spirit and the conventions of her time. As she navigates the complexities of her relationships, particularly with a captivating but misunderstood suitor, the story delves into the challenges of maintaining personal integrity while grappling with the perceptions and judgments of those around her. Harte's rich prose and keen observation of character provide a compelling glimpse into the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in a rapidly changing society.

• Short story

								

heroine of DER CZAR UND DER ZIMMERMANN on the bill before him. He was
becoming impatient. And the performance evidently was waiting. A stir
in the outer gallery, the clatter of sabers, the filing of uniforms
into the royal box, and a triumphant burst from the orchestra showed the
cause. As a few ladies and gentlemen in full evening dress emerged from
the background of uniforms and took their places in the front of the
box, Hoffman looked with some interest for the romantic Princess.
Suddenly he saw a face and shoulders in a glitter of diamonds that
startled him, and then a glance that transfixed him.

He leaned over to his neighbor. "Who is the young lady in the box?"

"The Princess Alexandrine."

"I mean the young lady in blue with blond hair and blue eyes."

"It is the Princess Alexandrine Elsbeth Marie Stephanie, the daughter of
the Grand Duke--there is none other there."

"Thank you."

He sat silently looking at the rising curtain and the stage. Then he
rose quietly, gathered his hat and coat, and left the box. When he
reached the gallery he turned instinctively and looked back at the royal
box. Her eyes had followed him, and as he remained a moment motionless
in the doorway her lips parted in a grateful smile, and she waved her
fan with a faint but unmistakable gesture of farewell.

The next morning he left Alstadt. There was some little delay at the
Zoll on the frontier, and when Hoffman received back his trunk it was
accompanied by a little sealed packet which was handed to him by the
Customhouse Inspector. Hoffman did not open it until he was alone.

There hangs upon the wall of his modest apartment in New York a narrow,
irregular photograph ingeniously framed, of himself standing side
by side with a young German girl, who, in the estimation of his
compatriots, is by no means stylish and only passably good-looking.
When he is joked by his friends about the post of honor given to this
production, and questioned as to the lady, he remains silent. The
Princess Alexandrine Elsbeth Marie Stephanie von Westphalen-Alstadt,
among her other royal qualities, knew whom to trust.
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