She is always out of sorts, almost
melancholy, much like our Mrs. Kruse, of whom she reminds me not a
little, and it all comes from jealousy. Crampas himself is said to be
a man of many 'relations,' a ladies' man, which always sounds
ridiculous to me and would in this case, if he had not had a duel with
a comrade on account of just such a thing. His left arm was shattered
just below the shoulder and it is noticeable at first sight, in spite
of the operation, which was heralded abroad as a masterpiece of
surgical art. It was performed by Wilms and I believe they call it
resection.
"Both Mr. and Mrs. Crampas were at our house a fortnight ago to pay us
a visit. The situation was painful, for Mrs. Crampas watched her
husband so closely that he became half-embarrassed, and I wholly. That
he can be different, even jaunty and in high spirits, I was convinced
three days ago, when, he sat alone with Innstetten, and I was able to
follow their conversation from my room. I afterward talked with him
myself and found him a perfect gentleman and extraordinarily clever.
Innstetten was in the same brigade with him during the war and they
often saw each other at Count Groeben's to the north of Paris. Yes, my
dear mama, he is just the man to instill new life into Kessin.
Besides, he has none of the Pomeranian prejudices, even though he is
said to have come from Swedish Pomerania. But his wife! Nothing can be
done without her, of course, and still less with her.
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