again. "You wished for a rose, please
accept--" In his eyes and in his whole bearing one could read plainly
that he deplored his mother's ruthless candor. Marietta repressed her
sobs, the tears were still glistening in her eyes, as she looked up at
him with an expression of disdain and contempt.

"I thank you, Herr von Eschenhagen," she said with acerbity. "You heard
distinctly the words which your mother spoke to me, and whatever else
they may have meant, they most certainly meant that I was to be shunned.
Why do you not obey them?"

"My mother has done you an injustice," said Willibald, half-aloud. "And
she did not speak in the name of the others. Toni knew nothing about it,
believe me. She--"

"Then why didn't you speak out and say so?" interrupted the girl with
growing anger. "There you stood, listening to a shameful, insulting
attack upon a young, defenseless girl, and hadn't enough manhood to come
forward and take her part. True enough, you did attempt something of the
kind, but you were well scolded, and sent off like a school-boy, and you
went without a word, too."

Willibald stood like one in whose ears heavy thunder is echoing. He had
felt most keenly the injustice of his mother's scathing remarks, and was
trying in his timid way, to do what he could to make amends and show his
good will, and here he was being soundly rated for his pains. He stood
and stared at her without speaking, and his silence incensed the girl
still more.

"And now you come and bring me flowers," she continued with growing
excitement. "Secretly, behind your mother's back, and do you think I
would accept such an insult? First learn how a man should behave when he
witnesses such an iniquity, then pay attention to trifling courtesies
afterwards. Now--now, I will show you what I think of you and your
present." She tore the paper from his hand, rolled it like a ball and
threw it upon the floor, where she stamped on it passionately with her
little foot.

"But Fraeulein--" Willibald, vacillating between shame and anger, would
have interfered to save his roses, but the dangerous look in the dark
eyes warned him to keep back.

"Now we are quits. If Toni knows nothing about all this I am sorry, but
I shall stay away for the future rather than expose myself to fresh
insults. I pray she may be happy, though I should certainly not be so in
her place. I am only a poor girl, but I would never marry a man who was
afraid to speak without his mo