chiefly
with the breach of faith towards Marie Falkenhein, to whom he
considered himself to have been virtually betrothed, in allowing
himself to be carried away by the impulse of a moment's folly.

When Reimers had finished the colonel sat for a long time silent. He
leant his cheek on his hand and looked gloomily before him. During this
confidential interview his daughter had not been alluded to in a single
syllable, but in every word that the young officer spoke sounded an
echo of painful regret for a much-desired happiness now lost to him. Of
a sudden those fair prospects that the colonel had thought based on
such a solid foundation had fallen to the ground. It was a bitter grief
to him to see the pleasant vision destroyed, and he knew that a heavy
sorrow was in store for his child.

At last he broke the silence.

"My poor boy," he said, "I wish I knew what I could say to comfort you,
for I do not want to reproach you. You have enough to bear already in
payment for a moment of thoughtlessness. You have gambled away one of
your best chances of earthly happiness. Nevertheless, be brave; set
your teeth and do not let your feelings overcome you. You have a proud
and honourable calling, and have a real vocation for it. Let that be
your consolation." His voice broke off short, trembling with inward
emotion.

Reimers murmured in some confusion: "I am very much obliged to you,
sir." And the two men sat for awhile opposite each other in silence.

"After this," the colonel continued with some hesitation and
difficulty, "you will probably wish to get away for a change. I
therefore advise you to go up for the winter examination at the Staff
College. There is no doubt about your getting through. The work will
prevent you from brooding over your thoughts, and afterwards there will
be Berlin and entire change of surroundings. All that will be helpful
to you."

Falkenhein's voice became softer, and shielding his eyes with his hand,
he continued in a scarcely audible whisper: "It would be advisable that
you should withdraw a little from society; and of course to any
unavoidable questions it will be necessary to invent an answer of some
sort. It seems to me it will be best to say that your old lung-trouble
obliges you to take certain precautions. Is that agreed?"

With a sob the senior-lieutenant stammered out, "You have always been
like a father to me, sir."

He had stood up and was about to depart without another word. The