isit me here this afternoon.'

Aennchen, with a blush, murmured, that she heard and would obey. I had a
memorable pleasure in watching my beloved eat and drink under my roof.

The duel remained incomprehensible to her. She first frightened me by
remarking that duels were the pastime of brainless young men. Her next
remark, in answer to my repeated attempts to shield my antagonist from
a capital charge: 'But only military men and Frenchmen fight duels!'
accompanied by a slightly investigating glance of timid surprise,
gave me pain, together with a flashing apprehension of what she had
forfeited, whom offended, to rush to the succour of a duellist. I had
to repeat to her who my enemy was, so that there should be no further
mention of assassination. Prince Otto's name seemed to entangle her
understanding completely.

'Otto! Otto!' she murmured; 'he has, I have heard, been obliged by some
so-called laws of honour once or twice to--to--he is above suspicion of
treachery! To my mind it is one and the same, but I would not harshly
exclude the view the world puts on things; and I use the world's
language in saying that he could not do a dishonourable deed. How far he
honours himself is a question apart. That may be low enough, while the
world is full of a man's praises.'

She knew the nature of a duel. 'It is the work of soulless creatures!'
she broke through my stammered explanations with unwonted impatience,
and pressing my hand: 'Ah! You are safe. I have you still. Do you know,
Harry, I am not yet able to endure accidents and misadventures: I have
not fortitude to meet them, or intelligence to account for them. They
are little ironical laughter. Say we build so high: the lightning
strikes us:--why build at all? The Summer fly is happier. If I had lost
you! I can almost imagine that I should have asked for revenge. For why
should the bravest and purest soul of my worship be snatched away? I am
not talking wisdom, only my shaken self will speak just now! I pardon
Otto, though he has behaved basely.'

'No, not basely,' I felt bound to plead on his behalf, thinking, in
spite of a veritable anguish of gathering dread, that she had become
enlightened and would soon take the common view of our case; 'not
basely. He was excessively irritated, without cause in my opinion;
he simply misunderstood certain matters. Dearest, you have nations
fighting: a war is only an exaggerated form of duelling.'

'Nations at war are wild beasts,