uld be exposed to
the horrified reprobation of the sober townsfolk; nay, more, he might
even be dismissed from his post.

'How can you think such a thing, mother?' she said angrily. 'I tell you
Monsieur Gabriel knows nothing of all this, and as you put such an
odious construction on my appearance, I shall not give you the
satisfaction of telling you how it came about.'

'As you wish,' the other replied icily; 'but it will be my duty to forbid
any further visits to that Frenchman, and I shall inform Pastor Mueller of
the schoolmaster's real character.'

This was too much for Wilhelmine; her anger flamed, all her reticence
vanished, and she poured forth the whole story. Her mother heard her to
the end, and, shaking her head, she made answer: 'If this be true, Pastor
Mueller should be punished. But I cannot credit it; you are shielding
Monsieur Gabriel. Now go to your room and reflect. You are a sinful
woman, Wilhelmine, and a disgrace to your ancient name.'

The girl turned away. The excitement of the last hours had fatigued her,
and she felt an unaccountable apathy. After all, what did it matter if
her mother misjudged her? She would soon be far away; her present life
and surroundings appeared to her to be absolutely detached from her real
self. She went slowly up the creaking stair and into her garret, and
flung herself down on the bed. She was asleep almost as soon as her head
touched the pillow.

* * * * *

It was quite dark when Wilhelmine woke, and she wondered why she should
awaken during the night; then, slowly, remembrance came to her, and she
realised that she was still fully dressed. She lay quiet for some time,
pondering on the events of the day. The Rathaus clock chimed eight slow
notes, and she knew she had slept for nearly nine hours. She listened;
there was some one moving downstairs in the kitchen, probably her mother
preparing the meagre supper. Wilhelmine rose, groped her way to the door,
and turned the handle. The door remained firmly closed. She shook it
gently, pushed it--the doors in her mother's house often stuck fast; but
this time it was no accidental adherence of ill-fitting hinges, the door
was securely fastened from outside. Her mother had locked her in! To be
locked into a room had always been a terrible thing to her. When she was
a child, her brother had often teased her by pushing her into a dark
cupboard and turning the key, and it was the only one of t