e insult intended them. Go--go to your judges! You, a
false witness, may accuse Hiram, but I will proclaim you, you the son of
this house, as the thief! We shall see which they believe."

"Me!" cried Orion, and his eyes flashed as wrathfully and vindictively as
her own. "The son of the Mukaukas! Oh, that you were not a woman! I would
force you to your knees and compel you to crave my pardon. How dare you
point your finger at a man whose life has hitherto been as spotless as
your own white raiment? Yes, I did go to the tablinum--I did tear the
emerald from the hanging; but I did it in a fit of recklessness, and in
the knowledge that what is my father's is mine. I threw away the gem to
gratify a mere fancy, a transient whim. Cursed be the hour when I did
it!--Not on account of the deed itself, but of the consequences it may
entail through your mad hatred. Jealousy, petty, unworthy jealousy is at
the bottom of it! And of whom are you jealous?"

"Of no one; not even of your betrothed, Katharina," replied Paula with
forced composure. "What are you to me that, to spare you humiliation, I
should risk the life of the most honest soul living? I have said: The
judges shall decide between you."

"No, they shall not!" stormed Orion. "At least, not as you intend!
Beware, beware, I say, of driving me to extremities! I still see in you
the woman I loved; I still offer you what lies within my power: to let
everything end for the best for you. . . ."

"For me! Then I, too, am to suffer for your guilt?"

"Did you hear the barking of hounds just now?"

"I heard dogs yelping."

"Very well.--Your freedman has been brought in, the pack got on his scent
and have now been let into the house close to the tablinum. The dogs
would not stir beyond the threshold and on the white marble step, towards
the right-hand side, the print of a man's foot was found in the dust. It
is a peculiar one, for instead of five toes there are but three. Your
Hiram was fetched in, and he was found to have the same number of toes as
the mark on the marble, neither more nor less. A horse trod on his foot,
in your father's stable, and two of his toes had to be cut off: we got
this out of the stammering wretch with some difficulty.--On the other
side of the door-way there was a smaller print, but though the dogs paid
no heed to that I examined it, and assured myself--how, I need not tell
you--that it was you who had stood there. He, who has no business
whatever in