g, and with compressed lips
stared into vacancy.

Fearing that she would faint, the children and I rushed to her
assistance.

"Never mind; all will be over in a moment. I can now breathe again. And
now, I beg of you all, be silent." She closed her eyes. We remained
standing around her in silence. Not a sound was heard, save the rapid
ticking of the clocks and the innocent singing of the thistle-finch.

At last, she removed her hands from her face and gave way to a torrent
of tears. With her hands folded on her breast, and softly, without a
loud sign of pain, she thus lamented:

"O my son! My poor son! My poor, unhappy child! You are now a fugitive
in the wide world, and without a home--lost and distracted--a wandering
proof of the confusion of our broken household, now rent in twain and
bereft of peace. His heart is a wayward one. It is easier to spoil a
human being than to improve one. Let him who believes that this war is
just before God rise up and plunge his sword into my son's heart!"

She had raised herself while uttering the last sentence; when she
finished, she fell back in her seat again. She then suddenly and
energetically sat up again, and asked, "Does Martella know of this?"

I replied that Rothfuss had taken her out into the fields with him in
order to tell her all.

"It is well," she answered. "Give me the newspaper, that I may read the
letter of arrest. This was the reason the director came to us yesterday
and departed without saying good-by. Give me the advertisement which
thousands are now reading--I am his mother."

I was obliged to tell her that I had given the paper to Rothfuss, who
had asked for it in order that he might show it as a proof to Martella.

My wife nodded approvingly, and said, "Yes, Martella. Listen to what I
am about to say. Ernst has run away because he was unwilling to fight
in this fratricidal war. That is true enough, as far as it goes; I
feel assured of that. But let me tell you something more--he is
unfaithful--unfaithful to his parents, his brothers and sisters, and
his betrothed. I beg of you, Henry, do not contradict me! Promise me
one thing."

"Whatever you wish."

"You, my husband, and you, my children, faithfully promise me that,
when I am no longer with you, you will firmly and inviolably cherish
Martella as a child of the house and as one of the family."

We promised all that she asked.

"I have one other request to make. Whatever may happen, do not for a