lapsed into savage folly. And yet she who is up there said, 'Do not
lose faith in yourself and in your goodness, and you can accomplish
everything.' The worst punishment is mine, for I have lost faith in
myself. I may become crazed again any moment; I no longer believe in
myself."

When Conny and Annette spoke to her in their kind way, she exclaimed,
"Every kind word of yours gives me new pain. Scold me, beat me, kick
me--I deserve such treatment, and shall find it less painful than kind
words that I do not deserve. I was so happy in thinking that I had
accomplished all, but it is not so. Now I see how much love and respect
you all had for me; and when Ernst returns I shall tell him everything.
He may scold me heartily, for I have deserved it."

We conducted her to the house, where we found Ikwarte, whose appearance
seemed the very opposite of what it usually was. He seemed as if
crushed, and continually said, "Colonel, I admit that it was highly
improper on my part, especially as it happened in a strange land."

Ludwig took it all in good part, and laughingly remarked that North and
South Germany had again been scuffling with each other. Then he
apologized for Ikwarte, by saying that he could not stand wine; that,
except when taking communion, he had not tasted a drop of wine up to
his twentieth year.

Ikwarte stood by, nodding his assent and pulling his red mustache.
After that, he went off with Rothfuss.

In the meanwhile, Martella sat crouching on the floor in a corner of
the room.

Ludwig softly said to me, "Now is the time to let Martella tell us who
and whence she is."

I thought that as the child was overmuch agitated, it might be better
to wait until the next day; but he insisted that this was the proper
time.

CHAPTER XIII.

Ludwig went up to Martella and said, "Martella, there is a woman in
America who knows you."

Martella jumped to her feet and, brushing her hair from her face with
both hands, asked, "How do you know that?"

"I will tell you how, when you have told your history. Will you do so?"

"I will. It is well and proper that I should. But no one shall be
present but you and father. Forgive me, kind ladies," she said,
addressing Conny and Annette in an unwonted tone. "I can only tell this
to father and to brother."

She drank a few drops of water, and then, seating herself behind the
table that was next to the wall, began:

"I can only remember