Maximilian's death?"

"I know he shot himself."

"And you don't know why?"

"I had not heard from Max for six months before he died. I did not know
of his death until several months after it occurred!"

"That was strange! Your man of business did not write you?"

"It was my fault. I hadn't sent him my address for a long time. When I
did there was a reason for his not writing at once."

"Who is he?"

"Stapfer."

"I knew it!"

Von Sternburg slapped his knee.

"Stapfer was crazy over her, and she had some reason for your not
knowing."

"_She!_ Are you talking about my sister-in-law?"

"Oh, you needn't put on any dignity over her. She isn't worth it,
though I suppose you don't know that as well as you will in a few
minutes."

Friedrich passed his hand over his face.

"I can't understand it. You say Stapfer was in love with Hilda?"

"And she made use of him, just as she did of Moller and von Hatfeldt
and everybody else who came near her. She overreached herself about von
Hillern, though."

"It seems treachery to listen to you, von Sternburg."

"Treachery! Why, my dear boy----"

Von Sternburg ended his sentence with an expressive gesture.

"And Max--did he know?"

"Why, that's what killed him, man! Haven't you kept in touch with
anybody in the Fatherland who would write you any news?"

"I haven't received a letter from a soul except Max and Stapfer since I
came to America."

Von Sternburg gave a whistle of surprise.

"Then you don't even know how Max improved? Everybody thought when he
married Hilda von Arnim that he did it merely for the pleasure of
cutting you out. Forgive my speaking so plainly."

He laid a deprecating hand on von Rittenheim's knee. Friedrich nodded
silently.

"I haven't a doubt in the world that that was his chief motive then.
But after you left he fell a victim to the charm that she seems to
exert over everybody who doesn't know her tricks--you must let me go on
now," he said, quickly, in response to a motion of von Rittenheim's,
"or I can't establish my case. He fell madly in love with her, and it
made another man of him."

"There was much good in Max."

"Well hidden all through his youth, you must allow. He gave up
drinking----"

"Not entirely?"

"He drank only what a gentleman takes for dinner."

"He was not intoxicated when he sh--when he died?"

"I know for a fact that he was not drunk once during the whole last
year of his life."

"You know? How do you