t
and gentle on earth as that girl! What had she done? Nothing at all,
but torment a poor fellow until his nerves and will were wrecked. How
could she be responsible for that?"

Friedrich saw before him John Wendell, haggard and sneering, saying to
him something so insulting that Sydney had grown white, and Bob had
raised a threatening arm.

"But, as I said, she overreached herself with von Hillern. Fortunately
for him he was in love with some one else, which was his safeguard, but
he was willing enough to singe his wings, and the Baroness was
determined to make him give up his marriage, as a sign that he loved
her."

Von Rittenheim stared at the mountains and thought of Sydney. Von
Sternburg continued,--

"Maximilian was fully alive to everything that went on, and he was
beside himself with distress. Apart from the pain of his own unrequited
love, he was acutely anxious over the gossip about her."

"Von Hillern is an old friend of our family."

"Exactly. I think Max blamed him very little, but it preyed on his
mind."

"You think it became unhinged?"

"I think so. Indeed, I'm almost sure of it. He hadn't the constitution
to endure any mental anxiety."

"I suppose he shot himself in a fit of alienation."

"He shot himself because his wife refused to give up her affair with
von Hillern. Whether it was mania, or a passing craze of jealousy, I
don't pretend to say."

"How do you know it wasn't on account of financial troubles?"

"I was there in the next room at the time."

Von Rittenheim leaned forward and fixed his eyes on von Sternburg's
face with keen anxiety.

"You heard him?"

"I had gone to ask Max to ride with me. The servant who opened the door
said he dared not announce me to the Baron; that he was storming about
in his dressing-room. I ran up-stairs and into Max's room, which was
empty, but I heard his voice in the Baroness's room, which adjoined
it."

"You understood what he said?"

"Perfectly. It seemed to be the end of a long argument. He cried,
'Hilda, will you or will you not give up von Hillern?'"

"And she said?"

"'I have told you repeatedly, Max, that I will not.' Then he seemed to
go wild, and cried, 'Give him up! Give him up!'"

Von Rittenheim paled. He never moved his eyes from his friend's face.

"Without a word of warning, he fired two shots. I broke open the door
instantly, expecting that he had killed Hilda, but he had ended his
suffering in another way."

Friedrich'