condoned by
him. But how was she to explain all this to him in privacy, while
Tetchen was in the kitchen, and Linda was in the parlour opposite?
"Peter, on my word as an honest truthful woman, Linda has been guilty
of no further fault."

"She has been guilty of more than enough," said Peter.

"That may be said of all us guilty, frail, sinful human beings,"
rejoined Madame Staubach.

"I doubt whether there are any of us so bad as she is," said Peter.

"I wonder, madame, you can condescend to argue with him," said
Tetchen; "as if all the world did not know that the fraulein is ten
times too good for the like of him!"

"Hold your tongue," said Madame Staubach.

"And where is Miss Linda at the present moment?" demanded Peter.
Madame Staubach hesitated for an instant before she answered, and
then replied that Linda was in the parlour. It might seem, she
thought, that there was some cause for secrecy if she made any
concealment at the present moment. Then Peter made his way out of the
kitchen and across the passage, and without any invitation entered
the parlour. Madame Staubach followed him, and Tetchen followed also.
It was unfortunate for Madame Staubach's plans that the meeting
between Peter and Linda should take place in this way, but she could
not help it. But she was already making up her mind to this,--that if
Peter Steinmarc ill-treated her niece, she would bring all Nuremberg
about his ears.

"Linda Tressel," he said;--and as he spoke, the impetuosity of
indignation to which he had worked himself had not as yet subsided,
and therefore he was full of courage;--"Linda Tressel, I find that
that vagabond Ludovic Valcarm has again been here."

"He is no vagabond," said Linda, turning upon him with full as much
indignation as his own.

"All the city knows him, and all the city knows you too. You are no
better than you should be, and I wash my hands of you."

"Let it be so," said Linda; "and for such a blessing I will pardon
you the unmanly cruelty of your words."

"But I will not pardon him," said Madame Staubach. "It is false; and
if he dares to repeat such words, he shall rue them as long as he
lives. Linda, this is to go for nothing,--for nothing. Perhaps it
is not unnatural that he should have some suspicion." Poor Madame
Staubach, agitated by divided feelings, hardly knew on which side to
use her eloquence.

"I should think not indeed," said Peter, in triumph. "Unnatural! Ha!
ha!"

"I will put his