his traces, even as ardently as he has followed you,
madame. I found him at last, in the hotel of a little village. Like all
other sentimental lovers, he longed for solitude; and, not wishing to
be disturbed in his sweet dreams, he rented the entire hotel. I was,
however, bold enough to seek him--with swords and pistols--and gave him
choice of weapons; he was peaceable, and refused both sword and pistol.
I therefore took my third weapon, my trusty walking-stick. It was a
beautiful bamboo-rod, and neither broke nor split, though I beat away
valiantly on the back of the knightly cavalier."

"This cannot be true. This is a lie!" cried Camilla.

Lord Elliot raised his arm and pointed slowly to Kindar. "Ask him,
madame, if this is a lie."

Camilla turned, and as her eye rested upon him, she felt that she had no
need to ask the question.

Kindar leaned with pale cheek and tottering knees against the wall. He
was a living picture of cowardly despair and trembling terror.

Camilla groaned aloud, and with a look of unspeakable aversion she
turned from him to her husband. For the first time, she did not find him
ugly. He was indeed imposing. His proud bearing, his noble intellect,
and manly worth impressed her. To her he had never been but the fond,
tender, yielding lover--now she saw before her the firm and angry
man, and he pleased her. Kindar, who had been so handsome and so
irresistible, was now hateful in her eyes.

"Go on," murmured Camilla.

"Well, I beat this man with my cane till he consented to fight with me.
We had, however, played this little comedy too energetically. The people
of the hotel heard the noise, and fearing some fatal result, rushed to
the rescue of this handsome cavalier. We deferred the duel, therefore,
till the next day, but lo! the next morning le beau cousin had fled.
Without doubt he had forgotten our little arrangement, and his thirst to
see you lured him back to Berlin. I was barbarian enough to follow him,
and I swore to shoot him down like a mad dog if he did not consent to
fight. This comparison was doubtless somewhat insulting, and he resolved
at last to fight."

"Ah, he accepted the challenge!" cried Camilla, casting a sudden glance
upon Kindar; but oh, how ugly, how pitiful, how repulsive did he now
appear to her! She closed her eyes, in order not to see him.

"We rode on with our seconds and our weapons to the little village of
Bernan, on the border of Saxony; but I saw, madame, t