and said,
"Sh!"

But inquisitive Marianna would not let him go. Of whom was he so
frightened? Of his wife? It seemed so. Oh, yes--she drew nearer to her
master as she whispered mysteriously--but she was certainly a very
strange cook. Had not she, Marianna, almost died from drinking some
coffee which her mistress had once made for the master?

Mr. Tiralla listened, trembling with horror. Yes, yes, she had wanted
to poison him, he had guessed it long ago. And she still wanted to
poison him. He hid himself behind the girl like a child. "Protect me,
protect me, oh, she's coming!"

Clinging to the girl's skirts, he dragged her into a corner, and,
pressing himself in behind her, held her like a shield in front of him.
Oh, Sophia was coming, where should he fly from her? He wailed like a
boy afraid of the cane.

Marianna had great difficulty in calming him. "Be quiet, Panje, be
quiet," she said; "she mustn't, she won't do anything to you. I,
Marianna, am here, you know. And if she dares after all----"

"Yes, oh, yes," he broke in hastily, "then you'll go to the police
station and say, 'It was she, she, who brought the master to his
grave.'"

Yes, by God she would, the master could rely upon her. Marianna gave
him many a fair promise and swore solemnly she would do it. That calmed
Mr. Tiralla more than anything else.

[Pg 254]

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Then he gave her all the money he had in
his pocket, and promised to give her much more for herself and children
if she would give information as soon as he lay in his grave.

The two wept together in the dim stables, the man with fear, the girl
in her good-nature. They sobbed in such a heartbroken way and struck
their breasts so loudly that the animals, startled out of their sleep,
turned their heads and looked in astonishment at the strange couple.
The lantern went out, and no ray of light penetrated the darkness.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile Mrs. Tiralla was hurrying across the fields. She was quite
alone. Martin had said good night to her as though it had been for
ever. Farewell for ever! If it had been otherwise, he could not have
kept his eyes lowered, and his icy-cold hand had remained only for a
few moments in hers. She had pressed his, but he had not returned the
pressure, rather he had hastily withdrawn his fingers as though hers
were burning him, and had not turned round once more at the door in
order to ret