at our sudden departure should not
surprise you; but I can tell you exactly what Count Stefan will
say--that no fuss must be made; let the whole thing be done quickly
and quietly. The seconds, too, must act with great prudence, and not
irritate the principals by much delay."

"What do you mean by saying the seconds should act with prudence?"

"So far as depends upon them they must determine the issue of the
duel, and either soften or accentuate the conditions according to
circumstances. In this case we will soften. Your name will not appear
as the cause of the challenge. We will induce Behrend to say that he
used the word 'lie' in connection with Salista's expressions
concerning the Hungarian troops. This plausible ground for a challenge
will be accepted as sufficient by both sides, and in this way your
name need never be mentioned."

"But I do not care! What does that matter? If any one is killed for my
sake--"

"Compose yourself, my dear cousin; the seconds will be prudent. We
shall place them thirty feet apart, and give them worn-out pistols
with which, at half the distance, the aim would be uncertain; then we
shall not allow them to take aim more than a minute, and you may be
certain if they were both as thick as an elephant and protected like
robin red-breasts they couldn't be safer; they may fire away for hours
and never hit one another. Now, my dear child, be sensible, I beg of
you. When you have a husband he will have many an affair of this kind
upon his hands, and all for your beautiful eyes. But I must be going,
the carriage is at the door, and we start at daylight."

And Edmund took himself off with a hasty good-bye.

This little joke had spoiled all the sport. The loss of six men made
it impossible to continue hunting the next day; therefore every one
resolved to return to Pesth in the morning. The night was disturbed.
The companion of the Countess Angela, who slept in her room, told
everyone that her mistress had hardly slept a wink, that she was
constantly getting up and lighting the candle, saying that it must be
daylight and time to set off for the city.

The next morning, at ten o'clock, when all the guests had left, and
Countess Theudelinde and her suite were already in Pesth, Countess
Angela went to her room, and walked up and down restlessly until about
eleven o'clock, when Count Edmund was announced.

He came in pale and disturbed, and Angela, who tried to read his face,
concluded that som