saying,--

"Dear wife, I have been looking for you."

Bella's soul was deeply moved when she heard him call her "dear wife."
Clodwig showed her a letter that he had been writing to the Professor's
widow, inviting her, according to Bella's expressed desire, to make a
visit of several weeks at Wolfsgarten.

"Don't send the letter," said she abruptly, "let us again be quietly by
ourselves; I would rather not be disturbed now by the Dournay family."

Clodwig expressed his opinion that the noble lady, so far from
interfering with their quiet, would be an additional element of
beautiful companionship, and would be the means of their seeing Eric in
a pleasant way.

The storm had ceased, and when Bella opened the window, a refreshing
breeze drew in. She held the letter in her hand; it had been tempest,
lightning, rain, and thunder that raged to-day in her soul, and now
there was refreshing life. She agreed with her husband; she said to
herself, that intercourse with the noble woman would restore her to
herself; and for a moment the thought occurred to her that she would
confess all to the mother, and be governed by her. Then came the
thought that this was not necessary; it would be very natural for Eric
to come to Wolfsgarten, and her intercourse with him would fall back
into the old peaceful channels.

Bella wrote a short postscript to the letter of her husband; and the
Doctor also, who came in just as they were closing the letter, added a
few words.

CHAPTER XII.

AN OPEN COURT AND AN OPEN INVENTORY.

The fireworks were still crackling and snapping in their ears, the
dazzling lights still gleaming in their eyes, and the music of the band
still sounding in their recollection, when they were obliged to make
ready for appearance at court, as witnesses in the affair of the
burglary.

Pranken remained with the guests at the Villa, having undertaken to
show them the recently purchased country-house.

Sonnenkamp, Roland, and Eric, and also the porter, the coachman,
Bertram, the head-gardener, the little "Squirrel," and two gardeners
repaired to the county town to attend the trial. They went by the house
of the Wine-count, now styled Baron von Endlich, where the remnants of
fireworks were still visible, scattered here and there; the house was
yet shut up, the family still sleeping their first sleep as members of
the nobility.

Eric spoke of the beautiful and genu