given out to the
officers; and he had a watchword too, which no one else was to know,
given to him by the man behind the cathedral, who had dashed him down
as if he would break every one of his bones. A smile went over
Pranken's features.

"Thou hast played well, but thou hast only played," he said, recalling
to mind the Dean. "You shall see that I can play well too; I know my
part, and I will yet show you a little of my skill in playing."

Pride again rose within him, and he could not comprehend that he, Otto
von Pranken, had been such a mortified piece of humility. But it is
very well to have been so once.

He came to the Hotel Victoria in a half-humble, half-conceited mood,
and he now felt a real training-day hunger. Such mental emotions have
this advantage, that they make one hungry.

Pranken anticipated with a feeling of satisfaction his dinner with the
Baron, his father-in-law.

As he stood at Sonnenkamp's door and was about to ring, he heard some
one inside saying in a loud tone:--

"But Where's Herr von Pranken?"

"Here!" cried he, as he went in.

CHAPTER VI.

HONOR LIES BLEEDING.

Sonnenkamp's decoration was lying at Pranken's feet as he entered, and
the first thing he did was to stoop down and pick it up. Joseph left
the room. Pranken balanced the decoration as if it were a heavy weight.
Sonnenkamp seemed to be waiting for Pranken to speak first, and when
the latter said, "I congratulate you," broke in:--

"No, no--do not. I thank you for coming to me again. I thank you
sincerely--very sincerely. You meant well by me."

"What's this? Meant well? I don't comprehend."

Sonnenkamp stared at him; the whole city, the coachmen on the streets
knew it, and can this man be ignorant? Does he want to gull him?

"Have you read the Journal?" inquired Sonnenkamp.

"The Journal! No; what's in that?"

Sonnenkamp reached him the paper.

"Here--my diploma of nobility," he said, turning round and looking out
of the window while Pranken was reading. He did not want to look at the
man's countenance.

There was a long-continued silence in the room, and then Sonnenkamp
felt a hand upon his shoulder. He turned round quickly. What's the
meaning of this? will the haughty young nobleman have a personal
struggle with him?

"Herr Sonnenkamp," said Pranken, "I am a nobleman----"

"I know--I know. Take your hand off of me, you'll soil it."

"And I a