TER _and_ WILLIAM.

SOPHY (_coming out of_ MARY'S _room_).

Now she may be where the willows begin.

[_At the window_.]

He is closing the shutters. I must close Mary's for appearance's sake,
so that she can climb in when she returns. And Andrew not yet back! All
at once a feeling comes over me, as if I should not have allowed Mary to
go.

_Enter the_ FORESTER _with_ WILLIAM. SOPHY _goes again into_ MARY'S
_room_.

WILLIAM (_while entering_).

Father, Lora Kramer came to the fence, and said that Stein was beside
himself--that shots had been heard in the forest--that Robert was
missing, and that Stein had sent Moeller into town; he was to get the
soldiers; they were to arrest the whole band of murderers from the
hunter's house, he said. She also said that Moeller had passed Kramer's
house at full gallop. They might be expected to arrive before one
o'clock.

FORESTER (_while_ SOPHY _steps out of_ MARY'S _room_).

What have you still to do outside?

[_Looks about him_.]

WILLIAM.

In the garden, father. Mother, there was nothing in the arbor.

SOPHY (_remains at the door_).

Then somebody must have brought it in.

[_To the_ FORESTER.]

Are you looking for anything?

FORESTER.

I? No. Yes, the rifle with the yellow strap. Where can that be? Perhaps
in Mary's--

SOPHY (_involuntarily covering the door, quickly_).

There is no rifle in Mary's room.

WILLIAM.

To be sure, Andrew took it along when he went to accompany me.

FORESTER. True. [_Shows the muffler_.]

There, I have somebody's muffler in my pocket! Is it yours, William?

SOPHY.

The red and yellow muffler? That belongs to Andrew.

FORESTER.

He left it around yesterday, and absentmindedly I must have put it in my
pocket.

SOPHY.

Yesterday? Only today, before you went, I gave it to him.

FORESTER.

You gave it to--all right!

SOPHY (_comes nearer_).

Yes, yes. That is Andrew's muffler.

[_She examines it_.]

Here is his monogram.

FORESTER (_wishes to take it from her_).

Give it to me.

SOPHY.

It is wet!--And what blood is that upon the muffler?

FORESTER.

Blood?

[_Suppresses his emotion_.]

It's from my hand. I cut it on the lock of the gun. Never mind!

SOPHY (_busies herself on the other side of the stage_).

FORESTER.

William, come here. Read to me. There in the Bible, begin where the
book-mark is.

WILLIAM.

In the middle of the chapter?

FORESTER.

Beginning at the mark there. Go