s hoofs and the wheels beat the sand, and the click
of the gate closing after the vehicle. The silence of death fell on the
deserted house.

"I am alone," she said, sitting up but not rising.

"Now it will be everyone for himself and myself upon the side of evil,
where they forced me to rank."

Hardly had she risen to her feet, very tremulous, and prepared to go to
the mirror over the sideboard to re-arrange her hair, than she heard
footsteps in the hall.

"Hedwig!" but listening more coolly, "no, a man!" she added, "has Von
Sendlingen the audacity to enter?"

A man opened the door, but stood petrified on the threshold.

CHAPTER XXII

FELIX

It was Antonino.

"Is this the keeper?" thought Cesarine, laughing scornfully within
herself. "A pretty boy for the austere Clemenceau to trust! Do not
excuse yourself," she called out. "Close the door--it causes a draft!
So, you told my husband that you loved me?"

Far from expecting this address, the Italian let several seconds pass
before he faltered:

"Who told you so?"

"He did! he never lacks frankness, I will say that for him. Well, you
have destroyed my chances of securing a peaceful life. And yet I never
did you any harm, did I?"

"I destroy you?" repeated he, as she began to weep after a vain attempt
to hide her eyes in her tresses.

"How is that?"

"Because I lost control of myself under his anger and his threats, and I
confessed to him also that I was fond of you. We have a fellow feeling
and selected the same confidant!"

"You love me?"

"For what else did I come back to this gloomy house? What else would
have induced me to stay? He drove me away before, and I never suspected
that it was to clear the scene for Rebecca, fool--child that I was! And
now he picked the quarrel with me about you in order to go off with the
heathen! You men are so monopolizing! He wants to be let love the
inky-eyed Jewess, but I must not say a kind word to you! Oh, what am I
to do now?" and in pretending to repair the disarray of her hair, down
came a luxuriant tress. "What does it matter which way I turn? All roads
lead to the river or the railroad--a step into the cold water or repose
on the track of the iron horse, and no one will then torment poor
Cesarine!"

"You have some sinister plan," said Antonino, frightened by her manner.
"I will not let you go away alone."

"Is it thus you guard your master's house?"

"Then wait till he returns and decide upon