your very
presence has polluted the innocence of my daughter."

"Father, kill me, but do not insult me!" cried she, a dark glow
suffusing her cheeks.

"Pour out your anger on me," said Feodor ardently. "It is a piece of
barbarism to attack a defenceless girl."

Gotzkowsky laughed out loud and scornfully: "You speak of barbarism,
and you a Russian!"

An exclamation of rage escaped the colonel; he seized his sword and
drawing it quickly advanced toward Gotzkowsky.

"At last!" cried Gotzkowsky, triumphantly, raising his blade. But
Elise, beside herself, and heedless of the flashing steel, threw
herself between them. With burning words she entreated Feodor to spare
her father, and not to raise his sword against him. But Gotzkowsky's
voice overpowered hers. Such wild words of contempt and insulting rage
issued from his lips, that the young officer, hurt in his military
honor, did not dare to listen to the voice of his beloved. It was
he now who pressed Elise back, and with raised arm placed himself
opposite to her father.

"You must kill me, sir, or wash out this insult with your blood,"
cried he, preparing himself for the combat.

Both were then silent. It was a terrible, unearthly silence, only
broken by the clash of their swords or the occasional outcries of
anger or savage joy, as one or the other received or gave a blow.
Elise raised her head to heaven and prayed; every thing became
confused before her eyes, her head swam, and she felt as if she would
go crazy. She prayed God that He would release her by madness or death
from the suffering of this hour, or that He would point out to her
some way of deliverance or escape. But in the violence of their
dispute and combat, the two men had not heard that there arose
suddenly in the house a loud tumult and uproar; they had not perceived
that a guard of soldiers was drawn up in the street, and that the
commanding officer with a loud voice was demanding the delivery of the
cannoneer who had taken refuge in this house.

As no attention was paid to the demand, the officer had ordered his
soldiers to break open the doors of the house and enter by force. But
Bertram had anticipated this proceeding by having the door opened, and
requesting the Austrian officer to search the house with his men,
and convince himself that no one was concealed in it. With most
industrious energy, and mindful of the price which had been set on the
head of the cannoneer, the soldiers searched e