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She had but closed the door, when the mean little Leberecht glided from behind the chimney, and crept to listen at the door. Within was a lively conversation, and twice a shout of joy was heard and Marie, exultant, cried, "Oh, Trude! dear Trude! all goes well, I fear nothing now. God has sent me the savior which I implored!"
Slowly had Trude, the faithful nurse, who watched by her bedside day and night, answered her excited questions, and to her little by little the circumstances of the elopement how Leberecht had played the eavesdropper and sold Marie's secret for gold; how he had previously arranged to pursue them, informing the police, ordering the horses, and sending forward a courier to provide fresh relays at every station.
He knows I should then be too happy, and therefore says, 'Gotthold Leberecht Blucher, I have permitted thee to bring Bonaparte to the brink of ruin; now thine armies are close to Paris, and will, without thee, get into the city.
"The door is old, and with a good push one could open it," said Leberecht. "Come, my son, let us see," said the mother. They hastened up to the room, while the general scolded, furiously that he must sit still. Leberecht and Trude cast furious, menacing glances at each other. Suddenly a loud crash was heard. "They have broken open the door!" cried the general.
It was a long time before the old woman appeared, confused and sleepy, asking "what they wanted at such a late hour?" "Go and tell my daughter that I wish to see her at once." Trude trembled, but composed herself, saying, "There is time enough to-morrow. Fraulein has been asleep a long time." "She lies," sneered Leberecht, taking the precaution to protect himself behind the general's arm-chair.
"Do you not see she has it?" cried Leberecht. "Oh, you wretch, I will pay you I will scratch your eyes out, you miserable creature!" "Trude, be quiet," commanded Ebenstreit; "the general orders to give up the key do it!" "Yes, do it at once," shrieked Frau von Werrig, "or I will dismiss you from my service." "That you will not have to do, as I shall go myself. I will not give up the key."
"I would say," said he, spying about the room, as if he were afraid some one were listening, "that if a poor, simple man like myself could be useful to you, and you could confide in me your commissions, I should be too happy to prove to you that Carl Leberecht is an honest fellow, and has a heart, and it hurts his feelings to see the miss suffer so much." "I thank you," said Marie, gently.
The general was much his superior at cards, and, moreover, played the dummy, and the stake being high, it was quite an income for the future father-in-law, and regarded by him as the one bright spot in his daily life. The cards had been dealt, and Leberecht had assorted the general's, and placed them in his gouty hand, when Trude entered, exultingly. "What has happened?
I had better let the affair go on: they can take a short drive, and when they are about an hour absent, I will sell my secret at a higher price. Now I will pretend to be quite harmless, and after supper let the bomb burst!" Evening had set in. The card-table had been arranged, and Leberecht had rolled his master to it, taking his place behind his chair.
Will you allow me, father, to send your servant to my office for it?" "Send Leberecht here, Trude!" The old woman hurried out of the room, but the door once closed, her manner changed. One might have supposed a sudden cramp had seized her, from her distorted face, and twitching and panting, and beating the air with her clinched fists, and her quivering lips uttering broken words.
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