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The lady has, after an absence of many years, returned to Germany, and naturally enough wishes to see her son. She has already written you about the matter but has received no answer." "I should think that was answer enough. I do not wish any such meeting, and I will not permit it." "That sounds very blunt, Herr Major. Frau von Falkenried, in that case, has "
It was only a momentary seduction, a boy's misstep through ignorance, which will never be repeated; Eugen has given me his word of honor for that." Falkenried laughed out suddenly, such a bitter, mocking laugh, that the young wife looked at him in alarm. "His word of honor. Certainly, why not? It is as easy given as broken. Are you really so credulous that you would take the word of such a boy?"
"No," said Falkenried, in a hard tone, "the fire burned out in the first year; I saw that only too clearly. But I shrank back from publishing to the world my household misery by a legal separation. So I bore it until no choice remained, until I was forced. But enough of this."
And yet these few short, earnest words had more effect than all Zalika's passionate outbreaks. Hartmut felt instinctively on which side the truth lay. "And now, to the main point," Falkenried went on. "What was the tenor of your daily interviews?" Perhaps Hartmut had not expected this question; a deep red overspread his face, he was silent and cast his eyes on the ground.
"I am prepared!" said Falkenried earnestly, then he kneeled and kissed his son, whom he had only found, he feared, to lose again; as he rose two hot tears fell on the death-like face. But the father had no time to stay by his son. He must be up and doing. After a few minutes he left the room, leaving repeated injunctions with the doctor not to relax his watchful care for an instant.
Since the last terrible hour when he had called her to account, she trembled at the thought of him. She made desperate efforts however to secure possession of her son, but all in vain. Hartmut was given to the father unconditionally, and Falkenried barred the mother's every effort with iron inexorableness.
Neither of the families were wealthy, and the sons, after completing their education, always had to make their own way in the world, and this in their turn Major Hartmut von Falkenried and Herbert von Wallmoden had done. They had played together in their youth, and as men had remained true to their boyhood's friendship.
Who would recognize in this slender, graceful figure, clad in a simple, summer frock, the proud, cold court beauty in her laces and jewels? The smile, the tone in which she spoke to her father and husband, Frau von Wallmoden had never known, for it was Ada Falkenried who had learned it. "You can go no farther to-day," said the general, standing still.
Falkenried looked at him, then he said: "Which way did you come?" "Over the pass." "Why, the enemy hold it," cried the General. "Yes they hold it." "And yet you came that way?" "There was no choice; we only knew it last night, and I had no time for any other." "That's a piece of heroism without parallel," said a high officer, who had just come up with a communication and heard the last words.
You see for yourself he did nothing dishonorable. I repeat to you he used no force, my love for my brother was the only force. I could not have expected Herbert to exert himself as he had to do in Rome for a stranger." "If a woman had come to me under such circumstances, I should have saved her brother without stipulations," Falkenried exclaimed.
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