.

For the past two days the "singing bird" had been dumb, and whosoever
caught sight of her face, saw pale, tear-stained cheeks and swollen
eyes. The people of the house could not explain it, and shook their
heads over it until old Fraeulein Berger said that Dr. Volkmar was ill,
and his grandchild could not obtain permission just now to go to him.
All this was true enough for the good doctor was suffering from a severe
cold.

But it was no sufficient reason for Marietta's despondency, which had
caused much comment among her fellow-workers at the theatre.

She stood at the window of the comfortable little living-room, having
just returned from rehearsal, and looked out drearily into the quiet
street. Fraeulein Berger was stitching industriously by the little centre
table, and looked up now at the young girl with a grave shake of the
head.

"Child, why do you take the thing so hard?" she said, almost sharply.
"You'll wear yourself out with all this anxiety and excitement. What's
the sense of looking on the worst side?"

Marietta turned toward the speaker; she was very pale and there was a
sob in her voice, as she replied:

"This is the third day and I can learn nothing. O, it is terrible, this
waiting hour after hour for bad news."

"But why need it be bad?" remonstrated the old lady. "Yesterday
afternoon Herr von Eschenhagen, was well and happy. I went out myself at
your desire and found he was out driving with Herr and Frau von
Wallmoden. Perhaps the matter has been settled amicably."

"Then I'd have had news before now," the girl answered, hopelessly. "He
promised me and he'd keep his word, I know it. If anything has happened,
if he has fallen--I believe I can't live through it."

The last words sounded forth so passionately that Fraeulein Berger
glanced at the speaker frightened.

"Marietta, that sounds very unreasonable," she said. "It wasn't your
fault that you were insulted, neither would you be to blame if your
friend Toni's fiance was shot. You couldn't really be more despairing if
it was your own lover who was to fight."

A deep flush overspread the pale features of the girl for a moment, and
she turned again toward the window.

"You do not understand, auntie," she replied in a low tone. "You do not
know how much happiness I have had in the head forester's house, how
humbly Toni begged my pardon for the insults her future mother-in-law
heaped upon me. What will she think of me when she hears that