back in a couple of hours," said the
Major with emphasis.

Wallmoden shrugged his shoulders: "The word of a boy of seventeen!"

"Who has had a soldier's education and knows the significance of his
word of honor. That gives me no anxiety; my fears are in another
direction."

"Regine told me you and he understood one another at last," remarked
Wallmoden, with a glance at his friend's dark, gloomy face.

"For a few minutes; then I had to be the stern, hard father again, and
this last hour has shown me how hard a task it will be to conquer and
direct this unruly, undisciplined nature, but for all that, I must and
will subdue it."

His friend stepped to the window and looked out upon the garden.

"It is twilight already and the Burgsdorf fish-pond is half an hour's
walk from here," he said, half aloud. "You could have this last meeting
held in your presence if you saw fit."

"And see Zalika again? Impossible! I could and would not do that."

"If this farewell does not end as you anticipate--if Hartmut does not
come back?"

"Then he would be beneath contempt, a liar," said Falkenried, "a
deserter too, for he already carries arms at his side. But do not insult
me with such thoughts, Herbert. It is my son of whom you speak."

"He is Zalika's son also. But we won't discuss it any more. They are
waiting for you in the dining-room; you will not go to-night?"

"Yes, in two hours," answered the Major, steadily and quietly. "Hartmut
will be back by then--I'll answer for it."

The gray shadows of evening already lay on field and meadow, and they
grew each moment thicker and darker. The short hazy autumn day was at an
end, and the clouded sky brought the night down more quickly than usual.
A woman's figure could be seen pacing impatiently up and down on the
shore of the little lake. She had a dark mantle drawn closely around
her shoulders, but she paid little heed to the frosty evening air which
was blowing about her; she was feverish with expectation, and her ear
was strained to catch the first echo of approaching footsteps.

Since the first day on which Willibald had surprised them both, and they
had been forced to take him into their confidence, Zalika had chosen a
late hour in the afternoon, and a lonely place in the wood for her
meetings with her son. She was accustomed to meet him before the
twilight began, in order that he might not attract attention by
returning late to Burgsdorf. He had always been punctual, bu