ter such an experience
of the commencement. He did but clasp her hand, assuring the Frau von
Rudiger that no word of hers could irritate him. 'Nothing can make me
forget that you are Clotilde's mother. You are the mother of the lady I
love, and may say what you will to me, madame. I bear it.'

'A man spotted with every iniquity the world abhors, and I am to see him
holding my daughter by the hand!--it is too abominable! And because there
is no one present to chastise him, he dares to address me and talk of his
foul passion for my daughter. I repeat: that which you have to do is to
go. My ears are shut. You can annoy, you can insult, you cannot move me.
Go.' She stamped: her aspect spat.

Alvan bowed. Under perfect self-command, he said: 'I will go at once to
Clotilde's father. I may hope, that with a reasonable man I shall
speedily come to an understanding.'

She retorted: 'Enter his house, and he will have you driven out by his
lacqueys.'

'Hardly: I am not of those men who are driven from houses,' Alvan said,
smiling. 'But, madame, I will act on your warning, and spare her father,
for all sakes, the attempt; seeing he does not yet know whom he deals
with. I will write to him.'

'Letters from you will be flung back unopened.

'It may, of course, be possible to destroy even my patience, madame.'

'Mine, sir, is at an end.'

'You reduce us to rely on ourselves; it is the sole alternative.'

'You have not waited for that,' rejoined Frau von Rudiger. 'You have
already destroyed my daughter's reputation by inducing her to leave her
father's house and hesitate to return. Oh! you are known. You are known
for your dealings with women as well as men. We know you. We have, we
pray to God, little more to learn of you. You! ah--thief!'

'Thief!' Alvan's voice rose on hers like the clapping echo of it. She had
up the whole angry pride of the man in arms, and could discern that she
had struck the wound in his history; but he was terrible to look at, so
she made the charge supportable by saying:

'You have stolen my child from me!'

Clotilde raised her throat, shrewish in excitement. 'False! He did not. I
went to him of my own will, to run from your heartlessness, mother--that
I call mother!--and be out of hearing of my father's curses and threats.
Yes, to him I fled, feeling that I belonged more to him than to you. And
never will I return to you. You have killed my love; I am this man's own
because I love him only; him