oments are precious. I'm here to ask you for a
great service, which you can render me and the sacred cause. Your
brother, the best young fellow I have ever known--he's worthy to have
you for a sister, Reginchen--if you wish to know farther particulars,
ask him. He has all the numbers of my newspaper, on account of which
I'm persecuted. True, I have irritated them, but we have all practised
the patience of the lamb long enough, the ass's skin is at last
becoming too tight for the lion, but perhaps he was unwise to betray
himself by his roar before he was ready to spring. However, it is done;
only slaves and cowards are always wise. I don't know what they intend
to do now. But that it will--"

"Merciful Heavens!" she exclaimed, "will they try you, throw you into
prison?"

"To render me harmless, yes! What is there new or strange in that? Oh!
dear Reginchen, the falsity of this so-called justice is so old that
quiet citizens may well accept it as a matter of course. But I'm not
here to tell you things of which your noble innocent heart can frame no
idea. See, this is my dearest possession"--and he drew out a tolerably
thick leather pocket book, fastened with a string and sealed. "It
contains papers, which if found on my person, would ruin not only
me--what would that matter--but many noble men who have trusted me. I
knew of no place where I could safely conceal these papers and letters,
no one whom I could trust under all circumstances to protect them from
every eye; for all my friends run the same risk; any night the police
may break into their asylum and search their most secret repositories.
Then I thought of you, Reginchen. No one will ever dream of looking
here for papers dangerous to the government; your father, though a
liberal, has always shaken his head at all the plans of socialism. Will
you do me so great a favor as to keep my legacy and never allow it to
leave your hands until I write myself and tell you to what address to
send the pacquet?"

She hastily seized the pocketbook with both hands and thrust it under
the thick woolen handkerchief she wore crossed over her shoulders and
tied in a knot behind. "No living soul shall know anything about it,"
she said, "it shall be as safe with me as if it were in the bank. But
oh! Herr Franzelius, have matters really gone so far? Must you go away
forever?" She hastily passed her hand over her eyes, he must not see
that they were wet; he was causing her quite too much