and I will try to compose myself. You did not mean any
harm, and I owe you no grudge. Now go; you will not feel the draught in
the anteroom with that wrap on. Go; be quick."

"No, no," she eagerly replied. "You must let me say what I have to say or
I cannot sleep. You see I never thought of hurting you so dreadfully, so
horribly--never, never! I was angry with you, to be sure, because--but
when I spoke I really and truly did not think of you, but only of poor
Paula. You do not know how good she is, and grandfather was so fond of
her before you came home; and he was lying there and going to die so
soon, and I knew that he believed Paula to be a thief and a liar, and it
seemed to me so horrible, so unbearable to see him close his eyes with
such a mistake in his mind, such an injustice!--Not for his sake, oh no!
but for Paula's; so then I--Oh Orion! the Merciful Saviour is my witness,
I could not help it; if I had had to die for it I could not have helped
it! I should have died, if I had not spoken!"

"And perhaps it was well that you spoke," interrupted the young man, with
a deep sigh. "You see, child, your lost father's miserable brother is a
ruined man and it matters little about him; but Paula, who is a thousand
times better than I am, has at least had justice done her; and as I love
her far more dearly than your little heart can conceive of, I will gladly
be friends with you again: nay, I shall be more fond of you than ever.
That is nothing great or noble, for I need love--much love to make life
tolerable. The best love a man may have I have forfeited, fool that I am!
and now dear, good little soul, I could not bear to lose yours! So there
is my hand upon it; now, give me another kiss and then go to bed and
sleep."

But still Mary would not do his bidding, but only thanked him vehemently
and then asked with sparkling eyes:

"Really, truly? Do you love Paula so dearly?" At this point however she
suddenly checked herself. "And little Katharina. . ."

"Never mind about that," he replied with a sigh. "And learn a lesson from
all this. I, you see, in an hour of recklessness did a wrong thing; to
hide it I had to do further wrong, till it grew to a mountain which fell
on me and crushed me. Now, I am the most miserable of men and I might
perhaps have been the happiest. I have spoilt my own life by my own
folly, weakness, and guilt; and I have lost Paula, who is dearer to me
than all the other creatures on earth put toget