t now no
price would induce her to trust herself upon the water again. Instances
had been known where the wind had suddenly sprung up and driven back a
thunder-storm that had once passed over!

In the mean while, the young count had been in consultation with the
landlord, and now came to report that a carriage could be ready
immediately, which would easily carry them to Starnberg inside of an
hour. The other party might then make use of their boat, unless they
should prefer to wait until the vehicle came back. But as the sky was
clear, and the night warm and lovely, both the sisters and Aunt Babette
thought it would be more advisable to make the voyage across than to
wait several hours more in the close house.

So they took leave of the wedding-guests with more or less ceremony,
and made preparations for starting. The old countess, who, for several
hours past, had shown herself extremely gracious as long as Schnetz was
present to act as go-between, and the unknown young baron had lent a
certain respectability to his burgher friends, now suddenly seemed to
become conscious again of the gulf between her and the savers of her
life--particularly in the case of the girls, whom she did not honor
with another word. She gave Rosenbusch to understand, in pretty plain
language, that she was very angry with Schnetz, who had quite forgotten
all "_egards_" toward her, and had gone off without even coming to take
leave in person. The battle-painter, who found himself placed in a
rather embarrassing situation, was just on the point of making some
excuse for his absent friend, when suddenly the words stuck in his
throat. They had left the house in order to wait outside until the
carriage should be ready. There, on the white gravel close to the bank,
Rosenbusch saw a dark spot, from which a broad trail of drops ran down
as far as the landing-place. "Good God!" he cried. "What is this?
Blood? Freshly-shed blood? Countess, if this blood should really have
come from our baron, our friend Schnetz would undoubtedly be justified,
even by the severest court of honor, for having failed in the laws
of courtesy. I beseech you, don't let the others learn anything of
this--young ladies are so devilish timid and frightened at the sight of
blood--"

Unfortunately the warning came too late. Irene had just stepped up to
the place where they were standing. When she caught sight of the
ghastly trace, she uttered a low cry, staggered back, and leaned f