od before her. His arm lay on the mantel-shelf, his
fingers clutching its edge until the nails grew white. The girl took
off her heavy black bonnet and laid it on the table. The lamp behind
her shone through the golden hair that made a halo around her face, the
face of a child, unworldly, confiding. The only mark of maturity about
her was the straight line of a determined mouth.

Friedrich spoke first.

"You are wearing black. Is it Max?"

The great, innocent blue eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, it is Max."

"Poor child!"

A shiver passed over the girl.

"And poor Max! When was it?"

"Five months ago."

"Five months ago? You can't mean that! Five months ago! Why wasn't I
told?"

"I hadn't your address."

"Max had it."

"I looked through all his papers and found nothing."

"Herr Stapfer, my lawyer, had it."

"I applied to him, and he gave me an address in Texas that you had sent
him a year ago."

"It is true. I believe I never wrote to him after I settled here until
last June."

"Yes, it was in June that I heard from him again that you were here,
and ill. I begged him not to tell you of Max's death. I did not know
how ill you were, and I feared for you. Then I decided to come myself
to find you--and care for you if you needed care."

"Your aunt?"

"She is dead. I have no one now--but you."

Silence fell on them. The little figure with the dark robes of her
mourning clinging about her, rose and stood before him, her linked
fingers twisting nervously together.

"You will let me stay? You told me once--you swore it, do you
remember?--that your life was mine; that I had but to tell you of my
need. You remember?"

"Yes, I remember."

His eyes were on the ground and never met her steady gaze, but she
seemed satisfied with what she saw. Her hands stopped their nervous
play.

She looked curiously about the room.

"This is a hunting-lodge, I suppose. But you must not think I care. I
shall get on very well. And may I go to my room now?"

Von Rittenheim was startled into activity by the simple request.

"I think you must wait until some preparation is made. I will go and
fetch a woman who will look after you. You will not be afraid if I
leave you alone for a few minutes?"

"Entirely alone?"

"Yes. There is no one here. But see, I leave you my pistol, and you can
lock the door on the inside, and when I come back I will call in
German. No one else near here knows a word of German."

"Shall I