;
and while she was struggling to speak the gate was passed. Then she was
relieved that it was passed, for how could she, only because she had a
presentiment of trouble, go to Axel's house? What did she think of doing
there? Miss Leech glanced at her, and asked if anything was the matter.

"No," said Anna in a whisper, looking straight before her. Nor was there
anything the matter; only that blind look on Axel's face, and the
strange feeling in her heart.

A knot of people stood outside the post office talking eagerly. They all
stopped talking to stare at Anna when the carriage came round the
corner. Fritz whipped up his horses and drove past them at a gallop.

"Wait--I want to get out," cried Anna as they came to the parsonage. "Do
you mind waiting?" she asked Miss Leech. "I want to speak to Herr
Pastor. I will not be a moment."

She went up the little trim path to the porch. The maid-of-all-work was
clearing away the coffee from the table. Frau Manske came bustling out
when she heard Anna's voice asking for her husband. She looked
extraordinarily excited. "He has not come back yet," she cried before
Anna could speak, "he is still at the _Schloss_. _Gott Du Allmaechtiger_,
did one ever hear of anything so terrible?"

Anna looked at her, her face as white as her dress. "Tell me," she tried
to say; but no sound passed her lips. She made a great effort, and the
words came in a whisper: "Tell me," she said.

"What, the gracious Miss has not heard? Herr von Lohm has been
arrested."

It was impossible not to enjoy imparting so tremendous a piece of news,
however genuinely shocked one might be. Frau Manske brought it out with
a ring of pride. It would not be easy to beat, she felt, in the way of
news. Then she remembered the gossip about Anna and Axel, and observed
her with increased interest. Was she going to faint? It would be the
only becoming course for her to take if it were true that there had been
courting.

But Anna, whose voice had failed her before, when once she had heard
what it was that had happened, seemed curiously cold and composed.

"What was he accused of?" was all she asked; so calmly, Frau Manske
afterwards told her friends, that it was not even womanly in the face of
so great a misfortune.

"He set fire to the stables," said Frau Manske.

"It is a lie," said Anna; also, as Frau Manske afterwards pointed out to
her friends, an unwomanly remark.

"He did it himself to get the insurance money.