he could make no reply. Insulted, turned
away, humiliated by her servants! She must know, he felt sure she knew
now and his degradation was complete. The old man turned to go now
desiring only to get away, somewhere, anywhere, where he could hide his
head, where he could hide his grief from the world. Joles shut the
door with a bang. He evidently intended that the music master's
dismissal should be final. That door bang put a new idea into Von
Barwig's bewildered brain.

"That does not come from her," he cried, "she does not insult, she does
not lacerate the heart, she would not purposely humiliate me. No, this
last degradation could emanate only from one who has the soul of a
servant. This is revenge! He hates me, but why? Good God! Why?
I've done nothing to him," and the old man groaned aloud in his misery.
"I'll wait and see, perhaps she is at Bar Harbour with her father. How
do I know? How do I know?"

After this, Von Barwig did something that he had never done before in
his whole life; he hid himself in the shadow of the opposite corner,
and watched. "It is a mean action," he said to himself, "but she will
forgive, she will forgive!"

For hours he stood there watching and waiting, and the time slipped by
almost without his being conscious of it, until the shadows of night
began to fall. Once a policeman, seeing him crouched in the corner,
stopped and looked at him.

"What are you doing there?" he asked.

Von Barwig turned his pale, tear-stained countenance and looked at the
officer; then a gentle smile crept over his face.

"I am waiting," he said simply.

There was such utter pathos in the old man's voice, such gentle dignity
in his manner, such a pleading look in his eyes that it seemed to
satisfy the guardian of the law, for he walked on without uttering
another word.

Von Barwig's weary vigil soon came to an end. A pair of horses and a
carriage drove up to the Stanton mansion and stopped at its doors. Von
Barwig instantly recognised the Stanton livery, but the carriage was
empty.

"It is waiting for some one," he muttered to himself. "Courage,
courage! We shall soon see!"

It was now nearly dark, and he could approach nearer to the house
without fear of being seen. The carriage stood there quite a time,
during which the horses pawed the ground impatiently.

"Patience, patience," said Von Barwig to himself. "You soon see."

His patience was rewarded, for the door opened, and