nk clearly. She sat thus for some
moments, struggling against the invading weakness. When she looked up
again, the flame whose up-leaping had so arrested her, which had, to be
just, so horrified her, was fallen to ashes.

Karen's eyes were closed. A bitter composure, like that sometimes seen
on the face of the dead, folded her lips.

Madame von Marwitz, suddenly afraid, rose and went to her and stooped
over her. And, for a dreadful moment, she did not know whether it was
with fear or hope that she scanned the deathly face. Abysses of horror
seemed to fall within her as she thus bent over Karen and wondered
whether she had died.

It had been a foolish fear. The child had not even fainted. Madame von
Marwitz's breath came back to her, almost in a sob, as, not opening her
eyes, Karen repeated her former question: "Where is Franz?"

"He will be back soon; Franz will soon be here," said Madame von Marwitz
gently and soothingly.

"I must see him," said Karen.

"You shall. You shall see him, my Karen," said Madame von Marwitz. "You
are with those who love you. Have no fear. Franz is of my mind in this
matter, Karen. You will not wish to defend yourself against your
husband's suit, is it not so? Defence, I fear, my Karen, would be
useless. The chain of evidence against you is complete. But even if it
were not, if there were defence to make, you would not wish to sue to
your husband to take you back?"

Karen still with closed eyes, turned her head away on the pillow. "Let
him be free," she said. "He knows that I wished him to be free. When I
left him I told him that I hoped to set him free. Let him believe that I
have done so."

Madame von Marwitz still leaned above her and, as when Franz had
imparted the unlooked-for tidings of Karen's reticence, so now her eyes
dilated with a deepened hope.

"You told him so, Karen?" she repeated gently, after a moment.

"Yes," said Karen, "I told him so. I shall make no defence. Will you go
now? I am tired. And will you send Franz to me when he comes back?"

"Yes, my child; yes," said Madame von Marwitz. "It is well. I will be
below. I will watch over you." She raised herself at last. "There is
nothing that I can do for you, my Karen?"

"Nothing," said Karen. Her voice, too, seemed sinking into ashes.

Madame von Marwitz opened the door to the dark little staircase and
closed it. In the cloaking darkness she paused and leaned against the
wall. "_Bon Dieu!_" she murmured to her