lings, wishes, and hopes, and had it been necessary,
I would without tears have sacrificed all that was dearest to me on
earth. It became necessary for the good of this cause that I should
appear to betray your love. A plan had been formed in which this woman
you have just named could alone aid me. I dared not ask my heart what it
suffered, for my head told me that this woman was necessary to me, and
it became my duty to obtain her assistance by any means. So I became the
daily companion of Madame du Trouffle, so--"

A light tap at the door interrupted the count, and startled him
inexplicably.

"What does that mean?" he asked, turning pale.

Marietta laughed aloud. "That means," she said, slowly and scornfully,
"that you will not go to Magdeburg to-morrow--that you cannot make use
of the passport which your beloved Madame du Trouffle obtained for you.
Ah, you wished to leave me secretly--you did not wish me to suspect
your intended departure. You were mistaken, Ranuzi. You will remain in
Berlin, but you will never go to her again. I will prevent that."

At this moment loud knocking was heard at the door, and two policemen
entered the room without waiting for an invitation, and through the open
door armed soldiers might be seen in the hall guarding the entrance.

When Ranuzi first beheld these servants of justice, he shuddered and
became deathly pale, but as they approached him, he recovered his wonted
composure, and advanced proudly and coldly to meet them.

"Are you Count Ranuzi?" asked one of the policemen.

"I am," he said, calmly.

"I arrest you in the name of the king; you are our prisoner."

"With what offence am I charged?" asked he, as he slowly placed his hand
in his bosom.

"The court-martial will inform you."

"Ah, I am to be tried by a court-martial. Spies and conspirators are
always thus tried. I am charged then with spying and conspiring," cried
Ranuzi, and then slowly turning to Marietta, he asked:

"And this is your work?"

"Yes; this is my work," she said, triumphantly.

"You must come now," said the policeman, roughly, as he stepped nearer
to Ranuzi, at the same time giving his companion a sign to do the same.
"Come immediately and quietly. Do not compel us to use force."

"Force," cried Ranuzi, shrugging his shoulders, as he drew his hand from
his bosom and pointed a pistol toward the policemen, from which they
shrunk back terrified. "You see that I need not fear force," he said.
"If