hameless situation. Saloma said that there was nothing for them to
do but to send the wicked creature back to the streets where she
belonged.

Eleanore was silent. She had fixed her eyes on the "Medea," and was
doing some hard thinking. Finally she came to a conclusion: she asked
whether she might speak to Meta. Filled at once with anxiety and hope,
Saloma asked her what she wanted with Meta. She replied that she would
tell them later what her purpose was. Fraeulein Jasmina showed her the
way to Meta's room.

When Meta caught sight of Eleanore, her features became at once
beclouded in sombre amazement.

She was sitting at the open window of her attic room knitting. She got
up and looked into the face of the beautiful girl without saying a word.
Eleanore was moved on seeing the tall, youthful figure, and yet it was
quite impossible for her to subdue a feeling of horror.

At Eleanore's very first words, Meta began to sob. Eleanore comforted
her; she asked her where she was planning to go during her confinement.

"Why, there are institutions," she murmured, holding her apron before
her face, "I can go to one of them."

Eleanore sat down on the side of the bed. She unrolled her plans to the
girl with a delicacy and consideration just as if she were speaking to a
pampered lady. She spoke with a silver-clear vivacity just as if she
were discussing some hardy prank. Meta looked at her at first with the
air of one oppressed; later she assumed the attitude of a grateful
listener.

Pained by the ethereal and inhuman primness of her three employers,
angry at the man who had abandoned her to her present fate, and fighting
against the reproaches of her own conscience, Meta became as wax in
Eleanore's hands, submissive, obedient, and appreciative.

The Ruediger sisters, all but bursting with curiosity to know what
Eleanore had in mind, could draw nothing from her other than that she
was going to take Meta away and that Meta was agreed.

VI

It was Eleanore's intention to take the pregnant girl to Daniel's mother
at Eschenbach.

She knew of the dissension between Daniel and his mother. She knew that
the two avoided each other's presence; that Daniel in his defiance felt
it his duty to avenge himself for the lack of love on the part of his
mother. Back of the picture of the unloving and impatient son she saw
that of an old woman worrying her life away in silent care.

She had often giv