turn of it to-day. What
was the temptation?"

For a long while I refused to answer; I was weak as well as irritable,
and I desired peace; but she persisted, and pressed hard to know what
subject we had been discussing together.

"I'll tell you, then," said I, fiercely, for a sudden thought, prompted
perhaps by a sense of anger, flashed across me: "he has just told me
that you are his sister."

She screamed out wildly, and rushing to the end of the gallery, threw
herself at the foot of a little altar.

Satisfied with my vengeance, I lay back, and said no more. I may have
dropped into a half-slumber afterwards, for I remember nothing till,
just as evening began to fall, one of the servants came up and placed a
table and two chairs beside my bed, with writing-materials and a large
book, and shortly after, two men dressed in black, and with square
black caps on their heads, took their places at the table, and conversed
together in low whispers. Resolving to treat them with a show of
complete indifference, I turned away and pretended to go to sleep.

"The Herr Staats Procurator Schlassel has come to read the act of
accusation," said the shorter man, who seemed a subordinate; "take care
that you pay proper respect to the law and the authorities."

"Let him read away," said I, with a wave of my hand; "I will listen."

In a low, sing-song, dreary tone, he began to recite the titles and
dignities of the Emperor. I listened for a while; but as he got down to
the Banat and Herzegovine, sleep overcame me, and I dozed away, waking
up to hear him detailing what seemed his own greatness, how he was
"Ober" this, and "Unter" that, till I fairly lost myself in the maze of
his description. Judging from the monotonous, business-like persistence
of his manner, that he had a long road before him, I wrapped myself
comfortably in the bedclothes, closed my eyes, and soon slept.

There were two candles burning on the table when I next opened my eyes,
and my friend the procurator was reading away as before. I tried to
interest myself for a second or two; I rubbed my eyes, and endeavored to
be wakeful; but I could not, and was fast settling down into my former
state, when certain words struck on my ear and aroused me:

"The well-born Herr von Rigges further denounces the prisoner Harpar--"

"Read that again," cried I, aloud, "for I cannot clearly follow what you
say."

"'The well-born Herr von Rigges, '" repeated he, "'further denounce