the Justice, because he
felt a certain shyness of legal tribunals, and still more of all
faithful servants of the reigning king.

With considerable eagerness, the Justice's wife pressed for further
information, and under a promise of strict secrecy--though, of course,
the Justice must know all--she was informed that people knew of certain
political declarations, even of printed announcements in a foreign
paper, or rather a paper published beyond the boundary line, which had
induced the former Lieutenant Dournay to ask for his discharge, before
it was given him without his asking.

"Then why was the rank of captain given him?" asked the Justice's wife.

"You question with as much shrewdness as the Justice himself," replied
Bella.

She did not seem prepared for this inquiry, and only said that it was
not for her to wish to stand in the way of a poor young man's earning a
living. Very likely it had been done--at this point she seized the hand
of the Justice's wife and held it between her own, as if signifying
that she was entrusting a great secret to her charge--very likely it
had been done for the sake of his mother, who had been a favorite lady
of honor to the dowager princess; of course the matter was kept as
quiet as possible.

Bella tried to put on a pleased smile, and to repress an expression of
mild compassion, when the Justice's wife said,--

"There my husband guessed right again. As we were driving home from
your reception--ah, what a pleasant, cheerful time we had--my husband
said to me and my daughter, 'Children, I tell you, this Herr Dournay is
a dangerous man.' Oh, men are always more keen-sighted, and know more
about each other than we women can ever find out."

She seemed to be losing herself in general reflections on mankind,
which she liked to make, saying that any one who lived over a
ground-floor full of legal documents took a very gloomy view of men.

This did not seem to be what Bella wanted to-day. She asked very
carelessly,--

"Has your husband spoken to Herr Sonnenkamp of his very sagacious
opinion that this Herr Doctor Dournay is a dangerous man?"

"It's true that would be proper," said the Justice's wife. "Will you
not tell my husband, gracious lady, that he ought to make his views
known? He doesn't heed me, I'm sorry to say, but he is glad to do
anything for you."

"Don't ask me," Bella replied. "You must see that I cannot mix myself
up in this affair. My brother has a sort of rega