lse. These are the
symptoms--chattering of the teeth and chills along the spine.
Elderberry-tea--a night or two of perspiration! What has the knocking to
do with my fever? Why does not some one open, some one call her in? Why
are you all so pale and tongueless? Has some one told a fairy-tale, and
are you afraid? My Mary was a living fairy-tale--she is-she is, I mean
to say. That Mary could be dead--but she would not give me such pain!
She knows that I cannot live without my Mary. Do you hear her giggling
outside? Now she will come skipping in and hold her hands over my eyes,
as she is accustomed to do, and I must not spoil her fun. Oh, it
is--[_Attempts to laugh, but sobs_.]--a--[_Beside himself_.]--After all,
it has to be! Come in!

[_Attempts to go to the door, but with eyes closed sinks into a chair on
the left_.]

SCENE VIII

ROBERT, WILLIAM, _then two men with a covered stretcher, which they put
down. The men go away_.

STEIN.

Robert!

[_Going toward him_.]

Do you see, Ulrich? He lives!

ROBERT (_embracing him, pale and distracted_).

Father! Father!

STEIN.

What has happened to you?

ROBERT.

Would that the murderer had killed me! Father Ulrich, be a man!

FORESTER (_making a supreme effort to collect his energies_).

Go on! I will see whether I am a man.

[ROBERT _removes the covering_.]

STEIN.

Great God!

SOPHY (_who, supported by_ ANDREW _and the_ PASTOR, _has
fallen upon her knees by the stretcher_).

Mary!

ANDREW.

Oh, God! It is Mary!

STEIN.

How did this happen? Explain it, Robert.

PASTOR.

It is dreadfully clear to me.

ROBERT (_with difficulty maintaining his self-possession_).

She was praying: "God, let me belong only to my father." I was about to
say to her: "Mary, you are going to give me up?" Then she rushed upon
me, as if she wished to protect me with her own body, made a sign and
called in the direction of the forest. I saw no one; I did not
understand her; I was about to ask: "What is the matter, Mary?"
when--the report of a gun--she sank down in my arms; I threw myself over
her; a bullet had penetrated her heart.

SOPHY.

That was her dream.

STEIN (_holds_ ROBERT _in his embrace, almost simultaneously_).

She died for you!

FORESTER.

She saw me aim at him, and ran purposely into the course of my bullet. I
wanted to judge and--have judged myself. Crime and punishment at the
same moment! I was praying: "God have mercy on his poor so