od be thanked, no one has listened," whispered Trude. "I will go down
and tell them that I hope, if we can stay alone all day, you will be
calmer and more reasonable."

"Do it, Trude; I do not dare to see any one for fear my face will betray
me, and my mother has very sharp eyes. Return soon."

She opened the door, and saw not the eavesdropper and spy, who had but
just time to conceal himself, and stand maliciously grinning at the
retreating figure of the faithful servant.

He slipped lightly from his hiding-place down to his sleeping-room, in
a niche under the stairs. For a long time he reflected, upon his
bedside--his watery blue eyes staring at nothing. "This must be well
considered," he mumbled. "There is, at last, a capital to be won. Which
shall I do first, to grasp a good deal? Shall I wait, or go at once to
Herr Ebenstreit? Very naturally they would both deny it, and say that I
had made up the whole story to gain money. I had better let the affair
go on: they can take a short drive, and when they are about an hour
absent, I will sell my secret at a higher price. Now I will pretend to
be quite harmless, and after supper let the bomb burst!"

CHAPTER XXV. THE ELOPEMENT.

Evening had set in. The card-table had been arranged, and Leberecht had
rolled his master to it, taking his place behind his chair. The hour
of whist the general impatiently awaited the entire day, and it was
regularly observed. Even in the contract with his adopted son it had
been expressly mentioned as a duty, that he should not only secure to
them yearly income, but also devote an hour to cards every evening.

Herr Ebenstreit regarded it as a tax, which he must observe until
married. The general was much his superior at cards, and, moreover,
played the dummy, and the stake being high, it was quite an income for
the future father-in-law, and regarded by him as the one bright spot in
his daily life.

The cards had been dealt, and Leberecht had assorted the general's, and
placed them in his gouty hand, when Trude entered, exultingly.

"What has happened? What makes you interrupt us?" cried the general.
"Did you not remember that I have told you always not to disturb us at
this hour."

"Yes, general, but I thought good news was never amiss."

"What have you pleasant to tell us?" harshly demanded Frau von Werrig.

"My young lady's compliments," cried Trude, triumphantly; "she begins
to see that she must yield to her fate, and tha