ruined--poor as a beggar when
he will not work."

"Marie," cried Ebenstreit, terrified, rushing toward her, and seizing
her by the arm. "Marie--"

She threw off his hand from her in anger. "Do not touch me, sir, and do
not presume either to address me with any endearments. You have yourself
said that our marriage was not a veritable one, but was like the union
of associates in business, and now I would inform you it is dissolved:
the one is a bankrupt; the other a woman whom you cursed, and who
reclaims of you four years of shame and degradation. You wonder at my
speaking thus, but you do not know this man, my friends."

As she spoke, a door opened at the farther end of the room, and Trude
entered in her simple dress, followed by Philip Moritz. Unobserved
the two glided behind the charming grotto which had been arranged with
flowers and wreaths in one of the niches. Every eye was turned upon the
pale, stately beauty, erect in the centre of the room.

"Stay here, for no one can see us," whispered Trude. "I could not bear
to have you leave Berlin without hearing the justification of my dear
Marie, and may God pardon me for letting you come here unbeknown to her!
Listen, and pray to Him to forgive you the great injustice that you have
done her. Be quiet, that no one may see you, and Marie be angry with her
old Trude."

"Yes," continued Marie, with chilling contempt, "you should know this
man before whom you have all bowed, pressed the hand, and called your
friend, because he was rich, and, thanks to his wealth alone, became a
titled man--a baron, buying the hand of a poor but noble maiden, whom he
knew despised him, and passionately loved another, having sworn eternal
constancy to him. I am that young girl. I begged, nay implored him,
not to pursue me, but he was void of pity, mocked my tears, and said
he could buy my love, and my heart would at last be touched by the
influence of his wealth. I should have preferred to die, but Fate
ordered that the one I loved, by my fault, should by imprisonment atone
our brief dream of bliss. I could only save him by accepting this man;
these were the conditions. I became his wife before the world, and took
my oath in his presence to revenge myself, and after four years I
shall accomplish it. I have spent his money, and of the rich man made a
beggar. God be praised, I can now revenge myself in freeing myself!"

"Free yourself? It is not true! You are my wife still," replied
Ebens