y didn't I know it before! But there's time enough
yet. My Thomas has already aimed at you--and he'll have a chance
again--"

Bruno fainted. The intendant caught him in his arms, but could not
support his weight and, therefore, laid him down on the same floor on
which lay the dead body of Esther. The innkeeper hurried out to fetch
water, and when they opened the door, several people entered from
without, among them Doctor Sixtus, Doctor Kumpan, the notary, and Baum.

Sixtus soon restored Bruno to consciousness. A glance sufficed to
inform Baum of what had happened. He supported himself against a
door-post, holding fast with desperate grip, lest he should fall to the
ground. At the first opportunity he glided out of the room. He was not
needed there, and if he were now to betray himself, all might be lost.
He dragged himself as far as the cherry-tree, sat down on the bench,
buttoned his gaiters, unbuttoned them, took out his watch, counted the
seconds, wound it up again, held it to his ear and carelessly played
with the watch-chain. He stopped to consider. One great task still
remains, thought he to himself, and that I must accomplish unaided. He
felt that he had a clue to Irma's whereabouts. Sixtus wouldn't listen
to such a thing and ridiculed him. So much the better; the credit would
all fall to his share; and for that reason, this was no time to worry
about his mother. His sister was dead, and perhaps it was for the best.
At any rate, he couldn't restore her to life; but, at some future day,
he could, without discovering himself, provide for the old woman.

Baum felt proud of his firmness and stroked his chin with satisfaction.

Within the house, the excitement was not yet at an end. The old woman
howled, shrieked, ran about the room, opened the window, and cried:
"Strike him dead! Drown him, he drowned her!"

Baum let his watch drop from his hand when he heard these words. The
old woman was dragged away from the window, and Doctor Kumpan held her
fast. She went back to the corpse.

"Strike us all dead!" she cried, "there's no king on earth, and no God
in Heaven!"

The old woman raved; then she would weep, and then would again go back
to her child.

"Your lips are open! Say but a word! only one 'yes,' before these
witnesses! speak his name! he ruined you and left you to perish in
misery! They don't believe me. Say, you!" she exclaimed, addressing the
intendant and seizing him at the same time, "say, didn't he