, but Els did not hear him.

When she felt him loose her hand she would fain have fled up the stairs
to her mother and sister, to avoid the discussions which must now
follow. But she knew into what violent outbursts of sudden anger her
usually prudent father could be hurried if there was no one at hand to
warn him.

There he stood in the doorway, his stern, gloomy expression forming a
strange contrast to the merry party who had entered in such a jovial
mood.

His companion, Herr Casper Eysvogel, had already noticed his future
daughter-in-law, recognised her by an amazed shrug of the shoulders
which was anything but a friendly greeting, and now eyed the excited
revellers with a look as grave and repellent as that of the owner of the
house. Herr Casper's unusual height permitted him to gaze over the heads
of the party though, with the exception of Count von Montfort, they were
all tall, nay, remarkably tall men, and the delicacy of his clear-cut,
pallid, beardless face had never seemed to Els handsomer or more
sinister. True, he was the father of her Wolff, but the son resembled
this cold-hearted man only in his unusual stature, and a chill ran
through her veins as she felt the stately old merchant's blue eyes,
still keen and glittering, rest upon her.

On the day of her betrothal she had rushed into his arms with a warm and
grateful heart, and he had kissed her, as custom dictated; but it was
done in a strange way--his thin, well-cut lips had barely brushed her
brow. Then he stepped back and turned to his wife with the low command,
"It is your turn now, Rosalinde." Her future mother-in-law rose quickly,
and doubtless intended to embrace her affectionately, but a loud cough
from her own mother seemed to check her, for ere she opened her arms to
Els she turned to her and excused her act by the words, "He wishes it."
Yet Els was finally clasped in Frau Rosalinde's arms and kissed more
warmly than--from what had previously occurred--she had expected.

Wolff's grandmother, old Countess Rotterbach, who rarely left the huge
gilt armchair in her daughter's sitting-room, had watched the whole
scene with a scornful smile; then, thrusting her prominent chin still
farther forward, she said to her daughter, loud enough for Els to hear,
"This into the bargain?"

All these things returned to the young girl's memory as she gazed at the
cold, statuesque face of her lover's father. It seemed as if he held his
tall, noble figure mor