Again she rang the bell. Riki darted blue fire of indignation towards me. I did not speak; I believe I looked a greater culprit than she did at this moment. "Request Mademoiselle Wrex and Fraulein Schumacher to come here immediately," said the Baroness, her tone now one of great imperiousness. The servant withdrew, and the French and German governesses made their appearance. The Baroness handed the letter in question to each in turn. "Do not speak," she said; "I only want you to witness exactly what will immediately take place.--Comtesse, will you have the goodness to tell me the name of the individual who calls himself Heinrich?" Silence on the part of the Comtesse. "If there is such reluctance to your making a full confession of your disgraceful conduct, I shall be forced to send a telegram to your father, the Count Kronenfel, and request him to attend here in order that he may take his daughter away in disgrace from my establishment." This threat had a due effect on Riki, and she now, in a very nervous voice, confessed that the name of the youth who called himself Heinrich was Holgarten. Further investigation proved that Holgarten was a boy at a large school near Riki's native place, that he and she had met two or three times, and that the idea of a correspondence had started between them. She did not wish, she said, to enter into a forced marriage. Here she burst into tears. "It is not the English way," she said. "And pray, Comtesse, what have you to do with the English way? You are a German girl." "I--I love Heinrich," she said. She threw herself down on the sofa, regardless of proprieties, and burst into sobs. "You will have the goodness in a minute or two to leave the room. Your punishment, which will be a severe one, will be meted out to you when I have considered all the circumstances. I now wish to ask you the name of the English girl who posted your letters." There was no answer from Riki; again she glanced at me. Again she lowered her eyes and twisted her hands in distress. "A full confession, Comtesse; in no other way will you escape the just anger of your noble father." Before she could speak I sprang to my feet. "You need not ask her," I said. "I did very wrong. I posted the letters." "That will do," said the Baroness. A relieved look passed over her features. "Riki, stop crying. Your conduct has been beyond words, but I will not say any more to blame you just now.--Fraulein Schumacher, conduct the Comtesse to her room, and see that she does not leave it; stay with her there, for I cannot trust her alone." The German governess immediately conveyed the weeping girl from the room, and I found myself the one culprit who was now to be dealt with. "I must ask you," said the Baroness in her very bitterest tone, "why you, an English girl, brought up without the terribly circumscribed pale of the German girl, dared to help her to convey letters from this house." "I did it without thinking," I said.