"I believe you. You are brave, Nina. I know that. Though you will cry if one but frowns at you, yet you are brave." "Do not you frown at me, Anton." "I am one of those that do frown at times, I suppose; but I will be true to you, Nina, if you will be true to me." "I will be true to you--true as the sun." As she made her promise she turned her sweet face up to his, and he leaned over her, and kissed her. "And what is it that has disturbed you now, Nina? What has Madame Zamenoy said to you?" "She has said nothing--as yet. She suspects nothing--as yet." "Then let her remain as she is." "But, Anton, Souchey knows, and he will talk." "Souchey! And do you care for that?" "I care for nothing--for nothing; for nothing, that is, in the way of preventing me. Do what they will, they cannot tear my love from my heart." "Nor can they take you away, or lock you up." "I fear nothing of that sort, Anton. All that I really fear is secrecy. Would it not be best that I should tell father?" "What!--now, at once?" "If you will let me. I suppose he must know it soon." "You can if you please." "Souchey will tell him." "Will Souchey dare to speak of you like that?" asked the Jew. "Oh, yes; Souchey dares to say anything to father now. Besides, it is true. Why should not Souchey say it?" "But you have not spoken to Souchey; you have not told him?" "I! No indeed. I have spoken never a word to anyone about that--only to you. How should I speak to another without your bidding? But when they speak to me I must answer them. If father asks me whether there be aught between you and me, shall I not tell him then?" "It would be better to be silent for a while." "But shall I lie to him? I should not mind Souchey nor aunt Sophie much; but I never yet told a lie to father." "I do not tell you to lie." "Let me tell it all. Anton, and then, whatever they may say, whatever they may do, I shall not mind. I wish that they knew it, and then I could stand up against them. Then I could tell Ziska that which would make him hold his tongue for ever." "Ziska! Who cares for Ziska?" "You need not, at any rate." "The truth is, Nina, that I cannot be married till I have settled all this about the houses in the Kleinseite. The very fact that you would be your father's heir prevents my doing so." "Do you think that I wish to hurry you? I would rather stay as I am, knowing that you love me." "Dear Nina! But when your aunt shall once know your secret, she will give you no peace till you are out of her power. She will leave no stone unturned to make you give up your Jew lover." "She may as well leave the turning of such stones alone." "But if she heard nothing of it till she heard that we were married--" "Ah! but that is impossible. I could not do that without telling father, and father would surely tell my aunt."