Hildegard bent her eyes in the direction of the opposite side of the drawing-room, where Bertram was conversing with the forest-ranger. "Ah!" was all the Princess said, putting up her double eyeglass and surveying Bertram curiously. Then, after a long pause-- "Are you sure?" "Quite." "It is so easy to make a mistake in these things." "There is no chance of a mistake here." "How so?" Hildegard hesitated before she replied. But her heart was too full. The pain--repressed with difficulty--caused her by the merciless condemnation of the Baron, her displeasure in reference to Bertram, her anger against Erna--all these emotions were clamouring for expression, although her pride bade her desist. She bent over the Princess and whispered hurriedly-- "You will not condemn a mother even if, in her despair, she has recourse to desperate remedies, or, at least, allows things to be done on which she could never voluntarily determine. I was positively free from the faintest suspicion, but Lydia--Fräulein von Aschhof--who had reasons of her own for exercising minute control over the gentleman's demeanour, felt sure she had found it out. Indeed, she communicated to me observations she had made--words she had heard, looks she had intercepted--I thought the charge monstrous, incredible, abominable; but my confidence was shaken--I saw with new eyes, heard with new ears--saw and heard what caused me to shudder. And yet I would certainly have shrunk much longer from accepting a conviction which every day and every hour was urging upon me anew; but two days ago Fräulein von Aschhof brought me a letter which my daughter had written to her cousin Agatha, written but not sent--why, I know not. Nor do I know how Lydia--Fräulein Von Aschhof--got hold of the letter. I believe ..." "Go on, go on!" said Alexandra, as Hildegard, embarrassed, was pausing. "That does not matter at all. The chief thing is that you have seen the letter. And what did the letter say? That she loved this man?" "Not in these words, but in words which it were impossible to interpret differently." "Have you the letter still?" "No, I am sorry to say. Lydia has ..." "Has replaced it where she found it; of course. It's a pity, though. It might be possible to imagine another interpretation. However, let us assume that it is so. What have you resolved?" "To die rather than give my consent--a thousand times rather!" Their eyes met, and they looked; steadily at each other for a few moments. Then the Princess nodded, and said-- "I see you are in earnest. I can quite understand it; nay, more, I will help you. You will not have to die. I promise my help. Will you reject it?" She had seized Hildegard's hand. "I shall be eternally grateful to you," said Hildegard; "but ..." "No 'but!' I am one of these people who always do what they undertake. You shall be content with me." "I fear, I fear it is too late."