Ottomar, too, had taken leave of the ladies, as the last guests left, with a hasty, "Good-night! I'm tired enough to drop! Where is Father?" and had gone downstairs without waiting for an answer to his question. In the hall which led to his room he had to pass his father's room. He had stopped a moment. His father, who had gone down a few minutes before, was certainly still up, and Ottomar had, on such occasions, always knocked and said at least, through the open door, "Good night!" This time he did not do it. "I am tired enough to drop," he repeated, as if he wished to excuse himself for the violation of a family custom. But, on reaching his room, he did not think of going to bed. It would not have been any use as long as the blood was raging through his veins "as if I were crazy," said Ottomar, opening his uniform covered with cotillion favors, and throwing it down. He opened his vest and collar, and got into the first piece of clothing that came to his hand--his hunting jacket--and seated himself with a cigar at the open window. The night was perceptibly cool, but the cool air was grateful to him; lightning flashed from the black clouds, but he took no notice of it; and thus he sat looking out on the black autumn night, puffing his cigar--revolving his confused thoughts in his perturbed mind, and not hearing, because of the throbbing of his pulse in his temples and the rustling of the wind in the branches, that there had twice been a knock at his door; shrinking like a criminal, as now the voice sounded close in his ear. It was August. "I beg your pardon, Lieutenant! I have already knocked several times." "What do you want?" "The General requests the Lieutenant to come to him at once." "Is Father sick?" August shook his head. "The General is still in his uniform and doesn't look sick, only a little----" "Only a little what?" The man ran his fingers through his hair. "A little strange, Lieutenant! I think, Lieutenant, the General----" "The devil! Will you speak?" August came a step nearer, and said in a whisper, "I think the General received a bad letter a while ago--it may have been half-past eleven. I didn't see the one who brought it, and Friedrich didn't know him, and he probably went away immediately. But I had to take the letter to the General myself, and the General made a curious face as he read the letter----" "From a lady?" August could not suppress a smile in spite of the genuine concern which he felt for his young master. "I--he said--they looked differently--one will get over that in time--a highly important letter----"