For more than half an hour he impatiently paced backwards and forwards, stopping only when he heard Raimund’s voice suddenly raised. At length he thought he heard a stifled scream, and rushed to the door, scarcely knowing what he feared or expected. Hildegarde was holding her cousin’s arm with both hands, while she exclaimed, “For heaven’s sake, Oscar, do not frighten me so horribly.” A loud ringing of the house-bell, and the sound of many voices on the stairs, seemed to be a relief to her, while Raimund appeared considerably agitated. “Hide me in your room, Hildegarde; I am lost if the Hoffmanns find me here.” “And what is to become of me should you be found there?” she asked, while a deadly paleness overspread her features, and she irresolutely placed her hand on the lock of the door, then glanced down the passage, and beckoning Raimund to follow, she led the way to Hamilton’s room. “Mr. Hamilton,” she said, with a trembling voice, “will you allow Oscar to remain a few minutes in your room, and when no one is in the passage, have the goodness to open the door leading to the back staircase for him?” “The part which you have assigned me in this comedy, mademoiselle, is by no means agreeable, but I will not be the means of causing you embarrassment; Count Raimund may easily be supposed to have voluntarily visited me, and there is no necessity for a retreat by the back staircase, unless he have some motive for wishing to give his visit an air of mystery.” “Ah, very true,” said Hildegarde, in a hurried, confused manner, while she moved aside to let her cousin pass. Hamilton’s speech made more impression on Raimund; he looked furious, and seemed to hesitate whether or not to enter the room. Again the bell rang, and Hildegarde was in the act of springing forward, when Raimund caught her arm, and while a fearful frown contracted his brows, with closed teeth, and in the low voice of suppressed rage, he whispered, “One word; is it Zedwitz? or—or——” he looked towards Hamilton. Hildegarde’s face became crimson, she flung off his detaining hand, and ran to the hall-door, which she threw wide open, leaving him to retreat precipitately into Hamilton’s room, where, with folded arms, he strode toward the window, after having murmured the words, “Sorry to intrude in this manner.” Hamilton moved a chair towards him; he sat down for a moment, but the next jumped up, and going to the door, partly opened it and looked into the passage. “I saw Count Raimund enter the house more than half an hour ago,” observed a very loud voice, which Hamilton recognised as Madame de Hoffmann’s, “and as I knew you were all out walking, and only Mademoiselle Hildegarde at home, I expected to see him leave it again immediately.” “I think, mamma, you must have been mistaken,” said Mademoiselle de Hoffmann, putting her mouth close to her mother’s ear.