A pause ensued—perhaps the arm was felt—the midnight representative lowered his voice and spoke eagerly. Hamilton advanced a few steps and heard the concluding words—“Surely, surely, if you consider me a friend, you will let me know the true state of the case. Is it friendship for Mademoiselle de Hoffmann that makes you of late avoid your cousin with, I may say, such exaggerated care?” “Exaggerated care!” repeated Hildegarde, with evident surprise. “Well, well—never mind that—we have no time to weigh words just now; but, tell me quickly, was it to please your father—or in anger—or indifference—that you refused Zedwitz?” “Have you any right to question me in this imperious manner?” cried Hildegarde, moving quickly on. “No,” replied the stranger, striding after her. “No; and it is a great relief to my mind to find that I have not. I was beginning to fear you had a—misunderstood me—would think perhaps I had trifled with your feelings: in short, I thought you were unkind to your cousin and had refused Zedwitz from having formed expectations which can never be realised. Painful as it is to me to say so, I must nevertheless tell you that nothing was further from my thoughts than——” “Villain!” cried Hamilton, springing forward. “How dare you take advantage of the darkness to traduce me in this manner! Who are you?” A violent and silent struggle ensued, but the darkness was so complete that the stranger contrived to free himself from Hamilton’s grasp, bounded down the stairs, and closed the hall-door with such violence that the whole house shook. Hamilton would have followed, but Hildegarde’s hand grasped his arm, and she entreated him, almost breathlessly, to remain quiet. “Do not go after him; it will serve no purpose whatever. I ought to have known,” she added, walking up the now lighted staircase, “I ought to have felt at once that it was not you!” “It would have shown extraordinary discernment on your part,” said Hamilton, “for not only did he whisper, and choose a foreign language which he probably knows we often use, and in which you could not easily detect the difference of expression—but he also asked the very questions which I should have asked long ago, had I dared!” Hildegarde hurried forward, while Madame Rosenberg called from the top of the stairs: “You were determined to let us know that you had shut the house-door after you, Mr. Hamilton, but I was glad to hear that you were at home, for it is raining torrents, and, as you have neither cloak nor umbrella, you must be wet to the skin.” “I believe I am rather wet,” said Hamilton, composedly allowing himself to be felt by his attentive hostess. “Take off these clothes directly, or you will get one of your English colds.”