"Stay!" he howled furiously--"stay till I have cursed you!" So far I had stood by without speaking, not venturing to interfere between Father and Daughter, but now I could refrain no longer. "Monseigneur," I cried, "for the sake of your own health, for the sake of mere justice and fairness, do calm yourself; your life is at stake." "What matters my life? what matters the future? Is there a knife here to put an end to me? Let me die!" His excitement rose every minute. I seemed to dread lest in some frenzied moment he should spring from the bed and destroy his child's life. But she, calm though deadly pale, knelt at the door, which was standing open, and outside I could see Sperver, whose features betrayed the deepest anxiety. He drew near without noise, and bending towards Odile-- "Oh, mademoiselle!" he whispered--"mademoiselle, the count is such a worthy, good man. If you would but just say only, 'Perhaps--by-and-by--we will see.'" She made no reply, and did not change her attitude. At this moment I persuaded the Lord of Nideck to take a few drops of Laudanum; he sank back with a sigh, and soon his panting and irregular breathing became more measured under the influence of a deep and heavy slumber. Odile arose, and her aged friend, who had not opened her lips, went out with her. Sperver and I watched their slowly retreating figures. There was a calm grandeur in the step of the young countess which seemed to express a consciousness of duty fulfilled. When she had disappeared down the long corridor Gideon turned towards me. "Well, Fritz," he said gravely, "what is your opinion?" I bent my head down without answering. This girl's incredible firmness astonished and bewildered me. CHAPTER VI. Sperver's indignation was mounting. "There's the happiness and felicity of the rich! What is the good of being master of Nideck, with castles, forests, lakes, and all the best parts of the Black Forest, when an innocent looking damsel comes and says to you in her sweet soft voice, 'Is that your will? Well, it is not mine. Do you say I must? Well, I say no, I won't.' Is it not awful? Would it not be better to be a woodcutter's son and live quietly upon the wages of your day's work? Come on, Fritz; let us be off. I am suffocating here; I want to get into the open air." And the good fellow, seizing my arm, dragged me down the corridor. It was now about nine. The sky had been fair when we got up, but now the clouds had again covered the dreary earth, the north wind was raising the snow in ghostly eddies against the window-panes, and I could scarcely distinguish the summits of the neighbouring mountains. We were going down the stairs which led into the hall, when, at a turn in the corridor, we found ourselves face to face with Tobias Offenloch, the worthy major-domo, in a great state of palpitation. "Halloo!" he cried, closing our way with his stick right across the passage; "where are you off to in such a hurry? What about our breakfast?"