"My darling," she said, "why sully your pure mind with disagreeable matters? When people are bent on breaking their necks, what is the good of trying to prevent them?" "If it's a question of breaking necks," thought Lilly, "Walter von Prell must have something to do with it." Then she said aloud that she thought as mistress of the house she ought to know what was going on, especially as in future she intended to do the housekeeping herself. The modesty of her "in future" impressed Fraeulein von Schwertfeger favourably, and she yielded. "I am sure it will give you pain," she said, "because I know you like him." "Him!" echoed Lilly; and she was conscious that she blushed. "Indeed, we all like him," she went on in an excusing tone; "the colonel is extremely fond of him. So long as he carried on his little games at a distance I kept my eyes shut and refused to listen to gossip; but when it comes to his breaking into the castle, it's a little too much, and time to stop it." "What has he done, then?" Lilly asked, shocked. "There has been a great deal to excite suspicion lately. At several places the creepers on your balcony appear broken off and withered." "On my balcony?" She drew a step nearer the speaker, overwhelmed by an unutterable fear, and taking hold of her arm said, "What _can_ my balcony have to do with Herr von Prell, Anna?" "Calm yourself, dearest," said the speaker, unable to meet her eyes. "People in my position are bound to keep their eyes open; it is part of their duties. And what I have done has been solely for your sake.... Then, how easily could anyone who doesn't know you as I know you misinterpret this climbing on to your balcony----" Lilly began to cry. "Oh! it's too low--too low!" she sobbed. Fraeulein von Schwertfeger drew her down into the corner of the sofa and stroked her forehead. "I have experienced worse things than that, dear," she said. "Anyhow, I was determined to get on the right scent, and although it is needless to say I didn't suspect you"--again she averted her eyes--"I took the precaution of watching in the dark outside your door for several nights." Lilly bounded up. While she had been sleeping innocently unsuspicious, close by, someone had been lurking and keeping watch on her. So much was she a prisoner.