"It will be painful to you," she said, "because I know you like him." "Him--whom?" queried Lilly, conscious of blushing. "In fact all of us like him," continued Miss von Schwertfeger by way of mitigation, "the colonel most of all. So long as he confined himself to the rooms of the labourers' girls I winked my eyes, and begged the kitchen help not to annoy me with gossip about his adventures. But if he commits the outrage of breaking into the castle, it's time the matter ended." "Why, what did he do?" asked Lilly, in fright. "For some weeks past I noticed certain things which struck me as rather curious. In spots the vine on your balcony was withered--" "On--my--" Seized with a wild suspicion Lilly stepped a pace nearer to Miss von Schwertfeger, and clutching her arm asked: "What has my balcony to do with Mr. von Prell, Miss Anna?" Miss von Schwertfeger avoided Lilly's look. "Calm yourself, my dear," she said, "calm yourself. Persons in my position have to keep their eyes wide open. That's what they are there for. I was simply acting for your protection, because anyone who does not know you as I do might come to the vile conclusion that if a man climbs up to your balcony--" Lilly began to cry. "It's so low, so low." Miss von Schwertfeger drew her to the sofa and stroked her brow. "I have gone through much worse things, dear child. At any rate, I wanted to get at the bottom of the affair, and although, I need not say, I hadn't the least suspicion of you"--she turned her eyes away again--"nevertheless I spent a few nights outside your door." Lilly started. While she had been sleeping in innocent unconsciousness, someone had lurked in hiding close by--so fast was she held captive! "And about one o'clock this morning I caught him in the act. Fancy! The dare-devil had the temerity to lean one of Haberland's ladders against your balcony--that was the cause of the broken, withered vines--and enter your sitting room through the glass door--glass doors, dearie, ought never be left open. He passed your bedroom, and went to the corridor without seeing me, of course. Since Katie is the only person who sleeps on that side I charged her with it early this morning. She made no denials. I always act in such matters with the utmost mildness and reserve, and I told her she might give notice and leave on the first. But what shall we do about the young man? I know this is the one place where he can be brought to turn over a new leaf. Should the colonel dismiss him, all's over with him. And I have no right to conceal his conduct from the colonel. An affair that so nearly compromises his wife's honour--" "What has my honour to do with Mr. von Prell if he runs after servant girls?" Lilly ventured to interject, hoping to improve his prospects a bit by playing the innocent.