She closed her eyes and shook her head wearily and slowly, like a sick woman. "You may make your mind quite easy on that point," she said, still with half-closed lids. "There is no man in the world I detest as much as you." "It is not necessary to go quite so far," he answered, with a forced laugh. "What happened between us was only what was bound to happen, as a natural course, after we had once----" He stopped short, feeling dimly that he was giving confused expression to his thoughts; and then pulling himself together with an effort, he went on-- "The question now is, not what has been, but what _is_; ... and whether you detest me or not is of no consequence. As I am here, I feel that I have the right to put a few questions to you. You certainly must answer them, for I stand before you as your husband's friend." She smiled up at him, resigned to her fate. "Ask what you like," she whispered. "Is it true what the gossip of the neighbourhood reports--that you--that you are deceiving Ulrich?" Simply and quietly, without taking her veiled eyes from his face, she replied, "Yes!" It seemed to him almost as if the masonry of the pedestal against which she leaned was going to fall on her. He was furious and disgusted, and pointing his outstretched fingers at her, he called her name in a choked voice. With her perpetual smile, she folded her hands and said-- "I deceive him every day and every hour, Leo. My life is a disgraceful sham. Ulrich at my side is in hell." "Who is the scoundrel?" he asked, grinding his teeth. "Tell me his name? You shall not go away from here alive, unless you tell me his name." "Well, why shouldn't I tell you," she answered, with the same mysterious smile. "His name is Leo Sellenthin." He fell back against the wall of the temple with a deep sigh of relief. After all she was only acting. Thank God! Thank God! "Listen, Felicitas," he said then. "I am not here to be humbugged.... Still, you have not mentioned my name for nothing. Therefore, you shall answer a second question. Why--how could you dare, at the time when I was as good as dead, keeping dark, you know what, how could you dare to become Ulrich's wife?" Her smile became more pronounced. It would seem as if she positively gloried in his anger. But she said nothing. "Were you not afraid," he asked, "that I should ruin you for this deception--when once I came back?" "I hoped so," she said, raising her folded hands a little off her lap. "Felicitas," he answered, "I warn you ... let this masquerading alone. You can gain nothing by it, with me. Again I ask you, how could you?" Then she raised both hands quite, and entreated. "Don't bully me--don't bully me!" "Well, then, speak!" "I will tell you everything--everything," she assured him. "Only you will have patience with me. Say that you will, Leo?" "Of course. Yes."