Then he broke into a laugh so shrill and horrible, that it froze the very marrow in his father's bones. All of a sudden his stupor left him; he jumped up, his eyes glowed, and on his temples the veins swelled up. "Where is mother?" he screamed, advancing towards the old man. He sought to pacify him. "Good heavens! do have patience! We will tell you all." The old lady, who had already been standing for a long time listening on the stairs, at this moment put in her head at the door. He rushed past his father and at her as if about to strangle her; but he had at least so much reason left as to be sensible of the monstrousness of his proceeding. His arms fell down limp at his sides--he set his teeth as if to choke down his pent-up rage. "Mother," said he, "you shall account to me for this. I demand an explanation of you. Why did she die?" The old woman came towards him with tender compassion, and made as if she would burst into tears upon his neck. With a rough movement he shook her off. "Leave that, mother," he said, "I claim her from you!" "But, Robert," whined the old woman, "is this the way for a son to treat his mother? Adalbert, just tell him how he ought to treat his mother!" He took hold of the old man's hands. "You keep out of the game, father," he said. "The account which I have to settle to-day with my mother concerns us two alone. Mother, I ask you once more: why did she die?" He was leaning against the wall and stared at her with half-closed, blood-shot eyes. Mrs. Hellinger had meanwhile commenced to cry. "Do you suppose I know?" she sobbed; "do you suppose anybody at all knows? We found her in her bed, that is all. She has brought disgrace upon our house, the miserable creature, in return for----" "Do not abuse her, mother," he said, wildly, speaking in an angry undertone; "you know very well that she was my bride!" His mother gave vent to a cry of astonishment, and her husband too made a movement of surprise. "What! you do not know that? Mother," he cried, and pressed both his fists to his temples, "did she say nothing to you? Did she not come to you last night, and tell you what had taken place between her and me during the day?" "Heaven forbid!" groaned the old woman. "Scarce a syllable did she speak to me, but went and locked herself up in her room." "Mother," he said, and stepped close up to her. "When she had confessed all to you, did you not work upon her conscience? Did you not impress it upon her that if she truly loved me she must give me up, that she would bring misfortune upon me, and Heaven knows what besides! Mother, did you not do this?" "My own son does not believe me! My own son gives me the lie," whimpered the old woman. "These are the thanks that I get from my children to-day." He grasped her right hand. "Mother," he said, "you have done me many a wrong in all these years. The worst and bitterest I ever experienced came to me through you."