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"And did I not love him?" said Hermann fiercely "Did I not worship that boy, as to me more like a son than a brother? Had not all the brothers and sisters died but he? But you--who are you to recall these things?"

"I knew your brother; I knew him well He was not a scoundrel; only weak He went to Aht with the North in the war He was not a coward; he did his fighting bravely and honorably"

"Oh, no; Hans could never, have been a coward; even his villainy required courage But go on"

"He died facing the eneiveness; he i, he said; and they offered him a thousand crowns In a moment of despair he fell"

"Despair? Did he confess to you the crime he committed?"

"Yes"

"Did he tell you to whom he sold his honor?"

"That he never knew A Gipsy from the hills came to him, so he said

"Fro He believed that the Gipsy wanted her highness to hold for ransoirl called Tekla"

"Tekla? Ah, yes; Hans was in love with that doll-face"

"Doll-face or not, Hans evidently loved her She jilted him, and he did not care then what happened His one desire was to leave Dreiberg And this Gipsy brought the endheit?"

"Who knows? Hans followed the band of Gipsies into the mountains The real horror of his act did not come home to him till then Ah, the res But when I ran away from them I took her little shoes and cloak and locket"

Herar which had gone out The smoke wavered about his face and slowly ascended His eyes were as bright and glowing as coals He waited He had made the slip without premeditation; but as done was done So he waited

Hermann dropped his hands on the table and leaned forward

"Is it you, Hans, and I did not know you?"

"It is I, brother"

"My God!" Herht separated itself into a hundred flames "You said he was dead!"

"So I am, to the world, to you, and to all who knew ed "I don't know Perhaps I a to pay the penalty of my crime At least that was upperhness had been found"