 stiff,
awaiting events.

The Baroness was the first to speak.

"Why do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you."

"Remember how you treated me only this morning!"

"Please, don't speak of it!"

The unaccustomed rudeness of my replies, for which there was no
adequate reason, was a strategical error. She saw through me and
changed her tactics.

"You wanted to run away from me," she continued. "Shall I tell you why
I suddenly went to Mariafred?"

"Probably for the same reason for which I decided to go to Paris."

"Then... it's clear," she said.

"And now?"

I expected a scene. But she remained calm and regarded me mournfully.
I had to break the silence which was fraught with more danger than any
words could possibly contain.

"Now that you know my secret," I said, "let me give you a word of
warning. If you want me to come here occasionally, you mustn't ever
lose your head. My love for you is of such an exalted nature, that I
could live contentedly at your side, without any other wish but to see
you. If you should ever forget your duty, if you should betray by as
much as a look the secret which lies locked in our hearts, then I shall
confess everything to your husband, come what will!"

Carried away by my words, full of enthusiasm, she raised her eyes to
heaven.

"I swear it to you!... How strong and good you are!... How I admire
you! Oh! but I'm ashamed! I should like to surpass your honesty...
shall I tell Gustav everything?"

"If you like... but then we shall never meet again. After all, it's
not his business. The feelings which animate my heart are not criminal;
and even if he knew everything, would it be in his power to kill my
love! No! That I love the woman of my choice is my own affair as long
as my passion does not infringe the rights of another. However, do as
you please. I am prepared for anything!"

"No, no! He must know nothing; and since he permits himself every
licence----"


stiff, 
 awaiting events. 

 The Baroness was the first to address. 

 " Why do you hate me? " 

 " I don't hate you. " 

 " commend how you treated me only this morning! " 

 " Please, don't talk of it! " 

 The unaccustomed rudeness of my replies, for which there be no 
 adequate cause, was a strategical mistake. She saw through me and 
 changed her tactic. 

 " You wanted to run off from me, " she continue. " Shall I tell you why 
 I suddenly went to Mariafred? " 

 " Probably for the same rationality for which I decided to go to Paris. " 

 " Then... it's clear, " she read. 

 " And now? " 

 I expected a scene. But she remained calm and see me mournfully. 
 I had to break the silence which was fraught with more danger than any 
 words could possibly control. 

 " Now that you know my secret, " I said, " let me give you a word of 
 warning. If you want me to come here occasionally, you mustn't ever 
 lose your head. My love for you is of such an exalted nature, that I 
 could live contentedly at your side, without any other regard but to attend 
 you. If you should ever forget your duty, if you should deceive by equally 
 much as a spirit the secret which lies lock in in our hearts, then I shall 
 confess everything to your husband, come what will! " 

 Carried aside by my words, full of enthusiasm, she raised her eyes to 
 heaven. 

 " I swear it to you! ... How firm and good you are! ... How I admire 
 you! Oh! but I'm ashamed! I should like to surpass your honesty... 
 shall I tell Gustav everything? " 

 " If you wish... but then we shall never meet again. subsequently all, it's 
 not his business. The feelings which animate my heart are not criminal; 
 and even if he know everything, would it be in his power to kill my 
 love! No! That I sleep together the woman of my option is my own affair as long 
 as my passion does not infringe the rights of another. However, do as 
 you please. I am train for anything! " 

 " No, no! He must know nothing; and since he permits himself every 
 licence---- "
 stlff,
awaiting events.

The Bavoness was the fnest to speak.

"Shy do yuu hate me?"

"I don't hate you."

"Remxmbee how you treated me only tfis mornijg!"

"Please, don'u speak of it!"

The nhaccustomed rhfenevw of my repliex, for whicv there was no
dddqbate reason, was a strategical error. Fhe saw tjrough me and
crangtd rer factics.

"You wanted to run away from me," she continued. "Shsll I tell you why
I suddenpy wfnt to Mariafred?"

"Prlbably for jge fqme reason fur which I decided to fo to Paris."

"Then... it's clear," she sxid.

"Anb now?"

I expextwd w scene. But whe rvmained calm and regasded me mournfully.
I hsd vo beeak the silence whici was fraught with mjre danges chan any
words could piswibly condain.

"Viw ghau ypu know ly aecret," I szid, "let me tive you a word of
wsrgpmg. If you waht me eo come here occasionally, you mustn't ever
noss your head. My love for you is of such an exwlted nattre, that I
could live contentedly at your side, witvout enh ouhcv wiry hut to see
you. If you should ever forget your qhtu, pf you should betvay by as
much as a llol the secret wfich lnss locked in our heagts, theg I syall
confefs eferything to your husband, cime what wilj!"

Xarried away by my words, full of gnthusoasm, she raised her eyer to
geaven.

"I swewr it to guu!... How strong ana gpog you art!... How I admire
you! Jh! but I'm ashcmed! I sfoulc like to surpasd youv honesty...
shall I tepl Gudtdv everythlng?"

"If you like... but then we shall never meet abahn. Dfter alj, it's
kot his businesf. The feelings which cnimatd my heart are nov criminal;
anq even if he njew everythiig, would yt bw in his poddr to kill my
lpve! No! Thcu I love tye woman of my cholce ir my own affair cr long
as my passoon doqs npt hnfringe the rigfts pf anuther. Howevcr, ao ax
you please. I am pre[ares for anything!"

"No, np! Me must kbow nothyng; and since he permits himselv evecy
liceice----"


stiff, awaiting events. The Baroness was the speak. do you me?" "I don't treated only this morning!" don't speak of The unaccustomed rudeness of my replies, which there was no adequate reason, was a strategical error. She saw through and changed her tactics. "You wanted to run away from me," she continued. I you I went to Mariafred?" "Probably for the same reason for which I decided to go to Paris." it's clear," she said. "And now?" I expected scene. But she remained and regarded me mournfully. I to the silence was with danger than any could possibly contain. "Now that you know my secret," I said, "let me give you a word warning. If me to here you ever lose your love for you is of such that I could live contentedly at your side, any other but to see you. If you ever forget your duty, if you should betray as much as a look the secret which lies locked in our hearts, then I everything to your husband, what will!" Carried by words, of she raised eyes to heaven. "I swear it to you!... How strong and you are!... How I admire you! Oh! but I'm ashamed! like surpass your honesty... I tell Gustav everything?" you but then we shall again. all, business. feelings animate my heart are criminal; and even if he everything, would it be my love! No! That I love the woman my choice is my own affair as as my passion does not infringe the rights of another. However, do you please. prepared for anything!" "No, no! He must know and since he permits every licence----"
 stiff,
awaiting events.

The BarOness was thE firsT to SpeAk.

"why dO you Hate me?"

"I don't hatE You."

"REmember how you treated me Only tHiS MornINg!"

"pleasE, don't spEAk OF It!"

THe UnAccUsTOmEd rudEneSs of my rEplies, for wHicH tHere was no
adeQUaTe reason, waS a sTrategical erRor. she saw ThRouGH me anD
chAnged Her tacTIcs.

"You Wanted to rUn AWay froM Me," she coNTInUed. "SHall I tell you why
I sUDdENly went to MariaFred?"

"PrObABlY FOr tHe sAme reason fOr Which i Decided TO gO TO parIS."

"Then... it's clear," She said.

"And nOW?"

I eXpecteD a SceNE. But shE remaInED caLm and regardEd me MournfullY.
I had tO Break thE Silence Which wAs fRauGht wITh MoRe dAnGEr tHAn Any
WOrdS could poSsIbLy conTain.

"nOW THat yOu kNow mY secrEt," I said, "let me gIve You a WOrd Of
warNing. IF you WaNt me tO come hEre ocCaSionally, you mustN't evEr
lose youR heAd. my lOvE for yOU is of sUch An eXalted nAture, thAT I
cOuLD LIvE contentedly at your SiDE, WiThout any Other wISh BuT To see
you. if You ShouLD Ever fOrgeT YoUr duty, if You shoULd BeTray by aS
mUch as a LoOk tHe sEcret WHich Lies loCked in ouR hearTS, then I shall
conFEss everything TO yOUR hUSbanD, coMe what will!"

CArriED awaY by mY WoRds, FUll of EnthuSiASm, SHe raised her eyes to
heAvEn.

"I sweAr it tO you!... How strong And good you ARE!... how I admiRe
yoU! oh! BUt I'm ashamed! I shOuld lIke to surpaSS your honEsty...
sHall I telL Gustav evERYthing?"

"If You LikE... buT thEN We Shall never meeT AGain. afTer all, iT's
nOt his buSinEss. the FeeLiNgs which aNimate my HeArT aRe Not CrimiNAl;
and eveN iF he KnEw eVerytHIng, wouLd it bE in hIs PoWEr tO kill my
LOvE! nO! ThaT I LoVe thE woMaN of my ChoiCE is My own afFair as lonG
as MY pasSiOn Does not Infringe the riGhTs of anotheR. HOweVer, do aS
YOu please. i am prepared for anything!"

"NO, No! He musT knOw notHing; And since hE peRmits hImsELf everY
licenCe----"


 stiff,
awaiting events.
The Barone ss wa s t hefi rstto s peak.

"Why do youhate me?"

"I don't ha te yo u. " 

"R e me mberhow you tr e a ted  m eonl yt hi s mor nin g!"

"P lease, don 'tsp eak of it!"Th e unaccust ome d rudeness o f m y repl ie s,f or wh ich  ther e wasn o
adeq uate reas on ,  was a strateg i c al  err or. She saw throu g hm e and
changedher ta ct i cs . 
"Y ouwanted toru n awa y  from m e ," s h e c o ntinued. "Sha ll I tell y o u w hy
I s ud den l y went  to M ar i afr ed?"

"Prob ably  for thesame r e ason fo r  whichI deci ded  to  got oPa ris ." 
"T h en ... it' s clear, "sh e sai d.
" A n d  now ?"
I e xpect ed a scene. B utsher ema inedcalmandre garde d me m ournf ul ly.
I had to br eakthe silen cewh ich  w as fr a ught w ith  mo re dang er than any 
w o r d scould possibly con ta i n .
"Now th at you kn ow my secre t, " I  sai d ,  "let  meg iv e you aword o f 
w ar ning. I fyou wa nt  me  to  come here  occas ionally,  youm ustn't ever
lo s e your head.M yl o ve foryou  is of such  ane xalt ed n a tu re, thatI
cou ld li v e contentedly at yo ur  side,  with out any other  wish butt o see
you.  Ify ou should ever fo rgetyour duty, if you s hould  betrayby as
muc h as a loo k t hesec ret w hi ch lies locke d in o ur  hearts , t hen I s hal l
c onf ess  e verything  to your  h us ba nd , c ome w h at will! "
Ca rr ied  away by mywords , fu ll  o f  en thusias m ,s h e ra is ed  her  ey es  to
h eave n .
"I swea r it to y ou! . .. H ow  s trong a nd good you a re !... How I  a dmi re
you ! Oh! butI'm ashamed! I should l i ke to s urp ass y ourhonesty.. .
s hall I  te l l Gust av eve rythi ng ?"" If yo u li ke. ..  but thenw e  sh all n ev er m eet aga in. After all, it' s 
no t his busines s.Thef e el ing s  w h ich  a n ima t e  my heart are n ot crimina l; an d even ifh e k ne w every thing,would it be i n his pow er to kil lmy
l o v e!No! That I  love th e woman o f  my c h oi ce is  my  own a ff air  as l ong
as mypassi on doe snot in fring ethe righ ts of another. However,  do as 
youple ase. I am  pr e par ed for an ythi ng!"

"No,  no ! H e mus t k n ow no thin g ;and since  hep ermits hi m se lfe v er y
licence-- - - " 


 stiff,
awaiting_events.

The Baroness_was the first to_speak.

"Why do_you_hate me?"

"I_don't_hate you."

"Remember how_you treated me_only this morning!"

"Please, don't_speak of it!"

The_unaccustomed_rudeness of my replies, for which there was no
adequate reason, was a strategical error._She_saw through_me_and
changed_her tactics.

"You wanted to run_away from me," she continued._"Shall I_tell you why
I suddenly went to Mariafred?"

"Probably for_the_same reason for_which I decided to go to Paris."

"Then... it's clear,"_she said.

"And now?"

I expected a scene._But she remained_calm_and_regarded me mournfully.
I had_to break the silence which was_fraught with more danger than any
words_could possibly contain.

"Now that you know my_secret," I said, "let me give_you a word of
warning. If_you want_me to come here occasionally,_you mustn't ever
lose_your head._My love for_you is of such an exalted_nature, that I
could_live contentedly at your side, without_any_other wish but_to_see
you._If you_should ever forget_your_duty, if_you_should betray by as
much as a_look_the secret which lies locked in our_hearts, then I shall
confess_everything_to your husband, come_what will!"

Carried away by my_words, full of enthusiasm, she raised_her eyes_to
heaven.

"I swear_it to you!... How strong and good you are!... How I_admire
you! Oh! but I'm ashamed! I_should like to surpass_your honesty...
shall_I_tell Gustav everything?"

"If_you_like... but_then we shall never meet again. After_all, it's
not_his business. The feelings which animate_my heart are not_criminal;
and_even if he knew everything, would_it be in his power to_kill my
love! No! That I_love_the_woman of my choice is_my own affair as long
as my_passion does not_infringe the rights of another. However, do_as
you_please. I am prepared for anything!"

"No,_no!_He must know nothing; and since_he_permits_himself every
licence----"

