the happiest footing, when an event occurred which put an abrupt
termination to all their plans.

A cousin of the Wallmoden family, an incorrigible idler and spendthrift,
who had made his longer residence at home an impossibility by his wild
conduct, had gone out into the world years before, and after much
wandering, and an adventurous career, had finally turned his steps in
the direction of Roumania, where he obtained the management of a wealthy
Bojar's estate. After the Bojar's death he succeeded in winning the
widow's hand, and once more regained the position among the nobility
which he had lost earlier in life, through his own folly. And now, after
an absence of more than ten years, he returned with his wife to make a
long visit to his kinsfolk.

Frau von Wallmoden was by no means a youthful bride. She had long since
reached maturity, but she was accompanied by her daughter by her first
marriage, Zalika Rojanow; and this young Sclave, scarcely seventeen
years old, turned the heads of the simple country gentry, who after all
had seen but little of the world, by her grace and strange beauty, and
the fascination of her warm southern temperament. She was a strange
enough figure in this little circle, whose forms and customs she set
aside with such sovereign indifference. But there was many an earnest
shake of the head, many a word of blame, which was not outspoken,
because they only considered the girl a fleeting guest; she would vanish
again as suddenly as she had appeared on their little horizon.

Then Hartmut Falkenried came home from his garrison on leave, and met
the new family in the house of his friends. He saw Zalika, and his
life's destiny was sealed. It was a sudden and blinding passion, for
which one too often pays with the peace of a whole life.