sound slumber. 'He's beginning to think of the future,' Herbert said,
but I said: 'There's something more than that wrong; there's something
back of all this.' So I took Will to task and questioned him closely; he
astonished me with what I extorted from him. He was in the conspiracy.
He had surprised the mother and the son one day at their tryst, and
Hartmut had pledged him to secrecy, and my boy had really kept silence
towards me, me, his own mother! He finally confessed the little he knew,
after I had talked to him seriously. Well, it won't happen a second
time. I'll look after my Will more sharply for the future."

"And Hartmut, what does he say?" interrupted the father hastily.

"Nothing at all, for I haven't spoken a syllable to him on the subject.
He would probably have asked why he had never been allowed to see, or
speak to his mother, and that question can only be answered--by his
father."

"He has heard it all from the other side, by this time," answered the
father bitterly. "Though, of course, he has not heard the truth."

"That is what I feared, so I didn't lose a moment in communicating with
you after I discovered the thing. And what will you do?"

"I'll have to think that over," responded the Major with enforced quiet.
"I thank you, Regine. I suspected mischief when your letter came urging
me to come over at once. Herbert was right, I should not have allowed
Hartmut to leave my side for an hour, under any circumstances. But I
believed him to be so safe from every approach here at Burgsdorf. And he
was so rejoiced at the thought of spending his little vacation here, had
so set his heart upon it, that I had not the strength to refuse