"No, no need for tears," Wangen said, gaily; but he grew grave as he turned to his wife with, "I bring you a special message, Bertha, from our guest. He asks permission to present himself to you, to thank you for the hospitality which he has received beneath our roof. He requested me to announce his visit to you."
"I really do not consider a visit from Herr Pigglewitch of such importance as to need a special announcement," Bertha made reply. "The man has evidently not lost the good opinion which he formerly entertained of himself."
"But in this instance there is some reason why you should be prepared for a visit which else might have surprised you not quite agreeably. Herr Pigglewitch wishes to present himself to you without the mask which he wore at Castle Osternau, as his true self and our future neighbour, Herr Egon von Ernau."
"It is he then? Ah, I knew it, I knew it!" Elise exclaimed, involuntarily.
The effect produced upon Bertha by the name of Ernau was magical. She lost entirely her hardly-won self-control, and, starting up, gazed alternately at her husband and at Elise with eyes aflame.
"You knew it? You were his confidante, and leagued with him against me?" she cried, her voice trembling with anger.
"No, Bertha; how can you even imagine such a thing?" Elise calmly replied. "He never uttered a word to me in confidence; but once, when we were alone, and I had distinctly expressed my low estimation of Herr von Ernau, he reproved me for my harsh judgment, and as he went on to explain how Herr von Ernau might have suffered from evil influences, he spoke so from his heart that I suspected he was defending himself, and not another. Then, when he left us and Herr von Ernau suddenly reappeared in Berlin, I suspected still more strongly who my teacher had been. I never revealed this by a word, not even to my father and mother; I had no right to betray his secret so long as he guarded it himself, but for me it was a secret no longer."
"You knew yesterday evening then that we had Herr von Ernau beneath our roof? Ah, now I understand your eagerness to tend and nurse the wounded man."
"Dear Bertha, how unkind, how unjust you are!" her husband said, reproachfully.
"Of course you think me unjust, and Elise the model of all sweetness and compassion. She could have had no interested motives. The poor Candidate and the wealthy Egon von Ernau were alike to her."