Ah! Who would or could fathom the heart of an unscrupulous coquette?
"Had he any family?" she asked, indifferently, avoiding his inquisitive gaze.
"Yes, I think he has a child, here is the address," he replied. "I think it must be with someone he knew, poor unfortunate man. And he gave me this in order to look up his orphan child." A mournful compassion soon stole into his eyes.
"He could not speak any more, but the pitiful glance of the dying man's face told me as much, and I am going to Dresden and see whether I can do anything for his child," he added, looking deeply moved out of the window. She gazed at him with puzzled eyes. "God! if he had an inkling whose child that is!" she thought, remorsefully recoiling a step with downcast eyes and tightened lips.
Finally summoning up courage enough, she said, hesitatingly, as if fearing any comment:
"Yes, ... let us stop there on our way to Switzerland."
He wanted to stay until the funeral of the poor lecturer was over, but she would not hear of it. She looked at him with frightened eyes when he made the suggestion.
"I cannot stand such scenes," she replied with quivering lips.