"I am pleased to be able to be the first to offer my congratulations."
"Your smile did not read quite like that," she returned with a shade of pique in her manner.
"I am surprised, I admit. The fact is I have just left Herr von Felsen, and, although he knew I was coming here, he did not drop a hint of the fact."
"Had you been as close a friend of his as you are of my father's, he would probably have told you." It was very neatly put.
But old Ziegler had read more in my words than Hagar. I saw that by the sharp look he shot at me. He began to talk quickly about the forthcoming marriage and the necessary preparations until an excuse offered to send his daughter out of the room.
"Now what is it, Herr Bastable. About Hugo, I mean, of course."
I told him at once precisely what had taken place in regard to Althea and von Felsen, and what I had heard from Herr Borsen.
I have never seen a greater frenzy of passion than that which took complete possession of him at the news. For some moments he was like a madman in his fury. His face went livid, his eyes gleamed, his lips worked spasmodically, he trembled violently, and with hands clenched tight he raved against von Felsen, and abused and cursed him with a voluble energy of rage that almost made me regret the tornado I had raised.
I stared at him, silent from sheer amazement until the first vehemence of his wrath had spent itself.
"He shall marry her to-morrow or at latest the day following," he cried; and with a hand that was shaking like that of one in a palsy, he went to the telephone to bid von Felsen come at once to the house. When the reply was that he was not at home, the old man's fury broke out again. "It is a lie!" he stormed. "He knows you are here and will not come. I will go to him. The scoundrel, to dare to lie to me in this way. But he shall pay the price"; and he was still in a furious rage when I left him.