"Exactly," replied Raven, with a contemptuous smile; "and all relations between us at an end, too, as you will readily understand."
Without wasting another word on him, he turned his back on his visitor, and walked up to the window. This might well have been construed into an insult, but it did not suit the Superintendent's policy to take offence; that might lead to unpleasant consequences. He took leave, therefore, with a courteous bow, which was not returned, and left the room.
Once outside, he drew a breath of relief. It had been disagreeable to him to find that the Baron saw through him and accurately judged his line of conduct, the more disagreeable that he had no cause to look on the Governor as a personal enemy. He had merely acted in the discharge of "his mission" in ferreting out all that related to Raven's past, and in securing the living key to that past, Dr. Brunnow, so that the secret unearthed at last might safely be published to the world. With such sophistical arguments he easily consoled himself for the equivocal part he had played towards the Baron from first to last, the more easily that his acting had been successful and altogether achieved its aim.
Raven was left alone. He stood before his writing-table, and once again read through the fatal despatch. It signified to him his dismissal from office, and was worded in curt, almost offensive terms. No explanation, no defence was required from this man against whom such heavy charges had been brought. Time, indeed, had not been allowed him to explain or to vindicate himself. He was condemned unheard. It was not even left open to him to resign, the usual expedient in such cases. He was dismissed summarily, in a manner which could leave no doubt in the public mind that the Government took the side of the accusers, and considered that the case had been proved against their representative. The Baron dashed the paper from him, and paced the room in a fierce, mute conflict of emotions. His lips twitched, and a fiery light gleamed in his eyes.
All at once he stopped, as though a sudden thought had flashed upon him, and went slowly up to a side-table on which stood a box of small dimensions. A slight pressure on the spring caused the lid to fly open, and displayed a brace of elaborately-chased pistols. The Baron took one out and examined it carefully, to convince himself that it was in perfect order. For some minutes he held the pistol in his hand, gazing down at it lost in moody thought; then he laid it back in its place again, and drew himself up quickly.
"No," he said, under his breath; "that would pass for cowardice, for an avowal of guilt. Some other way must be found. They shall, at least, not have that triumph."
He threw down the lid of the box, and turning away, began again the silent, restless pacing to and fro, the sombre brooding search for a plan at all points suitable. A solution must be found.
Meanwhile Dr. Brunnow, in his son's rooms, was busily preparing for his departure, now irrevocably fixed for the morrow. Max had left him to prosecute the "siege" he had commenced on the preceding day. He was again a visitor at Councillor Moser's dwelling, and again employing all his batteries of argument to prove to the old gentleman what a distinguished, and in all respects desirable, son-in-law the latter would obtain in Dr. Max Brunnow. Neither locks nor bolts could avail against the persistency of this undaunted suitor.
His father let him take his way. He knew Max well, and felt sure that the young man would eventually be victorious. Had he followed his own wishes, he would have started on his return journey that same day, but the promise he had given his son bound him to remain twenty-four hours longer. The ground he walked on seemed to scorch his feet; he longed to be away, and all the congratulations, the marks of sympathy lavished on him on his release, seemed but to make his stay still more distasteful to him.
Brunnow had just finished a letter, telling of his speedy return home, and was about to ring and confide it to the maid to post, when the latter came running in unsummoned, and announced breathlessly: