"And that's not the worst of it," he cried. "The worst is the game which the rascal has been playing with me and my poor daughter since he came here. My poor child has been running to Waldhofen day after day to give what comfort and aid she could, and Willibald has always accompanied her to comfort Marietta too—oh, its atrocious! Your model son has turned out well, I must say, Regine."
"Perhaps you think I intend to shield him!" Regine answered spitefully. "He shall stand before me, shall stand before us both, and speak. That's what I have come for. He shall learn to know me!"
She rose as though ready now for the attack, and her hearer, who was muttering angrily to himself, said aloud:
"He shall learn to know us both!"
Just then, in the middle of their excitement, the door opened, and the poor, ill-treated fiancé, Antonie von Schönau entered the room quiet and composed as ever, and said as she went toward her aunt:
"I heard from the servants of your unexpected arrival, dear aunt—I am so glad to see you."
Instead of any answer or word of greeting from her aunt the same question from both sides sounded in her ears.
"Where is Willibald?"
"He'll be here in a few minutes, he waited to give some direction to the castle gardener; he does not know his mother is here."
"To the castle-gardener! Doubtless he wants some more roses," Frau von Eschenhagen broke out afresh, while the father held out both his arms to Toni and said, in a trembling voice: