"But what is it, what has happened?" cried the forester, seriously alarmed now.
The old man hesitated; he seemed not to know how to break his bad news gently. At last he spoke.
"His excellency Baron von Wallmoden is at Rodeck—and the baroness, too."
"My brother?" Regine cried apprehensively.
"Yes, my lady. His excellency was thrown from his carriage and now he is unconscious at Rodeck, and the physician whom we summoned in haste, says his condition is very serious."
"God help us! Moritz, we must go at once," exclaimed Regine.
Schönau had already rung and he ordered horses and carriage to be got ready at once. "And now, Stadinger, tell us how it happened."
"The Herr Baron was on his way from Ostwalden to Fürstenstein," began Stadinger. "The way lay through the Rodeck lands, not far from the Castle. Our forester, who was in the woods close by with some of the men, fired a couple of shots at a deer which started out of the thicket and ran across the road just in front of His Excellency's carriage. The horses shied and started off, and the coachman lost control of them. The forester, who reached the road at that moment, heard the Frau Baroness say to her husband: 'Sit still, Herbert! for God's sake, don't move!' But the baron must have lost his head, for he stood up and made one spring. Of course he did not know where he was going, and fell with great force against a fallen tree. Just a few yards farther on, at a bend in the road, the coachman succeeded in pulling up the horses. The baroness, who was not hurt at all, only shaken a little, hastened at once to her husband, but the poor gentleman was badly hurt, and was unconscious. The forester and his men brought him to Rodeck. Herr Rojanow did everything that was necessary, and then sent me in hot haste for you!"
In the presence of this new disaster, all dissensions ceased, and Toni was summoned and orders were hastily given, and as soon as the carriage was ready the head forester and Frau Regine hurried off. Willibald and Stadinger followed them at once, but as they descended the stairs, the former held back for a moment and asked in a whisper:
"What did the physician say? Did you hear anything?"