Hurriedly the girl came in, looking at him wonderingly. Never in her life had she heard such a tone from her father's lips before.
"Anna, you love this man—Herr Vanderlyn?"
"Yes, father; I—I love him. Yes."
"You love him very, very much?" His voice, now, softened somewhat.
"More than I could ever tell you, father."
She turned her eyes from the old flute-player's to those of the young man, and smiled at him.
"Anna!" he exclaimed, and started towards her from his mother's side.
"Stop!" said Kreutzer and held up his hand. Then, turning again to Anna: "You would not even give him up for me?"
"You would not ask that of me, father," she said confidently, "for it is my happiness."
The old German nodded slowly, somewhat sadly. "No," he admitted, "no; I would not ask it.... You shall have—your happiness." He straightened, then, and looked as her so differently that it startled her a little. "But I, Anna," he said sorrowfully, "I go from your life—forever."