Through the half opened door she called softly into the dark bedroom, "Julie, are you asleep?"
Then again, louder and more insistently, "Julie, are you asleep?"
She stood listening awhile at the door, and then got into bed. The door was still open and the sick woman heard how restlessly she tossed about.
An hour later the sergeant-major opened the outer door. He took his spurred boots off in the corridor, and slipped cautiously into the bedroom.
Once more came a whispered, "Julie, are you asleep?" and the woman felt as if she could have laughed aloud at the fools who let themselves be thus led by the nose.
Heppner stripped his uniform off rapidly. Then he moved again to the side of her bed and listened--as on that other night.
The invalid lay motionless.
The deceived wife suffered the tortures of the damned; and it seemed to her that her agony must be as eternal as hell itself. She clutched so hard at the knife-handle that her nails were driven into her flesh, and she bit her lips until they bled to keep herself from shrieking with frenzy. A thousand times she thought that morning must be breaking; yet still the shameless pair were together.
At last came an end to the horror.
The woman was asleep already when the man left her. She did not reply to the farewell which he whispered to her from the door. Then he lay down, breathing heavily, and in a moment had fallen into a deep sleep.