He gazed on her with a long, protracted look of burning passion, deadly, wounded pride, and something more, that inspired her with terror, but she looked him firmly and rigidly in the face. He raised a warning finger, and left the room.
She listened to his tread as he went away, marked every step as he descended, and when he closed the house-door, pulled the bell.
Gabriel, who was standing in the anteroom, entered quickly.
"I wish to go away from here," exclaimed Ilse.
"Whereto, Mrs. Werner?" asked the frightened servant.
"Where to?" echoed in Ilse's ears.
"To my husband," she said; but, as if listening to her own words, she shuddered. He also was in a house of the Sovereign. He was with the daughter of the wicked man. He himself was not safe there--his wife would not be safe with him. Where to? The question whirled in her head. The son of the cruel man was with her father, so she must not go home; her neighbour had said so. She sank her head as if stunned. A feeling of helplessness lay like a dead weight upon her; but she raised herself again, and approached Gabriel. "I will leave this city to-day--at once."
The servant wrung his hands.
"I knew it would come to this," he exclaimed.
"You knew it," asked Ilse, gloomily; "and neither I nor my husband did? Was it seen to every passerby, and yet a secret to him and me?"