"'I have sent him away,' he said, 'must speak to you alone.' Then he took me by the hand and led me to the dining-room, where the coffee-machine was still steaming.
"'I have great respect for you, my young lady,' he began, and wiped the drops of perspiration from his forehead; 'according to everything I have heard about you, you must be a capital fellow, and capable of bearing the pain, if a certain cloven hoof gives you a treacherous kick.'
"'Leave the preface, if you please, doctor.' said I, feeling how I grew pale.
"'Very well! Prefaces are not to my taste either. Your sister'----and now, after all, he hesitated.
"'My sister--is--in--danger--doctor!' I had wished to prove myself strong, but my knees trembled under me. I clutched at the edge of the table to keep myself from falling.
"'That's right--courage--courage!' he muttered, laying his hand on my shoulder. 'It has come--this unwelcome guest--the fever; there is no getting away from it any more.'
"I bit my lips. He should not see me tremble. I had often enough heard of the danger of childbed fever, even if I could not form for myself any idea of its terrors.
"'Does Robert know?' that was the first thing that entered my mind.
"He shrugged his shoulders and scratched his head. 'I was afraid he would lose his head--I hardly told him half the truth.'
"'And what is the whole truth?' Standing up fully erect I looked into his eyes.