"You may go there to-morrow, in the morning," he added. "The weather is lovely; but as the roads are not always safe, His Majesty offers you a few men to escort you. It is great gallantry on his part; you should be thankful to him for that."
General Wartesleben bowed very elegantly and went out, leaving the Countess as one turned to stone.
The blow came from Dresden--there can be no doubt about that. They wanted to force her to be silent--to accept her fate. Her unbending spirit rose in indignation; every such blow made her more energetic.
She ordered her trunks to be packed and the horses to be hired, and the faithful but gloomy Zaklika worked hard without saying a word.
When Cosel was ready to enter the carriage, a small group of curious men gathered round the house; but seeing that woman clad in black going majestically to the carriage surrounded by dragoons, they were frightened and scattered, for they thought that a victim was being conducted to the scaffold.
CHAPTER XXI.
In a narrow street in the city of Halle, in the first floor of a modest house, a strange woman had for some time attracted the attention of the peaceful passers-by.
There she sat all day long, looking out at the sky, with unseeing eyes, and her mien, her great beauty, and the intense sadness of her face attracted a curious crowd.
No one in Halle knew the lady, but from her sadness they guessed she was very unhappy.
She never looked at the human faces; her gaze was fixed on space. Only when many people gathered and began to whisper, with curious looks at her, she started and left the window.