There was much excitement among the spectators. Berger, although not unprepared for the sentence, could with difficulty calm himself sufficiently to announce that every form of appeal would be resorted to. The Accused had closed her eyes for a moment and her limbs trembled like aspen-leaves, but she was able to rise by herself to follow the warders.
"Thank you," she said pressing Berger's hands. "But the appeal----"
"Will be lodged by me," he said hastily interrupting her. "I shall come and see you about it to-day."
He hurried away down the stairs. But when he got into the long corridor that led to Sendlingen's quarters, he relaxed his pace and at length stood still. "This is a difficult business," he murmured and he stepped to a window, opened it and eagerly drank in the cool autumn air as if to strengthen himself.
When a few minutes after he found himself in Sendlingen's lobby, he met Baron Dernegg coming out of his friend's study.
"Too late!" he thought with alarm. "And he has had to hear it from some one else."
The usually comfortable-looking Judge was much excited. "You are no doubt coming on the same errand, Dr. Berger," he began. "I felt myself in duty bound to let the Chief Justice know about this sentence without delay. The way in which he received it showed me once more what a splendid man he is, the pattern of a Judge, the embodiment of Justice! I assure you, he almost fainted, this--hm!--questionable sentence affected him like a personal misfortune. Please do not excite him any more about it and talk of something else first."
"Certainly," muttered Berger as he walked into the study.
Sendlingen lay back in his arm-chair, both hands pressed to his face. His friend approached him without a word; it was a long, sad silence. "Victor," he said at last, gently touching his shoulder, "we knew it would be so!"
Sendlingen let his hands fall. "And does that comfort me?" he cried wildly. And then he bowed his head still lower. "Tell me all!" he murmured.