"The second son. He took poison and told his father why. The old man went to Max about it."
"Poor old Max!"
"What could he do? When he charged her with it there's nothing so sweet and gentle on earth as that girl! What had she done? Nothing at all, but torment a poor fellow until his nerves and will were wrecked. How could she be responsible for that?"
Friedrich saw before him John Wendell, haggard and sneering, saying to him something so insulting that Sydney had grown white, and Bob had raised a threatening arm.
"But, as I said, she overreached herself with von Hillern. Fortunately for him he was in love with some one else, which was his safeguard, but he was willing enough to singe his wings, and the Baroness was determined to make him give up his marriage, as a sign that he loved her."
Von Rittenheim stared at the mountains and thought of Sydney. Von Sternburg continued,—
"Maximilian was fully alive to everything that went on, and he was beside himself with distress. Apart from the pain of his own unrequited love, he was acutely anxious over the gossip about her."
"Von Hillern is an old friend of our family."
"Exactly. I think Max blamed him very little, but it preyed on his mind."
"You think it became unhinged?"