Why didn't you send word you were coming?"
"Where is Willibald?" was her only response in an incensed tone. "Is he
at Fuerstenstein?"
"Of course, where else would he be? He wrote you of his arrival, that
much I know."
"Let him be called--now, this minute."
"What's the matter with you, Regine?" asked the head forester, noticing
for the first time her intense excitement. "Is Burgsdorf burned to the
ground? I can't bring your Will to you now, this minute, for he's not
here just now, he's over at Waldhofen--"
"Probably, at Dr. Volkmar's. In that case she's there too."
"What 'she?' Toni has gone over as usual to be with Marietta; that poor
little girl has been in despair for the past few days. And I want to
have a word with you, Frau sister-in-law, while we are on this subject.
How could you have spoken so cruelly to Marietta, in my house, too. I
didn't hear of it for some time after, but I can tell you I--"
A loud, angry laugh interrupted him.
Frau von Eschenhagen had thrown aside her bonnet and cloak, and she now
strode angrily to her brother-in-law's chair.
"Do you still reprove me because I did my best to put an unclean thing
out of your house? You have always been blind. You would not listen to
me--and now it is too late."
"I believe you're gone clean mad, Regine," said Herr von Schoenau
solemnly.
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