Willibald and
Stadinger followed them at once, but as they descended the stairs, the
former held back for a moment and asked in a whisper:
"What did the physician say? Did you hear anything?"
The old man shook his head sadly and answered in a subdued tone:
"I stood by when Herr Rojanow questioned him in the hall. There is no
hope. The poor baron won't live until night."
CHAPTER XIII.
The little hunting lodge of Rodeck, which lay so white and silent in the
snow of that first December day, had seldom been witness to so great an
excitement as that occasioned by Baron Wallmoden's accident. It was
about noon when the two foresters appeared with their unconscious burden
in their arms. Hartmut Rojanow had seen at a glance what was to be done.
He had the injured man taken at once to Prince Adelsberg's room, sent
off a messenger for the nearest physician, and gave intelligent orders
concerning the sick man's treatment until the doctor should arrive.
Then, when the physician told him there was no hope, he dispatched old
Stadinger to Fuerstenstein. Frau Regine only arrived in time to see her
brother die. Wallmoden never recovered consciousness after the fearful
shock of his fall; he lay upon the bed silent and motionless, breathing
with difficulty, and recognizing no one, and an hour later all was over.
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