Arms and the Woman

"Why should I be with her?"

Gretchen laughed, but the key was false.

"Are you not going to marry her? Surely, it is easy after the King has

given his permission. Have you already fallen out of love with her,

after all your efforts to make her a Princess? Truly, man is as

unstable as sand and water! Ah, but you fooled us all to the top of

our bent. You knew from the first that she was a Princess; but you

could not find the proofs. Hermann and I were the means to the end.

But who shall blame you? Not I! I am very grateful to you for having

given to me a sister. And if you fooled me, I returned measure for

measure. It is game and quit. Time hung heavy on my hands, and the

victory, however short, was amusing."

"I never loved her!" I cried. Where were the words I needed?

"So much the worse for you," disdainfully. "But here comes Hermann to

announce your supper."

"I shall not break the bread of inhospitality," said I, in the

bitterness of my despair. I gathered up my traps--and then I let them

tumble back. The needed words came with a rush to my lips. I went

close to her. "Why did you humiliate yourself in begging my life of

the Prince? Why, if my life was nothing to you? Answer. Why did you

stoop to your knees to that man if I was worthless to you? Why?"

Her cheeks grew red, then white; her lips formed words which she could

not speak.

"Herr Winthrop's supper is ready," announced the innkeeper.

"Go and eat it!" I said childishly.

"Your appetite is gone then?" imperturbably.

"Yes, and get you gone with it!"

The innkeeper surveyed me for a space. "Will you kindly tell me from

whom you received the information that Her Highness was at the inn?"

I produced the unsigned letter. He read it carefully, while Gretchen

looked on nervously.

"Ach!" said the innkeeper, "that Stahlberg! He shall be dismissed."

Unhappily for him, that individual was just passing along the corridor.

The innkeeper signaled him to approach.

"How dared you?" began the innkeeper, thrusting the letter under

Stahlberg's nose.

"Dare?--I?--Herr," said the big fellow, "I do not understand. What is

it you accuse me of?"

"This," cried the innkeeper: "You have written to Herr Winthrop and

told him that Her Highness was at the inn. And you were expressly

forbidden to do so."