“From Jugendheit?”

“I say that he knew nothing.  He believed that the Gipsy wanted her highness to hold for ransom.  Hans spoke of a girl called Tekla.”

“Tekla?  Ah, yes; Hans was in love with that doll-face.”

“Doll-face or not, Hans evidently loved her.  She jilted him, and he did not care then what happened.  His one desire was to leave Dreiberg.  And this Gipsy brought the means and the opportunity.”

“Not Jugendheit?”

“Who knows?  Hans followed the band of Gipsies into the mountains.  The real horror of his act did not come home to him till then.  Ah, the remorse!  But it was too late.  They dressed the little one in rags.  But when I ran away from them I took her little shoes and cloak and locket.”

Hermann was on his feet!

Grumbach relighted his cigar which had gone out.  The smoke wavered about his face and slowly ascended.  His eyes were as bright and glowing as coals.  He waited.  He had made the slip without premeditation; but what was done was done.  So he waited.

Hermann dropped his hands on the table and leaned forward.

“Is it you, Hans, and I did not know you?”

“It is I, brother.”

“My God!” Hermann sank down weakly.  The ceiling spun and the gaslight separated itself into a hundred flames.  “You said he was dead!”

“So I am, to the world, to you, and to all who knew me,” quietly.

“Why have you returned?”

Hans shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Perhaps I am a fool; perhaps I am willing to pay the penalty of my crime.  At least that was uppermost in my mind till I learned that her highness had been found.”

“Hans, Hans, the duke has sworn to hang you!”

Hans laughed.  “The rope is not made that will fit my neck.  Will you denounce me, brother?”

“I?” Hermann shrank back in horror.

“Why not?  Five thousand crowns still hang over me.”

“Blood-money for me?  No, Hans!”

“Besides, I have made a will.  At my death you will be rich.”

“Rich?”

“Yes, Hermann.  I am worth two hundred thousand crowns.”

Hermann breathed with effort.  So many things had beaten upon his brain in the past ten minutes that he was dazed.  His brother Hans alive and here, and rich?

“But riches are not everything.”

“Sometimes they are little enough,” Hans agreed.

“Why did you do it?” Hermann’s voice was full of agony.

“Have I not told you, Hermann?  There is nothing more to be added.”  Then, with rising passion:  “Nothing more, now that my heart is blistered and scarred with regret and remorse.  God knows that I have repented and repented.  I went to war because I wanted to be killed.  They shot me here, and here, and here, and this saber-cut would have split the skull of any other man.  But it was willed that I should come back here.”

“My poor brother!  You must fly from here at once!”