“That sounds very blunt, Herr Major.  Frau von Falkenried, in that case, has—­”

“Say Frau Zalika Rojanow, if you please,” interrupted the Major.  “I believe she assumed her maiden name again when she returned to her own country.”

“The name does not signify on this occasion,” responded the lawyer composedly.  “The question concerns only and alone a mother’s natural desire, which the father neither can nor dare refuse, even though, as in this case, the son has been unconditionally adjudged to him.”

“Dare not?  But suppose he does dare?”

“In so doing he will overstep the limit of his rights.  I beg you, Herr Major, to consider the matter quietly before giving so decided a no.  A mother has rights of which no judicial decree can ever divest her, and one of those rights is the privilege of seeing her only child again.  In this case my client has the law on her side, and she will appeal to it, too, if my demand meets with the same refusal as did her written request.”

“Very well, she can make the attempt.  I’ll run the risk.  My son does not know that his mother is living, and shall not learn it now.  I will not have him see her or speak with her, and I will know how to prevent it, too.  My no is absolute under all circumstances.”

This declaration left nothing to be wished for as regarded energy; but Falkenried’s face was deathly pale, and his voice had a hollow, menacing sound.  One could see how fearfully the interview had excited him.  He was scarcely able to preserve the semblance of outward composure.

The attorney seemed to see the uselessness of further endeavor, and only shrugged his shoulders.

“If this is your last word, then my errand is at an end, and we will determine hereafter what our next step will be.  I regret having troubled you about the matter, Herr Major.”  He bowed himself out with the same cool, indifferent manner with which he had entered.  As the door closed upon him, Falkenried sprang up and began pacing excitedly up and down the room; there were a few minutes of oppressive silence, then Wallmoden said, half aloud:  “You should not have done that.  Zalika will not resign herself readily to your no; she made a desperate struggle for her child in the beginning.”

“But I obtained the victory.  It is to be hoped she has not forgotten that.”

“At that time the question concerned the possession of the child,” objected the secretary.  “Now the mother only asks permission to see him again, and you will not be able to refuse her that, if she demands it peremptorily.”

The Major stopped suddenly, and his voice was full of undisguised contempt as he answered: 

“She will not venture to do that after all that has happened.  Zalika learned to know me in the hour of our separation; she’ll be cautious about driving me to extremes a second time.”

“But perhaps she will seek to accomplish secretly what you have openly refused.”