“Of course,” said Orion.  “But I must beg of you not to yield again to your affectionate impulse.  Your mother makes a public display of her grudge against mine, and her ill-feeling will only be increased if she is told that we are encouraging you to disregard her wishes.  Perhaps you may, ere long, have opportunities of seeing Mary more frequently; but, if that should be the case, I must especially request you not to talk of things that may agitate her.  You have seen for yourself how excitable she is and how fragile she looks.  Her little heart, her too precocious brain and feelings must have rest, must not be stirred and goaded by fresh incitements such as you are in a position to apply.  The patriarch is my enemy, the enemy of our house, and you—­I do not say it to offend you—­you overheard what he was saying last night, and probably gathered much important information, some of which may concern me and my family.”

Katharina stood looking at her companion, as pale as death.  He knew that she had played the listener, and when, and where!  The shock it gave her, and the almost unendurable pang of feeling herself lowered in his eyes, quite dazed her.  She felt bewildered, offended, menaced; however, she retained enough presence of mind to reply in a moment to her antagonist: 

“Do not be alarmed!  I will come no more.  I should not have come at all, if I could have foreseen. . .”

“That you would meet me?”

“Perhaps.—­But do not flatter yourself too much on that account!—­As to my listening...  Well, yes; I was standing at the window.  Inside the room I could only half hear, and who does not want to hear what great men have to say to each other?  And, excepting your father, I have met none such in Memphis since Memnon left the city.  We women have inherited some curiosity from our mother Eve; but we rarely indulge it so far as to hunt for a necklace in our neighbor’s trunk!  I have no luck as a criminal, my dear Orion.  Twice have I deserved the name.  Thanks to the generous and liberal use you made of my inexperience I sinned—­sinned so deeply that it has ruined my whole life; and now, again, in a more venial way; but I was caught out, you see, in both cases.”

“Your taunts are merited,” said Orion sadly.  “And yet, Child, we may both thank Providence, which did not leave us to wander long on the wrong road.  Once already I have besought your forgiveness, and I do so now again.  That does not satisfy you I see—­and I can hardly blame you.  Perhaps you will be better pleased, when I assure you once more that no sin was ever more bitterly or cruelly punished than mine has been.”

“Indeed!” said Katharina with a drawl; then, with a flutter of her fan, she went on airily:  “And yet you look anything rather than crushed; and have even succeeded in winning ’the other’—­Paula, if I am not mistaken.”

“That will do!” said Orion decisively, and he raised the key to the lock.  Katharina, however, placed herself in his way, raised a threatening finger, and exclaimed: