They then settled the hour.

Thus the ladies separated. From behind the pillar Mrs. Struvelius once more gazed imploringly at Ilse with her large eyes; then both were lost in the throng of the departing ball-guests.

After her return home, Ilse long continued to hear in her dreams the music of the dance, and saw strange men and women come to her bedside, and she laughed and wondered at the queer people who chose to visit her now as she was lying in bed without her beautiful dress and fan. But in the midst of these pleasant musings she felt a secret anxiety as to what her Felix would say of all these visitors; and when she gently sighed over this anxiety, the dream floated back towards the ivory portals from whence it had come. She sank into a sound sleep.

The following morning Ilse went up to Laura and confided to her the events of the previous evening, and the request of Mrs. Struvelius. The secret meeting with the Professor's wife quite pleased Laura. She had for some time past more than once heard about the mysterious parchment at the tea-table. She thought the determination of Mrs. Struvelius very courageous, and spoke with contempt of anything that Magister Knips could contrive.

Just as the clock struck, Mrs. Struvelius entered. She looked much oppressed, and one could perceive anxious excitement even through her immovable features.

Ilse shortened the unavoidable introductory compliments and excuses by beginning:

"I have told Miss Laura of your desire to obtain the parchment, and she is ready to send over directly for Magister Knips."

"That is far more than I had ventured to hope," said Mrs. Struvelius.

"I had intended with your kind a.s.sistance to look him up myself."

"He shall come here," said Laura, decidedly, "and he shall answer for himself. I have always found him unendurable, although I have frequently bought pretty pictures of him. His humility is such as does not become a man, and I consider him a sneak at heart."

The cook Susan was called, and despatched by Laura as a herald to the fortress of Knips.

"You are, under no consideration, to tell him that any one is with me; and when he comes, bring him up directly."

Susan returned with a sly look, and brought the Magister's compliments: "he desired her to say he would have the honor of waiting upon her immediately. He seemed astonished, but pleased."

"He shall be astonished," exclaimed Laura.

The allied ladies sat down around the sofa-table, feeling the importance of the task which was before them.

"When I am talking with him," began Mrs. Struvelius, solemnly, "have the kindness to attend accurately to his answers, that you may in case of necessity repeat them, and thus be my supporters and witnesses."

"I can write quickly," exclaimed Laura, "I will write down what he answers, then he cannot deny it."

"That would be too much like a trial," interposed Ilse, "and will only make him suspicious."

The furious bark of a dog was heard outside.

"He is coming," said Mrs. Struvelius, drawing herself up with dignity.

A loud step was heard on the stairs, Susan opened the door, and Magister Knips entered. He did not look dangerous. He was a short, crooked man; it was doubtful whether he was young or old. He had a pale face, prominent cheek bones, on which were two red spots, screwed up eyes such as short-sighted people generally have, and red from much night-work by dull lamps. He stood there, in a threadbare coat, with his head bent on one side, a humble servant, perhaps a victim of learning. When he saw the three ladies sitting, all stern and solemn, where his heart had only hoped to find one, and among them the wives of important men, he stopped confounded at the door; he composed himself, however, and made three low bows, probably one to each lady, but refrained from speaking.

"Sit down, Magister," began Laura, condescendingly, pointing to an empty chair opposite the sofa.

The Magister approached hesitatingly, pushed the chair further out of reach of the three G.o.ddesses of fate, and with another bow seated himself on the corner of the chair.

"It must be known to you, Magister," began Mrs. Struvelius, "that the last publication of my husband has occasioned discussions which have been painful to all engaged in them, and I a.s.sume also to you."

Knips made a piteous face, and dropped his head entirely on one shoulder.

"I now appeal to the interest which you take in the studies of my husband, and I appeal to your heart, when I beseech you to give me frankly and straightforwardly the information which must be desirable to us all."

She stopped. Knips, with bent head, looked askance at her, and also remained silent.

"I beg for an answer," said Mrs. Struvelius, emphatically.

"With all my heart," began Knips at last, in a piping voice. "But I do not know what I have to answer to."

"My husband received from you the parchment which was the subject of his last treatise."

"Did the Professor tell you that?" asked Knips, still more piteously.

"No," answered Mrs. Struvelius; "but I heard you come, and I also heard that he promised to be silent about something, and when I entered his room later I saw the parchment lying on his table, and when I enquired about it, he said, 'That is a secret.'"

The Magister looked round about uneasily, and at last cast his eyes down on his knees, where his trousers were unusually threadbare and smooth from wear.

"If the Professor himself considers that the affair is a secret, it is not for me to speak of it, even if I did know anything about it."

"Then you refuse to give us the information?"

"Ah, my dear lady, there is no one to whom I would rather make a communication than to the excellent ladies whom I have the honor of seeing here, but I am much too insignificant to be able to serve you in this."

"And have you taken into consideration the embarra.s.sing consequences of your refusal, for my husband, for the whole University, and--what you, an advocate of truth, must consider more important than all--for science?"

Knips acknowledged himself to be the advocate of truth.

Laura remarked that the examination was wandering into by-paths on which the parchment was not to be found; she jumped up, and cried out:

"Go out of the room for a little while, Magister Knips, I wish to confer with the Professor's wife."

Knips rose very readily and made a bow.

"But you must not go away. Go into the next room. Come, I shall call you in again directly."

Knips followed her with bowed head, and Laura came back on tiptoes and said, in a low tone:

"I have locked him in, that he may not escape."

The ladies put their heads together in close consultation.

"You deal too tenderly with him, Mrs. Struvelius," whispered Laura.

"Offer him money. That will allure him. It is hard for me to say so, but I know the Knips family--they are selfish."

"I also have thought of that, for an extreme case," replied Mrs.

Struvelius, "only I did not wish to hurt him by such an offer, if there were any manly feeling in him."

"Pshaw!" exclaimed Laura, "he is not a man, he is only a coward. If at first he refuses, offer him more. Here is my pocket-book; I beg of you to take it."

She ran to her writing-table and fetched out the embroidered purse.