Der Praefekt

from his seat, and looked
    beyond measure distressed.  “To implore you to abandon it, to implore
    you to spare my father, to spare either his life or his reason, for
    one or the other will pay the forfeit if this goes on.  I know how
    much I am asking, and how little right I have to ask anything; but
    I think you will listen to me as it is for my father.  Oh, Mr Bold,
    pray, pray do this for us;—pray do not drive to distraction a man who
    has loved you so well.”
     
    She did not absolutely kneel to him, but she followed him as he moved
    from his chair, and laid her soft hands imploringly upon his arm. Ah!
    at any other time how exquisitely valuable would have been that touch!
    but now he was distraught, dumbfounded, and unmanned.  What could he
    say to that sweet suppliant; how explain to her that the matter now
    was probably beyond his control; how tell her that he could not quell
    the storm which he had raised?
     
    “Surely, surely, John, you cannot refuse her,” said his sister.
     
    “I would give her my soul,” said he, “if it would serve her.”
     
    “Oh, Mr Bold,” said Eleanor, “do not speak so; I ask nothing for
    myself; and what I ask for my father, it cannot harm you to grant.”
     
    “I would give her my soul, if it would serve her,” said Bold, still
    addressing his sister; “everything I have is hers, if she will accept
    it; my house, my heart, my all; every hope of my breast is centred in
    her; her smiles are sweeter to me than the sun, and when I see her in
    sorrow as she now is, every nerve in my body suffers.  No man can love
    better than I love her.”
     
    “No, no, no,” ejaculated Eleanor; “there can be no talk of love
    zwischen uns. Will you protect my father from the evil you have brought
    upon him?”
     
    “Oh, Eleanor, I will do anything; let me tell you how I love you!”
     
    “Nein, nein, nein!” she almost screamed. “This is unmanly of you, Mr Bold.
    Will you, will you, will you leave my father to die in peace in his
    quiet home?” and seizing him by his arm and hand, she followed him
    across the room towards the door.  “I will not leave you till you
    promise me; I’ll cling to you in the street; I’ll kneel to you before
    all the people.  You shall promise me this, you shall promise me this,
    you shall—” And she clung to him with fixed tenacity, and reiterated
    her resolve with hysterical passion.
     
    “Speak to her, John; answer her,” said Mary, bewildered by the
    unexpected vehemence of Eleanor’s manner; “you cannot have the cruelty
    to refuse her.”
     
    “Promise me, promise me,” said Eleanor; “say that my father is
    safe;—one word will do.  I know how true you are; say one word, and I
    will let you go.”
     
    She still held him, and looked eagerly into his face, with her hair
    dishevelled and her eyes all bloodshot.  She had no thought now of
    herself, no care now for her appearance; and yet he thought he had
    never seen her half so lovely; he was amazed at the intensity of her
    beauty, and could hardly believe that it was she whom he had dared to
    lieben. “Promise me,” said she; “I will not leave you till you have
    promised me.”
     
    “I will,” said he at length; “I do—all I can do, I will do.”
     
    “Then may God Almighty bless you for ever and ever!” said Eleanor; and
    falling on her knees with her face in Mary’s lap, she wept and sobbed
    like a child: her strength had carried her through her allotted task,
    but now it was well nigh exhausted.
     
    In a while she was partly recovered, and got up to go, and would have
    gone, had not Bold made her understand that it was necessary for him
    to explain to her how far it was in his power to put an end to the
    proceedings which had been taken against Mr Harding.  Had he spoken on
    any other subject, she would have vanished, but on that she was bound
    to hear him; and now the danger of her position commenced. Während sie
    had an active part to play, while she clung to him as a suppliant, it
    was easy enough for her to reject his proffered love, and cast from
    her his caressing words; but now—now that he had yielded, and was
    talking to her calmly and kindly as to her father’s welfare, it was
    hard enough for her to do so.  Then Mary Bold assisted her; but now
    she was quite on her brother’s side.  Mary said but little, but every
    word she did say gave some direct and deadly blow.  The first thing
    she did was to make room for her brother