The Old Mam'selle's Secret (Advance Edition)

241 pp. Translated from the German of E. Marlitt. "Old Mam'selle's Secret, The (Das Geheimniß der alten Mamsell), by “E. Marlitt” (Eugénie John), has its action in Thuringia, Germany, in the early part of the nineteenth century. In the town hall of X—— a performance takes place, the chief actors of which are Orlowsky, a juggler, and his wife Meta, a beautiful and refined woman. A tragedy occurs: the great trick miscarries, and she falls mortally wounded by a stupid assistant. She implores her husband to place their little girl of four years in some quiet home. Herr Hellwig, a retired merchant, compassionately adopts the child, Felicitas, in spite of the violent opposition of his wife,—a woman full of pious cant, but cruel by nature. They have two sons: John, who is away at school, and Nathaniel, aged seven. Of the two servants, Frederika is her mistress's humble counterpart, and Heinrich his master's. 1 Felicitas is tenderly cared for by Herr Hellwig until his death a few years later. Thenceforward she becomes a household drudge, only retained because of the dying man's injunction to John. 2 Felicitas accidentally discovers the Old Mam'selle, her benefactor's aunt, ostracized by the family, and living in a remote part of the mansion; and through her loving instruction, in stolen hours, Felicitas becomes very accomplished. 3 Nine years later, John, now become a famous physician in Bonn, orders his cousin, the Councilor's widow, to X—— for her child's health; and together with him they become members of the Hellwig household. The beautiful but violent-tempered young widow lays siege to John. He, however, falls in love with Felicitas, whom as a child he had treated harshly. She hates him bitterly, and hopes soon to live openly with the Old Mam'selle. But the latter inopportunely dies, leaving all her property, not to Felicitas, but to the Von Hirschsprung heirs, if found. Felicitas is about to destroy a little book in compliance with her friend's wishes, when the Councilor's widow intervenes."