"Conrad!" she called; "Conrad, it is your brother."
Impelled by an overwhelming feeling she threw herself before him and wound her arms about his knees.
"Not till you have sworn that you will not injure him."
"Let me be!" cried Conrad again, and he violently tore her loose. Catherine tottered forward, stumbled and fell. Her head struck hard against the door-sill.
She came near fainting, but with a great effort picked herself up again, as angry voices struck her ear, and threw herself between the brothers.
"Lambert! Conrad! For God's sake, rather kill me! Conrad, it is your brother. Lambert, he does not know what he is doing!"
The brothers released each other, and panting, looked at one another with flashing eyes. By the sound Lambert's rifle had fallen to the ground. Conrad held his half-raised in his strong hands.
"Now," said Lambert; "why do you not shoot?"
"I do not want to kill you," said Conrad. "If I wanted your life I could have taken it this morning."
"Nothing from you. Why did you come just now? You shall not see me again. Since we have happened again to meet, let me tell you that it must be the last time. Go your own way and let me go mine."
With a powerful swing he threw his rifle on his shoulder and turned away.
Lambert intercepted him. "You must not go. I will forget that you raised your hand against me. Do you also forget that I raised mine against you. By the memory of our father; by the memory of our mother, I conjure you, do not leave your parents' house."
"It is too small for us all," said Conrad, with bitter scorn.
"Then _we_ will leave it. I will gladly do it if you will but stay."
"The house, however, needs you, as you can help defend it against our bitter enemies. Do you wish to see it go up in flames? You know that the French are coming--perhaps you know more about it than I--than all of us; and we to-day greatly missed you. Will you become a traitor to our common interests--to your brother, your friends, to wives and children? Conrad, you must not go away!"
"If the enemy comes you will again creep away as you did before," said Conrad. "I will not hide in forts. I will fight openly. I will take the matter in hand entirely alone, and you may here, in your holes, go to destruction or not; it will not trouble me. My blood be upon me if I again set either foot across this door-sill!"