hey separated at an earlier hour than usual. Mohr rambled about the
city a long time, revolving in his inventive brain one plan after
another, by which the evil that had so suddenly burst forth again and
threatened to destroy the harmony of these two lives, might be most
quickly and surely removed.

At last he devised a perfectly absurd catastrophe, namely that he would
represent Toinette as the moral cause of Balder's death and by a bold
accusation of murder separate her from Edwin forever. There was not a
spark of reason in the whole plan, but the very monstrosity and
impossibility of the idea soothed his own excited mood, and enabled him
at last, like a man well satisfied with his day's work, to go to bed
and sleep seven hours.

But he started up in terror from a dream in which he had said the
harshest things to the author of the mischief and engaged to fight a
duel with her husband, the count, to see Edwin standing beside his bed
in the grey dawn, once more with an overcoat and traveling satchel,
such as he had carried during the last days of their journey. Edwin
smiled at his friend's astonishment and seemed to have suddenly
attained a far more healthful condition of mind.

"I wanted to ask whether you'll go with me," said he. "Leah has
persuaded me that it would be foolish to spend the last week of my
vacation here. I've long desired to make an excursion to 'Wildwassern,'
which will only take three or four days. Besides, I might accomplish
many other things, take you back to Frau Christiane and the wonderful
boy and return just before the school begins. At first I would not hear
of it. I don't feel at ease out of doors; every time I turn a corner I
fear to meet a face which I would rather avoid. But, to be sure,
wearied and disinclined to work as I am, I should not be of much use
here and only make my good wife anxious. You don't know Leah, Heinz, no
one knows her, I should like to know how many women there are, who
would have borne so nobly what has just befallen us. 'Go,' said she,
'it will do you good; only you must promise not to hurry so madly as
you did the last day, but to walk quietly. When you return, you'll find
a sensible wife.' Her voice trembled, and her eyes grew dim with tears,
but she forced a smile, and then--I've not kissed her lips since I came
back, haven't dared to do so, for I remembered that last night at the
castle--but when I saw that she could not yet give me a caress! I miss
it, miss