ng up to him and
gently unclasping his hand from the door latch. "We all know that you
forget yourself in the cause. But he thinks it would be better for the
_cause_, if you were more patient. All fruits do not ripen at the same
time. Come, don't let us part so."

"But you, you--could you have kept silence under such provocation?"

"Hush!" Mohr suddenly exclaimed. "Don't you hear her?"--Then as if
speaking to himself, he added in a scarcely audible tone: "it's enough
to tame wild beasts and socialistic democrats. Eternal Gods! how that
woman plays."

The four men in the upper room actually kept so quiet that not a note
of the improvisation below was lost. Franzelius had thrown himself into
the chair beside the bed, on which Balder sat with his lame leg crossed
over the other. Edwin was still seated on the window sill, and Mohr
leaned over his glass, with his head resting on his hands, and fairly
groaned with delight.

When the music ceased, he rose. "My friends," said he, "I think it is
our duty to offer this lady some attention. I will go down and invite
her to drink a glass of wine with us to her health."

"Are you mad, Mohr?" laughed Edwin. "She's a respectable person, and
will think you have already more glasses of wine in your head than is
good for your senses."

Mohr looked at him with an air of comical dignity, and twisted his
crooked under lip still more awry. "She's an artist," said he, "no
common-place, pedant of a woman. Here are four friends of art--I
generously include you, Franzel, as you at least kept quiet while she
was playing, though you were probably thinking of your social discords.
I'll wager it will be an honor and pleasure to her--give me a decent
hat--or no, I'll go bare-headed, like an inmate of the house. It will
be less formal."

"You've impudence enough for it. Well then, ask her to bring a glass
for the festal banquet."

"She shall drink out of mine," replied Mohr, who was already at the
door. "I'll run the risk of her guessing my thoughts."

They heard him go down stairs and ring the bell.

"He's really going to do it," cried Balder, hastily rising from his
seat. "What will she think of us?"

Franzelius rose too. "I'll go," said he. "I have not sufficient
self-control to endure Mohr's jokes and witticisms in the presence of a
lady. Will he be here often now? In that case, I prefer to take my
leave until--until you too are tired of a man, who never takes anything
seriously."