self away and tramped out of the shop in his gigantic boots
as hastily as if he feared to remain longer, lest spite of these firm
pillars, he might lose his centre of gravity and fall at the feet of
the shoemaker's little daughter.

Reginchen looked after him through the show window. Often as she had
laughed at him, she could not do so to-day, she was much more ready to
cry. No one had ever spoken to her so before. She had longed perceived
that he liked her, and even prided herself a little upon that fact,
because she thought he must be unusually learned, as he was always
occupied in printing. But that he "revered" her, that he thought her
almost an angel--! And what did he mean in speaking so about Herr
Walter?

She sat down again in her chair in the corner. "I'll commence to-night
to knit a pair of stockings for him to take on his journey," she
thought. "If only I can get them done! His feet are so awfully big."

CHAPTER IV.

About the same hour Lorinser was sitting on the little leather sofa in
Christiane's room, with his knees half drawn up on the seat, and his
long arms stretched along the back, like a person who is making himself
comfortable, because he does not intend to go very soon. Although it
was already so dark that faces could scarcely be distinguished, no lamp
stood on the little table. But from one of the windows in the front of
the house gleamed a faint light, which frequently moved and fell upon
the pale face of the man on the sofa, revealing the expression of eager
expectation stamped upon the strongly marked features. Whenever the
light flitted over Lorinser's countenance, the strange smile appeared
on the mobile lips, and he lowered the eyes, which so long as it
remained dark, followed every movement of the woman who, with her arms
folded across her breast as usual, was pacing up and down the room.

Suddenly she paused at the window, opened it a moment gasping for
breath, and then turned toward the silent man on the sofa.

"How people forget the flight of time when they are talking," she said.
"I see it has grown dark. Excuse me, Herr Candidat, my hours are so
regularly apportioned--"

"You wish to send me away, Fraeulein Christiane," he said making no
preparation to move from his comfortable position. "I have really
forgotten the true cause of my visit, in your musical revelations,
which have afforded me a glimpse of depths hitherto unsuspected. So
what