ich had startled her.

Her nerves were so strong that she instantly recovered her composure,
as soon as she was assured that the vision was no ghost, but her own
sun-burnt lover, for whom she had so ardently longed. She laughed at
her own terror, grew as red as she had before been pale, and could not
understand why he was gazing so intently at the written sheet that had
fallen out of the little book and which he had unfolded and read. She
did not think it exactly polite for him to forget her for such a
scrawl, but thought it must be on account of his learning. He also
apologized as he laid the book down on the counter, and only asked
timidly where she had obtained it. Herr Walter had lent it to her, and
she had just commenced reading it for the first time. He had probably
forgotten the written sheet. What was in it, that Herr Franzelius had
studied it so eagerly?

"Fraeulein Reginchen," replied the printer, wiping the perspiration from
his brow, "will you allow me to put this in my pocket? I'll return it
to him myself--it might fall into the wrong hands--but you've pardoned
my bouncing in so abruptly, haven't you? If you knew, Fraeulein
Reginchen--"

So saying, he looked around in all directions with a very disturbed
expression. She had never seen him so strangely excited before.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "Do you want a glass of water? If I can
help you in any way--"

"You cart, Reginchen, you're the only person who can help me. But
here--so close to the street, where we may be interrupted at any
moment--oh! you do not know the subject of which I want to speak."

She certainly thought she knew. What could it be, if she alone was able
to help him? And what could he have to confide to her, in which he did
not wish to be interrupted, except the one, the one great subject on
which he had never yet found courage to speak, and which she had
nevertheless seen long ago in his eyes?

"You're perfectly right," she said in the most innocent tone, and yet
with a shade of curiosity. "This is just like being in the street. Do
you know, the work-shop is empty and there's no one in the courtyard;
you can tell me everything there. But I must first lock up the shop.
This is _such_ a surprise. The very last thing to be thought of, your
coming here to-day."

She hastily closed the heavy outer doors of the shop, so that both were
suddenly left in total darkness. But the next instant she opened the
second door leading into t