s moving there, so she hastily opened the door of her sitting
and sleeping room, but paused on the threshold in astonishment when she
saw Lorinser sitting in a corner of the sofa, holding on his knees a
book, from which he did not even raise his eyes at her entrance.

The little lamp with the green shade was burning on the table beside
him and illumined the strongly marked countenance with its high, smooth
forehead and firm mouth. No expression betrayed any special agitation
of mind, and when he at last raised his eyes and fixed them on the dark
figure of the woman who stood on the threshold in silence, gazing at
him as if she could not believe her own eyes, no stranger would have
suspected that he was a guest playing master of the house in the
presence of the real occupant, so perfectly unembarrassed was the smile
with which he greeted the newcomer.

"Good evening," said he, "you are late. Excuse me for having made
myself comfortable here during your absence; I provided for plenty of
light and warmth, and have whiled away the long hours--But my God!" he
exclaimed, suddenly interrupting himself, "how you look, Christiane!
You're deadly pale and trembling from head to foot--take off your damp
cloak--come--here's a warm place in the sofa corner--will you tell me
where your tea pot is? You must get warm again--"

"Leave me!" she hoarsely exclaimed, repelling the hands that tried to
clasp her cold fingers. "I need no one--I'm perfectly well--it's only
surprise, indignation, at finding you here after I've plainly told you
that I did not desire your visits, that I would never receive you
again."

"That's the very reason I've come," he replied in the calmest tone,
while his eyes wandered toward the ceiling. "You've expelled me as we
only expel one whom we deeply hate or--love a little, and therefore
fear. Do you suppose a man will endure this, without at least making an
endeavor to discover in which of the two situations he stands? I at
least, even if you were not what you are to me, am not the man to obey
blindly. I've had no rest, Christiane, that's why you see me here with
but one question on my lips; when I have the answer, I'll go. But we
must understand each other."

She had sunk into a chair, which stood beside the window. The damp
cloak still hung over her shoulders, but she had hastily removed her
hat as if the strings choked her. As she now sat gazing into vacancy,
he supposed that she was reflecting upon his wo