tapped lightly on it.

Edwin who was sitting beside the lamp, dozing a little after his
sleepless night, instantly started up. "Come in!" he called softly,
forgetting that no one was allowed to enter the sick room. The door
opened, and Toinette's slender figure, wrapped in a silk cloak, glided
noiselessly in. Her first glance lighted upon the bed where Balder was
quietly sleeping, then she laid her finger on her lips and nodded to
the two friends, who had started from their chairs and were gazing at
her in astonishment.

"Toinette--you here!--you've come yourself!" exclaimed Edwin.

"Hush!" she answered. "He's asleep, I'm going away again directly. But
I couldn't rest, I was determined to see how bad matters were. You
wrote me such a short note, that I haven't got over my fright yet. Tell
me, is he out of danger?"

"We hope so. But won't you sit down?"

"No, no," she answered, now for the first time glancing around the
dimly lighted room, with an involuntary sigh which betrayed to Edwin
how poor and uninviting the famous "tun" appeared to her. "I shall
disturb you!" she added in a whisper. "Only let me look at him once
more. Thank you," she added to Mohr, who had moved the lamp nearer the
sleeper. For a few moments all three were silent.

"He's very handsome!" she said softly. "What a gentle face! So that is
your brother! Do you know I should have known it instantly, though you
don't look at all alike. What pretty slender hands, one would never
think they had learned a trade; but he's moving, as if in pain; take
the lamp away, we mustn't wake him."

"Won't you not at least sit down a moment?" pleaded Edwin, who could
hardly restrain his feelings. "I can't offer you a sofa though. Neither
philosophy nor the turning lathe has progressed so far as that."

"No, I can't stay. I kept the droschky waiting at the door because I
only wanted to inquire in person. What a terrible attack! But at least
he does not suffer. What does the doctor say?"

At this moment the invalid moved his head, raised it a little from the
pillow, and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was fixed upon Toinette,
whom he seemed to notice with quiet curiosity, but without surprise.
Whether he took her for some dream-vision, or whether he was really
awake, they could not tell. "How sweet those violets smell!" he
murmured. "Is it Spring already?" A faint smile lighted up his face and
then died away. Slowly, as if closed by some stranger's hand, his
e