she could withdraw the look that had long been
searching her own heart, and turn it again upon external things.

"Good afternoon, my dear friend," she said without rising, as she held
out her hand to him, "have you come to see me again at last? That's
very pleasant, but the best part of all is that you can do so with a
light heart. What anxious weeks you have passed! Well, I too have been
very miserable and the worst of all is that no nursing or brotherly
love can help me. But let's talk of something else, of something more
cheerful. You have drawn the great prize? I congratulate you."

He smilingly explained what had induced Balder to play this joke upon
little Jean, but said not a word about the professorship.

"No matter," said she, "it is pleasanter for you to have won a prize in
a lottery where one must have more sense than luck if one is not to
draw a blank. And yet it's a pity that it was only a joke. It would
have consoled me for being unable to keep my promise."

"Your promise?"

"To offer you the relics of my princely fortune, in case your brother
should wish to travel toward the south. Although I've lived very simply
ever since then--see, this is all I have left. When I've paid my last
housekeeping bill, there'll be just enough left for a dose of opium."

She had unlocked the little box and allowed him to look in. It
contained a few gold pieces and thalers.

"I'm glad you've some room," he answered in a jesting tone, "or I
should not know where to keep my fifty ducats. Such splendor in our
lowly hut--you've now seen the famous tun--we've not as yet had any use
for a fire-proof safe."

"Laugh on," she replied closing the little box. "But I'm angry with
myself for having been foolish enough and weak enough, just before you
came, to weep over my bankruptcy. The stupid money really is not worth
the tears. But you see, that's the very reason a great prize is such a
splendid thing, because we've no longer any need to humble ourselves by
thinking and worrying about money. I'm ashamed of myself that I could
be so base, even for a moment. And now not another word on the subject;
tell me about your brother. Is he really out of danger?"

Edwin sat down on the sofa beside her and spoke of Balder's condition,
of the hopes which Marquard had given, of the great love which all his
friends had shown him, and of the earnestness with which he had charged
him to thank Toinette for all her kindness. "Of course I thank y