enough, if I only know you're near me."

He lay down beside Balder, with his hand clasped in his brother's. It
was not long before he fell asleep and breathed as quietly as a man who
has peaceful dreams. But Balder lay awake for hours, revolving various
unformed ideas in his mind.

When they awoke the next morning, they were as usual silent and
absorbed in their own thoughts, and the events of the previous evening
were not mentioned between them. Edwin looked over his notes for the
lecture. Balder sketched some models lent him by his employer; only
once the latter asked casually if Edwin was not going to answer the
deans' letter immediately. "There's no great hurry now, child," replied
the other. "But it shall be done. A change of air would be the best
thing for me, and perhaps for you too."

"Certainly," replied the invalid. "I long to get away from this air."
He meant more than his words conveyed, but Edwin did not see the calm
smile that would have betrayed his thoughts.

"I shall leave you without any one to look after you to-day, my dear
boy," said Edwin, as he put his notes in his pocket to go to the
lecture. "I hope you'll be good and neither attempt to work, nor commit
any other act contrary to police regulations. Farewell, child! Make up
a little more fire. Your hands are so cold again."

At the end of ten minutes Balder threw aside his pencil, and began to
exchange his dressing gown for a street suit. His hands trembled when,
for the first time in many weeks, he again took out the old cloak and
little grey hat he had worn on his last expedition to the courtyard.
Despite his old fashioned, almost shabby clothes, and the weary manner
in which he limped along with his cane, there was such a charm in his
movements and the slight droop of the beautiful face, that no one would
have smiled at the short cloak and worn felt hat.

He glided down the stairs very softly. On the landing before
Christiane's door, he remembered how long it was since he had heard her
play. He thought she had stopped on account of his illness and
determined on his return to knock and beg her not to deny herself the
pleasure any longer. The door of the workshop was only ajar. The head
journeyman saw him pass, and called after him to ask a friendly
question about his health and warn him not to catch cold. He answered
with a jest and crossed the courtyard without looking at the bench in
the bean arbor, but was obliged to stand still a mom