hat room was; in what town, in what country, I did not take the trouble
to recal. It was of much more consequence to me then to discover what
was the well-known herb that gave the scent to the clean, coarse sheets
in which I lay. Gradually I extended my observations, always confining
myself to the present. I must have been well cared-for by some one, and
that lately, too, for the window was shaded, so as to prevent the
morning sun from coming in upon the bed; there was the crackling of
fresh wood in the great white china stove, which must have been newly
replenished within a short time.

By-and-by the door opened slowly. I cannot tell why, but my impulse was
to shut my eyes as if I were still asleep. But I could see through my
apparently closed eyelids. In came, walking on tip-toe, with a slow care
that defeated its object, two men. The first was aged from thirty to
forty, in the dress of a Black Forest peasant,--old-fashioned coat and
knee-breeches of strong blue cloth, but of a thoroughly good quality; he
was followed by an older man, whose dress, of more pretension as to cut
and colour (it was all black), was, nevertheless, as I had often the
opportunity of observing afterwards, worn threadbare.

Their first sentences, in whispered German, told me who they were: the
landlord of the inn where I was lying a helpless log, and the village
doctor who had been called in. The latter felt my pulse, and nodded his
head repeatedly in approbation. I had instinctively known that I was
getting better, and hardly cared for this confirmation; but it seemed
to give the truest pleasure to the landlord, who shook the hand of the
doctor, in a pantomime expressive of as much thankfulness as if I had
been his brother. Some low-spoken remarks were made, and then some
question was asked, to which, apparently, my host was unable to reply.
He left the room, and in a minute or two returned, followed by Thekla,
who was questioned by the doctor, and replied with a quiet clearness,
showing how carefully the details of my illness had been observed by
her. Then she left the room, and, as if every minute had served to
restore to my brain its power of combining facts, I was suddenly prompted
to open my eyes, and ask in the best German I could muster what day of
the month it was; not that I clearly remembered the date of my arrival
at Heppenheim, but I knew it was about the beginning of September.

Again the doctor conveyed his sense of extreme sati