t
was changed! There was the bare half of the room, it is true, looking as
it had done on that first afternoon, sunless and cheerless, with the
long, unoccupied table, and the necessary chairs for the possible
visitors; but round the windows that opened on the garden a part of the
room was enclosed by the household clothes'-horses hung with great
pieces of the blue homespun cloth of which the dress of the Black Forest
peasant is made. This shut-in space was warmed by the lighted stove, as
well as by the lowering rays of the October sun. There was a little
round walnut table with some flowers upon it, and a great cushioned
armchair placed so as to look out upon the garden and the hills beyond.
I felt sure that this was all Thekla's arrangement; I had rather wondered
that I had seen so little of her this day. She had come once or twice on
necessary errands into my room in the morning, but had appeared to be in
great haste, and had avoided meeting my eye. Even when I had returned
the letters, which she had entrusted to me with so evident a purpose of
placing the writer in my good opinion, she had never inquired as to how
far they had answered her design; she had merely taken them with some
low word of thanks, and put them hurriedly into her pocket. I suppose
she shrank from remembering how fully she had given me her confidence
the night before, now that daylight and actual life pressed close around
her. Besides, there surely never was anyone in such constant request as
Thekla. I did not like this estrangement, though it was the natural
consequence of my improved health, which would daily make me less and
less require services which seemed so urgently claimed by others. And,
moreover, after my host left me--I fear I had cut him a little short
in the recapitulation of his domestic difficulties, but he was too
thorough and good-hearted a man to bear malice--I wanted to be amused or
interested. So I rang my little hand-bell, hoping that Thekla would
answer it, when I could have fallen into conversation with her, without
specifying any decided want. Instead of Thekla the Fraeulein came, and
I had to invent a wish; for I could not act as a baby, and say that I
wanted my nurse. However, the Fraeulein was better than no one, so I
asked her if I could have some grapes, which had been provided for me on
every day but this, and which were especially grateful to my feverish
palate. She was a good, kind woman, although, perhaps, her temp