as ever.
And so it happened that Fink, chancing to look up, met his friend's eyes
mournfully fixed upon his face, and this touched him more than the
anger of the previous night. He saw that Anton's mind was made up, and
the side of the scale in which sat the fair Rosalie kicked the beam.
After all, if Anton did, in his virtuous simplicity, tell her mother,
the adventure was spoiled, and, still worse, their friendship forever at
an end. These reflections furrowed his fine brow.

A little before seven o'clock a shadow fell on Anton's paper, and,
looking up, he saw Fink silently holding out a small note to him,
directed to Rosalie. He sprang up at once.

"I have written to tell her," said Fink, with icy coldness, "that your
friendship left me no other choice than that of compromising her or
giving her up, and that, therefore, I chose the latter. Here is the
letter; I have no objection to your reading it; it is her dismissal."

Anton took the letter out of the culprit's hand, sealed it in all haste
with a little office seal, and gave it to one of the porters to post at
once.

And so this danger was averted, but from that day there was an
estrangement between the friends. Fink grumbled, and Anton could not
forget what he called treachery to Bernhard; and so it was, that for
some weeks they no longer spent their evenings together.

CHAPTER XV.

The firm of T. O. Schroeter had one day in the year invariably dedicated
to enjoyment. It was the anniversary of their principal's first entrance
into partnership with his father. Upon this festive occasion there was a
dinner given to the whole counting-house assembled, after which they all
drove to a neighboring village, where the merchant had a country house,
and whither a number of public gardens and summer concerts always
attracted the inhabitants of the town. There they drank coffee, enjoyed
nature, and returned home before dark.

This year was the five-and-twentieth of these jubilees. Early in the
morning came deputations of servants and porters to congratulate, and
all the clerks appeared at the early dinner in full state; M. Liebold in
a new coat, which, for many years past, he had been in the habit of
first wearing upon this auspicious day.

After dinner, the carriages drove up and took them to the great
"Restauration" of the village. There they got out, the gentlemen all
surrounding their young lady, and loud music sounding a welcome as they
entered the bee