numbers upon the altar of every respectable female heart;
but, in view of a premeditated journey together, we became delightfully
cordial.

"For us," she said, "there will be a double joy. We shall be able to
watch the happiness of these two dear children, Elsa and Fritz. They
only received the letters of blessing from their parents yesterday
morning. It is a very strange thing, but whenever I am in the company
of newly-engaged couples I blossom. Newly-engaged couples, mothers with
first babies, and normal deathbeds have precisely the same effect on me.
Shall we join the others?"

I was longing to ask her why normal deathbeds should cause anyone to
burst into flower, and said, "Yes, do let us."

We were greeted by the little party of "cure guests" on the pension
steps, with those cries of joy and excitement which herald so pleasantly
the mildest German excursion. Herr Erchardt and I had not met before
that day, so, in accordance with strict pension custom, we asked each
other how long we had slept during the night, had we dreamed agreeably,
what time we had got up, was the coffee fresh when we had appeared at
breakfast, and how had we passed the morning. Having toiled up these
stairs of almost national politeness we landed, triumphant and smiling,
and paused to recover breath.

"And now," said Herr Erchardt, "I have a pleasure in store for you. The
Frau Professor is going to be one of us for the afternoon. Yes," nodding
graciously to the Advanced Lady. "Allow me to introduce you to each
other."

We bowed very formally, and looked each other over with that eye which
is known as "eagle" but is far more the property of the female than
that most unoffending of birds. "I think you are English?" she said.
I acknowledged the fact. "I am reading a great many English books just
now--rather, I am studying them."

"Nu," cried Herr Erchardt. "Fancy that! What a bond already! I have made
up my mind to know Shakespeare in his mother tongue before I die, but
that you, Frau Professor, should be already immersed in those wells of
English thought!"

"From what I have read," she said, "I do not think they are very deep
wells."

He nodded sympathetically.

"No," he answered, "so I have heard... But do not let us embitter our
excursion for our little English friend. We will speak of this another
time."

"Nu, are we ready?" cried Fritz, who stood, supporting Elsa's elbow in
his hand, at the foot of the steps. It was immediately