t the first glance, and did not appear at all surprised
to meet the Fraeulein here again, after the events of the day before.

She gave Irene a good-natured and confidential nod, and said, without
waiting to be addressed:

"You have come most likely to inquire after the Herr Baron--haven't
you, now? Well, I am much obliged for your kind inquiry; and he is
getting on just as well as ever as he can, the doctor says. Only he
must be kept very quiet and can't receive any visits from strangers.
That's the reason we carried him right off last evening into the studio
up there in the turret, where he can't hear a sound from the kitchen
and the rooms below; so that even when old Katie has one of her
tantrums, and storms and raves about, it won't disturb his peace at
all. But not a soul can go in to see him except Herr von Schnetz, Herr
Kohle, Herr Rossel--and I, of course, because I am his nurse. I have
just run down into the garden to cut him a few roses. It's a good thing
to have something pretty by a sick person's bed, so that it will please
him when he wakes up. Meantime Herr Kohle is sitting by him and looking
after the ice bandages."

While she was prattling on in this _naive_ strain, Irene had the
greatest difficulty in restraining her secret aversion toward the girl,
who innocently went on with her work; appearing quite a reputable
person, too, now that she was without her waitress's apron, and had her
red braids simply coiled around her head.

"I wish to speak to Lieutenant von Schnetz a moment," replied Irene, in
the coldest possible tone, "since, as you say, he is not busy just now
in the sick chamber--"

"The lieutenant? He is asleep. See, Fraeulein, over there where the
curtains are let down. He has been lying there for the last two hours,
trying to make up a little bit for what he lost last night. Good
Heavens! What a fright we did have! and every one had more than his
hands full before we could get a decent bandage made, especially as old
Katie couldn't have been waked out of her sleep if the world had been
coming to an end. So I staid here, too, so that there might be some one
to wait on the gentlemen. There are so many things about which men
folks, even the very wisest of them, are as foolish as little children.
Isn't it so, Fraeulein? And then--I couldn't bear to be anywhere else,
until I know that he is sure to get sound and well again. When people
have known each other as well as we two--and only to thin