are--free."

"Free? Nonsense! Katje's free. Free as air. Do you mean to tell me a
girl should be more free than she is? We must think for young people who
can't think for themselves. And no girl can."

"But I believe----"

"Bah! Who cares what _you_ believe. James, I'm sometimes afraid you're
just a little bit set in your ways;--almost obstinate."

"But in this," stoutly maintained Hartmann, "I know I'm right. We can't
think for other people any more than we can eat or sleep for them. Every
happy creature is bound, by nature, to lead its own life. And, first of
all, it must be _free_!"

"James," asked Grimm in amused contempt, "where on earth do you get
these wild ideas?"

"By reading what modern thinkers write, sir."

"H'--m! I thought so. Change your mental diet. There's a set of Jost
Vanden Vandell over on the shelves. Read it. Cultivate sentiment."

Hartmann shrugged his big shoulders and went on sealing and stamping
letters. But Grimm would not let this topic drop so easily.

"Free!" he scoffed. "Maybe you've thought you noticed Katje was not
happy?"

"No, sir. I can't honestly say I have."

"I should think not!" chimed in Peter. "These are the happiest hours of
her whole life. Don't I know? Can't I tell? Don't I know her and love
her better than any one else does? She's happy. Beautifully happy. And
why shouldn't she be? She's young. She's in love. She's soon to be
married. What girl wouldn't be happy?"

There was a long pause. Peter was reading over the last letter of the
budget. Hartmann was staring at him aghast.

"Soon to be married?" breathed the secretary when he could steady his
voice. "Then--then it's all settled, sir?"

"No," replied Peter. "But it soon will be. _I'm_ going to settle it. Any
one can see how she feels toward Frederik."

"But," faltered Hartmann lamely, "isn't she very--very _young_ to be
married?"

"Not when she marries into the family. Not when _I'm_ here to watch over
her. You see--Sit down again, James. I like to talk about it to some one
who is interested. And you _are_ interested, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," the secretary managed to say.

"Very good. Now, in following out my plans----"

"Oom Peter," called Kathrien from the dining-room, "I have your coffee
all ready. Shall I bring it in?"

"By and by, dear. By and by. I am busy now. I'll let you know. Shut the
door, won't you?"

She obeyed. And to the hungrily watching secretary it seemed as if the
door were