has Else," she
remarked.

"Dear me," thought Frau von Treumann, "what rancour."

She laid her hand on Anna's knee, and it was taken no notice of. "You
cannot forgive him?" she said gently. "You cannot pardon a momentary
indiscretion?"

"I have nothing to forgive," said Anna, watching the gulls; one dropped
down suddenly, and rose again with a fish in its beak, the sun for an
instant catching the silver of the scales. "It is no affair of mine. It
is for Else to forgive him."

Frau von Treumann began to weep; this way of looking at it was so
hopelessly unreasonable. She pulled out her handkerchief. "What a heap
she must use," thought Anna; never had she met people who cried so much
and so easily as the Chosen; she was quite used now to red eyes; one or
other of her sisters had them almost daily, for the farther their old
bodily discomforts and real anxieties lay behind them the more tender
and easily lacerated did their feelings become.

"He could not bear to see you being imposed upon," said Frau von
Treumann. "As soon as he knew about this terrible sister he felt he must
hasten down to save you. 'Mother,' he said to me when first he suspected
it, 'if it is true, she must not be contaminated.'"

"Who mustn't?"

"Oh, Anna, you know he thinks only of you!"

"Well, you see," said Anna, "I don't mind being contaminated."

"Oh, dear child, a young pretty girl ought to mind very much."

"Well, I don't. But what about yourself? Are you not afraid of--of
contamination?" She was frightened by her own daring when she had said
it, and would not have looked at Frau von Treumann for worlds.

"No, dear child," replied that lady in tones of tearful sweetness, "I am
too old to suffer in any way from associating with queer people."

"But I thought a Treumann----" murmured Anna, more and more frightened
at herself, but impelled to go on.

"Dear Anna, a Treumann has never yet flinched before duty."

Anna was silenced. After that she could only continue to watch the
gulls.

"You are going to keep the baroness?"

"If she cares to stay, yes."

"I thought you would. It is for you to decide who you will have in your
house. But what would you do if this--this Lolli came down to see her
sister?"

"I really cannot tell."

"Well, be sure of one thing," burst out Frau von Treumann
enthusiastically, "I will not forsake you, dear Anna. Your position now
is exceedingly delicate, and I will not forsake you."

So she was not go