to him
for having recognized and set right the mistaken impression of her
girlish heart. She was seized with discomfort at the thought of what
might have been. Where would she be now if she had become Frau Dr.
Eynhardt? A woman without fortune, of no position or importance, and at
the present moment even homeless and a wanderer. As things had turned
out she was wealthy and distinguished, the best people in Hamburg and
the whole of Luneburg came to her house, and she ruled like a small
queen over a large settlement of dependents. And all this she owed to
her dear Paul, who, during the seven years of their married life, had
never given her one moment's pain, never cost her eyes a single tear.
Out of her grateful acknowledgment that Wilhelm had materially assisted
in the founding of her agreeable destiny, and the unconscious lingering
remains of her former attachment, there had sprung up a very tender
friendship for him, the unusual warmth of which would have at once
betrayed its hidden origin to the experienced analyst of the heart. She
wanted to see him happy, she considered earnestly what was lacking to
him to make him so, and was sure that it could only be a rich and
pretty wife. This happiness then she determined to procure for him, an
easy enough task, as her set contained a large selection of "goldfish."

If he would only meet them halfway! The young ladies, obviously very
well disposed toward him, could not make the first advances. And yet on
the following Thursday he sat there in the midst of the gay chatter
just as quiet and wooden as on the first occasion, made no advances to
any of the girls, singled out no one from the rest. After that Malvine
was obliged to make a pause in her well-intentioned maneuvres, for the
third Thursday was Christmas Eve, and her time was taken up in
preparations for the Christmas-tree.

For this festive occasion Frau Brohl and Frau Marker came over from
Berlin, as had been their custom ever since Paul had taken the house on
the Uhlenhorst. Frau Marker had grown very stout, and her hair showed
the first silvery threads, otherwise she was blooming and as silent as
ever. Old Frau Brohl was simply astounding. She had not changed in the
smallest degree, time had no power over her, she was just as doubled up
and colorless, and her movements just as slow as ever, her brown eyes
had the same tired droop, and her low, complaining voice the old tone
of suffering. But her appetite had grown, i