he had
also hung up the unbecoming cloak, he saw that she was young and
slight. For the rest, she seemed to bring with her, into the warm,
tranquil atmosphere of the place, heavy with midday musings, a breath
of wind and outdoor freshness--a suggestion that was heightened by the
quick decisiveness of her movements: the briskness with which she
divested herself of her wrappings, the quick smooth of the hair on
either side, the business-like way in which she drew up her chair to
the table and unfolded her napkin.

She seemed to be no stranger there, for, on her entrance, the younger
and more active waiter had at once sprung up with officious haste, and
almost before she was ready, the little table was newly spread and set,
and the dinner of the day before her. She spoke to the man in a
friendly way as she took her seat, and he replied with a pleased and
smiling respect.

Then she began to eat, deliberately, and with an overemphasised nicety.
As she carried her soup-spoon to her lips, Maurice Guest felt that she
was observing him; and throughout the meal, of which she ate but
little, he was aware of a peculiarly straight and penetrating gaze. It
ended by disconcerting him. Beckoning the waiter, he went through the
business of paying his bill, and this done, was about to push back his
chair and rise to his feet, when the man, in gathering up the money,
addressed what seemed to be a question to him. Fearful lest he had made
a mistake in the strange coinage, Maurice looked up apprehensively. The
waiter repeated his words, but the slight nervousness that gained on
the young man made him incapable of separating the syllables, which
were indistinguishably blurred. He coloured, stuttered, and felt
mortally uncomfortable, as, for the third time, the waiter repeated his
remark, with the utmost slowness.

At this point, the girl at the adjacent table put down her knife and
fork, and leaned slightly forward.

"Excuse me," she said, and smiled. "The waiter only said he thought you
must be a stranger here: DER HERR IST GEWISS FREMD IN LEIPZIG?" Her
rather prominent teeth were visible as she spoke.

Maurice, who understood instantly her pronunciation of the words, was
not set any more at his ease by her explanation. "Thanks very much." he
said, still redder than usual. "I ... er ... thought the fellow was
saying something about the money."

"And the Saxon dialect is barbarous, isn't it?" she added kindly. "But
perhaps you have n