eves, and returned home in
one of the students' overcoats. Since that time Madame Raschke never
let her husband go out without herself inspecting him. It also
appeared that all these ten years he had not been able to learn his
way about the town, and she dared not change her residence, because
she was quite sure that her professor would never remember it, and
always return to his old home. Struvelius also occasioned much
anxiety. Ilse knew about the last and greatest cause; but it also came
to light that he expected his wife to read Latin proof-sheets, as she
knew something of that language. Besides, he was quite incapable of
refusing commissions to amiable wine merchants. At her marriage Madame
Struvelius had found a whole cellar full of large and small wine
casks, none of which had been drawn off, while he complained bitterly
that no wine was ever brought into his cellar. Even little Madame
Guenther related that her husband could not give up night work; and
that once, when he wandered with a lamp among his books, he came too
near the curtain, which caught fire. He tore it off, and in so doing
burnt his hands, and burst into the bedroom with blackened fingers in
great alarm, and resembling Othello more than a mineralogist....

Raschke was wandering about in the ante-room. Here too was confusion.
Gabriel had not yet returned from his distant errand; the cook had
left the remains of the meal standing on a side-table till his return;
and Raschke had to find his greatcoat by himself. He rummaged among
the clothes, and seized hold of a coat and a hat. As he was not so
absent-minded as usual to-day, a glance at the despised supper
reminded him just in time that he was to eat a fowl; so he seized hold
of the newspaper which Gabriel had laid ready for his master, hastily
took one of the chickens out of the dish, wrapped it in the journal,
and thrust it in his pocket, agreeably surprised at the depth and
capaciousness it revealed. Then he rushed past the astonished cook,
and out of the house. When he opened the door of the _etage_ he
stumbled against something that was crouching on the threshold. He
heard a horrible growling behind him, and stormed down the stairs and
out of doors.

The words of the friend whom he had left now came into his mind.
Werner's whole bearing was very characteristic; and there was
something fine about it. It was strange that in a moment of anger
Werner's face had acquired a sudden resemblance to a b