. The men were
much impressed, but neither of them spoke.

"I don't believe the poor man has his meals half the time," went on
Miss Husted, somewhat irrelevantly. "I am almost sure he doesn't."

"We ask him to dine the evening," said Fico, with a look of triumph,
feeling that he had not only discovered the problem but had also solved
it.

"Yes," assented Pinac, "we ask him."

At this moment Poons came back into the room, having forgotten his
music.

Miss Husted was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had no time to
frown at him.

A door bang was heard, and her sharp ears detected the sound. "There
he is now," she said. "Please don't tell him that I spoke of his
affairs. You know how sensitive he is."

A key was heard in the door; Von Barwig evidently thought the room was
empty. As he came in, followed by Jenny, the sad expression on his
face changed.

"Ah," he said, with a sigh of satisfaction; "when I set foot here, I am
among friends. So glad, so glad! Welcome to you all."

Miss Husted, making a few lame excuses, hurried out. She felt that she
had been guilty of an indiscretion in betraying the professor's secret
to his friends.

Von Barwig greeted his friends warmly.

"Well, how is the little _hausfrau_?" he said as he handed Jenny a
flower that he had brought for her. "Beauty is a fairy, eh? Sometimes
it hides in a flower, sometimes in a fresh young face," and he pinched
her cheek tenderly. "Here blooms a rose; not picked, not picked,
August!" Poons smiled and shook his head.

"He doesn't understand me," said Von Barwig. "The son of my old friend
has been six months in this country, and not a word of English can he
speak."

"Never mind, Jenny! I find you a splendid fellow; one who can speak
his own mind in his own language. Not a selfish fellow like these
bachelors. Bah! a bachelor is not a citizen of his country; he is not
even civilised. He is--a nondescript--a--a----"

The men were looking at him sadly as if trying to read his innermost
thoughts. They seemed to have realised for the first time that his
gaiety was forced. His spirits this afternoon were unusually high; and
it made the reality stand out in greater contrast. Pinac felt that he
might resent any reference to his financial condition, so he did not
speak of it.

"It is a long time since we have had a nice little dinner together," he
said in his Gallic way.

"Yes," assented Von Barwig, "a long time!"

"A d