know if Susanna
understood me; a fresh burst of tears was the reply, and all
inconsolable sounded this bitter sobbing.

"Anna Maria came back and sat down opposite Susanna. 'Will you listen to
me rationally?' she said, somewhat severely.

"Susanna started up and gave her a defiant look. 'I am listening,' she
said.

"Just then I was called away; the pastor's sister, an early friend of
mine, had come to pay me a visit. I went, not without anxiously
regarding the two girls. What in the world could Anna Maria have in
view?

"After two mortal hours Mademoiselle Gruene took her leave; she no doubt
found me more distraught than is usually permissible; even talking over
a wedding festivity which we had attended together in the remote period
of our youth, at which Minna Gruene came very near becoming engaged, and
which ended in a fire, failed to interest me as usual. When I came
down-stairs again I found Anna Maria over her housekeeping books;
Susanna was not to be seen.

"'Anna Maria,' I asked, more hastily than is my wont, 'what have you
been talking about with Susanna?'

"'I wanted to talk with her about her future,' she replied, 'but----'

"'About her future?' I repeated, faintly.

"'Yes, indeed, aunt, for things cannot go on in this way any longer.
Susanna suffers from a dreadful disease--she has _ennui_. In my opinion
this doing nothing is enough to make the most healthy people ill.'

"'And what did she say, Anna Maria?'

"'She? she ran away as soon as she heard the one word future! Susanna is
a naughty child, and it is high time for Klaus to come back and put her
in a pension; she is worse than ever since he went away.'

"I had to smile, and yet tears came suddenly into my eyes, and yielding
to an involuntary impulse, I asked: 'Anna Maria, do you really believe
that Klaus will send Susanna away.'

"She turned about and gave me a startled look. 'Can you doubt it? He has
no doubt gone away for that express purpose. Do you not suppose the
justice could have despatched that business?'

"The next day Susanna, pale and low-spirited, drove to Dambitz, to take
care of her Isa. She had cried all night long, did not get up in the
morning, and kept on crying in her bed, till Anna Maria ordered a
carriage for her.

"Isa was said to be suffering from a stitch in the back, quite free from
danger, so there was no contagion to be feared. Susanna packed up a host
of things, as if she were going to a watering-place. Witho