, but she had been gone
thence probably a week; and they saw by the Day-book[21] that it had been
her intention to proceed thence to an inn which lay on the road to
Petrea's native place; not, however, on the road by which they had
travelled to U., but upon one which was shorter, although much worse.

Sara then also was on her way home--yes, perhaps might be there already!
This thought was an indescribable consolation for Petrea's heart, which
from the account she had received of Sara's condition, was anxious in
the highest degree. But when she thought on the long time which had
passed since Sara's journey from the city, she was filled with anxiety,
and feared that Sara might be ill upon the road.

Willingly would Petrea have turned back again on the same evening to
seek out traces of Sara; but care for her old friend prevented her from
doing more than speaking of it. The Assessor, indeed, found himself
unwell, and required rest. The cold and wet weather had operated
prejudicially upon him, both mind and body. It was adopted as
unquestionable that they could not continue the journey till the
following morning.

The Assessor had told Petrea that this was his birthday, and perhaps it
was this thought which caused him to be uncommonly melancholy the whole
day. Petrea, who was infinitely desirous of cheering him, hastened,
whilst he was gone out to seek an acquaintance, to prepare a little
festival for his return.

With flowers and foliage which Petrea obtained, heaven knows how!--but
when people are resolutely bent on anything they find out the means to
do it--with these, then, with lights, a good fire, with a table covered
with his favourite dishes and such like, although in a somewhat
disagreeably public-house room, such a picture of comfort and
pleasantness was presented as the Assessor much loved.

Fathers and mothers, and all the members of happy families, are
accustomed to birthday festivals, flower-garlands, and well-covered
tables; but nobody had celebrated the birthday of the Assessor during
his solitary wandering; he had not been indulged with those little
flower-surprises of life--if one may so call them; hence it happened
that he entered from the dark, wet street into this festal room with an
exclamation of astonishment and heartfelt pleasure.

Petrea, on her part, was inexpressibly cordial, and was quite happy when
she saw the pains which she had taken to entertain her old friend
succeed so well. The tw