ou prepare them yourself?" asked the agricultural counsellor with
deep interest.

"Of course. I do up six potfuls every year. The colonel dotes on this
kind of stuff."

"And where do you procure your truffles, may I ask? I am myself
looking for a trustworthy person."

"Truffles? Nonsense, it tastes every bit as good without them--that is
all imagination."

"Oh, but you must excuse me, my gracious lady; truffles are the very
soul of a goose-liver _pate_. Without them it is insipid--'Hamlet'
with Hamlet left out."

"'Hamlet'?" rejoined the lady with the governess face. "We were
talking of truffles."

Herr von Konradi shrugged his shoulders. Nobody else said a word. Just
then Frau First Lieutenant Leimann entered. She looked as fresh and
bright as the morning star.

"A thousand pardons, Frau Koenig," she smiled, "but I had to finish
some important letters." And she sat down in the place reserved for
her.

"We heard you were suffering from headache," was the general remark.

"Headache? Yes, I forgot--I did have it. But that is such an old story
with me that I scarcely think of mentioning it any more."

She was a handsome young woman, and the fact was made more apparent
by the really tasteful gown she wore.

During all this time the adjutant had not said a word. He attended
strictly to the business that had brought him here. His voracity
attracted no attention, because everybody was used to it. Off and on
he merely emitted a species of grunt in token of approval or dissent
of what had been said. He was still eating when the hostess finally
gave the signal to rise. Then everybody wished everybody else a
"blessed digestion,"[4] and made for the adjoining rooms, where the
ladies were served with coffee and the men with cordials, beer, and
cigars.

[4] "Blessed digestion"--"Gesegnete Mahlzeit"--is the
universal greeting in Germany after meals.--TR.

Informal chatting was indulged in. The colonel, after briefly
despatching a trifling matter connected with the service, for which
purpose he retained Mueller, who was fairly oozing with good cheer,
retired to a quiet corner with Frau Stark. Since their conversation
was carried on in whispers, First Lieutenant Borgert, despite
strenuous efforts to overhear, could only catch a phrase or a single
word from time to time.

"You _must_ manage it," he heard her say.

"Let us hope that the annual inspection will turn out well," replied
the colonel. "Last time ou