ght; he felt a
sense of guilt. With still greater hesitation--and immediate
repentance--he added: "A child of mine also lived there; she was eleven
years old. She has disappeared; no one knows where she is."

Dorothea folded her hands, "A child? And disappeared? Simply vanished?"
she whispered excitedly.

Herr Carovius looked like a man sitting on a hot iron. "Eleven years
old?" he asked, hungry for sensation, "why--that was, then--before the
time ..."

"Yes, it was before the time," said Daniel gloomily and by way of
confirmation. He had betrayed himself, and was angry at himself for
having done so. He became silent; it was impossible to get him to say
another word.

Herr Carovius noticed how Dorothea hung on Daniel's eyes. A tormenting
suspicion arose in him. "Yesterday out on St. Joseph's Place, I was
talking with one of your admirers, the fellow who shatters the wings of
the stage with his ranting," he began with malice aforethought. "The
blade had the nerve to say to me: 'You'd better hurry up and get
Dorothea Doederlein a husband, or people will talk their tongues loose in
their throats.'"

"That is not true," cried Dorothea indignantly, blushing to the roots of
her hair. "He didn't say that."

Herr Carovius laughed malevolently. "Well, if it is not true, it is
pretty well put together," he said with his usual bleat.

When Daniel left, Dorothea accompanied him to the outside door.

"It's a pity," murmured Daniel, "a pity!"

"Why a pity? I am free. There isn't a soul in the world who has any
claim on me." She looked at him with the courage of a real woman.

"There are remarks that are just like grease spots," he replied.

"Well, who can keep from the dirt these days?" she asked, almost wild
with excitement.

Daniel let his eyes rest on her as though she were some material object.
He said slowly and seriously: "Keep your hands and your eyes off of me,
Dorothea. I will bring you no happiness."

Her lips opened, thirsty. "I should like to take a walk with you some
time," she whispered, and her features trembled with an ecstasy which he
was dupe enough to believe was meant for him; in reality Dorothea was
thinking of the adventurer and the disclosure of the secret.

"Many years ago," said Daniel, "you will scarcely recall it, I protected
you here in this very same gateway from a big dog. Do you remember?"

"No! Or do I? Wait a minute! Yes, I remember, that is, quite
indistinctly. You did that?" Dorot