ther!" he said.

The old man sipped the wine with an air of adoration. "It must be nine
or ten years since I have had any wine," he said more or less to
himself.

"You have not had a happy life," replied Daniel.

"I will not complain, Daniel. I bear it because I have to. And who
knows? Perhaps there is still a measure of joy in store for me. Perhaps;
who knows?"

The two men sat in silence and drank. It was so still that you could
hear the fluttering of the light in the lamp.

"Where can Philippina be?" asked Daniel.

"Yes, Philippina. I had forgot to tell you," began old Jordan
sorrowfully. "She came to me this afternoon, and told me she was going
over to Frau Hadebusch's with Agnes and was going to stay there until
after the wedding. But she spoke in such a confused way that I couldn't
make out just what she planned to do. It sounded in fact as though she
were thinking of leaving the house for good and all. I wonder whether
the girl isn't a little off in her head? Day before yesterday I heard an
awful racket in the kitchen; and when I went down, I saw at least six
plates lying on the floor all smashed to pieces. And as if this was not
enough, she threatened to throw the dishwater on me. She was swearing
like a trooper. Now tell me: how is this? Can she go over to Frau
Hadebusch's, and take Agnes with her without getting any one's consent?"

Daniel made no reply. The thought of Philippina filled him with
anguish; he feared some misfortune. He felt that he would have to let
her have her way.

XIX

In the night Daniel became very much excited. He left the house, and,
despite the darkness and the snow storm, wandered out to the country
quite unmindful of the cold and snow and the wind.

He listened to the whisperings of his soul; he took council with
himself. He looked up at the great black vaulted arch of heaven as
though he were beseeching the powers above to send him the light he felt
he needed. The morning of the approaching day seemed bleaker, blacker to
him than the night that was passing. He was lost in anxiety: he went
over to his graves.

He did not stop to think until well on his way that the gate to the
cemetery would be closed; but he kept on going. He looked around for a
place in the wall where he might climb over. Finally he found one,
climbed up, scratched his hands painfully, leaped down into some
snow-covered hedges, and then wandered around with his burde