reached the farm, and he rushed into the room
without knocking. There she stood, she for whom he was longing.

Hardly had Mr. Tiralla driven away with Rosa than Mrs. Tiralla left the
maid to bake the cakes alone. There was no need to keep up appearances
any longer. What did she care about the stepson who was coming home
to-day? She had never liked nor disliked him; still, she felt that he
played a more important part in her life now. She must, she would
please him. He must like her so well that he would [Pg 182] turn and
listen to her rather than to his father. She must win his ear and his
eyes, and thereby his heart. She, therefore, went up to her room,
combed her beautiful thick hair, so that it looked silkier than ever,
and put on a pretty dress; not too grand a one, but still, not her
everyday one. If he had eyes, he must be able to see that she had put
on her Sunday dress for his sake. She rubbed her cheeks; did they still
look pale? She endeavoured to put on a pleasant smile; did she look
beautiful now, as beautiful as formerly? She examined herself
attentively in the glass upstairs in her bedroom, and then downstairs
in the big room; she was wrapped up in her own thoughts.

Thus Boehnke found her.

His noisy entrance had startled her, and she flew at him. Boehnke--what
did he want? Why did he come to-day and disturb her?

"So you've really shown yourself again?" she said. "Why have you come
to-day? What do you want?"

"Mr. Tiralla--was in the carriage--I met him," he said with difficulty.
He stood before her with bent head, as though he were a miserable
sinner.

She was half beside herself with anger when she saw him standing like
that. Such a wretched coward, and a liar to boot. "Why have you
deceived me?" she cried furiously.

"I--I've never deceived you." He understood at once to what she was
referring. So that was why she was so angry with him. He raised two
fingers as though he were taking an oath, and said eagerly, "By God,
I've not deceived you. If you had the right mushrooms, then"--he
shrugged his shoulders--"then I don't understand it. I'm blameless."

"They were the right ones," she answered tersely. "He ate them."

[Pg 183]

"Ate them? Ate them?"

"Ate them all."

He stared at her as though he could not comprehend it. "And he--he
is--well?"

"He's well."

The schoolmaster put his hand to his head. He could hardly credit that
anybody could have eaten those mushrooms--the devil's toad