has
a gentle disposition, she seems to be very pliable. My father--God
give him everlasting peace--always used to say to me, 'Take a gentle
wife.' My opinion is that a gentle wife will always have a good
husband, because----"

[Pg 192]

He stopped. Mrs. Tiralla had suddenly jumped up; what a namby-pamby the
fellow was, to be sure, in spite of his eyes that were shining with
mirth and his fresh lips under his small black moustache, and his
four-and-twenty years. His way of speaking angered her. He spoke like
an old man with the mouth of a youth. Her fingers twitched, she felt so
irritated she would have liked to have given him a blow on those fresh
lips. What did he know of marriage, or what it was like to have a
coarse, hateful, rough, vulgar, ugly old drunkard as your husband? She
was raging. She felt she must convince this man, just this man, that it
was terrible, and then----

She closed her eyes for a moment as though she felt dizzy.

An intense joy took possession of her. She was still "the beautiful
Mrs. Tiralla." Whatever he might think at the present moment, he would
learn to think differently. Her irritation disappeared, and she begged
him in a voice that was almost humble not to be surprised that she had
poured her heart out to him. She was surprised at it herself, but it
must have been because she had lived such an isolated life for so long,
and had had to be silent for so many, many years.

Then he grew milder too; he was never angry long. The woman certainly
had a very touching voice. He also felt flattered that she had shown
him such confidence. But he was not able to tell her so, as his former
shyness had returned as soon as his anger disappeared. He let her carry
on the conversation, whilst he sat silent in the dark room, and as he
listened to her he thought how sweetly she was speaking.

They were still sitting thus when the maid burst into the room with the
lamp. She started back, half terrified, half bewildered. Had the Pani
been sitting [Pg 193] the whole time alone with him in the twilight?
H'm! Her eyes flashed, and she could not resist winking at her mistress
as much as to say, Do you care for him? She could well understand that
the Pani preferred this one to Mr. Tiralla, or to pale, lean Pan
Boehnke. The schoolmaster would turn green with envy when he saw this
strong, handsome fellow. What a capital joke it would be when those two
met.

Marianna could scarcely restrain her chuckling. Sh