hether he had been hurt and
inquired about the wheels, and he bent over them. Spiele's wheel was
undamaged. His own well-worn machine had more than stood the test; he
had only to adjust the bar and they could go on; the bump which the
frame had received was only a new mark of honor. Spiele thanked Victor
for his assistance. Now she appeared again in such a halo of prudence
and womanly kindness, that he would have liked to tear his heart in two
and place one-half in her hands and throw the other at Hoeflinger's
feet. At the sympathetic glance of her brown eyes tears came into
his own. He turned about sharply and saw the farm-hand struggle up
crab-fashion from the grass. He gave the wheel another kick and got on
his Wanderer. The couple also mounted their wheels. For a time they
rode straggling across the whole width of the road facing the setting
sun. Then village strollers came with the evening coolness, and they
resumed their customary order.

The incident did not act on Pratteler's passion either as brake or as
sedative. In his queer head it tended to justify his claims and hopes
and to give him the right to support them. Something had appeared which
had to be recognized and to run its course. Victor expected Hoeflinger
to take cognizance of it; when nothing of the kind was forthcoming, he
picked up that half of his heart which he had thrown at Hoeflinger's
feet and with the other half placed it in the hands of Spiele. Now she
owned his whole heart and openly too--by Jove! The long one knew it,
and she knew it, and both knew that he knew it. That was a delightful
chain of ready facts; and he saw the pretty tailor's daughter dreamily
laughing and expectantly groping toward them with the free hand which
did not bear his heart. One day she was bound to reach him; no power
could help her. Then it would be for Hoeflinger to see how he would
resign himself to his loss.

From that day Victor no longer restrained himself. Spiele, too, it
seemed to him, was going more and more out of herself in her husband's
presence. She seemed to enjoy their leavetaking. She began to sing all
sorts of taunting little tunes that she remembered from her girlhood,
innocent jolly songs with which the daughters of the middle class while
away their time and keep awake their minds in their long wait for a
husband. Sometimes she was simply ravishing. Once she danced before the
men. They had read in the papers about Salome. She sat still a while
an