the table in their glass shades threw a
yellow light on them.

Herr Sperber and some of the others saw the girl resting in the
stranger's arms.

"Good Lord!" As quickly as his short legs permitted, Sperber reached
the spot. "What's the matter?" he cried. "What's the matter?"

"My fiancee seems a little unwell," said Herr Kosch gravely.

"Your--what?" cried Herr Sperber. "But that's--that's--" He was going to
say "horrible," but thought better of it, and only looked at him in a
way that left no doubt, taking the girl without ceremony in his strong
arms.

Then she opened her eyes, and said, as she saw the friendly, horrified
face of old Sperber bending over her, "I love him beyond anything on
earth."

The engraver seized both her hands and kissed them. "Go," she said; "I
want to be alone. You promised to be my friend. I long to be alive as
you are alive. That is what you must understand. Good night!"

He kissed her hand again, and bowed to Herr Sperber. "I will go," he
said, and he went, just as Herr Rauchfuss used to walk when he wanted
to show the world that he was completely master of himself.

The girl remained behind, dissolved in burning tears. Herr Sperber led
her to the deserted table and made her sit down by his side. A bitter
odor came up from the dregs in the bottom of the glasses. The two
candles made a small white island in the midst of the darkness, in
which dim forms were seen walking up and down in excited converse.
Still the tears ran incessantly down the girl's cheeks.

"Child," said Herr Sperber, "what have you done? An utterly unknown
man! Are you womenfolks all crazy? For a whole year everything
respectable that had two legs has been running up here after you--and
you ... A man like our nephew ... Think, child--so straight and steady,
pure and good; he would make a woman happy."

"Don't--don't!" she said.

They sat silently side by side.

"No one need know. Come, child, let us go to the others." Helplessly
she followed him, and took leave of her guests. The suitors went away
in deep, dumb amazement. The Kirsten girls kissed their friend heartily
on the cheeks, and their comrades pressed her hand.

"For God's sake, child," said the Raven-mother, when the last had
departed, "are you clean out of your senses?"

"Let her alone," said Herr Sperber. "We don't need anything. Go to
bed. I'll stay with our child. Leave us alone."

And they were left alone. They went together into the living