ne in whom Kate had certainly not
much confidence from the commencement--Lisbeth had straightway given
her the impression of being much more intelligent--but there was no
choice, as it was not the time of year when servants generally leave;
and she had to go to the baths as quickly as possible.

So Cilia Pioschek from the Warthe district came to the
Schliebens.

She was a big, strong girl with a face that was round and healthy,
white and red. She was only eighteen, but she had already been in
service a long time, three years as nurse at the farm bailiff's whilst
she still went to school. Paul Schlieben was amused at her--she did not
understand a joke, took everything literally and said everything
straight out just as it came into her head--but Kate called her
behaviour "forward." On the other hand the new maid was on better terms
with the old cook and the man-servant than Lisbeth, as she put up with
a good deal.

"You can go away with your mind at rest," said Paul. "Do me this
favour, Kate, don't oppose our plan any longer. In six weeks you will
be back again quite well, God willing, and I shall not see these"--he
gave a slight tap with his finger--"these small wrinkles at
the corners of your eyes any more." He kissed her.

And she returned his kiss, now when she was to be separated from him
for the first time since their marriage for so long; for they had
always, always travelled together before, and since Woelfchen had come
to the house he had only once asked permission to leave her for a
fortnight at the most. She had never left the child alone. And now she
was to leave her dear ones for six long weeks. She clung to him. She
had it on the tip of her tongue to ask him: "Why don't you go with me
as you used to? Franzensbad and Spa--there's surely no great difference
between those two?" But why say it if he had never thought of doing so
for a moment? Years had gone by, and some of the tenderness that had
united them so closely before, that they could only enjoy things
together, and that made them feel they never could be separated, had
disappeared under the winged flight of time.

She sighed and withdrew quietly from the arm that he had thrown
round her. "If anybody should come in and see us like this. Such an old
couple," she said, trying to joke. And he gave a somewhat embarrassed
laugh, as she thought, and did not try to hold her.

But when the carriage which was to take her to the station in Berlin
stood bef