had said testily. He was on the point of
falling asleep, and did not want to be disturbed any more. "Good
night, darling, have a good night's rest. Now that you've come home
again you'll do what you think right."

Yes, that she would!

From that day forth she never let the boy out of her sight. And her
ears were everywhere. There was no reason to send the girl away--she
was honest and clean and did her duty--only she must not be alone with
Woelfchen again. Wolfgang was now in his twelfth year, it was not a
maid's place to look after him any more.

But it was difficult for Kate to live up to her resolutions. Her
husband, of course, had claims on her too, and also her house and her
social life; it was not possible to shake off, give up, neglect
everything else for the one, for the child's sake. Besides, it might
make her husband seriously angry with the child, if she constantly went
against his wishes; she trembled at the thought of it. She had to go
into society with him now and then, he was pleased when she--always
well dressed--was in request as an agreeable woman. He was fond of
going out--and went, alas, much, much too often. So she instructed the
cook and the man-servant--even begged them earnestly to keep a watch on
what was going on. They were quite amazed; if the mistress was so
little satisfied with Cilia, she should give her notice; there
would be girls enough on the 1st of January.

Kate turned away angrily: how horrid of the servants to want to
drive the other away. And if another one came into the house, might it
not be exactly the same with her? Servants are always a danger to
children.

Wolfgang was developing quickly, especially physically. It was not
that he was growing so tall, but he was getting broader, becoming
robust, with a strong neck. When he threw snowballs with the Laemkes
outside the door he looked older than Artur, who was of the same age,
even older than Frida. He was differently fed from these children. His
mother was delighted to notice his clear, fresh-looking skin, and saw
that he had plenty of warm baths and a cold sponge down every morning.
And he had to go to the hairdresser every fortnight, where his thick,
smooth mop of dark hair, which remained somewhat coarse in spite of all
the care expended on it, was washed and a strengthening lotion rubbed
into it. The Laemkes looked almost starved when compared with him; they
had not recovered from the effects of scarlet fever very long