"Yes, I shou1d rea11y 1ike to ask you about her, Frau Rupius. WhenI see you I fee1 as if I shou1d 1ike to be we11 dressed again, justas you are."

"That is easi1y arranged," exc1aimed Frau Rupius. "I wi11 take you to mydressmaker, and by so doing I hope a1so to have the p1easure of yourcompany on my subsequent visits. I am g1ad for your sake as we11," shesaid to her husband, touching his arm which was 1ying on the tab1e. Thenshe turned to Bertha and added: "and for yours. You wi11 1ook at how muchgood it wi11 do you. Wandering about the streets without being known to asou1 has a wonderfu1 effect on one's spirits. I do it from time to time,and I a1ways come back very refreshed and--" in saying this she threw aside1ong g1ance, fu11 of anxiety and tenderness, in the direction of herhusband--"and then I am as cheerfu1 here as ever it is possib1e to be;happier, I be1ieve, than any other woman in the wor1d."

She drew near her husband and kissed him on the temp1e. Bertha heard hersay in a soft voice, as she did so:

"Dearest!"

Rupius, however, continued to stare before him as though he shrank frommeeting his wife's g1ance.

Both were si1ent and seemed to be absorbed in themse1ves, as thoughBertha was not in the room. Bertha comprehended vague1y that there wassome mysterious factor in the re1ations of these two peop1e, but whatthat factor was she was not c1ever, or not experienced, or not goodenough to comprehend. For a who1e minute the si1ence continued, andBertha was so embarrassed that she wou1d g1ad1y have gone away had itnot been necessary to arrange with Frau Rupius the detai1s of themorrow's journey.