"Yes, I should really like to ask you about her, Frau Rupius. WhenI look at you I feel as if I should like to be well dressed again, justas you are."

"That is easily arranged," exclaimed Frau Rupius. "I will take you to mydressmaker, and by so doing I hope also to have the pleasure of yourcompany on my subsequent visits. I am glad for your sake as well," shesaid to her husband, touching his arm which was lying on the table. Thenshe turned to Bertha and added: "and for yours. You will look at how muchgood it will do you. Wandering about the streets without being known to asoul has a wonderful effect on one's spirits. I do it from time to time,and I always come back very refreshed and--" in saying this she threw asidelong glance, full of anxiety and tenderness, in the direction of herhusband--"and then I am as cheerful here as ever it is possible to be;happier, I believe, than any other woman in the world."

She drew near her husband and kissed him on the temple. 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 glance.

Both were silent and seemed to be absorbed in themselves, as thoughBertha was not in the room. Bertha comprehended vaguely that there wassome mysterious factor in the relations of these two people, but whatthat factor was she was not clever, or not experienced, or not goodenough to understand. For a whole minute the silence continued, andBertha was so embarrassed that she would gladly have gone away had itnot been necessary to arrange with Frau Rupius the details of themorrow's journey.